Hazards of Field Studies

Field studies aren't always as neat and tidy as studies in the lab. There are a lot of things you just can't control; weather, animals, UFO landings, etc. For example, another master's student in my major had a plot out in the west desert for over a year. His degree rested upon the data that plot would generate. It was happily generating data for him until it was burnt up in a wild fire one afternoon this summer.

Needless to say, I have had passing panic attacks that something tragic would happen to my study plots. It came last week in the form of a badger. The rascal dug up a few of my plots in Washington. Note the faint pink string to the right of the holes. If he had been just slightly to the other side of that string, no damage would have been done. This is going to throw a wrench in my statistics.

We Are Nerds

Keith and I are taking a class together this semester called Plant Pathology. One of the main assignments in this class is to make a collection of 15 plant diseases we collect and identify. I thought I might share a little of the excitement with the rest of ya'll. (Feel free to stop reading now.)

While hiking, walking around campus, admiring friends house plants, etc., we are always on the look out for possible diseases. Leaf spots, lovely.
This white fir in the Uintas was growing this huge mass. Fungi galore!
Oh yes, the kitchen! The fruit bowl and potato sacks are fantastic places to look. This guy had three fungal diseases on him. Nice.
I thought this corn smut fungus was impressive. (Please refer to the post title).
And here is the cute nerdy couple. Lab coats and all.

This was one of the fungi from the peach.
This is a bacteria. Just remember: fungi are fuzzy, bacteria are slimy. That is your take home lesson for the day.
Another fungi from the same peach.
Little bacteria. But you knew that.
Fungi spores under a microscope. Now that makes me feel very sciency.
Umm, this is a little frog. He has nothing to do with plant diseases, except that we found him while looking for them.

For those of you that didn't stop with the petri-dish pictures, save your funky looking plants for us!

Grandma Merrill

While we were engaged, Keith took me to visit his Grandma and Grandpa Merrill here in town. I was nervous. For some reason meeting the grandparents was more nerve-racking than meeting the parents. That feeling only lasted until we entered their home. Family pictures, roses, and lovely figurines decorated the house. Doilies laid on end tables and chairs. I don't know what it is about doilies that make me feel at ease. They remind me of my Grandma Earl and the feeling of quiet happiness and comfort in her home. Another thing caught my eye as the four of us sat down to in the front room; an afghan. I commented on its beauty to Grandma Merrill and mentioned my long time desire to learn to crotchet. That sweet lady immediately offered to teach me.

Thankfully I took her up on her offer. She taught me how to make dish rags, then we moved on to a baby afghan and I even tried a baby bootie. She told me that once I finished the main portion of the afghan, she would help me with the edge. Several times throughout the summer Keith and I would visit Grandma and Grandpa Merrill. I would show her may latest efforts and she would give me pointers. After that she would beat Keith at a few rounds of Wii bowling and Grandpa Merrill would come in and chat. A few hours later we would leave smiling, giggling, and sorry to go. I had adopted another set of grandparents, and I couldn't have been happier.

Grandma Merrill passed away this morning. I, along with many, am grateful for the time I had to get to know her. I have a baby afghan with it's edge missing in the corner of the living room. I am not sure where to go with it from here. The summer was too short. I want to go over for another visit.

Each Grandma is precious. They see in us the beautiful things that we didn't know were there. They love us, spoil us, teach us, and uplift us. I am thankful that Grandma Merrill took me in and was a grandma to me. Even if just for a summer.