Bahamas.

I'm off to the Bahamas again for probably the last time. We'll be leaving Starkville around midnight on the 26th, driving all night/all day, arriving in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in the evening. Then we spend the night there and fly out the next morning. It's usually about a 2 hour flight out to San Salvador, but it always seems quicker. Little planes are way more fun than big ones, and suprizingly no more cramped...
So we should get to San Salvador on the 28th sometime. This is Mylroie's usual December trip, so there'll be lots of field trips and such. I won't be going on many of those since I've done them before and I've got lots of work to do. Come to think of it, I need to figure out what it is I'm going to do when I'm down there. I've been a bit distracted with other things on my mind that have nothing to do with geology.
Anyway, I might have internet access while I'm down there, but maybe not. If I do, I'll try to let you all know what's going on. Don't expect any pictures until I get back though, assuming I don't destroy my camera again. Let's hope for that. We should be getting back to Starkville early on the morning of the 8th (or whatever that Monday is), which is the first day of class. Fortunately, I only have class on Thursdays next semester. More time to do my thesis I guess. Yay. Can't wait to get that done and get out of here...

Kentucky

I'm back from spending a couple days with Ford and Amanda and her family up in Kentucky. Things didn't go quite according to the original plan, but I had a really good time. The drive up went fine, and it was raining by the time I got there (took about 8 hours). Ford had had a horrible time with the bush-hog he rented. I'll let him tell you that story. But basically, it changed our plans of bush-hogging the next day. That evening, we just hung out and chatted. The next day it poured most of the day, but we had decent weather when we went around and looked at the land. Quite rugged. Really quite a cool plot of land too. We spent the rest of the day watching movies. Yesterday, we hiked around on the land again and did a little work. There was a small stream that drained the area in the middle of the land, but it had been stopped up when a small access road was put across it when they logged it. So we dug a couple small trenches across it to drain the land. Got a lot of water going through them, but no noticeable lowering of the water. Then we went back to the house, ate a feast of a lunch, and I took off.
Zephyr had a great time too, and loved running all over the land, though she stayed close to us. She even wore out Speedy (Ford and Amanda's dog), but he's getting a bit old. I got to shoot a gun for the first time in my life, a 12-gauge autoloading shotgun. Man, those things are loud! They gave me some nice gifts too, and I felt bad for not bringing any for them...
Anywho, a few pictures.

On one of the flat benches in the hillside where they coal was stripped out.

Down in the bottom, looking up toward the ridge that is the boundary between their property and Amanda's dad's.

Ford and I digging a couple trenches to drain some of the flat land. Zephyr and Speedy goofing around too...

Ford, Amanda and Speedy hiking up the "left" side on our way back home.

Merry Christmas.

I made this for Andrea, my geology buddy from UMaine. Hopefully you all like it too.

On foot.

As much as I love riding my bike, sometimes there's nothing better than a nice long walk. Southfarm is always a nice pretty place to go where we can let Zephyr run around, but I go out there so much (on my bike and walking) sometimes it seems a little boring, especially if I'm alone. Today however, it was quite foggy, and it was liking being in a new place. I could pretend I was somewhere else. At times I was reminded of walking across a mountaintop meadow on the AT. It was nice to be outside and take my mind off school and other worries, if just for a little while...
As usual, here's some pictures. You guys must be getting tired of Southfarm pictures by now.


Silly dog.

Yeah, real smart Zephyr... shake off when you're still chest deep.

But she found a stick, so she's happy.

Eckie's Pond... obviously.

Moo.

Skunk Hill shadow.

Tree silhouette.

I'm too tired to come up with a title.

"Well crap, you want me to go in there to get my osage orange?!"

Southfarm on a chilly day. South end.

Someone is building some dirt-jumps at the research park!

Seasonal decorations.

Bobbing for osage oranges.

On the same walk yesterday, found a couple osage oranges and played fetch with zephyr with them. When in the water, they're pretty neutrally bouyant, so they float just below the surface. Zephyr has a hard time getting it out. Have a look... this was actually one of her better attempts.

(if that doesn't work)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmm84yy_RHk

Hay Barn Ho-Down.

Took another long walk out at Southfarm with Kristen and Zephyr. Decided to goof around in a hay barn. It was actually pretty cool.

Hmm, looks like a fun stack of hay bales.

Kristen and Zephyr think so too.

I thought this shot was cool.

Queen of all she surveys...