Happy Ground Hog's Day

Winter? Pathetic. I think I have given up on xc skiing this year. I only went once, and that was out on my classic touring skis at Jon's farm. At least it's been ok bike commuting. I'm still on my old Miyata with 27" rims and 12 gears. It's 6 miles one way to work. The worst of the commute is the last 1/4 mi when I have to ride through UM campus, it's like the state fair every day there.

I've been working in a geology lab at UM. For work, I got to spend the month of September out on a different lake every day, sometimes two lakes in a day. I was out with my field partner, Chris, collecting sediment and water samples for a study. We drove 3000+ miles in 4 weeks, coming back to Minneapolis for a short weekend, then back out on the road. We went to 25 lakes around Minnesota. We hauled two boats at all times, canoe and a small fishing boat on a trailer. I learned pretty quick how to drive with a trailer, never had to learn otherwise.

Getting ready for a swim after a long day of field work.


Filtering water samples at the hotel room.


A few times we had to rely on friendly people allowing us to access lakes through their private property. This gentleman bent over backwards allowing us to use his Gator to get into the lake, we wouldn't have been able to get in otherwise.


Best cheap breakfast find on the road, we ate 3 times at a cafe when we stayed in Willmar.


Lady Slipper Lake


Me with the swedish gravity corer.


Where did this year go? It went by so fast. Working, doing some research, and spending time between Minneapolis, Foley, and Duluth.
I presented a poster at Geological Society of America's national conference this October in Minneapolis. My research title, "Phytoliths from food residues provide the oldest date for use of wild rice in Minnesota". I got interviewed from Science Sort Of, on Episode 109, about 27 min. into it.
Presenting a poster at GSA.


We have been ice fishing a few times, this photo was at Prior Lake.


Up at the Split Rock Lighthouse



My brother, Ted and Jon at Split Rock Lighthouse



Jon and I at Split Rock Lighthouse



My Mom's little Shih Tzu, Haga, passed away this winter. It was very sad. I sewed him a pope costume for last Easter. His name, Haga, means '3rd born son' in my Mom's first language, Ho-Chunk.


Jon goofing off on Halloween.





Me and the homies, it was Dress to Impress Daven/bar bike ride in St. Cloud. I remember I had homework that night but they went to Pesty's, Lincoln Depot, Ace Bar, ending at the White Horse, where I finally joined in on the fun.
I miss the road riding around St. Cloud, it's way better than the Cities. You can get out of town pretty fast and ride for hours.


Fun times in Foley, Jon moving stuff around on the farm, I was probably working on the fish pond in the photo.