One of the places I explored when I was in California earlier this month was a location that my son had recommended I visit because of its scenic beauty and easy accessibility from his home in Mt. Shasta City. It was called "Castle Lake" and is shown in the photos I took above. It wasn't until I got back to Arkansas, and started reading about Castle Lake on Wikipedia, that I learned how significant this place is in the field of study that I majored in my freshman year of college---marine biology. If I had not changed my major after my freshman year, I might have been one of the scientists at the Castle Lake Limnological Research Station that is in operation there, under the auspices of the University of California/Davis. But I changed majors because I wanted to stay in Arkansas, and I thought to be a marine biologist, I would need to live next to the ocean. (For you geographically-challenged folks out there, Arkansas is surrounded on all sides by other states---no ocean coastline for us!). But here is the irony---if I had known there was such a thing as "limnology", I could have continued on in marine biology AND still lived in Arkansas! It was not until writing this photo explanation, and finding out about the research station, that I looked up the meaning of the word "limnology". It is the biological and other phenomena of fresh water, especially ponds and lakes! Who knew!? Arkansas has LOTS of ponds and lakes! In fact, I have a pond near my house. I think I will go out and do some limnological research as soon as I finish this. Miles of splashes! Tricia
