The 31st season of studying black brant at the Tutakoke Field Camp is over, but the 1st season of studying black brant and vegetation {or making sure floods don’t take away gear} is only 3/4 over. Yes, I’m staying for the last month: the time of year when storms start to take shape and flooding may be a potential concern. The crew has been reading past articles, and it sounds like the worst storms are generally in October. Or September. Or once in a blue moon, in August. 🙂

Being burdened with the Insta-Tear Gene by which sad events or memories can trigger tears at a moment’s notice, you may think I’d be sobbing right now. We boated the vast majority of our camp back to Chevak yesterday, leaving only Thomas’ and my tents plus the sauna standing. Thomas and I saw Kelsey and Andy off at the airport this afternoon, so the Fellowship has broken. Fortunately the gravel strip of the Chevak airport isn’t as tear-inducing as the Mavora Lakes in New Zealand where that scene was filmed. Still, a tear snuck out before I gained control.

Since we’re waiting for the tide to rise before boating back out to the Tut, Thomas and I have hours of free time. I made some comment about how I should buy ice cream to drown my sorrow, and then Thomas made it happen by getting a half gallon. We sat on the floor in the Special Ed room – does Chevak know something about us? – while eating chocolate chip ice cream, so I’m okay for now.

The end of every season is the absolute worst because I have to say bye to my friends of the last 3+ months. It’s not like we’re all going to meet up every now and then, either. We all create inside jokes, get set in our routines, and worry about what’s next together; then we jet off to our separate ways. It really is a bummer, and that’s all I have to say about that.