Today, I slept in and awoke to a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning, and Tallulah watched me have my coffee and oatmeal on the back steps.
I ventured out for a bit of exploring this afternoon to find the Dekalb Farmer's Market. I think the term "farmer's market" is a bit of a misnomer...I'd say it is a mix of Whole Foods grocery store and Sam's Club, and it was AMAZING! It is a huge warehouse-sized building with loads and loads of food from all over the world! There are fruits and vegetables that I've never heard of, and I'd have no idea how to use half of them. They also have tanks of live fish swimming around...talk about fresh!
So, I spent a good hour (or more) browsing around this store- I even stopped at their "Fruit and Pastry Shop" for a cup of coffee and a homemade fig bar for later. I will definatly return to the Dekalb Farmer's Market, though it will likely be during the week since it was packed this Saturday afternoon.
After I unloaded my few groceries, I went for a run around Grant Park...the park is larger that I realized, and it was full of people and dogs today in the beautiful weather. Tonight has been pretty low-key, and I'm planning to head to a different church in the morning that is a little closer than the one I visited last week.
Make sure you check out the website for Dekalb Farmer's Market: http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com/
Internet is running a bit slow tonight, so I'll have a couple of pictures to post tomorrow.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Another day
Today was the last day of our official orientation, although I feel like I only know a fraction of what the CDC does! Monday through today, we've spent the mornings touring different labs in our "division," and it is amazing the brilliance that this place has...and even more amazing to think I've only seen part of one floor in one building!
Not too much else to report....unlike Athens, I've been a bit slow to start exploring my surroundings besides going for runs in the neighborhood, but I'm trying to take a little bit different route every time I'm out so I can see a bit more everyday.
The weather turned very chilly yesterday, and the wind gusts last night were so strong that they actually woke me up! I heard on the local news this morning that at least one tree was blocking a 4-lane road, and it was 16 degrees when I left for work, which didn't help!
Jezebel the pup doesn't go too far from my site when Anna isn't home...right now she's curled up in one of the chairs in my room! Tallulah is just as cute, but they certainly have very different personalities. It has been fun to have dogs around so far!
I've attached a few pictures...
Tallulah waiting for a pat.
Jezebel curled up on my hoodie.
Not too much else to report....unlike Athens, I've been a bit slow to start exploring my surroundings besides going for runs in the neighborhood, but I'm trying to take a little bit different route every time I'm out so I can see a bit more everyday.
The weather turned very chilly yesterday, and the wind gusts last night were so strong that they actually woke me up! I heard on the local news this morning that at least one tree was blocking a 4-lane road, and it was 16 degrees when I left for work, which didn't help!
Jezebel the pup doesn't go too far from my site when Anna isn't home...right now she's curled up in one of the chairs in my room! Tallulah is just as cute, but they certainly have very different personalities. It has been fun to have dogs around so far!
I've attached a few pictures...
Tallulah waiting for a pat.
Jezebel curled up on my hoodie.
Monday, February 2, 2009
If I tell you, I'll have to...
Well, I'm not really doing anything that top secret. Today was Day 1 of my externship and it involved a lot of online safety training, tours, introductions, and paperwork once I finally found my way to the campus! Atlanta roads aren't very easy to follow, as they change names every block or so.
Not much else to report...I just wanted to add some pictures that I've taken around the house so you can sort of see what it is like where I am.
The weather here today is drizzly and cold, so I'm hoping later in the week it will warm back up to the beautiful days we had over the weekend!
The bed nook in my room.
The other wall of windows.
A view to the backyard from my bed.
Not much else to report...I just wanted to add some pictures that I've taken around the house so you can sort of see what it is like where I am.
The weather here today is drizzly and cold, so I'm hoping later in the week it will warm back up to the beautiful days we had over the weekend!
The bed nook in my room.
The other wall of windows.
A view to the backyard from my bed.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I'm back!!!
So, I changed the name of the blog to cover both of my Georgia externship experiences....I thought about using an Atlanta nickname in place of the Athens nickname, but there aren't many that are very nice.
I made it into Atlanta Saturday afternoon after stopping through Birmingham to visit with Andrew and Amy's clan (plus Biz and Tim and friend). The house was very easy to find and is in a great neighborhood! The houses are older with lots of character but they've all been updated, and this house is great! Anna (the homeowner) is very nice and has made me feel very comfortable- she has 2 really cute dogs (Tallulah and Jezebel), and it is nice to have two happy tails wagging to greet you when you come through the gate!
Last night, I mainly unpacked and settled into my room- a great room on the back corner of the house with lots of windows and a bathroom. Anna was helping with a charity event, so when she got home we finally met.
This morning, I met Wilson and Brooks for church. Wilson lives and works here in Atlanta, and Brooks was visiting for the weekend from Chattanooga, so it was great to visit with them! We went to church (ChristChurch Presbyterian), where a kind woman waited and chatted with me until I found the guys, and then we went to eat lunch at Treehouse- a great Sunday brunch spot.
I made my way back to the house...I don't think I went the quickest way, but I got here with no problems, and the weather was so nice that I sat on the back steps watching the dogs play in the grass and reading a magazine. When Anna got home, I followed her to the grocery store so I could see the way to the shopping center and CDC. The store was PACKED, and I bruised my shin with a defunct shopping cart, but I got enough food to last me for the week I hope.
The neighborhood seems very friendly- everyone knows each other, has dogs, and watches out for one another. Today, I met the man next door, and then went with Anna to watch part of the Super Bowl with a couple across the street. They were very nice (and had a really cute Golden Doodle puppy) and said to let them know if I need anything while I'm here- he made sure what type of car I have so he can keep an eye out.
That is about it for today....tomorrow is the big Day 1 for my CDC externship and I don't know what to expect! I will try to post pictures and details tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
I made it into Atlanta Saturday afternoon after stopping through Birmingham to visit with Andrew and Amy's clan (plus Biz and Tim and friend). The house was very easy to find and is in a great neighborhood! The houses are older with lots of character but they've all been updated, and this house is great! Anna (the homeowner) is very nice and has made me feel very comfortable- she has 2 really cute dogs (Tallulah and Jezebel), and it is nice to have two happy tails wagging to greet you when you come through the gate!
Last night, I mainly unpacked and settled into my room- a great room on the back corner of the house with lots of windows and a bathroom. Anna was helping with a charity event, so when she got home we finally met.
This morning, I met Wilson and Brooks for church. Wilson lives and works here in Atlanta, and Brooks was visiting for the weekend from Chattanooga, so it was great to visit with them! We went to church (ChristChurch Presbyterian), where a kind woman waited and chatted with me until I found the guys, and then we went to eat lunch at Treehouse- a great Sunday brunch spot.
I made my way back to the house...I don't think I went the quickest way, but I got here with no problems, and the weather was so nice that I sat on the back steps watching the dogs play in the grass and reading a magazine. When Anna got home, I followed her to the grocery store so I could see the way to the shopping center and CDC. The store was PACKED, and I bruised my shin with a defunct shopping cart, but I got enough food to last me for the week I hope.
The neighborhood seems very friendly- everyone knows each other, has dogs, and watches out for one another. Today, I met the man next door, and then went with Anna to watch part of the Super Bowl with a couple across the street. They were very nice (and had a really cute Golden Doodle puppy) and said to let them know if I need anything while I'm here- he made sure what type of car I have so he can keep an eye out.
That is about it for today....tomorrow is the big Day 1 for my CDC externship and I don't know what to expect! I will try to post pictures and details tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
Monday, November 24, 2008
I'm Home!
Well, I guess we can change the name of the blog now...I got home Saturday just in time to go to the MSU vs. Arkansas game, and luckily for the Bulldogs, I brought home some good luck!
The end of my stay was pretty uneventful...I got to watch a Puerto Rican Parrot necropsy and 2 Texas Horned Lizard necropsies on my last day, and Kevin, the boss/teacher took me to lunch at Cali and Tito's.
So, after finally getting everything stuffed into the Ford Contour, I made it home! I'm currently still trying to get everything out of the Ford Contour and into its proper place in the apartment, but it doesn't all seem to fit.
The next couple of weeks = cram time for boards, so the only interesting things to be aware of will likely revolve around the possibility of Raleigh!?
Thanks for reading!
The end of my stay was pretty uneventful...I got to watch a Puerto Rican Parrot necropsy and 2 Texas Horned Lizard necropsies on my last day, and Kevin, the boss/teacher took me to lunch at Cali and Tito's.
So, after finally getting everything stuffed into the Ford Contour, I made it home! I'm currently still trying to get everything out of the Ford Contour and into its proper place in the apartment, but it doesn't all seem to fit.
The next couple of weeks = cram time for boards, so the only interesting things to be aware of will likely revolve around the possibility of Raleigh!?
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The big news from yesterday...
Not a bad week to be at SCWDS!!! See article below:
Hunter Kills Cougar in Georgia
posted November 18, 2008
Hunters around Georgia's West Point Lake might be led to believe that Georgia has a new predator roaming the woods - the cougar.
A Sunday kill of a male cougar on U.S. Army Corps of Engineer land at West Point Lake, south of Hwy. 109 seemed to verify that thought. However, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, this simply is a one-time experience.
"Though cougar and panther sightings persist in Georgia, there are no known native populations of these animals roaming the woods," advises Wildlife Resources Division Region Supervisor Kevin Kramer. "There is no reason to believe that there are any more cougars out there. This likely is a unique experience and while exciting, is not something for which we should be concerned."
The cougar, taken near the Abbottsford community west of LaGrange, was a male, 88 inches in length measured from the nose to the tip of the tail and weighed approximately 140 pounds. The hunter who took the animal was legally hunting deer from his tree stand at the time the cougar approached.
Initial examination by Wildlife Resources Division biologists found no tattoos, tags or collars, and the cougar had not been declawed.
Further examination by The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens Monday afternoon confirmed the cougar to be healthy and well fed. Researchers determined the cougar had a very low parasite level and that the pads on all four feet were scuffed. According to SCWDS staff, these findings are consistent with a captive reared cougar, not a wild specimen.
Due to the fact that there are no known native populations of cougars in Georgia, no permitted cougars in this area and that the closest Alabama facilities permitted to house cougars (in Elmore and Macon Counties) have accounted for all permitted cougars, the animal taken Sunday likely escaped or was released from a non-permitted individual.
There currently are no leads as to who may have most recently held the animal, but the Division will continue to look into all possibilities.
Hunter Kills Cougar in Georgia
posted November 18, 2008
Hunters around Georgia's West Point Lake might be led to believe that Georgia has a new predator roaming the woods - the cougar.
A Sunday kill of a male cougar on U.S. Army Corps of Engineer land at West Point Lake, south of Hwy. 109 seemed to verify that thought. However, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, this simply is a one-time experience.
"Though cougar and panther sightings persist in Georgia, there are no known native populations of these animals roaming the woods," advises Wildlife Resources Division Region Supervisor Kevin Kramer. "There is no reason to believe that there are any more cougars out there. This likely is a unique experience and while exciting, is not something for which we should be concerned."
The cougar, taken near the Abbottsford community west of LaGrange, was a male, 88 inches in length measured from the nose to the tip of the tail and weighed approximately 140 pounds. The hunter who took the animal was legally hunting deer from his tree stand at the time the cougar approached.
Initial examination by Wildlife Resources Division biologists found no tattoos, tags or collars, and the cougar had not been declawed.
Further examination by The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens Monday afternoon confirmed the cougar to be healthy and well fed. Researchers determined the cougar had a very low parasite level and that the pads on all four feet were scuffed. According to SCWDS staff, these findings are consistent with a captive reared cougar, not a wild specimen.
Due to the fact that there are no known native populations of cougars in Georgia, no permitted cougars in this area and that the closest Alabama facilities permitted to house cougars (in Elmore and Macon Counties) have accounted for all permitted cougars, the animal taken Sunday likely escaped or was released from a non-permitted individual.
There currently are no leads as to who may have most recently held the animal, but the Division will continue to look into all possibilities.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I LOVE FALL!!!
It was a beautiful Sunday for a road trip! After church today, I came home and changed quickly to head to Tallulah Gorge in "North Georgia." I am disappointed that I didn't find out more information about this place before the fam came to visit, because I think we all would have enjoyed the scenery.
Tallulah Gorge is about an hour and a half north of Athens and consists of a number of water falls below a Georgia Power dam that was built in the early 20th century.
I got to the Interpretive Center around 2 pm, and one of the rangers got me a map of the gorge and explained where I needed to go. I told him I wanted the full Tallulah Gorge experience, so I got my permit to hike the gorge bottom (it was free, but it was a little scary to have to give emergency contact info and my car description). They give 100 permits per day to people that want to hike the bottom of the gorge- I think it keeps the liability down, and cuts down on the commercialism of it all.
So, with multiple layers of clothes, my water bottle, Chacos attached to my Mountainsmith, a flashlight (just in case!), and a banana, I headed off to Outlook #1. The following pictures and descriptions chart my journey:
This is one view overlooking the gorge from the north side- the leaves were beautiful!
This is the first waterfall that you see from the outlooks.
Uh oh! Get ready for 370 steps down to the...
suspension bridge (sorry I didn't turn it right-side-up)!
Here is a view looking back up the stairs. Now, another 225 stairs down to...
the base of Hurricane Falls. To proceed onward from here, you have to have your official permit (though no one is there to check it), and the trip through the bottom of the gorge starts by jumping rocks across the river:
Thankfully, a large group of girls was coming back across and one helped me across the log perfectly balanced like a see-saw. The following 2 pictures prove that I made it across the river, and I'm looking back towards the wooden overlook where I had my portrait made in front of Hurricane Falls:
This shows the group of girls headed back across. If you ever go to Tallulah Gorge, I'd recommend taking a buddy. With my short legs, I definately would have ended up in the water on the way across, though the way back wasn't as difficult.
A beautiful view of a pool of water at the top of Oceana Falls.
A view from the end of the gorge hike at Bridal Veil Falls. This would be a perfect spot for a picnic lunch! Now it is time to re-trace my steps back to the rock crossing.
One of the many self-portraits I took along the way to document my trek.
Soo...back across the rocks (I did get one foot a little soggy along the way), up the 225 stairs to the level of the suspension bridge...and347 more steps to the top of the south rim. This is one of the pictures I took along the way up the stairs...I mainly stopped to take pictures here so I wouldn't look like I was about to collapse, which was actually the case.
So...I followed the South Rim upstream, crossed the dam, and headed back towards the Interpretive Center, stopping to take a photo of the dam on the way:
.
So, a 2 hour, 4 mile jaunt down the Tallulah Gorge was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon- I'd highly recommend it, and I can't wait to go back with Joel one day.
A few pictures from the drive back to Athens:
A view leaving the mountains looking southward. There were some incredible views on the way north, but I couldn't stop to take pictures because I was scared all of the permits would be gone!
The huge sign at the outlet mall in Commerce, GA sucked me in. I didn't actually shop, but I couldn't resist driving through the parking lot since they advertised so strongly.
A random shot of one of the many "Pandemic Flu. Be Prepared." billboards around Athens. I'm not quite sure what action they're calling the citizens to, but it makes a good photo op!
Tallulah Gorge is about an hour and a half north of Athens and consists of a number of water falls below a Georgia Power dam that was built in the early 20th century.
I got to the Interpretive Center around 2 pm, and one of the rangers got me a map of the gorge and explained where I needed to go. I told him I wanted the full Tallulah Gorge experience, so I got my permit to hike the gorge bottom (it was free, but it was a little scary to have to give emergency contact info and my car description). They give 100 permits per day to people that want to hike the bottom of the gorge- I think it keeps the liability down, and cuts down on the commercialism of it all.
So, with multiple layers of clothes, my water bottle, Chacos attached to my Mountainsmith, a flashlight (just in case!), and a banana, I headed off to Outlook #1. The following pictures and descriptions chart my journey:
This is one view overlooking the gorge from the north side- the leaves were beautiful!
This is the first waterfall that you see from the outlooks.
Uh oh! Get ready for 370 steps down to the...
suspension bridge (sorry I didn't turn it right-side-up)!
Here is a view looking back up the stairs. Now, another 225 stairs down to...
the base of Hurricane Falls. To proceed onward from here, you have to have your official permit (though no one is there to check it), and the trip through the bottom of the gorge starts by jumping rocks across the river:
Thankfully, a large group of girls was coming back across and one helped me across the log perfectly balanced like a see-saw. The following 2 pictures prove that I made it across the river, and I'm looking back towards the wooden overlook where I had my portrait made in front of Hurricane Falls:
This shows the group of girls headed back across. If you ever go to Tallulah Gorge, I'd recommend taking a buddy. With my short legs, I definately would have ended up in the water on the way across, though the way back wasn't as difficult.
A beautiful view of a pool of water at the top of Oceana Falls.
A view from the end of the gorge hike at Bridal Veil Falls. This would be a perfect spot for a picnic lunch! Now it is time to re-trace my steps back to the rock crossing.
One of the many self-portraits I took along the way to document my trek.Soo...back across the rocks (I did get one foot a little soggy along the way), up the 225 stairs to the level of the suspension bridge...and347 more steps to the top of the south rim. This is one of the pictures I took along the way up the stairs...I mainly stopped to take pictures here so I wouldn't look like I was about to collapse, which was actually the case.
So...I followed the South Rim upstream, crossed the dam, and headed back towards the Interpretive Center, stopping to take a photo of the dam on the way:
.So, a 2 hour, 4 mile jaunt down the Tallulah Gorge was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon- I'd highly recommend it, and I can't wait to go back with Joel one day.
A few pictures from the drive back to Athens:
A view leaving the mountains looking southward. There were some incredible views on the way north, but I couldn't stop to take pictures because I was scared all of the permits would be gone!
The huge sign at the outlet mall in Commerce, GA sucked me in. I didn't actually shop, but I couldn't resist driving through the parking lot since they advertised so strongly.
A random shot of one of the many "Pandemic Flu. Be Prepared." billboards around Athens. I'm not quite sure what action they're calling the citizens to, but it makes a good photo op!
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