Other than the last few days, this month as been cold and wet. So wet that as of yesterday both the river to the south and the bayou to the east have been under flood warnings. However, the last few days have been warm and beautiful, which doesn't motivate me to do anything but go out and play. That's not helpful when I'm trying to keep ahead of schedule for my classes/fieldwork prep.
We have decided to go home for spring break (WOOHOO!!) I haven't seen my loved ones in almost a year, which is the longest it has ever been for me to go with out seeing them and by spring break, I'm going to seriously need a break before field season starts up again. That and the universe keeps throwing "Alabama" and "home" related songs and tv shows in my path. Hell, I need a break now, but I'm determined to get as much done as possible before I break. lol.
This semester is going to be a busy one. At the beginning of this month I had a meeting with my projects major supporters and I presented what I had done this past field season and what information I had regarding that data so far. Next month, I present a poster at the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society meeting. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. Poster exhibits are during the first day and then on the way home we are stopping by Port Aransas Wildlife Refuge!!! I'm so excited about the stop because I will most likely get to see whooping cranes! The only WILD population of whooping cranes!! I can barely contain myself while typing those words!
After TCTWS and Port Aransas is the trip home in March. We are renting a car and traveling with our furbabies, so it's going to be an adventure to say the least. 6 days, 3 different beds, and trying to fill as much time as possible catching up with as many people as possible! Then April...oh April. In April I have to give a 40 min seminar about my project. I'm the first one in the "class" to do this, which I'm kinda glad for since they are usually not as tough on the first person to present. Then by mid-April I need to start field work. This means before April I need to have at least 2 part time techs hired and able to work out in the field both during some days during the week and weekends while going to school at the same time. Craziness. That craziness will end mid-May when I can have a tech go full-time with me on the project, but a new craziness will ensue while we try to catch up on all the surveys and arthropod collections that we weren't able to do during the semester and end field season in June relatively close to last years completion. Whew!!
It may not sound like much, but when I start to think about what all there is to do and when it needs to be done by, I start to panic a little. So, don't be alarmed if I only get to blog once a month at most these next few months. But I do promise I will take lots of pictures and post them here eventually.
Here are some from the past few weeks! Enjoy and blessed be.
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| Beautiful sunrise right before a dismal cold and rainy day |
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| This weekend's robin egg blue skies |
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| bored and didn't want to work anymore... |
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| Sunset is getting later and later (spring is on the way!!) |
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| 3 minutes after the above picture was taken. I love how the sun sets the clouds afire! |
