Thursday, July 3, 2014

July 2 (Day 183) - Getting ready for Pawnee

Today I rode from Boulder, CO to Ft Collins, CO. I had to make a big detour this morning to look for my bike lock. I must have dropped it at some point last night since it was nowhere to be found among my stuff this morning. I figured it was worth the effort to look for it, but I was not successful. I guess that's another $35 out the window - ugh. I should be OK without one for at least the next few days. The ride after the lock search was fairly uneventful bird-wise as I was focused on people today. I met my friend Monica in Longmont for ice cream. Monica was a postdoc in the the lab at NYU where I did my PhD. She lives in Longmont now where she works as a scientific writer/editor. The evening was highlighted by a visit with Tai, a postdoc and friend from MGH/Harvard who is now a professor at Colorado State Univeristy in Fort Collins. He studies RNA, specific small-RNAs that help regulate different aspects of gene expression levels. You can check out his lab webpage here. I am staying at his house with him and his wife Brooke.
Monica and me at Dairy Queen
Revisiting my science days in Tai's lab

Can I count these?

 I am currently scrambling around trying to get tomorrow and Friday organized. I will almost certainly be without internet access both of those night, so maybe Sonia will put something up to keep everyone entertained. I will be camping at Pawnee National Grassland where I will be looking for a number of prairie species. A number of folks will be coming with me to bird and hang out, so it should make for a fun couple of days.  

 I am still trying to sort out what is going to happen after Pawnee. I may head right to Cheyenne or I might detour into Nebraska to look for Greater prairie-chicken and a few other species. I need to think about this right now, so I have to cut this short. It is near impossible to ride, bird, organize, blog, and sleep efficiently in one day......

Lastly,  I want to remind everyone that the match period for donations is still open. Victor Emanual Nature Tours (VENT) will match up to $2,500 dollars of donations made between June 23 and July 7. We have made nice progress so far, but if you have been waiting to make a donation, now it the perfect time. Once again, thanks again to VENT for stepping up with such a generous offer!


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3 comments:

  1. Judy P.July 3, 2014 at 10:00 AM

    Not sure this posted, so I'm trying again. I have donated before and got a note from the Conservation Fund about my donation. I'm a member of ABA and wonder if there's a way to donate that it goes to them? or does that happen later?? Also, wondering since your in the neighborhood if you are visiting with them?
    Judy Phoenix

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  2. birdergirlJuly 3, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    I just donated again. If your tremendous fundraising efforts and these great causes were not enough, the hours I've spent enjoying your adventures through the blog entries, learning about the places you have been and the birds you are seeing, marveling at the physical feat a big year on a bike requires, anticipating the next blog entry (did he get the bird?), and laughing out loud at the jokes and banter with Sonia (and the funny pictures!) are all more than worth making another donation - especially during the window when VENT will match the donations. Thank you Dorian (and Sonia), and thank you VENT. Go get em Dorian!!!! Cheers!

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  3. Vjera ThompsonJuly 7, 2014 at 12:04 AM

    Dorian, I'm a bicycle birder in Eugene, Oregon, and I've been enjoying your blog and journey this year. I just made a donation in support. If you make it to Eugene, I'd love to go birding with you. One of the best local spots is Fern Ridge, a very good shorebirding spot--Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is almost annual. It's a fairly large area, so birding it by bicycle is one of my favorite ways to get around.

    Vjera Thompson

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