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!
