Snake Bit

It was a frustrating day today and a wet one. We went to the Akron Zoo for a live shot. It promised to be a fun morning. A Kinkajou, turkey vultures, Lemurs and penguins were on the agenda. Sadly it was not to be. We get down to the Akron Zoo and I call in to establish my shot. I'm told that the Akron receive site is not working. In fact it hasn't worked in months. Crap, that's a new one on me. So, I'm told we're trying all our other sites. The closest is in Canton. Should be hittable and it was, but we're low and the signal isn't good enough for air. I move the truck and try again to all available receive horns. No dice.

So we go to plan B. Shooting look lives and driving far enough north that I could hit a site to feed back our recorded hits. I find a parking lot on a hill high enough to ensure a signal. As I'm rotating to one of our sites my reporter, Jacque, yells "LIGHTNING!!" and runs away from the truck. I drop the mast and join Jacque way far away from the truck until the mast is down.

Off we went again to find a spot that was close enough to a usable site and now free from lightning. Finally we find a spot to establish successfully and feed back only one of our recorded hits because we're in the last half hour of our show. So, as I'm feeding back the turkey vulture look live, it isn't usable do to numerous hits on the tape. I cross my fingers and feed back the kinkajou look live which graciously is sans video hits.

And to top it off, I'm fighting a losing battle with poison ivy or poison oak on my arms. I'm so incredibly uncomfortable and bathed a pale pink from calamine lotion.

My kingdom for some 40 grit sandpaper right now...ARRRRGGGGHHH!!