Just wanted to share my big news-- brian and I have decided to get married this summer! Some of you may remember him from sp sq and her mister's wedding.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday!
* African village by Sally's Sis.
* Bob Marley by Bridgett (as envisioned by Scott). Sorry it loads sideways.
* Carousel by Cathy.
* Barn by Lisa.
You can see more on Cathy's facebook.
Hi everybody,
I just returned from a really short trip to Hangzhou with Brian. I literally spent as much time in China as I did in airports, mainly because of flight cancellations and delays resulting in missed connections. Nonetheless, I had a pretty good time. I learned that even so called "second-tier" cities are enormous, and still fairly polluted. Cigarrette smoke is unavoidable, even in the hotels as it comes through common ductwork. There is a huge lake in Hangzhou, called West Lake, and it is really beautiful. A few years back they rebuilt a tall pagoda that is situated on a hill overlooking the lake and it is pretty spectacular. The food is much tastier than what you typically find in Beijing, but despite it's relative proximity to Shanghai, the "Shanghai dumplings" are no where as good as what you can find there.
Well, I guess that's it for the travel log of my trip. Sadly I have no cool pictures like TT. Just thinking of you all, and hoping that you're about to have or are having a wonderful holiday.
Random images from Holland... 
I'm an official artist of the Lawrence Art Center gallery! Though only about one card every other month sells.
http://www.lawrenceartscenter.com/galleryshop.html
Our neato cacti and agaves are happy that there was rain over Thanksgiving. It wasn't enough to put leaves back on the baby ocotillo.
It is finally comfortable to be outside all day!
past it for humans (although the birds and assassin bugs are having a heyday)
How come Ben and Jerry's doesn't sell this in the U.S??? It was a real treat in Holland. 
The name wouldn't fly in English speaking countries, but it is yummy, yummy, yummy! Chocolate raspberry ice cream.
I'm teaching conservation biology in the spring (to a class of about 10, 3 days a week, no lab), and want to use lots of case studies and current info.
I'm thinking about assigning some sort of popular book review, but I need help with book recommendations (telling my students to find one will not work). Top choice is current conservation biology paperbacks, preferably specific to a species or a system with a good story. Also considered would be general conservation (An Inconvient Truth, Cadalliac Desert, Notes from a Catastrophe) and historical conservation (Silent Spring, Sand County Almanac). Any suggestions?
I'm also wanting each student to follow a cons bio issue that is likely to be in the news throughout the spring (wolf de-listing and controversy comes to mind, bats are a big issue here) but I also need some suggestions. Will pollinators make the news in the spring? Coral bleaching? Wetlands and hurricanes? Are polar bears passe or will they still be in the news cycle?
Good case studies that aren't in the news also accepted.
