landlocked

So this past week has been a struggle for me since I cannot go into the water again until Sunday. But alas it is almost over!!! Because I am land locked I have been helping various people with terrestrial tasks. I got to help finish building a flow tank with this guy Ben. He epoxied and the used fiber glass cloth to seal off an edge. He surfs so knows all about resin and patching, etc, so I learned a lot. Our efforts may have been fruitless though as the tank still leaks...we shall see. I also got to be Yoko's buddy again. She is looking at abandoned coconut plantations. She is doing quadrats and determing what vegetation dominates in the various stages of succession. She has multiple sites and plantations that have been abandoned for varying years. It is really fun to tromp around the jungle, especially the hibiscus! It creates this natural jungle gym/sick game of limbo. I have now been her buddy twice. I attached some pictures from the first time around.

Yoko being adorable on the abandoned plantation.

Me climbing the hibiscus.

Psuedoscorpion!!!! Really awesome because they are really hard to find!

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In other news we had a halloween party last night. It was so much fun. Everyone here went all out. I was a wineocerous. I definitely attached a wine bottle to my head for my horn and have a shirt splattered with wine. I also got a tail...It was pretty sweet, although the wine bottle on my head was short lived. Sarah was a nutellasaurus, hayley a sea turtle, april the infamous red wax gecko, ben was moss man, brent mishlers alter ego, he had an ammo belt of moss! It was sweet. Jen hoey was a diadema, albert was a crown of thorns, danny was a bee...it was just awesome and biogeeky. We also made these amazing pinatas, once I get pictures I will post them. We had an evil snow man, a spider, and an angler fish. The polynesians got really into it. Last night was sooo much fun!!! Pictures will come soon, I promise.

I cannot believe how fast this has flown by. I only have two weeks left at the station, TWO. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?? I don't want to leave this amazing place. I dont want to stop studying my rays! I cannot believe how much this trip, this experience has done for me. I am really excited for Australia, but that also means my journey is over for now. ahhhh!! Don't make me go home!

okay now time for some actual work.

love,
bri.