Guess what. It's been about 6 months since I last posted....what a shocker, I know. I finally found a few minutes and thought I'd update this thing. Well, our dry winter turned into a dry spring and a very dry summer. I think we've had about 5 days of precipitation since April. Fires are flaring up all over the place. Colorado and Utah are definitely getting their fair share, but so are Montana and New Mexico. I really do hope that if we have a fire out at my field site, that someone has will come inform me. 2 years ago when the cabin across the street burned down, Leighton and I did not wake up until the neighbors from a couple miles away repeatedly banged at the door. People are aware of fire danger this year, but you know there will always be morons on July 4th.
This is my last field season! I cannot begin to tell you how happy that makes me!!! I have one of the largest/longest Master's research projects known to man, and I am so ready for it to be over. I still have a long way to go: 1 more month of field work, then commences the analysis and writing. But, hopefully it will all be complete by early spring 2013. My stipend will be cut off next spring, so it better be done by then. Oh, and yes, I secured funding until then with several grants that I have written. You can read all about my thesis work once it is completed, and hopefully published.
This year's field work has proven to be a bit ahead of schedule due to the warm weather. My broods will still carry me into August, but their semi-migration occurred about a month earlier than scheduled. So, I'll also have my technician mark powerlines so I can complete a viewshed analysis. In fact, we just had a grouse conference in Steamboat Springs a couple weeks ago. The topic of sage-grouse has become so political! I have to be careful what I say to the locals or, well, basically anyone. States in the intermountain west are already preparing for it to be listed in 2015. I don't know if it will be listed, but if it is, it will definitely change things out west.
Ok ok, off the work topic. Have you all ever read Bill Bryson's books? I'm on my forth one..."The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid." It's very entertaining so far. I loved "A Walk in the Woods" and "In a Sunburnt Country." There was only one of his books that I disliked, and now I'm going to blank on the name of it (does that tell you how much I was not impressed?). I'm not the type to read mainstream books, since oftentimes I acquire books from friends and family. They do not normally follow mainstream sequels...yes, I've read The DaVinci Code and a few others, but typically my friends/family give me everything from history to science to religion and entertaining fiction. In fact, every year since I was about 3, my father has always given us (the 5 siblings) books each Christmas. One year, when I was about 18 he also gave me an Alison Krauss cd--woohoo! But typically it was always books, history books. You'd think with having a father who is a history buff and an older sister who has a PhD in history that I'd grow to like it. NOPE. I understand that history is importnat and I should be able to recall more facts about the Revolution or WWI, but my brain just doesn't work that way. Finally, at about age 25, he bought me a science book. He was finally getting the message. And this past year....a kindle! Oh my goodness, dad mixed electronics and a new view! It was a miracle. But a good one. Needless to say, when you decide to get someone a gift, please get them something they will use. B/c if they only use 10% of it (that's typically what happened with those history books), it's not the right gift. The kindle has been a life-saver. I can use it on planes, in the gym, at my fieldsite. It's awesome. Oh, and if you are interested in travel writing or general laugh-out-loud entertainment, you should check out Bill Bryson.
Well, if you've made it this far in reading, kudos. I have many more "life" updates, but I will add them when they are complete--aka after the Sept 2 wedding. Time to cool off in the shower---oh, but at least Leighton and I got the swamp cooler to work this weekend! Life-saver #2!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Non-winter wonderland
Again, I know it has been a long time. But life is SO busy! Between classes, work, and trying to see Leighton, I have zero free time to write. I don't even have time now, seeing as though I need to review some natural resource plans for tomorrow slew of meetings and finish making my website for my new GIS class. Which, by the way, I think will be a very useful class. If you are curious about what maps I'm making, check out https://sites.google.com/site/stephaniesgissite/
So since I last wrote, Leighton and I got engaged. We are currently planning a wedding for September 2, 2012. But we still need to confirm dates for the reception site and officiator. We also went to Texas for XMas and saw the Graham/Squyres clan. I went to Hawaii for The Wildlife Society conference, and Leighton went to China (as well as Canada and other states in the US) for work. This is going to be a year full of events. Besides the wedding, we are going to Turks and Caicos for Spring Break. I have two conferences at which I will present my research, one in Utah and another in Colorado (and maybe at the national TWS one in Portland). Leighton began graduate school, doing a professional MBA at the University of Utah. Does that mean that we are now at rivaling state schools? Guess so. Oh well, the only sport worth watching at this school is hockey. And cough cough, USU tends to beat UofU. With this MBA program comes the commitment to stay in Utah for another two years. Leighton's work almost transferred him to Austin. He thought I would be thrilled about this. But Texas=private property and little opportunity for natural resource work unless you want to check water quality or be a game warden. So, I hopefully have a higher possibility of gaining a wildlife job in Utah once I complete my Master's.
Funds have definitely depreciated over my stint as a grad student. My project should be funded until next spring, but something tells me that my advisor is going to cut off my stipend in December. This will be very frustrating, but I am preparing myself. If he cuts me off early, I'll be looking for jobs. Which means less time writing, but that's his choice. If he wants me to finish (which I do as well), he should continue to pay me. If Republicans go into office, I am afraid that even more funds will be cut (based on recent legislation action). But that's a whole other story. Crazy times for politics and I'm not in the mood to discuss that now....but you all know that I have strong opinions on those matters and I hope you are all staying educated and informed.
Ah yes, and the non-winter wonderland is because Utah aka "the best snow on earth" has only received about an inch of snow in the past month. The ski resorts are almost all closed and it looks like June out there--except it's cold. We're supposed to get hit again this week, so we'll see. This was more of an update blog, but I'll try to write an opinionated, interesting one soon. Happy New Year!
So since I last wrote, Leighton and I got engaged. We are currently planning a wedding for September 2, 2012. But we still need to confirm dates for the reception site and officiator. We also went to Texas for XMas and saw the Graham/Squyres clan. I went to Hawaii for The Wildlife Society conference, and Leighton went to China (as well as Canada and other states in the US) for work. This is going to be a year full of events. Besides the wedding, we are going to Turks and Caicos for Spring Break. I have two conferences at which I will present my research, one in Utah and another in Colorado (and maybe at the national TWS one in Portland). Leighton began graduate school, doing a professional MBA at the University of Utah. Does that mean that we are now at rivaling state schools? Guess so. Oh well, the only sport worth watching at this school is hockey. And cough cough, USU tends to beat UofU. With this MBA program comes the commitment to stay in Utah for another two years. Leighton's work almost transferred him to Austin. He thought I would be thrilled about this. But Texas=private property and little opportunity for natural resource work unless you want to check water quality or be a game warden. So, I hopefully have a higher possibility of gaining a wildlife job in Utah once I complete my Master's.
Funds have definitely depreciated over my stint as a grad student. My project should be funded until next spring, but something tells me that my advisor is going to cut off my stipend in December. This will be very frustrating, but I am preparing myself. If he cuts me off early, I'll be looking for jobs. Which means less time writing, but that's his choice. If he wants me to finish (which I do as well), he should continue to pay me. If Republicans go into office, I am afraid that even more funds will be cut (based on recent legislation action). But that's a whole other story. Crazy times for politics and I'm not in the mood to discuss that now....but you all know that I have strong opinions on those matters and I hope you are all staying educated and informed.
Ah yes, and the non-winter wonderland is because Utah aka "the best snow on earth" has only received about an inch of snow in the past month. The ski resorts are almost all closed and it looks like June out there--except it's cold. We're supposed to get hit again this week, so we'll see. This was more of an update blog, but I'll try to write an opinionated, interesting one soon. Happy New Year!
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