Garfield dig spring session

The Mongerson Lab - sorting surface collections.

Whole watch found in surface collection

Sometimes, people and places come into your life and you just know you will learn a lot from them, sometimes you set out to teach something and end up teaching something else entirely.  I had a wonderful time at Garfield, I am again struck by the potential of the place and embittered by what is not being done.  I have learned so much there and from the people I work with down there.  Somethings are surely not the lesson they intended to teach, but I welcome the knowledge none the less.  I can both praise and rant about this place for hours.  I feel as if I am coming home every time I step on to the property.  I have long struggled with my involvement because I wonder if I too would be looking at it to further only my own goals and because I get so upset at the things I view as mishandled.  Is it worth the extra stress and worry in my life?  Is my idea really any better?  Can I control my temper and frustration level enough to have those whose opinion has weight listen to me or will I just be wasting my time and effort? 

I believe in this place, I believe the people who spend so much of their lives intertwined in the running of this place truly want it to be as great as it can be.  I can be of use and of value to them, but I need to stop thinking with my heart only. 

The inter-workings of of the clock all cleaned up, this had been encased in mud and took 45 minutes to clean out.  

Digging units in the morning.

English Gun Flint I found at the end of the first week.

We dug for ten days, finding mostly more of the same stuff we had been finding in previous years.  No new features where uncovered.  I got to catch up with Jamie and Maggie and live with Cheri and Betsy at the farm house.  Beaver came down and crewed with us for three days.  He loved it!!  Maybe he turn out to be an Archaeologist, though I think he would rather work with the animals next time. 

I will be doing my internship with the museum over the next year and look forward to having a chance to learn more about the running of a museum.  Of course the idea of making and wearing a costume to docent for them really works for me too! 

The Gun flint I found was really exciting too.  I called my Grandpa right away to tell him.  He is a hunter and interested in gun and old flint lock rifles. He was excited for me and told me in great detail how it would have been used, he has been so supportive of my career choice.