The Snow and the Science

One of the more galling aspects of being an author is realizing that most of being an Author isn't actually writing, or even editing. There is marketing; going to conventions, e-mailing for reviews, having giveaway competitions. There is finding a cover artist. There is all sorts of things that have little do do with writing but everything to do with keeping body and soul together so you CAN write. This is true for many arts.
This is also true for Science. So much of a scientist's life involves things that have little to do with true science. There is cleaning your tools. There is maintaining your office. Be that office a lab in a city or a swath of wild land full of bears, butterflies, and button mushrooms. This can be pulling weeds, this can be scrubbing and scouring a seemingly infinite number of crystal vials. 
This day, this author did SCIENCE. There was hiking with a co-worker through ankle deep snow. There was data gathering. There was data recording. There was a storm moving in over the horizon. There was protecting the data sheet from rain, then the sleet, then the snow. There was debating weather it was safe to stay out longer. There was getting ordered over the radio to *GET BACK TO THE OFFICE NOW".

Today was a good day for science.

Also there were cookies. 
And a fluffy puppy in the office. 
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