Sunflower

Taken on our apple picking trip a few weeks ago.

More Dog Park

Met this little guy at the dog park last week.

Dog Park

My new favorite thing in life is the Ithaca Dog Park. I'm pretty sure it didn't exist last year, but if it did I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't know about it sooner. It's just a big open (fenced in) space for dogs, but taking Skua down there is a lot of fun. More so than say...homework. Plus its only a short drive from my apartment so we get to go out there at least a few times a week. It's good for Sku, it's good for me, and it seems like its good for everyone else. I know Papa won't like to read it, but having this park makes me want/realistically believe I can handle another dog. Don't worry, I won't even think about getting one until next fall. But next fall is probably the best time for me to get one, I have more time at home at school than I will when I have to get a job. And Papa, if you're feeling left out, that offer to train you a little canine pal for Christmas still stands.

Study Abroad

On Monday afternoon I submitted my applications to study abroad in the spring. First choice destination: Zanzibar. The program is field study based and focused on coastal ecology so if I get accepted I'll be learning about the rare red colobus monkey on land and diving with dolphins in the Indian Ocean. Best of all, while all of you are struggling to stay positive in some freezing winter weather, I'll be studying. Doesn't sound that exciting? I'll be studying from this beach.

Przewalski's Horse

On the scale of things that really annoy me, this horse is right up at the top of the list. Not because of the horse itself, I love the horses, but because I have never heard anyone pronounce its name correctly. I even had a course last semester at Cornell with "highly respected" professor who couldn't even manage to do it. So here's the correct way for all of you. The Przewalski's (Shuh-vall-skee...I know that's not even close to the correct phonetic spelling, but you get the idea) Horse, or takhi, is the only remaining truly wild horse on earth. Mustangs, brumbies and such are actually just feral horses, not wild. This horse is one of the many reasons I'd like to visit Mongolia before I die.

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's the big 21 folks.

A little break from the cats

I thought it was about time to give anyone who actually checks this blog a bit of a rest on the big cat pics. There are more, but its easy to overdo it. So here's a nice change of pace from my trip to the Minnesota Zoo. This odd looking ungulate is the Sichuan takin, a close (and very rare) relative of the musk ox and the mountain goat.