Construction day: part 4

Those white tubes are the casings for my larval traps, laying
in the lab's fume hood until their PVC glue dries. 

Friends, some of you may remember that last year, I spent a lot of time building larval traps to be deployed on moorings in the Arctic. It was a long process that required a lot of planning, figuring out, improvisation, and, ultimately, power tools. Well, I am embarking on a similar journey this year, with one key difference: this time, I know what I'm doing. I have my design for the larval traps all sorted out, so I can crank through the construction process and have the joy of just building the things.

To be honest, it's very satisfying to spend a day in the shop. After all the days I spend in my office, it's a welcome change to slice and grind and drill things. I love washing the dirt off of my hands at the end of the day.

I'm going much faster this year than last, which is good, because it's already May. My samplers need to be in Germany in June to be loaded on a ship for deployment. I am turning out samplers like a machine. It will take a lot of work, but I'm sure I can meet the deadline!