A couple things

 This afternoon was long, but it was good. A colleague and I went out to some of the Choctaw's property,a remnant prairie, where they are putting bison on. There's an opportunity to do research on how the plant community changes with grazing (in addition to burning - I don't know if they've switched yet from mowing to burning or if this is the first year).

The bison are brand new. They are still fencing off areas where they will graze, so they're in a temporary pen, also apparently they need to "imprint" on an area so they don't try to go walkabout, and keeping them penned up for a few weeks seems to do that.

They're still fairly young. I think the guy said it was two cows (heifers, I guess, they're pretty young) and a bull, but it was hard to tell. 

I got a picture, but....unfortunately one of them had already lifted its tail to poop when I grabbed the photo:

 Anyway, it was a good trip out, we drove all over in one of those "gator" things (like an all terrain golf cart) to look at the area and we discussed planning for the sampling. I will be doing some of it with students, and I made a point to ask that there be REAL gates in the fences of the exclosures (control areas where the bison don't go, so we can compare the effect on the plants) because I remember how in grad school, the deer-browse project I helped on, the park that built the exclosures was unclear on how to do it and didn't put gates in, so we had to climb up 12' of fencing (deer can jump 10' high) to get in.

I can't do that any more. Not just because I'm older and heavier, I don't think my knee would allow it even if being up high like that could tank my blood pressure and make me fall. 

We also brought along a grad student doing bird surveys; he may add this site to his research plan. The Choctaw people do seem to really want to get as complete a biological picture of the place as possible, which is a great opportunity for us. 

***

Also, today is Pancake Day. That's probably the closest to what my heritage would do, and where I grew up that was often the thing - not the paczki or mardi gras or carnevale, but pancakes. 

I think the idea ONCE was to use up eggs before the Lenten fast, but now it's maybe more of a vestigial celebration (I don't know too many people who give up that many things; I did know an Orthodox couple once who gave up meat but as I remember they still ate some cheese or eggs during Lent.)

But pancakes are also simple, and I was tired, and it felt like a good way to mark the day

 I also had a few blueberries I needed to use up.

Tomorrow night is Ash Wednesday service and as a number of us still work - and have to be at work early enough that an early service might not work - we do it in the evening. I am on deck to do readings, and I assume as Head Elder the distribution of ashes will be partly my duty. 

(I hope I don't cry this year. I very nearly did last year and in the time since, one of our members had a cancer scare - apparently they got it all - and another one had a heart issue that's since been resolved, but again; far too many things to remind me of impermanence and loss)

 ***

I'm still working on Lithos. Still just on the ribbing, which you do 3 1/2" of before switching to the first fancy-stitch pattern. 

I do like the Fisherman's Wool for this; it will definitely be a rustic style shawl rather than a delicate one but it does work up into a nice "beefy" fabric: