I spent all week saying goodbye to people. I like everyone here, but am not really attached, so it was fun rather than sad. They held a Game Night at the community center on Thursday as a farewell to me and Whitny, which was really fun. Barbara brought a cake with about 6 pounds of icing, and there was much cakeage and games. It's too bad Lindsay couldn't come, but she's doing battle with her thesis in Lubbock.

It was also a week of finishing up work, which seems to be taking much more time than planned. I mapped all the roads on my secondary ranch this week (now that I'm leaving, I finally know where stuff is). The maps took much longer to finagle than planned, but I'm *really* pleased with how they came out. The computer-drawn roads are very clear, especially compared to the surprisingly poor hand-drawn maps that were available before I began the project. I am the map queen. Willard (provisional boss #4) also asked if he could e-mail me some spreadsheets to remodel after I leave. It's pleasant to have a reputation for being very good at (at least that element of) my job, to the point of being a minor computer guru. I think field biologists are generally inclined to dislike computers.

SO, I was supposed to leave early this morning, but spent all yesterday finishing maps and writing a tutorial for the mapping program (so hopefully someone can use all my mapping data someday instead of letting it collect dust.) Thus, today is packing, really-truly-finishing-my-work, and more packing. I will be conveying a mountain of zucchini to my sister's, as we are truly being overrun.

Packing to Morning Edition. Mmmmm.