I really don't like that thought. You all know me. I don't like change. I don't like endings and I hat saying goodbye to people. We have become a family here and I hate to see that end ever. I guess it won't really ever end. We will always have this summer and all the memories.
Halfway done does bring good news with it though. I get to go home in just over a month and I cannot wait to be home again. I feel like I am starting to lose some of the details of my friends and their mannerisms and jokes. Plus everything here reminds me of Envirothon which makes me miss my awesome team and Mr. Sammler. However, it is REALLY nice to have learned some of these things before.
We are learning a massive amount of information here. This week was especially tiring as we had to be up and at class by 6am 4 days this week since we went out birding and checking our traps. If you leave the mammals you catch in traps too long they will bake essentially, which is sad so we try to avoid that. Victoria and I caught two Peromyscus maniculitus (Deer Mouse) in our traps. We basically rocked it.
This week we also learn all the mammals and all the bird calls. It was intense. A LOT of studying. Dr. Cramer taught this module though and he is very funny so that made all of the work a lot more bearable.
Besides memorizing everything, we also got to do some fun activities. We set up nets between the apartments last night and caught bats in them. Cramer said this is the first year they actually ever managed to catch bats. We caught about 20. We were able to see them up close and Cramer pointed out some interesting features they have before he let them fly away.... right over our heads. We also went "howling" the other night. Appropriately there was a full moon at the time. Howling consists of us all driving out to some point on property and Cramer howling like a wolf and trying to get wolves to howl back. We didn't hear anything that night but we did manage to break two of the vans. The UNDERC van's battery died at the gravel pit, so we piled all 16 of us into the Shaggin' Wagon. Then when we were at another place howling, the Shaggin' Wagon started to smell like a toasted marshmallow when we attempted to start it. We may have actually killed it for good. Luckily some of the grad students drove by and were able to taken one person back to the lab to grab another van and come get us all.
Tonight we are going owling, which much like howling, you make owl sounds and the owls come over and then you can shine the spotlight on them and see the different owls. I really hope this works. IT WOULD BE SO COOL!
I also went to mass today at the point. The point is where the priests stay when they come up here. It is sort of a priest summer camp up here at time. Anyways they hold mass every Saturday evening at the point and this week, Father Hesburgh arrived up here and when he is up here he is always at mass. He was a very nice guy to meet, shook all of our hands and asked us where we were from. We also got a picture with him after mass. I really enjoyed mass too. The chapel is this tiny little cabin-like building and there couldn't have been more than 25 people there.
I will try to get the picture from Laura's camera later and put it on this.
My parents come up here in a couple days. I am so excited to show them around :) I hope the weather holds.
Claire
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