Promoted!

After a WAY TOO LONG process - i've been promoted! Rather than Assistant Professor, i'm now Associate Professor. No tenure, no hard salary, but it's still a boost. I had to get letters from outside folks to evaluate my file, and some of them were super, brought me to tears in fact with how nice some of them were. I do love the University of Maine, it's such a supportive department, everyone has been super.

So, onwards and upwards....as Associate. Maybe Barkley got a promotion too?

Snuggling by the fireplace

After a few weeks of 50F weather, it's turned chilly again - AND we have 5-8 inches of snow predicted for tomorrow! I for one am excited, spring is not my favorite season here - otherwise known as mud season here in Maine! 

The fireplace has been a huge hit all winter, I splurged and bought some new dog (and cat) beds that look a little tidier by the fire than multiple crate pads.....but it seems the cats have taken over.......

D'Argtanian

Cozy cozy

Zoe

Porsche, our other old lady, unfortunately went missing this last weekend. Pretty sure she's taken her walk in the woods, and at 15, had had a pretty good run. 

Zoe and Porsche taking over Barkley's new bed...

Owls Head State Park

Took a short trip to Owls Head State park, just 30 minutes away from where we live. A short walk down to the ocean, a bit cold, but it was nice. We took Barkley for some one on one walk time. She ate dead mussels, seaweed and crab legs. 

Snow play!

More snow - these photos from a few days ago, but it's snowing right now too! It's been a great snow year, and it looks like we can get out on snowshoes yet again next weekend - yeah! We've actually hatched a plan to snowshoe a path into the woods behind the house that lead up to a ridge. If we make a path through the trees and make it nice and deep, we could take the sleds up and sled all the way down into the garden.....:)

Snow! 

D'Argtanian the cat, stealing Barkley's rather mushed tennis ball. 

Brody, the goofball in the snow....

We love how Barkley just looks on as the nut prances around the garden.....

We have a toboggan run that goes down the side of the driveway. However this can lead to some hard landing......

Our house.

Got a little something on your nose there Miss Barkley....

Crazy Week....

It's been a crazy week here in Maine. Monday was a holiday, but Brandon and I came into my new office to unpack. It was a godsend just spending the day, well needed and now i'm at least mostly out of boxes, and about half organized.

Tuesday was the day the National Geographic post went public. This led to a crazy and surreal day. The article came out great (Risk Takers), but if you can get the iPad version of the magazine, the interview they did came out really good - a pleasant surprise seeing as the whole interview was completely dumped on me last minute. The photo they chose for the article is not my most flattering, but with instructions of "no smiling" from the photographer, it being 80F out and the end shots of over 3 hours of photographs, I think they got the 'badass' look they were aiming for....

The article coming out led to a UMaine flurry - phone calls from Deans and Presidents, directors and other faculty, all thought it went down really well, which was a relief. News articles (Bangor Daily News, Lincoln County News, Chicago Tribune among others), being dubbed as Waller the Explorer (watch out Dora!) and even a couple of radio shout outs - and the day became somewhat overwhelming.

The publicity can only be a good thing. Everyone has been awesome and positive which is great, and the way the University took it and publicized it has been amazing (all Tuesday I was the front page for the whole UMaine website!). This publicity high unfortunately comes and a job low though. The college is seeing a $600,000 cut next year, so the chances of me moving onto firm money in the department this year is all but nil. It was looking so good before Christmas too. And, along with grants being scarce and having to take a salary reduction to spread out my months, I'm really done with leading the 100% soft money life, so this really comes at a bad time. There are fewer grants to apply for this year too, so it makes scraping together salary all the harder. The directors are trying their hardest, and this publicity will help, but I can't see a resolution for that massive deficit, it's too much to imagine them carving out salary for me at this time.

So onwards it is, maybe this year will be more turbulent than I was hoping for. Either way, it's started with a bang. Even with all the National Geographic blog stuff i've been doing, I really never in my wildest dreams imagined i'd be inside the cover of a magazine i've read since childhood. Though the attention is stressful at times, I can't help but smile.

The week

Brandon and Brody, hanging out.  

Barkley approves of her new office. Brought in a bunch of toys from home for her today. By the end of the day, the floor was covered in fluff that had been extracted.....

Snuggling with the Barkley Bear. As sad as it is that she's slowing right down, every snuggle time we get makes me happy. She's such a goof ball. 

Post Nemo

And it's a beautiful Maine day out there! Time to get out the snowshoes and the toboggans!

We got about 2 1/2 feet in total! 

Brandon turned the deck into a snow cave! 

More photos from the storm.

Snow tastes good! 

Digging paths so the dogs (well, Barkley) could go pee! 

The circle in the front is a milk urn - it's about 2 - 21/2 ft high. 

Rescuing Barkley when she got stuck.

Pretending to be a polar bear. 

Traffic jam on the path

Digging out the driveway after the plow came by. 

The house. 

Up the lane. The 48 sign is above my head. 

Down the lane. 

The tunnels. 

Screen door to the deck. 

Harlequin Bear.

Still stormy!

Woke up this morning to about 20 inches on the ground! Pretty wild out there too, high winds, we're pretty surprised to still have power. Still a ways to go though - blizzard watch isn't over until late this evening! 

View from the bedroom window. 

The deck - wind blown!

View from the front room. The snow is up to the sill - we can't get the front door open so have had to go out the basement! 

Barkley, walking the paths that the more energetic Brody has made for her...:)

Barkley bear! 

Barkley and Brody, making tunnels! 

Barkley bear! 

Brody is LOVING the snow, he's such a goofball. 

Couch snuggles with the fireplace on. It's cold out there Brandon!