22 November 2009

Matt arrived yesterday and today we captured four mongoose in 25 traps and set out ten additional traps. Matt reminds me of myself thirty-some years ago when my undergraduate advisor, Dr. Roy Horst, first invited me to St. Croix to trap mongoose dem. I remember those feelings as if they were yesterday, and as Roy told me stories of his adventures in Mexico with his adviser so to do I tell Matt stories of my early adventures in the Caribbean and Mexico. I see Matt following a similar path, especially since he has begun to discuss graduate schools.

Jonathan spent most of the day playing with Jacob until he left with his mother. So for several hours he was resigned to play with me and Matt, poor little boy! He had to suffer through a game of Jonathan Ball in which he held onto a soccer ball and Matt and I threw him back-and-forth between us. Of course neither of us caught him so he splashed down into the water laughing. He eventually learned to keep his mouth closed as he went under. He also found a way to retain hold of the soccer ball as he plunged beneath the surface. Needless to say he fell asleep quickly and slept soundly all night.