Entomology is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was officially done Entomology, for which I hope is forever, today at 2pm. My final is written and I am soooooo very happy. You will all be very happy too to not have to listen to me complain about Ento any longer, now that it is over. I know I for sure I passed the course and that's all that really matters to me right now. Means I won't have to come back to repeat it because I don't think I could endure that torture a second time. The only thing that hangs in the balance is a letter grade which at the end of all this like every other grade will mean nothing once I have my diploma in my hand. So I just felt the need to share with you all how happy it makes me feel to have that weight lifted from my shoulders and I would get up on a roof top and let out a "thank god it's over scream" but not everyone appreciates such loud obnoxious expressions of behaviour, so this post will suffice. Have a great day!!!!!

My Halloween Entry, Finally!!!

Well I figured since I will soon not have access to my computer for a couple of weeks I better post my Halloween story now or it will probably never get done. I am a very good procrastinator, which is evident by the fact that I should really be studying right now instead of updating this but this is much more fun. Anyway, back to the point …

At Halloween a friend of mine from school was going to our Halloween party as a tree and I still didn’t have a good costume idea as I am pretty uncreative and she came up with an idea that I just had to do. For those of you who know me well and know me as Cheeks will understand why I just had to go with her suggestion as it was a perfect opportunity for more ass shot pictures. I went as a bottle butt!! Now this may require a bit of explaining as it is a bit of an industry related pun/joke. In Tree Biology we learnt many tree defects one of which was called bottle butt because the shape it takes on is similar to that of a coca-cola bottle at the base of the tree. Therefore, since my friend was going as a tree I went as her bottle butt by, as you can see, stringing bottles together and wearing them around my belt. I got some strange looks at the party but all the Arb students got the joke so it was all good. The pictures a bit fuzzy but it gets the point across.

Also as part of the party our club was in charge of the mystery meats table. Basically we got cow organs donated from the butcher department at the school and put them in boxes and people had to guess which part of the cow they were touching. Have you ever seen a whole cow liver??? It's absolutely huge, it makes sense but I didn't really think how big it would actually be. Anyway, there was some kidney's, a heart and a liver. I had a very hard time convincing people to touch the meat. Oh, there was also bobbing for turds. It was a pretty funny idea but again people were weary of trying that one. Basically you fill a bucket with water and yellow food coloring, put a toilet seat over the bucket and put Oh Henry bars in the water for people to bob for but the unwrapped chocolate bars sunk to the bottom rendering them useless so we had to put some wrapped bars in the water and eventually a weird film was created in the bucket. Doesn't that look yummy? exactly why not many people tried it.





Well there you have it my Halloween, only almost two months after the fact but done nonetheless. Expect my Christmas update in 6-8 weeks, LOL.

If I don't see you over the holidays or don't know you so won't be visiting you over the holidays MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Wielding a chainsaw up in a tree ...

I know I promised you all a Halloween blog but I did something today that was just too cool to pass up writing about. I used the chainsaw up in the tree for the first time!!! I have to admit to you I was a little nervous at first. Your basically up in a tree supported by ropes and someone puts a chainsaw in your hands and says here use this which could very easily cut through your rope and cause you to fall out of the tree. For everyone's peace of mind I am tied into the tree in two ways; climbing line and landyard so it isn't all that easy to cut yourself out of the tree but it is possible. For those of you have every climbed anything such as a tree or rock or ice, just imagine that same experience with a 10 pound weight hanging off of your harness. It makes climbing in the tree much more challenging. But there is the added bonus of power and therefore less energy exerted trying to cut large diameter limbs out of the tree with just a handsaw, trust me. Anyway it was very fun and a good workout, I'll get those rippling biceps yet, but I'm going to feel it in the morning. Plus I have the backpackers bruises on my hips but at least 10 times worse, my hiking buddies know what that feels like, lets just say I will not be sleeping on my side tonight. Till next time ...

Insect Collection Finally Over!!!!!

I only have a few minutes before I have to be at a meeting but I wanted to post some pictures of my completed insect collection. It looks much nicer in person but a few pictures will have to do. If you look really close you can see the blood, sweat and tears I poured into this project and I am so happy it's over. My favorite insects are the butterflies they really add color to the whole thing. I hope I never have to ID or pin another insect ever. You'd have to pay me big money to do it all over again and even still I might not do it. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Stay tuned for a Halloween blog. I know what your thinking, "It's almost Christmas ... Halloween what's that, wasn't that over a month ago ..." and you are right but the picture is worth the wait. The arborist in me thinks it's hilarious, so other people may not get it but I'll try to explain as best I can. For now though you have to hang off the edge of your seat in anticipation ... I'll make a feable attempt to do it before Christmas but I make no guarantees. Got to go.