Cactus Salad

Tortoises in Zion II

2008-06-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

beetles in a thistle flower, a male desert tortoise, a yellow opuntia blossom, and a Chuckwalla that thinks he is sneaky

Tortoises in Zion

2008-06-02T18:30:00.001-07:00

I've just finished the desert tortoise survey in Zion, which I've been working on for the past seven weeks. This involved a lot of hiking, climbing, and sometimes falling.

We saw a lot of cool stuff aside from tortoises (even though it's hard to beat a cute tortoise that you just stumble upon in the middle of nowhere that looks up at you all "hey, what up?").

I'll be posting some of my favorite photos of the all flora and fauna to be found in the springtime where the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin collide.

Claret Cup cactus, Banana Yucca in bloom, Desert Collared Lizard, workin' a transect, prickly pear blossom

photo free interlude

2008-05-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

My computer broke today. The AC adaptor stopped working. I bought a new one, and it doesn't work either. Therefore, I am drinking a gin & tonic and hoping that my life's photos aren't lost. I am a bit tired from hiking both for work and for pleasure. This weekend we will take it easy and eat CHILI at Paul's.

Salt Lake City

2008-05-22T15:56:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos from SLC last month. Unfortunately, we did not get photos of the best thing that we saw there: a drag show headlined by Jackie Beat. Here are a few slightly less interesting Mormon-y things, plus the Great Salt Lake.

Vermilion Cliffs

2008-05-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Desert Museum in AZ

2008-05-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

I went rock climbing for the first time yesterday! It was really fun, Brett and Nathan showed me how. I'd like to climb some more, but I don't have any equipment, obviously. We may go again in Moab this weekend.

Work is going smoothly this week in Zion. We have picked up a rhythm and are ahead of schedule. Now I'm off to make pineapple shrimp kebabs!

Here are some more photos from southern AZ, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum:

Tucson, AZ

2008-04-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

A killed a spider and he is obsessively trying to determine if it is a Brown Recluse. Not to illigitmize his find, but he thinks that every brown spider he kills is a Brown Recluse. At this moment, he is using a toy microscope to examine the "fiddle pattern" on it's abdomen.

Onward with more photos. The mission church below is from Ajo, Arizona. The remaining photos are from Tucson.

Organ Pipe NM III

2008-04-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Going to D.C.

2008-04-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

Work in Zion is fun! But hard! I got my first cactus-needle-through-the-boot-into-the-foot yesterday.

Anyway, I'm traveling to the east coast this weekend for my cousin's wedding today. And for fun with Emily! She got to see the Pope drive by in the Popemobile yesterday. I'm a little jealous. I bet he was wearing his pope bling.

I have to finish packing, more photos next week.

Organ Pipe NM part II

2008-04-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Organ Pipe National Monument

2008-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Spring in Southern AZ- Beware the Teddy Bear

2008-04-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

.I have been busy traveling, working at my new job, and traveling for my new job. I have a ton of new pictures to share. A few weeks ago, we went to Arizona, Tucson, and Salt Lake City. Southern Arizona was in full spring bloom, and camping was perfect. Last weekend, my parents came to visit, and we went to The Wave again, and went to Zion where we saw a ton of Bighorn sheep.

The first photo is near the Hoover Dam- the water recession in Lake Mead is obvious. The subsequent photos are of a Teddy Bear Cholla. One spiny MFer.

Valley of Fire pt II

2008-03-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Valley of Fire, Pt. I

2008-03-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

We went on a camping trip to Valley of Fire state park a few weeks ago. It was over President's Day weekend, so camping sites were non-existant. We decided to camp on BLM land instead, which turned out to be really fun (and free!). The park has brilliant red rocks and some cool petroglyphs. Bighorn sheep and desert tortoises are a common theme in petroglyphs of the desert southwest.

New Job!

2008-03-04T15:27:00.001-08:00

I got a new job as a Desert Tortoise technician with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources! I will be replacing my good friend and colleague who just got new biologist job in Ajo, Arizona. She is an awesome friend, and has also helped me out a great deal with tortoises, work, and fun. I am sad to see her go.

I will be working with a crew in Zion NP conducting desert tortoise surveys in the spring, and I will conduct remote camera and telemetry studies in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve this summer.

Brett arrived in Utah last week, and much fun was had. We will be taking lots of trips to Moab and Ajo in the coming months!

Turkey Release

2008-02-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

We did a turkey release about 3 weeks ago with the AZ Fish and Wildlife Service. We released 55 turkeys total, equipped several with radio "backpacks", and tagged all of them. They were suprisingly docile and didn't peck, even when we "pierced" their wings with the tags. It was unbearably cold that day, so I look like an eskimo.

On a side note, Brett is coming to Utah!! I'm so excited. He got a job as a seasonal ranger at Canyonlands National Park! Congrats!!

Severe Pillow Fight

2008-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Sep. 28- At 1:29 a.m., a Jefferson Hall R.A. alerted campus police after one of his first-floor residents sustained a nose injury during a pillow fight that was so severe that he required ambulance transport to Mary Washington Hospital. The responding officer reported that the victim's nose was visibly disfigured. The student insisted that the pillow fight was friendly in nature, and said that he could not identify his assailant.

Thank you, wonders of the internet. As an alumnus, I no longer have to miss out on reading the UMW Police Beat

NGM: Drying of the West

2008-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Photos-Article

A lot of the photos from this article were taken nearby.

Dino

2008-02-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Zion in January

2008-02-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

How to make Rabbit Stew

2008-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

I’ve always thought that a Dutch oven was just when you farted in bed and then pulled the sheets over your bed-mate’s head, bringing them certain torture and probable death.

Not so. Dutch ovens actually exist, and they are used in an extremely popular form of cooking in southern Utah. You can put a Dutch oven inside an actual oven, but they are traditionally put over a bed of coals, with coals placed over the lid. They are most useful for camping, if you want to haul what is essentially a cast-iron bucket.

You can make anything from turkey chili to chocolate cake in a Dutch oven. The choice for our first dish? Jack-Rabbit Stew, naturally. The meat was compliments of our friend Mitch (surprisingly, not our first offer for free rabbit meat). This recipe is from Byron’s Dutch Oven Cooking Page.

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 rabbit, about 3 pounds, cut up
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms, sauteed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup water

PREPARATION:
Dredge rabbit pieces with 1/2 cup flour.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; brown rabbit pieces on all sides.

Add celery, onion, salt, pepper, bay leaf, 4 cups water, and wine; bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer rabbit stew for 2 hours. Add carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms; cook for about 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/3 cup water; stir until well blended and smooth. Stir flour mixture into the broth; cook and stir until thickened.

I have to say, it was extremely delicious and tender. Rabbit is leaner than beef, pork, and chicken. Yum! Bunnies!

Bryce Canyon Pt.4

2008-01-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

Bryce Canyon Pt. 3

2008-01-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Best Inland Sushi

2008-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

This is the one of the most amazing buffets in Las Vegas- Makino Sushi & Seafood. Only $13.99 for lunch, you can choose from 40+ types of sushi and sashimi, plus all you can eat tempura, do-it-yourself Miso, and different types of Japanese salads and veggies. For desert- a huge spread of fresh fruit, a giant chocolate fountain, crème brule, tarts, and other interesting Japanese treats. We stumbled upon this place while outlet shopping around the holidays- I’ll take this over the strip any day!

A New Year in (Tortoise) Paradise

2008-01-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

I’m also going on yet another business trip to Las Vegas in February- 4 days at a Tortoise symposium at Sam’s Town. That’s right: 4 days of Tortoise scientists talking about Tortoise science in a huge western-themed casino. Did I mention animatronic bears? And planned socials. Tortoise nerd socials.

Which way to the buffet??

OH! I’m moving into a new place in La Verkin, UT. Thought I lived in Podunk before? This town has fewer than 4,000 residents. I am actually receding deeper into Utah (only 30 miles deeper, there is still easy access to the world’s largest liquor store in Mesquite, NV). It's centrally located between St. George, Cedar City, and Zion National Park. It’s 3 bedrooms, has a garage, and it has a huge porch with a sweet view.

Bryce Canyon Pt.2

2008-01-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

I have to continue with this set because this was one of the most beautiful parks that we've visited thus far. I may be better with updates soon once we move into a new place with internets. woop.

Acclamations

2007-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

3 major things:

i. Learned how to ski, and (sorta) learned how to snowboard.
ii. Witnessed the worst and most hilarious singing/dancing group I've ever seen, even after years of attending public school.
iii. Attempted to learn how to line dance at, what I am certain, is the closest thing to a "club" in Saint George.

Now I must explain number 2. I went with A to the Cedar City employees holiday party. This was held in a great hall filled with banners and paintings of people of semi-importance. A decent meal was served and predictable but well-meaning jokes were broadcast over the PA system. But them came the terror known as "ACCLAMATIONS". As per the definition, it certainly was loud.

Let me just take a moment to inform you that southern Utahns absolutely love their musical theater. It's a THING here. Anyway, the entire production lasted almost 2 hours- TWO HOURS of costume changes, singing, dancing, and SMILING. I thought I was just in this for turkey, pie, and maybe a raffle.

The production mostly revolved around "Jingle Bells Through the Ages". This consisted of special versions of the song as sung by: Victorian-Era Londoners, Flappers, Sonny and Cher (I've got Jingle Bells), The Beegees, Michael Jackson, Madonna, N'Sync, and Gwen Stefani. Jaws dropped when a chubby "Madonna" did a mid-air split in her pleather hot pants, whilst being spun around by two awkward dudes. They nearly dropped her, and then dragged her off stage by her butt.

These people clearly never saw "Waiting for Guffman". Each "cast member" was introduced at the end over dramatic pre-recorded music. I literally couldn't stop laughing, but a part of me also wanted to die the entire time. It would have made an excellent YouTube video.

Bryce Canyon Pt. 1

2007-12-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

We camped in Bryce a couple of weeks ago. It snowed on our tent one night! It was beautiful and I have too many photos.

We are going skiing this weekend!! I'm super excited. We went up to Brian Head last weekend just to check out the snow- it snowed almost 2 feet. It's supposed to snow again next weekend too. We are also going to chop down a little Christmas tree for the apartment on the way back. My office issues the permits, only $10 for a tree. I've never chopped down a tree before... at least it will be a little guy.

Bighorn Sheep Capture

2007-12-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

This took place a few weeks ago. We captured almost 30 sheep in 8 hours. They brought them in via helicopter after catching them on the cliffs, and we took blood, attached radio transmitters, and took fecal samples (YUM) before sending them off to their new home. We captured them in order to repopulate other areas.

And just to let you know, we got our first Mormon missionaries tonight. I made lasagna for A and our friend Mel (I've been cooking tons), and we had just finished our last bites when we got a knock on the door. A was a little tipsy and told them we already have a Book of Mormon (true fact), and pointed to it on the coffee table. Otherwise he was very polite to them, but I was giving them the stink-eye because we were clearly in the middle of dinner. After they left, we all agreed that Andrew should have told them that HE had just made dinner for his two wives and didn't want to be interrupted.

Ridgecrest, CA

2007-11-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

It's pretty amazing that you can meet normal people out here, because some of these towns are pretty freaky. I am in southwestern California for the Desert Tortoise Council's annual workshop. It was meant to be a 5 1/2 hour drive, but with construction and traffic it turned out to be more like 7 hours. Eehh, at least I have audio books. I will be listening to I am America [and so can you] on the way back.

Forty-five minutes outside of Ridgecrest there was this weird junction, not actually a town, where I stopped to get gas at dusk. People were staring at me. The gas station had it's wares on full display, such as stuffed and mounted road runners, and other awesome crap. I don't get spooked that often, but I jumped back in my car pretty quick and locked the doors.

I'll go back to check out that crap on Sunday. In the daytime.

The hotel here is pretty decent. It certainly beats Tonopah, NV, where everyone gave us the stink eye. I had a decent meal at the hotel pub, which was actually quite lively and suprisingly clean. I took a few glances around and spotted one guy with a ponytail and loud shirt and thought immediately that he must be here for the tortoise workshop. Anyway, several of us found each other quickly and joined in on a few beers and a round of pool. Apparantly there is a keg party tomorrow night for workshop participants...

Here are some photos from my first ATV ride. I've done it several times since, but these are pretty funny. They were taken by Lee, by far my favorite Mormon that I have met here so far. He literally has 37 grandchildren.

Vegas + Torts

2007-10-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Back from Vegas, it was extremely fun. It was so nice to have Tricia come visit! We got lots of free stuff too, so I'm not completely broke. Did a little shopping though, drinking and shopping go so naturally together... Oh, ps. we saw the worst celebrities- Brandi C. from Rock of Love, and Chris Crocker.

I have done so much awesome tortoise stuff these past few weeks! I've met some cool field techs, and I've handled 30+ torts. I also saw hatchlings that are the size of 50 cent pieces! So cute.

Here are some pictures from last week:

The Wave pt 3

2007-09-28T15:56:00.001-07:00

Work has been interesting. The wildlife team is severely short of staff, which is great in some respects because it has given me a lot of learning experiences I would have otherwise missed out on, but it sure has made things a bit inefficient. Hooray beauracracy.

Tommorrow morning I'm going out with some folks from the UT Division of Wildlife Resources to do a small tortoise translocation. Today a girl from there showed us how to measure them and how to insert electronic tags. I'm hoping that I might be able to get a job with them if the BLM doesn't offer me a position.

here are more wave photos-

The Wave pt 2

2007-09-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a lazy one- it actually rained ALL day saturday, which is very unusual here. When it does rain, it usually only lasts for 30 minutes. Today was nice and cool. Here are more Wave photos-

what's in here?

little alien shrimp

The Wave, pt I

2007-09-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Tricia's coming to Las Vegas in October!! We're staying at the Tropicana! For 5 days! weee!

A and I hiked "The Wave" last week. I've been managing permits for this hike (back-country permits) among a few others at the BLM on the side. I get to answer lots of crazy calls from Germans and Spaniards every morning who are trying to figure out how to change their permit dates (I can do that) or how many kilometers are between San Fransisco and Page, Arizona (use the interweb) or how many hours are in a 5-day hike (uhhh...).

Zoobilee Zoo Pt 2

2007-09-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I spoke too soon, because the free internets are gone for good. Now we have to walk down to the "clubhouse" to pick up a wireless signal. WAh.

he looks relaxed. that's bc he's actually peeing.

Zoo Snax!!

Zoobilee Zoo pt I

2007-09-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Phew

2007-09-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have so many awesome photos to share. And now I can share them because we finally have the internet again. We have wireless from some unknown source, and sometimes it winks out for a day. We are too cheap/lazy to get our own internet.

This past weekend in San Diego was amazing. The weather was fantastic, and apparently they were having a heat wave but we didn't realize until we came back- it was breezy and pleasant to us, we slept with no AC and windows open both nights.

The beach was super crowded, like MTV SPRING BREAK YA'LL times three. People were wasted, chugging beer, playin' flip cup- it was redonkey. We sat back, watched the craziness, and enjoyed our cheap Mexican beer.

I loved the zoo. I took tons of pictures and ate lots of zoo snacks. I never imagined that I would actually get to go the San Diego Zoo. I think about that a lot here. I just think- wow, I'm actually here, seeing all of this new stuff. I feel lucky.

Pictures soon, I promise promise promise.

A few important notes

2007-08-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

-I love love love staring at polygamists at the grocery store. I love it even more than staring at people at the gym. If I ever see a polygamist running on a treadmill, I will pee my pants.

-If you ever thought that my bangs were poofy, you have never seen a polygamist mormon lady. God obviously approves of hairspray.

-Curiously, people love mopeds here. I never thought they would be so popular in Utah, but I think people around here love just about anything with wheels that requires gasoline. Today I saw an enormous lady, dressed head to toe in brown, riding a tiny moped. She was wearing ski goggles and no helmet. Word.

-I'm getting my haircut today. There is a Paul Mitchell hairdresser school around here somewhere, and it's obvious because I see a lot of dumb haircuts. A lot of girls here have haircuts that look fresh out of those books they have in salons. Angular and 3 different colors. I really hope that they don't give me one of those.

gah!

Work and Play

2007-08-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

Work is in full swing right now, so I've been super busy. I saw yet another tortoise yesterday on the land parcel that I'm working on (that makes five)! It was quite interesting yesterday out in the field, between talking to a hard-of-hearing retiree walking his dog on the land, startling a Latina woman tending to a chicken coup behind her trailer (which curiously, also housed cockatoos), and listening to the morning announcements from the high school bordering the western edge of the plot (no facial piercings allowed at school).

Anddd right now I'm preparing for a conference call that's coming up so I basically have to know everything about everything that involves this project. It's awesome/scary being in charge of this thing. I'm learning a lot in a short time.

A and I are going to San Diego this weekend for Labor Day! We are driving down through some of the national parks in southern California, and staying at a little motel on the Pacific Beach in San Diego. We are spending all of Sunday at the San Diego Zoo!! Woop.

FLDS

2007-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Colorado City is right in the middle of the AZ Strip, where I happened to work, so it's hard not to be curious. Obsessed with Big Love right now, via Netflix. Keeping track of the Warren Jeffs trial through the local paper. Under the Banner of Heaven is a crazy book, just finished it. It's all so much more entertaining than OK! and Springer combined.

torti tort

2007-08-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this guy the other day. Some torts are braver than others. This guys was brave, but suspicious.

Zion, pt 2

2007-08-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

I went to Wyoming for most of last week for an intern workshop. The workshop was useful, albeit a bit long, but I did meet some awesome people there! The evenings were awesome and hilarious, and I was in rare form. The last night we stayed in Denver at the apartment of a friend of friend that I met at the workshop. He took us all to a piano bar, where good times were had by all. I was exhausted after I returned here, and it was a great trip-I met so many cool peeps. Pics soon mebee.

Here are the remainder to the zion pics-

okay, I lied, there are more after this. Only a few more.

Another Desert Tortoise

2007-08-10T23:34:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went out to the Arvada site that I have been surveying. I mentioned earlier that we saw a tortoise in a burrow out there, but yesterday I saw this guy just hanging out, grazing, and pretty much just moseying about. He was smaller than the tortoise in the burrow- about a foot long. He looked very healthy, and only mildly concerned with our presence.

Zion, pt. one

2007-08-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the first part of our trip from last weekend. This is the beginning of our hike up Angel's Landing.

Snow Canyon

2007-08-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

I mostly did office work this week. Someone had a birthday at the office, it was straight out of Office Space. There is even a guy here that looks pretty much just like Milton. I just wanted to scream "THE RATIO OF PEOPLE TO CAKE IS TOO SMALL!!" No worries though, I'll be out in the field most of next week hanging out with tortoises. The week after that, I'm get to spend a few days in Wyoming!

Here are some shots from last weekend's hike. Tomorrow morning we leave for Zion National Park to camp and hike.

Monsoon season

2007-07-29T00:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't quite understand why they call it that until yesterday. All of the mountain mud rushes down into the valley, red, into the streets. Thirty minutes later, the sun is out again, the streets are flooded.

Work has alternatively been busy and boring, but this week I will begin designing the tortoise study, which will be accompanying their relocation. I may be applying to UNLV very soon for grad school so that I can get my masters!

Saw The Simpson Movie last night, it was hilarious!! Loved it. Tonight we saw My Fair Lady at the Tuachan theatre- our neighbor plays Colonel Pickering and got us great seats. It's an outdoor ampitheatre, which was beautiful but hot. A fell asleep, but I don't blame him.

Tomorrow, another hike in Snow Canyon.

Tonopah, Part three (finis)

2007-07-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

No one could tell me for sure if this tiny building was actually a bordello or not. It was in a crazy looking ghost town about one hour outside of Tonopah. A sign said that the population was 27, but I didn't see a soul.

In the second to last picture, I'm lowering an infared camera down into an abandoned mine.

P.S. Happy Pioneer Day!
Pioneer day is basically Mormon Fourth of July. Mostly, people set off fireworks (2 July Fourths is great for wildfires) and have parades, but some people reenact Mormon pioneers by dressing up and pushing handcarts. Woo! Who knew being miserable could be so much fun?

Tonopah, Part two

2007-07-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tonopah, part one

2007-07-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

The star-gazing capital of the U.S.

2007-07-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm in Tonopah, Nevada for the "Bat Bonanza". Last night we sat calmly in middle of the desert, counting bats that left mine shafts using night-vision goggles. The stars actually were amazing, Tonopah's only claim to fame. The Milky Way was plainly obvious and arched across the entire sky. It was totally silent except for the heat lighting on the horizon.

We are counting bats because if these abandoned mines don't contain them, they will be sealed off for human safety. I thought this made complete sense until I saw these entrances, which actually look like giant ant hills of shale. Somehow, people still manage to ride ATVs up the hills and down into the endless holes. I heard a story about someone doing just that, but actually surviving because the landed on top of another ATV and rider who had made the same mistake.

Every restaurant here (all three, literally) double as bars/gambling clubs. It is now clear why gambling is legal here- there is nothing else to spend your money on. I also had the pleasure of explaining to Kym, the Australian who is here on exchange, that the many "ranches" which dot the otherwise blank highways are actually bordellos.

We'll be here doing the counts until Thursday. Praise be to the Patron Saint of the Internet, there is actually WiFi here at the Jim Butler Motel. Pictures will follow later, but for the time being, here are some shots from last weekend's hike in Snow Canyon:

Tortoise

2007-07-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

I saw my first Desert Tortoise today! We went out with a GPS unit loaded with data points from preliminary surveys for tortoise burrows and found several. We found a promising looking burrow and used a fiber optic scope to look down into it. I looked through the eyepiece, and after some adjustments there was a tortoise looking right into the camera! He was very curious and soon after that we pulled out the scope and he crawled up to the surface to watch us. He was almost 12 inches wide.

I also saw a huge family of quails and some neat types of barrel cacti. Unfortunately, this strip of land is surrounded by new developments and a golf course. On top of that, people use the land illegally to ride ATVs and there is a lot of broken glass in certain spots. It was awesome seeing the tortoise, but a little depressing that so many people overlook them. There are about 100 other burrows on this little island of wilderness.

Cactus Holiday

2007-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

(The tart I made for the 4th, and my pet cacti)

Work has been busy, and I got my first paycheck today! Today we went to a California Condor release site and saw several young'ns. We stopped at and drove by several of the little B&Bs near the Vermillion Cliffs monument. I hope to do a lot of hiking out there soon, perhaps when it gets a bit cooler. Also went to the Grand Canyon National park, the view was beautiful, but unfortunately the visibility is limited because the number of wildfires that are going on out here.

I'm going to NV for several days for a bat monitoring project next week. After tha,t A and I are going to Vegas for the weekend! Woop!

Hikes at work

2007-07-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

The last two are from the north rim of the Grand Canyon

Scorcher

2007-07-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

Palms in Utah? Indeed. The high for today is 114 degrees. Right now it is about 108.

Tripping Out, Part 5

2007-07-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

Arizona & Zion NP

Tripping Out, Part 4

2007-07-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

These are all from Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

Tripping Out, Part 3

2007-06-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

These are all from Colorado. It rained a bit through the Rockies, but we saw some cool lightening bolts. By the time we reached Mesa Verde however, it was nice and clear and perfect for camping.

Last night A and I went to the one and only watering hole in Saint George, aptly named The One and Only Watering Hole. It's a beer-only joint, so we were hoping for a low-key atmosphere, but not so. The first step to fitting in there would be for me to gain 100 pounds, and for Andrew to lose 100. Next, I would have to get hopelessly drunk on beer alone. Next weekend we will try the bowling alley.

I dropped A off at the Las Vegas airport today (got my first glimpse of the strip/blew $5 on the airport slots). He got the job he wanted in Cedar City, and he has to fly back to the east coast, only to drive his car back across the country. I'm here alone for 7 days! I'll be working all week so I'll keep busy, but I'll be by myself for the 4th.

Tripping Out, Part 2

2007-06-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

These are all from Kansas, I think. Note the Eisenhower mural sandwiched between a liquor store and a smoke shop.

Tomorrow at work I'm doing a 5 hour hike with the intern from Australia. We leave at 6AM.

Red Dust

2007-06-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day of work and it was very busy. Right off the bat I went to two meetings, rife with beaurocratic acronyms. My main mentor is here to stay until August, and he is the BLM's head expert on bats. A couple of weeks from now we will be working with them in Nevada for a few days. This, of course, includes a complementary rabies vaccination. Fun.

Most of the day I spent out on the Arizona Strip getting acquainted with the land with the new wildlife biologist, who is basically being trained right alongside me. He has a giant scar on his arm from a rattlesnake bite. We went straight up Black Rock Mountain (one of the highest points in the area) and talked to a man that has been working as a fire patrolman for over 40 years. Needless to say, he could point out and name every mountain, canyon, and bluff. He also pointed out Colorado City, where all of the polygamists live, apparently. He told me that I could find a husband there if I wanted.

More to come soon.

Tripping out, Part1

2007-06-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

All packed

Jesus camp in Kentucky

St. Louis arch from the car

Just when you least expect it...

Condo Condo

2007-06-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

We just arrived at our condo after 4 full days of driving. We stayed over night in Kentucky and Kansas, then we camped in Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado. Today we drove through Zion National Park, which is normally $25 just to drive through, but we somehow got let through for free. It was so amazing to see the landscape change gradually. I know the U.S. is vast, but you don't get a true picture until you drive through it.

I have lots of pictures to share, but I'm pretty tired and I'm going to drink the ONLY beer in the condo. Tomorrow we will venture out to find St. George's only liquor store. And by liquor store, I mean the ONLY store that sells liquor, wine, or beer over 4%.

And, as you can see, we have free wireless internet access!!

Maps

2007-06-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

A and I leave on the morning of the 18th. We have six days to drive from Virginia to southern Utah (the condo is available on the 23rd). Our plan is to try to get over to Colorado as soon as we can, then we will take it easy and camp in the Rockies, and see the world's largest ball of string (or some equivalent).

If anything, we won't starve- my mom has outfitted us with every variety of trail mix!

Maymont Park, Richmond VA

2007-06-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

I almost stepped on this guy!

Male & female Funnel web spiders

Dragonfly copulation

Got It!

2007-06-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

I finally got the BLM internship, and I'm going to St. George, Utah! I officially begin on June 25th. I talked to my mentor today over the phone and he sounds really nice.

A and I are moving into a resort condo for 5 months- it's pretty cheap since it's the off season. It's fully furnished so we don't have to worry about bringing anything big. There is also a pool, hot tubs, a gym, etc. I have to prepare myself for wood paneling and overstuffed furniture though.

It's going to be extremely hot there. The average high temperature in July is 103 Farenheit! However, in November we can go snowboarding in northern Utah, which I've never done. We also have plans to go to Las Vegas to see a Magic Tiger Streisand Show.

Waiting

2007-04-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm still waiting to hear back about this internship. It's difficult waiting because I want to start planning now. In one sense, I would happy if I didn't get it, because then I could just move to Portland, OR and get a job there. On the other hand, if I do get it, I have a secure job for at least 5 months and I'm all set to go. The perfect situation would be if the job placed me near Portland.

The latest I will find out is April 16th. Graduation is May 12th. If I get the internship, I have to drive to Chicago on May 29th for a week of training at this beautiful place. This works out nicely, because my lease is up on May 31st. I just want to know!