All Good Things Come to an End

May 21, Friday
All the zoobots have been working on their research projects since we got back from Vancouver Island. There was definitely mixed success in the projects. As for me, I concluded that my effort to measure chlorophyll photographically was not going to work. I believe that the theory is sound, but the equipment I was given to work with was simply inadequate for the challenge.

May 22, Saturday
It was a nice day and for the first time in probably 20 years Linda and I had a car on San Juan Island. We went for a drive into the country with American Camp as one destination (I previously talked about American Camp and the “Pig War”). While at American Camp I spotted a red fox and followed it at a distance of 75 – 100 feet. Here are a couple of pictures.

Red Fox Hunting at American Camp

May 27, Thursday

The past week was one in which the zoobots were working frantically on their research papers. I tried out one last idea to see if I could make the photographic method for chlorophyll measurement work. I used rocks from the beach which had lots of algal growth on them and, consequently, a strong chlorophyll signature. I may have made a measurement, but I’m not convinced. The method clearly isn’t sensitive enough for the test coupons used in experiments.  Nevertheless, I’ll give a presentation next Thursday along with all of the other Zoobots so there will be some documentation of what I did.

I spent most of the week working on photographs I had taken of algae and invertebrates. Mostly I tried to make sure that my species identifications were correct. I also started working on a flash card book which, hopefully, will make much of what I learned during the past 9 weeks stick with me. Even though I’m auditing, I still find myself spending most of my waking hours studying marine biology.

The only scheduled activity for the past week was an outreach trip with the 6th graders. Six of us volunteered to take them out to a rocky shore. We went to a location on the Strait of Juan de Fuca called Deadman Bay. Each of us was assigned a group of half a dozen children. First we counted different kinds of animals and algae in plots then we went on a scavenger hunt looking for specific animals.

Wally with 6th Graders in the Fog at a Deadman Bay Plotting Station

The kids really had no interest in either counting things in the plot or going on the scavenger hunt. All they wanted to do was play and see what neat animals they could find. Keeping them focused on the task at hand and recording information was a challenge. Half way through the event most of us just gave up trying to control them. We settled for answering their questions or just showing them the neat things we came across.

May 28, Friday

Linda and I were planning on taking off in the afternoon to go to Sucia for the three day week-end. The Thursday morning forecast was good. Unfortunately, rain greeted us this morning along with a poor forecast for the rest of the week-end. We decided to cancel Sucia and went, instead, to a thank you party for the outreach program that the lab director’s wife, who is also an associate professor, held for the zoobots at her house.

May 29, Saturday

We woke up to a steady rain so once again cancelled a trip to Sucia. By late morning the rain largely quit but it was still breezy. Linda decided to spend the day painting. I, on the other hand, was itching to go tide pooling since there was a -2.1 tide and decided to go back to Deadman Bay. I observed lots of neat things including “red sponge” nudibranchs feeding on, what else - red sponge. For reference, the two nudibranchs (related to snails) in the picture below are adults and only about 1/3 of an inch long.

Red Sponge Nudibranch (Rostang pulchra) on Red Sponge (Ophlitaspongia pennata)

Back at Hobbit I had one sample from something I couldn’t identify in the field. Linda caught me using the microscope I borrowed from Cash.

Wally on Hobbit with Cash’s Microscope

May 30, Sunday

Once again Linda and I took advantage of having a car on San Juan Island and went exploring. The first stop was Lime Kiln Point where there is a park adjacent to the best place in the San Juans for viewing orcas. Unfortunately there weren’t any orcas to view. As luck would have it, however, the tide was low and I did a little more tide pooling. One thing that suddenly struck me as I was looking at the plants and animals – I was mentally calling out the names of almost everything I saw. Learning to do that was a key reason I enrolled in the Zoobot program.

Linda at Lime Kiln Point

The second stop was a National Historical Park - English Camp of Pig War fame. The English certainly provided much better facilities for their military than did the Americans. One thing I found amusing was part of the justification the English commanding officer used when he requisitioned a new house; the existing house wasn’t large enough to entertain the American officers. Throughout the Pig War, the English and Americans regularly entertained each other and helped celebrate each other’s holidays. Think of the irony of the English military going to the American Camp to help celebrate July 4th. Then again, Chris and Win were with us for fireworks at Roche Harbor on July 4, 2008. We did, however, fly the British Standard in spite of the unfounded gaff we received from an unnamed visitor from the mother country.

It’s a pity that Linda and I were only vaguely aware of English Camp when Chris and Win were touring the San Juans with us. We could have dropped the anchor only a few hundred yards away and taken the dinghy to shore. Four buildings and a formal garden remain.

English Camp: A National Historical Park on San Juan Island

From Linda: After spending time in the English Camp, we had a craving for authentic English Fish and Chips and a beer. Fortunately we had a choice of several pubs in Friday Harbor.

June 1, Tuesday

The start of our last week. I took a few pictures of the campus then joined the rest of the Zoobots in preparation for the talks we will give on Thursday to most of the FHL community. The rain continues. In the past few days we have seen lots of foxes including one kit. Unfortunately, I never have my camera with me when they’re around

June 2, Wednesday

Once again the wind is howling and the rain came down in sheets. Tomorrow is supposed to be ok but Friday, when I’m due to go back home, looks bad. I’m likely to spend an extra one or two days waiting on a weather window.

June 3, Thursday

In the hope that I will be able to go home tomorrow, Linda took the ferry this morning so I’m solo again. For a change the weather is great. Unfortunately, my outboard motor is acting up again and I’ll have to have it worked on again when I get back home.

For the past 10 weeks everyone at FHL, not just the Zoobots, has been doing research. Today, the last day of the quarter, all of the students were required to make a 15 minute presentation on what they did. The talks were great. I started mine with a TV add that showed a long string of events going off flawlessly: tires rolling and hitting something, a pole knocks something else, etc. etc. until an automobile rolls off a trailer.  The only words are "Isn't it nice when everything just works."  I then went on to say how mine didn't work. The lab director showed up for the Zoobot talks but none of the others. Dinner was a sad affair as everyone, with the possible exception of me, heads home tomorrow. The weather forecast still looks bad.

Fernald Hall - Administration

Zoobot Laboratory with Friday Harbor Marina in the Background

Inside the Zoobot Laboratory after End of Quarter Cleaning

Lecture Hall (Circa 1920)

Dining Hall

FHL Dock with the Centennial and Hobbit’s Dinghy

Last Supper at FHL: From Left to Right - Bev, Sarah, Hilary, Loren,

Jacob, Mike, Whitney, Eric, Caitlin, Sammi, Wally, Adam, Adam’s baby

June 4, Friday

I got up at 4:30 this morning and left at first light. My plan was to get to Oak Harbor before the forecast 30 kt. Wind started. As expected, it was rainy but calm. Fortunately we are in the middle of a neap tide period (low changes in tide height) which meant that the currents through Deception Pass were not dangerously high. This meant that I was able to go through the pass 2 hours before slack with a current speed of only 3.2 kts.

Fortunately the wind forecast was wrong - the wind never got above 10 – 12 kts. As a result, I decided to go all the way to Everett rather than spend the night at Oak Harbor. Much to my delight, the current was with me almost the whole way. Between this and not having to wait on slack water at Deception Pass, I made the trip to Everett in a record 7 hours and 45 minutes.

It’s been a great 10 weeks. I find myself going through withdrawal from FHL and contemplating how best to continue studying in the future.