294/365 (Oct, 21, 2011) – Today was really rainy out in the Valley. That’s not fog, that’s rain. There is a river (the Chehalis River) and some hills out there, but you can’t see them.
I wear an old leather wide brimmed hat when I work in the rain, it’s heavily coated in mink oil for waterproofing, but it’s probably going to take at least two days to dry out. Oh well, it’s the West Coast and if you can’t handle rain you just shouldn’t live here.
I look for opportunities to work anywhere but in the office, I’m a biologist and I’d rather not be planted in front of a computer indoors. I don’t mind getting messy, if I did this would probably be the worst job in the world. It’s wet, messy, smelly work, but the rewards far outstrip that. Today was a pink salmon spawn out at Weaver Creek Spawning Channel, with the eggs being incubated at Chehalis River hatchery until they are eyed and ready to be distributed among several community involvement projects. The hatchery was short staffed so I happily volunteered to make the 90 minute drive out to the Valley to help. We spawned 225 pairs and it was tiring and very wet work with only two hatchery staff, one Community Advisor, two volunteers and me. The rain didn’t stop and the old leather hat I wear in the rain, even with a fresh, thick, coat of mink oil, it is so heavily saturated with water that it will probably take two days to dry out. It seemed like a much longer 90 minute drive home.
But you know what? I love my job!
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