Another Greeting From Alqonguin

Hi there,

The days here warmed up briefly but it's rainy again. Today (Sunday) is my day off so I'm catching up on emails... Maybe I'll work on the WRS website again. The link, I think, is: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~wrs/home.html Sorry if that doesn't work. The site is still under construction... I have been making updates but I haven't uploaded any of the corrections yet.

I just finished breakfast. It was waffles with warm berry topping. I forced myself to eat some cottage cheese because I know I'll be hungry in 1 hour if I don't. Oh well, there are leftovers in the fridge that I can eat. the food is really really good here. Betty, I'll give you some recipes when I get ahold of them. I've been making a list of meals because I have difficulty coming up with meal ideas.. but no full recipes yet. There's a lot of tofu here, and beans. And pasta salads, quinoa salads. There was a really good squash carrot soup that I ate for breakfast for a few days (that's first breakfast... at 4:10. Second breakfast is at 7:30).

I finished my thesis. Finally. Dr. Ramsay brought up my corrections when he arrived here. I spent a few days going through them and adding the finishing touches. It is a grand total (including 7 pages of references, 4 pages of Appendices, and over 20 pages of Figures) of 91 pages long. It *should have been* a Master's thesis... if it was a better project. But I was not prepared for my project, and I didn't do enough planning ahead, or reading... so it was not very good research. Despite that, one of the "Birders" up here is the son of the retired Park Naturalist... and he wants to show my thesis to his dad because dad is writing the "Birds of Algonquin Park" book. Wouldn't it be cool if I was mentioned in Park literature? And on top of that.. the project that the "other birders" are working on relates to logging and indicator species... and my thesis is related to that sort of thing as well. So Doug, this head birder, is interested in reading it. I'm pretty flattered but also a little nervous because (as mentioned) it's not particularly good research. ah well, I did make some interesting comparisons so there is SOMETHING to get out of reading it.

The people up here are fun... but there are a LOT of them. Did I mention that I'm staying in a cabin with 4 other girls? At least they are birders so we are all up at approximately the same time. And it's a good thing I'm tired all the time or it would be difficult falling to sleep...

The people up here listen to good music too. It's not uncommon for me to walk into the kitchen and hear Postal Service, or Cuff the Duke, or Arcade Fire. I'm getting excited for Hillside. Who has tickets?

Who's going to convocation? I think that's when I'm coming home. Dr. Ramsay is extremely vague and mentioned something about heading into K-W 5 days before convocation... which means I'd be heading home then too. BUT.. he didn't elaborate. mom, dad, Shay... one of you willing to pick me up in K-W if I come home early? Or Erin, Heather, Kate, Sonal... willing to take me in for a few nights until I can be picked up? Eek. (side note: kate, anyone living in the basement yet? How's the kitten?)

Alrighty... hope things are well with you. Ttyl!

-Nic