It’s been a week of rapid change here in Cherskiy. The “inter-niet” has switched to “inter-da”, tropical heat has replaced arctic snow and, for the first time ever, facial hair has appeared on the right side of my face. I’m growing up! When I announced my major milestone at dinner last night, there was some immediate speculation as to the cause of these novel follicles. Sam, having seen me sip some water from the depths of Tube Dispenser lake, was convinced that I had contracted some sort of hairifying disease. Had you seen and smelled the water, you may have thought the same. Have a look:

Shuch’ye lake water from 0m and 10m

Both jugs were taken from the same lake at the same time; the left jug is surface water and the right jug is water from 10 meters below the surface. The lake is stratified meaning that the surface water is physically isolated from the bottom water by a difference in temperature. The deep water is also devoid of any oxygen and sunlight so carbon molecules are not as easily processed by microbes nor degraded by the sun – this gives the water its distinctive (carbon) color. While I appreciate Sam’s concern for my health, I’m psyched about these depth differences and what it means for the lake as a whole. I’ve decided to examine how and to what extent the sun degrades this carbon when it is relocated to the surface during lake-mixing events. To (hopefully) find some answers I’ll be suspending bags of water from the surface of the lake and measuring changes in carbon quantity and quality after the sun does its thing. Yesterday, I spent most of my time wielding power tools and pounding nails in anticipation of the experiment. Noting my spike in “manly” activity, Dave (a bearded man himself) suggested that such behavior could be the cause of my new facial features. While it’s true that I’m the baby of the bunch, I’ve done my fair share of “manly” carpentry. In fact, the day’s crafty activities reminded me of my Habitat for Humanity cronies and our annual bike ride, the Habitat 500, which starts this coming weekend. Mom, Dad and Friends, build strong and peddle on! As for the si-beard-ian scruff, I’ll continue exploring potential sources as we travel tonight by barge to the mud streams of Duvannyi Yar. All the best! -Seth