News on the Horizon

There is news on the horizon, but I am not going to be the one to say it, spoil it, jinx it, etc... I will let Susan speak of the news when she sees fit - GopherGetter that is. I could probably shout it out from this blog because those whom it will affect do not read this - although they should!

Good day to you all...

Holidays

Well, the holidays are upon us and the Christmas parties have begun. Let's see, this Friday is the CALS'(Central Arkansas Library System) Christmas Party; this Friday is also, I believe she said this, Susan's office party at UALR; this Saturday is Heidt's Christmas Party (the funnest of the three); and I am sure I will be having an office party sometime in December (the infamous potluck). What Christmas parties do you have coming up?

Aside from that, I have most, if not all, of my Christmas, Birthday, and Anniversary shopping completed - maybe an impulse gift here and there, but I am mostly done. I will be off work starting around December 22 until January 6, so I am realllllly looking forward to that time off. I do not know how long we will be able to stay in Lafayette/Greensburg - probably just for a week at the most. We need to get back and try to actually ENJOY some time when WE are BOTH off together.

Susan is the one that will post on her "what - ho" doings over the past few weeks, so bug her about our future involvements.

Oh, and if you have not already, watch Memoirs of a Geisha. It's a good movie, but don't ask Susan about it because she may have slept during the middle of it. I think I want to read the book because the movie feels as if something was left out.

That's enough rambling from one post; I am sure more will follow at a later date.

Thanksgiving Belated

Well, I do know that this post is slightly belated, but it is still Thanksgivingish related. For Thanksgiving, we went down to Greensburg to visit, hunt, and eat with Susan's family. We came back on Sunday - back around 7 p.m. Anyway, we had a good time and we ate lots of food (pie, turkey, brisket, "the dish," etc...). Luckily, for the deer, we did not shoot or even see anything in regards to hunting. I think, both Susan and I, saw lots of birds - I think because I know I did, but only think Susan did. That's another blog - LiveJournal.

It was good to get away from Arkansas, if only for a little while. It is now about to get really cold and possibly snowy over here for the next few days. We will have to wait and see how the weather turns.

Everyone is doing rather well. Fuzzy, Ash or cat, is, I hope, getting better after having to have the vet come see him at home. Some skin rash or allergy. He is also not eating, or appears to be, very much for some reason - we don't know why and are trying to give him various foods to eat. He has lost some weight, but is still as crazy and fuzzy as ever. I hope all will be well with him - he's a good Fuzzy after all.

To conclude, I am very thankful for whoever is reading this blog although a comment now and then would be nice so that we know you are out there. I am also thankful that my brother-in-law does not read this blog because of the following picture. Good day to you all...

Grading, cleaning, and inspections, oh my!

Yep, I guess I better post something. It's been kind of hard getting time to play on the computer these past few days. We had a field trip with our mammalogy class a couple of weeks ago, which was super fun--caught the smallest gopher I'd ever seen! Also managed to catch a couple of animals with PIT tags in them that I had tagged in January, so that was cool. I've got students' papers coming out of the wazoo (trust me, it hurts) and I've been wading through them over the past couple of days. Our animal facility is also getting ready for a big inspection, so I've been spending most of my afternoons this week making sure all the gophers have clean cages and clipped nails. Oh, and there's that little thing of trying to find a Ph.D. mentor as well. I was prepared for people to tell me "yea" or "nay," but not so much "maybe." Anyway, enjoy the pic.

Leafage - Garvan Gardens

Leafage - Garvan
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

This is an example of some of the leafage I told you about in my last entry. This was taken while we were exploring Garvan Gardens - Hot Springs, AR.

That GopherGetter needs to do some posting - What do you think?

Sick

Well, I am more or less sick. Just starting to get over poison ivy and now I am fighting with a cold or something. Not fun, not fun at all. Susan isn't feeling too well either.

Anyway, we had to get a new washer because the old one finally coughed and spluttered its way into washing machine hell. It was a not so good machine that did not last more than 8 years. I seem to remember my parents having a washing machine that lasted around 20 years, but I could be wrong.

Also, the family Brecheen came up to visit this past weekend. We, at least I, had a good time, and I assume they did as well. Our cats were very gracious. We managed to go the Garvan Woodland Gardens and see some leafage - it was nice. We also ate some good food and, as a bonus, they hauled away our dead washing machine. Yeah!!

That is all...

At the Main Library

Susan&KitTwo
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Susan and Kit's picture will appear on display in one of the display boxes fairly soon at the Main Library. Her picture is a part of a series that will be on display demonstrating what people in various aspects of life read. She had to list her top five books of all time and then pick which book she feels everyone should read - she picked To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Just to note, I will also have a picture in that box and my book that everyone should read is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Anyway, aside from that, we are going on a three-day mammalogy trip starting on the 27 or so of October. Also, Susan's parents and brother are coming up to visit on November 3, so things are going to be a bit busy towards the end of October.

Work is of course work. Susan's gopher room just got, or rather is currently getting, a paint job, so her gophers are shifted around but otherwise fine. That's all...

Life Lesson

06-10-01-askmaridee
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

I am sure that there is something to be learned from this, but I am not quite sure what it is. Have any ideas? Comment away!! For more of this comic, click here.

Garvan Woodland Gardens

GarvanMoonBridgeII
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Finally, something of a break; moreover, something of a break while outside. We went to Garvan Woodland Gardens this past Saturday (Oct. 1, 2006) and walked around a bit for about 4 hours. Garvan Gardens has about 2 miles worth of hiking trails that feature various plants, waters, and critters. Take a look at our Flickr Site for more pictures of the place - they are marked Garvan"Something" in the title. There may also be some pictures on our Flickr Site of Garvan Gardens from the last time we went, about 2 years ago.

It was quite nice to get out and walk around a bit. We saw a good many birds, a few squirrels, and two chipmunks. Hopefully, we can go back in the near future and see some more.

Have a good Day!

BATS!!

We recently went on a mist-netting trip with our mammalogy class where we caught one of these little guys, the red bat (Lasiurus borealis). Considering it was kinda chilly that night, we were pretty lucky we caught anything at all. As you can see, he wasn't too thrilled about being handled! Give me a gopher any day (although these were pretty cool)!

Big Mike and Becky

cornell_susan_devries_m&b
Originally uploaded by kccornell.

Here is an interesting picture that I found on a cousin's Flickr page. It is a picture of my dad and my mom while they were in, I think, Mexico. As you can see, they were fairly young. Also, you may note that Big Mike has a beer in hand - standard fair for Big Mike spottings. Well, at least it was as he no longer drinks alcohol. Anyway, it was good to see and made me smile and think. To all, have a good day!

Dilbert 8/19/2006

Dilbert 8/19/2006
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Just a little comic that describes the feeling one may get towards life on occasion. Keep your chin up or take a nap.

Return from Louisiana

Swamp Lili
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Just thought I would add a picture to this post - as we haven't had a picture lately. This is what Lili did to the ULL swamp when she passed through Lafayette sometime in 2002.

Anyway, we just got back from our tour of Louisiana - Lafayette for 2 days and Greensburg for 2 days (all days are estimates). Things are definitely different in Lafayette - it is getting bigger and bigger all of the time. Broussard, my hometown, is also getting bigger and bigger. Lafayette and Broussard have changed so much that I do not believe I ever want to live in either of those places again - too much traffic and crime! Greensburg was nice; not much has changed in Greensburg since our last visit.

Well, I am back at work and Susan is back at school; the visits were a brief departure from the norm, albeit a departure that took a lot of driving. We are still waiting for some type of "real" vacation to ease our minds before we have to start making really big decisions about our future - college, home, work, etc...

If we missed you in Lafayette or Greensburg, we are truly sorry. It is hard to catch everyone every time we visit. So, PLEASE, try and come see us before we are off again!!

It hasn't all been work!

Don't let Mike fool you. He has been working a lot, but we do go out every chance we get. This weekend we had the privilege to see a John James Audubon mammal print exhibit (for free!) at the Historic Arkansas Museum, located not too far from where Mike works. It was awesome! A must see for anyone who likes wildlife art.

We also saw "Little Miss Sunshine," which was probably one of the best movies we've seen this year. I'll never think about the song "Super Freak" the same way (which is probably a good thing). Not too long ago, I even sucked it up and managed to sit through "The Descent," a really good, although scary as hell, movie. Which could be why I have had nightmares for the past couple of weeks...

Anyway, we are going to LA for a few days, if I can ever get anybody to watch all of the animals I'm responsible for. We'll just have to see how it all works out.

Work, Work, Work, Break

Well, it's not been very long since my last entry, but things have basically been work, work, and more work. My Pulaski Tech night class has just started and things are going okay so far, with that anyway. I am looking at working till 9 or 8 for the next few nights, should be fun! I am in desperate need of a vacation as I am losing my patience with people all too easily these days.
Anyway, we are heading back to Lafayette and Greensburg come this Thursday (August 31, 2006) night. We are going to see who we can see and eat what we can eat. It's been a good long while since we have been back to Lafayette at least - Greensburg, not so long. This may or may not count as much of a vacation as it will be a lot of driving.
All that aside, I have to get back to that FrontPage class, so I will post more later.

Break? When will it happen?

Too busy to post!

Yep, that's right. I've been too busy to post anything new as of late. Been busy trying to accomplish trivial things, such as, um..i dunno, GRADUATING! I've been busy putting the gophers through the paces the past month trying to find out more about how these buggers interact with the world around them. Things are going well in that regard and I could easily extend this project into a dissertation, but I'm not really looking to stay at UALR for 4 more years.

I found out yesterday that I will have to teach a zoology lab this upcoming semester, so I'll need to refresh my taxonomic terms soon. I'm also searching for another undergrad to assist me with maintaining my gopher colony; my buddy Nick is trying to graduate some time this decade as well and is taking a huge class load this semester. We'll see how it all works out.

As far as the cats, I wish they could each update this blog. Clyde and Kit had a check-up with the vet in June and are doing fine. Ash, our snaggle-toothed wonder, went for his annual check-up two weeks ago. Even though he was heavily sedated, we still managed to walk out with a bleeding vet and only half of the exam completed. That's a bummer, considering he's got tooth and gum issues. But, what can we say? Our cat's the man!

Aside from work, school, the occasional sinus infection, and soon needing a new washing machine, things are going good. We might be traveling home for a few days on Labor Day, so we'll keep you posted.

Updates - Michael

Well hello! It appears as if neither one of us has updated this blog in quite some time, but that is most likely because not much has happened. I do wonder whether anyone actually reads this blog. If you do, please let us know by commenting on a post or two.

Anyway, I have been working on several computer classes that I will be introducing into my lineup come this Fall and Spring. The most important of which is FrontPage 2003 - making a web page. So far, designing this class has proved quite tiresome and tedious, but I think I am now on a roll and will be done in a few days. I don't think this class will go over so great with those I teach, but some of the higher ups want it, and I need the refresher. I will let you, my few beloved readers, know how it goes once I am finished and have implemented it.

Aside from that, Susan has been quite busy at school with her gophers, but she will have to post more to let you know about that - pester her to post if you will.

Also, before I go, I am thinking about some weight loss - maybe cutting off an arm. It would be nice to drop 20 or so lbs. before the New Year. We will see if it happens.

That is all for now; however, for your information, this was typed and posted with Writely !!

Library Worker

Library Dork II
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Well, it seems as if I am destined to be a library worker for a while longer at least. I had an interview a few days ago for a position that paid more, but they offered it to somebody else. The position was a step down from what I am doing now, but it paid more and that's what counts. I find it incredibly funny that I have a very good job, a job that almost meets my college degree, but it pays not so hot. Ah well, nothing lost and nothing gained. I work with good people and it is a good job, no worries about work until sometime in June 2007 - possible move out of state.

Until then, enjoy the picture. It was taken while we were in Alaska.

Alaskan Cruise Sunset

Sunset Hippy
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

This is why I, and I believe we, want to go back to Alaska. May - June 2005.

A True Thrower

a true thrower
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chloe! Chloe represents the epitome of cats, much like a grey Garfield. She eats, sleeps, and does just about any darn thing she wants when she wants.

She is a cat of the family Brecheen. She is probably around 8 or 10 years old and weighs, I would guess, over 15lbs. She is very sweet and does like affection - when she wants it that is. She loves camouflage and socks.

Her only known enemies are the Doc Boy and the Scruffy. Be nice and respect the Chloe or else it is lick, lick, BITE!!

Ash and to a lesser extent Clyde

FuzzyButter
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

As you can see, this is our newest team member - Ash. He weighs in around 15lbs or so, maybe more or maybe less. We will get an official weight on him sometime in August. He is incredibly fuzzy and goofy - leading to the nicknames Fuzzy, Boat-tail, and D.A. We actually found him hanging around our apartment complex, so he is a true Arkansan. In age, he is the youngest; in brains, he is the lowest; in fun, he is the greatest. He loves everybody. We have had him about a year.

What do you think Clyde thinks about Ash?

Clyde in a Bag

DSC00210
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Well, this is my cat - Clyde. He is known by many names - Butters, Buddy, Sputnick, Frog, and others that can't be mentioned here. This picture was taken when I lived in Lafayette a few years ago, probably sometime in 2003 or 2004. He has never been accused of being the most intelligent, but he is the biggest in our lineup - 17lbs.

I just might graduate!

Hallelujah! I had a great day of data collection Friday and if this keeps up, I just might graduate this decade! I introduced a male and female gopher to each other and they vocalized up a storm for nearly 7 minutes (I'm investigating their methods of communication). Go gophers!

Kit Again!!

DSC02642
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Is she happy or sad? Actually, she is happy to find a place to escape from the "Fuzzy" - Ash, that is.

Kit "The Bug"

Kit
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Many of you already know our sweetest and stinkiest cat, Kit, but for those of you who do not, I give you Kit! Now, in all fairness, she is not really stinky, it's just a nickname. As you can tell from the picture, she is most definitely Susan's baby. Kit weighs in at a minimal 11 lbs. More cats to come, pay attention.

House Rocks!!

Whoo Hoo!! More House M.D. starting September 5!! We like this series so much, we even watch the re-runs on Tuesday nights (and I tend to think Hugh Laurie is hot). Check out the schedule at www.fox.com/house/

Susan at Rocks in Maine

Susan at Rocks in Maine
Originally uploaded by Famille-DeVries.

Here you see a very happy hippy. This is a picture of Susan standing next to some rocks on the beach in Maine - Saco, Maine. We were in Maine as a part of a trip to the ASM (American Society of Mammalogists) meetings in Amherst, MA - June 2006. Susan presented a poster at those meetings.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.