Pearson - 1998 JOURNAL - 1998B October 23- San Francisco-Miami-BuenosAires-Bariloche. Arrived Bariloche about 4 pm. The steppe from the plane looked very dry. Scattered pale blowouts (round plantless areas of one or a few acres) between Rio Colorado and Pilcaniyeu. Could they be overgrazed viscacha colonies? A few sheep grazing on the Estancia El Condor mallin, but the mallines only slightly green. Weather at Bariloche balmy and sunny. The newspaper says it is the driest year since 1987, and local people say it was a warm winter with little snow. The snow pack on the hills right now is pretty skimpy. The leaves on the lombardy poplars are just coming out, a few Scotch Broom blooming, the notros along the streets are beginning to bloom. Leaves not out on the big walnut next door. October 24- Car started up reluctantly, one tire flat. Took it to a body-work man to fix up last May's scrape; will rent a Renault 19 for a week. Coffee with Leopold Barratta across the street (landlord of our parking space). Day was warm and sunny (low 70s). October 25- Bariloche. Minimum overnight 50, cloudy in a.m. Drove to La Veranada and counted bamboos. Along Lago Gutierrez many apple trees were in full bloom, some Scotch Broom. The nires at our study site were either not at all leafing out or just beginning to leaf out. Dandelions were blooming; calafate Berberis just starting to bloom, . Cloudy all day, even a few sprinkles. Clump E2 was not vigorous, as usual; E3 had 26 dead shoots (at least 17 of them parasitized) and 56 yearlings, hence had produced at least 82 new shoots. Many live culms from 1984-85 season still hanging in there (but two of them dead). Hence, we found 10 of the 11 culms marked in that season Heard Magellanic woodpeckers, saw chimangos there. Some tuco diggings but no earth cores (not enough snow?). The newspaper reports several Hanta Virus cases from the La Plata-Magdalena region of the Pampa, blames Oligo flavescens. Papers also report killing frosts in the lower valley of the Rio Negrolate in August and early September, ruining apple and pear crops and stone fruits. Also, something like 6% of Argentina was underwater during the floods in the northeastern Provincves. Maximum temp during day was 73°. Oct. 26- Minimum temp overnight 55°. Morning clear, showers at 1 pm, then clear again. Left the van at the body shop, then went to Parques for permits. Saw Miguel Gross, Chehebar, Ramilo, Gustavo Iglesias, and Anais. Michael Christie has an apartment in Buenos Aires and has sold his