My very own! 8 June 2001 Hello! Well, it's been a VERY busy week. The big wigs/VIPs/muckety-mucks/brass (there are so many names for them) all showed up on Tuesday afternoon. It was planned well in advance so we were called upon to make sure that camp looked spotless...which is beyond me since we are in the middle of a forest. Do they honestly think that the trash cans are always empty and the stove tables always so white (we repainted them that morning)? Anyways...they all came up, we had big meals (which is something else they think happens all the time, but really it's only on Saturday nights if the weather is good), we showed them the camp, the progress we've been making (with really pretty maps), videos of owls' responses to aircrafts and jets. We even took them out into the field and let them hoot. Of course, it was right from the road, and a very flat road at that...no hour-long hikes to get to your first call point. "They" were mostly the upper office-type people who manage us from Texas and Virginia plus a man who represented the client (the US Air Force). It was interesting and so much work. A couple days before I had to do some serious getting ready for the visit, pulling 12+ hour days. Which also meant no going out in the field. :( Even once they were here, there were a few 12-hour days. They finally left Thursday afternoon (it seemed SO much longer than 2 days) and camp has more or less resumed its normal activity. But they all went away happy which is good since we get funding on a yearly basis. Now that we've had our visit, the VIP trailer (the big one that was bought solely for the purpose of housing the VIPs for 2 days per season) has now become the mouse trailer. So the office trailer, which is for me and my boss Ann, is now mouse-free. And I get my very own table now so Ann and I don't have computer space wars. I actually got to sneak away for a night to Tempe, AZ again to see Steve Poltz. And I had a friend who I've turned into a Poltz/Rugburns fan come with me. It was a great show and Steve even remembered me from the last time I saw him in Tempe. :) June seems to be my time for breaks. I'm driving to Phoenix on Tuesday to catch a flight home for a whole week...I'm so excited! I miss the beach, and my family and friends too of course. :) After that week though, I'll be at camp until the season ends, which as of today looks to be about the last week of July. So it will be a long month, but I may take a day or two off to go to the hot springs (about 1 1/2 hours away) or something else just as relaxing. And I won't be stuck in camp the whole time, I will definitely be going out on surveys, follow-ups and behavior observations. I actually got to go out last night with Ann to do some acoustical recording. We found a pair of owls who called very nicely for us for about an hour. There was also an incredibly annoying jay around, which the male looked like he wanted to eat. As far as owls go, we've lost our only nest of the season. This owl abandoned her nest last year because it was unsuccessful. We're still doing behavioral observations on a few pairs of owls, but no nests, and no owlets (bummer). It's been so amazingly hot lately. We finally had a break today (no rain, but lots of thunder), but it was near 90 in the shade the past few days. It's hard to believe that a month ago we were still getting snow flurries. I guess that, being from San Diego, I'm just not used to having seasons. :) I hope everyone is doing good! Please write me, I want to know what's going on with you. Love and sunshine, Stef ;) top of page letters from camp