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.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
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!
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!
Friday, March 25, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
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.
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.
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