calm

From last week... Haven't had a chance to post it:

I can’t believe how calm it is this morning.  

The river is like glass this morning and I feel an overwhelming guilt for not introducing you to all the beautiful bouquets that meet my gaze every morning and throughout the day.  When the wind ceases to power over nature’s lustre, my new world becomes a temperate “rainforest” of exotic bird melodies.  The night brings forth chorusing frogs from the ponds just outside my window.  Do I even hear crickets?  A sweet lullaby directed by the Composer himself.

* * *

I've been beginning to see New Holland honey creepers in groups now, maybe congregating for some spring love?  

Today is Father's Day in Australia.  Thanks for everything, Dad :)

After a run yesterday, instead of commencing with a date with excel and fish data, a group of us road bikes (some drove) a few miles to the beach.  I borrowed an old road bike with a sweet basket on the front.  Minus the worry of breaking down over curb lips and the intermittent clicking during gear switches, it was a pleasantly smooth ride.  The driving bunch found a futon on the side of the road, which they loaded into Elijah's truck and carried from the parking lot, about a quarter of a mile, to the beach.  Although wet suits were a must, Leon took to the waves without... I dipped my feet in and was immediately reminded of ice baths after track practice.  The moment of hurt before they go numb.  I don't think I've ever felt a natural body of water as cold as the Southern Ocean.  And I guess it stays that way, with slight variability, all year.  It may see more than my feet if temperatures get above 32 degrees C (90 degrees F) this summer!

We grilled out when we got home... A scrumptious salad and hoki for me.  

http://www.seafoodsource.com/seafoodhandbook.aspx?id=10737418913

http://www.fish.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/88509348-358E-4ACF-999E-216B361B7B8F/0/Hoki2011v3.pdf

Others had pork chops, kangaroo burgers, and brats.  I said, "so many species on one grill!" (Although, we did take up two...)  One of these times I will have to make kabobs...

After dinner we did manage to get a little homework in.  We are working on compiling fish data, that was provided to us, as well as data we obtained from our own fish (below) in an exercise to:

- characterize the ecological niche by examining feeding morphology and body form

- determine the age of a species of fish using scales and otoliths
- determine the nature of the body scale relationship for a single species
- using the body scale relationship, back calculate growth history of a single species
- attempt a Petersen analysis for a population of a single species
- determine condition factors for different populations of a single species of fish from different localities
- determine the gonadosomatic indices (GSI) for sexually mature males and females from populations of a single species of fish from different localities
- assess the degree of stomach fullness for populations of single species fish from different localities

We dissected what appeared to be juvenile Atlantic salmon last week, although Ryan tells me our professor informed him it was rainbow trout.  Either way, I wanted to take the flesh home with me and cook it up.  I wonder now what he would have said if I had asked...

It is an interesting process to retrieve the otoliths.  I believe there are a few ways to go about doing this, but one must access the brain cavity to do so.  Using a slightly dull butcher knife, similar to the type I had back home to cut up my carrots, we stabbed the top of the head and cut down, in between the eyes (with the right amount of force to break the bones) and pulled apart the head like a book... hmm.  Carefully plucking out the brain with a fine-tipped tweezers, I "ammaturely" searched for a tiny, disc-like bone, supposed to be positioned in the back of the brain cavity.  After pulling out a few pieces of quizzical looking bone, and asking, "is this it?" only to be disappointed time after time, (sigh), I finally found it.  Of course, it was totally unreadable under the microscope... A bummer, but a fun, hands-on learning experience none-the-less... A real treat, since I have not dissected an animal since during my first undergraduate career.  I almost feel confident that I could fillet my own fish without any training now :)

* * *

I made "Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Soup" tonight.  I have not tried it, but will let you know how it is...

Here is an article that was posted in the local news today:
http://www.standard.net.au/story/1744991/pictures-whales-put-on-a-show-at-logans-beach/?cs=73

P.S. Shopping carts are called "trolleys".

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