Tidbits of This Life I Live

I could banter on and on about what it is like to live on this incredible island, but instead I will show you a few things that I have experienced in the last few weeks.

Moonset over Sierra Blanca. It was T-shirt weather at 5:30am on the top of this ridge.

It was coupled with this sunrise.

And also this purple glow, looking north at Picacho Diablo as the sun peeked over the ocean.

Can't hardly tell in this photo, but my face is covered in dirt, as it is every day that I radiotrack. We usually come back from the field absolutely filthy, faces streaked with dirt mixed with sweat and sunscreen, hair filled with twigs and leaves, pockets overflowing with bits of sticks and duff. This photo also shows that I have been bad about putting sunscreen--sun bitten?

This Island Fox was napping in my "driveway/parking spot" at the cabins.

This is what I was for Halloween, minus my sweet La Catrina hat. Who knew that this was the 100th anniversary of the death of the artist who made La Catrina famous as the woman who represented parts of Dia De Los Muertos. Halloween on Santa Cruz Island was the best I've had in years---we had dinner, a real treasure hunt, and some riveting games of capture the flag and sardines in the dark night around the Main Ranch, which has a lot of history of it's own that makes you think about the dark things that might have happened once upon a time...

My Dia de los Muertos altar with food (I left a tamale, but I ate it before I took the picture), drink, and special gifts for my loved ones who have died.

We've been snorkeling a lot. I wish I had an underwater camera!! Harbor Seals, Bat Rays, nudibranchs, and some crazy fish!

I get to watch these amazing birds all day long!

Impossible not to love them.

The Mordor-like sunrise on our Picacho Diablo adventure with the Ant Crew. We all got up super early and piled into the Land Cruiser and drove to the highest peak on the island (20 minute hike from the parking spot). It was warm and windy and fantastic.

Happy? I think so!

Looking towards the mainland as the light changed.

The view from the top, looking East, towards the National Park Service side of the island. We were the only people for miles and it felt great!

Jay Crew + Ant Crew = Good times!

Fancy dinner on the island! Jenn's boyfriend gave us some Northern Pintail that he shot earlier in the month, so Sam (our culinary genius) cooked them up in butter and salt, and we ate them with a balsamic reduction sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Wine on the side made it a fine meal indeed.

More to come soon! More about the Jays, I promise. I feel like I am really living in the moment while I am here, which makes in hard to sit down at a computer screen and write about it all to share it. Photos will have to do for now.