Well, the fuzzy little eaglets I’ve been watching since May have now grown up to full-sized juveniles and flown the coop. It’s sad to see them go, but I wish them luck. It’s strange to suddenly have time to do other things now, but staying busy is no difficult task. I’ve finally begun collecting hawksbeard and dune scurfpea for the Seeds of Success program, which takes longer than I had expected it would by myself, and at last have been getting out into new portions of the field office searching for reservoirs in which to document reptile and amphibian species. Primarily I’ve been looking for tiger salamanders and spadefoot toads, but have also found chorus frogs and a species of garter snake that seems to like swimming. I’ve also found triops, which is a crustacean whose form has apparently remained unchanged for millions of years and is considered a living fossil. I never would have expected to find a creature that looks like a little horseshoe crab way out here in a vernal pool in Wyoming, yet here it is! Wyoming is full of surprises.

One definite geographic benefit of working here is being in such close proximity to amazing places like Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, the Shoshone National Forest, and other relatively protected areas. It’s so nice to be able to get out of town and spend a weekend camping or hiking and just seeing new places. And who knows– all that hiking and camping could become an asset in applying for future jobs that may require backcountry experience. It’s also just an opportunity to do things I couldn’t do at home in Nebraska, where there aren’t any mountains to hike in or ski on, and camping in bear country is certainly an eye opener! I’m afraid I’m getting spoiled here. Home amongst the cows and cornfields and small cities is still home, and I’m sure I will enjoy plenty of my future jobs, but life as an intern in Cody is pretty darn good. I hope the last few months will go by slowly so I can take it all in.