Franklin the Chinchilla

One of the graduate students told me that her boyfriend was giving away a chinchilla! I really wanted one since Lucy when I was back living in the white farmhouse with Austin and Amanda. So, I instantly said yes! However...I did not realize and well, totally forgot that they were nocturnal creatures. So after traveling over the pass to Idaho, grabbing a mega huge cage (the size of my cabin's desk), and all of his accessories, I had Franklin (secretly) in my cabin. Please note that you are not allowed to have pets (besides fish) in your cabins...oops.

He was just so adorable and placing him in a huge chinchilla 'hamster' ball was the most precious and cutest thing ever. However, that is until bedtime. You are about to head to sleep and then all of a sudden, Franklin would start barking and chirping sooooo loud. And that is when I knew...this new relationship was not going to work. I tried leaving the light on, giving him food, anything. He is nocturnal and you can't change that. And well, after a week of lost sleep, I called my friend back and said I can't keep Franklin. I would love to if I was living in a house with multiple rooms (where I did not have to keep Franklin in mine). But yea, this new pet only lasted a week. But he was sooo adorable!

Until the next time I live in a house again! I will get a new chinchilla!

TheChristyBel

Little Franklin

Spring Has Sprung...In My Cabin

Although at least everyday this week, we have seen more and more flurries falling from the sky and there is still lots of snow still on the ground, spring is slowly coming to Wyoming!

Or maybe just my cabin!  Look who bloomed on my window sill, my venus fly trap!

Spring Has Sprung!  Venus Fly Trap Blooms!

Hoping Wyoming and the Tetons sees spring soon!

TheChristyBel

Avalanche Off Cloudveil

So, yesterday, I had a day off from class and teaching.  Did a lot of personal errands, or well to-do's around the campus from cleaning my messy cabin, rearranging the furniture, writing letters to friends and family, to finishing up my Year 2-Graduate School application to the University of Wyoming.

In the midst of my productive zone, I was sitting at my desk and all of a sudden I hear this huge crash outside my cabin.  I turn to my window, and it was not what I saw but lack of what I saw: which was nothing except snow!  Instead of seeing the view to the Main Lodge and Dining Lodge, all I could see was a huge mound of snow!

Avalanche off of Cloudveil Dome Cabin!

There was a mini-avalanche that had occurred on my roof and covered my view from my window.  All winter snow had been piling up on the roof.  I am thinking about 2 and half to 4 feet of snow.  The past few days have been full of an endless snowfall and the weird thing is that the temperatures have been increasing to the low and mid-30s. So this slight warming had been causing snow all around campus to melt and fall off.  Which can be really scary based on how much had accrued on my cabin!

Snowy Damage

Luckily, no one was hurt in the process and my cabin was left un-damaged!  However, I think maybe should try to prevent this from happening again and taking off some of that accumulated snow off my cabin.  Hmmm. Or Maybe I should do what they do at the ski resorts, bomb the snow and have artificial avalanches!

What It Looked Like Before the Fall: Lots of Snowy Layers & Icicles

Deadly Icicles

This Has Left Me With a Lack of Sunshine Into My Cabin & Scenic View Out of My Window

Guess I'll Have Some Shoveling To Do Tomorrow!
TheChristyBel

Moving Out of Little Blue!

So, Monday was the day...I could finally move into the Teton Science Schools for their Graduate Program.  I was beyond excited and relieved.  Since about July 25 (I think), I've been living out of Little Blue, my car.  I bet she was beyond excited to have me move out of her and into my cabin I would be calling home for the next 11.5 months.  I know, crazy!

I left around 7:30am MST from Salt Lake City and drove about 5 hours back to Kelly, Wyoming to get to campus in time for Check-In.  There it was a really exciting moment to start putting names and voices with faces!  It's been about 6-months speaking with people I didn't really know or knew what they looked like.  

There I met one of the Graduate Faculty staff who showed us around and brought us to our cabins for move in.

It's Official...This is really happening!

Welcome, Miss Bel, to your new home, Cloudveil!

Originally I was supposed to move into Buck, a small room over the Maintenance Building, however, during the WFr course, I was informed there was an opening in one of the cabins.  I was beyond relieved and excited.  I was shown both rooms and was given the choice to choose which one I would like.  Buck was very nice, it was small, 'Christy-sized' however, there was only one window on the door.  Which I was a little taken-back when I found that out.  Cloudveil Dome was a small cabin that offered me TWO windows, a door window, a huge overhang near my door with room for a bench and seating!  Very nice to come out this morning and sit on the bench and read with my coffee!  So I bet you can imagine which one I chose!  AND..the best part, I have window room for some new plant friends!

Cloudveil and Buck are a little isolated from the rest of the Graduate Circle on campus.  A parking lot separates my cabin from the majority of everyone else.  But I think that will be ok if there is a total of 20 females and 4 males in the program.  So a little space is fine!

Also, the nice thing is about Cloudveil is that I practically have my own bathroom.  Not in my cabin, but a private bathroom next to me located in the Dining Hall.  So that is nice as well!

I think they knew which animal was my favorite!

So I moved in pretty quickly.  I am glad I didn't bring as much stuff.  Although I do have mom sending me a few packages of other things I forgot.  So below are the before and after photos of me moving into my new home.

Near the front door: my 'closet' and desk.

My bed area

I should have more to talk about, but last night was mostly just moving in and getting settled in.  Tonight, we will have a 2013-2014 Teton Science School Reception and Dinner welcoming all of the new 24 graduate students into the program with the faculty.  Finally, IT'S REALLY HAPPENING!

More updates to come...let me just get settled in first. :)

TheChristyBel