Pearson - 1996 3 fast; 30 inches between whorls of branches in one case. One of the pines with only 5 whorls of branches was almost 6 feet tall and had a cone forming at the tip top. Mature cones are about 8 inches long. Farther up the hill are more firs. There used to be a row of big firs along the road to the ski place, but they blew down in a storm something like ten years ago. Clump A2 in the forest had one new shoot only 3 inches tall; only a few yearlings. Clara Bosch, our apartment sitter, came by. She is unemployed, may not be able to pay the apartment expenses in the future. She told about numerous fires last summer, and the absence of a winter here. 30 October - Temperature mild, the last few days have stayed between 45 and 68, sunny. The Hanta virus continues to be front page news. The first fatality in Bariloche was a school teacher. Today there was said to be a demonstration by school children to make sure that their schools had been made safe before they would return to classes. Abel Basti came by. He is still a reporter for La Manana del Sur, had an article on Hanta in today,s issue, complete with a photo of Nadia Guthmann trapping at El Bolson. Vandals have been stealing and stompiing traps in El Bolson. The town of Jacobacci is thinking of closing the road from El Bolson to prevent the epidemic from spreading to their town. What with forest fires, the absence of snow in the ski season, the subsequent drought, the ozone hole, and the Hanta virus, the economy is in danger, especially in El Bolson. People won't even buy products from there. Gustvo Iglesias came by, wants me to contact Teresita at the Diario Rio Negro to talk mice. A student from the states is arriving soon to study the effect of ultra-violet light on amphibians. The Chalhuaco frog survived the forest fire there, which did not seem to enter very far into the lenga forest. Then we visited Arturo Tarak, who is living, once again, out on his chacra east of town, working in the Civic Center. He is Director of Planning and Development for Parques, has moved his operation here from BA. Michael Christie came by at 9:30. He has found a couple of good amberat deposits, and visited my mima