Autumn here again

I can't believe how long it has been since my last entry, all the way back at my birthday. Since then, it's been full speed ahead.

The most exciting news first: we got two new members to our family: Clayton Ricardo Varela on 7/27 and Micah Floyd Martinette on 8/20. It is so delightful to have baby nephews!

After a fun summer in Memphis, Madison returned to Indiana the first week of August. We got together again with her, Carter, Rachel, Noah, and new baby Micah in Monteagle during Labor Day weekend, which was really great. Our friends, Jason, Jenny, and Emily Gray, and Maddie's pal, Heather, came along too. It was a quick visit, but it was great to see the family. Jenny had a healing broken ankle, and that and my generally bum ankle precluded us from doing much hiking. We visited the Natural Bridge and walked around the Assembly grounds. We had a couple of mishaps of a mechanical nature though. When we arrived, the air conditioner wasn't working in the back of the house for the master bedroom. We were lucky that a guy was able to come out during the holiday weekend, and fortunately that was resolved without much difficulty. As we were preparing to leave, the washer quit working full of wet towels and 10 more loads to go. We had to bring all the linens, etc. back to Memphis, wash them, and mail them back to Monteagle. All's well that ends well; really, it was just a minor inconvenience.

I have always believed strongly in working hard and playing hard.

For work, I had the pleasure of going with my friends, the Japanese scientists, for the last trip of the Louisiana project.  Typhoon Roke delayed the Japanese arrival, and Monami came down with the mumps just before leaving.  In spite of the setbacks, we managed to get done with all the planned work.  It was bittersweet working while knowing it was the last time, but it was a good trip nonetheless.  As soon as I returned to Memphis, I had to give a research update seminar for the department. Then I went with Melissa to the South Central chapter conference of the Society of Wetland Scientists down in Lafayette, Louisiana. The conference was held at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center, which was amazing, and here I gave my first presentation as a scientist. It went really well, and I was really proud of the job I did.  I am also working on a grant proposal, which is a useful exercise whether or not it gets funded.  My comprehensive exams are quickly closing in on me, which is the most terrifying concept I can think of.  And, last but not least, I am analyzing my data from my May experiment in preparation for writing my first manuscript (!).  I told Dr. Pezeshki that I wanted to give him a manuscript for Christmas, so the heat is on.  It all keeps me incredibly busy, but I am so happy to be making progress.

For fun, I have been fortunate to have had numerous opportunities to enjoy arts and culture, including the Impressionist exhibition at the Brooks Museum, Huey Lewis and the News at Live at the Garden, checking out the Crystal Shrine Grotto in Memorial Park Cemetery, riding through Mississippi along historic Highway 61 Blues Trail, Art on Tap at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, a "Know Your Neighborhood" lecture from local historian Jimmy Ogle, Bela Fleck with his wife at the Shell, the Sears Tower Crosstown Solar Lighting project kickoff, the Cooper Young Festival, paddleboat ride on the Mississippi River, the Jim Dickinson Folk Festival, spending time with my Japanese friends in southeastern Louisiana, seeing Papa Grows Funk at the Maple Leaf, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, an amazing cheese tasting and dinner at Bari Ristorante, the Pink Palace Craft Fair, staying in Lafayette, Louisiana at the Blue Moon Saloon and Guesthouse with live music nightly, and worshiping the music at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans.  Whew!