Back on the Road in the Pac NW

July flew by and before I knew it I was back in OR picking blueberries by the pound. I spent 4 days out in John Day helping Julie install wells at here research site.

The wells looked more like giant missiles and were hilarious to play with until we had to actually pound them 8 feet through the river bed with a 60 pound hammer.

A bit of math…

Each lift and successive drop probably averaged about 1/8^th inch of driving depth, so each well was hit on average about 650 times. 650 swings times 60lbs is about 40,000 pounds of lifting, do that 20 times in 95 degree heat and you’re on a roller coaster towards hating life and heat exhaustion…Jeff and I, on more than 1 occasion, were somewhat delusional and could no longer maintain a comprehensible conversation – at that point we usually went and laid in the river for a while until we regained some mental capacity.

Our home for a few days - a very unstable, hot and cosy camper van.

I'll set the scene a bit: these are the wells (on top of the car), they look more like missiles than wells.

This is Jeff, he looks more like a terrorist than a physicist.

The combination was inevitable.

And the combinations were endless...


We did do some actual work...i swear

After using the hand auger to start the holes (see above) we used the 60lb sliding hammer to pound the well in...these shots are for the ladies :)

Jeff looking thick

Me looking not as thick


Occasionally we hit big rocks that coudnl't be broken and then we bent the wells and had to start all over again...frustrating.

But sometimes things went flawlessly - Taa Da

Most of the time though, it was painful

Nice sunsets in Eastern Or.

An old settlers home.