A young scientist investigates the effects of climate change in northern Maine but is caught in a race against time and the frigged elements.
Venturing out to Pushaw Lake the scientist, accompanied with an aid is trying to measure the PH and soil Content of the water in the lake. Agricultural runoff in lakes has disrupted the ecosystems that rely on the water source all around the country. Determining if the water here is close to its natural base is critical to understanding which ecosystems may be at risk and which ones are safe.
The wind was cold and whipped at the their clothes as the two departed the warmth of the sedan and moved to complete their research. In the distance mountains sat juxtaposed against a blazing orange sun that quietly shrank below the horizon. Time was of the essence as light is needed to take accurate photos of the water, which are in turn processed through a software that estimates the soil content. This coupled with PH readings can give accurate estimates on the effects of agricultural runoff or rising average water temperatures here. 
Cold hands ache as she moves to complete her work. First measuring the distance of the shore line on the Lake. Each ten feet she takes a PH reading and photograph of the water. At first it goes smoothly but the end of the measuring tape dug into the ground pops free and the scientist is forced to remeasure the distance. While on the surface this is a minor complication, small mishaps like this can extend the project longer than one would think and time is of the essence. A Loon calls over the Lake and the sun sinks ever lower.
Another obstacle faced is the calibration of her PH device. The numbers keep jumping and its hard to get an accurate base. To recalibrate it she’d need distilled water, not a resource at hand. However, to overcome this she takes the average of the highest and lowest range given on the PH meter. Not perfect but it will work.
After the measurements are taken it is time to document her research on paper and crunch the data, the paper bends awkwardly as she struggles to record the data legibly on the paper without a hard surface to write on. Bringing a clip board is a premeasure she would take next time. Gazing out as the sun which is now well behind the mountains, she instructs her aid to start to vehicle back up and get the heat blasting. It is going to be a quick departure. By now the shadows of night are descending upon the world and she uses a flashlight to write down the last of her data.
The harshness of the Maine winter can be a reminder to be more diligent on preparing for projects like this she thought to herself. While it was only November 4th, the first snow of the winter had come and stayed on the ground for several days. With the wind chill the temperature was already in the twenties. Grateful to be in the warmth of the car she sits back, relaxing for a moment; gazing out at the last hues of pink light on the horizon that would soon fade into the night sky.