A date and a dry riverbed

I almost have a date next week. Not bad, huh? Let me explain:

After several afternoons of pouring over maps of groundwater wells in Hawai'i I have pinned down those wells that I would like to sample. I then made some phonecalls to the people who run the wells (or to (people who might know)^n the people who run the wells), with limited success. I hardly got to talk to a soul, the golf course superintendents were all busy mowing the lawn, the farm offices were run temporarily by answering machines... you get the picture. One guy I talked to had to talk to someone else (and apparently got back to me while I was away on a short sampling trip) before he could give me the green light. Only one person agreed to let me sample his well, his only well. Good guy. I'm calling him back next week, to set up a date. I can't wait!!

After these early morning hours on the phone I set off for a sampling trip to the other side of this peninsula that I live on. The "main" river turned out to have dried out - all that was left was a stagnant pool of water. Great. Sampled it anyway. Found two other small streams along the way back and sampled those too. Not too much water in these parts, I tell you. But the views are pretty spectacular. And the small sleepy towns are so picturesque. But the mosquitoes inhabiting the riverbanks are by no means my favorite.

What else? Did I mention that I am looking forward to going back to Ithaca?? Did I mentiion that I spent nearly two hours on the phone with my favorite person in Ithaca this afternoon? Did I mention that I have to hurry back!?!?!