News Caboose

HOLA!

Well, as usual I never post the pictures I say I'm going to. To my defense our lap top is on the craps for a while and we don't have internet on the desktop. So maybe you'll see Puerto Rican pictures sometime in the future.

Right now I am using the computer at a hotel in Monticello, UT. I have a new job in the Canyonlands area which is south of Moab. I'm a field technician for my friend Leah from USU. She is doing her graduate project on Mexican Spotted Owls, so that is what we are out here tracking. They are threatened and apparently so because I haven't seen any yet. We met up with some other grad students from Montana to go out hooting last night, but they ended up getting stuck on the road. We stayed in Monticello and watched the 24th Fireworks instead. Monsoon season makes it really hard to drive to the remote places we have to get to. We are going to try to go out to Fish and Owl canyons tonight. Hopefully the thunderstorms stay away for a night.

I am staying in a trailer at Dugout Ranch which is just outside the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. So far, things have been slow going because we have been trying to get established in the area, talking to the park rangers, and figuring out where to get water, and where to dump the black and gray water. I don't know anything about trailers. We organize and plan during the day and then go out hiking about 5:00 in the evening. We drive, then hike into an area using preselected GPS points that Leah has picked out. When we get to the first one we have to wait until official sunset time to start the first hooting calls. The MSO has a distinct call, much different than the Great Horned Owl, which is actually a MSO preditor. We hike for a few hours in the dark with our headlamps and packs until we hit four call points, then we hike back to the car and drive home. We go to bed late and wake up however late the heat will allow us to sleep in.

Don't know when I'll be able to post again!

Jessica

To check out the park, look at this link: http://www.closertonature.com/maps/canyonlands-map.gif

Bout Time For An Update

Okay, I wanted to put some more picture up, but I have to save pictures onto the external hard drive before I download more onto the computer. So I will give an update in words and post pictures later.

Austin is still at the mine. He's swamped with all the water monitoring he has to do this quarter. He likes his job a lot though. I'm still at the boy's home. That's a long dramatic story, so lets just say I'm grateful to have a job at all. I'm waiting to hear back from an online school I interviewed with. I would be able to teach from home, plus a billion other better things than my current job, so I am dying to hear back from them. Also I'm working on my math endorsement with some online classes through University of Phoenix.

Austin is working on remodeling the bathroom. Right now it has dolphin wall paper, a pink sink, pink tub, and pink toilet, and no shower. Can't wait to have a new bathroom!

We just got back from Puerto Rico. We've been wanting to do a big getaway since forever ago, and since we are out of school it could finally happen. We went snorkeling and hung out at the beach for days and days and I wanted to stay there forever.

We miss our USU friends a lot!! We want to come up to Logan the weekend of the 3rd of July. I think that is the Cruise-in weekend. I hope it is cause then we could all go.

Peace Out!

Is this what the kids are listening to these days?

I checked out this band after one of my students said it was awesome. This student also loves Avenged Sevenfold. Need I say more? This is probably the worst music video I've ever seen. It compares to vomiting. From the Zoolander faces to the rainbows, wow. It's a little too Pete Wentz for me. Make sure you let it buffer so you can get the full effect of the awkward dancing.

Recent Happenings

This is what we have been doing as of late.

We had Jessica's family down for V-day celebration

I took this pic of Fairview while snowshoeing
We cut down our own Christmas tree (I know this is a little late)

Walking out to get our tree

I made a giant snowman

Overall, this has been a pretty eventful winter so far. By the way, if you are ever going to cut down your own Christmas tree, you should plan ahead and make sure that after walking 1/2mile, you have charged the batteries for your battery powered chainsaw. Please try to cut the tree down before it gets dark, otherwise on the way back to the car your Levi's turn to ice pants. Also, try to cut a tree so that you don't have to carry it 1/2mile back to the car. Just a few tips from a seasoned pro. I would also like to add that for the V-day celebration Jessica made aprons for each of our nieces and nephews. I have the best wife in the world!!

MI CASA ES SU CASA

Hello everyone, to update you on what Jessica and I are doing I thought I would start with the most important. We bought a house! It was built in 1898 and thus has some sweet character. We have been moving in this last week and let me tell you, I hate moving. The house is on a 1/3 acre lot with trees, including an apple tree. We are pretty excited and can't wait to do some upgrades on it like installing a dishwasher. The following photos are just of the exterior; to see inside you have to come visit.

RANDOM

Just a random video

Halloween

Even though most people are thinking about decking the halls and holiday shopping, here are the Halloween pictures as promised.

The Nomes

David Bowie
Dr. Horrible and Lady Gaga

Wall of Fame

Napoleon and Deb

Cruela Devil, Deb, Gaga, Nomette

Napoleon II and his band

Dr. Horrible rockin it

Tobias