Cranes, Kittens, and Turtles, Oh My!

So, at the Center, each year we have a pair of cranes who raise chicks near the pond. And this year, we also found a snapping turtle--the largest ever seen here! And in addition, cute kitten pictures! I also came up with a new logo for this site...perhaps my paltry web design skills can help me apply this to the actual blog formatting!

So, first we take a look at the cranes, both parents and their baby.

You can tell a baby Sandhill crane from its parents by its sandy plumage (see above) and the absence of the red head patch.

And next comes the snapping turtle. She weighed around 20 pounds! That's extremely big for a turtle. The naturalists at the Center think she was coming inland to lay her eggs. What a terrible idea! At the time, we were under construction.

 Doesn't she look like some prehistoric dinosaur or something? It's amazing how little has changed this millions of years for reptiles.

Next come my adorable kittens! This batch is from my current favorite cat, Puma. Her kittens include Dante (black), Wispy (black and white), and Lieutenant Cupcake Sprinkles (fluffy, white, and grey).

Here's Wispy on the wall.

And a close-up!

 Here's Wispy and Dante on the wall.

And here's Lt. Cupcake. Now there's a funny story about a name. Originally we thought that Cupcake was a girl, hence the name. And it fit well, very well for him. And then we found out Cupcake's gender. Rather than waste a perfectly good name, I decided to tack a "Lt." in front of in, in honor of Lt. Cupcake from the Star Trek 2009 movie. Rather than being impressed by my naming creativity, my family deemed me a nerd. I feel that I must concur wholeheartedly. And I love Star Trek. :D

More entries and pictures to come, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Photo Dump!

Ye gods, it's been a long time since last I posted. Fortunately, this delay was caused by rabid photo-taking, so I have a whole lot of new pictures to post. The weather has finally heated up, so Mom's flowers are blooming wonderfully, and three of my cats just had some of the cutest kittens ever! In addition to cats and flowers we are eating some of the most delicious summer food. And by that I mean bratwurst. :D

So, to start off our photo tour, here are some flowers from a gigantic bouquet Mom received!

And here are some pictures from Mom's Garden

And So the Summer Starts...

Last week I started my summer job. I'm working at a nature preserve that I call the Center. I admit I was very excited to get this job, but I didn't realize the crazy hours I was going to have to work. :) This is most likely because I entered the workplace right before crazy hectic time of presentations; the non-profit nature center I'm working for is finishing up an expansion of their building. It's all very exciting, but a ton of work has been piled on me! At least I love what I'm doing! However, I may never be able to look at a floor plan in the same way again. If what I'm working on ever gets published, I'll be sure to post a link~! ;)

The time I'm not working at the Center is spent usually helping my mother with her crazy landscaping endeavors. This weekend it was trimming the trees and creating shade gardens under them. I've grown an aversion to all pine trees due to the amount of twigs, bark, and sap I've pulled from my hair in the last weekend. It probably amounts to at least half a tree. -_-;; The yard looks great, though, and I'm very pleased with what I've done.

I've been able to snap a few pictures, but haven't had time to upload them to my computer yet. I  caught the last of the apple blossoms behind my house and am very pleased with the results. I've also photographed some of my adorable kitties and a nest of robins, living near the center. Hopefully sometime this week I'll be able to snap some shots of the pair of cranes (plus baby!) that are living near the Center. 

Well, I should probably be getting ready for another busy day tomorrow. 

Have a good week!

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig

I never realized that my itty bitty dorm room could hold so much stuff until I attempted to move out of my room today. I actually managed to pop a tire on one of the carts I was using! And, of course, back in my room at home, I have more stuff to add to the stuff I already have. I've already figured out that I either need to a) somehow harness the power of a TARDIS to create a bigger room, b) reorganize everything so that stuff actually fits, and/or c) get a dresser that is taller than it is wide so that I can have more space. Also, I need to clean out my closet. And unpack more. My clothes are still in the minivan--I've been unpacking and rearranging my books and bringing out my spring clothes for the warmer weather all of today, and haven't had time for anything else. :(

No photos today, but maybe in a couple of days after my room no longer looks like a tornado of cardboard boxes exploded in it. :)

Freedom~!

So now that my last (horrid, horrid, horrid) final is over and I no longer feel like having my teeth pulled without anesthesia and then punching someone in the face rather than taking my Zoology final (which went slightly better than expected), my summer break begins. And what better way to celebrate my release (and share some sorrow--I will not be returning to this campus for about one and a half years) by going around campus and taking some final shots? I found a flowerbed where some amazing color schemes were happening. 

And so, here are some of the pictures!

Spring is here!

Well, I don't know about you, but lately it's been pretty cold for spring. Happily though, it seems we're getting some warm days headed our way. Even better is the fact that after 5pm tomorrow, I'll be done with school until August~! So my summer break is on the way, even when spring is just staring up here in the cold north. :D

So, here are some of the signs of spring, taken along campus.

I hope you have a happy spring~!

It's that time of the week again...

Otherwise known as "I am so busy I have no time for sleep, thank goodness for coffee/Mountain Dew/caffeine" day. I'm applying for the Bridging Scholarship because I am going to Japan next year. I'm so excited!

So, to tide y'all over (whoever is really reading this, thank you~!), here are some pictures of the little things in life (all woefully out of season, but let's not be picky...).

Have a good day~!