Happy Memorial Day

I found this entry from a journal I kept in 2005, the first time I did the memorial weekend circuit in the desert with the boys: 

"Hey guys. Just got back from a long ass hardcore birding trip in the desert with all my boys. It was kickass. We saw about 100 species of birds there, +150 something for the entire weekend. (including a day of birding here when they dropped me back home) More Im sure if I counted it. Got about 13 lifers including incredible looks at a long-eared owl in broad daylight. Also, I held a baby Kangaroo Rat!! so adorable. pictures to come...It wasn't as hot as it could have been, hovered around 95-100 degrees, because there was a strooooong wind blowing most of the time we were there. Salt and dust in your eyes constantly. ew. 

We went all over the Mojave, Kern, Inyokern and Death Valley area. Great birding overall, even if the first few days were woefully slow. Ran into a lot of birders doing variations of the same route we were. Apparently desert birding is a Memorial weekend must. lol.We camped each night in the cars or on cots next to the cars, then birded alllll day, stopping sporadically to eat, get gas, or pee. (not as often as my bladder or stomach would have liked I might add...) It was fun and exhausting.

 Even though I got home last night, I birded with them this morning and I plan to sleep the rest of the day so I can go to school tomorrow... hope Im not toooo far behind in all my classes now. ugh.I love my boys. Ryan, Mattie (Matt), Oscar, Dave, Austin and his dad. Others came and went, Ryan's parents, who I adore. Also the Howes, Tom and Leiga, and a man named Mike, and quite a few others who we met at various spots, birded with, then parted ways. Good times, good people, good beer, good birds. What more is there to life? =)"

This year I'm grilling with my parents and beginning the long and depressing task of packing up my apartment because I graduate and move out in a little over two weeks. I have tons of stuff to sort through and decide what stays in CA, what comes to Vermont, and what I need for my summer on Catalina.