tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69562488556725649112024-03-05T07:50:22.570-08:00OryctoichthyesMusings of a fisheries biologist who loves bunniesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-50035600365346691442016-11-03T19:51:00.001-07:002016-11-03T19:51:46.679-07:00The Trials of a Marine Biologist in a Landlocked StateHi, it's me again! I'm alive! A lot has changed in the past three years. So here's the tale...<br />
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I was in Florida. I was working in a job I loved that barely paid a living wage. And...I needed a change. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. I decided to move back in with my dad over in Vero Beach. Leaving Charlotte Harbor was probably the most difficult decision I've ever made...and yes I cried when I told my boss I was leaving, much to his horror. I could work at the fisheries lab in Melbourne while I figured out what on earth I was going to do with my life. What I really wanted...for years, really, was to move back to Colorado. Yes folks, this marine biologist was born and raised in Colorful Colorado. I think there comes a time in everyone's life when you decide you need to get back to your roots. Well, I missed my family, I missed my mountains, and I missed my home state. So, I saved up a bit of money over the next few months and made plans to move back to the Centennial State.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a long, long drive with 3 bunnies, 2 guinea pigs, and 2 buckets of fish.</td></tr>
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In September of 2014, I hauled 3 bunnies, 2 guinea pigs, 2 fish tanks' worth of fish, and all my crap almost 2,000 miles. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do (and I've pulled nets in alligator-infested water during thunderstorms). I took a leap of faith and moved west without a job. I had family I could land with while I was job hunting, and after a few months, I was offered a position with La-Z-Boy.<br />
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Honestly, I was scared out of my wits. Checking gill nets in murky water at the mouth of a creek during an outgoing tide surrounded by baby bull sharks? No problem! Sales? Sweet Jesus. Well, somehow I managed to survive the sales world as an introverted scientist. I had dealt with difficult people people before, but egad, people lose their minds over furniture. Not to mention that furniture salespeople are considered one of the "least trustworthy" professions out there. Honestly, that really bothered me, as silly as it seems! I stuck it out for about a year and a half. Seriously, unless you really love sales and are a "people person", just don't. My body tried to tell me to get the hell out by making me suffer from major bouts of IBS. Yeah. Fun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do at least own some of the world's most comfortable furniture now! For real, if you can buy La-Z-Boy, do it.</td></tr>
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Anyway, on a whim I applied for a job with a pet waste removal service. Yup, I got the job. Yup, I am a professional pooper scooper. I was back outside! I could play with dogs! It's also a ridiculous amount of work and is breaking my body. And I really, really miss doing what I love. It's certainly been interesting though! I've met some dogs I absolutely adore. I've fist-bumped a homeless guy I met. I have attempted to understand what my drunk customer (at 9 a.m.!!!!!) was saying. I've been hailed on. I almost hit a deer before sunrise the other morning...yeah, there has definitely been some excitement. I need a "real" job now though. I can't do this forever, and I really need something that pays better, because the cost of living out here is insane!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcMWYiUB7qgwm53nIYLZerd9Yc5dKLbFz2ZKqVee5ZA9U42aCcQYW4iYmWhSTaXYYXqixwqcs2tz8qhNNR9Z6YwM2mVEsEVMb5AxxkrwHJJtGX5Zprz_mIVtGWkhnOgrAcbc4gbmKMSoI/s1600/13700190_10207923172570250_218913425181659325_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcMWYiUB7qgwm53nIYLZerd9Yc5dKLbFz2ZKqVee5ZA9U42aCcQYW4iYmWhSTaXYYXqixwqcs2tz8qhNNR9Z6YwM2mVEsEVMb5AxxkrwHJJtGX5Zprz_mIVtGWkhnOgrAcbc4gbmKMSoI/s320/13700190_10207923172570250_218913425181659325_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you ever want buns of steel and a thigh gap, try scooping poo for a living.</td></tr>
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I have basically been job hunting for about 3 years now. I am exceptionally sick of it...I want a career home. I miss being with co-workers who are interested in the same things as me. I am a science nerd, damn it! Hopefully one of these days, the right job will come along, because I am a marine biologist out of water.<br />
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P.S. Yes, I am still rescuing bunnies, just at the base of the Rockies instead of the edge of the ocean!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-21996396933427763022013-08-23T20:50:00.001-07:002013-08-23T20:50:40.540-07:00Why rescue?This blog is dedicated to Clover Patch Sanctuary. They had to make a heartbreaking decision this week - and it was because the irresponsible and neglectful behavior of a backyard breeder. RIP Pinkie, Linda, Spam, Small, Medium, Large, Crinkle, Tennie, and Mercy. You were dearly loved. <br />
<br />
Some of you may remember my "Why rabbits?" post from a while back. I have another question to answer. Some people wonder, "Why rescue?" Those of us who rescue just <i>know.</i> I'm going to try to put it into words.<br />
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It's no secret that animal rescue is difficult, heartbreaking work. Rescuers fall into it through different means. Some people adopt a pet and want to go the extra mile. Others might find a stray animal and start down the road of rescue. Regardless of how it happens, each rescuer recognizes the overwhelming need. We cannot stand back and do <i>nothing.</i> We feel compelled to do more than adopt. The drive to save those creatures who cannot help themselves is part of our very souls. It is not for everyone - and all rescuers are eternally grateful to people who help in any way - those who adopt, those who donate, those who spread the word on social media. You are all part of the living, breathing web of animal rescue networks.<br />
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I've had so many people ask why I do it. It's hard to explain to others why you willingly subject yourself to heartbreak, ignorant people, financial loss, and spend hours of your time transporting, networking, and don't forget scrubbing poo! It is frustrating. We must deal with ignorant and neglectful people - people who see nothing of value in a companion animal...those who would discard them without a thought. It is a continuous fight to encourage spay/neuter, stop backyard breeders, and asking people to provide basic proper care.<br />
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We clean up other people's messes. Irresponsible breeders. Post-holiday dumps. "I got this pet for my 3 year old and he's tired of it". People who couldn't even think a year ahead for their changing life circumstances. They just wanted a puppy, a kitten, a rabbit for the the moment. They did not give a thought to the long-term commitment of having a pet. Every rescue out there...dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, bird, whatever...is familiar with this. We take in animals who have been forgotten and neglected. They come in sick, emaciated, with parasites, with overgrown nails. All because someone just didn't care. That is what we're here for. What it all boils down to is that we care so much that we <i>must </i>do something.<br />
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We put time, effort, and emotion into preparing these animals to go into a new and happy home. So many people don't understand why rescues are so "picky" about homes for their animals. We are picky because we have put our hearts and souls into rescuing each animal. We love each one. We have <i>every right</i> to deny a home that we don't feel deserves our animal.<br />
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We cry over the ones we can't save. Sometimes an animal is just too sick or too neglected. It is a hard truth, but we cannot save every one. Occasionally they die unexpectedly...perhaps a lifetime of an improper diet has taken its toll. Sometimes a rabbit will go in for a spay and is so riddled with uterine cancer that it is only humane to put her down. We cry. We comfort one another. And we work to save the next one. <br />
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The heartbreak is great, but the reward is worth it. I love seeing the happy endings. <i>This</i> is why we do it. There is nothing quite so satisfying as seeing an animal who came into rescue sick and terrified blossom into a happy, healthy, loved pet. We had an underweight, urine-stained, ear-mite infested bunny come in a while back. She has bloomed in her home. She is lovely - her fur is now beautiful white, and she is happy and healthy. I am so happy that many people in my family have rescue pets. My sister has a former puppy mill breeder shih tzu. She's been a work in progress, but she is learning to trust and know that she is loved and safe. My brother has a mutt who was a stray in Miami. He was a day from being PTS. He was skinny and sick. My brother and his wife adopted him. He is the happiest, most wonderful dog you could meet. My mom has a rescued bunny she loves dearly. I have 3 rescued bunnies, 2 rescued piggies, and a rescued hamster.<br />
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It takes all kinds in the rescue world. We are all so different, and yet we share this one common goal - to save animals. It drives us, it breaks us, but it completes us. <i>This</i> is why we rescue.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUG-Gp_R5PQOAHC3W2fSvFTaREYN32nhRItKwaXQZ4OcEhEhWcHPiricD9iAY1PWgDf4iP4Hyn6uSwKPDfKBtTom4BX4BVTpdND2pLEkXX3CqvRqvzzPzG7nC0ZXpqFSAtR7L_kIVfGhUb/s1600/teddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUG-Gp_R5PQOAHC3W2fSvFTaREYN32nhRItKwaXQZ4OcEhEhWcHPiricD9iAY1PWgDf4iP4Hyn6uSwKPDfKBtTom4BX4BVTpdND2pLEkXX3CqvRqvzzPzG7nC0ZXpqFSAtR7L_kIVfGhUb/s320/teddy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teddy - a day away from being PTS. He is happy and loved now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-1088579379024745962013-05-31T21:45:00.000-07:002013-05-31T21:47:12.843-07:00How time flies...So I realized that yesterday was the 7 year anniversary of me breaking my finger on the boat trailer winch at work. Why do I remember? Well, the weather was right at that perfect time of year when being out on the boat is glorious. Naturally, that's when I broke my finger. Of course I didn't break it during the miserable months of winter.<br />
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It's hard to believe it's been that long. It was a long and arduous process of healing. I had 2 surgeries and months of physical therapy. My pinky will forever be somewhat crooked, but I'm thankful it wasn't worse (and it could have been).<br />
<br />
Back during the time when I was dealing with the surgeries, worker's comp, physical therapy, and pain, I wrote these blogs. Going through it certainly wasn't fun, but I tried to find a humorous side to it! And so I present my "Never Break a Finger" blogs. I hope it makes you laugh, because I certainly did while writing them. And be forewarned - I'm including photos, so this probably isn't for the squeamish!<br />
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<![endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Part
I: Never Break a Finger</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
(October 2006)<br />
<br />
Well folks, let me just give you some advice. </span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
NEVER BREAK A FINGER!! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Also, never have your finger too close to the handle of a boat trailer winch
when there is tension on it, as this will lead to the problem mentioned in
point 1.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you choose to ignore my advice in points 1 and 2, then break your finger
at work (especially if you have no health insurance).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
But you REALLY don't want to do this, cause then you have to deal with
worker's comp.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Yes, I broke my finger back on May 30th, and I'm still in the rehab process. I
did quite a job of breaking it too. You know you really did it when the doctor
looks at the x-ray and says, "Wow, you really broke it, didn't you?".
That leads to point 5...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Never break a finger so badly that even the doctor is impressed.</span></li>
</ol>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCz_5VZvlCBHrxhACdiT58BcraObHF_z9mHUZruTduEj_ZN8LV341OsRv-xkzyhwfs5vbhgP9EW04SHPe4W0EQeLjLaRTUzy9WgLBfKJ4E_ow25jYhvz74GG0MsjWmFB615-pQ2bcKsJ_/s1600/DSCN1371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCz_5VZvlCBHrxhACdiT58BcraObHF_z9mHUZruTduEj_ZN8LV341OsRv-xkzyhwfs5vbhgP9EW04SHPe4W0EQeLjLaRTUzy9WgLBfKJ4E_ow25jYhvz74GG0MsjWmFB615-pQ2bcKsJ_/s320/DSCN1371.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1. Yeah, it was pretty swollen. The emergency room doctor wrapped it up after giving up on setting it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When you break it so badly that even the doctor is impressed, that means you
get to have metal pins inserted into the pieces of bone floating around inside
your finger. Yes, it IS as unpleasant as it sounds, just in case you were
wondering. Now, the normal everyday person would just like to keep a bandage
over the metal sticking out of the skin, since it JUST AIN'T NATURAL, but the
doctor who was so impressed at your skill in bone breakage insists that you
keep the impalement...err....pin site clean. So...not only do you have to
change the bandage, but you have to clean where the metal is sticking out of
the skin. If you're squeamish about these things....well, you better learn to
do it with your eyes closed.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNz8fhxhVHty5xiTIskRvwyoVycjL6DEWtfOKFDk8AN4WWY6xltXrq7shSZLKI03X2EWaywz7gsnkOk8DZ-dAF_C3kyps19BwRt5CSl7j67zm12KAWak6lxUhHRPKSNOyMsqYyTUFvF0w/s1600/IMAG1285+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNz8fhxhVHty5xiTIskRvwyoVycjL6DEWtfOKFDk8AN4WWY6xltXrq7shSZLKI03X2EWaywz7gsnkOk8DZ-dAF_C3kyps19BwRt5CSl7j67zm12KAWak6lxUhHRPKSNOyMsqYyTUFvF0w/s320/IMAG1285+crop.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? There they are!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSyP5gpbKhgrxzhtKYYTeHUjEM3mqkP9LYsmrN7F0vY_OHQ3TYJKiiAijJak8YH95w6kEPD3jP6hAnIhWMxUf_euaQPTsoRAlhL3HqB9tBOOuvBGjGmO0F0G6KQCLCSbNu2B5rRl0DDZv/s1600/DSCN1381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSyP5gpbKhgrxzhtKYYTeHUjEM3mqkP9LYsmrN7F0vY_OHQ3TYJKiiAijJak8YH95w6kEPD3jP6hAnIhWMxUf_euaQPTsoRAlhL3HqB9tBOOuvBGjGmO0F0G6KQCLCSbNu2B5rRl0DDZv/s320/DSCN1381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three metal pins were crammed into my pinky. I didn't think the swelling would ever go down!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So then....on the happy day when they announce they will take the pins
out...they put your hand down on a lot of gauze and paper, and get the ol'
pliers out. Yes. Pliers. So they douse your hand with iodine solution and tug
the pins out. Notice I did not mention any sort of numbing agent. It didn't
hurt. Not too bad, anyway. Just imagine someone scraping a metal rod through
the middle of your bone.<br />
<br />
So...next you're left with holes in your hand that lead to the bone. Amazingly
enough, they close up in a couple of days.<br />
<br />
But you're not done yet. You still have physical therapy. Now THAT hurts. You
know it hurts when the therapist looks at you all of a sudden and has to remind
you to breathe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
These are the reasons everyone should heed my advice and never break a finger.
Oh, and don't pass out on pavement, cause that hurts too.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<![endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Never
Break a Finger II: Revenge of the Scar Tissue</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> (November 2007)<br />
<br />
Well, it's now been 19 months, 1 frustrated physical therapist, 3 worker's comp
case workers, and 2 surgeries since I broke my finger. I have learned much
along the way…<br />
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Never break a finger so badly that you need metal pins in it…because
apparently this encourages the formation of scar tissue so insidious it will
forever lock your finger into an immovable monument to your accident.</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRRcs69u_Ajdg3NnUjCuK1zzmCQYTpalG1t1B9cDNuKvOQGrYatlLfe3C4ziyG47XN6iYtU5afyasSNiPhuU3o4ZtiW1EkiPRxytqos43dY6biJekV6DrmklEy1dc5zuqchDSMcENP8PB/s1600/DSCN1396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRRcs69u_Ajdg3NnUjCuK1zzmCQYTpalG1t1B9cDNuKvOQGrYatlLfe3C4ziyG47XN6iYtU5afyasSNiPhuU3o4ZtiW1EkiPRxytqos43dY6biJekV6DrmklEy1dc5zuqchDSMcENP8PB/s320/DSCN1396.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the tiny cast was my favorite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNViqtJ8uvPE2vslt7_MPD_1ZgSA0kRPJmMVYC0bXfz8LdK9NRRh915VRKxQYBEjpVWORf0wafe009m90lTdJw3BOUdVBIyyVhOt-I8NFTuPfHfyCiJo-uwd7UxMGzDEG0x1hmug-IIQJ/s1600/DSCN1374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNViqtJ8uvPE2vslt7_MPD_1ZgSA0kRPJmMVYC0bXfz8LdK9NRRh915VRKxQYBEjpVWORf0wafe009m90lTdJw3BOUdVBIyyVhOt-I8NFTuPfHfyCiJo-uwd7UxMGzDEG0x1hmug-IIQJ/s320/DSCN1374.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "buddy strap". Tethered my pinky to my ring finger to make it move. That got old!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOcLrogapOeGJouwbWwwPRKSlsD3eJlq0t7coBUcK-PxWGa09lqtMfxW4P2U4GTTmdSAlaC3o9qXykbBB4Hs3ZAgnWJj9R1v4dQ967abeGUzE47GSJyT6X7arYMac3J-_lWlPiZ05tOR8/s1600/IMAG1287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOcLrogapOeGJouwbWwwPRKSlsD3eJlq0t7coBUcK-PxWGa09lqtMfxW4P2U4GTTmdSAlaC3o9qXykbBB4Hs3ZAgnWJj9R1v4dQ967abeGUzE47GSJyT6X7arYMac3J-_lWlPiZ05tOR8/s320/IMAG1287.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still crooked</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Yes folks, the devoted hand therapists finally threw their own hands up in the
air and ran screaming away from my stubborn digit. They tried every method
possible to get my finger free from its state of perpetual…bendy-ness. They
tried every exercise and splint available…and even fabricated a super-custom
job that quite possibly ended up in the <i>American Journal of Occupational
Therapy</i>. I called it Franken-splint. Seriously…they took pictures and asked
my permission to publish it.<br />
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Never break a finger so badly that your physical therapist has to custom
build a contraption out of thermoplastic, guitar tuners, monofilament, and
various spare parts in a last ditch effort to extend your finger.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlxD_dbtmdCsBBUpI_2IsooFW4-dD0sRjudHcXA0tpxDv118CZYNw9BqYUSDOTJFbLa7RPRt5nk3nEztXvfFXvEb5fluEOBVmiaB7I63Lhhi7Q8Bc-CIpsgy2DBwY2j5qXDjTL5dIPTIW/s1600/DSCN1453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlxD_dbtmdCsBBUpI_2IsooFW4-dD0sRjudHcXA0tpxDv118CZYNw9BqYUSDOTJFbLa7RPRt5nk3nEztXvfFXvEb5fluEOBVmiaB7I63Lhhi7Q8Bc-CIpsgy2DBwY2j5qXDjTL5dIPTIW/s320/DSCN1453.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franken-splint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So, when Franken-splint failed to scare my finger into submission, the
therapists ran away screaming…after they told me I probably needed surgery to
release the joint. At that point, I was ready to run away screaming, so I took
a year off from the whole mess and lived my life, albeit with a crooked finger.<br />
<br />
So, a few months and one new doctor later, I got some advice about surgery.
They told me many scary things about cutting my finger open, releasing
ligaments and such, and doing it all while I'm still conscious. And through it
all, no one could quite explain the permanent bend in my finger. I did get to see
their super-nifty real-time X-ray machine. I could watch my bones move! So
finally, at the appointment right before my surgery, I received the first
explanation that actually made sense. They told me that scar tissue had built
up and locked up the joint. Super. So I signed up for the surgery.<br />
For all you women out there who have never had surgery, I learned something
else new.<br />
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Absolutely, positively don't listen to the person who tells you to pee
before your surgery and doesn't hand you a sample cup. Apparently, testing for
pregnancy is required procedure. So, I listened to the first lady who told me to go pee. She failed to hand me a
sample cup. I finished, and upon opening the door was berated by lady 2. Here's
how the conversation went:</span></li>
</ul>
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<b>Lady 2:</b> Did you just pee?<br />
<b>Me:</b> Yeah…<br />
<b>Lady 2: </b>Did you get rid of it all?<br />
<b>Me:</b> I generally try to do that when I pee…<br />
<b>Lady 2:</b> But I need a urine sample!<br />
<b>Me:</b> Oh.<br />
<b>Lady 2:</b> We need to know if you're pregnant.<br />
<b>Me:</b> What if I can tell you I'm absolutely, positively, 100% not pregnant…<br />
<b>Lady 2:</b> (While handing the cup to me) Just see if you can squeeze some out.<br />
<br />
So, I go and manage to "squeeze some out", much to her delight, and
she subsequently determines I am not with child. They then begin prepping me
for surgery. It's at that point I really start to worry about the whole
"being awake while they cut into my finger thing". They start poking
me with needles, which is never good, and inform me they are about to start the
"nerve block". So, they insert some sort of electrode thing into my
armpit (thank God I shaved the night before…) and my hand starts twitching
wildly. Huh. So somehow that numbs up my arm, they wheel me into the OR, and
much to my relief, give me something that at least makes me very drowsy. Here I
was worried about being awake, and the stuff relaxes me so much I fell asleep
for part of the time they were working on me. I vaguely heard someone say
"Done!" and was wheeled into the recovery room. At that point my arm
is so numb I can't even move it and it just flops wherever. It's an odd feeling
having someone hand your own arm to you and say, "Hold it, and whatever
you do don't let go!" Then, they hand me various forms to sign, one of
which is instructions not to sign legal documents while still loopy from the
surgery. Huh. <br />
<br />
The very next day, I began physical therapy. The doctor ran in briefly and
said, "Yeah, it was pretty well stuck down". I had kinda figured that
out myself. So here I am, a few weeks later, with a grotesquely swollen, yet
slightly straighter finger. Was it worth it? Stay tuned…</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS00tM0bvz4Trb-1bgGE6cf9bK19l470TejQ3t7w7-C92f2Q34OwIrFMZbioBvAxdrrf1n94RqrXeChch3sfARaKSte88N4EKeLKmX_-DOsIg3Lc9OIzfaMRi9XQg-rJdCYUYcVAGDQyY/s1600/Finger+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS00tM0bvz4Trb-1bgGE6cf9bK19l470TejQ3t7w7-C92f2Q34OwIrFMZbioBvAxdrrf1n94RqrXeChch3sfARaKSte88N4EKeLKmX_-DOsIg3Lc9OIzfaMRi9XQg-rJdCYUYcVAGDQyY/s320/Finger+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-surgery #2. That was as much as it would straighten.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQgPRZsW3AGXPMGK7C0G5KqqBckim7srj-NOI_anpQvYzEDrkylSapjR02wVOw86jjrk1eAoHKEaChRCWqyecHgDseQlX-UbmRb9RWUMTySvM96o8XQwM_YLwQve3_n5ypUKoA77TD53r/s1600/Finger+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQgPRZsW3AGXPMGK7C0G5KqqBckim7srj-NOI_anpQvYzEDrkylSapjR02wVOw86jjrk1eAoHKEaChRCWqyecHgDseQlX-UbmRb9RWUMTySvM96o8XQwM_YLwQve3_n5ypUKoA77TD53r/s320/Finger+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-surgery and grotesquely swollen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<br />
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</xml><![endif]--></span><b>Never break a finger III: Exercises, Lies, and Surgical
Tape</b> (November 2008)<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Well, it’s been one year since the second surgery. I’m sitting here with a
healed, scarred, and a not-so-crooked-as-it-once-was pinky finger. Ah, yes, the
physical therapy. Well, after the surgery, the giant opening on the side of my
finger was being held together by some sort of tapey-stuff. I wanted to keep it
on there at least until everything had scarred over so there was no chance of
my finger popping open, but the doctor wasn’t so keen on that idea. After a few
days, they told me to use it like normal and just wait for the tape to come
off. And it did. It was somewhat unnerving since the flaps of skin weren’t
quite closed up yet. I didn’t really want an X-ray vision of my finger…without
the X-ray. They assured me this wouldn’t happen, and for once, they were right.<br />
<br />
I must say, I’ll be happy if I never have to attend a physical therapy
appointment again. Since I changed doctors, I had to go to a different
therapist. My assigned therapist was named Chip. My apologies to anyone out
there named Chip, but all I could think of when he talked to me was that
talking teacup from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, who was also named Chip.
It’s hard to take someone seriously when you get a mental picture of a talking
teacup whenever he opens his mouth. He was kinda whiney too. While I
manipulated putty, he elaborated on his personal problems. Maybe that’s part of
the therapy? He makes his life sound so crappy, that suddenly the debilitating
pain you’re experiencing doesn’t seem so bad! <br />
<br />
Another distraction was the prison inmate that seemed to have the same
appointment times as me. Seriously, they had his hands and ankles cuffed and
everything. Not to mention his armed buddy that stayed by his side at all
times. In order to drown out the Talking Teacup’s whining about his life, I
imagined creative ways to use therapy putty as a weapon if the need arose. At
least I knew that Prisoner Guy had an injury. I also imagined interesting ways
in which he may have come by the injury. Maybe he was running from the cops,
and a K-9 unit pulled him to the ground! Maybe he got into a prison brawl!! Eh,
he probably just slipped in the prison shower.<br />
<br />
So, after I finally got in enough therapy appointments, since Talking Teacup
was often not there when he said he would be, I got the stamp of approval to go
back to full duty at work!! Oh happy day!! I would not be caged in the office
entering data every day!! I could kiss Corvel Corporation goodbye!!! No more
putty!! No more Talking Teacup!! I was so excited to go out in the field
again!! So, wouldn’t you know, the first day I was scheduled to go out was the
day the worst cold front of the year came through, and we had to cancel the
trip. So, I entered some more data. I still can’t reach the “P” with my pinky.<br />
<br />
FIN</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final product.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXtDygPqOZVuUQj_rqudbI3mK5H_vR2XtuHB8V0yRuTtE_Bky9XbDIRUWxkuZbgo-CYLAUPpMt_tYzAdEf6nufBA9yqL9U2WX0ldgujeNzUJVcC_y2KkH4NvF9VGXo2nxZYg8We_HvV5d/s1600/spongebob-pinky-out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXtDygPqOZVuUQj_rqudbI3mK5H_vR2XtuHB8V0yRuTtE_Bky9XbDIRUWxkuZbgo-CYLAUPpMt_tYzAdEf6nufBA9yqL9U2WX0ldgujeNzUJVcC_y2KkH4NvF9VGXo2nxZYg8We_HvV5d/s320/spongebob-pinky-out.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinky in the air!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-39012527172019684922013-04-13T22:46:00.000-07:002013-04-13T22:46:49.571-07:00Bunfest 2013!Eek, it's been a while between blog posts! I will catch up on the marine-related stuff soon! For now, I shall blog about the hopping good time known as Bunfest.<br />
<br />
A great many of us crazy rabbit people had been looking forward to Florida Bunfest at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast for quite some time now. Whenever I told non-rabbit friends that I was going to Bunfest, the typical reaction was, "Bun...what?" Yes, there are events (several around the country) to celebrate our beloved house rabbits.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtJPKfD6BKiQUfOMu1xtNAxNJh8R0iCHguSxdFa1sMQ_p6zXiTOfkwKfQVrXsGeBIaPpqqbESlfh-X3WCENVN4D1NwuiobEhqLborIEeePUHW-dfAiEq9adWIEWhlsaKcOQuPagpD3GZ_/s1600/IMAG0880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtJPKfD6BKiQUfOMu1xtNAxNJh8R0iCHguSxdFa1sMQ_p6zXiTOfkwKfQVrXsGeBIaPpqqbESlfh-X3WCENVN4D1NwuiobEhqLborIEeePUHW-dfAiEq9adWIEWhlsaKcOQuPagpD3GZ_/s320/IMAG0880.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This year was extra-awesome, in that many bunny friends I already knew were going to be there, PLUS many friends I knew from Facebook, but had never actually met. Several traveled from out of state (from as far away from New Jersey!) to celebrate bunnies and hang out with fellow bunny people.<br />
<br />
I left my place the morning of the event. I live on the opposite coast of Florida, so I got up at 6:30 to get ready to go. My dad was thankfully in town for a bike race (he is as passionate about cycling as I am about bunnies!), so he was staying at my place and could watch all my critters! I loaded my stuff into my trusty Hyundai and headed for S.R. 70. I sang loudly in my car, so my bunnies were probably glad they weren't with me.<br />
<br />
Upon arrival, I met up with two friends who were already making a trip back to the car with armloads of loot for their bunnies (they have some lucky bunnies!) I headed on up the path, and my eyes locked onto the Pet Rabbit Toys tent. They make some pretty awesome bunny toys, and they sure did some good business that day. I eventually found some bunny friends I had previously only met online. It's a little hard when most everyone's profile pictures are their bunnies! We all eventually found one another and introduced ourselves.<br />
<br />
Everyone had a great time. Lots of people brought their bunnies. There was a big "Bunny Olympics" area with tunnels and jumps. There was a bunny toy making station, games for kids, and all kinds of fun stuff for sale.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7vg0N16tSzaagwAQZyQXOBqFfiwyIjcxxF3DtdOi_cADAZPouNoeXWVANJnefvxzhG44U34cHWOT_S7DY-mHphyj07BWf40m7NcdZlix338OpBk6lX4rXcDus87Ez9ahPRYfAKYszvrq/s1600/Bunfest+2013+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7vg0N16tSzaagwAQZyQXOBqFfiwyIjcxxF3DtdOi_cADAZPouNoeXWVANJnefvxzhG44U34cHWOT_S7DY-mHphyj07BWf40m7NcdZlix338OpBk6lX4rXcDus87Ez9ahPRYfAKYszvrq/s320/Bunfest+2013+020.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunny in a tunnel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXUHIhigymItwEA25-1Ijm6ppyiWbgSIkQB_GnwHhbZmzzH9jdz3EbJZJAdtVgnZTOB0mxOTPCBpdKUGdA05hV-w9jjUesyMrNPHioHiGfXVeBP9clAnwdBK3aZp-MAZvGuFaeG2-p2lY/s1600/Bunfest+2013+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXUHIhigymItwEA25-1Ijm6ppyiWbgSIkQB_GnwHhbZmzzH9jdz3EbJZJAdtVgnZTOB0mxOTPCBpdKUGdA05hV-w9jjUesyMrNPHioHiGfXVeBP9clAnwdBK3aZp-MAZvGuFaeG2-p2lY/s320/Bunfest+2013+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of fun stuff for sale!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We looked around at all the adoptable bunnies. A few bunnies (and a guinea pig!) even found permanent homes, which is always a happy occasion! Several of these critters found homes with my new-found bunny friends!<br />
<br />
It really was great to hang out with fellow rabbit people, since nobody really "gets" rabbit people aside from other rabbit people! It's nice not to get weird looks when you talk about binkies or nose bonks. You knowingly joke with one another about rabbit poop, and totally get why we all praise our bunnies for making nice poop. Most people look at me disbelievingly when I tell them I have three rabbits (oh, by the way, I recently adopted a rabbit - more on her later!) Not at Bunfest! One rescuer at Bunfest thought it was great when she told someone else she has 20 rabbits in her house and they said, "Only twenty? I have thirty!" We all shared rescue stories and frustrations. We talked constantly about the things our rabbits do, and nobody judged us! We LOVE to talk about rabbits!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIaemKLPrVFVg-lFTv6HOdTDIEMf_2dWY-w6OK8T9ml2PzpqbUEZqGGKZYZe5UsXBIHGn5IhXH6MvMlDxC3AoJEl96PJyA-uO5-rL3FGS9W9jC3jVjkh3vZKpl8AHfhOlwF180XIYE4Bo/s1600/483413_10151664628748777_1075943859_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIaemKLPrVFVg-lFTv6HOdTDIEMf_2dWY-w6OK8T9ml2PzpqbUEZqGGKZYZe5UsXBIHGn5IhXH6MvMlDxC3AoJEl96PJyA-uO5-rL3FGS9W9jC3jVjkh3vZKpl8AHfhOlwF180XIYE4Bo/s320/483413_10151664628748777_1075943859_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my friend Allison - we hadn't seen each other in a while!</td></tr>
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All of us hardcore bunny people stayed the entire day. We had to see who won the raffle of course! I didn't win anything (I never win raffles!), but lots of other people won some great prizes! The best thing was that all the money raised (over $3000!) went directly to the rabbits at the humane society.<br />
<br />
After Bunfest was over, it was time for the Bunfest After Party! That's right. Bunny people know how to have a good time. We all met up at a local grill & bar. Yes, the conversation was dominated by the subject of rabbits. It was awesome to network with other rescue people and get to know them face-to-face. We had so much fun and met so many great new friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ob4mabr66VUQSVIbf1jR0izhlHURbt3bu3r0040jhWWC_W3HibRfheSV3UPG2BVP3cCoafZvWDRArfvDQyMxUTJ9Thyz3ipBMVYJlON2vciMH1uawTUU5474NQ1vQ7Ip3li3fHP0Gtl/s1600/522133_10151664674558777_1940357805_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ob4mabr66VUQSVIbf1jR0izhlHURbt3bu3r0040jhWWC_W3HibRfheSV3UPG2BVP3cCoafZvWDRArfvDQyMxUTJ9Thyz3ipBMVYJlON2vciMH1uawTUU5474NQ1vQ7Ip3li3fHP0Gtl/s320/522133_10151664674558777_1940357805_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why yes, of course there were bunnies at the restaurant with us. (These two travel everywhere with their people and are used to these situations)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All in all, it was a fantastic day. Of course it was a day to celebrate bunnies, but it was also a day to celebrate friendship. Everyone there came from all different walks of life from different parts of the country, but we are all united in our love for pet rabbits. Now I am trying to figure out how to pay my way to Midwest Bunfest in Ohio in November! It is HUGE and so many people are going. Maybe I can sell bunny poop...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-21145568426734022992012-10-05T22:02:00.000-07:002012-10-05T22:02:41.375-07:00A Tale of Two CatfishAs if I didn't see enough fish at work, I'm crazy enough to have two fish tanks at home. I have a saltwater tank, which currently only has some estuarine inverts in it (need to re-stock), and a freshwater tank, which I've almost finished re-vamping and re-stocking.<br />
<br />
I started with just a handful of fish in the freshwater. I've had this tank for years, so it's already cycled, but I didn't want to throw in too many fish at once! (That doesn't typically work out very well!) For a few weeks, I've had 3 sunset platys and an albino corydoras catfish. They've all been happily swimming around the tank, and today I added a handful of zebra danios and a green corydoras.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5QUVL2PRxIN5FOkEcYs3fn7XhEa1iHDqMtbehiyYhqMwyaKe3hjidnbOPBA2EwQ8dN9HVp_jt39gzOf5hRCDN-hALaF_7O30lq6AOR7lh82CB7c4S43vDM21g2xh63_Jp4jWCg2dHESd/s1600/fw+tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5QUVL2PRxIN5FOkEcYs3fn7XhEa1iHDqMtbehiyYhqMwyaKe3hjidnbOPBA2EwQ8dN9HVp_jt39gzOf5hRCDN-hALaF_7O30lq6AOR7lh82CB7c4S43vDM21g2xh63_Jp4jWCg2dHESd/s320/fw+tank.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My freshwater tank</td></tr>
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I had read that corydoras like to hang out with conspecific buddies, but these two have been inseparable since I added the green cory to the tank! It's so funny to watch - it's as if they're long-lost friends! They follow one another around - left, right, up down.<br />
<br />
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It's funny. I work with fish all day, but watching them swimming around the aquarium at home is so peaceful. Don't get me wrong - fishkeeping is a LOT of work. Be prepared for water changes, filter cleaning, water quality testing, etc. It's not cheap either! The end result of a nice, peaceful aquarium to watch is worth the work in my opinion.<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to re-stocking my saltwater tank. Both of my aquariums needed some work, and I just haven't had the time lately. I'm ready to get this going again though! Even though I don't currently have fish in my saltwater tank, I do have some invertebrate friends. I hear my huge snapping shrimp (that I've had for over 3 years now!) every so often, various gastropods make their rounds, the sea stars cling to the side, and my red hermit sifts through the substrate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hqma_EMaLQPKPFs_c5ckUIXWq4QvCIFrbF5vMIv0F9y0xts8rrW0ixo08MwcY-yah_U34IPb9IEiUrj_zGQpw1TSyn5nRbygvz1Cydbv543E0Xad2o6mgO0nYzdFl0tBgMokFnAMmL1U/s1600/hermit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hqma_EMaLQPKPFs_c5ckUIXWq4QvCIFrbF5vMIv0F9y0xts8rrW0ixo08MwcY-yah_U34IPb9IEiUrj_zGQpw1TSyn5nRbygvz1Cydbv543E0Xad2o6mgO0nYzdFl0tBgMokFnAMmL1U/s320/hermit.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hermit crab chillaxin on the sand</td></tr>
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Like any other critter, you have to look into what kinds of sea critters are compatible with each other! In a saltwater tank, for example, you don't want to have fish who think invertebrates are a tasty snack if you want to keep your inverts around! And sometimes, fish want to have buddies...like my now-inseparable corydoras catfish.<br />
<br />
Maybe the piece of seagrass that formed a perfect number "2" on my leg at work today was a sign.<br />
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Ah, the mysteries of the sea.<br /><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-24847934225465481462012-09-29T20:26:00.000-07:002012-09-29T20:26:06.722-07:00Bunnies...and fish...and bunnies...Haven't had much time to blog lately! I've been on the water quite a bit at work! Plenty of 4 day field weeks for me, which has been rather exhausting. My brother came to visit a little over a week ago though, and he got to come out on the boat with me at work! It was fun to have "bring your brother to work day". He flies jets, which is pretty exciting, but I think he enjoyed his day with the fishes!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my little bro at our lunch spot on North Captiva.</td></tr>
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In between water sampling (lots and lots of water sampling...) and regular fisheries sampling trips, I finally got to run a sawfish research trip again. It's been a while, but I haven't lost my touch. We caught this cute little boy around the east side of Hog Island. He was quite frisky. We named him George. He looked like a George.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5hz3EhyV1H-9E_wq4RyyhIXwBg7aMjJ35HNfmpl7YWv2zQnBKkSPH5d8KL6M_hdEkfGrMDahdDC6df06W5Nl2cPErcU7LBaeiT5WrouKj7Nbyuc0aFaOELdyxo5VgDQmVEa9-fEL4rWp/s1600/IMAG0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5hz3EhyV1H-9E_wq4RyyhIXwBg7aMjJ35HNfmpl7YWv2zQnBKkSPH5d8KL6M_hdEkfGrMDahdDC6df06W5Nl2cPErcU7LBaeiT5WrouKj7Nbyuc0aFaOELdyxo5VgDQmVEa9-fEL4rWp/s320/IMAG0027.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's me rocking the pink Buff. I make science look good.</td></tr>
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Today I put on the bunny rescue hat and attended an adoption event at the Brandon Petco. I was up until the wee hours of the morning last night doing last minute things. I thought I had pre-prepared the day before, but I kept thinking of more things we needed! This morning I loaded up my trusty (FINALLY paid off) Hyundai with Hershey my foster bunny, a guinea pig I recently picked up at Suncoast Humane, critter pens, litter box, water bowls, and a bag of miscellaneous things that come in handy at events like notecards, pens, binder clips, and the like.<br />
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We actually had a surprising turnout! We weren't expecting so many people! Five (!) bunnies were adopted - two bonded pairs and a single who met his match with a bunny who was previously adopted from us. Yay!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCl2WunZm3H0ZHrHdpv9zv8Igx-gaeHYRroCYyXC-g5fM35HQW6nJwczTWHCCfEQF3TrIpwfnpTX4bTGoEY5sCyIqoiWh4fKw9_ZvES2eliFbBQXBcgh_-cv40O_Hhtkdkip64TVseE8l/s1600/IMAG0043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCl2WunZm3H0ZHrHdpv9zv8Igx-gaeHYRroCYyXC-g5fM35HQW6nJwczTWHCCfEQF3TrIpwfnpTX4bTGoEY5sCyIqoiWh4fKw9_ZvES2eliFbBQXBcgh_-cv40O_Hhtkdkip64TVseE8l/s320/IMAG0043.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">R.B. was one of the lucky buns to find a family!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTOGX1VVGM_nJar5-YD4Mn4DLeQ_3nWoKXZmx4aOcBcRicHESI4HtBcWqjjkL0ke9Hm_kN7O0X1fjL01qoRrQ8e1Val6gpF2h_7DVX29LvCwQ0jZz94vdD1Vbjcz-DpOcIONVGIyTO6wY/s1600/IMAG0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTOGX1VVGM_nJar5-YD4Mn4DLeQ_3nWoKXZmx4aOcBcRicHESI4HtBcWqjjkL0ke9Hm_kN7O0X1fjL01qoRrQ8e1Val6gpF2h_7DVX29LvCwQ0jZz94vdD1Vbjcz-DpOcIONVGIyTO6wY/s320/IMAG0034.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hershey, my foster, did remarkably well. I thought he would be a little more freaked out.</td></tr>
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So all in all, it was a good day!<br />
<br />
I also recently took Halloween portraits of my fuzzies. The piggies are easy to photograph. They pretty much let me do whatever I want with them. Chloe kept trying to beat up the pumpkin, and Kahlua just wanted to go do something else. I got a lot of action shots of Kahlua trying to run away. Hershey was a perfect gentleman. Maybe he knew he needed a good Petfinder photo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMNMaU1inhfSQNoLauSkb6sbashoYgkB49wYlp4xLG9GzCqNw7_-wqCI9ETLLz3RjD-feV1rqHS912EbyC-w-hiPcYkkP3DJZNezaEJrJIU742MccC925XPyOefU4FTmFzYw9wZf6yX3S/s1600/Fall+2012+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMNMaU1inhfSQNoLauSkb6sbashoYgkB49wYlp4xLG9GzCqNw7_-wqCI9ETLLz3RjD-feV1rqHS912EbyC-w-hiPcYkkP3DJZNezaEJrJIU742MccC925XPyOefU4FTmFzYw9wZf6yX3S/s320/Fall+2012+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girls were so well-behaved.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2klcIJHcWqWUQ0E0BpGC5fVEhfFlgxD7emNZdbai-hXSoerqNXQMYw1DHmk-pGVar_WDG7RI_yXHXSUZqo59Jd8ETeOSXlTxeQMixUWYLsBk8DMKiqzhnKELAvmOw5-yrX_v2zBq_6q0/s1600/Fall+2012+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2klcIJHcWqWUQ0E0BpGC5fVEhfFlgxD7emNZdbai-hXSoerqNXQMYw1DHmk-pGVar_WDG7RI_yXHXSUZqo59Jd8ETeOSXlTxeQMixUWYLsBk8DMKiqzhnKELAvmOw5-yrX_v2zBq_6q0/s320/Fall+2012+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe...not so well-behaved. But look at that face!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3G0G3WKe3fY80pp_V4sWTiHChbygjRrEJPkvE-Ka7BLclmKdTRrhglVWZJ5f8aCfNjCi3NlAiVYaTOgfSfDJOXjuR9E-TB8C9Wm3TnTnaABnynsifVUf3_MUojDyll-3ugxCRWjcKhRP/s1600/Fall+2012+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3G0G3WKe3fY80pp_V4sWTiHChbygjRrEJPkvE-Ka7BLclmKdTRrhglVWZJ5f8aCfNjCi3NlAiVYaTOgfSfDJOXjuR9E-TB8C9Wm3TnTnaABnynsifVUf3_MUojDyll-3ugxCRWjcKhRP/s320/Fall+2012+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahlua had better things to do.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cCGOt1Ea6CqvrOgAe9s6IcKrGVdgnJ3ssu5HxAOhUTo1uxJnvJJHoRA3oyWCenrzJF9STYjCkcP-gk0e0ovSKFGnpwargBUo0sfJLnoLgy_Gx3WvjomKWsOu9pGi2Y6LEFg9qnDPo7SP/s1600/Fall+2012+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cCGOt1Ea6CqvrOgAe9s6IcKrGVdgnJ3ssu5HxAOhUTo1uxJnvJJHoRA3oyWCenrzJF9STYjCkcP-gk0e0ovSKFGnpwargBUo0sfJLnoLgy_Gx3WvjomKWsOu9pGi2Y6LEFg9qnDPo7SP/s320/Fall+2012+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hershey was incredibly photogenic.</td></tr>
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So...that's what's going on in my world of fish, bunnies, and guinea pigs.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-21938949524351143812012-08-13T16:15:00.001-07:002012-08-13T17:28:51.655-07:00R.I.P. Pinkie, Hello StripeyToday was a sad, sad day. My lunchbox, Pinkie, met its end today. When I got to work, I realized that the zipper had had a blow-out. I had nursed it along for a while, but it has now met a catastrophic end. Of course I didn't see it over the weekend. I was forced to improvise with a plastic bag.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46ssiwb9JaMH_Jj2zikN7EVHSoOnhbttpBq-mOy3JT1Jq46t-JbkZ8ITnHbJOhzyNdEYxqXpQKfb8VQ4WACug3RXZbVNxsMjXHAiKDdjEqxk-VQyfZmXwgXu4RTBwECcdTMzqLoqEpSLJ/s1600/Photo1152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46ssiwb9JaMH_Jj2zikN7EVHSoOnhbttpBq-mOy3JT1Jq46t-JbkZ8ITnHbJOhzyNdEYxqXpQKfb8VQ4WACug3RXZbVNxsMjXHAiKDdjEqxk-VQyfZmXwgXu4RTBwECcdTMzqLoqEpSLJ/s320/Photo1152.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinkie :(</td></tr>
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Every field biologist has that special lunchbox or dry bag...that carryall that gets you through the hard days. Pinkie had been with me for years. Pinkie was actually Pinkie II - its predecessors were Greenie and Pinkie the First. When Pinkie the First died (cause of death was also a zipper blow-out), I was devastated. I never thought I would find a lunch box like that - it had great compartments and it was pink! Then I found Pinkie II. I use my lunchbox not for food (that goes in the cooler on the boat), but for all the crap that I find necessary to have in the field with me. Pinkie was with me through many travels - from the Myakka River to Everglades City to Biscayne Bay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-nzCjAlzc90bdIdNK8QotPyKGhVq90ENvfkJsU7LVinrJ3FsAfKDgDrBQ0PVfD2DcROkZJ5l77mvjKUBsh68l_6u4NL-KiU9XSnMLc0i3sftpmRiKORZBTyiy-JkN1Uj4oZCUx-N56sZ/s1600/Photo1154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-nzCjAlzc90bdIdNK8QotPyKGhVq90ENvfkJsU7LVinrJ3FsAfKDgDrBQ0PVfD2DcROkZJ5l77mvjKUBsh68l_6u4NL-KiU9XSnMLc0i3sftpmRiKORZBTyiy-JkN1Uj4oZCUx-N56sZ/s320/Photo1154.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My necessary crap</td></tr>
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Now, a new day has dawned. I went to Walmart in hopes of finding Pinkie III, but alas, it was not to be. They had changed the design and all they had was black. I need to have a few girly things in this male-dominated profession. Then...I saw Stripey. It was new. It was different. An insulated bag as opposed to a lunchbox. But...it could work! It was still Igloo brand. I must give props to Igloo. Those lunchboxes survived years of abuse and salt spray. <br />
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And so, Stripey is joining the fold. It's got a lot to live up to. I need something to carry my titanium spork in, after all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYb4_DpojcrH62BR3MWgzoOaiG_mhVdx_nK0jdhl15YOUZQcjQr2Yd9YPhGpVsOafzbMoyVApoI2QBhMW0cEYLAOgk1DSCmYBIJwGyQKG5rsSFgC3MmRdcYRvU6UIvy6AMe2urts17c2j/s1600/Photo1153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYb4_DpojcrH62BR3MWgzoOaiG_mhVdx_nK0jdhl15YOUZQcjQr2Yd9YPhGpVsOafzbMoyVApoI2QBhMW0cEYLAOgk1DSCmYBIJwGyQKG5rsSFgC3MmRdcYRvU6UIvy6AMe2urts17c2j/s320/Photo1153.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I transferred everything to Stripey after having a moment of silence for Pinkie.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-61648056047852458542012-08-11T20:58:00.001-07:002012-08-11T20:59:41.332-07:00Fisheries Science: Not for SissiesEvery two months, we sample Sarasota Bay for three days...and pull an insane number of nets. Last Tuesday, I got my bi-monthly day on Sarasota Bay. A typical Sarasota Bay day goes like this: wake up in the middle of the night (okay, 5 a.m.), drive over an hour, pull nets till your muscles start bleeding, count fish until your head spins, crawl back into the truck, drive over an hour, go home, and collapse on the floor.<br />
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I was in the field on Monday, but luckily we had easy pulls and light catches - not to mention a nice view at lunch:<br />
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Those are the days of which office workers really can be jealous. Every morning of field sampling, we stop at the gas station. On the beautiful days, everyone says, "Wow, I wish I had your job - get paid to go on the boat!" Of course, on the rainy, windy, stormy, freezing (or all of the above) days, people say, "Wow, you have to go out in <i>this???</i>" And we do, as long as we won't die doing so. I've been out in the outer rain bands of hurricanes, people.<br />
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So - back to Sarasota Bay. On a typical sampling day, we might pull 4 600 foot seines, or 8 small seines and trawls. For Sarasota Bay sampling, we have to cram as many samples into a short period of time as possible. A typical Sarasota Bay day consists of perhaps 3 600 foot seines, 4 trawls, and 10 small seines. I happened to be on the record-breaking trip where we pulled 20 samples in a day. We were in chest-deep water at the last site, and I was so tired that I feared I would not be able to haul myself back aboard. I told the rest of the crew to save themselves. Luckily they were a selfless crew and helped me up. That's the way we roll. Biologists saving biologists.<br />
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Public interactions on Sarasota Bay are often interesting. It's quite a busy waterway. Four biologists hauling in a 600 foot net tends to attract attention. Oftentimes people think we are illegal netters, which I find funny because we would have to be the stupidest illegal netters in the world to do it in broad daylight close to a busy channel. We are also often mistaken for Mote Marine, which is located in Sarasota. In fact, we often see Mote vessels out there! Sometimes we do get questions that make us giggle just a little. Last time we got asked if there were sharks in the water. Yes, I'm pretty sure there are sharks in Sarasota Bay.<br />
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If you ever wondered if there are plenty of fish in Sarasota Bay, I can assure you that there are. There is also quite a large diversity of fish. I am usually weary of counting pinfish, mojarras, and anchovies after a day on Sarasota Bay.<br />
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When I get home, the first thing I do is treat myself to a nice hot shower. It's always interesting to see what flotsam hitches a ride home on me. This last trip clogged up my shower drain with shoal grass (a type of seagrass) and a bunch of dead leaves. I then put antibiotic ointment on my wounds and collapse on my couch.<br />
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Okay, that's a little dramatic, but it is a really hard day. And I always feel a little bit stronger and a little bit more empowered after surviving days like that. Fisheries science is not for sissies.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-17384327682903147562012-07-28T19:02:00.000-07:002012-07-28T19:02:20.130-07:00The day I met Edgar HansenSo last weekend, I was chilling at home when I saw on Facebook that none other than Edgar Hansen of Deadliest Catch was to be at the grand opening of a new West Marine store in Ft. Myers. If you know me, you know that I am a huge Deadliest Catch fan. I've watched since season 1, and season 8 just finished. Edgar works on the Northwestern, my favorite boat on the series.<br />
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Well, needless to say, I ran to my trusty Hyundai and headed for Ft. Myers - about a 50 minute drive from my condo. I tried to contain my excitement as I battled traffic on US 41. Soon, my GPS announced I was "arriving at destination". SQUEEE! <br />
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I walked into the store. I must say, the new West Marine on College Parkway in Ft. Myers is quite impressive! Lots of fun stuff for anybody who spends time on the water. I wandered a bit until I saw a line - yup! There he was! I <i>may</i> have bounced up and down a bit. I met a nice lady in line, and we had a good conversation almost the entire time. She had just moved down from up north, and lives on a boat at the yacht basin in downtown Ft. Myers. She hadn't quite adjusted to the Florida heat yet!<br />
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It was pretty cute seeing kids meeting Edgar. Everybody was laughing as he joked around with the kids. The wait in line wasn't bad, and it was a good experience since everyone was happy and nobody was complaining about being in line! <br />
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Finally it was my turn! I walked up to the table, he shook my hand and said, "Hi, I'm Edgar" at which point all coherent thought fled my mind. I'm a scientist, for crying out loud! I could care less about meeting A-list celebrities, sports stars, or musicians. Well, have me meet a genuine Bering Sea crab fisherman (admittedly a good-looking one!), and apparently I swoon like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert.<br />
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I finally (sort of) got my act together, and he signed autographs and took a picture with me. And yeah, while posing for the picture, my brain was screaming, "OMIGOSH Edgar Hansen has his arm around me!!!!!!!!!" After the picture, I told him I was so happy to meet him, and to stay safe out there. He thanked me for coming. He was super nice, which I was glad to see. It would be disappointing to meet someone you look up to and find out they're a jerk! I wish I had had the presence of mind to talk to him a little bit more, but oh well. I was just so thrilled to meet him!<br />
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I walked around the store for a little bit with a ridiculous smile on my face. I made the entire drive home with the ridiculous smile on my face. My autographed postcard and toy inflatable boat that he wrote "Northwestern" on are proudly displayed in my room.<br />
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Even though I don't exactly work on the Bering Sea, I think every person who works on the water feels some sort of camaraderie with others who work on the water. Whether you're working on Charlotte Harbor, the Atlantic Ocean, the Bering Sea, the Great Lakes, or wherever else, you have to work as a team with your crew. You've got a common goal - to get the job done. No matter where you work on the water, there is always the potential for danger. Granted, Charlotte Harbor is no Bering Sea, but we still face potential hazards - lightning, boating dangers, and critters that can stab, poison, or eat you. Whether you're working on a 24 foot mullet skiff or a 110 foot crabbing vessel, things break down, and you have to pull together to fix them. While it can be frustrating at times, I am glad to be part of this big conglomerate of people who earn a living on the water.<br />
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Deadliest Catch is awesome. Now shut up and fish.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-67343338642940226902012-07-13T19:52:00.000-07:002012-07-13T19:53:13.834-07:00Hard Truths in RescueRecently at the rescue, we had to put a moratorium on intakes. We were very much at our capacity. It's difficult, because you want to save them all. You want every unwanted animal to be safe and cared for. However, every rescue organization has a responsibility to know its limit. It is the first and most important lesson that every rescuer needs to learn. <br />
<br />
This year has been terrible for numbers of surrendered rabbits. We receive dump calls and emails nearly <i>every</i> day. As much as we want to, we cannot take them all. The bulk of these calls are from people who bought a rabbit on a whim, and got tired of it after a few months.<br />
<br />
<i>"We got the kids a rabbit for Easter, and they're not taking care of it any more."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"We bought a baby bunny, but it's started biting and it smells."</i><br />
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<i>"I have a rabbit, but I'm tired of it."</i><br />
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<i>"I'm getting a puppy, and I don't want to take care of the rabbit too."</i><br />
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Oftentimes when we explain to people that we cannot take in their unwanted pet, they become irate. "Isn't that what you're here for?" they ask. Sure people. Like it's our fault that they made an irresponsible decision, and we're terrible for not fixing their mistake. They want to feel good about getting rid of their pet. They don't have to feel as guilty giving it to a no-kill organization as opposed to the pound.<br />
<i> </i><br />
Well, the sad truth is that we cannot take them all. We take in the ones we can. A lot of time, we do squeeze in "just one more" - such as a special case of a splay-leg bunny or a bunny in danger of being PTS.<br />
<br />
What would happen if we did try to take them all? A rescue is supposed to be a sanctuary. It's not a forever home, but it's a means to reaching one. An animal in a rescue should by all means be in a sanitary environment, provided daily nutritional needs, and necessary vet care. If this cannot be provided, there is no point to taking in the animal. It's going from one bad situation to another.<br />
<br />
Everyone likes the feel-good stories of rescue, but the fact that we cannot save them all is one that people would rather ignore. You are the good guy if you can take in unwanted animals, but if you have to say no, you are the bad guy. Rescuers can <i>feel </i>like the bad guy when saying no. You come to the realization though, that <i>you</i> are not the reason this animal is not cared for. Rescuers saying "no" are not the problem. They are being responsible. It is the irresponsible decisions of people that put these animals in jeopardy in the first place.<br />
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Will the overpopulation of animals ever cease to be a problem? I highly doubt it. As long as there is greed, ignorance, and poor decision-making on the part of the general populace, there will be unwanted animals. We combat it by trying to educate people. <i>Don't </i>breed your rabbits or other pets. <i>Don't</i> buy a bunny for Easter. <i>Please</i> be a responsible pet owner and research a potential pet's needs before acquiring one. Adopt.<br />
<br />
When we do say no, we offer alternatives. We try to keep animals in their homes. Correct behavioral problems by spaying/neutering. Provide advice for destructive behavior. Help people understand the needs of their pet. We offer alternatives to taking their pet to the pound. We suggest species-specific forums to re-home pets. Give advice if they <i>must </i>use Craig's List (which we don't recommend - always ask for a re-homing fee if you use a website like CL). Sometimes, that is all we can do. <br />
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People need to be more understanding when we <i>must</i> say no. If you don't like it, then make a commitment to foster. The more foster homes there are, the more animals rescues can save. Donate toward vet care and daily needs. Rescuers fund much of what they do out of their own pockets, and funds are sadly limited!<br />
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Please be a responsible pet owner. Spay and neuter pets. Don't make impulse purchases. Above all, get it through your head that you are taking on the care of a living, breathing, feeling creature who deserves love, attention, and a healthy environment.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-62745649796886904872012-04-26T18:56:00.000-07:002012-07-28T19:05:53.031-07:00And Nerds Shall Rule the WorldLife at the lab has been pretty boring lately. Fish catches have been less than stellar, and there's only so much excitement to be had at the lab. Of course, as scientists, we get excited about some pretty nerdy things. Last Friday, you should have heard us exclaiming over the 58mm standard length <i>Microgobius gulosus</i> we caught. "Holy crap!" "That's the biggest gulosus I've ever seen!!!" "Put it in the bucket so we can observe it!" Yes, we did actually put it in the bucket to observe it. It was spectacular. And for anyone who actually cares to know, the common name is clown goby.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhqN4oFTQFA3FcR7IpD86RSd4DhunepMqn8Zumn6aYJYlY3MiLhfM1gOiWgdhGPFmw46LgQOneTzCNbjom6PNkBhPpsTFu9bl8wCvlBRY193aEpr60FTFFXelZ961uN3i030cm7ZlF3DB/s1600/Microgobius_gulosus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhqN4oFTQFA3FcR7IpD86RSd4DhunepMqn8Zumn6aYJYlY3MiLhfM1gOiWgdhGPFmw46LgQOneTzCNbjom6PNkBhPpsTFu9bl8wCvlBRY193aEpr60FTFFXelZ961uN3i030cm7ZlF3DB/s320/Microgobius_gulosus1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're awesome and you know it.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, I had some excitement at the lab. We have had the same old LI-COR instrument since before I started working here. It's a little persnickety at times. It's been used and abused as only boats and saltwater can do. We do our best to take care of things, but in the field...well, things get beat up, corroded, and bounced around. So...*drum roll please* the agency that pays for our water sampling grant just got us a whole new setup to use!!<br />
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What is LI-COR you ask? Okay, maybe you're not asking, but I'll tell you anyway. The sensors measure photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Oooooooooh ahhhhhhhhh. Why is this useful? Well, in an estuary where seagrass is important, it's good to know how much light those little blades of manatee food and fish nursery are getting. The actual data gets put into complicated equations that I don't understand. That's for those math nerds to figure out. I just put the stick in the water and write down the numbers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxxCJ9Rq2kcraPL2Xl10DSjBqOaiC_1cQGTFJ0WmUeTpfFQ4sLJeNMUiFSD2AKDWFRCRTFlDq_oC70Q0x9emyyXIz_JhyphenhyphenBdKSH_GLgMaFj5cWDSdWJRlxlECOZqFuWyh6qhyphenhyphenRciI60vMy/s1600/licor+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxxCJ9Rq2kcraPL2Xl10DSjBqOaiC_1cQGTFJ0WmUeTpfFQ4sLJeNMUiFSD2AKDWFRCRTFlDq_oC70Q0x9emyyXIz_JhyphenhyphenBdKSH_GLgMaFj5cWDSdWJRlxlECOZqFuWyh6qhyphenhyphenRciI60vMy/s320/licor+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brand new beautiful lowering frame built by Scotty, the resident PVC genius at the lab.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiGsVOOEGi1oDBbrsT5-lz6um4YDVCirFunqdc6cto1xr9CxOMTtewKXI_Kc4f5pYjH4OeMRzy6frRTjYWKJbTtn8PM20og3_ZFWqxRA4Q1GnTDn2Sxx_frOPciaU-OnleJiST72pqSeo/s1600/licor+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiGsVOOEGi1oDBbrsT5-lz6um4YDVCirFunqdc6cto1xr9CxOMTtewKXI_Kc4f5pYjH4OeMRzy6frRTjYWKJbTtn8PM20og3_ZFWqxRA4Q1GnTDn2Sxx_frOPciaU-OnleJiST72pqSeo/s320/licor+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My glorious new data logger. I don't care who you are. Pulling plastic off of new electronics is awesome.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday, I got to take it for a spin. I must say, it did a fabulous job of measuring photons. We still have the old one. It does still work, even if I have to whisper sweet nothings to it sometimes to coax it into working. It will be nice to have a spare, since we have to send the sensors off the the company every 2 years to be calibrated. The old one is due this year, so at least I don't have to schedule sampling trips around that!<br />
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Why do you care? Well, you probably don't. That's okay, because you're probably excited about things that I'm not excited about. You should care that we're collecting this water quality data though, because it helps maintain a healthy estuary!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPnqFd1683hzrl3ZpPS_g4DO9kNDLg8xFSwpoYZIZ5JgOtEhzRcW0GSXDfUYppHYzHW_lHTxo9FxGNMXmao4hM2dJhhycQxiDCCecJsYWpBc8nEnXu9owUErX85LpBEoZbDN5Nfas6Ilx/s1600/LI-192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPnqFd1683hzrl3ZpPS_g4DO9kNDLg8xFSwpoYZIZ5JgOtEhzRcW0GSXDfUYppHYzHW_lHTxo9FxGNMXmao4hM2dJhhycQxiDCCecJsYWpBc8nEnXu9owUErX85LpBEoZbDN5Nfas6Ilx/s320/LI-192.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The LI-192 Underwater Quantum Sensor. It accurately measures Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density! It's cosine corrected! It's corrosion resistant!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGdRi-SHVmHysZ1pokDbIZ8UnbfxVTGLfn3hjI4niPsbG9K6kdmkUewOVw8eIuxj3QrlwcMUlxkzeLWZONOLXdKHWxWgKQKahm4-5zqAclL-6UEAwHR6rVEIfmjQ7_tct2yeavv2wxEbx/s1600/TurtleGrass6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGdRi-SHVmHysZ1pokDbIZ8UnbfxVTGLfn3hjI4niPsbG9K6kdmkUewOVw8eIuxj3QrlwcMUlxkzeLWZONOLXdKHWxWgKQKahm4-5zqAclL-6UEAwHR6rVEIfmjQ7_tct2yeavv2wxEbx/s1600/TurtleGrass6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle grass says, "Gimme photons!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All hail the nerds.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-60728638671695300242012-03-17T20:08:00.000-07:002012-03-17T20:08:42.701-07:00March Madness!Whew, it's been a long couple of days! As usual, my days have been full of fish and furry critters. Yesterday I finally got to go on my first sawfish sampling trip of 2012. Lately, my work schedule has been full of water sampling. I am in charge of the water sampling project at our lab, and our grant was just expanded - so I've been running double the amount of water trips. That means more sampling trips, more data entry and proofing, and a lot more time prepping trips and then breaking down equipment.<br />
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But anyway...water is boring. How about those sawfish? We were having a rather uneventful morning. The tide was quite low, so our first set was in a deeper area. We had just checked the net when we received a phone call from another crew out on the water. They were pulling 600' seines, and guess what they caught? Yup, a little sawfish.<br />
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We hurriedly picked up the nets and motored a bit downriver to where the other crew was waiting. They transferred the sawfish into our loving care so we could work it up and they could finish their seine trip! The sawfish was just a little guy - less than a meter in total length. He was very well-behaved. We decided to name him Edwin. Not sure why, but that's his name. We measured him, tagged him, counted his teeth, admired him, and pulled a couple of leeches off of him, since there are people out there who want to study sawfish leeches. SCIENCE!<br />
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We finished working him up, and then sent him on his way (after taking a couple of photos).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenWavVI-WuwQjjBS2I2ILYYr-UCqZC0CjOfjvBnmOAHUSMgnS2YK36Uj1mm9Icxx75anuQC7eKS0kz9Bec0a0o4ECfiFnalY4X4u9DTlbdz2SgOwOD99Tad94tT5DRCnMDDEkj6amY-kg/s1600/Photo0892_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenWavVI-WuwQjjBS2I2ILYYr-UCqZC0CjOfjvBnmOAHUSMgnS2YK36Uj1mm9Icxx75anuQC7eKS0kz9Bec0a0o4ECfiFnalY4X4u9DTlbdz2SgOwOD99Tad94tT5DRCnMDDEkj6amY-kg/s320/Photo0892_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How cute is this little sawfish? The tag on his 2nd dorsal will help contribute to sawfish movement data.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Come Saturday, it was time to put on the small animal rescuer hat. I did a LOT of driving today! My first stop was Suncoast Humane Society, where I picked up 4 ferrets who are all in need of homes. My thanks to the fine folks of Suncoast - they are great to work with! Next I drove up to Venice to meet another volunteer who had picked up a couple of guinea pigs from Sarasota Animal Services. Those two needed to go up to another foster home. I headed up to Sarasota to meet Amber, who had 2 guinea pigs to give me, since they were getting adopted! We traded critters and continued on our respective journeys.<br />
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I ran home to grab a couple of things and print out an adoption contract, then I headed to the piggy pair's new forever home! It was a joy meeting their new family - they were so excited and immediately fell in love with the piggy girls! It's always so refreshing to meet people who are truly interested in giving the best care to their small pets!<br />
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My next mission was to visit Otis at Petco. I brought him some veggies and some love! I'm surprised he hasn't been snatched up by someone yet, because he is just the cutest little thing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLFDT1AsE6Oj-2xWCcVKNzZg63Ply7-RVr_tYe4zjB9csdfCpvlWwYZ-CNfPXR8a1Q0uJNIElLZvGuQNqkaufbrO9YMsf0IPcBfavPJ9OgSp0DdyABmGNrlzbjh_xwEMUyVRR6-5wB-0y/s1600/suncoast+critters+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLFDT1AsE6Oj-2xWCcVKNzZg63Ply7-RVr_tYe4zjB9csdfCpvlWwYZ-CNfPXR8a1Q0uJNIElLZvGuQNqkaufbrO9YMsf0IPcBfavPJ9OgSp0DdyABmGNrlzbjh_xwEMUyVRR6-5wB-0y/s320/suncoast+critters+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How could anyone resist this little guy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Exhausted, I headed home. I still had to clean my potentially pregnant foster guinea pig's cage. Brienne was dropped off at Suncoast with 2 boys (who went up to Brandon today), so she is on pregnancy watch for a couple of months. She is just a little cutie, but never wants to come out of her pigloo! I still don't know if she's actually pregnant, but it seems like a good bet. The rescue sure doesn't need any more piggies (just took in a bunch!), but baby piggies are sure cute. So - we'll wait and see what happens! If she does end up being preggo, I will certainly post pictures of babies!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGrHGedMYg_zZAZ1gB82uZWfl23SrHoCN6Ob5xWWhvliqbgaI5llmhrTEnWun5iz5gha10TSbJ8qdNPKJKPMQQ4y-tgTuxbEjWPZ_FFad3RkdEWzefjKbVX-9XmPNBUyEjX-SxORga1YI/s1600/suncoast+critters+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGrHGedMYg_zZAZ1gB82uZWfl23SrHoCN6Ob5xWWhvliqbgaI5llmhrTEnWun5iz5gha10TSbJ8qdNPKJKPMQQ4y-tgTuxbEjWPZ_FFad3RkdEWzefjKbVX-9XmPNBUyEjX-SxORga1YI/s320/suncoast+critters+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Brienne. The million-dollar question: is she pregnant?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The rest of the month shall continue with madness! I've got 3 water sampling trips next week, a scientific manuscript in pre-production stages, my good friend will be visiting from Orlando, and then I am helping out with our huge guinea pig adoption and rabbit awareness event at the Brandon Petco on April 1st! Uh oh, should I be worried that it's April Fool's Day?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-1426271296801425732011-12-17T22:44:00.000-08:002011-12-17T22:44:19.434-08:00But the pet store said...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">How many times have I spoken with well-meaning bunny parents who stare at me a confused manner when I offer up rabbit care advice, and utter the words, “But the pet store said…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I’m just going to lay it all out right here!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We all have to start somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cringe when I think back on the bunny-care mistakes I made when I bought (yes, bought) my first bunny at a pet store 10 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought the pet-store suggested cage and the pet store suggested food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, I found a bunny-savvy vet as well as information from the House Rabbit Society, and thus began my constantly evolving knowledge of rabbit parenthood.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, what does the pet store tell you about rabbit care that’s wrong?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, depends on the employees and the store, but in a lot of cases – everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s start with housing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is your rabbit’s environment – the place where she will spend a good portion of her time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather important, I should say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unsuspecting new rabbit parents will look at the brightly-colored cages with selling points such as “Starter kit – everything you need for your new friend!” to “Deluxe rabbit home!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me, these kits are neither deluxe nor everything you need – not by a long shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those “My First Home” sets that are so popular?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utter rubbish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are selling points, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen pet stores advertise specials in which one can purchase a “starter kit” and receive the animal for free…as if the pet is an afterthought.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Well, what exactly is wrong with these sets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have everything you need, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what the pet store said!” </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one thing, they are much, MUCH too small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That tiny, cuddly baby bunny that seems to fit so well in it now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s going to grow up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, the pet store said the bunny is a dwarf?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be careful with that statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen people with 7+ pound bunnies who bought them at a pet store that advertised them as dwarf rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, dwarf bunnies are often more active than bigger bunnies, and need LOTS of room to run!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, any bunny needs a nice, roomy home base. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You probably don’t need most of the other things that come with the “starter kit” either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those pine or cedar shavings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those can eventually cause cancer in your bunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The salt lick?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worthless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we’ll talk about food in a minute.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“What kind of cage DO I put my bunny in?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, if you can’t let your bunny have free run of the house 24/7 (and yes, rabbits are easily litter trained – bet the pet store didn’t tell you that!), then puppy exercise pens or pens made from storage cube panels are good options – and typically cost less than a “deluxe” rabbit cage!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget the litter box!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and don’t leave your bunny in the cage all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She needs <i>at least</i> a couple hours of “floor time” each day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So what’s the best thing for bunny to eat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Those bags of pellets with seeds and colorful bits have words like ‘nutritious’ and 'fortified' written all over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s got to be good, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what the pet store recommended!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No, no, and no!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These “nutritious” pellets will eventually kill your bunny – whether it is by choking on a seed or obesity from a diet that is too rich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“But…the pet store said that if I give my bunny lettuce he will get diarrhea!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feeding your bunny a healthy selection of greens is part of a balanced bunny diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dark leafy greens are wonderful for bunnies to eat – just stay away from iceberg lettuce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has no nutritional value. New greens should be introduced slowly, but bunnies can safely eat healthy greens!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Well, I can still give the bunny some of those treats the pet store sells, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The box says that they’re a healthy snack!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Do those treats contain yogurt, honey, seeds, or corn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep them away from bunny!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, these treats will eventually kill your rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t love your bunny to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Well, what DO I give my bunny for a treat?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Small amounts of fruit every once in a while will make any bunny happy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try giving your bunny a fresh blueberry, or a little bit of plain canned pumpkin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fresh herbs are also a healthy bunny treat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, did the pet store mention hay?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Hay?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I thought not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve actually come across a well-meaning new bunny parent who was told by a pet store that hay would give her bunny diarrhea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hay is absolutely ESSENTIAL for maintaining proper gastrointestinal health in a rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eating hay also wears down a rabbit’s constantly growing teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbits MUST have good quality grass hay (not alfalfa, unless the bunny is very young).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the most important element of your rabbit’s diet.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“The pet store said that rabbits don’t really need to see a vet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They only live a couple of years anyway.”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That’s another one I’ve heard…and it’s absolutely wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one thing, rabbits need to be spayed/neutered.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“You can spay/neuter rabbits??!”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes, and it is essential to their health and well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intact rabbits have a very high incidence of reproductive cancer, and are constantly driven crazy by hormones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be the first person to tell you that in general, intact rabbits make terrible pets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Altering a bunny helps with behavioral issues including aggression and spraying – oh, and that litter training I mentioned?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably not going to happen with an intact rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure your bunny’s surgery is performed by an experienced exotics veterinarian – not just any dog and cat vet will do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or better yet – adopt a bunny!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbit rescue groups spay and neuter their bunnies before sending them to a forever home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and as for living a couple of years?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spayed/neutered bunnies living in a healthy indoor environment can live 10 years or more!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Okay, but after the bunny is fixed, they don’t really need to see a vet, right?”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wrong again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bunnies should have maintenance check-ups to keep tabs on general health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is always the possibility of an emergency visit too – bunnies are delicate creatures, although they have a strong will to go along with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that a loss of appetite in a bunny should be considered an emergency?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do now!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><i> </i><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Wow, the pet store didn’t tell me any of this!”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And most of them won’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t to say that all pet store employees have no clue about rabbits – I personally know a couple of pet store employees (who have even adopted rabbits from our rescue!) who try to combat bunny care ignorance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must give kudos to pet stores who are moving away from selling animals and encouraging adoption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, your best bet to obtain good rabbit care knowledge is from groups like the <a href="http://www.rabbit.org/">House Rabbit Society</a> and rabbit rescues around the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rescues are certainly not in it for profit (far from it, in fact!), and have the best interests of their bunnies at heart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IxhIuHDA5v8tu8v2SV3lHUOWKkq40aDesgsPatoMYoCqoTcEJfXXhAUtmS4Kj0VEVYleRTrz3RZuNTWwPuRUsZhVIjY4sgnaVt-74X1ZPNz2jSGc24qYtLvjaMlNoRYXR8CNNvtOuwwI/s1600/045125601664C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IxhIuHDA5v8tu8v2SV3lHUOWKkq40aDesgsPatoMYoCqoTcEJfXXhAUtmS4Kj0VEVYleRTrz3RZuNTWwPuRUsZhVIjY4sgnaVt-74X1ZPNz2jSGc24qYtLvjaMlNoRYXR8CNNvtOuwwI/s320/045125601664C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-76357782928861007102011-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:002011-11-18T16:34:48.278-08:00Thanksgiving - what's up with that?So this year our family is doing Thanksgiving at my brother's place, but it comes at a price. Most people dress up in costume for Halloween. My brother has requested we do Thanksgiving in costume - it has been entitled "Fabulously Tacky Turkey Day". Jealous? You should be. I have decided to go as Plymouth Rock. After all, what could better commemorate the arrival of settlers, who would soon meet Native Americans and celebrate the first Thanksgiving together? It was either that or smallpox. I figured Plymouth Rock would be easier.<br />
<br />
Well, this whole thing has gotten me to thinking about the real history of Thanksgiving. Admittedly, history was not my favorite subject in elementary school. From what I could remember of my early education, the Pilgrims came to America rather under-prepared, the Native Americans brought some food to the somber-looking white dudes, and everything was rainbows and succotash and smiles.<br />
<br />
Since I'm now an adult and history is mildly more interesting to me, I hopped on over to the History channel website and searched "history of Thanksgiving". Here's the synopsis:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.</blockquote>So that's the short and simple version. There are a few more items of interest. I did remember the name "Squanto" from the history books. Well, turns out he was a pretty interesting guy. He had apparently previously been kidnapped and sold into slavery. He escaped to London, and eventually made his way back on an exploratory expedition. You'd think the man would be pretty bitter by that point, but he showed the Pilgrims how to plant crops and such. Props to Squanto. <br />
<br />
There is also controversy over whether this was the first "Thanksgiving" feast to be held. There are other records of "feasts to give thanks" in 1565 and 1619. I'm sure there are historical scholar types who argue vehemently for the 1565 feast in St. Augustine, Florida. Sorry, history buffs. Thanksgiving will always evoke images of Pilgrims and Indians. I don't think the Spanish explorer edition will ever make grade school history books. It's all rather the same to me anyway.<br />
<br />
Fabulously Tacky Turkey Day promises to be a day of fun with my ridiculously goofy family, and planning for it has made me ponder things in my life that I am thankful for. There are of course the big ones: my family, my friends, my pets, a roof over my head, my health, religious freedom. I do have a lot of other things to be thankful for..some serious, some just for fun. My job. My Hyundai. Bunnies and guinea pigs. Everyone who rescues animals. My iPod. Books. Target. Delicious food. Music. The ocean. The Discovery Channel. Harry Potter and Star Wars. Dr. Pepper. Contact lenses. Humor. Bunspace. Facebook. Chapstick. Amazon.com. Jason's Deli. Lobster. My aquarium and its inhabitants. Art. My Nintendo Wii. My education. The internet...without which this blog would not be possible!<br />
<br />
So, to my fellow American readers, enjoy your holiday. Treasure the time with your family and friends. And to my readers everywhere, I hope you'll take a little bit of time to think about things for which you are thankful. <br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving (next week)!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBRp11jRipgwD0m8tQqeRC7-C1VSWYvCniLB983huEmAqIyaXXrEpkkE_7nuKJKp7_uMOdVRHSy1bNr9c63rGRRQ8LQdrbKWPHyPhVhttXmhNUDBSZyYDiEVivuWC8A9ShX4IyBvUb1gQ/s1600/thanksgiving-papercraftthanksgiving-papercraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBRp11jRipgwD0m8tQqeRC7-C1VSWYvCniLB983huEmAqIyaXXrEpkkE_7nuKJKp7_uMOdVRHSy1bNr9c63rGRRQ8LQdrbKWPHyPhVhttXmhNUDBSZyYDiEVivuWC8A9ShX4IyBvUb1gQ/s320/thanksgiving-papercraftthanksgiving-papercraft.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-30473023541484906822011-11-08T18:49:00.000-08:002012-07-28T19:06:09.430-07:00"What a fish!" "Mammal." "Whatever."The other day we were filling the boat up with gas before heading out for work on the water. While gassing up, a lady walked up to me and said, "I wish I had your job! You know, I almost went into marine biology." That comment got me to thinking how many times I have heard this EXACT comment. Apparently about 80% of America's population <i>almost</i> went into marine biology.<br />
<br />
The statement is always given with such a sense of envy too. "Oh, your job must be so fun!" "I love dolphins!" Then they proceed to tell me that they went into some sensible career. The lady at the gas station went into law. While she envied my time on the water, I must admit I envied her paycheck. Believe me, you don't go into this job for the money.<br />
<br />
I do believe a large portion of the population has a rather skewed view of what a marine biologist actually <i>does.</i> Most people picture dolphins, ocean sunsets, coral reefs, and luxurious research vessels filled with red wine and Frenchmen. In reality, marine biology is not glamorous. In my career, I have pulled nets through thigh-deep mud, been mauled by biting insects on a regular basis, come home with anchovies stuck to my person, been poked and stung and bitten by all manner of creatures, had to pee up in the mangroves with giant spiders hanging above my head, sampled in all-day torrential downpours, and clog up my shower drain with drift algae and dead seagrass. As of right now, my hands have some slices from fish gill plates, I've got the end of a fish spine stuck in my finger, and I've got several good bruises. I wrestle with cantankerous computer programs and equipment failures. I have strange tan lines and my work clothes will forever and always smell like estuarine mud.<br />
<br />
The crazy thing is, I actually enjoy this stuff. You need to <i>be</i> a little crazy to do this. During my college orientation, all of the marine biology hopefuls gathered in an auditorium. They did a rather good job of "telling it like it is". The gist of the speech was this: 1) You're not going to be playing with dolphins. 2)You're not going to make any money. 3) No really, you're not going to be playing with dolphins. 4) No, you don't have a special connection with dolphins. 5) You will spend lots of time in the mud. And...quite literally, half the people got up and left. I was one of the poor suckers who stayed. So - I don't play with dolphins, I don't make a whole lot of money, I know dolphins aren't quite as cute and cuddly as people think, and I spend lots of time in the mud. Yup. And I'm good with that. Well, except maybe the money thing.<br />
<br />
If you've ever seen "The Marine Biologist" episode of Seinfeld, then you are familiar with the title I gave this blog. Now to leave you with one more marine biology gem from George Costanza:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
So I started to walk into the water. I won't lie to you boys, I was terrified! But I pressed on and as I made my way past the <br />
breakers, a strange calm came over me. I don't know if it was divine <br />
intervention or the kinship of all living things, but I tell you Jerry -<br />
at that moment I was a marine biologist!</blockquote>
Here's me, giving a big "thumbs up" to marine biology:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtK-8372wu_tLvZwBBOQDY-R_E-X78hk7RRn_VEO9jVqABaDdNZlOqTMn-i8EqnMY5DhGsyV7_ewCAwEuRsz6GL4FijdV6Vm2uQdoS1-6dyBFGF6eB8gmSR4TcnM2p99JSuU9NngXcj_t/s1600/thumbs+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtK-8372wu_tLvZwBBOQDY-R_E-X78hk7RRn_VEO9jVqABaDdNZlOqTMn-i8EqnMY5DhGsyV7_ewCAwEuRsz6GL4FijdV6Vm2uQdoS1-6dyBFGF6eB8gmSR4TcnM2p99JSuU9NngXcj_t/s320/thumbs+up.JPG" width="202" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-43223434903980461542011-09-24T15:06:00.000-07:002011-09-24T15:06:16.060-07:00Human Ignorance Strikes AgainToday I had the sad duty of saving two bunnies from a bad situation. Our rescue works with my local humane society, Suncoast. Well, yesterday I got an email from Suncoast asking for help. They had received a call from a lady who wanted to get rid of two bunnies. She couldn't afford to feed them, so she said that she would let them starve to death or let them go if somebody didn't pick them up. She said she couldn't afford to bring them over to the humane society (so WHY did she take them in the first place??) Suncoast has a service to pick animals up, but they charge a fee. It's understandable. Gas certainly isn't free. So...Suncoast asked if we could help.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, our rescue has more bunnies than we know what to do with at the moment, so we have absolutely no space for anybun else. Suncoast would take them, but we needed to get them there somehow. I offered to go pick up the buns and transport them over there. I was so worried about those bunnies! I made arrangements with the lady to pick them up...and I was hoping she wouldn't do anything rash before I got there!<br />
<br />
They all but shoved those poor bunnies at me. I asked them if the bunnies had names. No, they didn't. I asked if they were male or female. One of each...in the same cage. She said, "They've been humping each other, but I don't think he can reach her." Great. The female is most likely pregnant, and I told the lady so. She didn't care. There was one nasty piece of carrot in the cage. They must have ONLY been eating carrots. Their poops were ORANGE. There was a bit of urine-soaked pine shavings in the cage. It smelled to high heaven.<br />
<br />
Before I took them to Suncoast, I cleaned out the nasty cage and gave them some hay. They LOVED the hay. I doubt they had ever had any! Fortunately, they seemed pretty healthy, at least outwardly. They were both very friendly. Their nails were extremely long. I should have brought my nail clippers, but the humane society will clip them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUG960tUNpfly8o5Z7DHECSvLyKNHD10RBYsXKiyy5jt7F5GEGTK0YjrUDom2RKjhLVMlbnszFYu1MPeZ4MuRcXSCdUWTApSmnrRM6U59QxVssDfOWOQMISejJyKI7RA83q-u0MarUQfpP/s1600/buns+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUG960tUNpfly8o5Z7DHECSvLyKNHD10RBYsXKiyy5jt7F5GEGTK0YjrUDom2RKjhLVMlbnszFYu1MPeZ4MuRcXSCdUWTApSmnrRM6U59QxVssDfOWOQMISejJyKI7RA83q-u0MarUQfpP/s320/buns+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCV0YPl-uBPfuuU_cPvo89vwzpj23YI126s0d4wHEXFm7D_zk-oIt7YK1xbJr_5PtRcxV77i2chZoS_i8NJwbklmKoeWhJdTFDe-qkibdcIqUZ5Yln7MYurIvkzLgo5xHzAyucqzpAnDw/s1600/buns+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCV0YPl-uBPfuuU_cPvo89vwzpj23YI126s0d4wHEXFm7D_zk-oIt7YK1xbJr_5PtRcxV77i2chZoS_i8NJwbklmKoeWhJdTFDe-qkibdcIqUZ5Yln7MYurIvkzLgo5xHzAyucqzpAnDw/s320/buns+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>They got to chill out with me for a little bit. They enjoyed getting petted. They are just darling. The female is a white mini-rex (possible mix) with gorgeous blue eyes, and the male is a little Dutch mix. It boggles my mind that this lady was threatening to starve them to death or let them go, which is a death sentence anyway.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfveheeIaUzza9NzEpp0mm7HhKfD8ahISKpbtM7wZwclG_JHq6Pc4Jqb6niaSzZhyphenhyphenDnokx1AXUX_sMTbqROcn98NX09ja2W64uR20U02QjKHSunT1O9MSLtCwPbpnEYenO6T5h25faPOC/s1600/buns+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfveheeIaUzza9NzEpp0mm7HhKfD8ahISKpbtM7wZwclG_JHq6Pc4Jqb6niaSzZhyphenhyphenDnokx1AXUX_sMTbqROcn98NX09ja2W64uR20U02QjKHSunT1O9MSLtCwPbpnEYenO6T5h25faPOC/s320/buns+8.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQf1hFfQ74EjelH2jvpIEmPrNtGcQprbglDF_YiRfCpzFu2lnzCN0BI2fsBxVBOOy8kb3vVoIvLFFEu6CDhmHDW-TMNQ0jot21ZbWQKBdflt5ysGpjrB_vpzPhFn3tAotblg1LJNF_wt5/s1600/buns+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQf1hFfQ74EjelH2jvpIEmPrNtGcQprbglDF_YiRfCpzFu2lnzCN0BI2fsBxVBOOy8kb3vVoIvLFFEu6CDhmHDW-TMNQ0jot21ZbWQKBdflt5ysGpjrB_vpzPhFn3tAotblg1LJNF_wt5/s320/buns+19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The humane society is taking care of them for now, but we're hoping that we can find placement in our foster program soon for some of the Suncoast buns. If you live in southwest Florida and are interested in fostering or adopting a bunny, please visit <a href="http://www.pigsnbuns.org/">www.pigsnbuns.org</a> for more information. We need your help!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-45935542173945306492011-08-17T15:38:00.000-07:002011-08-17T15:38:10.136-07:00Pay it forward?Well, I don't know if this blog post is really about fish or bunnies...well maybe about bunnies in a way. I just felt compelled to write it. I've been in somewhat of a foul, frustrated mood lately. It's just one of those periods of time where I'm frustrated about where I am, and nothing really seems to get any better. <br />
<br />
So anyway, I went to Arby's to grab a bite for lunch today, and I saw this homeless guy with a sign that said, "Need work. Please help." I just felt really bad for him. I've seen him around town before. I know nothing about him. Who knows? Maybe he's an alcoholic or drug addict or whatever, but something just made my heart hurt for him. He's a fellow human being. There's so many people just one step away from where he is. I was sad because I wished that I could help him. So...I just felt this compulsion to buy the guy a sandwich. Like a crazy strong compulsion...like God wanted me to! I don't have a whole lot of money in the first place....I probably should have just stuck to a PB&J today, but...eh. So I bought the guy a sandwich.<br />
<br />
I felt sort of dumb, because it just seemed so grossly inadequate. I can't get the guy a job, I can't help him out of his current situation...all I could do was buy him a sandwich. Well, I handed it to him and said, "I can't help you with work, but I can buy you a sandwich!" His face sort of lit up, he smiled at me, and said, "God bless you." And that kind of made my day. I said "God bless you" back, said a little prayer for him, and drove away. <br />
<br />
So I guess it's the little things in life. I wish I could help more people in tough situations. I wish I could build a bunny sanctuary. I wish I could stop animals and children and anybody from being abused and oppressed. But I can't. I suppose I'll stick to the little stuff. If all I can do is save a few bunnies and buy a homeless guy a sandwich, then that's what I'll do.<br />
<br />
If you're having a bad day, or feeling crappy about life in general, go volunteer somewhere. Foster an animal. Help at a shelter. Mentor a kid. Buy a homeless guy a sandwich. Believe me, it'll put a smile on your face.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-39865859668940952442011-08-07T15:03:00.000-07:002011-08-07T15:03:29.063-07:00Traps! Cameras! Action!!A few weeks ago (yeah, I've been slacking in the blog department), I had the opportunity to go on an offshore research trip for work. I was a bit nervous about being gone for 2 weeks, especially since I've got so many furry critters. Thanks to a wonderful and bunny-savvy friend, they had a place to stay while I was gone!<br />
<br />
Anyway, FWRI (Fish & Wildlife Research Institute) does a variety of offshore research. The particular trip I went on was the traps & cameras cruise. This research targets hard bottom habitats in up to 80 meters of water on the West Florida Shelf. A sidescan sonar is used to find appropriate areas to sample, then two different types of gear are set on the spots. Stationary Underwater Camera Arrays (SUCAs) and chevron fish traps are both used. The SUCAs gather film footage, which is later analyzed for information about fish populations at these sites, and several of the fish captured in the traps are used to gather life history information.<br />
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Here's a photo of the SUCAs: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxsON63r64jt6epa_tIVl8lfjo4XqM34crjBryK3kpf3b6lFu9e-0MRDq_Sg3LwlbCSWb47vP4vgL5CudjIVnexVQoNlMuXCkQt6QRQa5UTdwJg3lZPRy1ry_ae6HDAs36vJOVHKJTXbn/s1600/P7070006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxsON63r64jt6epa_tIVl8lfjo4XqM34crjBryK3kpf3b6lFu9e-0MRDq_Sg3LwlbCSWb47vP4vgL5CudjIVnexVQoNlMuXCkQt6QRQa5UTdwJg3lZPRy1ry_ae6HDAs36vJOVHKJTXbn/s320/P7070006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And a photo of the chevron traps:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HnSUwf_kOrn5kXH-8DlY0f64X4dgwp1wxrYB-QvQBrMzPxfiEy5kp4bokBqv-OWgLE5usx-iWHOKQ4IJMjFOtgejgaJQiSYYxnEALPeeeJDKRHXfUsYYfwF5S80n-1Wqsp3uJX0lHb5F/s1600/P7070008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HnSUwf_kOrn5kXH-8DlY0f64X4dgwp1wxrYB-QvQBrMzPxfiEy5kp4bokBqv-OWgLE5usx-iWHOKQ4IJMjFOtgejgaJQiSYYxnEALPeeeJDKRHXfUsYYfwF5S80n-1Wqsp3uJX0lHb5F/s320/P7070008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The research cruise lasted 10 days, and we were traveling aboard the <a href="http://fio.usf.edu/Vessels/RVWeatherbird.aspx">R/V Weatherbird II</a>. The vessel was 115', so it was fairly comfortable space-wise. We had beautiful weather to start with, but a couple days into our voyage, the weather turned. It was nice to work in drizzly, overcast conditions as opposed to the blazing heat (and that deck got HOT!), but things became a bit of a challenge as the swells built to 8 feet. I am proud to say I did NOT get seasick. I did almost fall out of the shower that night. You haven't lived until you've taken a navy-style shower in a facility the size of a phone both in 8-10 foot seas. We were forced to abandon the original plan and head to our southernmost site to avoid the weather. Ironically, this is the fortune that our PI (principal investigator) received in her fortune cookie the night before:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDukqRZ2rpzNmN44cBJYWZY9oi-Wz-6pgN4dsFcWZgGijvBBncVDw5vZ3WmL6vCPf85sQbAcra-V9q_SW233W8lB8Ot0bNGy9r3vl9eJUvvuogUkYxUlDoGb7yqLc1PaajkBm_aszFZ_p/s1600/P7150037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDukqRZ2rpzNmN44cBJYWZY9oi-Wz-6pgN4dsFcWZgGijvBBncVDw5vZ3WmL6vCPf85sQbAcra-V9q_SW233W8lB8Ot0bNGy9r3vl9eJUvvuogUkYxUlDoGb7yqLc1PaajkBm_aszFZ_p/s320/P7150037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Once we moved south, we were back on track. We were about 100 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, which was neat. We were visited by spotted dolphins pretty much every morning. We swore that they knew they were being filmed as the cameras went over - when we reviewed the footage we were treated to quite a show! <br />
<br />
I liked the solitude of being so far out to sea. One of my favorite things to do was sit on deck and watch the sunset (if we were finished with the day's work by then, anyway!) It was quite beautiful, but at the same time it was almost eerie. It's a strange and humbling feeling to be completely surrounded by water. It feels like freedom, but sometimes it's almost suffocating. That's a bit of a contradiction, but that's the best I can describe it!<br />
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Here's a photo of one of the gorgeous sunsets:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI_TJg3DiPhs3HjPHYMkoz0qIoAoNfBXCs_80oIOJEfO1OjRvdx5clW99SXpL2XuAxIbYrbkhca2menWT7dGYHSAdKIH_FfxFoaW18YRByybb0KLIhWR4CA2BoVYtX7-W-FE0b9w3fWdT/s1600/Offshore+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEI_TJg3DiPhs3HjPHYMkoz0qIoAoNfBXCs_80oIOJEfO1OjRvdx5clW99SXpL2XuAxIbYrbkhca2menWT7dGYHSAdKIH_FfxFoaW18YRByybb0KLIhWR4CA2BoVYtX7-W-FE0b9w3fWdT/s320/Offshore+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Some of the bright points of the trip were the food (we had an excellent cook - I didn't go hungry, and if you know me, you know that's quite the thing), seeing neat sea critters, watching the above-mentioned sunsets, the gorgeous blue water, seeing my second water spout ever, being out in the middle of nowhere, and getting to live and breathe SCIENCE for 10 days. (and yes, watching the stupid dolphins. Geez, I guess everyone is a sucker for Flipper sometimes)<br />
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A moray eel: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yP6qyMiSEfnfc6gDMv_c0AtRC4mYjG7J_SLOP5NBNcEPUQbWlNEAZd_Sg2XnSQV3GzbUHk9tHDWrXbKUgFZHgZ6oWO67-IOeVcFutBzSc7VXlnCHZjeaVHccVzby6aFfVe4BAopPRKbe/s1600/P7080022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yP6qyMiSEfnfc6gDMv_c0AtRC4mYjG7J_SLOP5NBNcEPUQbWlNEAZd_Sg2XnSQV3GzbUHk9tHDWrXbKUgFZHgZ6oWO67-IOeVcFutBzSc7VXlnCHZjeaVHccVzby6aFfVe4BAopPRKbe/s320/P7080022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here I am measuring a nice grouper! (And I totally rocked the hardhat & life vest - I'm not even wearing the shrimp boots on this day!)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVrIuqAGvlCgisyOwWnX8eovA2rZn7KmOOkNeedhFWsJa0Kg_P6L2D9rx1WODu-Tg9r1BI2oYcDcnDRdFUUw4We7TmaK2XKpZJjB5sADJqcLj6__4C0GYzgdGF22Xs_Lma-qw4Gs8YYi4/s1600/P7110227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVrIuqAGvlCgisyOwWnX8eovA2rZn7KmOOkNeedhFWsJa0Kg_P6L2D9rx1WODu-Tg9r1BI2oYcDcnDRdFUUw4We7TmaK2XKpZJjB5sADJqcLj6__4C0GYzgdGF22Xs_Lma-qw4Gs8YYi4/s320/P7110227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>And here I am just being my nerdy self:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSjlWb14_zK3GQV5S6czsHOwX9UJD6vcDjHIAffZJ9f88hsgRn9Ao8bGXqvFDHbRMMmfNt1N4RF_o3BvUnoypCcAiR_AUkGOybl28HqcDM3OIeNEAelMKfcwWI22l65GkwD_xRJN_yBUv/s1600/Offshore+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSjlWb14_zK3GQV5S6czsHOwX9UJD6vcDjHIAffZJ9f88hsgRn9Ao8bGXqvFDHbRMMmfNt1N4RF_o3BvUnoypCcAiR_AUkGOybl28HqcDM3OIeNEAelMKfcwWI22l65GkwD_xRJN_yBUv/s320/Offshore+021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>There were, of course, things I did not enjoy about being offshore. The lack of communication is both a blessing and a curse. It's kind of nice to get away from it all, but believe me, I was on Facebook and checking my email as soon as we got back into cell-phone reception range! I needed to satiate my thirst for news and social networking! The bunk was not exactly the most comfortable place to rest. The stools in the long lab were NOT comfortable either, and that's pretty much where we were if we weren't on deck or in our bunks. We worked hard, but we had a LOT of downtime. I got tired of reading (read 4 books), and for me, that's saying something. The noise. Oh, the noise. The engine noise of the boat is constant. You get used to it, but the silence was bliss once I got back on dry land. I got really tired of constantly rocking. Around day 7, all my stuff was falling over while I was in the bathroom, and I had a moment of "I HAVE GOT TO GET OFF OF THIS STUPID ROCKING BOAT!!" There's not much privacy either. That's why I relished any evening I got to spend on deck watching the sunset. Oh, and my hands constantly smelled like dead mackerel. Not that I'm not used to the smell of dead fish, but...yeah.<br />
The Long Lab (where we spent a lot of time!): <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLPH4tHJRZTioo1HAcMhj4TLzEz5IE2g_Pt3CQRuGnzi_CFUESh6wnTROD1GZYIDc9tAdD_-c-soqFvAh8QIp3OA5TovEwFpiNd3YO6Zcc55_QBIzUs5ylgFRYTPYPZzh6-XdsT-l4mYS/s1600/P7070014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLPH4tHJRZTioo1HAcMhj4TLzEz5IE2g_Pt3CQRuGnzi_CFUESh6wnTROD1GZYIDc9tAdD_-c-soqFvAh8QIp3OA5TovEwFpiNd3YO6Zcc55_QBIzUs5ylgFRYTPYPZzh6-XdsT-l4mYS/s320/P7070014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIr60W2Ve2y6BZRLo84hyzoyNxTbvoizlQMehn_-AA7iY66Jbar-DWL9FjFbJeOx-M2gAR_vmPwab5R5FjWEOUpMqnL4pk53_dnTt7fVwSKwEkkRvF2uxDnov-5sjVxUnZUOgwyKojLPx/s1600/P7070015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIr60W2Ve2y6BZRLo84hyzoyNxTbvoizlQMehn_-AA7iY66Jbar-DWL9FjFbJeOx-M2gAR_vmPwab5R5FjWEOUpMqnL4pk53_dnTt7fVwSKwEkkRvF2uxDnov-5sjVxUnZUOgwyKojLPx/s320/P7070015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Home away from home:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_089ZTRGjHYu4CR70YUnHvL05p68dACCQFjhnuIkhrE9p2bwNdtd7iMaRTBAEkI7Rd8BVWi-xpG7n7ySdL1kDjE7Yc6HSEBXLMDVVA-RPhMuT24xanRKjdia9zbffwXgp91OhlsmWw42/s1600/Offshore+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_089ZTRGjHYu4CR70YUnHvL05p68dACCQFjhnuIkhrE9p2bwNdtd7iMaRTBAEkI7Rd8BVWi-xpG7n7ySdL1kDjE7Yc6HSEBXLMDVVA-RPhMuT24xanRKjdia9zbffwXgp91OhlsmWw42/s320/Offshore+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
All in all, it was a good experience. I got to see some cool stuff, and we got a lot of science done! However, I was very happy to be back on dry land, go pick up my furry kids, and go home and collapse on my couch (which I fantasized about while sitting on the horrible lab stool). Oh, I did take a nice, long, hot shower before I collapsed on the couch. Believe me, it was a luxury to leave the water on the entire time. My hands smelled slightly less of dead mackerel when I was done.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-29087191583636703612011-06-23T19:59:00.000-07:002011-06-23T19:59:25.559-07:00Endangered? Phbbbt.Okay, so yes, they really are endangered, but wow it seems like I have seen a lot of sawfish lately! Of course, going on an insane number of sampling trips has probably increased my chances. I dubbed myself the "sawfish ninja" after catching sawfish on several consecutive trips! Heck, I caught 6 on one trip the other week - <i>that</i> made for nearly a 14 hour workday. <br />
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Sawfish are, quite simply, amazing creatures. I am glad that they <i>are</i> listed as a federally endangered species. Back in the day, those long "hedgetrimmer"-like rostrums easily entangled in fisherman's nets, and they were considered somewhat of a pest, since they wrecked the nets. Therefore, they were killed in large numbers. We know so little about them, so it's an amazing experience to be part of a team that conducts important research on sawfish. Hopefully, we will come to learn more and more about their life history so we can learn how to better help them recover their numbers. These fish used to be a common sight up and down the eastern seaboard, but their historical range has all but disappeared. I happen to live and work in one of the few places they still occupy.<br />
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Yesterday, we caught a little young-of-the-year sawfish. He was very cute, and quite frisky! Contrary to popular belief, however, they will not hack you in pieces with that saw. I'm always quite astonished at how docile they are while we poke and prod them. They will surprise you every now again though - and they are <i>strong.</i> <br />
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Some think they are ugly. I think they are beautiful. I wish everyone could have a chance to look at one eye-to-eye. At work, we were discussing how amazing their eyes are. They are <i>expressive</i> somehow! I just love them.<br />
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I do sometimes complain about going to work (hey, it is my job), but when I look a sawfish in the eye, I am reminded how lucky I am to be a part of this project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here I am feeling the sawfish love...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIiSmvrLvLcXumwBCIFiqYDTDFPKaqnPgAMWmk3NhcUi9S9CVJAGxDqCOIkvr2dBHzEnKMmj10JwzL21gbPxAM8Rdqondog5RtZ35dmK62Wg4kFl7g9Nqc_ntIenr58Wreoyq2Zo6c3SQ/s1600/IMG_4448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIiSmvrLvLcXumwBCIFiqYDTDFPKaqnPgAMWmk3NhcUi9S9CVJAGxDqCOIkvr2dBHzEnKMmj10JwzL21gbPxAM8Rdqondog5RtZ35dmK62Wg4kFl7g9Nqc_ntIenr58Wreoyq2Zo6c3SQ/s320/IMG_4448.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And here is a photo of me with one of my other loves...a baby bull shark. This guy still had a fresh umbilical scar! I got my "hero shot" with him, then released him so he could go eat other fish and grow up to make more baby bull sharks.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bV3ecYkb0IhWaLwjzbc7dWjfqyPzygV9SBMP8QT4kzqlXyZPQ0kdclhfWRxQj2UW6E-fSjaa1_OY_wJGCJhKfHab8om2LAEzVyuEZO0E8khHIL-BM8-L9EgkX37_F1BRLIKfjCndoSs7/s1600/IMG_4421+%2528149%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bV3ecYkb0IhWaLwjzbc7dWjfqyPzygV9SBMP8QT4kzqlXyZPQ0kdclhfWRxQj2UW6E-fSjaa1_OY_wJGCJhKfHab8om2LAEzVyuEZO0E8khHIL-BM8-L9EgkX37_F1BRLIKfjCndoSs7/s320/IMG_4421+%2528149%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-63406176130964219022011-06-23T19:35:00.000-07:002011-06-23T19:35:58.174-07:00Response to "Why Rabbits?"Wow, I just wanted to post a short note to say how amazed I am by the response to my post, and a THANK YOU to everyone who read it. I've received a literal avalanche of wonderful, sweet notes from fellow bunny people who were touched by my words. I've even made some awesome new friends on Facebook! I'm sorry that I haven't been able to respond to all of you individually. It's amazingly humbling to have had that effect! It also serves to remind me that there are a lot of other "bunny people" out there who feel the same way I do. I just hope that this continues to spread and reaches people who haven't yet experienced the joy of being owned by a bunny!<br />
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One more thing - thank you to ALL rabbit rescue people out there - rescue directors, volunteers, foster homes, financial support. Together we can make a difference in the lives of our beloved rabbits.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-78523561034413608732011-06-17T20:50:00.000-07:002011-06-17T20:50:42.099-07:00Why Rabbits?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">Why rabbits?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You know, it seems like I’ve been asked this question a lot lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did I choose pet rabbits?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do I choose to help rescue rabbits?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re a lot of work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take up a lot of my time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People see them as “children’s pets”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get one for $15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not just get a dog or a cat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I’ve heard it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve never had a pet rabbit (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> had a pet rabbit – not one confined to an outdoor hutch), the answer is difficult to put into words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know what it was at the moment I laid eyes on the bunny that was to become Zoie, my first rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in a pet store, and there were all these cute baby bunnies running around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My eyes just locked in on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that he was mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was just something about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some little girl asked the pet store worker if she could hold him, and I watched in agony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was terrified that the little girl would take him home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was MY rabbit!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, obviously the little girl didn’t take him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, my first bunny was an impulse pet store purchase, which makes me cringe now, but Zoie is the one that started it all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I muddled through learning proper rabbit care via the internet and a rabbit-savvy vet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that Zoie’s cage was too small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned he needed to be neutered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a crash course in nursing a sick bunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My poor Zoie was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> acquainted with the vet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite everything he went through, his sweet, trusting spirit remained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He fought so hard through so many illnesses, and when he finally couldn’t fight any more, I was devastated.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All of my bunnies since Zoie have been rescues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chloe languished in an outdoor hutch for two years in the hot Florida sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Milhouse was dumped in a park, where he was attacked by predators, and miraculously survived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kahlua was my lucky bun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was born at the rescue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is mind-boggling to me that someone, at some point, didn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve never had a house rabbit, you don’t know the joy of seeing a former hutch bunny do a binky for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never experienced the happy leap of your heart when a timid bunny nose bonks you for pets for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never seen a neglected bunny toss a toy for the first time, or a malnourished bunny eat hay for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t describe what it’s like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one of the most satisfying feelings on the face of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve never had house rabbits, you don’t know how funny they are – believe me, rabbits have a sense of humor!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They continually make me laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never seen the intelligence in their eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbits are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smart</i> – some more than others, but they’ve all got it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never had a bunny comfort you when you’re down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had days when I just sit tearfully in the middle of the floor, and my bunnies always come running over, as if to ask, “What’s wrong?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They proceed to nose bonk me until I crack a smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This</i> is why I have rabbits as pets.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Why do I concern myself with rescuing rabbits?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so few</i> people in this world who even care what becomes of rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To most, they are disposable children’s pets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs and cats have a huge following, which is wonderful, but bunnies need a voice too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever seen a bunny with nails so long they have completely curled around?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teeth so neglected they have turned into tusks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bunnies so emaciated that it’s amazing they’re still breathing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you seen botflies, ear mite infestations so bad the ears fell down, broken bones, fly strike, or rabbits so riddled with reproductive cancer they must be put down?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, it’s astonishing that these bunnies keep <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fighting</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at death’s door, they will still have that spark in their eyes – that will that says, “I want to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to be loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deserve</i> to be wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i> is why I fight for them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have to listen to people’s cruel comments – from the intentionally awful comments to the completely ignorant ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I love rabbits – they taste like chicken!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I used to have a bunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got out one day and the dog ripped it apart.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Whatever happened to that bunny we used to have?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cringe when I hear these – and believe me, rabbit rescuers hear them on almost a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is shocking to me how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">little</i> people care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbits are treated in ways that would absolutely outrage people were they dogs or cats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rabbits are still classified as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poultry, </i>which means they are exempt from even being humanely slaughtered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So yes, I will keep loving and keep fighting for these amazing, intelligent, hilarious, strong creatures.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Why rabbits?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> rabbits?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CSF8ZpccxVN8GmUpdGStLyJBBm5fjFhtwLl3RYwR5gq811bJ0WqzK3ZjCHzno0v3vkz4dumIyRzFJ0TgCS0Hx8QnGH2Qknc2_qpFmMrPnn-p-KTLBJhE-pCC2geGLzNZU6bWv6S-gAZQ/s1600/baby+zo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CSF8ZpccxVN8GmUpdGStLyJBBm5fjFhtwLl3RYwR5gq811bJ0WqzK3ZjCHzno0v3vkz4dumIyRzFJ0TgCS0Hx8QnGH2Qknc2_qpFmMrPnn-p-KTLBJhE-pCC2geGLzNZU6bWv6S-gAZQ/s320/baby+zo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> In memory of Zoie...the one who started it all (2002-2008)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-91852061741291250852011-05-21T22:04:00.000-07:002011-05-21T22:04:10.611-07:00Shark Men and TrawlsWhew, haven't written in a while. I've been insanely busy. Work is continually trying to kill me, and when I'm not counting fish, I'm taking care of various small furry critters.<br />
<br />
Yesterday at work we did some trawls in northern Pine Island Sound. While I was quite ecstatic to NOT be driving the boat, I was exhausted from 2 sawfish trips and a 600' seine trip already that week. My arms were already shot - so the last thing I felt like doing was dealing with trawls containing gallons and gallons of drift algae and sponge. Trust me, that stuff weighs a ton.<br />
<br />
I was pretty excited for lunch - I had a delicious Publix sub waiting in the cooler for me, and we were headed to the beach at Boca Grande Pass for lunch. Our second trawl took FOREVER to work up, and my stomach was growling the entire time. Yeah, we only had 2 out of 7 samples done by lunch. FAIL. Anyway, here's my view from our lunch spot. Yes, you should be jealous. I earned that lunch spot!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HYJCWzTWBU9EGWkhSxQtllAKwyXy3XU_xIISS_vuGLBpgguJ74UWr-VYV0ArdLTWfiwyT93_WayW4nEBvDGEM24Q4aHltOkclbod_96bKzLFuP6IP9PkMlNi6twqSKygUp74erm2tx-x/s1600/Photo0428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HYJCWzTWBU9EGWkhSxQtllAKwyXy3XU_xIISS_vuGLBpgguJ74UWr-VYV0ArdLTWfiwyT93_WayW4nEBvDGEM24Q4aHltOkclbod_96bKzLFuP6IP9PkMlNi6twqSKygUp74erm2tx-x/s320/Photo0428.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
To my excitement, the ship from the show "Shark Men" is currently anchored in Boca Grande Pass. In case you are unfamiliar, the ship <i>Ocean</i> is a converted crab boat that is now used for shark research. In the show, they capture large great white sharks and raise them onto the deck of the boat using a specially designed platform. They take measurements and tag the fish. Oh, how I wish I could be on the boat when they do that! Anyway, they are currently in Boca Grande to tag large sharks (hammerheads, etc). I jumped up and down excitedly when we drove by the <i>Ocean</i> on the way to one of our sample sites. Here it is!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GV9T06Gs0ePy7f83Kh7vUCRDUl_yL92oyhsuMQeJi0YXmKYo-wY13udnwpKjmzRHbfTSvv0g2pgjiKbiv8N0fJvbsFJIAzEK3PcvwlMQYnq2akKM6HFbDLJ8TZwuJwTcXA-padTsYCzY/s1600/Photo0433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GV9T06Gs0ePy7f83Kh7vUCRDUl_yL92oyhsuMQeJi0YXmKYo-wY13udnwpKjmzRHbfTSvv0g2pgjiKbiv8N0fJvbsFJIAzEK3PcvwlMQYnq2akKM6HFbDLJ8TZwuJwTcXA-padTsYCzY/s320/Photo0433.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I just wish I had had a better camera than my cell phone!! Too bad we didn't have any time to go talk to them :(<br />
If you would like to learn more about "Shark Men", check out the website here: <br />
<a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/shark-men/all/Overview">http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/shark-men/all/Overview</a><br />
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We did finally finish all of our samples, and it darn near killed me. I was pretty crabby by the end of the day. As the icing on the cake, I had to winch the boat halfway up the trailer since the tide was super high - couldn't back the trailer down far enough to make life easy for me. Running on adrenaline and cheers from a couple boaters and charter captains, I winched that baby all the way up. If you want toned arms, try my job.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-91012714775230397822011-04-30T18:13:00.000-07:002011-04-30T18:13:11.374-07:00Animal Rescue-paloozaWow, what a week for the critters!! After catching 6 sawfish in the field this week, I was quite enjoying my quiet day in the lab. It was not to be. The powers of work and animal rescue united!! We found 3 less-than-a-week-old kittens. They were pretty stinking cute. They were cold and hungry, so me and my co-worker Amy warmed them up and drove over to Petco to get some KMR. Once we got them warm and got some food in their tummies (and some poop OUT), they perked up and started meowing! So cute. My office became a kitten feeding station. Lots of phone calls were made, and we ended up finding someone from E.A.R.S. (an animal rescue organization) to foster the litter. Whew! I don't really have any experience with cats, and neither does Amy (we're both allergic!), so it was a relief to hand them off to someone who really knew what they were doing! I'm not a cat person, but they were darn cute. We named the orange one Mercury...for the Mercury boat engines they were found under!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLw1i4wEmCKMILoR0zILXbvwi3gY73QYn3O-qWKDDD7lTOlp1F-mVdaR6xxZV1ky9strcFS3IsYfwFGOW5wfsUejoktMRZ17qw0qaMhiQIIVQMKahlrdfSmRF5ntw5GFxHf6gdX4DTrUl/s1600/kittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLw1i4wEmCKMILoR0zILXbvwi3gY73QYn3O-qWKDDD7lTOlp1F-mVdaR6xxZV1ky9strcFS3IsYfwFGOW5wfsUejoktMRZ17qw0qaMhiQIIVQMKahlrdfSmRF5ntw5GFxHf6gdX4DTrUl/s320/kittens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So after a day full of kitten rescue, I had a day full of bunny rescue! A bunch of rescue people have been trying to save a terrified little bunny who is currently residing at the Tampa SPCA. She's been abused and neglected, and has some health issues. She's not doing well in a shelter environment. Luckily, an SPCA volunteer has offered to foster little Bun Bun for 4 weeks, after which it looks like she will be traveling to a foster home in South Carolina. Now we just have to figure out transport!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/251/22022e24-07f4-4aa2-bcf6-c8ca1c4c40c0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/251/22022e24-07f4-4aa2-bcf6-c8ca1c4c40c0.jpg" /></a></div>So after working on Bun Bun's situation this morning, I called a potential bunny home for our Ramona (they sadly never showed up), called a family who is being forced to give up a bunny they adopted from us due to tough economic times, and headed over to the Port Charlotte Petco.<br />
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I felt terrible - I've had an insane work week and haven't been in to Petco for a week. Hershey was SO excited to have some exercise pen time!! (Anyone want to help volunteer at the Port Charlotte Petco??) I certainly enjoyed watching him binky around and nom his veggies.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVgbyNtJvmHnSqmnKv7EmwowL2Pgh4yWg9j4iJfB-iRwfn3P-pF7sua7kMSyZCyYujKcbSQhZBzAdgg7LdyenNMzbxWWa4Q3PMJLt-Icv2xILnk6k25I5fkOa1dXBroa6d4nG3he3YdyF/s1600/hershey+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVgbyNtJvmHnSqmnKv7EmwowL2Pgh4yWg9j4iJfB-iRwfn3P-pF7sua7kMSyZCyYujKcbSQhZBzAdgg7LdyenNMzbxWWa4Q3PMJLt-Icv2xILnk6k25I5fkOa1dXBroa6d4nG3he3YdyF/s320/hershey+9.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Judd (the bunny being returned) showed up a short time later. I felt terrible for his family. They were in tears when they left - they clearly love him to pieces. We are keeping Judd (well, now he is called Jinxie) on "hold" status for a bit to see if his family can get back on their feet - they want to take him back if they can. What a heartbreaking situation :(<br />
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I loaded Thor up into the carrier to bring him up to the Sarasota Petco to meet his potential lady friend. We braved the lovebugs and horrible traffic, and made it to Sarasota. Thor and Amelia seemed to hit it off! There was a bit of humping and chasing, but that's pretty typical. Their new family, a nice young couple, came by (all the way from Sun City Center!) to come meet their new family members! They are so excited about their new buns, and can't wait to take them home! We will make sure they are bonded by the time they go home, but by the time I left Petco, Thor and Amelia were happily snuggling in a carrier.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TTPlD8J6j_9myqwnJRF59DxeaxC-0PEMqqLFnqW4UXOTK9AT14ioSvU_97L8V-1gYQg3YgqdROuAjFteWzppRZunizXFuL9lnP1Hyoevy9Ru23-tTxNrSvZP_3x9LoiJUmQ6SZ1T7wcs/s1600/043011_1800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TTPlD8J6j_9myqwnJRF59DxeaxC-0PEMqqLFnqW4UXOTK9AT14ioSvU_97L8V-1gYQg3YgqdROuAjFteWzppRZunizXFuL9lnP1Hyoevy9Ru23-tTxNrSvZP_3x9LoiJUmQ6SZ1T7wcs/s320/043011_1800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Another volunteer, Amber, took the pair up to St. Pete, where they will be fostered until they go to their forever home. Yay!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-3723643266026893752011-04-18T19:09:00.000-07:002011-04-18T19:09:50.553-07:00We're gonna need a bigger boat...So today we went longlining. Our ultimate goal is to capture larger sawfish to put satellite tags on. Our day started at the lab at 6:30 a.m. We were soon on the road, and headed down to launch at Punta Rassa, which is very near Sanibel. We passed under the Sanibel Causeway and made our way to our first spot, which was in sight of the Sanibel Pier. Our next two samples sites were off of Knapps Point (known for its larger sharks!) The photo below is off of Knapps Point. That's one of the floats for the longline - the line itself is 2500' long.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwwgGWJstufIZprc_ZRZ7HTBVE8NVs8yuRO29SmjIrbubpMAn31IN3AyoXUtXsNxUmWeyJPewQ8jAMHAiL6QJBVWwgCdlLYHRY2mUdf1xv-iTJqTFs_6Xs6Ri7-bNn-T9UyFzZM27Fn26/s1600/LL+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwwgGWJstufIZprc_ZRZ7HTBVE8NVs8yuRO29SmjIrbubpMAn31IN3AyoXUtXsNxUmWeyJPewQ8jAMHAiL6QJBVWwgCdlLYHRY2mUdf1xv-iTJqTFs_6Xs6Ri7-bNn-T9UyFzZM27Fn26/s320/LL+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It's a rarity to capture a sawfish on our longline, but when we're off the coast of Sanibel, we're almost guaranteed to see some big sharks! We set the line, and wait an hour for it to soak. After an hour, the fun begins! The first big shark of the day was a gorgeous 7-8 foot lemon! We measure the sharks, take a quick genetics sample, and let them go on their way. After the excitement of the lemon, we caught a good-size hammerhead and a couple big nurse sharks! We also caught a handful of smaller sharks, such as blacktips and sharpnose. Apparently there were a few other LARGE sharks down there. We pulled up this poor guy, and were reminded that there's always a bigger fish:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPH3GEXOaIWNuWavdRpOm64q12AF5K-zX9hJlGavBK1IKQt6nsl5wEIsHSVJNdp7s4_uoEYx0eqPrD5-n3zqHGGn0mlRhJKZnWCzasdDAvviDmJznDYElwW6QgveYKUUJMHnxOMlqInLl/s1600/LL+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPH3GEXOaIWNuWavdRpOm64q12AF5K-zX9hJlGavBK1IKQt6nsl5wEIsHSVJNdp7s4_uoEYx0eqPrD5-n3zqHGGn0mlRhJKZnWCzasdDAvviDmJznDYElwW6QgveYKUUJMHnxOMlqInLl/s320/LL+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the end, we didn't capture what we were after, but we still got some good science done!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956248855672564911.post-3876149694052513462011-04-13T18:17:00.000-07:002011-04-13T18:17:05.964-07:00Ah, the glory days of (almost) summerI've spent the last three days of work out in the field, and the weather was gorgeous for 2 out of 3 days. Guess I can't complain, although I was the lucky person who got to drive the boat on the super windy day. NOAA predicted the winds to be west @ 10 kts yesterday. Uh, no. The winds were south-southwest at 15 kts all day! It was a bit snotty in the middle of the harbor, so I definitely got my daily intake of salt water.<br />
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We weren't doing anything quite as exciting as catching sawfish this week, but it was nice to have a break with something more low-key. Monday was a regular fisheries sampling trip, and Tuesday & Wednesday were spent catching water samples. Oh yes, the ever elusive water sample...<br />
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I did quite enjoy being on the water today. I got a break from being the driver, so it was nice being able to take catnaps between sample sites! We stopped for lunch on a nice sandy beach in the Myakka River, then finished our day of water sampling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SAKUpgFwe2JsWwezhdNQEiTv_8ZnCA-nTwJIIAYwHgdfP45L6lBKcozqfVcnZ1oU7HhC7QucO0RupiiYQUtO3znk3SMROwflYIcAvY0A5EFlPKt4dIF3hEw9TWcOInyXek3h4YPXT6jZ/s1600/hoplo+wake+my+h20+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SAKUpgFwe2JsWwezhdNQEiTv_8ZnCA-nTwJIIAYwHgdfP45L6lBKcozqfVcnZ1oU7HhC7QucO0RupiiYQUtO3znk3SMROwflYIcAvY0A5EFlPKt4dIF3hEw9TWcOInyXek3h4YPXT6jZ/s320/hoplo+wake+my+h20+trip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Some good news on the bunny (and guinea pig) front this week too!! Someone has inquired about my foster guinea pig boys. Here's hoping it pans out into a good home for these deserving little piggies! Squirrel has been waiting for a home since January, and I just picked Chipmunk up from Suncoast Humane Society last week. I would love to see them in a wonderful adoptive home. Of course, being their foster mom, I won't adopt them to just anyone!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKr37nufz9rVJpG-6-uA0Dp1PCKx48aN8y7tP53AhYdoqgJcPscSCxLPTP-gQ4F7-EF0dq2eucbhEMcE6DTKgsGjKZ5xAbath9AHHJj3o6uaBrH_wvGA2cf_BI-ByCpnJSO_LyBaR0Yjn/s1600/fosters+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKr37nufz9rVJpG-6-uA0Dp1PCKx48aN8y7tP53AhYdoqgJcPscSCxLPTP-gQ4F7-EF0dq2eucbhEMcE6DTKgsGjKZ5xAbath9AHHJj3o6uaBrH_wvGA2cf_BI-ByCpnJSO_LyBaR0Yjn/s320/fosters+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The other guy I picked up at Suncoast has been quite popular this week! Thor has had quite a few inquiries, so hopefully he will have a home very soon. It's hard to resist the little guy. He's pretty freaking cute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0Spzrl4x7Nv6jF3KYcsvL3-j_myFDRr6W0SNNoBZsIec0yanquQoWNHWsm4hqQRNehQk4ai6DUbXm_SQ7dGPWp6y93Sez9epsF94QxbkxAGPKa8u3DGzcQBgHygdnKcvZ74I_Lh14DIB/s1600/fosters+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0Spzrl4x7Nv6jF3KYcsvL3-j_myFDRr6W0SNNoBZsIec0yanquQoWNHWsm4hqQRNehQk4ai6DUbXm_SQ7dGPWp6y93Sez9epsF94QxbkxAGPKa8u3DGzcQBgHygdnKcvZ74I_Lh14DIB/s320/fosters+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0