tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302698982012-01-13T11:34:22.414-05:00Research from pole to pole and travel in between.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.comBlogger811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-49411551318959829832011-07-28T15:58:00.002-04:002011-07-28T20:04:06.771-04:00

This past Friday, I was fortunate to meet two incredible people who were staying with some friends in town.  Adam and Christy Coppola are spending a calendar year traveling across all 50 states via bicycle.  Having embarked in January, Montana was their 41st state.  They entered Wyoming today, their 43rd state, after Idaho.  Obviously familiar with the idea of adventure to have cooked up such a

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-8771811485683619172011-04-01T14:53:00.006-04:002011-04-14T16:47:57.953-04:00

The recent cobra "escape" at the Bronx Zoo has gotten lots of media attention lately.  However, the best thing to come out of this little escapade can be found on Twitter.  Yes, I finally broke down and ventured into the world of Twitter during the recent disasters in Japan to get up to date information.  Basically, a few humorous individuals have latched on to several characters, including the

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-24975296495349504042011-02-25T13:56:00.002-05:002011-03-24T15:07:20.618-04:00

While I was in Christchurch (a few days after the current timeline in the travel stories), there was one morning where there were about 6 earthquakes from 6 am to noon, varying in magnitude from ~3 to 5.  The first one woke me as I was sleeping on the floor at a friend's house.  Since the internet was still working, I surmised that it couldn't have been that strong and found a website that

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-6421225095966349252011-02-20T22:48:00.001-05:002011-03-24T15:08:26.951-04:00

We left Te Anau early Saturday morning so that we would have plenty of time to make the drive to Milford Sound.  Although there are lots of places to stop and hike from the scenic route, we only had a brief stop at Mirror Lake so that we could make it to our cruise in time.  I'm not sure if we missed it, but the only reflections we saw at the stop was from what was effectively a duck pond.  The

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-58796989177477914392011-02-15T22:31:00.000-05:002011-03-24T15:08:47.965-04:00

In reviewing some older blog posts, I came across a travel wish list from 2007.  I've been fortunate enough to cross several places off the list without it being a major aim.  Of course, there are very few places I wouldn't return, and several of the last places I've visited I've imagined living there.  So, as a short break from crunching data here's the old list now updated: Amazon River Basin

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-68597423670508242222011-02-15T01:04:00.000-05:002011-03-24T15:08:26.951-04:00

Fully satiated and pleased with the accommodations, I was happy to be spending another day near Dunedin.  Fun fact, Dunedin is based on the Gaelic name for Edinburgh (Dùn Èideann) and there are signs of Scottish influence everywhere in New Zealand.  This resulted in my determination that the country was like Hawaii meets Scotland, a bit simpler than my friend Nick's description of Greece and

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-51676426613637257372011-02-14T15:50:00.003-05:002011-03-24T15:08:26.951-04:00

Our first day back in Christchurch was rather disorienting, as I mentioned.  We didn't get back to the Windsor B&B until afternoon, whereupon most people quickly disappeared into their rooms to sleep until dinner.  However, I was too hungry, as was Ema, my traveling companion for the next week.  After organizing our bags for the upcoming road trip, we headed out with the vague aim of food and

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-36467510938825281242011-01-26T02:25:00.003-05:002011-03-24T15:08:26.952-04:00

It's funny how pliable time is.  They say that time flies when you are having fun, but when you travel, frequently you squeeze so much in, that it's hard to believe how little time it took.  Similar to my time in Antarctica, my R&R in New Zealand seemed to both stretch out infinitely and be over in an instant.  Through a combination of semester schedules and the advice of several friends who have

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-54510402628947292002011-01-18T17:38:00.003-05:002011-03-24T15:08:34.225-04:00

Yes, I'm terribly behind.  The last week or so in McMurdo was very busy, with very little downtime.  When I last wrote, we were getting ready for the new year.  We were also wrapping up the last of our field and lab work, with weather delays on helicopter flights that kept cropping up.  New Year's in McMurdo is marked by an annual "Ice Stock" festival, which is set outside with a line up of local

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-51198976442342104572010-12-30T00:44:00.009-05:002011-03-24T15:07:44.835-04:00

What a week of celebrations it has been, and it's not quite over. Last Wednesday was Ema's birthday, so of course I had to track down a picture of bacon and turn it into a birthday card to go with the surprise cookies at work. I also discovered the burger bar where you can order a vegetarian burger with, you guessed it, bacon. Kind of silly to shell out $3 for dinner when you can eat for

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-39378858208998813812010-12-22T00:39:00.001-05:002011-03-24T15:08:07.262-04:00

Apparently I need to clarify. The titles I use here are not meant to indicate that I don't like it down here, rather, last week's and this week's titles are references to common phrases down here which are used in both a serious and a joking manner. For example, if it's a particularly gorgeous day with amazing views, you might say, "just another cold day in hell". If your tent got torn to shreds

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-69586718683432541792010-12-10T23:36:00.015-05:002011-03-24T15:08:07.262-04:00

The bona fide day off was quite enjoyable, with mostly mellow tasks like laundry on the list for heading back out into the field. A craft fair took place in the afternoon, where people from the station set out tables of homemade wares to sell. It was almost like being at a farmer's market, with a wide variety of items from buttons, to photographs, felted hats, jewelry, wooden bowls, even hand

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-90932346954141173422010-12-03T19:01:00.016-05:002011-03-24T15:08:07.263-04:00

Home sweet home next to Canada GlacierThe fiasco field day of which I last wrote, was followed by an absolutely fabulous Thanksgiving. Of course, because I'm on the limno team, we still did a bit of work, but it was still a relaxing day. People came from all over, by foot and by helicopter from other camps in the Dry Valleys. All told, I believe there were 28 people gathered at Lake Hoare for

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-8686479401611891372010-11-24T00:37:00.012-05:002011-03-24T15:08:07.263-04:00

I love field work. I find it the most challenging, the most fun, and the most rewarding aspect of what I do. Being able to improvise when things don't go according to plan is a key skill, as is always having a multi-tool and a roll of duct tape close at hand. But some days are harder than others. It's easy to enjoy a day out when the sun is shining, there's no wind, and everything runs

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-80276713115756845232010-11-19T22:01:00.008-05:002011-03-24T15:08:07.263-04:00

It's day 4 here at Lake Bonney camp. Seems like ages ago that we left town. On Monday, we moved all of our stuff to the helo pad, so once that was finished, we had some time to remember everything we forgot to pack, do some computer work, and enjoy a last evening in town. With all the bars closed on Mondays, there was no trip to Gallager's, but we still enjoyed a bottle of wine and some lovely

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1260446716629397172010-11-13T21:44:00.009-05:002011-03-24T15:08:07.264-04:00

It's been a whirlwind getting settled in here. Much of the past week was spent taking classes and attending briefings on everything from how to go on a recreational hike to maintaining ATVs. Wednesday night there is a science talk open to everyone and this week's was about penguins and if they alter their foraging behavior in areas with predators. Turns out that getting out to see penguins

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-86261711339603131112010-11-09T16:47:00.013-05:002011-03-24T15:10:28.245-04:00

Here are a couple of posts I wrote on my computer without internet access. Lots of pictures to share and will try to post about "town" more before I head into the field early next week.~1 pm, 9 November 2010 Despite promising to become more succinct, this is going to be a long one, so hang on to your britches. I'll try to add in some pretty pictures to keep you entertained. All downtime in

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-72579116000516347102010-11-04T01:23:00.003-04:002011-03-24T15:09:36.612-04:00

Before we left Alaska, we noticed a dramatic shift in the sea ice adjacent to town. Here are a few pictures of the sea ice in Barrow at various times:Polar bear in early April, 2010. Photo courtesy of Paula.Sea ice on arrival, late October 2010.By the time we were leaving, the wind had shifted again bring the ice closer to shore. For days, the wind blew the ice in and out but it ceased and colder

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-74525537206653641342010-10-31T20:46:00.006-04:002011-03-24T15:09:36.612-04:00

The inevitable happened. Field days 2, 3, and 4 came and went without much time in between for a post. So, here is a recap as best as I can remember.Sunrise on the way to Sukok lake, 27 October.Second field day was out to Sukok lake with our full field team of six people on 4 snow machines, plus our guide and 2 sleds. The lake is about 20 miles away, but with a max speed of about 20 mph and

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1761491417625456042010-10-26T16:20:00.018-04:002011-03-24T15:09:36.613-04:00

Yesterday was our first sampling trip of the week. Waking up to pitch black skies is a bit difficult when you've become accustomed to field work in arctic springs and summers when there is nearly or a full 24 hours of daylight. Took us a little bit of time in the morning to get our gear in order, as it usually does the first time out. Guess who finally got to drive a snow machine (i.e. snow

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-26953873843173329922010-10-23T21:26:00.005-04:002011-03-24T15:09:36.613-04:00

We made a short visit to Fairbanks on our way up to Barrow this time. It was a little odd to finally see it with snow, but it was reassuring that really so little had changed in three years (at least on the west side of town). Wish I had taken more pictures, but we didn't do much besides visit people on campus, go to Beaver Sports, and run other errands. On campus, I was asked to share some of

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-48434500090886171422010-10-20T22:07:00.002-04:002011-03-24T15:09:36.613-04:00

Tomorrow the grand bi-polar adventure begins. As a send off, a friend sent me this link to Ghosts of Antarctic Stations. The story of Scott has always depressed me, I suppose I'm more of a Shackleton gal, in it more for the adventure than the destination. Or, I may just be a product of my generation. In any case, let the adventure begin! First stop, Fairbanks via Seattle.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-4133403384199487442010-10-14T18:22:00.009-04:002011-03-24T15:09:36.614-04:00

The next grand adventure is about to get underway. I'm currently in the middle of last minute preparations for a field trip not only to Alaska, but also to Taylor Valley in Antarctica! To get you up to speed, my current research project is focused on the lakes near Barrow, Alaska. Our team is one component of a larger NASA Astrobiology Institute project focused on Icy Worlds. Which means, we

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-34363757147444528582010-08-25T10:43:00.001-04:002010-08-25T10:45:42.131-04:00

Thanks to an inspired fit of (temporarily) deleting my facebook profile and an introduction to google reader, I've returned to the land of blogs. Look for more content coming relatively soon.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-39341512821474411112008-07-08T16:35:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:10:28.245-04:00

How to pick blueberries, for my friends up at Toolik.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-349907516033154432008-06-26T14:57:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:10:28.246-04:00

Gus and Hobbie interviewed for a story by NPR. Nancy Cohen arrives at Toolik Field Station today.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-77606384441176815712008-06-23T09:54:00.002-04:002008-06-23T09:58:59.692-04:00

Well, it is summer once again, and time to start up my blogging. However, this is the first summer in SEVEN years that I will not be going up to Toolik Lake. It is sad, but time to move on. Like to finishing my dissertation. However, I've had lots of adventures since the hamster and the workshop in Sweden, so hopefully I'll be able to fill in some fun gaps in the next couple of days. Saturday

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-13663425013676440942007-10-25T23:58:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:17:59.682-04:00

One week ago today, Lucky passed away in his sleep after entering a hibernation state from which we were unable to rouse him. My mother was delayed coming in to town and so never got to share a room with the little bugger. He is now buried beneath our potato pot in the garden. He lasted a record breaking three months. My office is much quieter now, albeit less smelly. We'll miss you, Lucky.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-7455109800920830562007-09-27T13:24:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:16:21.995-04:00

Rush hour in Södermalm, Stockholm. Södermalm is the south island neighborhood of Stockholm which encompasses the trendy "SoFo" neighborhood. Wolverine at Skansen Arctic animals exhibit. Skansen is like a living history museum, filled with old buildings relocated there from all over the country. Vasamuseet, Djurgarden. Ship was buried for 333 years after extreme listing on its

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-40991837626562884432007-09-21T15:18:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:16:21.995-04:00

Where the magic took place. The workshop was four days long and had participants from Europe and North America. It was really great to hear about a wide variety of Arctic research. Out for a stroll on top of a mountain with Rod, Jay, and Mary Anne.More cairns.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-56035169912971441352007-09-21T15:04:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:16:21.996-04:00

Just got back from travel to Abisko, Sweden for a workshop on high latitude terrestrial- aquatic interactions. I'll try to post some of my favorite pictures in the next few days. I spent a few days in Stockholm afterwards and ended up taking well over 1,000 pictures.Can't say that Sweden is my favorite "destination", but the workshop was well worth it and Abisko is absolutely stunning.Abisko

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-80549384639008129492007-08-22T11:43:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:11:12.940-04:00

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-66590792573095541492007-08-14T11:27:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:10:40.738-04:00

Inspired by a question on Yahoo! Answers, I've decided to list my top ten travel destinations. Given that my current wish list is far longer (Amazon River Basin, Antarctica, Athens, Australia, Bali, Budapest, Caribbean, Costa Rica, Iceland, Morocco, New Zealand, Prague, Rome, Scotland, Semester at Sea, St. Petersburg, Valencia, Venice, Vienna, and Yellowstone), I've decided to just stick with

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-36583620125999640082007-08-09T10:16:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:17:20.372-04:00

I never saw anything like that when I was in Tanzania. Here's a few pics I took when I was there back in the summer of 2000:

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-67684514607254314262007-08-07T23:02:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:11:12.940-04:00

Secret Reagent ManSchleppilepsyI'm so proud... *tear

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-32358404547157599612007-08-07T22:34:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:17:59.683-04:00

Sassy is still very much interested in the hamster. Here's a close-up of Lucky:I think he's a Dwarf Campbell's Russian Hamster. Definitely a Russian Dwarf, and definitely male.It's still very hot and humid here- it's makes getting work done very difficult.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-9162824762308117112007-08-06T15:47:00.002-04:002011-03-24T15:17:59.683-04:00

Jen and I went to a friend's wedding last Saturday. Yesterday, we "saved" a hamster.Apparently, the best man gave the couple a hamster (and a popcorn maker) as a wedding present. They don't want a hamster and left for their honeymoon yesterday. The matron of honor (who lives in Pittsburgh) was saddled with dealing with the situation so Jen (her best friend) was called. We now have a dwarf

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1853414659500803822007-07-31T19:46:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:17:59.684-04:00

Sassafras passed her Canine Good Citizen test today! As a reward, she gets a whole month off of classes!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-57374071483147642262007-07-29T01:41:00.002-04:002010-03-03T16:47:20.475-05:00

I'm procrastinating walking the dog, anxiously awaiting word from Alaska, and Jen's at a bachelorette party. So, to distract me, here are some pics from last Saturday:We had a slightly successful yard sale- here are Jen and Mark around mid-afternoon, right before I ditched them to head out to the crazy Ann Arbor Art Fair.The Ann Arbor Art Fair isn't your typical art & wine. First of all,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-72747826890463176022007-07-16T17:47:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:17:59.685-04:00

This past weekend, Jen, Sassy, and I went to camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.Sassy was not amused by the large racoon that tried to eat her food at the campground the first night. She took the first chance she had to tell us how she felt.Friday was gorgeous- we went to the Munising side of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We were fairly limited in where we could take the dog, but

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-21684884052026011742007-07-11T16:13:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.873-04:00

The Goodbye Wave.I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself, having left Toolik so early in the summer. I suppose I should work on writing my dissertation or something...

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-66931440714807678542007-07-11T16:00:00.000-04:002007-07-11T16:01:49.486-04:00

Found this on Youtube- Climate change video

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-4045726591927047022007-07-11T15:32:00.002-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.873-04:00

4th of July highlights:Our lab was the traveling circus- complete with lion tamer, lion, painted lady, clown, bearded lady, trapeze walker, and prancing pony. We finally won best float! Annie had constructed the prize: a small replica of the Titanic and an iceberg.In his most challenging role to date, my advisor dressed up as the mime of our circus.Secret Reagent man: aka 0.007 uM

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-42996583215023577652007-07-04T17:28:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.874-04:00

Panorama on top of Slope Mtn. I just finished my last day of field sampling, and look who's eagerly awaiting my return:Sassafrass!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-75669652217304269812007-07-03T17:56:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.874-04:00

On top of Slope Mountain...Ashley and I hiked up Slope Mountain this past Sunday- it was one of the only (reasonable) hikes I hadn't gone on yet. On the way up, we got stuck in a huge field of willows up to our heads. The perfect place to live if I was a bear. Luckily, no incidents involving bears, although we did see a pair of Moose. I've never seen them north of Atigun pass that I can

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-8859970882442900552007-06-21T02:22:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.875-04:00

Today was my 29th day of sampling the I-series, a watershed of lakes and streams that feed into the main Toolik Lake inlet. It was gorgeous weather again today, although the helicopter battery died and so getting back to camp was interesting, logistically speaking. Here are Byron and Joanna leaving the helicopter at the first site of the day.We saw lots of wildlife including this super hungry

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-63084730437365264182007-06-20T01:07:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.875-04:00

We drove the Husky up to Toolik on last Friday, June 15th. No major fires and very little road work. However, we did have to race a Princess bus to get a quiet spot at the Yukon River Crossing for lunch.Yesterday (the 18th) was my second field day of the season. Alex and Ashley joined me in a jaunty little adventure surveying all the inlet streams into my study lake, Lake I-8. If all goes

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-76487934873403859192007-06-18T02:19:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:17:59.685-04:00

Before.and After.The day before I left for Toolik, my pup, Sassy got her summer haircut. I swear she's half the size she used to be.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1155843534403062902006-08-17T15:27:00.001-04:002010-03-03T16:34:29.552-05:00

With the assistance of my officemate, I discovered the search function here on blogger. We typed in "Toolik" and up popped several personal blogs dealing with research and life at the station- some of which are quite unprofessional. I've known about the dangers of posting online, but I never really considered it to be a problem. However, we found a blog by an employee of a company that deals with

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1155623159136541892006-08-15T02:17:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.876-04:00

My last night in camp, we had the grand opening of the pub art gallery, with the exhibit "Lost Antlers", complete with wine, cheese, and a piece of performance art. We actually had quite the range, from a line up of mosquito repellant (Safety in numbers) to a quite striking post-modern piece made of rebar, a milk crate, and rounded small rocks.I was packing like crazy, so I took 15 minutes to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1155272976430434482006-08-11T00:58:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:14:33.876-04:00

Today was my last day of field sampling! We did the second half of the "I-series" where we get dropped off by helicopter and walk back in while sampling. We made pretty good time and were back in camp by 3 p.m. We also saw many more caribou and this small herd passed fairly close by. I was able to catch a tsik-tsik (arctic ground squirrel) watching, on guard, with a mouthful of dried grass (used

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1155007552232051902006-08-07T23:18:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.809-04:00

Dramatic much?Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? The package arrived tonight with one of our lab members. The helicopter also broke and everyone is blaming it on me. Not only are there few people in camp, but everything is the end of the world and in the evenings we just wander around camp, aimlessly... Yup, it must be August.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1155001211482002562006-08-07T21:35:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.809-04:00

Please excuse me while I go run down the haul road.I just found out that a key package was shipped up here on the Lyndon truck. If there is anyway to guarantee that a package won't arrive quickly, it's to put it on a Lyndon truck. The next two days we are scheduled to go sampling on the helicopter with a large group, and I need that package. Now imagine me muttering around camp.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1154980769605259642006-08-07T15:50:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.810-04:00

Nice rack.The past week has been a blur, with many parties and the internet and phones going out for two days (courtesey of lightening storms). There was a bachelorette party, a metal birthday party, a couple of going away parties and a tropical luau. Yesterday I actually got to leave camp in a truck- for the second time this summer. We took a scenic drive up to Deadhorse and while the other

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1154488893505439892006-08-01T23:05:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.810-04:00

Oh to be half-asleep and editing a post from the night before. Here are a few new pictures. These flowers (monk's hood or wolfbane) are by the outlet to my lake. The weather keeps bouncing back and forth between sunny, nice, and warm versus cloudy, cold, and rainy. Typical Toolik.On Sunday, I went hiking with Cody, Ken, and Alexia, desperate to get "out" of camp. We hiked up over this ridge west

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1154381481810787722006-07-31T17:25:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.811-04:00

Stuck in the towers...The other day I went to use the towers (above ground pit toilets) and it was so stinky that I was in quite a hurry. When I finished, I turned the deadbolt, and it wouldn't budge! I panicked since last year someone actually got stuck for quite a while before they were rescued. After what seemed like an eternity, I realized that the lock was already open- I had forgotten to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1154144531412113942006-07-28T23:42:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.811-04:00

Cody eats fish smoothieWhat scientists do for fun, or at least after losing a bet. And to think, I've actually had daquiris made in that blender...

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1154054615511315822006-07-27T22:38:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.811-04:00

Holy crap! I was almost run over by a pair of male caribou this afternoon! (There was no fence between us). I was headed to the porch for some reading and I heard some running behind me. Simone yells my name and I see the caribou headed straight for me. They veered away, but I stood practically pinned next to the truck until they passed by and regretted not bringing my camera with me. There are

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1153963241156117352006-07-26T20:54:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.812-04:00

A herd of caribou passed by the west side of Toolik today! It's the first time I've seen so many in one place, and I know it doesn't compare with the herds in ANWR. Luckily, I had just finished setting up my experiment for the day and was able to join the rest of the lab in taking a boat to the other side of the lake to get a closer look.See if you can see them in the above picture full size-

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1153951923811292072006-07-26T18:09:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.812-04:00

See, I do work too. Taken by Luke on July 18th while I was setting up an experiment.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1153864599003435742006-07-25T17:39:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.813-04:00

Fiesta! In celebration of a birthday here, we made several pinatas. There was a caribou (pictured), a muskox head, a hot air balloon, and a penguin (because despite all the marketing, there are no penguins in the Arctic). I also made some maracas. We also had Mexican food for dinner with tres leches cake and this time they even made proper rice and a double batch of guacamole! After the

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1153777103132700502006-07-24T17:37:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.813-04:00

Here's another picture of the wolf- a very classy shot taken by our head cook.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1153686199128794882006-07-23T16:03:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.814-04:00

Finally! Some pictures to share. Here are the higlighters we used to decorate ourselves and the lab under blacklights (picture taken by a labmate).This is the wolf that's been hanging around the camp- I saw him on a different day, this picture was taken by a labmate on their way back from a hike. We're not sure if the wolf brought down the caribou, but it sure looks content.And last, but

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1153613857290522092006-07-22T20:17:00.000-04:002006-07-22T20:17:37.290-04:00

food for thought:daily show clip on the president's veto for stem cell research

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1152837642120670092006-07-13T20:33:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.814-04:00

Today was my 13th trip, and 25th day, for an intensive thrice a summer synoptic sampling trip. To celebrate, I took many tundra naps and tooks lots of pictures of pretty flowers. This one is a harebell, Campanula rotundifolia.These flowers had several flies crawling on them, answering the question of the dominant pollinators up here. There are all kinds of flies of different shapes and sizes.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1152744288894987922006-07-12T18:35:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.815-04:00

Yesterday we went a little bit upstream of "my" lake to do some bacterial habitat sampling. Check out the looming storm- it was right on top of us just a few minutes after I took this picture. There's nothing like being in the middle of nowhere with thunder and lightning! It passed over us quickly though, and those of us who thought to bring rain suits stayed fairly dry.Last night I presented

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1152238678968825192006-07-06T22:10:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.815-04:00

Today I went on a survey sampling trip with my advisor, collaborator, and a high school teacher. We spent the day hopping from lake to lake in the helicopter. The day started off pretty cold- my fingers still hurt. It cleared up a bit into a gorgeous day, but it was windy at the higher altitude we were sampling at. I'm going to sleep well tonight!Here are a few more pics of some of the lakes we

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1152134699973728582006-07-05T17:10:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.816-04:00

The finished product... Amanda was the evil ground squirrel that was later unmasked by the gang. I assume you can guess the other characters.Unfortunately, the helicopter crew beat us out for best float, but we had too much fun to care. There were quite a few ingenious costumes including lake sampling equipment (rubber raft, secchi disk, syringe, net, etc.), sauna rules (no talking shop, no boats

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151982821957516442006-07-03T23:11:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.816-04:00

Fourth of July is tomorrow. Every year, each lab decides on a theme and dresses up in costumes. Then there is a parade with much fanfare and "awards" given out. I've been told that I will be Velma. Apparently our lab is on a mystery kick, since last year we did Clue. Time to dig out my turtleneck and knee-highs!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151688822543379102006-06-30T13:32:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.816-04:00

I ended up taking a picture on my way to bed: Here's a view from my lab at ~2:15 am.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151659140164780232006-06-30T05:15:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.817-04:00

As I was walking back to the lab amid some late night sampling, I looked around and thought how I should take a picture to share with you how much more tolerable it is to work late nights when it's still light out at 12:30am. However, when I got to my lab, I discovered that not one, but both of the doors had been accidentally locked. I tried kicking on the doors in the hopes that someone was

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151543134083784822006-06-28T20:47:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.817-04:00

A brief photo history of my summers above the Arctic Circle:Summer 2005: So damn dry that I had trouble setting up experiments in lake inlets and outlets. Highlights included lots of crazy costume parties including an "all women" bridal shower. Went swimming in the Arctic Ocean again- this time in nothing but my Tevas.Summer 2004: Much warmer. Highlights included an overnight trip to the base of

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151541673203935032006-06-28T20:33:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.818-04:00

Here is one of our beautiful sunsets over Toolik Lake (from August 2004). We won't see the sun set up here until the end of July- the sun is just circling overhead right now. Personally, I no longer have a problem sleeping any time of day, despite the light. No insomnia for me! People come up with various solutions to cover up windows to keep the light out or just work so hard that they fall

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151540948102534082006-06-28T20:19:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.818-04:00

Some more tundra flowers! Moss campion, Silene acaulis. These little ones are found on a heathy hillslope in very large areas.These are Arctic Avens, Dryas integrifolia.The summer growing season is so short here that flowers often change so quickly that you might see entirely different flowers the next time you go out in the field! This year we should see some different plants- last year was so

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151475684970809012006-06-28T02:00:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.818-04:00

Here are a couple of pictures from a nearby aufeis at Galbraith Lake. We went for a short hike there on Sunday and played around all of the ice formations. It was actually sunny and gorgeous out. I'll have to post some more realistic pictures of our field site so y'all don't think I'm on vacation up here in the middle of nowhere!Aufeis is German for "ice on top" and forms from streams or springs

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151355658784729362006-06-26T16:56:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:13:44.819-04:00

Tundra flowers. White arctic mountain heather, Cassiope tetragona.I arrived at the field station on June 17th, just as the sun started to shine for the first time in at least a week. I'll be up here doing research until mid- August. A short 8 week stint this time around. Well, shorter than previous summers at least.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151350960825696222006-06-26T15:40:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:17:20.373-04:00

After our adventures around Anchorage, we took the train northward, spending the night in Talkeetna on our way to the fair city of Fairbanks. We were lucky to see McKinley and the observation deck provided fabulous views.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151349401685158462006-06-26T15:09:00.001-04:002011-03-24T15:17:20.374-04:00

Here's my mom holding a really big chunk of ice that fell off of Aialik Glacier (Kenai Fjords N.P., near Seward, Alaska).I have a bit of catching up to do, so there will likely be numerous posts in these first few days (although I am starting a really big experiment tomorrow).

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151310650179599162006-06-26T04:26:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:17:20.374-04:00

Butchart Gardens in Victoria- Tibetan Blue Poppy and a crazy Peony.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151310155907750852006-06-26T04:18:00.000-04:002011-03-24T15:12:37.064-04:00

To get to Victoria, my lab mate and I took the train from Ann Arbor, MI all the way to Seattle. We were able to spend a bit of time there visiting with friends before we hopped on a ferry all the way to Victoria.Thanks to this cross-country trip, I now only have nine more states to see in order to meet my goal of seeing all fifty states before I turn 30. Left to see in the next 19 months:Arkansas

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30269898.post-1151309060424103182006-06-26T04:02:00.000-04:002006-06-26T04:11:41.526-04:00

Well, inspired by a labmate's blog for her hometown newspaper, I figured maybe I should give a "real life" blog a shot. Hopefully I'll be sharing photos and stories from my various adventures.This first photograph is from Victoria, B.C. where I recently attended my first professional conference. I was very excited to attend because my advisor prefers that we not go to these unless we are well

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00243316950332519279noreply@blogger.com0