Back home and watching the rain fall means that it's time for the final post of the work weekend.
The rain was a drag and made everything feel so bloody damp - but, there was no freezing through the night, so it was easily survived :-)
Because of the rain, we didn't get to do the Tweet & Treats hike around Gibraltar - so a few of the workers set up in the Research Building. Downstairs in the ichthyology lab, we dissected a few perch (including plucking out their little hearts and placing them on our wrists to watch them continue to beat in time with our own pulses - weirdness) after hearing Chelsea give the brief class lecture they usually do as an outreach activity.
Upstairs in the lecture hall, we played with some snakes and viewed a handful of other local critters (salamanders & turtles) before hopping on the Gibraltar III and departing for the places we call home.
As always, it was a nice weekend spent on the Lake outside of tourist season while giving a little time to help out and support all that Stone Lab does for so many stakeholders.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Saturday Work Day (2013) - Post 20
... And it rained all day ...
Given that I was at the Lighthouse the last 2 times I was here (and the 2nd undid much of the work we did the 1st time), I couldn't bring myself to sign up for anything at that location.
Today, 3 of us and our group leader Chelsea went to help out at the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center over on South Bass Island, where - lo and behold - the project manager was Jackie ~ my group leader from the 2012 Island Hop Lighthouse / Butterfly Tagging adventure (photo page HERE). Small community up here...
We helped out by pulling weeds and invasive plants from the Monarch Waystation and another garden bed (that will be transformed into a vegetable garden next year). After that, we were going to stain the deck, but the moisture / rain killed that plan - so we turned our attention to the inside where we cleaned all the glass cases for the stuffed critters, sills around displays and all the shelves where they keep literature / sale items. There were a few other little things like vacuuming, emptying dehumidifier containers and sweeping out the restroom, nothing terribly challenging - just time consuming and helpful to the LEINWC to have a group of volunteers to hammer through right quick.
Back on The Rock - shower, wine & cheese reception, group photo, dinner, opportunities to explore the island / souvenir shop (nice shirt this year, again!) and hear Jeff talk about the projects Stone Lab has completed over the past year or so.
Now, most of my fellows are watching some football game - so, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet to write this up, relax and do a bit of reading before drifting into a blissful slumber.
G'night, kittens :-)
Given that I was at the Lighthouse the last 2 times I was here (and the 2nd undid much of the work we did the 1st time), I couldn't bring myself to sign up for anything at that location.
Today, 3 of us and our group leader Chelsea went to help out at the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center over on South Bass Island, where - lo and behold - the project manager was Jackie ~ my group leader from the 2012 Island Hop Lighthouse / Butterfly Tagging adventure (photo page HERE). Small community up here...
We helped out by pulling weeds and invasive plants from the Monarch Waystation and another garden bed (that will be transformed into a vegetable garden next year). After that, we were going to stain the deck, but the moisture / rain killed that plan - so we turned our attention to the inside where we cleaned all the glass cases for the stuffed critters, sills around displays and all the shelves where they keep literature / sale items. There were a few other little things like vacuuming, emptying dehumidifier containers and sweeping out the restroom, nothing terribly challenging - just time consuming and helpful to the LEINWC to have a group of volunteers to hammer through right quick.
Back on The Rock - shower, wine & cheese reception, group photo, dinner, opportunities to explore the island / souvenir shop (nice shirt this year, again!) and hear Jeff talk about the projects Stone Lab has completed over the past year or so.
Now, most of my fellows are watching some football game - so, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet to write this up, relax and do a bit of reading before drifting into a blissful slumber.
G'night, kittens :-)
Friday, October 4, 2013
Island Hop 2013 - Post 19
Back on The Rock for another volunteer work weekend!
Unfortunately, while I recognize faces, I have a hard time with names. Once we settled in for our pizza dinner and introductions, I recognized the dudes I roomed with (and froze with) in Spring - maybe I'll tell that story later - as well as the dudes I roomed with for the 2012 Island Hop.
Photo: www.putinbayphotos.com
Matt & Jeff are still here. The buildings are still here and standing (though with a fair list of updates - INCLUDING WIFI IN THE DORMS!).
What else? I know I never posted photos from Spring, sorry. That weekend was really cold and miserable I couldn't muster the energy to write another post. Hopefully, this weekend will be a little better.
I signed up for landscaping at the South Bass Island Nature and Wildlife Center tomorrow, so it'll be nice to see somewhere new and different. Plus - Nature! So, yeah... Win.
This weekend's schedule seems to be in line with the others - so no surprises there. If you're curious what the weekend looks like, the Island Hop overview is HERE. According to the schedule, we're staring with coffee at 0700 and bouncing off Gibraltar at 0900 and back by 1700 for a bit of Wine (from the Lake Erie Region, of course) and cheese before dinner. An evening program follows at 1900 and then a bit of time for whatever (reading!).
Sunday will include the Tweets & Treats (birds & edible plants) tour of Gibraltar before departing and heading back to the places from whence we came. And those are the highlights of the weekend as it stands to unfold.
Unfortunately, while I recognize faces, I have a hard time with names. Once we settled in for our pizza dinner and introductions, I recognized the dudes I roomed with (and froze with) in Spring - maybe I'll tell that story later - as well as the dudes I roomed with for the 2012 Island Hop.
Photo: www.putinbayphotos.com
Matt & Jeff are still here. The buildings are still here and standing (though with a fair list of updates - INCLUDING WIFI IN THE DORMS!).
What else? I know I never posted photos from Spring, sorry. That weekend was really cold and miserable I couldn't muster the energy to write another post. Hopefully, this weekend will be a little better.
I signed up for landscaping at the South Bass Island Nature and Wildlife Center tomorrow, so it'll be nice to see somewhere new and different. Plus - Nature! So, yeah... Win.
This weekend's schedule seems to be in line with the others - so no surprises there. If you're curious what the weekend looks like, the Island Hop overview is HERE. According to the schedule, we're staring with coffee at 0700 and bouncing off Gibraltar at 0900 and back by 1700 for a bit of Wine (from the Lake Erie Region, of course) and cheese before dinner. An evening program follows at 1900 and then a bit of time for whatever (reading!).
Sunday will include the Tweets & Treats (birds & edible plants) tour of Gibraltar before departing and heading back to the places from whence we came. And those are the highlights of the weekend as it stands to unfold.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Spring 2013 Return - Post 18
Tomorrow, I'll be embarking on the return trip to The Rock for another Work Weekend. I'm a little apprehensive on this one though - I have no idea what the weather is going to be doing up there. Today it was 75F. Tomorrow is supposed to be almost 60F with rain in the morning followed by a high of 45F & sunny Saturday while we'll be working. O_o
Yeah... I thought that islands were supposed to maintains relatively consistent temperatures due to the thermodynamics related to being surrounded by water. Apparently someone missed a memo on that somewhere along the line.
As I did with the last work weekend in Autumn - I'll be posting regularly while on the Island in the hopes of shedding a little more insight on what life is like at Stone for an alum that likes to help out and volunteer when possible.
Yeah... I thought that islands were supposed to maintains relatively consistent temperatures due to the thermodynamics related to being surrounded by water. Apparently someone missed a memo on that somewhere along the line.
As I did with the last work weekend in Autumn - I'll be posting regularly while on the Island in the hopes of shedding a little more insight on what life is like at Stone for an alum that likes to help out and volunteer when possible.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Saturday Photos - Post 17
I won't put a ton here today - just a few photos and a brief description.
View from the top of South Bass Island Lighthouse looking NW towards Green Island.
An old-time tractor by the sunflower field adjacent to the South Bass Island Lighthouse property where we went Monarch Butterfly tagging.
Our group leader (and Stone Lab FT/Seasonal Employee) Jackie pointing out features on the first Monarch we netted (I managed to net her after a couple of missed attempts) and preparing to tag her.
In case you were curious how, exactly, one tags a butterfly - here it is. A super adhesive little sticker is placed on the underside of a wing in the place that looks like a little mitten (it's covered by the sticker). The tag has a phone number and ID# that individuals can call should they find the tagged butterfly to allow for tracking of their migration patterns and success rates.
Since the view inside the tower of the Lighthouse isn't terribly exciting with the Fresnel lens removed - I took a quick parting shot of the ladder-esque (trust me, that set is steep) final segment of steps that the keeper had to climb regularly to check the oil on lamp and keep it clean.
By our powers combined - Katie and I did this porch. We repainted the porch, steps leading up to it and a ribbon of cement running all the way around said porch.
Of course there's a few more photos of the trip, some from inside the Keeper's Residence, more from on top of the tower and other assorted randomness from the Island Hop Weekend - but, I think this should be a decent little thumbnail sketch of the highlights of the weekend.
Of course there's a few more photos of the trip, some from inside the Keeper's Residence, more from on top of the tower and other assorted randomness from the Island Hop Weekend - but, I think this should be a decent little thumbnail sketch of the highlights of the weekend.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Saturday Work Day - Post 16
An early morning after roaming around Gibraltar Island until about 0200 means that I'm actually tired as I sit in the lab to write this.
After breakfast we were divvied up into groups and put on boats to leave the Island (or stay on the Island - dependent on one's work assignment). After making it over to South Bass we split up again and my group went down south to the Lighthouse. Having visited a couple of years ago, I was excited for the opportunity to finally get inside and see what it was like.
We quickly walked through the lower level before heading up the tower. Roughly 60' up, the view was pretty solid and we could easily see Green Island and the Mainland. Unfortunately, since the USCG put in the automated light adjacent to the Lighthouse the tower was stripped of its Fourth-order Fresnel and lay bare inside. (I'll post some photos when I make it back home tomorrow or Monday.)
After taking in the sights, we divided up again - Rich and Ed took the porch by the Tower, while I joined Katie on the porch off the kitchen. Things went pretty quick on the porch, so we painted the stairs and a stretch of concrete all the way around the porch before stopping to enjoy our packed lunches.
Renewed from onboarding some calories, we found the 1st coat of paint dry and hit it with a 2nd before moving to help Rich & Ed on their porch.
Then, it was time...
BUTTERFLY TAGGING!
As it turns out, the tranq guns were overkill (who would have guessed?).
Kidding aside, this is nearing the tail end of the Monarch migration - so, we didn't catch that many. The idea is pretty simple: you see a Monarch flying and capture it with the net then twist it off so the butterfly can't escape. Then you hold the net up and the butterfly will try to fly upwards - whereupon you reach in and trap the little critter holding its wings shut and pull it out to examine it.
There's a log sheet to be filled out with date, location, sex, wild/captive-bred and tag number. The tags are simple weather resistant paper dots (with a website, ID number and phone number on it for individuals to call when they find one) that affix to the underside of the wing with a super adhesive ummm... adhesive.
Once we finished making the rounds and were certain there were no more rogue butterflies to capture and tag - we returned to the Lighthouse to gather up our equipment, clean the area up and head on back.
A mental note was made to stop by the PIB Brewing Company.
On our return to Gibraltar, there was just barely time enough to hit a shower and run over to the Wine & Cheese event - where I randomly ran into one of my Comm professors...
Over to the stairs for group photos, back up to the dining hall for dinner (perch or veggie lasagna - and the aforementioned salad bar was back!). After dinner, Matt filled us in on all the renovations over the past year and turned us loose to do as we will.
I headed over to South Bass to try out the Brewing Co. (Pumpkin & Octoberfest are both pretty decent brews) while reading a bit. From there, I walked through the village in an attempt to find a coffee shop / place for dessert - a thoroughly fruitless endeavor. To interject briefly - I don't care for PIB - I find the whole scene to be very... Sad. Especially if you're looking to do anything other than go to a bar.
And now - I'm enjoying the solitude of the computer lab and contemplating how late I can sleep in without missing any part of brekkers...
We have a "Tweets & Treats" activity planned for the morning after brekkers - A walk around Gibraltar to identify birds and edible plants. Should be fun. Then back to S. Bass to the ferry to the mainland to the road that will eventually lead home.
After breakfast we were divvied up into groups and put on boats to leave the Island (or stay on the Island - dependent on one's work assignment). After making it over to South Bass we split up again and my group went down south to the Lighthouse. Having visited a couple of years ago, I was excited for the opportunity to finally get inside and see what it was like.
We quickly walked through the lower level before heading up the tower. Roughly 60' up, the view was pretty solid and we could easily see Green Island and the Mainland. Unfortunately, since the USCG put in the automated light adjacent to the Lighthouse the tower was stripped of its Fourth-order Fresnel and lay bare inside. (I'll post some photos when I make it back home tomorrow or Monday.)
After taking in the sights, we divided up again - Rich and Ed took the porch by the Tower, while I joined Katie on the porch off the kitchen. Things went pretty quick on the porch, so we painted the stairs and a stretch of concrete all the way around the porch before stopping to enjoy our packed lunches.
Renewed from onboarding some calories, we found the 1st coat of paint dry and hit it with a 2nd before moving to help Rich & Ed on their porch.
Then, it was time...
BUTTERFLY TAGGING!
As it turns out, the tranq guns were overkill (who would have guessed?).
Kidding aside, this is nearing the tail end of the Monarch migration - so, we didn't catch that many. The idea is pretty simple: you see a Monarch flying and capture it with the net then twist it off so the butterfly can't escape. Then you hold the net up and the butterfly will try to fly upwards - whereupon you reach in and trap the little critter holding its wings shut and pull it out to examine it.
There's a log sheet to be filled out with date, location, sex, wild/captive-bred and tag number. The tags are simple weather resistant paper dots (with a website, ID number and phone number on it for individuals to call when they find one) that affix to the underside of the wing with a super adhesive ummm... adhesive.
Once we finished making the rounds and were certain there were no more rogue butterflies to capture and tag - we returned to the Lighthouse to gather up our equipment, clean the area up and head on back.
A mental note was made to stop by the PIB Brewing Company.
On our return to Gibraltar, there was just barely time enough to hit a shower and run over to the Wine & Cheese event - where I randomly ran into one of my Comm professors...
Over to the stairs for group photos, back up to the dining hall for dinner (perch or veggie lasagna - and the aforementioned salad bar was back!). After dinner, Matt filled us in on all the renovations over the past year and turned us loose to do as we will.
I headed over to South Bass to try out the Brewing Co. (Pumpkin & Octoberfest are both pretty decent brews) while reading a bit. From there, I walked through the village in an attempt to find a coffee shop / place for dessert - a thoroughly fruitless endeavor. To interject briefly - I don't care for PIB - I find the whole scene to be very... Sad. Especially if you're looking to do anything other than go to a bar.
And now - I'm enjoying the solitude of the computer lab and contemplating how late I can sleep in without missing any part of brekkers...
We have a "Tweets & Treats" activity planned for the morning after brekkers - A walk around Gibraltar to identify birds and edible plants. Should be fun. Then back to S. Bass to the ferry to the mainland to the road that will eventually lead home.
Friday, September 28, 2012
On the Island Again - Post 15
Well - we've arrived, been checked in, assigned rooms and briefed following our pizza dinner. Beverages including wine and beer were provided for the occasion. In particular - there were some local beverages including Great Lakes (Cleveland), The Brew Kettle (Strongsville), Heineman's (Put In Bay) and Mon Ami (Port Clinton).
It's nice to be back here - there's been a lot of changes over the past 3 years & I'm looking forward to seeing more of them during the light of day tomorrow.
As far as work assignments go - I wasn't able to get my first pick of planting trees in the Swamp on Middle Bass Island. However, I did get my 2nd choice of working on South Bass Island Lighthouse (and potentially tagging some Monarch Butterflies - I have no idea how that's supposed to work...).
For those who know me personally, you know that I've long had an interest in the history of lighthouses and took a research trip for an article I was pitching to visit a number of Lake Erie Lighthouses in the Western Basin a couple of years ago. South Bass Island Lighthouse was one that I visited --- granted, that day didn't go quite according to plan since it was peak season here in PIB. With a bit of luck, this will give me an opportunity to get inside the Lighthouse while working on it and explore it a little better than I was able to back then.
The task at hand doesn't seem too complicated - just painting the front and rear porches. As long as it goes smoothly, it should be a good time.
Tomorrow is a pretty packed schedule and I'm having issues accessing the wireless. So, it looks like I'll only be posting a recap in the evening once I wrap up everything.
It's nice to be back here - there's been a lot of changes over the past 3 years & I'm looking forward to seeing more of them during the light of day tomorrow.
As far as work assignments go - I wasn't able to get my first pick of planting trees in the Swamp on Middle Bass Island. However, I did get my 2nd choice of working on South Bass Island Lighthouse (and potentially tagging some Monarch Butterflies - I have no idea how that's supposed to work...).
For those who know me personally, you know that I've long had an interest in the history of lighthouses and took a research trip for an article I was pitching to visit a number of Lake Erie Lighthouses in the Western Basin a couple of years ago. South Bass Island Lighthouse was one that I visited --- granted, that day didn't go quite according to plan since it was peak season here in PIB. With a bit of luck, this will give me an opportunity to get inside the Lighthouse while working on it and explore it a little better than I was able to back then.
The task at hand doesn't seem too complicated - just painting the front and rear porches. As long as it goes smoothly, it should be a good time.
Tomorrow is a pretty packed schedule and I'm having issues accessing the wireless. So, it looks like I'll only be posting a recap in the evening once I wrap up everything.
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