GARRETT'S VOLUNTEER RESEARCH JOB WHEN HE'S ON PAGAN and more about the island

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE 2 OR THREE ENTREES ARE BEING SENT AFTER THOM AND GARRETT ARRIVED ON PAGAN. Please read down to before Tuesday April 7 so you won't miss all the news about their volcano... CNMI stands for The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands....Linda

Garrett's Voluntary Research Job Self-Description:

My Dad and I are going to Pagan on Sunday (U.S.). A few days ago, we went to the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife and learned how to remove a fish’s ears and to document them for the scientists in the future. First you make a cut directly behind the skull with a knife. Then you rip the body and head away from each other and dig around in the head with tweezers looking for two pumpkin-seed sized bones. You also record the length from the lower jaw to the center of the tail. An optional procedure is to discover the gender. You cut from the butt in a half circle to the fin, then you find the privates and if it is white, it is a girl. If it is dark, it is a boy. We received a lot of Little Zip-Lock bags and matching note cards. We also record the area of the island we caught it on.

Here's Nana/Linda again:
Garrett will keep a research journal. The ear bones are saved because they tell how old the fish are. He will sketch each fish. He and Thom practiced fishing from the beaches a lot in the last months. This will help Fish and Wildlife track which fish are spawning and thriving in these waters.
Before the volcano started up, their main concerns were the centipedes, which have a bad sting, the wild hogs and the territorial bulls with their cows that free range there. They were told to avoid the pigs by staying off their game trails and that certain areas are safer than others from the bulls. Man!
They have hand-made their own cross bows, which would only kill something like the free range skinny chickens. Thom thinks he'll try boiling them for soup. Year round there, as in Saipan, they can pick luscious fruit like mangoes, bananas, coconuts, limes, lemons, papaya, guava, etc.
It's illegal to carry firearms or other weapons over a modest strength, so I
imagine they'll be carrying big sticks for staffs. Can't you just picture this?
The island has clear streams and even a sizable very hot spring. It's so hot, they would have to find a way to cool it down to bathe in it. Sounds like Paradise up to this disturbing volcano business. Like Mindy asked, please pray for God's help, and definitely more angels.
Now read down to hear all about this unexpected occurrence.
Love to all, Linda