Attempts to visit black cotton prohibited by heavy rains last night. Because the black soil system here has a high percentage of clay, the roads quickly become too slippery to navigate, even in a Land Cruiser. Did a load of work on a manuscript (journal article based on diss research). Had my first passion fruit at lunch today. It's small and really gooey and seedy inside and kind of acidic, but also very sweet and tasty. Meals here are sort of American in that we get spaghetti, chicken, beef stew, etc. But it's all got a little different funky taste too. And this Midwestern gal is missing out on the real dairy.

Took a walk on the ‘ring road’ which circumscribes the research station and passed an elephant skull

Had a beer with a friend on the porch of a (we assume, unoccupied) research house during sunset. Lots of birdfeeders by this house, and snapped some pix