The Benefits of Sleep
23 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Adventures Tags: dog, sleep, work
It’s amazing how you notice something when it’s missing more than when you have it.
Last night, I got very little sleep. First because I was fired up last night (and not in a good way, which is why I didn’t blog) and it took a while to fall asleep. Then, once asleep, I only got a few hours before my sweet old dog woke me up because he didn’t feel good.
That’s right, I got to be dog nursemaid for about 4 hours last night instead of sleeping.
It’s amazing how much I notice the lack of sleep, and mostly in ways that are not related to being tired. I was antsy at work today, and overly stressed about a program this morning. Parts of me, like my shoulders and ankles, are sore in unusual ways. I’m more scattered than usual, and easily distracted.
To be honest, I am a diurnal person, and I require my sleep. Tonight I think I’ll turn in early, to see if I can recover from my nocturnal adventure last night.
Perhaps tomorrow we can get back on track with writing-related posts. 
A Birthday Wish
05 Apr 2012 2 Comments
in Adventures Tags: birthday, family, sisters
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WHITNEY!
Today is my sister’s birthday. She reads my blog, and I wanted to give her a greeting when she came to visit today.
Thank you for helping me send her good wishes. I’ll get my usual post up later. 
Falling Asleep at the Wheel
23 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Adventures Tags: blogging, sleep, tiredness
I didn’t literally fall asleep at the wheel.
I did, however, fall asleep while I was waiting for the “Add New Post” page to load. (It’s about 7:30pm – Eli had a particularly bad night last night, so I’m running on very little sleep.)
Have you ever noticed how your brain functions differently when you are low on sleep? I tend to follow random tangents more easily. I can also get very fixated on a subject, which is what happened earlier when I was trying to write a post about the color black. (Obviously the subject I fixated on was not the color black. That post will have to wait until I can get a bit more sleep.) I even have trouble with words and concepts - earlier today I said that you can check the entomology of a word on Wikipedia, when I really meant etymology. I caught it, but that was a silly mistake.
For now, I will leave the conversation up to you, as I am heading to bed. What does your brain do differently when you’re exhausted?
Dog Gone Crazy
21 Mar 2012 3 Comments
in Adventures Tags: dog, ghosts, internet, sleep
My dog lost his mind last night.
Technically, it was this morning. I was sleeping an odd schedule so I would be better able to work an odd schedule today. (I have to work an evening event tonight, so everything will be off.) EIther way, my dog went a little crazy.
He decided that the bedroom was terrifying.
He woke me up by trying to climb onto the bed and my face. He tried several times before I finally woke up completely and realized that he had moved on to trying to climb the wall. He was really freaked out.
When we left the room he was okay. We went for a quick walk and he was perfectly willing to go back in the apartment, just not the bedroom. I made him come in at one point and let him on the bed. I thought maybe that was all he wanted. He spent the next five minutes shaking before he tried, once again, to climb on my head.
The dog and I spent several hours sleeping in the living room.
I know that dogs can hear and smell things that we can’t, so I thought maybe there was something there that was really worth his fear. I decided to play it safe, at least for one night. We moved back into the bedroom mid-morning, when I was planning to get up and get some things done. I went back to sleep instead.
The funny thing is, I tried to search various concepts related to my dog being freaked out. Maybe the internet would shed some light where my non-talking dog couldn’t. Do you want to know what most of the suggestions were? Ghosts.
That’s right, ghosts. Not poisonous gas, not invading pests, ghosts. That wasn’t helpful.
My best guess is that the fan was making something in the room move/make noise in an unfamiliar way. That’s all I can think of.
If it happens again tonight, he gets to sleep in the bathroom.
Ruddy Turnstones
17 Mar 2012 2 Comments
in Adventures Tags: birds, blogging, Galapagos, Ruddy Turnstone
Yesterday I mentioned that my least favorite bird is a Ruddy Turnstone, and I feel the need to explain and qualify my statement.
This is a male Ruddy Turnstone, running on a beach in the Galapagos.
The Ruddy Turnstone is my least favorite native bird. I’m not a fan of invasive species, so technically House Sparrows, feral pigeons/Rock Doves, and European Starlings are lower on the list than Ruddy Turnstones. That’s the qualifying part of today’s blog.
Now for the explaining part. Every birder has a bird that they’ve seen that they really don’t ever feel the need to see again. For me it is the Ruddy Turnstone. From time to time I will even get irrationally angry about the turnstones when I see them, usually when I am either not expecting them or hoping for something else. The reasoning behind this emotional response is flimsy at best, but here it is.
When I went to Grand Cayman, I started without a field guide. Once I got one, it was still a relatively imcomplete experience; not all the possible birds were pictured. I snapped a few photos of a shorebird I had never seen, with the intent of identifying it when I got home. As it has a unique color pattern for a shorebird, the identification turned out to be relatively simple: Ruddy Turnstone.
On a subsequent trip to the Bahamas, I once again saw a shorebird that I couldn’t identify at the time. I was excited, because I thought it was something new that I didn’t have on my life list. I snapped a picture and identified it once I got home. Guess what? Ruddy Turnstone, this time in winter plumage.
Stupid Ruddy Turnstone, getting my hopes of a new shorebird up and then crushing them.
This is the trend for me with this bird. Spot a shorebird, get excited because it might be something new and/or interesting, and it’s just another stupid turnstone. Now that I’ve seen most of the shorebirds native to Texas, the hope-crushing has been reduced; most of the shorebirds I see will be something I’ve seen before. That hasn’t changed my opinion of the Ruddy Turnstone. We have history.
When I saw them in the Galapagos, I did notice that my response has changed. I saw little shorebirds at a distance and my first thought was “I’ll bet they’re stupid Ruddy Turnstones.” This time, the bird didn’t disappoint; sure enough, there were five turnstones running along the beach.
Stupid Ruddy Turnstones.
Birding on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos
16 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Adventures Tags: birding, birds, Galapagos, travel, travel writing, writing
When I was planning my recent birding adventure in the Galapagos, I had a choice to make. You see, I only really had one day to spend birding. This meant that I had to pick one island. I could either get on a boat from the island I was on (Santa Cruz) and spend part of my day traveling to a different island, or I could spend the entire day birding on Santa Cruz. I decided to spend more time birding and less time traveling.
This is a ground finch. He was not shy at all; I was less than 6 feet from him when I took this picture, and he posed for about 5 more!
The trouble is that there is very little information out there about the best places to bird on Santa Cruz. Most people who go to the Galapagos get to visit more than one island, and most of the birding tours spend their time on Santa Cruz visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station (which I went to earlier in the trip and I do recommend) and then take their cruises around to the side of the island that is inaccessible via roads. Their itineraries didn’t really help me, although a few blogs I found made some recommendations for places I could actually reach.I visited two areas on my personal birding day, Media Luna/Cerro Crocker and the Las Grietas trail. Media Luna was recommended by several people and is even occasionally visited by guided birding trips, primarily as the place to see the Galapagos Rail. Besides not seeing the rail, I didn’t see many birds at all. The area that I was hiking was mostly in the Miconia zone of the islands, which is not a high-use bird habitat. If all you have is a day, spend your time somewhere else.
Las Grietas, on the other hand, I highly recommend. This is a trail that leads out to a cavern area that is popular with tourists and locals alike for swimming a snorkeling. Be aware that this is not a friendly trail. It starts off as a paved path and along its length it changes to a crushed rock path, a boardwalk, the beach, and another crushed rock path. When you get to the “Las Grietas” sign, which tells you that you are almost there, the trail gets really challenging. After that point it is an aggressive hike over intact, uneven lava rock, often going up and down small hills. When you get to the end, the canyon-like area, I would recommend at least walking down to see the area. You can always swim or snorkel at that point, too, although I didn’t. I took a look, then turned around and hiked back.
Timing is important on this trail. I hiked it in the early afternoon and I was in the full sun almost the entire time. An important thing to note about the trail is that parts of it are underwater during high tide, so it is worth it to check the tide charts before you go. Even with all of these challenges, it was highly worth it in regards to birds.
Crossing over from the main part of Puerto Ayora via water taxi, I saw Galapagos Shearwaters, a Blue-footed Booby sitting on the water, and the ever-present frigatebirds, Lava Gulls, and Brown Pelicans. There were also ample chances to see sea lions, sleeping on the boats at anchor in the bay. Once on the trail I saw lots of birds, which was a nice change from the morning’s hike at Media Luna. The ground finches (of at least two varieties) are not shy, and will stay in the trail as you get close. Along the beach section I saw my least favorite bird, Ruddy Turnstones. In the various ponds along the trail there were White-cheeked Pintail, Black-necked Stilts, Wandering Tattlers, Spotted Sandpipers, a Great Blue Heron, a Great Egret, and a Lava Heron. (I had to flush the Lava Heron, because it was standing on the lava rock in one of the low crossings. Unlike small herons here at home, it waited until the last possible minute, when I was less than 6 feet away, to finally fly off and squawk in protest.) On the return back to Puerto Ayora, the shearwaters were gone but I got a close look at a Common Noddy.
Las Grietas is definitely worth the hike, and if you can find a good spot in the highlands (perhaps Los Gemellos, which I didn’t get to visit) the Scalesia zone is also full of birds. If you really only have one day (I had parts of other days, as well) you should definitely visit the Research Station. Besides Lonesome George, I saw Cactus Finches and Galapagos Flycatchers there.
Hopefully you get a chance to spend more time than I did on the Galapagos, but if you are limited to one island, there are plenty of birds to find in the place where you are!
Toilet Paper Trash Can
13 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Adventures Tags: Central and South America, Galapagos, Panama, travel, travel writing
One of the things that I’ve discovered in my (two) trips to Central and South America is the toilet paper trash can.
This is a classic toilet paper trash can. Notice the lid, and the close proximity to the toilet paper.
What is this, you ask? Well, if there is a trash can (usually covered) located strategically next to the toilet paper, it is a toilet paper trash can.
Due to a difference in the quality of water and sewage service, many places can’t accommodate toilet paper being flushed. This means that it needs to be disposed of in a trash can. Some places will tell you this; others are either too fancy or too polite to post a sign that says “Don’t flush your toilet paper” and so they will simply assume that you know.
I learned this part of the way through my trip to Panama, because until then either no one wanted to tell me or everyone assumed I already knew. In Ecuador, I saw the appropriate trash can and was immediately reminded of my Panamanian experience, although I was hesitant to make the assumption. Fortunately they are not shy about the trash can in the Galapagos, so I saw signs that confirmed my original guess.
The lesson from my experience is this: if you are in Central or South America and see a trash can like this, with a lid and strategically placed, assume that it is for your toilet paper and act accordingly. Remembering to toss your T.P. isn’t any harder than remembering not to take a drink from the sink when you are brushing your teeth.
Notes from the Galapagos
12 Mar 2012 5 Comments
in Adventures Tags: birds, Galapagos, travel
I just got back from the Galapagos Islands, and I am exhausted! Two travel days each way, plus working outside on Friday and hiking all day on Saturday can do that to a person.
I have two travel-writing style posts planned, which you’ll get later this week, but for now I have a few brief observations.
1. The sky inland is empty. Along the coast there are ever-present frigatebirds, pelicans, and boobies, but inland the sky is free of birds. I’m used to seeing the occasional bird aloft, be it hawk, vulture, or even swallow, but on Santa Cruz, I saw nothing.
2. If you are going to Galapagos, learn a handful of phrases in Spanish, plus the correct names of your destinations. The word ‘regresar’ was my favorite word of the trip, as it kept me from being left on a mountain with no transportation!
3. There are very few mammals! I kept spotting rocks out of the corner of my eye, which my brain turned into squirrels or similar small mammals, but they were not. It was a bit odd.
As I said, there is more coming, but for now, my pillow is calling…
Disappointment Birds
09 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Adventures Tags: birding, birds, rules, travel
When a birder is planning a trip to the Galapagos, there is a question people ask. “How many new birds do you think you’ll see?”
I don’t have a good answer. You see, unlike some birders I know, I don’t make a list of every possible new species I might see on a trip. Instead, I pick my three “disappointment birds.”
I don’t want to see 12 new birds on a trip and be disappointed because I missed 2. I want to be excited about the 12 I saw! In order to facilitate this, I made a rule early on in my birding travel that I get to pick 3 birds that I will be disappointed if I miss. Everything else is bonus. I have not yet gone on a trip where I missed my disappointment birds. It’s been close; on a couple of trips my third bird was spotted on the last stop on the last day, but I still got it.
This has already worked well once. In Colorado there were many new woodpeckers that I hadn’t seen. As I adore woodpeckers, this was a potential downfall. I could have been very disappointed if I didn’t see all of them, but a couple were particularly tricky and we weren’t spending the entire trip looking for woodpeckers. So one of my disappointment birds wasn’t defined; it was just “a new woodpecker.” I saw three new species; not only was I not bummed that I missed the rest, I was extra excited about the 2 that made it past the one I wanted!
I know, now you want to know what my disappointment birds are for the Galapagos, right? Blue-footed Booby, Lava Gull, and Galapagos Mockingbird. I’m most worried about the booby, since they are typically found further out from shore than I plan to be, but I think I’ll be okay.
I’ll let you know post-trip if I was successful!
Tired Eyes and Sore Muscles
08 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Adventures Tags: travel, work
I am feeling the aftereffects of travel. I recently attended a professional workshop, and I was part of the workshop committee. That means I ran around a lot and helped with many things, which I enjoyed, but it also means that my sleep was not as complete as it could have been.
Add in the backpack that I lugged around most of the time and trying a new brand of contacts, and you can understand why my body is currently complaining. Loudly.
I’m writing this blog with a heating pad on my upper back and neck, hoping that it will help loosen some of the soreness. You see, the workshop was only part one of my travel. I’m currently in a lull between trips; unpacking from one and packing for the next at the same time is an interesting experience. I am aware that packing early is really not necessary, but when I do laundry before a trip I like to pull out the stuff I plan to wear, so I don’t wear it before I pack it. If I’m packing a few things, I might as well pack it all, right?
I hope I can recover from the first trip enough to enjoy the next one! (It’s the Galapagos, so I think I’ll be okay.) For now, my bed is calling…
