Busy week
Okay, so things are moving along quickly right now. I managed to process all of the bat samples, and am just waiting for them to dry before sending them on to Madison for analysis. I'm looking forward to getting the first datapoint. It has been a bit of an adventure trying to get the equipment to do the processing. We had to borrow time on a centrifuge, but the owners of the centrifuge were not too excited about us using their good machine to filter our samples, because it takes 2 hours of centrifugation, and they rely on this machine. So they tried to give us their old machine. We plugged it in and turned it on. It started making strange noises, started walking around on the benchtop, then the top blew off. Okay, actually it was only the logo, but it still looked like the thing was going to explode. After that, they let me use the good machine, but only late at night after everyone else had gone home.
The really good news is that I finally have permission, and a plan, to try catching lizards again. the nature reserves guy finally called, and put me in touch with a ranger who will need to go with me. I'll be going on Wednesday to start the collecting process again. Cross your fingers. I'm going to be renting a car for the experience, so I'll get to try my hand at negotiating the Israeli roads (and drivers!). Actually, the roads are generally good, it's just the drivers that are dangerous, and the fact that the signs are usually in hebrew. I'll take a good map - in both languages.
The other big craziness around here this week is the beginning of the semester. Lots of new students around. Also several old timers leaving, which is sad. It has resulted in several farewell dinners in a row. good food, at least, if not necessarily the happiest of times. At least everyone is happy for the folks who get to leave after a long stay here. It does get hard to be a student here because of the limited opportunity for social entertainment.
All of this craziness resulted in some strange happenings. I found out from a confused secretary that I sent two applications to one job opening in Minnesota. Oops.
I did manage to take a long walk on Saturday, to a local park a few kms up the road. It is called Ein Avdat - a nearly permanent spring in a spectacular canyon. There are also some old Byzantine monk meditation caves high up in the canyons. Very spectacular. I'll try to post some of those photos soon. The only problem with that walk, was the length. There is an impressive set of stairs and ladders cut into the cliffs from the spring at the bottom of the canyon, to the top. the problem is that they are one-way, so when you get to the top, you have to find your own way back to town (or your car at the bottom). This is not a problem when the busses are running, or if you have a car around, but I had neither. so I had a long walk home across the desert. Very beautiful, though. I ended up walking for about 5 hours, went down, up, down and up, the 250m elevation change, and covered about 15km of trails (which weren't exactly flat) and open desert. Oh, and it was a hot day. Beautiful, though.
The really good news is that I finally have permission, and a plan, to try catching lizards again. the nature reserves guy finally called, and put me in touch with a ranger who will need to go with me. I'll be going on Wednesday to start the collecting process again. Cross your fingers. I'm going to be renting a car for the experience, so I'll get to try my hand at negotiating the Israeli roads (and drivers!). Actually, the roads are generally good, it's just the drivers that are dangerous, and the fact that the signs are usually in hebrew. I'll take a good map - in both languages.
The other big craziness around here this week is the beginning of the semester. Lots of new students around. Also several old timers leaving, which is sad. It has resulted in several farewell dinners in a row. good food, at least, if not necessarily the happiest of times. At least everyone is happy for the folks who get to leave after a long stay here. It does get hard to be a student here because of the limited opportunity for social entertainment.
All of this craziness resulted in some strange happenings. I found out from a confused secretary that I sent two applications to one job opening in Minnesota. Oops.
I did manage to take a long walk on Saturday, to a local park a few kms up the road. It is called Ein Avdat - a nearly permanent spring in a spectacular canyon. There are also some old Byzantine monk meditation caves high up in the canyons. Very spectacular. I'll try to post some of those photos soon. The only problem with that walk, was the length. There is an impressive set of stairs and ladders cut into the cliffs from the spring at the bottom of the canyon, to the top. the problem is that they are one-way, so when you get to the top, you have to find your own way back to town (or your car at the bottom). This is not a problem when the busses are running, or if you have a car around, but I had neither. so I had a long walk home across the desert. Very beautiful, though. I ended up walking for about 5 hours, went down, up, down and up, the 250m elevation change, and covered about 15km of trails (which weren't exactly flat) and open desert. Oh, and it was a hot day. Beautiful, though.
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