I Like Dirt

Born and raised in the '90's…

Photo Credit: Jan Cowles (aka my mom, 1995)

I grew up wearing over-sized retro t-shirts and typically bright or patterned leggings. I still don't know if this was a style or if it was just my own way of dressing, but I rocked it. This combination is all over fashion magazines these days, so I'd say I was a trend-setter. To be honest, I did not like the color pink, and took my shoes off whenever possible. It was typical to find me with stains from food or dirt or paint on my clothing. Some of this was because I hated to have sticky substances on my hands, and another factor was that I was always playing with that sticky stuff that I found urgent to remove from my skin.

My sister, Paige, is 2 1/2 years older than me with a similar interest in playing with the sticky things. Fortunately for her wardrobe, she could wait until she reached a sink in order to remove it from her hands. This all goes to say that we were more likely to be found in the backyard than in front of the television or a game system, which is shocking given the time period we grew up in. We grew up in what was known as the "True Dawn of the Information Age" which honestly sounds like it could be a tragic ending to the world as we knew it. Turns out in a way it was...

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/i/information_age.asp

In elementary school we had computer class. It was another “special” just like art, gym, or library. We would go to the computer lab with the brand new brightly colored Apple iMac desktop cubes that came out in 1998- when I was in third grade. We would go to the computer lab and learn how to perform research projects as well as to play reading and spelling computer games. While learning how to spell, we were also learning a newly necessary skill of typing. It was amazing to be part of this, coming home and hearing my parents say that they had never known what a computer was when they were my age. We were really part of something big.

Television time limits were rarely a concern in our household. Although it was typical for me to be able to name off a television show that I was fond of, most of which could be found on the Animal Planet or ABC Family. I liked shows that kept my attention, and typically they were about animals or kids like me. There used to be this amazing show called ZOOM where kids would show other kids watching the show how to do certain science experiments which would allow the viewer to try it for themselves. Yes, I was one of those nerdy kids who would do the experiments along with them. Shut up, I learned from them.

Yes, this was embarassing to admit.

I had a pretty big fascination with cameras, and actually still do. This was one medium of technology that I wanted to get my hands on, and wanted to continue using. When I was very young, my parents got me disposable cameras. By the time I turned old enough to hold onto something heavier than 2 pounds without dropping it or forgetting it somewhere obscure like within the slide at the playground (...so, last year...), my parents got me my own film developing camera. Not disposable, but film. It was thrilling to be able to capture those moments and then have them forever after I developed them. Technology allowed me to remember and to relive. It allows me today to remember my grandfather and remember the times before I could really remember moment to moment.

Technology played a big part in my childhood, through Disney movies and television shows; especially with cameras and the computers that were up and coming. I guess a part of me was knowingly unaware of the fact that these had such a big impact on my life. Another part of me wants to keep it that way, and be blissfully naive to the fact that we are so reliant on technology.

For now, I'm going to go continue playing in the mud.

Emit Remmus

Hey there.

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Emily Cowles, but I go by Em to those who know me well or are too lazy to say the three excessively long syllables it takes to say Emily. Also, I think the name Emily, being the #3 baby girl name in 1990 , is way too common and it is highly likely that there is at least one other Emily within a 200 foot radius of me at all times. So Em it is to any of you.

Maybe you're wondering why the title to this first post is "Emit Remmus". Maybe you don't care, or maybe you think you know? Well if you are curious and need an answer, my favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers and "Emit Remmus" is "Summer Time" in reverse. With this, I bet you can guess what I'm going to talk about next...

If your guess was my summer adventures, gosh, why did you guess that? I want to talk about hedgehogs, pretty much the most adorable and versatile animals ever to be created.

Alright, I really was going to talk about my summer because it's something you'll want to hear about.

This summer, I had the opportunity to work on a dude ranch out west. I can honestly say that I have not completely recovered and gotten back to the real world even still. Being called a dude every day does have its effects long-term...

I spent every day of my summer in Lake George, Colorado. If you've never heard of it, it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, a wide open and beautiful nowhere. Here I was a kid's counselor for the children coming in with their families to go on a week-long vacation to a dude ranch where they can ride horses and do arts and crafts. I

was also a wrangler and a part-time housekeeping staff member. Talk about a diverse job. The ranch itself is called Tarryall River Ranch, a family run ranch with a whole lot of space.

I was able to take out rides and teach arts and crafts, and was able to

ride a beautiful buckskin for the majority of the summer. His name is Tuff.

From May 17th to August 30th, I was out in Colorado living the dream, for the most part. Although things were not always perfect on the ranch, it only added to the experience that this job gave for me to carry with me for the rest of my life. I can honestly say this was one of the best summers I have had so far in my life. I spent three and a half months riding horses, meeting people, and breathing the clear Colorado air. What more can one ask for?

So that's my summer. Stay tuned: more information on my life to come.