RATTLER!

I saw this little lovely with my friend Ian while I was finishing up my story about almost stepping on a rattlesnake! It was as if my story summoned the snake to sunbathe on the same trail we were walking.
You can't tell from the picture, but this guy was 2 feet long and has 5 rattles.  We believe it to be a coastal pacific rattler.

Two really cool notes

I got two really cool notes today.

The first was from Candace, my super cool lab mate.

Dear Starla, 


I feel really good whenever I go home late from lab, and I get to ride my bike home.  Occasionally I see stars, and rabbits (brown ones). 


Candace

I love this note because Candace recently started riding a bike here in San Diego and she shared her appreciation for the fun stuff you can see when you pay attention.

The second note was from my lab mate Jon Smieja who recently edited some stuff on a paper I've been working on. 

Starla-
As usual, all comments and edits should be straightforward and can be taken or ignored at your discretion.


Good paper.  Despite my strongest efforts...I think I learned some stuff.
                       -Smieja

This note really cracked me up, because Jon usually gets pretty bored reading/thinking about my research.

SNOWY PEAKS?!?

That's right - there was snow in San Diego County over the weekend.  If you look through the bike into the background of the photo you will see some snowy mountains off in the distance.  The picture doesn't really do them justice because my bike really steals the show. 

Right after I put my camera away two white tailed kited were doing some aerial (mating?) dancing.  The two kites would hover for a moment, then fly together, latch talons, spiral downward and separate before colliding into the chaparral. It was incredible!  I had only seen this on television, never in real life until now.