stink-berries

The last few days have been really good. The weather has been nice, the work has been enjoyable, and i have just felt really happy. Right now the PHD student is on his holiday in Nicaragua and I get to do phenology while he is away. I can't remember if i explained phenology or not last month... so you get to hear about it again. lucky you!! Basically, i have to walk around the forest and find specific trees. Once found, I have to record the number and maturity level of all leaves, fruits, and flowers on the tree. Over time this helps researchers get a good idea of what fruits come into season at what time of year - and how it affects the monkeys.

Phenology is pretty tedious because I have to find over 200 trees! the good thing is, I don't need to listen for monkeys so I am able to take my ipod into the field and listen to music. Music makes everything better think - and right now I am super stoked on the most recent album by Shout Out Out Out Out that I bought off iTunes before I left. I don't know why I didn't listen to it before - its sooo good!!

For me, music can really help me to imprint a memory in my head. Years from now if I ever listen to this album, it will take me right back to Santa Rosa and monkeyschool and all the happy feelings I am having right now. I love how my brain does that!

Smells also help me to remember things. Its strange how sometimes you will smell something and it will trigger a really intense memory. And right now the forest smells frakken awesome! There is this tree called Guazuma ulmifolia and it has these fruits that look like big wooden blackberries growing on it. The berries smell great and they are absolutely EVERYWHERE right now. They make the forest smell sweet and delicious. I love it. Too bad you couldn't smell things through the internet so you could enjoy it too. Actually, scratch that idea. I can imagine way too many situations where that would just be totally incredibly wrong. haha

Ok that's all for this post!
<3 <3
Dayna