Work, weddings, and weirdos

I apologize for waiting over a month to post. Life has been busy, but is finally starting to settle down. Wow, lets see. Well first off I switched to Avery as my field technician. He did a splendid job and now has a graduate position with our lab. I think he will make a fine student. I ended up with 3 broods and a number of predated nests. Poor birdies. And I'm not even sure that my "late nester" actually has chicks. To inform you a little bit about sage-grouse, they typically lay about 6-9 eggs. And in my area they normally hatch by mid-June. This hen laid only 3 eggs (making me think that she had a previous nest predated) and hatched July 7th. Also, they do not typically move more than a few hundred meters for the first couple of weeks. She moved a kilometer from Friday until today (3 days). I will probably need to spotlight her in order to determine if she truly has chicks or not.

Okay, now on to non-work activities. Karen and Jay tied the knot over July 4th weekend. The weekend was filled with activities ranging from brewery tours to 8am jogs around the lake to the wedding, of course. I always thought that Karen and I had similar qualities in the fact that we are both "planners," or have at least been told that in the past. Once you meet her family, which consists of people who decide to meet at the lake at 8am with bibs on the day of the wedding, you understand where she comes from! It's a good thing KP! I promise! It was also nice to see my old Estes gang, and I hope to see more of them next weekend as I return for Lindsay and Griff's wedding. It's a summer of weddings! (not to forget Matt and Katie's wedding in August in Wisco).

Leighton and I have also managed to hit up City of Rocks, a popular climbing spot about 40 minutes north of my field site. Some may say my field site is "remote" and I agree, but it's fun to watch all the other grad students migrate out here for some rock climbing fun during the winter. We also made it up to Sun Valley this weekend. It's SO gorgeous up there! I LOVE the sawtooth mountains! If I ever had the cash flow to purchase property, it would be in Idaho. That state, from Sun Valley north is BEAUTIFUL. Oh, and have I mentioned that I got 2 kittens? We've been having severe rodent problems out here. Seriously, I leave the hoods up overnight and have critters in the vehicles by the next morning. Unfortunately I am too nice to the kitties and provide them with cat food. I need to lay off and have them live solely off of rodents. They love playing and I looked up how to teach them to "mouse," but I guess they just have to learn on their own.

On our way to Sun Valley we stopped by some Lava Caves. Now I was a bit skeptical about this side trip. I'd seen the signs before, but you never know what you'll run into in the middle of nowhere Idaho. Well, we made the quick detour and stumbled upon a few buildings built with pure wagon wheel lumber and nails for the siding. As we entered, we were greeted by a gentleman seated behind a table full of lanterns. We said "$8 each, there's a museum and caves." He paid him with all the cash we had, $15.90, and headed in. As we entered the "museum" we noticed 3 concentric circles which were lined with all sorts of stuffed (taxidermy-wise) animals, from giraffes to cranes. I had inquired about where these specimens had been acquired before entering the museum. The museum-guard mentioned that he had killed most of these animals and said that he followed protocol for getting them into the US from foreign (and domestic) locations. The degree of taxidermy skill definitely varied from specimen to specimen. But I was highly impressed with the variety of animals and artifacts this gentleman had collected. Then, we slowly made our way into the lava caves. We lit our propane lanterns and followed the path. It was definitely a decent size cave and I wish we could have gone farther (the tunnel definitely went further, but a sign prohibited our exploration beyond a certain point). When we returned to the front desk, I asked the gentleman about how far the cave went. He said "well, I stuck some dynamite down a hole where I thought we could go, but it just made it unstable." Haha. Yes, dynamite can do that! But I know plenty of cavers who I'm sure wouldn't mind exploring the area further. Maybe some day. Now I better go teach these kittens to fetch their dinner!

Mishaps in the Wilderness

Wow. Where do I start? What about with what happened about 15 minutes ago? So I am feeling a bit burnt out and making it a lazy morning--don't worry I still have at least 10 hours of sunlight to finish my field work. So I'm sitting on the couch, cruising the internet and all of a sudden I hear a "shuffle shuffle, flap flap, clunk clunk clunk" in the chimney of the wood burning stove. Now I know that some of you may not have or know much about a wood burning oven, but it's what keeps houses warm out here. The chimney is about a foot wide that leads to the roof and the oven is about 2 feet wide by 2.5 feet tall. It is currently closed. So it was just my luck that a heard an animal fall down the chimney into the oven portion. Not knowing if I would find a bird, rat, bat, or other critter I went over and opened it. This large blackbird flew right out at me--I ducked and then it just flew all over the house! Running into every window. It was a chaotic mess to get it out of the house. Holy cow! I think I just had a heart attack!

Disclaimer: this may produce a disturbing image. Other critters...it's tick season out here. Every day I take a shower after returning from the field and tell my technician to do the same so we don't drag in any unwanted guests. Even after taking all precautions I woke up yesterday with a tick stuck in my belly button. That's right. I wasn't aware that it was a tick. So I started picking at it, thinking it was a scab. Then I thought, why would I have a scab in there? EW! I thought. It's a damn tick....let's just say that the tweezers were needed to get the sucker out.

Now I just went outside to water my garlic. And why am I planting only garlic this season? Because it seems to be the only plant that the birds, grounds squirrels, rats, and mice will not eat. Last year I tried to plant tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, etc. Well between the animals and a frost on June 26th, nothing fared too well. So this year, it's garlic only. Now let me explain. There are animals out here commonly referred to as "pot guts." Technically they are ground squirrels, but they are basically big rats with bushy tails and look a bit different than your typical squirrel. Out near my garden there are 3 pipes that go a couple feet down into the ground and are for my water valves. Last year, I was angry at the ground squirrels for eating my plants, so when they would fall into these pipes, I wouldn't help them get out, but I didn't want to see them die so I'd throw in pine cones and vegetation to keep them alive--(cruel and unusual, you can determine for yourself....but I somehow felt like this was less cruel than letting them die, and lord knows I wasn't about to stick my arm down in there to get bitten by the critters). So Leighton came out one weekend and I showed them to him...he has a bigger heart than myself, because he found a large branch and put it down in there so they could escape when I wasn't looking. The next day they were back to eating my plants!
Well, just now I went outside to water the garlic and 2 of them are down in the pipe. Dead. I checked it just yesterday. They must have died overnight. At least last year I kept them alive until the end of gardening season...this year I didn't even have a chance...now I have to watch their bodies get eaten by whatever else goes down in there---maybe the dumb blackbird will find its way in...

And lets not even get started on the fact that the snakes are coming back out...

Oh, Grouse Creek and Friday the 13th

Look! A blog that disregards politics!

So this was my first week to permanently reside in Grouse Creek yet again, for another summer. Yes, I've been back and forth since the end of November, but I am thankfully out here full-time now. Due to the fact that my previous technician ended earlier than I had anticipated and Mike (my friend the post-doc in our lab) was using the other technician until the end of May, I decided to hire my friend/roommate Kerry for a few weeks. I was really able to use her help! And thankfully she is a motivated person who avoids complaining, even when I know she is on the cusp of saying "screw this, let me just walk" when we drive the ATV. Oh, we walk plenty, but I have quite a few hens this year, scattered all about the place, and the use of an ATV makes things more efficient. Why don't I use a horse, since well, it is Grouse Creek, you wonder? Well I tried to convince my advisor of that last year and it didn't fly. As well as then I'd have to get a trailor to haul it somewhere 20 miles away, otherwise it would be inefficient.

Well, Kerry and I had quite a week. We found 2 hens nesting. Unfortunately one has abandoned her nest. I'm not sure if it was the cattle that caused this behavior, or some other disturbance, but it is VERY frustrating. A lot of my hens had their nests predated last year by coyotes and badgers, but they never abandoned their nest with eggs still in tact. It was odd. She took a few pieces of grass to cover them up, and just left. Very bothersome to say the least. Sage-grouse (in GC) have low nest-success rates, so we try our hardest to avoid disturbing the nest at all cost. Then again, this is an open-range ranching society. And the cattle have been all around her nest within the past week. But they didn't crush her eggs. Needless to say, frustrating, but I can't really do anything about it.

I also have several hens that have scattered about the northwest and northeast sides of the mountain ranges just north of Grouse Creek. Last year things were so easy. Most of the hens nested near each other--not too far from roads. Maybe they think that I've learned my way around this year, and need a bit of a challenge. And what a challenge it is. I've taken a number of new 2-tracks that I didn't even know existed last year. I've gone up and down ravines. And did I mention that yesterday (Friday the 13th), I took Kerry up north with half-hearted hopes that some hens may be up that direction? So we drive the ATV down into Cotton Thomas Basin--one of the most beautiful areas around GC according to my opinion. There is a larger dirt road that goes down in this canyon which we followed it for about a mile or two. Then I looked left and saw a large, very muscular mountain lion trotting away from us. It couldn't have been more than about 30 or 40 yards away. "Kerry look look." She was still. Then, once it looked like it was about to turn the corner, she reached for her camera. Too late. I thought about following it--I was awe struck with its beauty. I had always imagined that I'd be scared out of my mind if I saw that creature so close. But it was obviously more afraid of us and so beautiful! It does make me a little leery to continue wandering the wild alone though. This is the first time I've had a technician join me. I typically hike alone. No ATV, no technician. I think I might think again about this matter. And why did I ask Leighton to get rid of that handgun? I wouldn't kill an animal running away from me, but if it stared me straight in the face and charged, that might be a different story. Even only a few of the locals have ever seen mountain lions in the area. And never on more than one occasion. It must be due to the fact that it was Friday the 13th---hopefully that also explained the flat tire and issues with releasing the secondary latch, sputtering ATV when we saw the lion (well this has been an issue for months and I've tried to fix it, but my co-worker who is "supposed to be in charge of all the vehicles" sucks as his job), and returning Kerry back to Logan a few hours late.

But yes, the lion was a creature of such beauty and poise. When you have always instinctively thought you would fear such a beast, and then are overcome with a sense of tranquility and awe, you realize that the world does the ability to change your heart.

What do you think?

I know that I said this blog would not be focused on political policies, but I must say one thing before proceeding. Can someone please explain to me why a majority of my FBook friends, liberal and conservative, were posting comments such as "Fuck Yeah America" and " Justice has been done" and "Ding dong Osama is gone." Yes, I am all about humanitarian needs and addressing humanitarian issues and I am not going to state my opinion on the death penalty here. But it certainly seems like there is an overwhelming sense of "Death Penalty Fuck Yeah" by all Americans. Yet if you confront them, and ask "what is your stance on the death penalty?" the common response is "I don't support it" or "Well, I don't have a stance." I am just saying, the hypocrisy in this country makes me crazy. And like I said, I am all for helping humanitarian needs, but this sort of reaction by the American public makes me frustrated.

Okay, enough about that. Friday is moving day! Back to Grouse Creek I go. I am actually extremely excited. The past 5 months have been so stressful. I've had an overwhelming feeling of being in a state of transition. I've driven the nearly 3 hours out to Grouse Creek and 3 hrs back every week. Getting up at 2am to trap the grouse and flip my sleep schedule, coming back for 7 hr labs, proposals, symposiums, etc. What a whirlwind, and not necessarily in a relaxing way. So, this week basically will only consist of completing a final (which will take some time but shouldn't kill me), packing, cleaning, and heading out to GC on Friday. My field tech quit earlier that I was expecting, so I have hired Kerry, my roommate, to give me a hand in the field. She is super excited, as am I. I also have a telemetry flight next Monday, and hope to find my lost birds.

This past weekend and possibly next weekend will be "branding weekend" for the Grouse Creek ranchers. Last year this was a hullabaloo. It was my real introduction to ranching and the country lifestyle. I stopped by a corral of about 200 calves all being scarred for life with that sizzling iron. Of course, the ranchers administer a little medication to help with the process, but it still must be quite painful. Children and adults help with the process of wrestling the calf to the ground and firmly placing the scalding iron onto the rump area. The ranchers completed about 200 head in a day, and we all had a feast of steak and potatoes when they finished. If they brand again this weekend, maybe I'll get in there and wrestle a few myself. Oh, and I should mention that Leighton now owns a branding iron after this year's White Elephant gift exchange at Terry's (my advisor) house.

Wild Wild West

Just pulled into Grouse Creek and passed a cattle jam on my way. Summer must be coming soon. If I have not already described my field site to you, the best way to picture it, is to think of the West 100 years ago. It probably didn't look much different than it does today. This NW portion of Utah is made up of open range cattle grazers. All or at least 99% of the people that live out here (that's only about 80 people) ride their horses more often than their trucks. They drive cattle between March and June and then again from August until October to graze on open ranges with plenty of grass. Yes, it is quite a desert out here, but the ranchers have learned how to monopolize the water resources, tapping into every spring and filling troughs for their livestock. It is a simple but rough way of life. Ranchers toil all day on everything from moving cattle, to cultivating alfalfa, to building fences. They make little money but are rarely affected by the rest of the world, except for beef prices and BLM leases.

It makes me wonder, in times like these when budget cuts rule the world and wildlife careers suffer, should I just become a rancher? Unfortunately, most ranchers do not make much money and health care can be difficult--not just to pay for, but to travel for all medical needs. Grouse Creek "A Place Like No Other" the sign reads. On one of my first days here I asked one of the neighbors, "So, what do you do if you injure yourself?" He said "Well, basically you live or you die." That's the truth. Either your injury is too large that fatality strikes, or you'll survive in pain long enough to get to a hospital. Oh, and he also mentioned that if someone needs Life Flight, it's best to drive to the Idaho border 10 miles away and then call because Idaho will respond faster than Utah.

It is certainly an interesting lifestyle. To idolize it, or be deterred by it, is up to each individual's impression. I'll say this--I can't wait until class is finished in 3 weeks so I can move out here permanently and avoid the back and forth every week of driving. Oh, and it is a great place to contemplate about life's ideologies and begin new hobbies---for me, painting and reading became quite popular last year--hope to continue both of these this year.

Keeping the world civil

So this post may be quite opinionated, and if you disagree that is completely fair, as that is your prerogative.

Let me start off by saying that while driving back to my house I must have turned the radio to a conservative talk channel (I try to listen to them sometimes to hear all sides of stories)--there is a plethora of those in this state (probably even more than in TX if you can imagine that). So, this host kept addressing the topic of marriage. Oh golly gee. Marriage. As I have probably mentioned before, all of the mormons are extremely worried about this concept. You'll hear the 19 year olds running around campus saying "I can't believe I'm going to graduate in a year or two and I'm not even married and no baby on the way!" When I first moved to this state, this sort of attitude astonished me...now I barely roll my eyes. Well, back to the radio show. So, the host was telling his audience "You need to wait at least a year after you are married to buy a house. Because in that first year of being married, you will really get to know each other. And then you can make that decision. This goes for anyone in their twenties and maybe others as well."

Of course, you can imagine my disagreement with this statement. He thinks in the first year you will really get to know each other?! What about getting to know each other BEFORE you get married?! Hello!!!! Welcome to one of the many reasons of why the divorce rate is so high. I know there is pressure (even within my own family) to get married as a young bloke. But I just wish that people would relax and figure things out, before rushing into a decision that could affect their entire life.

Okay, okay enough about the marriage thing. On to my other political comment. Lybia. So many of you know that I am fairly anti-war. After traveling to a variety of other countries and seeing the negative impression that they have of America (throughout the past 10 years), you would think that we could improve our behavior and learn to be more well-received by our fellow humans. My opinion about Libya--I am glad we took the correct measures to not address the issue alone--glad the UN joined us. It's a tough situation. Do we let innocent people die? Not a good idea. Do we get involved with yet another war? Hmm...

What is extra interesting about this situation is that the day before Obama put troops into Libya, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and Newt Gingrich all were quoted with some sort of "we need to get our troops in there now!!" The next day, they were all quoted as saying "Obama you are acting like a king and pushing troops in there is an awful idea." God I hate people that try to disagree just for the sake of disagreeing. I even saw that Sarah Palin finally stepped foot onto another country besides the US...but what did she say? "We have a policy of not speaking poorly about our country when abroad." And then she went on to bash Obama. And you wonder why people think of the US as they do.

What is even funnier is that conservatives all have the "support our troops" bumper stickers and Looooveee the fact that the military exists, and when Bush uses them to destroy Iraq and such they are all gung-ho. But the second Obama uses them, for a humanitarian need that is recognized around the globe, there is a backlash of "obama you are the Devil." I know that folks will never open their eyes, and that political parties will strive for disagreements, but of all of the many things I wish for every day, I wish for people to open their eyes and ears, and not ruin our country. Shall I even mention the government shut-down? That doesn't just affect people in DC, it affects, National Parks, National Forests, military, Federal Fish and Wildlife Service (I'm just listing the main ones that I work with), and so forth. I think this country could use a stiff backhand to slap the silliness out of it.

Oh yes, and back to the traveling remark. After spending several months in every country in Central America, I have come to the conclusion that the US could spend its money in much more beneficial ways---instead of creating war and spending billions to destroy countries through bombs or the spraying of their crops and creating war on an "idea" rather than a person or place, we would be have much more acceptance from other countries if we spent that money helping them rebuild their infrastructure or helping them to become more sustainable.

Okay, done with the rant of the day. In other news, it is still trapping season here in Utah; which means that I spend part of my week, every week, out in Grouse Creek trying to catch sage-grouse. Thankfully our treatments have not deterred the birds from using the lek as their mating grounds and thankfully as well, the males have calmed down enough to be caught. All of the new grad students presented our projects last Friday and I was thoroughly impressed with all of the presentations. Now, we all just need to get through the next month before we can head out to our field sites permanently. Lots of work to do! Oh, and the baby shower went well--about 50 people came, 1/2 of which were speaking Portuguese, some speaking Spanish, a couple Chinese, and English. It was nice to relax for a day. And Leighton is currently in route to China via Japan for work. He plans on visiting the manufacturing plants and foundries where the products that his company makes get produced. I am super jealous, even if it is for work.

That's about it for now. I promise, the next post will be all rainbows and butterflies. Now I am headed out to GC--wish me luck!

Old post, but switched it over from Next Gallon of Gas--Living in Utah

So I know that this blog has been a record of our journeys across other countries, but it looks like we won't be taking many of those in the near future. So I thought that I'd take the opportunity to write about my experience in Utah....and what an interesting experience it is...
Everyday I think, God (oh golly in Utah terms) I've got to write this stuff down!

Now a little over a year ago Leighton and I moved to Utah after an extensive search for grad schools. We were lucky enough to find a job and grad school within the same state...and as you all know, we're still here.

So Utah is an interesting place. I go back and forth about my opinions, so I will seem a bit wishy-washy, but that's the way it goes. Let me explain a little bit about the different areas of Utah. Now Park City is great--great skiing, snowshoeing, hockey, etc. and definitely the most liberal region of Utah (the most non-mormon) that we've noticed. But most folks under the age of 40 are living off of their parent's dime and most folks over 40 have different interests than us. Oh, and then there's those ski bums..ya know, the over-sized winter hat, low-riding pants, and the "yo, duuuude..what a stellar pow day...it was epic." Don't get me wrong, on certain days I feel like them...but I've gotten to a point with a little more direction in my life....and yes, on some days I am jealous of the unpredictable, no strings attached future that drives their life.

Then there's Logan. Oh, I love Logan. I wish mountains like these existed during my undergrad or childhood. In the fall I spent almost every afternoon exploring the canyon. Oh, and I almost stepped on 3 rattlesnakes....more rattlesnakes here than in TX! Okay, so the scenery is beautiful, the grad students keep me sane (and rock!) and the work keeps me busy. But upon my first day on campus I tried to take the bus. That was a bit of a disaster, as the 4 mile distance to campus became an hour of riding the bus and still walking about 2 miles to campus. Lesson learned. Then, at 5 pm I noticed something very odd...rush hour in a town of 50,000 people. Rush hour from campus. By about 6pm there was an eery sound...the sound of silence. That's right, all of the students had gone home to be with their families. All of the UNDERGRAD students...you know the 20 year olds with multiple children. I'll tell you, it is a very strange feeling to be the only one left on CAMPUS after 6pm. Yes, I had to call for a ride home.

2nd revelation: mormons don't drink coffee. Well, they don't drink coffee, smoke, drink alcohol, and aren't supposed to have sex before marriage. Well, the no coffee rule is a bit irritating. After realizing that Starbucks now makes you pay for the internet, I found 2 independent (I'd much rather go there than to a chain like SBucks) coffee shops. The downside? They close by 7 pm. Um, hello! I don't even go out to study until 7pm...something's wrong. So I found a Border's books with a coffee shop inside that stayed open until 10pm. Yes, it's a bookstore with coffee shop, but it would have to suffice. Well, I found out this week that the Borders is shutting down. I guess people are getting their reading material online these days. So, now, I think maybe I should just pop out a ton of babies and blame it on my lifestyle that I can't work after 5pm....that's how it's done around here anyhow...

I do not have a coffee addiction. I actually probably only drink it once a week at most, but those coffee shops have the proper ambiance for study habits. And now why are there so few coffee shops in a state college town? Oh, that's right. B/c mormons don't drink coffee. And now why don't they drink coffee? Here's your mormon lesson for the day:

Good ole Joseph Smith's wife got fed up with him and his friend smoking and drinking all day. They would also chew tobacco and spit it all over her floor. So she told them to stop. This turned into the "word of wisdom" that states that mormons should not have "hot drinks," or smoke or chew tobacco. Now mormons take the "hot drinks" to mean coffee and alcohol. Oh, but you better believe that they can suck down a good 10 cokes by the end of the day. They say that they live by the law of the land. Well, hello. Coffee and alcohol, if taken in proper quantities can even be beneficial. So, I think you are going against the law of the land there buddy. Also, so many mormons are SO stressed. I see it everyday. And I just want to say Damn, just have a drink and relax. Oh, and don't even get me started on how they disrespect women...I'll save that for another day...but the fact that I have a brain and stand up for myself...oh man, it's like the apocalypse just hit!

Well I know that probably sounds negative, but I do love this place...it has so much beauty and the wildlife work is substantial. The grad students have so much knowledge and experience to share....and thank goodness Leighton and I are in the same state!!

Enjoy and I will write more about the interesting culture that encompasses this place another day...time to enjoy a Park City evening.

What it's all about

Wow. Where do I start? What about where they made me start...at the title. So, I'm sure you are thinking, why would someone include constipation in their title? Well, exploration constipation is how I am feeling today. I wish it was more like exploration feel good or exploration excitement, but that just isn't the case. Why? Because in the past year the only exploration that I have been able to do has been limited to family visits. Okay, I did make a nice long road trip by going up through Idaho and Glacier to get over to Seattle, but since then it has been non-stop work.

So, what's the point of this blog? I'm still not totally certain myself, but I feel like it may be an outlet for some of my many thoughts that float, unabated through my head each day. Like today...people don't believe in global warming, but come to Utah and witness rain rather than snow all winter and then tell me what you think. Yes, being a scientist I should be reciting lines like "You must look at the different models and analyze them. Then understand how different models can indicate various results." But my current thought is more in the realm of "Everyone says Utah has the best skiing in the nation. I'm certainly seeing much more wet precipitation this year."

Back to real news. Tim and Jill, Leighton's childhood friends, just had their second baby girl. Rodrigo, my good friend and officemate, is expecting his first child this summer, so I am busy with some of the other grad students, putting together a baby shower--Brazilian style. Oh, and lets not forget that Leighton just had a baby named after him--by some friend of his in Wisco. Work has been busy. When you decide to do wildlife biology as a career, some of the explanation for why this was your career of choice relates to you inability to deal with humans...or at least for myself. So it is interesting to watch everyone interact. Everyone has different ways to accomplish each task and if disagreements arise, well lets just say that it's interesting.

That blog was cut short, so now it's Friday. Yesterday was a very long intense day. With work in the morning and class/meetings until 8pm, I was ready for some homemade pizza (okay, it's really frozen pizza with additional fresh toppings-cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach). Oh, and it rained all day. If you ever wonder about what happens to clay or sandy soil when it rains, come to Utah. It is a bit embarrassing to drive a state vehicle that is completely caked in mud, but hey, it's part of the job. Well, that's about it for today.