Once again the midnight sun encouraged some after-work play last night. While walking out of a writing session in the dining hall, I was told which team I was on. As others walked by, they too were assigned a team. In a matter of minutes we had assembled nearly 20 people to play t-ball. Our equipment consisted of a traffic cone for a tee, a rubber playground ball, and assorted Wiffle ball bats. Floor mats from various vehicles served as bases. It was great fun to see a group of adults having a blast playing t-ball. The game went on until just before midnight.
Game Organizer and Camp Manager, Thom Walker, at bat.
Team Spider's Amanda Koltz hits a single.
Today was a pretty straight forward day with a morning of washing sample cups, checking data entry, and some journal writing. Amanda and Kiki were busy at the microscopes for a lot of the morning. We finished our work week by checking our pitfall traps for the third and final time to check spider density in our mesocosms. I always carry my pack into the field, but today I opted to leave it in the lab and just carry my camera, water, and bear spray. Of course we got caught in a little rain. It actually felt good though, and I was able to safely stash my camera in Amanda's pack. Tonight's bonfire was a lot of fun! Maybe it was my after-dinner nap, maybe it was the daylight, but tonight's festivities lasted into the wee hours of the morning.
Kiki Contreras busy at the dish washing station (3 buckets sticking through a piece of plywood on sawhorses).
Toolik Lake Ice Melt
Nine days ago I started taking pictures of the lake from the same spot every day. I wanted a record of how fast the lake ice melts. The last of the ice melted today. The dock was put out, and boats were placed in the water!
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