Arctic Update!
The latest posted news from listener's Wildlife*Biologist*Son appeared today: http://shorebirdscience.org/coats-2014-03/
THEN!!! He called!!! And this time I was home!!!
He told me that the report was written 3 or 4 days ago and was supposed to be posted, but somehow it wasn't. The field crew was not pleased about that! Another post may be up tomorrow.
The news is that they have tried hard all week but have found only TWO (2) of the 340 geolocator-tagged birds! They don't know if that's because the birds did not survive or whether they went somewhere else this year. So they are spending part of their time helping the Canadian Wildlife field crew with other important work. He says they've had only one ten minute rain shower, at night, and the temps have been as high as 50 or 60 when the sun is out. Really cold in clouds, of course, as it's constantly blowing 20-25kts. Also, they haven't seen a single polar bear, as this time of year the bears are over at the coast, harassing the seabirds. I gather that they are in the middle of the island, where a large lake and marshes lie. They leave Sunday and get back home mid-week. It was sooo good to hear his voice!!
Wildlife biologists on field trips are first. So is Howard.
ReplyDeleteI've just told my client that the contract proposal (NOT grant proposal -- the difference is significant) that we are about to start on is more than the two of us can accomplish in the month remaining before the deadline. It might be doable if we can offload a lot of the "grunt work" onto somebody else, but I have no idea who that somebody might be.
Yikes Bill. Sounds like the deadline is unrealistic. I hope you can get an extension.
DeleteNo, listener, the government doesn't give extensions on competitive awards. And in any case, the deadline is just two days before a leave for Britain, so an extension would do no good.
DeleteWhy was I not surprised that my client's reactions was, "Let's go ahead anyway and if we find we've wasted our time because we can['t finish, that's too bad."
Well, as long as you're being paid. ;-)
DeleteSomehow I missed that it's a gov't job.
"The impossible takes longer."
ReplyDeleteHigh temp here about 97 or 98, which is getting pretty warm. San Diego job this Thursday still on, but that could change. (I hope not.)
--Alan
Egads, Alan, that's too hot!
ReplyDeleteHope Sandy Eggo is a GO! :-)