Early morning in the backyard of the cabin. I took this the day after finishing trials, so I slept in and got to see the house at 6:30 in the morning. (Instead of 4:30.)

The housing site sits on the edge of Pymatuning Reservoir. Like Lake Annie at Archbold, it is close by and picturesque. Unlike Lake Annie, which is gently lined with sand and seaweed and probably the eyelashes of baby angels, the bottom is a blend of detritus, goose poo and mud. I never did go swimming here, sigh.

Another quarter-turn, and here�s the back of our cabin, home of cookouts and croquet games.

Going from the housing to lab site took 10 minutes of biking along an old railroad track. The first part was green and smooth and filled with neat things to stop and look at along the way.

You knew you were at the halfway point when the gravel unseated your butt from the bike and the Spillway signs approached.

Yup, here it is during Memorial Day weekend, complete with bread slice in mid-air. The reservoir continues beneath the bridge, and the curved cement is the farthest the carp can swim in this direction, so they end up swarming like maggots in the water below. (photo by Melissa)

Whole bagels, pizza crusts, pita and bread loaves float to the corner of the reservoir, where I�m sure they�re devoured in short order. (photo by Melissa)

I guess this is the game commission�s definition of biodiversity?

Maybe a video captures some of the insanity. (The kid beside me says, �Come on, let�s see how much of a frenzy we can make! [pause] And how widespread it can be!�) Please join me in saying HOLY CRAP, THIS PLACE IS SO WEIRD.

A little more biking, a little more gazing at lakeside scenery, and we reach the lab site. A few evenings, the bird and frog labs played soccer on the field to the left.

Across the field are fish farms, looking very precisely controlled. You can see Kim�s tree swallow nest boxes if you squint hard�okay, only if you know where they are.

Mama snapping turtle on the path, preoccupied enough with egg-laying to let me approach her.

Every so often she shifted her hind legs and plooped out a little ping-pong egg. (There�s one under her back right leg.) I will really miss this commute.

This is the second time I�ve seen an alpaca farm near a wildlife site. We drove past it en route to the field site and got to see them before and after they were sheared.

They kind of look like anime characters.

With bellbottoms and fringe cuts.

Marsh photos next!