Hmm...that was a long hiatus!!

Well, I'd like to first start out by saying hello to the world again...Hello : )  I have been incognito since the beginning of April and now I'm back, hopefully for a while.  Spring was just getting exciting when I cut all of you off and I apologize for that!  I didn't tell any stories about life's magical rebirth in NE Ohio.  As it is basically Fall here now, that is old news though.

 I've stayed pretty busy, finished up Spring semester and also took classes through much of Summer break.  Both were exciting field courses though so it was a good time.  I've been working the most wonderful job since Spring as well, as an intern at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  I work for the park's Wetland Biologist, Sonia Bingham, and she is awesome.  They actually pay me to roam the woods and look at plants, butterflies, and birds all day!!!  What more could I have asked for?!  So obviously while I'm at work I get to see much of nature's beauty and her interesting creatures.  I will add some photos of the highlights...

I found and documented some behavior on many bird nests this year while on the job at Cuyahoga Valley, including this Common Yellowthroat nest!! One of my favorite songbirds!

 ABOVE LEFT: My co-intern this Summer, Luke. He's a Forestry major at University of Kentucky. We had a lot of fun together, he fell in the swamp that day while we were measuring trees haha.


ABOVE RIGHT: My first sighting of a Harvester, a butterfly that is related to Blues. These guys are very beautiful, I wish I could have gotten a better photo with my real camera...

Along with my disappearance from the internet (I literally have been slacking on emails and everything else too), I have unfortunately gone on the biggest photography slump of my career...I don't know what happened.  Hopefully that will change soon, I am actually very confident that it will : )  I bought an iPhone solely for the capabilities of its amazing camera.  So convenient, a phone, iPod, and amazing camera all in one.  Brad Schultz was my inspiration.  You can see his stale blog from this link.  Just for the record, the news just came in today that Brad is now officially a Registered Nurse working for Akron General Hospital, congrats to him!!  Brad has been my best friend since 7th grade!  ANYWAY, the point is my iPhone has replaced my Nikon and that needs to change.  Just because the phone is convenient and takes nice photos, it's definitely not up to par with a DSLR and nice lenses in all situations (thankfully).  So I hope to dust the ole' camera off and have some pretty pictures to show and tell very soon : )

This semester in school right now is the beginning of the end (at least for a while), because I think I might FINALLY graduate from college in December : )  If everything goes as it is supposed to that is, I've got my fingers crossed.  I hope to make the best of my last stretch here in Kent, and I should have some exciting stories to tell!  I'm definitely ready to begin the post-college chapter in my life, I would much rather take real-world experience over a classroom, though school can be great at times.  Someday I will return to grad school...that will be fun : )

From here on out I plan on having more photos and adventure stories to share, so I am going to close up my blogging return with a few more photos from the quick Summer!  I have a caterpillar story to tell next!!

Spring Memories...

 Western Chorus Frog, which I spent FOREVER locating for a photo.

 Yellow Warbler heralding the arival of Spring back in late April.

Love and Rebirth : )

 Mother Willow : )  One of my special trees...

 Blue-winged Warbler - this was one of the males that would playfully chase each other around in "bird paradise" out in my sanctuary in Mesopotamia, OH.

 What the forest floor looks like with healthy deer populations.

 The elusively common Scarlet Tanager : )

 Just as beautiful in another shade, the Indigo Bunting : )

Wake Robin (AKA Purple Trillium), one of many wildflowers that I'm sorry that I never shared...

Stay tuned for more stories from the Summer and new adventures!!