*Pressure pushing down on me....
Mm ba ba de Um bum ba de Um bu bu bum da de Pressure pushing down on me Pressing down on you no man ask for Under pressure - that burns a building down Splits a family in two Puts people on streets Um ba ba be Um ba ba be De day da*
- Thanks Queen*
***** Business – Germinators should be placing their soaked seeds outside today!**
I am pretty wiped out today. This is amazing to me because Paulo has been in the field since I was there at 10:30 am, but Paulo is still there and will be there until midnight. Meanwhile I have been back at "camp” since 4:30pm.
So, when is the last time that you used something that wasn’t yours and it was extremely expensive? (Kids this may be easier for you to answer)
When is the last time that you were doing something for someone and you knew how important is was and you didn’t mess it up?
I love being in the tundra and I love being part of this experiment. I know I have said that before, it is true. But here is my problem **I aim to please **and I don’t want to break anything or mess anything up.
I just made it to the control shed after the 20 minute walk down the tundra paths. I am carrying the infamous $15,000 machine.
Today it was time for the diurnals again, which means that thaw, water table and my reflectivity measurements are taken as well.
Great, I am eager to be part of the team. But, BUT, BUT, the machine that I use was quoted to me as being expensive, as in $15,000 worth of expensive. Also the data that I record is not complicated. There are just a few steps to this, but please know I want to do it right. I do not want to let Paulo down or add frustration. I just want to be helpful.
Twice today I had issues with the "MACHINE” that took Paulo away from his work. I hate that!! I hate this because I know he is working really hard and doesn’t need to be bothered. I hate it because I know he has to work until midnight.
Now if it were my project and my $15,000 machine – NO PROBLEM. I will tinker with it, push buttons and make it work or die. I have camera and computer equipment that I mess with all of the time. It is mine and just to clarify not worth 15,000 in dollar amounts – but to me it is worth more. If I had a problem with it I would figure things out. But it isn’t my machine or my data, or my doctorate degree, hence the pressure.
How does Paulo feel about this? I don’t know. He is nice and patient. A very even keeled person. So is Jose.
Speaking of Jose, he had to wait on me. I found him snoring in the shed when I finished. I wish him luck as he heads out tonight for his midnight to 8am shift.
No need to** stew on this,** I am learning all of the "trouble shooting issues” with this machine. By the time I leave Barrow the machine and I will "get each other”.
More than anything it is another growing lesson and a realization that I haven’t had the need to use anything like this – that I didn’t quite get and that belonged to someone else in a long time. Nor have I had to add to something really important and the affects are so big, like data for a docturate – or maybe I do this every day when I open my classroom door. Hmmm more to think about.
Can you relate?
Snowy Owl Report
The federal agents will be closing a large majority of their traps. This owl instance has lead them to this choice. I hope to talk to them this week.
The wildlife vet **finally showed up today and said the leg looked bad and gangrene had set in (infection). She gave her some **antibiotics, but said the leg should come off. There is no place close to send **her to recover**. Holt and Bitter are trying to decide what to do.
Should they release her back to the wild, have the wildlife vet put her down or have the vet cut her leg off and try to get her strong enough to return to the wild?
Big questions.
It has been a learning experience for everyone.
I moved the Sunflower seeds to cups today. Paulo said their roots looked hungry for food. I tried to find potting soil and pots at the local store, but the clerk said " we are out of stock.” So I decided to dig a little sand/ dirt up from the tundra. This will be more of a test to see if it likes this soil! I will keep you updated.
On the 12th day of sunlight, I moved them to a cup filled with Tundra Soil.
Bird of the Day
Check out the great tummy patch, it is the breeding plume. These birds breed here and winter all along the US coast. I will be looking for them on Florida Beaches!
Tired from the Top of the World.