21 February 2008

Aloha from Maui!

This is my very first time "blogging", pretty exciting huh? We can't use MySpace at work, so it seemed like this was the next-best way to try to keep in touch with everyone. So much has happened since arriving in Hawai'i at the beginning of January...a few highlights include the Bulldawgs beating the tar out of UH in the Sugar Bowl (we had to leave the bar early to avoid angry Hawai'i fans!)...our first helicopter ride out to our field sites...snorkeling, sunbathing, bodysurfing...seeing native forest birds in Hanawi NAR...watching humpack whales breaching off the coast...it's been pretty cool so far!
Brad and I are on a crew of 9 folks, and 6 of us live in a small 2 Bed/1 Bath "cottage" about 1/2 mile from the office. Everybody is very fun, mellow, and respectful of space and alone time, which definitely helps with the cramped living quarters! It's really not that bad, and because we're on a rotating field schedule at this point, we will rarely all be there at the same time. We've got a few fellow southerners on the crew as well - besides Brad and myself, one guy hails from Alabama (went to Auburn...boo!) and my girl Ruby is from Tennessee. Another crewmate is from Haines, AK, with others coming from New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and California - so we're a well-rounded crew! I just found out that one of the crews in the field just found the first Maui Parrotbill of the season - a very big deal for us all!
Today we are attending B-3 training, which covers airplane and helicopter safety, then tomorrow we are hiking back out to our field sites for a 12-day trip. I'm sure I'll have some stories to share, and I'll try to write more about our job and the project we're working on. Till next time...mahalo for reading, and aloha!