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This semester the weather has been rather rainy, quite unlike last spring when we were in the hot sun most of the time. A hat, sunscreen, and a long-sleeved shirt really helped in protecting us from the sun and heat. (Yes, I am taking this course again. I really enjoyed working at Kupopolo last year.) The grass in and around the heiau had been cut prior to field school starting this semester, however, because of all the rain the island has been experiencing, the grass is growing tall again. Doing work on the heiau can be a little scarey when the rocks are slippery and wet. Two weekends ago, I was actually crawling on all fours on the rocks because I couldn't stand without slipping. Most everyone else, though, seemed to be able to walk on the slippery rocks without much problem. For some reason, the small rock pit feature we were drawing to scale seemed smaller than I remember from last year. Maybe its because seeing something for the first time I just got the impression it was big--bigger than what it actually was.
It is already the end of March and only four more days of class left. The semester has gone by so quickly! We have learned so much or at least I hope we have learned a lot--pedestrian survey, site recording, field photography, GPS, plan view mapping, cross-section mapping, profile mapping, and how to use the plane table and an open-sight alidade. Soon students will learn excavation.I had taken this class last Spring so all of this is like a nice review for me, but, it is quite fun to do. I am taking a lot of photographs of the field school and must say I give last year's field school photographer, Philip, a lot of credit carrying all the camera equipment around including the tripod. Of course, a photographer cannot really work with just one camera so carrying around two cameras can sometimes be cumbersome especially when climbing up hills over grass and rocks. My fear is that I may slip, fall, break the field school camera and get an "F" for class for breaking the expensive camera. One day I was walking on all fours on the rocks to keep from losing my balance and dropping the camera. It is also difficult participating in the archaeological activities at the heiau because I am busy taking photographs. At least I got to do GPS, plane table and alidade, and profile mapping again.This semester the weather has been rainy so bringing an umbrella and a lightweight rain jacket helps keep you from getting cold and wet. Last year it was sunny and hot!! Sunscreens, a wide-brimmed hat, and long-sleeved shirt was a must for protection from the sun. So far, I think we have only had two hot days.Hopefully, when we return from spring recess it won't be so hot. It is really hard to do excavation when you are wilting in the hot sun. But I guess that's how it is on the job. It's really easy to get dehydrated fast, especially, when you are working so hard and forget to keep drinking water to stay hydrated. Last year the heat had gotten so intense one day that it went right through both my umbrella and hat. I had to stop digging and sat on the side while my teammates continued to dig and screen. I thought I might faint from the heat as I just didn't feel well.All in all, field school may not be as exciting as Indiana Jones but, I think its really fun.
