I'm back at it!

Well lets just say I got a little sidetracked for a week or so.

I've been meaning to update all the interesting experiences that occurred, but life just threw itself at me. Anywho,  I'm back ready to update and inform anyone willing to listen!

So, last week was the Soils Workshop. Which entailed me helping out Deb by collecting heaping shovelfuls of wetland soils. The preparation to do this was not easy though. For one thing, hot muggy weather mixed with the moist wetland territory creates a mosquito haven. Boy did they love my blood! Twenty bites later and I live to tell the tale and to advise people to use bug spray. Geez.

Deb and I were the only two that day collecting samples. We used these weird shovel-like things called augers to get soil cores. This allowed us to view the different types of soil types within an area without mixing the soil layers together. Kudos to those things for getting the job done! One of the most fascinating things about one on ones with professors when you are outside of the classroom is the information you can pull out of them.

Deb opened up to me on a different level after I picked her brain about tree physics and how plants adapt to certain wetland conditions. It started when I was given the task to cut down little plants in the area so she could conduct her wetland workshop for the next day. As I chopped and swatted the plants away from the newly created path, I mentioned something about not wanting to do this all summer because some people do trail maintenance for jobs and internships etc. (FYI I must hand it to the people who do keep the hiking trails free of random debris) Deb went on to mention how she participated in such a program that made her perform such tasks which lasted 2 weeks. Because she went in single, she wanted to scope out the men in the program,which she specifically said to me that under her intense circumstances and sweaty dirty conditions she did not "hook up" with anyone. Yes my adviser used the phrase "hook up" and told me a little bit about her sex life.

This came as a shocker to me because I'm not used to hearing professors talk about their outside lives. I usually just feed off the knowledge they give me about the subject they teach. Basically, I opened the door into her personal life. This made me intrigued to see what else I could pull out of her. For some reason, I don't think the paid intern has this sort of connection with Deb. Hmmm.

Soils preparation and workshop completed! Connecting with Deb on a more personal level, check!