July 22 – Reader’s Digest Day

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 74 Location: Barrow, AK

Most days are busy days here in Barrow, but today was particularly so. I will give you the Reader’s Digest Condensed Version of events (some times are approximate) The numbers in parentheses are the UTM coordinates of my locations throughout the day (just for fun).

7:30 am (04 582857E 7915202N) – Woke up and got dressed. It was sunny outside, so I decided against wearing thermals.

8:00 am – Went to breakfast. Ate biscuit and gravy (yes, just one biscuit) and some scrambled eggs.

8:30 am – Met Jenny to go out to CMDL (04 585431E 7915055N) to take down the IRGA for calibration. Went by racquetball court (SDSU lab) to get tools on way.

8:50 am – Back at the racquetball court (04 582835E 7915343N). I set up IRGA calibration equipment and started calibration while Jenny called Hyojung in San Diego for help with the UniSpec, which was acting up still from the day before.

9:40 am – Finished with IRGA calibration, UniSpec fixed and ready to use. Drove back to CMDL to re-install IRGA. Marcus got ready to start UniSpec, discovered that the memory disk was still back at the lab. Jenny drove back to get it, while I finished installing the IRGA, checked the measurements inside the CMDL building and downloaded the data.

10:30 – Drove to BEO (04 584410E 7909674N) to get IRGA from that tower (04 585498E 7910425N) for calibration. Walked out, removed instrument and walked back. Was sunny and warm (about 50 F) so was glad had not worn thermals (still got sweaty, though). On way back, inadvertently walked into puddle with sucking mud and nearly fell over and then nearly lost my boot trying to get it out. Needed Jenny’s help to get out and managed to get stinky tundra water all down inside my boot in the process. Cooled off my foot, but made the rest of the day uncomfortable Sad

11:40 – Drove back to racquetball court and while I began calibration, Jenny went back to CMDL to help Marcus finish UniSpec.

12:45 – Finished calibration on BEO IRGA and met Jenny and Marcus for lunch at cafeteria. Ate a turkey, Swiss cheese and bacon sandwich, French fries, minestrone soup and red Jell-O.

1:05 – Got ready to go back to BEO to re-install the IRGA. Were accompanied by Dora Nelson, Betty Carvellas, another TEA teacher who just came off the Sir Wilfrid Laurier last night, and Alicia, an undergraduate student working with Jackie Grebmeier at the University of Tennessee, who were also both on the Laurier. Walked out, re-installed the IRGA and were dismayed to find that the CO2 and H2O were both reading nearly zero. Restarted the program and checked all of the connections for about 15 minutes before we discovered that the instrument output cable was not screwed in all the way. Downloaded the data, but had trouble with the COM port connection for the weather data. Again operator error to blame; hadn’t stopped the WinFlux program. Arrgh! Always look incompetent when visitors are watching it seems!

2:30 pm – Back at truck. Needed to go back to CMDL to finish last UniSpec transect. It is a separate 100 m transect with markers every 2 m (yes, that makes 50 readings!) Made call to Hageland on the way for a reservation for Jenny who will be going to Atqasuk tomorrow. Stopped at the hut to get drinks of water and at the racquetball court for the UniSpec equipment. Got a message on phone from Kim that the temporary credit card for the Stuaqpaq, which Jenny needs to shop for Atqasuk and Kim inadvertently took with her, would be coming on the 5:15 Hageland flight.

3:00 pm – Began UniSpec on final transect at CMDL

4:00 pm – Finished UniSpec, headed back to racquetball court to download and process all of the data.

5:00 pm – Headed to Hageland to pick up Stuaqpaq card.

5:40 pm – Got back to NARL for dinner. Ate broiled tuna, rice pilaf, corn, and red Jell-O. Also ate a small ice cream cone. Smile

6:15 pm – Went to Stuaqpaq with Jenny to shop for food for Atqasuk.

7:20 pm – After putting groceries away, went for a walk on the beach. Found several pieces of bone and what I think might be some kind of large tooth. Weather was BEAUTIFUL! Sun was warm, little breeze, just perfect for walking.

9:00 pm – Returned from walk, showered (YEAH!), answered emails, tried to find out on Internet if large tooth was a shark tooth (seems doubtful) and began working on Journal.

10:45 – Posted journal

11:15 -- Now.

Here are my pictures that I took today (there are not many):

Dora, Betty and me (R->L) at BEO

Gorgeous beach

Large tooth(?) found on beach