Summer Adventures

The A-Team has absorbed puerto rican beach sun and climbed mountains this summer. Here is a taster of what this looked like:

I had a conference in May in Puerto Rico. The National Association of Community Clinics and Health Centers held a farmworker conference in San Juan, and since I work on migrant and farmworker health issues, I got to go. Super sweet! Andy came the last day of the conference and we rented a car and drove east. We hit up El Yunque, the U.S.'s only tropical rainforest, Vieques (where the beautiful beach pictures were taken), and Luquillo. Not great pictures, but I think that shows that we weren't interested in the photography, more the lying on the beach and having a great time. OH! and we went kayaking in a bioluminescent bay. The stuff that makes fire flys light up was in the water so when you put your paddle in the water, the water lights up. Way cool.

and then our second trip, to Rocky Mountain National Park was in July. Marty, my mom's husband started the trip idea, and we all got on board. The A-team flew into Denver with a lot of the hiking equipment, met up with an eager crew (Marty, my mom, Tricia (aka t-marty mart) and barry), and made our way over to the park. We all carried significant amounts of weight, hiked in 8 miles up hill and camped at Pine Martin camp site. The second day the ladies made their way to a mountain lake, uphill, and the boys raced to bag a peak. We hiked out the next day, exhausted and craving the brew house in boulder. This was serious hiking folks, no fires, no latrines, and huge mosquitos. Emotions ran high, and we made it out stronger, a better people. Check out the fotos if you don't believe me.

Flikr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asquared_wedding/ (our wedding pictures aren't up there anymore)

snow near Mammoth Lakes.

the drive across the desert.
Team Jeffrey pine beetle over Boca Reservoir, Tahoe National Forest


Me, Miles, and Jessica in Yosemite (a slight detour on the way to our sites)



Miles and Me rock hopping



The river at Sequoia National Park through "rose-tinted" glasses

new work, new sites, and new everything

The field season has started for me and i've spent the last month, give or take a few days, out in the forest getting work done on a new project. we're studying how pollution and drought are affecting the forest in CA and how bark beetles are responding to trees that might be stressed. we started our work in mid-May in the San Bernardino National Forest. I flew from Davis to meet one of the principal investigators from the Forest Service in Riverside and two undergraduates from University of Colorado, Boulder. We planned to spend the next 25 days camping in the woods with our equipment. We headed to the field and started sampling trees. We spent time coring trees to figure out how old they were. It was hot and dusty and hot and dusty. Many of the trees we cored were small, but old, indicating that they were either growing under stressful conditions (not enough water or nutrients) or crowded and stressful conditions (too much competition). We had beautiful weather and some great camping spots. From San Bernardino we headed north to Sequoia National Forest, where some unforeseen weather forced us north, but we did enjoy the coldness, a bit ( and of course the minnesotan in me rejoiced). We then traveled up the east side of the sierra nevada through through the desert, which if you haven't been is quite a trip! Gorgeous sites, but a lot of hot and open expanses. We traveled to an area outside Mammoth Lakes in the Inyo National Forest and, wouldn't ya know (as they say), we found some un expected weather, especially for mid-May. But we were able to get a shower, wash our clothes and spend some time seeing what else was in the area, which included some very nice hot springs and great views of the mountains. We weren't able to complete much of our because of the snow, sleet and rain, so we continued north to try our luck at Tahoe.... The weather was junk so I took a hiatus back to Davis for the week to finish some lab work and see Andie clean my clothes and get ready to head back to the field. In the meanwhile the others spent some pretty chilly wet nights in the woods at the Tahoe and Lassen National Forests. I returned at the end of the week to get back to work. For the rest of the trip the weather was spectacular! We completed our sampling of trees at Lassen and Tahoe and on the return trip south, we decided to chance it and try our luck with the weather at Sequoia National Park. We spent three nights there and all of the stars aligned for the completion of the first month of field work. Rather than walk through the pictures, I'll simply display some of the shots from the last week and half of work (as a single post) as we traveled the east and then west side of the Sierra Nevada via Yosemite National Park. Amazing. And they say call it all work?!

6 word memoirs

Andy and I were listening to a segment on 6 word memoirs last night. Here's a go at our first attempts. Guess which one's are his and which one's are mine...

i probably won't play your games
one beer one scotch wake up
work study get ahead get behind
keep on rockin, just don't stop

from MX to AK, still fighting
reduce reuse recycle- figure it out
met a boy with same name
love. happiness? peace...not so easy

whaaa, whaaa, whaaa I'm Donald Duck at Big Sur

We met some new friends this weekend, and one of them had a great Donald Duck impersonation. It basically sounds like the title of this week's blog: "Whaaa whaaa whaa...I'm Donald Duck." Apparently in the shower it sounds great.

So we went to Big Sur. Its on the coast, south of San Francisco and north of LA. Its more of an area rather than an exact location. There is lots of camping and little development. Its so windy and hilly they stopped selling hard liquor!

Martina's friends from LA and bfWe met some new friends, and met up with some old friends. from San Fran all had some camping/surfing to do on the coast, and andy and i couldn't miss the opportunity.

The campsite was super easy and gorgeous. Redwoods are magical. Eggs and coffee over the campfire in the morning hit the spot. The air was cold. And now we are at the laundromat trying to rid everything of campfire smell. A wonderful weekend. Much needed in the newness of our California adventure.



Stay tuned for more adventures with the A Team...

The first month

Living in Davis, CA!

We thought you might like a peak at what we've been up to and where we are doing it.















These are just a few picks of our super cute abode. Notice- there is no snow.







But since we couldn't stay away too long, Andy and I drove up to Tahoe a couple of weekends ago and went backcountry cross country skiing.













Last weekend I was at conference in Bodega Bay and

next weekend we will be camping at Big Sur with Martina and her boyfriend Dave.










Stay tuned for our next adventures....

A Scawy Bark Beetle Pirate Punkin.....

The department of Entomology celebrated another scary year with the annual Halloween party at the honey house. Yang Hu and I attempted an anotomically correct carving of a bark beetle pirate ready for an evening of trick-or-treating fun! That's cool, right?

The Wedding

Thank you to everyone who came and supported us. Thank you to everyone who was not able to make it. Thank you for the best day of our lives! So many highlights, and we will let the pictures tell the story. If you see a picture that you want in larger format, just email Andy or Andie and we will send you a higher resolution image. AND, if you have images of the wedding, reception, or anything related to the event, please share them with us, we'd absolutely love to see them. Per the request of many friends and family, I have included our vows as well as the poem that Dick so eloquently read at the toast. Enjoy!

Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asquared_wedding/
Andie's girlfriend Madeline uploaded wedding photos as well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveintokyo/sets/72157594218041449/
(if you have uploaded photos let me know and I'll add the link. I'll keep adding to these photos because we have hundreds!).

Vows, Andie and Andy
I will carry your heart with me Llevaré tu corazón con mígo
I will carry it in my heart lo llevaré en mi corazón
I will fear no fate No temeré ningún destino

I will trust in love confiaré en el amor
And walk beside you y andare al lado tuyo

I will see beauty in the world veré la belleza en el mundo
I will see the beauty of you veré la belleza de ti

I will believe that anything is possible yo creere que cualquier cosa es posible
And that you and I can create it y que tu y yo podemos crearlo

I will open my mind and heart Abriré mi mente y mi corazón

I will be your partner, your best friend, Seré tu companero, tu mejor amigo,
your confidant, your lover tu confidente, tu amante

I will be more than I think I can be seré más que lo que pienso que puedo ser
I will love you te amaré
Again and again una y otra vez
I will love you siempre te amaré

The Wedding, by Dick Graves

Alaska-Him-Her-Them-Bar-Restaurant? Work-Free Evenings, Music, Time, Friends, Strangers, Home Away from Home Do ya know who that Brunette is? Blonde? Brunette I think-Nope-Uffda-Hey, whos the guy with the beard and guitar? Dunno! Never seen him-Cute-Stinks-Maybe didn't shower. Hmmm. Time Alone-Time Together-Time Time to Think-Time-Need to Leave-Problems-At Home-Someplace Else-Trajedy-Confusion-Terrible-Not a Good Time, Maybe Later- Time-Time to Think-Don't Wanna Think-It Hurts- I'll Help- Work, Play, Him, Her-More Stuff- Family-Sick-Travel-Family- His, Hers, Life, Death, Maybe not a good Time, Bad Time, Bad Stuff- Takes Energy, Work, It Hurts, Life-Death I'll Help-I'm Here Him-Her-Them Good Time-Great Time- School-Work, Good Time, Bad Time Time-Time Together-Time Apart. Time to Learn-Time to Grow-Time to Love Time Time-Time to Think-Time to Remember-Time to Forget-Time Apart-Separated
Time Together School-School Together-Time to Love-Time to Learn-Time to Grow-Together Him-Her-Family, Friends, School, Love, Life-and Death- Happiness-and Sadness-Life Time Together Him, Her, Family, Friends, Church, Music, Plans, Food and Drink, Promises, and Hopes and Dreams- Him, Her, Them