so much sun

So I've been down here in MD at my main research site for about a week now. Here's how it works and what I'm doing:

I'm working for a prof whose main study site is on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. My site is an unpopulated island on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake, an island that had all but eroded away 10 years ago and they've been rebuilding. My job is to find the diamondback terrapin nests as they're laid (which should start happening any day), mark them, count & measure all the eggs. Then about 60 days later, I'll catch the hatchlings from that nest, mark & tag them, count & measure them, and then let them go.

So far it's been going well, even though I haven't found any nests yet and hadn't seen turtle tracks prior to today. I pretty much walk all over the 1140-acre island all day, along 3 specific sites. Lots of walking. There's also no shade; my ears got pretty burnt today despite sunscreen. I'm thinking of buying a straw cowboy hat, even though the guys on the island would probably tease me for it. The island is unpopulated, and the only way over is by ferry (leaves at 7am, back at 3:30pm), and there's maybe 20 or so men working on the island, building it and doing maintenance and chemical tests and all. There's a big culture among them of giving each other a hard time, which i don't really mind, but wouldn't want to flat-out provoke. However, my ears do hurt pretty badly so I might buy a hat regardless. And put on sunscreen more often; I'm surprised I'm not more badly burnt than I am.

I do like it here, though, and am hoping to explore this weekend the little 1000-person island town I'm living in. Apparently, as it's a small town, everybody's already talking about me, for better or for worse :-).

Some cool things I saw today:
- my first set of turtle tracks
- lots of redwinged blackbirds
- a mother leading her baby ducks over the cracked mudscape and them falling into the cracks and then hopping out

newness

Since my phone doesn't work so well at my apartment in MD, I'm setting up this blog in hopes of keeping up with all my friends. I'm hoping to share pictures & stories of what I'm doing because, unfortunately, I don't get to hang out with you and tell you what's going on every day. And please talk back to me, either here or e-mail or however you feel like doing so! :-)