Just a quick post to wake up the blog after its long nap ...

The latest fellowship application has been shipped, another feeler has been sent out, and I've just played the Montgomery Burns trash one-on-one at Ann Arbor for the first time. Actually scored points in all matches, won one game,and finished sixth out of seven. That's better than I'd hoped for, and it was great to see old friends (Joe, Stan, etc.) as well as the Ann Arbor crowd again.

Also went out into the field with Nick on Thursday afternoon and evening. With the help of Dave's maps, we found a thriving metropolis of the Allegheny mound ant. I figured I should start getting used to ant attacks, so I stood on the mounds while Nick assaulted them with a hand trowel and collected not only workers but young alates. Ants do not like having their young virgins kidnapped, and they will take out their frustrations not only on the trowel-wielder but on anyone or anything that accompanies him. I can now say that (a.) I know what it feels like to be thoroughly bitten by Formica exsectoides, and (b.) I definitely know what formic acid smells like.