Mark another one off the books. As of tomorrow I will be leaving Donegal for the year after finishing up the sampling in the Blue Stacks. It has been a hot past few days. Maybe not in DC terms, but definitely in Irish terms. The added heat, long hike, and heavier granite samples led to some exhausting days in the field. For that reason, when I finished up today I paid homage to Francis M. Synge, a Irish glacial geologist who would celebrate finishing a field site by going for a swim in the tarn. The water sure was cold, but felt mighty fine after the hot day of sledge swinging.
With two or three more areas left to sample the equipment is starting to show wear and tear. I already broke one carbide-tipped chisel with Alan, and the replacement one without the carbide tip is rounding off quickly. It has already lost every bit of it’s padding that made it appealing in the first place. My work gloves are starting to get holes in the fingers, and my field pants are starting to develop holes where I won’t mention.
My hands are starting to feel some wear and tear as well. Nothing bad, just sore from all the errant hammer swings that catch a knuckle or thumb.
I got the good word that the first batch of samples has already arrived in Oregon, and the next batch was placed in the mail today. It will be nice having them waiting for me when I return in a couple of weeks. I’ll probably take a moment to breath, and then get right to processing them in the lab. That’s the plan anyways.
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