I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go.

I just realized I answered some questions that I sent to Chris yesterday by going to the RMBL site. Doops, hehe. Alright, so THIS is a picture of the cabin up close. It fits up to four people, has one bedroom, no indoor toilet, no shower, and no hot water. I win.

So now I'm just hoping to make really, really good friends with someone who has a shower and possibly hot water - the indoor toilet is something I can do without. And I may never shave unless I can find hot water, because razors + goosebumps = profuse bleeding; and frankly, I'd rather look like one of the bears by the end of the summer than need skin grafts.

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Also, since I don't want to write another post for this, I'll just add it. Chris responded to more of my questions. He knows one of the researchers I'll be living with, Jamie Winternitz, and he says "she is great." The other people I'll be living with are her assistant and someone by the last name of Clarke, all women. He also assures me that Gothic has all the basic stuff - electricity, showers, running water, washing machines, clotheslines, and high speed internet. He says "there's a nice shower facility in the townsite and a couple of other showers scattered around." Looks like I'll be shaving after all!

But can I still growl like a bear? Please? It'd be fun. *raaar*

Currently listening to: "A Praise Chorus" - Jimmy Eat World

That's alright - let's give this another try.

Chris sent me an e-mail about the cabin I'll be staying in! =D

I will be living in Enders Cabin with about three cabin mates. I'll have a great view of Gothic Mountain but I have to walk up a big hill to get to my cabin. As though I weren't already used to that with the campus hill we have here! Copper Creek runs down the slope below the cabin, so I get to listen to running water 24/7. No evil morning bird distractions for me! Take THAT, mourning doves!

Do they have mourning doves in Colorado?

At any rate, here's the picture he sent me. The cabin in the red box is Enders Cabin (had to make one in GIMP because the arrow Chris made disappeared - apparently it was part of Power Point?). Unfortunately, if I make it larger than this, it gets all pixellated because Google only lets the picture be a certain size and then it saves it that way. I'm thinking, though, that by the time I get there, there won't be so much snow. This was probably taken during the winter.

At least, I hope so.

I'll be home this weekend overnight to grab some of my bedding and such that I have to give to Chris so he can drive it out there for me. I'll probably just send my sleeping bag, pillow, blankets, sheets, coat(s), and guitar out with him. That's all the bulky stuff that would be a pain to send via plane. The rest of the stuff I can pack in a suitcase and it'll be mostly clothes, toiletries, and knitting supplies. The truckloads of bug spray and sunscreen should arrive via semi shortly after the plane lands in Denver.

Just kidding, of course. But wouldn't that be epic?

Alright, I have to go to the dumbest class in the world. I will check you guys later. In the meantime, this is too adorable to resist sharing: xoxoxo.

Currently listening to: "So Cold" - Breaking Benjamin

So it turns out that my plane schedule has changed again. Chris said not to be surprised if it changes once more before June.

I'm going to San Diego from May 17-21 to visit family and go do whatever else we want (ZOO?!) with my friend Keri, who also has family living there. The ironic thing is, we're visiting aunts/uncles, they both live in the same city, and they're from our dads' sides of the family. Needless to say, I'm pumped for SoCal.

I know that has nothing to do with Colorado. But it does have to do with travel, and it does have to do with the fact that Keri and I are both crazy nerd people that like getting dirty. Luckily for us, there are hiking trails, telescopes, the San Diego zoo, and plenty of dirt.

I still believe in this rock and roll.

Well, I went shopping with both grandmas over the past couple days, and encountered some excellent finds in terms of apparel for my trip. I got two pairs of long shorts, a pair of capris, and maybe four long-sleeved button-up cotton shirts. The best part is the hat, which is SPF 50. I know clothing can't be SPF, it's S-something-else-with-a-U, but yeah. Protects me from the sun. And it looks fantastic with this new hair cut. It also looks fantastic on the dog. But I'll post that on YouTube later.

I'm not sure I mentioned but these are the dates of the trip: June 1 to August 3, both Mondays, with Northwest Airlines. I leave from Milwaukee at 8:40 am on June 1, sit in Minneapolis for an hour or two to transfer planes, and arrive in Denver at 12:28 pm. Then, August 3, I leave Denver at 2:20 pm, transfer in Minneapolis again, and arrive back in Milwaukee at 8:33 pm. Write that down, Mom. ;]

I need to check and see if the sleeping bags we have will keep me warm in temperatures of 20 degrees F. I guess that's in case we go camping or our heating blows out or something. I suppose surviving the night is a good thing. Anyway, if it doesn't handle those temperatures, we need to buy a sleeping bag. *goes and checks* *gasp* The tag is ripped!

[Edit:] Looks like I'll be buying a new sleeping bag, woo hoo. Unless someone has one I can borrow. Let me know. It has to have a comfort rating of 20 degrees F or lower!

Current music: "100 in a 55" - Pop Evil

Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.

Alright, this one's gonna be quick. I've been feeling pretty under-the-weather. I think it's a sinus infection! I feel congested on the left side of my head, and the lymph nodes in the left side my neck are about to explode.

So, what's this research project that I'll be working on? We'll be studying the habits of red-naped sapsuckers, a type of woodpecker that makes its homes in aspen trees. It also uses willow trees as a food source. Several other species of animals, including mammals and insects, rely on the sapsuckers to provide them with the sap from the trees, a valuable source of carbs. Also, since the sapsuckers only use their nests for one year and move out, six different species of birds (including adorable chickadees and other birds people generally enjoy) rely on these abandoned woodpecker homes for shelter the following years. These criteria make the sapsuckers what biologists call a "keystone species," which means that if that species were removed from the ecosystem, it could collapse, and the plants and animals that rely on the existence of that species would either die out or relocate. Sea urchins (I think) and beavers (for sure) are other examples of keystone species, believe it or not.

What are we trying to accomplish? Previous research suggests that sapsuckers don't nest far from willows, their food source. Willows are notorious for sticking their roots in places where they don't belong, such as water pipes, and destroying or clogging them in the process of searching for more water. Therefore, willows are often banned from developments. If sapsuckers rely on them for food, could they starve and die out? Dr. Floyd's research so far suggests this isn't the case. The birds may be using the willows more out of convenience than out of necessity, which would be good news for people looking to urbanize certain areas where the sapsuckers live. A certain fungus also seems to come into play, which may be far more important than willows, but I won't go too deeply into that just yet. I'll leave it for another post. For more information, click here.

So there's your general idea of the goings-on in this research experiment. My hopes are that I made this easy enough for anyone to understand, but if I didn't, comment with questions, and I'll fill in blanks. :]

I'm gonna go sleep forever. Or maybe do Spanish homework. I haven't decided yet. I know I said I'd make this short, but I kind of got carried away. :P

Currently listening to: "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas

I want nothing more than sitting outside heaven's door and listen to you breathing.

Hi all! I'm creating this blog so that when I go on my internship to Colorado this summer, friends and family members will be able to know what I am up to.

When it comes to communication, basically everything is gonna have to be over a computer. When I go to CO, I will have to walk down the road 1.5 miles before getting ANY cell phone reception! Yay for living in the Rockies! My adviser, Dr. Floyd, has a phone in his cabin if you really need to contact me, as in an emergency. That said, you can find me on AIM at ClownsRintheRoad, on Skype at raventycho (I have a webcam yay!!), on e-mail at raventycho@gmail.com, and on YouTube at psych0tych0 (those are zeroes). I have several other online locations where you can contact me, but since this is a public blog, you can just ask for those if you want them. This should be sufficient.

So, where's this crazy remote place full of biologists that I'll be going to? It's called the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, located in Gothic, Colorado. I'll have more to say on what our project is later, when I don't have to run to a Conservationists meeting!! We're going to work on how to build a rain garden for a local park today. Just Google rain garden. Don't worry. I didn't know what that was until today, either. I think we're gonna involve a bunch of kiddos from a local school too, so that should be fun!

Check out the lab. It's very pretty and I think we're gonna have tons of fun.

Currently listening to: "Breathing" - Lifehouse.