Just in from the fire-scorched earth and climate of the Texas hill country, I quickly established myself in the cool and dry weather that Mountain View offers.

I am here at SETI from the University of Texas at Austin as a summer intern. I eagerly accepted the project to revamp the setiQuest explorer program, and attract new people to the community. I'm not sure where this project will take me, but I look forward to the journey more than the destination.

I will be keeping a weekly blog the time that I am here, trying to condense the cavalcade of experiences into a brief summary. That in and of itself promises to be a daunting task. However, I aim to give a quick look for those interested on SETI workings, progress with the programs, and any shenanigans that I might get myself into whilst I am here. I will also equip myself with a camera. Be on the lookout for a photo documentary.

Follow me on twitter @AlyshaShugart or facebook or keep up with my blog. So far, I can pretty much guarantee that it wont be boring.

From underneath the blanket of the Texas sky to the valley of Mountain View, I tip my hat to the community.

Catch y'all later.

Alysha Shugart

Photos from the McDonald Observatory courtesy of Frank Cianciolo, Senior Program Coordinator. In mid-April, the fires that scorched the plains of West Texas near Marfa and Fort Davis roared toward the HET (Hobby Eberly Telescope), shown in photos.