Blimey!

I snoozed for almost two hours this morning because I didn't want to go. This whole "Nature Experience" thing has been looming over my head since January and I finally found a free weekend with warm enough weather to make a serious stab at my project.

Yesterday Roommate and I went to the Stock Room (a well kept Campus secret) and checked out a pair of chest waders for me and hip waders for her. Ha. It was ridiculous. We literally romped across campus, through the HFAC and all the way home, physically preparing ourselves for today's task.

Around 9 I rolled out of bed and into my chest waders. I looked magnificent. I could have hid a second body in there. They are simply amazing. Roommate followed and soon we found ourselves carefully sloshing across the Provo River, leaning against the current with a 3 foot "kick net." We took 6 samples of what looked like muck and OtherRoommate was there carefully recording the events.

After getting home and examining my critters more closely, I found a multiplicity of biodiversity swimming, squirming, and slithering through the sludge. Have you ever tried to catch Sea Monkeys with tweezers? After having to count over 600 bugs, I'm pretty good at it, but I think I got a buzz from the chemicals in the killing jars.

It was fun to pretend to be a hardcore biologist. I never knew waders could make me feel so legit. Even the hippies in Nun's park thought we were reputable biologist conducting serious research. We let 'em think it.