Fall in Yosemite

Fall was even more apparent in Yosemite, as you can see from these pictures from a month ago. We had a laid back day exploring a few main attractions/roads in the park, and the weather was perfect for it!

(By the way, if you didn't know, you can click on the photos to see a larger version.)

In the valley:

These yellow leaves fluttered in the wind and floated to the ground like snowflakes- it was like walking through magic.

The following pictures are at Glacier Point, which we managed to visit just in time before the road was closed for winter!

Half dome (although I also call it the Grim Reaper). The hiking route to the top is closed for winter, but we need to get in shape first anyway!

At Tunnel View:Patrick's panorama. I love it! El Capitan is on the left, Half Dome is in the center background, and I think that's Bridalveil Falls slightly right of center.

This is a highlight, but I plan on posting additonal photos on Facebook sometime soon if you'd like to see more. Even better, just come for a visit and see it all with your own eyes! :)

Fall in Merced

 The quad at UC Merced looking at the Science and Engineering building where I work.

 The sunset from our back yard.

 

 Same sunset as above.

We aren't used to seeing palm trees and fall colors at the same time.

Our garage finally cleaned up!

Job Update

Atalie recently brought to my attention that now I am the one slacking on writing blogs.  So, I just thought I'd give you guys a glimpse of what I'm doing at work:

One of my first views of Tahoe NF in early October.

A picnic area in Sierra NF near one of our field sites.

Drilling holes in granite to mount a sensor in the stream (Sierra NF).

The first snow of the season in Tahoe NF.  In a few months, the snow will be around 5' deep.

Phil (the guy I'm taking over for) and I installing a snow depth sensor in Tahoe NF.

Up in Tahoe NF getting ready to drive back to Merced.

When I'm not in the field maintaining or installing equipment, I'm usually back in Merced at UCM calibrating or trying to get instruments working and, if needed, ordering parts to make that happen.

Who you gonna call???

A few people in Patrick's department wanted to round up a group effort for Ghostbusters costumes, and asked him to join the charade for the graduate college Halloween party. Other associates, such as myself, were invited to be sideline characters, which I was all for. Originally I planned on going as the Keymaster, thinking it'd be economical. But when I heard someone else was vying for the position...

(Henry, the Keymaster)

...I selected someone else....

Mr. Stay Puft, the marshmallow man!

Patrick was a charm and helped me spend a lot of Saturday assembling the costume (and assisting me into it!). I had the creative idea of using a vacuum bag for the hat, but I needed a more mechanically savvy mind to construct it for me. :)

We met up with the rest of the group before the party so the paranormal crime fighters could finish work on proton packs and iron-on patches for their jumpsuits.

Glow-sticks inserted in the packs and in the ends of the "guns" generated a neat effect.
By the time the work was finished, the team looked pretty serious and very sharp!


One of our wedding presents was a celebration cookbook (thanks, Aunt Cheri!) that gave us a cute idea for our snack-to-pass. I wish every spider I ran into was an adorable little Oreo spider.


When I heard there was dancing at this party, I knew I'd look ridiculous, and hence, had to commit to at least one song on the dance floor. Needless to say, I attracted some attention, and a dance partner! I didn't disappoint him, letting him know it was the sexiest dance he'd ever have. haha :)


I was also poked, photographed, told I instilled the desire to body-slam, and asked how I felt coming with the Ghostbusters when I represented all that they hate. It was a rather deep conversation for a Halloween party, but the guy was dressed up as a political statement.

Our group pretty much stole the show when we arrived to the party! I'm happy I went as Mr. Stay Puft, as it ended up being a hit, and a lot more fun for me! Plus, where would the Ghostbusters be, without monsters to fight?

Hidden Trophy

After signing our lease, we were given an inventory sheet to complete, documenting the move-in condition of the house. While examining the condition of the back fence and sprinkler system, I realized that one of the two prominent bush/tree things was covered in limes upon closer inspection! From the house, they totally blended in with the leaves, making them a huge and absolutely SPLENDID surprise!

I suppose it wouldn't make much difference to some people, but we buy limes quite frequently for beverages, guacamole & other Mexican-influenced recipes, and desserts. Plus, it just feels exotic and exciting to us born city-slickers to harvest our own fruit!

At first, we picked limes on an as-needed basis. But we quickly discovered they're rock hard off the branch, and yield a lot more juice, with much less effort, after they've sat out for a week. The bush/tree was rather unruly looking too, so we decided to start pruning it a couple weekends ago and simply take all the limes from the branches we chopped, allowing them to ripen. We got a large serving bowl's worth:


(I think there was close to 30 limes in this bowl, although some were fairly small.) The tree was still smothered with limes, and continued to lean strangely from wayward branches. But since our yard waste bin ran out of space, we waited another week to finish the pruning.

Sometimes we don work gloves, but they aren't always a match for the seriously wicked thorns along the branches. As you can see, some of the needle-sharp spikes are several inches long, and even if they aren't, they'll make up for it with extra fine tips.

Lime trees aren't just sharp- if you're not careful, they could become sticky! Our yard & neighborhood is home to many, many snails. Most of the ones on the tree stick to the leaves, but I just managed to see this tiny guy clinging to a lime destined for the house. I'm not a fan of these gooey varmits typically, but this li'l one was so small, I couldn't help but think he was kinda cute. (That's the tip of my index finger, for scale.)

Like I said- smothered in limes. These are what we pulled from the snipped branches after we finished the pruning!

...which filled 3 large mixing bowls, and then some!

We were a bit overwhelmed! Needless to say, lime juice has taken a more prominent position in our diets than before, and we've begun to freeze bags of juice too!

Washing them all was a tedious process, but between ants, snails, dirt, and the occasional bird poo on the rinds, I thought it was necessary. Many tiers of limes in this photo: the bowl in the foreground, a sinkful under suds, top & bottom of dish rack, and a bowlful on the table in the background, and basically sprouting out my ears!

As they await consumption, they serve as decor. Patrick patiently stacked about two-thirds of that latest harvest on a large platter in our dining room.

Some of you are probably sick of hearing about our darn lime tree, as we've already been bragging about it for awhile. Sorry, but all the same, too bad! hehe :) We are enthralled, and are likely to be for quite some time still. :)

Oh, and as a head's up: next year you may have to deal with even more of our ranting-and-raving. The second tree/bush in our yard has wasted-away fruit and pits underneath it we haven't identified yet. We think it may be a plum, nectarine or peach tree, or at least we're crossing our fingers for that, until we find out next season!

Casual Ct.

With a street name like that, it sounds like we're running a clothing store, but that's where our new rental home is!

We ended up with a larger house than anticipated- 4 bedrooms! They are small bedrooms though, and the high ceilings give the illusion of more space. At least with all the storage space, it should be organized, right? (ha.)

Rent is about twice what we paid for our last place in MO, but it's a reasonable amount considering it's in CA, bigger, has a garage & back yard, is close to school, in a safe/nice neighborhood, came with a fridge (most places did not), and the water/sewage/garbage service is covered (which includes bins for yard waste & recycling too). Plus our options and time were slim, especially with U-haul and hotel costs adding up!

Doris (the Taurus) got some new jewelry since this photo was taken- she now has a CA license plate on each bumper. :)

Unfortunately, our inside photos aren't that great since our walls are still bare and we haven't finished unpacking and putting things away. But this gives you an idea of what the place looks like until you come visit yourselves!

The front door and entry closet are 9 o'clock to the camera. The half wall has space for storage or bar stools behind it, but right now its just a counter-top/junk holder for us. :) For those who remember, our futon is still black, but the cover got dirty during transport so it's in the laundry pile.
From nearly the same perspective as the last photo, but turned to the right: Our "book corner." The hallway to the left leads to the master bedroom. Another hallway on the right side (not shown) leads to the other "wing" of the house, as we call it.

The dining room occupies the other side of the half wall....

...and is connected to the kitchen. Sliding doors lead to the backyard.

The sidewalk wraps around the house. The side furthest from the camera leads to a side door to the garage and a gate to the front.

There's a lot of stuff on the island right now partially blocking the view, so I'm showing you a pic from when we toured the house. Obviously there are tons of cupboards, which were a pain to clean out, but are quite handy now! The dishwasher and sink are on the right side of the island.

The hallway leading to the master bedroom has a section of cupboards we're using for bath towels and sheets. The bedroom is quite plain- just a square room with a window to the backyard- so I didn't bother posting it. It has a second doorway though, into the master bathroom. Double sinks & medicine cabinet on right, separate toilet room in middle, and fairly large walk-in closet on the left.

Doorway to the bedroom is to the left of the walk-in shower. Walk-in closet is to the right of the tub. Add some candles, bubble bath, and a cup of tea and this ought to be a perfect, relaxing tub. :)The "other wing" of the house is formed of two hallways making a right angle. The left hallway has another big chunk of cupboards, with a utility room beyond them on the left, a bland bedroom at the end we plan to use as an office and for the drum set, and a door to the second bedroom on the right.
Hot off the press news right here. Got these beauties delivered to the house today. SO EXCITED! We have tons of laundry built up, and I'm totally NOT going to miss the days of using a laundromat. It's a very basic dryer (pretty much the cheapest Sears had), but the washer is more high tech.
The right hallway in the "other wing" includes another door to the second bathroom. Pretty nice that it's a full bath too, for our future visitors' convenience. ;)

Past the bathroom is the door to the garage on the left, a small plain bedroom on the right we're using for our outdoor gear, and a bedroom at the end. This one has a little more visual interest, with its half-moon window and a ceiling fan. A remote control brightens or dims the lights and adjusts the fan speed. This room we are reserving for guest accommodations.

Well, there ya have it! We're still putting it together, but I'm sure we'll have it to your satisfaction by the time you visit. :)