Hi everybody!
So, I'm sure you're pretty peeved at me for leave off in the middle of last summer.... I can explain, really. You see, I stopped writing because, well, things got boring. I hate to say it, but it's true. We figured out the good stuff, tried to set up a quick experiment to start (and finish) in the last 2 weeks, and it kind of snuffed itself out due to some strange confounding factors. Basically, we let the 5 original toads go, got 10 new ones, and started over to get some real data.... but the toads didn't want to eat! They totally snubbed the dog food, and only one or two of them even ate in their cages. Sigh. It just goes to show, sometimes science doesn't happen the way you think it should. Fieldwork is so unpredictable, you have to just be ready to go with whatever works at the time. I came back to the USA with some great ideas, but no real, conclusive data. But that's OK, because it was GREAT setup for what I'll be doing this summer.
Which brings us to now! I'm heading back down to Gamboa in a week, and I'll be spending 2 months this time - with LOTS of updates and pictures! Over the past 10 months, I've been planning and planning, scouring the literature and creating mock setups, and I'm ready to hit the ground running and get some stuff done! Regular posts will start in about a week, and I'm not going to commit to every day, but you should see/hear from me at least 2-3 times a week for the remainder of the summer.
So stay tuned, because whatever ends up happening, it's going to be AWESOME, and I'm going to share it all along the way! :)
