Temporary Stop Updating Blog!

Since the hotel I'm staying has a very low speed Internet (Even thought they claim it is high speed), I cannot upload any pictures that I've taken (and 'm going to take) during this Thanksgiving break in NJ and NY. I'll try to upload the pictures as soon as I go back to PEA.

Fall Term Ends

Finally, the first trimester in PEA has ended. This trimester passed more quickly than I had anticipated. I hadn't thought that it would be this fun, and I also began to feel that it has passed too fast. After this term, I have to do my college application more seriously and the courses for next trimester are also more intense. More work is coming in the following winter trimester!

Gilman Expedition I

The last project for this Fall that I intended to do is the Gilman Expedition. Last Sunday, I've found that there is a huge park at the back of the school known as the Gilman Park. I've already walked around the small track of this park on Sunday, but I found out later that there is another big track.

I had only one exam period today, so I decided to begin my expedition. I began with the left side of the big track, which is smaller. This part is quite dry, so there was nothing much except the dried leaves. However, I could still find some mosses diversity here. I also found a few houses at the edge of the track.

Then I moved on into the Gilman Park main part. I noticed  mosses diversity in the forest was very interesting. There were some Polytrichun (possibly commune) presented. 

Also I ended part I of my expedition with the discovery of a large sphagnum bog. The sphagnum grows near a flowing stream in the forest in wide range. The species that I found has similar traits to those on the Bear Island. They are usually green, but turn red when gets a certain amount of sunlight. The sphagnum track is quite long, so I haven't completed it yet today. I may continue this track again very soon.

EA Games!!!

Today is the last day for Fall season sport, which means that it is also EA (Exeter/andover) Game. The season of EA began since Friday. Exonians tried to psyche each other up by holding many events including EA Assembly, Bonfire and PEP Rally. 

Then on Saturday, the real EA Game began. This year Exeter hosted the game. Phillipians arrived at 10AM. Chris and I went to meet Sarah and Ben at the Facility management building. Then Ben went to cheer soccer game. Chris, Sarah and I went to tour the school until half past eleven when we decided to have lunch at Pad Thai.

In the afternoon, we gave another tour to Ben and then headed to the football game, which was the highlight of the day. The game ended with Exeter's victory by 39 - 6. 

Beach Clean Up: November 2011

This is the third time that I participate in Adopt the beach program. I already posted about the first time, but the second time there was rain, so I couldn't take any pictures and decided to skip it.

This time there was a big difference from the first time: it was ebb tide. The ebb tide revealed some submerged rocks that I could not reach in previous trips. The rocks contained little ponds and many creatures.

The ponds were only about 10 cm in depth, so I could easily reach the bottom to take some pictures. There were many colorful algae: both red and green that survived the dryness inside the ponds.

 

This is the last fall trip and I think that it will be much more different during the winter. Hope that it won't be too cold at the beach during the winter.

Salem Halloween Trip

On Sunday, the International Students Assembly held a trip to Salem Witch Museum. Salem is a famous town for the witches' trials during the colonial period and also for Halloween in contemporary years. We departed campus at noon and arrived Salem an hour later. There were a lot of people that day because the following day was Halloween. 

The streets were crowed with people dressing up in Halloween costumes. There was a major street where shops sold Halloween costumes and some performances were shown.

The Witch Museum was a museum about the witches' trials during the colonial era. They just explained about the trials. It was not that interesting.

After the museum, Chris and I walked around the city and went to a temporary amusement park. We played a Viking-like ride  and some other rides. It was not as good as Dream World, but still better than doing nothing. We departed Salem at 4PM.

October Blizzard

The unexpected blizzard that hit the East coast in the late October caused power outrage in many regions including Exeter town. Day students said that they had to stay late on campus since there was no electricity at there homes. The PEA power backup saved boarders from this problem.

The blizzard struck Exeter at the Saturday night. During the snow storm, the temperature dropped down and we almost couldn't go out from the dorm at all. The accumulation was about 7 inches. Everyone was so excited because snow is rare in October. I unpacked all my winter cloth and started to use my heaviest sweater, gloves and winter hat.

The blizzard stopped in the morning and the next day was sunny all day.

I woke up early on Sunday morning and played a snow ball fight with Blake and Blair in the field in fornt of Dow house.

It was a beautiful day despite of the very low temperature.

The First New England Snow

Tonight, I encountered the first New England snow. It is quite strange to have snow in October; my friend told me that it is a first time in a decade that it snows in October here.

The snow began at 9PM. I noticed it when I went back to my dorm after peer tutoring. When I came back, I took my camera and then went out again with Dash (my dormmate) to take some pictures.

It is very cold now. The temperature is about 8 C highest at noon and -1 C lowest at night. The temperature when it snowed was 1 C.

The snow melted readily and there was only a glimpse the next morning.