"I'll infect you with the back of my hand!"

oh Sealab never ceases to crack me up...

so seeing as I won't be around until after the 4th, how's about a brief update:

Past couple weeks have been full of labor intensive work, a co-worker bbq , road trip to vegas, and more labor intensive work. Taylor and I even scored some free tickets to a concert last night and danced the night away. It's all been tiring but fun (except the poison oak...not fun). After another 4 days of camping and morning-til-night surveying, Taylor and I will be off to Quincy for 5 days of the High Sierra Music Festival. I'm psyched for many reasons: having a chunk of time off to let my body recouperate, music and dancing, and reuniting with friends from across the country. Other exciting news regards my plans for the rest of the year. I'm awaiting feedback from an interview for grad school in New Mexico starting this fall and also have applied to a wildlife gig in Tallahassee, FL as a fall-back option. I'd be glad to land either one, but the bright, shiny glory of higher-degreeness beckons me. The life of a wildlife tech is a fascinating one, yes, but it is a life of financial struggle. A master's degree and a permanent position with state wildlife management would be the doorway to at least a meager amount of stability. Either way at least I have spending time with this --> to look forward to.

"It's better than bad, it's good!"

(I've had the Ren and Stimpy log commercial song in my head for days)

I'm a little behind on posts seeing as the Sierra foothills do not offer wireless internet. Now with work in full swing, four days of my week are spent camping and hiking in the mountains. It's challenging work and I'm already back in tip-top shape and feeling good. Unfortunately, we haven't been finding any hawks. Most of the day is quite enjoyable with some great scenery along my cross-country surveys (no pictures though b/c my digital camera is still out of commission). Certainly not enough reptiles though, save for the one Gilbert's skink I saw the other day.
I've been checking the rocky, open spots regularly for snakes and lizards but to no avail. There's also the occasional collision will fallen braches and trees, leaving for some nasty bruises and scrapes (typical by-product of any field job). I've also declared the Manzanita my sworn enemy...a particularly scratchy bush that grows in large clusters through which I must navigate very slowly...the frustration it causes is only matched by that of a thick phelaris patch in the marshes of Lockport. Other than these disappointments, the job has been pretty swell. Another curious observation I've made while at home is that although we are at full capacity with 6 crew members, it's almost as if Taylor and I live here alone. Everyone else retreats to their respective caves/bedrooms and only emerge to forage occasionally. The socialization is lacking, making me eager to spend my weekends elsewhere. Two weekends ago was the mendocino trip. And come tomorrow morning, I will be on my way to sin city for a rendezvous with familiar faces from Chicago. It couldn't come at a better time. Tensions have been building and I'm longing for a dose of the midwest. Even the long drive through the desert should prove clarifying. There's nothing like an expanse of seemingly empty desert to bring things into perspective. Now if only I can manage to find some herp life at the red rocks preserve, I think I may reach a breakthrough.

Domain of the mole people

Time for day-off shenanigans. Today we took a trip to Mercer Caverns and 16 flights of stairs later we found ourselves in stalactite heaven. Being my first time in a cave, I camera-ed it out and took pictures of every interesting formation I could point the lens at. The folded waves (4th picture) remind me of many a Georgia O'Keefe painting.

Puff the magic spotted owling

Here's a few mostly clear owl shots taken by my crew leader Jay from our recent nest check. And what is that hiding amongst the leaves and branches? It is one of two hatchling owls which are being diligently watched over by their momma (who posed ever so nicely for us). She was so determined to get the mice we had with us to feed her babies, she practically flew right into me.

And of course, this strapping young biologist is Taylor (for those of you who haven't met him). Now that goshawk surveys are starting up, this summer will fly by. Weeks will be filled with campouts and the kek-kek-kek! call of the goshawk, weekends will be full of various adventures including a trip back to the mendocino coast, long drive to vegas to meet up with much-missed Chicago friends, get together at the high sierra music festival for 4th of July weekend, a visit from my momma!, blues and beer fest in august and another weekend in San Fran watching the white sox at AT&T park. Phew, that sure does sound like alot.