Tying the Knot

As the title suggets, yes I am engaged. Delightfully engaged. I have met my soulmate, my best friend and confident and I couldn't be happier. The story of our meeting came flooding back when my wonderful Michael drove me over to the airport parking lot we so fatefully parked in 3+ years prior and on bended knee asked me the question that I so wanted to hear. I have to say even though we have talked and talked about marriage until that moment happened, that one question came out of his mouth I hadn't thought about how it will feel. And wow did I feel...everything. Crying I said yes yes yes and then we took our favorite hike, up a sea and windshaped rock overlooking the Pacific. It was quiet and beautiful. (Photo to left taken the day of and edited by my wonderful sister Amiee)

I always wanted to capture my wedding adventures in a blog so I beleive I will try whole heartily to do so. It will be a long engagement filled with lots of handmade crafts of which I can't wait to get started. But first my ring, I need to introduce my ring. My brothers girlfriend, Brady Hardy, a truly excellent photographer took these shots for us to capture the ring that was crafted by Steven Victor and designed by my sweetie *with hints from me...keywords: oval-sideways..white gold..bezel (no prongs)...simple. And did he deliver, my dream ring

Spring's Renewal

Another Spring and I am excited to renew this blog. Stepping away from this forum has enlightened me on many things...one in particular is the very act of writing here inspires me to continue on to the next craft, the next outing, the next new experience. How interesting that if you give yourself some time for inner reflection motivation is just there.. Well it is for me so here I go on my journey to re-enliven myself :)

As a field botanist, I get to experience amazing adventures, beautiful sites, and many many interesting circumstances...some of which have me guessing on what it is I really do for plants...

What do I do? Hmm how about sinking in a mud pit, queue two years ago in a bog in Oregon. Yep that is me with very fashionable waders, notice the mud level on my legs this is after crawling out with my crew's help and crying for my mom..literally :)...

Planting eelgrass in an intertidal mud flat...a very clean job let me tell you.. (same waders only this time the mud was expected)
Having very easily manageable transects...through a thicket of strangling branches and hidden stinging nettleAnd oh if i could explain in words the complete terror this lichenologist put me through when he had me follow him scaling shear hillsides for the rare nephroma occultum, if only...

And the infamous Brent, worst driver of Stillwater, that slammed our rental into a treachous ditch on an unmanaged forest road, this was my first field effort at Stillwater..

And yet, every single experience I shared above and all the many I haven't just plain makes me happy that I chose this line of work. Through wasp attacks, dashing wildfires, losing too many sunglasses to count, and prickles from every known plant, I have these sights and very good people to look forward to. This is what i do and why i do it.

Signing off for now..

Emmy B