We made it!

We have arrived in MI and are settling in sooooo happily. But there's a small bit of catching-up to do before I can share our new existence as proud Michiganders. And Michigeese.

I went to London too! I didn't take many picture at the actual conference, because the PR people were taking pictures, posting them to twitter, and they were immediately displayed on the giant screens of live twitter feeds - too much cognitive feedback!

I gave my talk a few hours after I arrived after an overnight flight, so almost an out-of-body experience - especially since they hadn't gotten the AC working yet and there were bright lights shining right in my face, hoo boy that was hot! But the talk was well-received and immediately posted to social media. I began by saying "Seeds are not rocks" since (almost) everyone else was talking about human biology, and that got picked up on the twitter feed. Surreal! And then I wandered around the conference for a few days, listening to people talk about their human genetics problems, and wondered what exactly I was supposed to do there.

But the best part was I had a free Saturday, and got to visit Dani at the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place. I rode the train down and that was impressively pleasant. I got in trouble with the conductor for having a ticket to Hamstead Heath instead of Haywards Heath, but his machine was broken so I got off with a warning only and didn't have to pay their exorbitant fines. When I got there, I strolled around the grounds and felt at home immediately. And then Dani and I drove to Brighton! Where Lydia partied down with the redcoats! It was exactly like Ocean City, but through a mirror.

And now, the proof. I tried to emulate Eric's excellent selfie style.

Green walls at the hotel!

The Thames and old London Hospital, directly across the river from the conference

London Bridge

Dani had to make liquid nitrogen ice cream all day for attendees of Kew's Science Days.

Ferns for lunch!

Giant sequoia. Just chillin'

Who wants to go for a bathe? (It was not actually stinky.)

Fowl.

Handsomest azalea (still blooming at the end of May!)

Hut made of rooted willow(?) canes

The stream feeding the bathing pond

Even the roadside gravel was different!

Who's looking at me?

Gimme five!

These trees are crazy: Araucaria araucana.

A magnolia!

Adorable hydrangea

Now I entered the forest and things got real.

There's a pheasant to the left of the two trees at the right. He was a real jerk about getting photographed and kept faking me out!

Oooo!

Brighton

The best/worst memento

Our home office is now all set up so I can post freely. Yay!