tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43467654451750601772026-08-24T03:45:06.383-07:00Learning the RangeWelcome to my blog! As you will learn, I am an advocate for horses and for wildlife. I am an advocate for the shrub-steppe ecosystem. And, I am an advocate for a continued way of living that is being lost to encroaching development - farming and ranching. Follow me while I study grazing impacts to sage-grouse habitat on the Wild Horse Wind Facility and discuss wild horse issues!The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-47906727412463453322013-05-16T14:54:00.001-07:002013-05-16T21:53:25.146-07:00ISO Field Assistant<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-66845570843692012162013-04-14T22:00:00.001-07:002013-04-14T22:08:31.920-07:00Schedule Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 8:00 AM Work Office* Office* Work Work 9:00 AM Work Office* Office* Work Work 10:00 AM Office Office* Office* Office* Office* 11:00 AM Class Class Class Class Office* 12:00 PM Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 1:00 PM Office* Ride Office* Ride The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-26784890280996122422012-09-14T15:26:00.001-07:002012-09-14T15:28:57.653-07:00Fire safetyWhen driving in dry grasslands, it is important to look for dried plants under your truck!&#160; I will definitely be checking under my work truck after seeing this happen to a co-worker.&#160; We didn't get there fast enough to prevent total engulfment.&#160; It made for some Friday excitement and some education about "catostrphic converters," which get hot and can ignite any dry material stuck The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-9463713097197272842012-09-13T15:23:00.001-07:002012-09-13T15:33:53.786-07:00For Sage Grouse Marking fences increases visibility and lessons the likelihood that birds will fly into them by 83%, as found in a graduate student's research (Bryan Stevens).&nbsp; Here on the Yakima Training Center, home to one of the two populations of Sage Grouse in Washington State, we are marking boundary fences to reduce mortality. The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-51269186437215185972012-07-20T15:37:00.001-07:002012-07-20T15:47:53.197-07:00Adding another year Well.&nbsp; It's been a while.&nbsp; That always seems to be the case. I've completed my two years of graduate courses - the required and the fun.&nbsp; However.&nbsp; I have yet to complete any field work for my looming thesis project.&nbsp; Recently, I decided to throw another twist into the study.&nbsp; In the end, this added a level of complexity and brought my study question into a The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-4180725022875738942012-01-25T08:44:00.000-08:002012-01-25T08:45:16.822-08:00Greater Sage-Grouse Sage hen on the Yakima Training Center Imagine. &nbsp;An open grassy field surrounded by the sweet-smelling aroma of sagebrush in spring. &nbsp;There is a strange sound in the silence, like a hooting whistle and a pop as the male greater sage-grouse puffs and struts to attract a female in his courtship dance. &nbsp;The yellowish sacs on his neck fill with air as he postures, hoping for The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-58137410970421994202011-10-05T09:06:00.000-07:002011-10-05T09:24:49.400-07:00Fall UpdatesIt has been a while! A lot did not happen over the summer as far as my thesis research. Did not expect to hear that, did you? Well, I got a job on the Yakima Training Center conducting vegetation monitoring for Stell Environmental, who has a contract with the YTC. Between working out in the field full time and keeping up with my little munchkin, collecting data on my study site took the back The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0Central Washington University, 400 E University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7500, USA47.0062452 -120.5376656999999947.0010242 -120.54639069999999 47.0114662 -120.52894069999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-37728553658828865792011-07-09T17:28:00.000-07:002011-07-09T17:28:47.973-07:00The Pines Sage-Grouse HabitatFinally.&nbsp; I am at a computer with internet and have time to write an update concerning my thesis research.&nbsp; A month ago, I learned that I did not recieve funding for graduate research.&nbsp; I would have been hard pressed to come up with money on&nbsp; my own to travel to Oregon where I wanted to do my research on the effects of horse grazing to sage-grouse habitat.&nbsp; The past few The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0Central Washington University, 400 E University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7500, USA47.0062452 -120.5376656999999947.0010242 -120.54639069999999 47.0114662 -120.52894069999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-7949750399202115822011-06-07T16:54:00.000-07:002011-06-07T16:54:34.654-07:00Shifting Directions..Wow.&nbsp; What a day.&nbsp; Last day of course work for the quarter (still have TA work).&nbsp; I had a presentation this morning.&nbsp; Saige was up crying last night.&nbsp; She went through three changes of clothes this morning all while I was trying to prepare myself for the presentation.&nbsp; I have been sick for the past week and a half.&nbsp; Stressed.&nbsp; Tired.&nbsp; Sick.&nbsp; But, The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-11971323331693013722011-05-19T17:55:00.000-07:002011-05-19T17:55:42.008-07:00Poster PresentationSOURCE, the Symposium of University Research and Expression, was a success!&nbsp; I fumbled at first with the first few people, but by the end of the two hours, I was babbling away about my project proposal.&nbsp; Too bad those judges don't wait until the last half hour to come grill you about your poster.&nbsp; All in all, I think I did well enough.&nbsp; You can see more about my poster HERE The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-66695439718276563942011-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:002011-04-21T13:37:32.105-07:00Analyzing horses as cultural resources William Lipe describes four ways in which cultural resources are valued in his essay Value and Meaning in Cultural Resources.&nbsp; He details that some cultural resources have associative/symbolic value that provides a superior understanding of the past that written or oral history cannot match.&nbsp; Through these resources, such olden days can become tangible.&nbsp; They are symbols of a timeThe Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-66053316252140656052011-04-11T20:36:00.000-07:002011-05-19T06:40:37.369-07:00SOURCE Presentation 2011All right.&nbsp; So I convinced myself to sign myself up to present my thesis research proposal at the The Symposium on University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE).&nbsp; I am going to present a poster presentation this year.&nbsp; Next year, I hope to give a talk about my research and the data I aim to collect this summer.&nbsp; But, I am keeping it simple this year.&nbsp;&nbsp; The The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-31414297542445350282011-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:002011-04-16T19:15:31.239-07:00The Short 'n Sweet Research ProposalThis is the short and sweet version of my research proposal.&nbsp; I cannot believe that my first trip down there to locate study areas will be next month!&nbsp; I still have so much to do...&nbsp; take the truck in to a mechanic, buy a canopy (to sleep under in the back of my truck), install the CB, pick up a spare tire, check the brakes....yikes! If you have any interest in the full document, The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-17536984372779348702011-03-20T11:20:00.000-07:002011-04-16T19:31:29.347-07:00Peace in SolitudeSaige and I went out into the shrub-steppe yesterday.&nbsp; I'm always amazed at the silence out there.&nbsp; Once I turn off the rumble of the truck and step out into the crisp air, my ears are delightfully met with the sounds of ... nature.&nbsp; It must have looked like I was praying in church as I stood out there with my eyes closed.&nbsp; I let the sun shine down on me as I absorbed the The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-14223239399683958772011-03-10T07:09:00.001-08:002011-04-16T19:18:01.895-07:00Public land policy and wild horses <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-11879989290260433702011-03-05T20:59:00.000-08:002011-04-16T19:31:53.050-07:00Wild Horses: Best Birthday EverI woke up this morning dreading my birthday. It was just to be another start to the weekend spent in my apartment studying and listening to Saige whine because I had to put my nose in a book or stare glossy-eyed at the computer screen. However, after I administered a healthy dose of my morning stimulant (coffee, of course), I got to moving. I planned to run errands (groceries and see Jiggs), The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-72949963380087955952011-03-03T22:15:00.001-08:002011-04-16T19:18:54.654-07:00Procrastination by planning my summer research <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variableThe Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-84231567746602796382011-02-17T09:11:00.001-08:002011-04-16T20:18:05.709-07:00BLM budget cut: opinion <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-39195357132655084112011-02-10T08:18:00.000-08:002011-04-16T20:18:24.473-07:00Horse deaths at Indian Lakes road holding facilityI read an RT Fitch post this morning written by Maureen Harmonay, Equine Advocacy Examiner. It was stated that horses were dying at the Indian Lakes Road holding Facility near Fallon, Nevada as a result of secondary pneumonia. Mostly in the younger horses. This has been a common problem at this facility for the past year, according to what Harmonay found. Another problem has been hyperlipemiaThe Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-45223789372488598232011-02-08T15:13:00.000-08:002011-04-16T19:24:22.662-07:00Horse v. CowThere are a lot of controversies surrounding cattle grazing on public lands.&nbsp; There seems to be even more controversy and upset when horses are brought into the debate.&nbsp; This is compounded when the activists are involved who strive to protect the free-roaming horses’ right to exist without federal intervention.&nbsp; Wild horse activists are angered by the high numbers of cattle in The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-41972880675356732032011-02-07T11:23:00.000-08:002011-04-16T19:32:12.524-07:00$23 Million to protect sage-grouse habitatFeds Announce $23M to protect sage grouse habitat I was pretty excited to see this.&nbsp; While environmentalists and wildlife people are fighting to list the sage grouse on the Endangered Species List, the federal government is doing what it can to prevent them from having to be listed.&nbsp; They are providing twenty-three million dollars to buy up developmental rights on ranches and farms on The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-41807602309507239042011-02-05T17:04:00.000-08:002011-04-16T19:25:49.348-07:00Windy WalkSaige and I went for a windy walk today. The sun had come out this afternoon, but the wind whipping down off the Cascades was cold! Therefore, our walk was short lived. Saige did enjoy stomping around in her new Georgia Romeo's, size 5. I guess it's normal, but must she keep growing?&nbsp; Because I must note here, she is not wearing a diaper, neither cloth nor disposable! While followingThe Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-37877609567977423732011-02-03T23:06:00.000-08:002011-04-16T20:18:40.800-07:00Erroneous report to defund BLM round-ups?I will do anything to not do homework, apparently. &nbsp;Report to Congress....Request to Defund Roundups I just scanned through this report to congress to defund the BLM round ups. I did not do an in-depth view of it, but did notice their numbers seemed a little off. How did they come up with a number that is over 10,000 fewer than what the BLM says? If they are relying on counts by Craig The Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-591480493548424012011-02-03T15:36:00.000-08:002011-04-16T19:26:20.598-07:00Summer ResearchI am so excited about my summer plans! I have been in contact this week with Bill Anderson via email. He is so good about answering my array of questions. In a rough estimation, I will be down on Riddle Mountain in June to get some surveys and collect data before cows are turned out. This will be my horse-only study. Likely, the BLM will assist me in setting up enclosures, so I can look at aThe Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4346765445175060177.post-10201268884493732022011-02-03T11:49:00.000-08:002011-04-16T20:19:19.113-07:00Hoping on adoptionMy dad called me this morning asking if I knew anyone with a stock trailer. He is hoping to pick up a second job and start saving to adopt a Kiger mustang this fall. His adopted his last Kiger, a magnificent 8 year old stud, at Lynden, Washington when the Adopt-a-horse program was making its rounds. This was in May of 2005. My dad loved that horse. I remember that he would sit for hours downThe Ultra Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08606352241221399205noreply@blogger.com5