It's Snowing Again
March 11, 1997
Volcano Weather
 I'm
currently reading Volcano Weather and enjoying it
immensely.
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Life's a Beach for the Piping Plover
 Official
US Postal Service Piping Plover stamp.
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It's almost piping plover arrival season. Plover warden
duty starts again April 1. Orientation is next Thursday
while I'm gone, but since I've done it before the
orientation is optional.
I really enjoyed being a plover warden last year. Most of
the people I contacted were friendly and responsive when I
explained why they couldn't use that stretch of beach. There
were a few problem people and problem dogs, but I did what I
was trained to do and everything worked out.
Piping plover populations are rebounding in Massachusetts
now, so I feel like I'm actually doing something
worthwhile.
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Oh, my word! He's an English major.
Those who followed the journal entries about Todd
Napolitano's essay in ebr3,
will be delighted to know that he has an essay in ebr4,
and even more delighted to know the answer to the question:
"what is he a candidate for a PhD in?". English. Can
you believe it? Todd
Napolitano's latest essay reviews a couple of
interesting web sites. It also uses fewer obscure words.
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English?!?!
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Weather: wet snow all day
Music: Khomus, central Asian jaw harp music
Reading: Volcano Weather, Essentials of
Oceanography, Independent People
This just in
A guy from Earthwatch just called to tell me my first choice,
Komodo Dragons in Indonesia, is full (all teams) as is the first team
for my second choice: Encyclopedia Botanica: Hokkaido. Luckily, team
2 is still open for Encyclopedia Botanica, so I signed up for that.
It'll be in late October. I should have the briefing book in a couple
of weeks. I wanted to go to Hokkaido last year on the way back from
Russia but the travel agent wasn't able to make the arrangements.
Actually, the travel agent didn't know where Hokkaido was! I think
Earthwatch still works with them, but I'll be they've found Hokkaido
by now. Now I'm fantasizing about taking the boat from Niigata to
Vladivostok after the expedition and visiting my friends from last
year. Then maybe I'd take the TransSiberian to Moscow. Or maybe
there's a way to get to Tuva from there. Or who knows? I could just
come home. There's the irresistible force of Wilbur always tugging at
me. Not to mention how hard it was to call Nancy from Russia last
time. But gee, being that close to Russia it's really tempting to go
back.
Later that same day
I fell asleep around 4:00PM when I sat down on the bed to open
mail and rest until rush hour was over so I could drive down to
Boston for the Flower Show. A phone call from Nancy woke me up at
about 6:00. Well, even though rush hour was clearly over I decided
against driving to Boston because there were still snow squalls about
and the roads were getting icy and I had a headache. I went over to
Barnes and Noble in Salem, NH (a short drive) to pick up a Lonely
Planet guidebook for Japan now that I'm planning to go to Hokkaido,
and a Field Guide to Western Birds for my trip to the
California desert and Salton Sea.
Barnes and Noble is closing early tonight for inventory so I
couldn't make a late night of it. Just as well. The roads are really
getting icy now. I followed a sand truck most of the way home. It is
no longer snowing however.
Wilbur is sleeping on my favorite chair downstairs. He's been
curled up there since we came back from the vet this afternoon. He
got his feline leukemia and distemper shots and he didn't like it
much. The vet said he might feel a little "yucky" for a day.
I actually still have the aforementioned headache and it's getting
on toward bedtime. Gotta get up early to clean litter boxes in the
morning, have lunch with Rita at midday, and oceanography class in
the evening. Wednesday is a long day.
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