Limbo Part 2

So after all that, I find out I wasn't selected for the very perfect desert tortoise grad project. True to my nature, I spent the evening acting like it was the end of the world. The next day I was skipping around the county fair concerned more about who was going to brave the "Zipper" with me before the night was through. I am a notorious over-reactor, but a quick re-bounder. I find it a good balance.

The search continues...

Limbo

Ok, so I lied and updating took me longer than I thought. The picture was just a screensaver-type ploy to buy me more time. Guess it didn't work! ha

Summer has passed in a frenetic blur as usual. I spent time in four different states (CA, IL, NC, GA), entertained multiple visitors from Chicago and the East coast, climbed mountains, hunted salamanders, foraged, camped, danced, cooked and worked...just a little. Now I find myself floating in that wildly uncomfortable state of limbo. Waiting and waiting and waiting to hear from Tucson, mulling over my options, sloshing them about my slightly aching head (I find myself often on the brink of a headache more days than not...one that never completely materializes, which needless to say is irritating enough). Luckily though, California this time of year is primed. The beauty is enough to make you cry, if of course, you were a huge wuss. Fall and all its wondrous accessories approaches. Our apple and pear trees are bursting, zucchini bread is being baked as I type, wildlife is being sighted on the streets (I saw a bear and a ringtail on the way home from work...ringtails are very rarely seen, they look like this:)

the first rains of the season are starting, the county fair is coming up this weekend, grapes are being picked and crushed by cheap, immigrant labor...it's everything you would expect. And to further amplify the enjoyment of the season in as nerdy a way as possible, Taylor bought a scope for bird watching after years of weighing the benefits vs. the cost (he's not exactly a raging consumer). For those of you less attuned to natural cycles, fall is the time for many a bird to make the long migratory haul back to whence they came after a summer of amorous mischief. With the wonders of curved glass at our disposal, we've seen birds in greater detail than ever before...seems like an insignificant thing to get excited over, but you've never watched a Peregrine falcon bathing in a pool on a remote beach. So despite the anxiety thickly permeating the air lately, there have been many pleasant distractions. I welcome them all! Anything to pass the time until I leave California...and I will leave one way or another, even if school doesn't pan out this time around.

Chicago in 8 days

I did more in 8 days in Chicago than I've done in the months since I've moved back to California. Oh the city life!
-band/bar cruising w/ Jason and his lovely girlfriend
-scoping out a newly restored section of lake shore, native plants reemerging without any help!
-Museum of Science and Industry, getting my nerd on at the Harry Potter exhibit
-karaoke with Joey and the Tuck's crew
-grilled steak and veggie feast as only Dad can do
-White sox baseball! right behind the bullpen, Dye's home run mere feet away!
-long run on the lake front, all the familiar sights along the way (museums, buckingham fountain, skyline and navy pier)
-toasting the newly engaged with bubbly and burgers...there's a fancy combo
-my first 10K race at Lincoln Park Zoo, and of course walking around the zoo afterwards...I was very impressed with their enclosure designs
-volunteering with Mom to clear some invasive vegetation...scored free t-shirts
-brunch with one of my favorite people!

About the only thing I didn't get to do as planned was revisit the marshy wonders of Lockport Prairie and chase me down some herps. Next time...

Concerning Running

So I'm going to elaborate on my new-found hobby because it excites me. Now most of you know, I am not built like a runner. The gene pool is limited people; the Aiellos are not a tall, lanky sort. I think of myself less like the galloping steed and more like the plodding donkey. I mean no offense to myself...I'm a proud plodder. At a slow and steady pace I have tackled some hefty hikes. Heave a load onto my back and I'm ready to go! There are even times when I repeat to myself "slow and steady like the mule" as a sort of mantra to get me past the tough slopes. Still, I have always envied those toned-legged specimens that zip past at a light and graceful pace. So, in a stubborn attempt to defy the gods I have taken a more serious approach to running as of March-April. At first, things didn't look good. Some days it was torture, and I seemed deadlocked on 3 miles... unable to advance in distance. The fact that every road around here involves endless ups and downs only made things worse. Curse these squat legs of mine! Then one day, it just clicked. I paid attention to my pacing, controlled my breathing, and suddenly 30 min became 40, 40 became 60. I find myself comfortably covering 6 1/2 miles without feeling like I was dragged through hell and back. I could go further, but now my major deterrent is finding the time. A half hour is so much easier to fit into my schedule than 1 hour+. Sometimes I get home from work, go for a run and suddenly it's 8 o'clock and I've yet to eat dinner! As much as I am enjoying this new physical activity, I refuse to rouse myself at 5 in the morning just to fit in a workout. But in light of my achievements, I thought a race or two might be an appropriate celebration. I don't mean racing to place, just to finish and support whatever cause may be benefitting. So, I signed up for a 10K at Lincoln Park Zoo during the time I'll be visiting home in June. I ran the 5K race for the cure in Lubbock and had a grand time. And now that I'm a trot or two above a donkey, the 10K should be a breeze.

I haven't updated in awhile, but not much has changed. I've settled into a comfortable routine that involves quite a bit of work and sporadic time for play. I spend Monday night in the field with Taylor, Wed-Sat sometimes Wed-Sun in the tasting room, and various hours throughout the week entering data and such. Without the luxury of a gym, I've become somewhat of a runner. Five to six days a week I run, and Tuesday nights are my fitness class in Fort Bragg (the nearest town North of Mendocino). Workout time is crucial time for me. I cannot survive my day-to-day without the regular release of endorphins. Field work used to take care of that, but now I have to fit it into my down time. The rest is spent cooking, baking or watching Battlestar Galactica (Taylor and I are a tad obsessed with this show). Not a whole lot of room for fun and adventure, but I have planned some exciting events here and there: trip to Chicago first week of June, High Sierra Music Festival in July, Utah excursion in the fall? It gets hazier the further into the future we go.

Mendocino is just about at its peak right now. Spring and early summer is a stunning time to be here. Foggy mid-summer will be less invigorating. And then there's the mixed blessing of additional tourism traffic. Sure, I'll make more money as the RV's and BMW's come a rollin' in but there's also a fair bit of annoyance as "my town" (I like to pretend I'm local) is overrun by men sporting Eddie Bauer capri shorts and tacky vacation shirts complete with trophy wives sipping wine with their new and frightening post-surgery lips. Oh the things I'd love to say to these people! That's California for you.

After a month of settling in, finding a job and entertaining our first house guests, California seems like home again. Winter has been surprisingly dry, with only a day or two of rain each week: a topic which is discussed frequently by lamenting locals. When rain does grace us with its presence, I gear up in various water-repelling materials, grab my camera and prepare to get down and dirty as I scour the surrounding forest for creatures dwelling beneath rotting logs and detritus. I never gave much time to the salamanders and newts, but in searching the wet and dark places of Mendocino, I have found a new appreciation for these animals.

Opposite this dirt-smeared persona, I am also the neat and friendly hostess at the tasting room of Handley Cellars. Three days a week selling wine is plenty for me as the commute is long and gas-consuming. I learned last night that Taylor's boss for owl surveying has work for me to do at home, so extra money will be earned mapping out spotted owl territories and entering data Taylor collects in the field. Which is fine by me. The forest roads out here can be treacherous and for once in my life I'd rather not be out in the field, especially for night surveys.

Until money begins to be less of an issue, a trip back home will have to wait. The tourists have yet to arrive en masse, but when they do...they will buy, oh yes, they will buy. But I do hope to fly home possibly in late summer. Then again, there is always a spare bedroom here for anyone who wishes to use it!

and the rain, rain rain came down, down, down

Hi everybody! (Hi, Dr. Nick!). I have yet to post since the big move, so here I go. The drive from Lubbock to Mendocino was a gorgeous one. Unfortunately, I had to be cautious with the car loaded with basically all of my belongings including a live snake. Though I would have liked to hike about in the deserts of Southern Arizona to my heart's content, I was aware of my cargo's precarious situation and therefore limited myself to day hikes here and there. My first stop was in white sands National Monument in New Mexico. I might as well mention this now because you'll soon notice that those in charge of naming the National parks in this country are among the least imaginative people ever. This picture and those to come adequately demonstrate why I've come to this conclusion. After lunch and some dune cruising, I made my way to Tucson. The next day was spent stretching my legs on a good ten mile walk around Saguaro National Park (a little imagination people!). I was quite enthralled by this landscape. It was incredibly different than the deserts of Southern Utah that I love so dearly. These desert valleys were teaming with such a diversity of cactus species, the most distinct being the saguaro itself which up until this point I had never encountered. The uniqueness of this environment was soon attested to as I began to identify the birds around me: every single one was a species new to me, species that only range in a small area around Southern Arizona and Mexico. It was like visiting a foreign country: without the stagnation of familiarity everything seemed strange and fascinating. After drinking in the new surroundings, I drove outside of town and found a great spot to set up camp. With the sun going down over the nearby mountains, I turned on the radio and was pleasantly surprised by the best blues segment I've ever heard played on the air. It even paid tribute to Chicago blues specifically. With the stars overhead, I fell asleep in a blissful state. 

Then I woke up with a very sore back and the traveling ensued. This morning the reality of winter finally struck me

 as strong winds dropped temperatures to a more reasonable january level. So I decided to halt all hiking attempts and just drive on. I crossed into California and stopped at Joshua Tree National Park. It was even colder here, sapping all my enthusiasm for being outdoors. Still, I drove through the park, walked around here and there among some interesting rock formations, followed a coyote for awhile, snapped a few pictures and was on my way.

 I've never felt so touristy before! It was gross. Anyway, after a hotel stay and half a day of driving I began to recognize my surroundings. Past the bay and on the 101, familiar exits passed by. Curving through the hills and valleys, the turns still familiar to me the wineries rolled by and soon the craggy coastline appeared. This area truly is a sight to see. Coming from the featureless plains of Lubbock, I appreciated it all the more. I was lucky to arrive back in Mendocino during a warm spell and had a few days of sunshine to reacquaint myself with favorite spots. Now that we're settled in, the rains have begun in typical winter fashion. I could try to explain where we live, but words don't do it justice. If you go to : this website you'll get to explore our house. Our friend Sarah owns the place and used to rent out the back apartment as a bed and breakfast. So all the guest areas are part of our place, fully furnished and decorated with Sarah's art. Our backyard connects to trails leading into state park forest and a river trail which I frequent when the rains let up. We walked yesterday afternoon a little ways away from the house and collected a bounty of gourmet mushrooms for dinner. Earlier that day, I saw these mushrooms being sold at the grocery store for $17.00/lb. We probably gathered a couple lbs in the span of 30 minutes. Talk about the good life.