Why I love my job!

Owl Pellet Dissection Lab

Rock Wall

Field Trip to JHNWR

Here are Steve and Abby setting up for the Bio 123 field trip to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

We caught about 10 painted turtles. One was already marked and one was a hand capture by Steve. We used the canoe to sneak up on the unsuspecting basking turtle. After some careful maneuvering Steve was able to reach out and grab a juvenile painted turtle.

The hand-captured turtle was the only turtle we caught for the morning group of students. Students in both the morning and afternoon groups spotted and captured hatchling red-eared sliders on the road at the refuge.

After all the excitement of a field trip to the refuge, we decided to move rocks at the garden. With a large group of helpers and some cold beer, we finished the wall (for now).

We also planted tomato, egg plant, cucumber and sunflower seedlings.

Planet Earth and Cocktails

What a nice way to spend a Friday night! The vodka was some new brand called 360 which is supposed to be "eco-friendly." The woman at the liqour store said it was becuase the grain was grown near the distillery, cutting down fuel consumption. Also the bottle is mostly recycled glass. I didn't check the label to see where our "Just Pomegranate" mixer was from but I imagine it was not as close by as New Jersey cranberries would have been! Eco-friendly or not, the cocktails were tasty!

Garden Stone Work

Things that are not apparent in the pictures but are important to know:
1. The rocks are heavier than they look.
2. Also they are bigger than they look.
3. Those wooden boards are not quite flat.
4. They are not so tilted that they are difficult to walk on but they are tilted enough that heavy rocks on PVC rollers have a tendency to slide off sideways.
5. None of the strangers walking past the garden accepted our offer to let them give us a hand.
6. We had fun. (This may be apparent in the pictures.)


Here is Kim's account of the garden work project.

The importance of putting the cat litter away as soon as I bring it into the house

Here is the dog being cute to atone for his havoc and the cat proclaiming innocence.

Guard Dog!

This is as close as Shadow gets to guarding. Here he is convinced that I won't go move the laundry if he can just block the door! Good try, puppy!

May Herb Garden Photos

Thursday we will be moving stones for a pathway.

May flowers and poison ivy!

May Rain and Flowers

Isn't spring grand?

Another Neat Car