This month Dan marked his second annual 39th birthday. It's a major milestone that calls for a surprise party! So, Dave deceived Dan into meeting him in Atlanta, where the family rendezvoused to celebrate. There were balloons, gag gifts and a vintage port as old as Dan. (They have both aged remarkably well.) The weekend was so perfect that our favorite paleontologist even got his picture taken with a family of Lophorhothons that wandered by.
The Ancient One
News & Notes
We spent half of April in Hong Kong, a fascinating city. It's famous for it's high density with everyone living stacked on one another, but we didn't find it oppressive. It's China, so the government is probably watching all the time, but there seems to be a lot of freedom. It's a banking capital. Some think that's a big deal; others don't. We're bursting with more to tell, so check out our ePostcards.
Hong Kong with Kowloon in the distance
Our Parisan friends Mi-Sug and Alain are co-winners of the 2015 French-Korea Culture Prize for their translations of Korean poetry to French. They were honored at the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée (diplomatic club), which is across the street from the Elysée Palace. The awards ceremony was held before this spectacular tapestry depicting the final scene of Racine's Athalie. In addition to our friends the French Cinema Library (institutional winner) was cited for a Korean film retrospective, and choreographer Eun-Me Ahn was recognized for incorporating shamanism into dance.
The Jury and 4 winners (w/ citations): Alain, Mi-Sug, Eun-Me Ahn, A Film Library Rep
Dave has published a fascinating article in JSTOR Daily about the domestication of wheat. The article, "Great Grains: How Ancient Einkorn Became the New 'IT' Wheat," tells the story of einkorn wheat, the grain that enabled people to switch from hunting-gathering to farming 10,000 years ago. They ushered in the Neolithic Revolution when they figured out that gathering seeds of this plant [Triticum monococcum] was quick, easy and nutritious.
Einkorn Wheat, The First Crop
Dave's girlfriend Megan will be spending the summer in and around Matagalpa Nicaragua conducting research for her master's thesis on the farming practices of the indigenous people.
This year we were once again in Libby MT to help Jim Shadle run the Yaak Summit Rest Stop on the Scenic Tour Of Koutenai River bike ride. It's the 22nd year for this Habitat for Humanity charity event. Our first year helping was 2008. This year we welcomed 320 riders to the top of the hill, and we had a blast!
All set up and waiting for the first riders
Finally, this barge headed for Alaska (probably) floundered for about an hour in front of our house. Despite the tug's orientation, the barge needs to go right. And, yes, those are school busses stacked on the tops of the containers.
