Hi everyone,
 
Last time I posted I was signing off, due to my reassignment to Central
America for a year.  Have finally "settled in" down here in lovely Honduras.
Damage from Hurricane Mitch was/is truly as bad as you all saw on the news.
Incredible poverty even before the storm, but now...
 
First I was sent to Tegucigalpa for two weeks when I first arrived in
country (back in December).  Had a team of Honduran paracadistas and my own
troops, purifying water for Hospital San Felipe, which has no facilities of
its own and relies on contaminated well water.  Other missions followed,
like transloading relief supplies, providing water to local communities,
supporting other Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine units doing relief work in
country.  Learning Spanish by osmosis -- immersion really does work!  The
people here are gracious and dignified even in the face of tragedy.
 
Since then have returned to Soto Cano Air Base which is located smack dab in
the heart of the country, near Comayagua.  Roads are horrible off the beaten
path, and drivers here are, well, typical of Central America for those of
you who've had the experience.  Not quite as fast and loose as Kuwait, but I
swear, you haven't lived until you've seen a bus passing a semitrailer on a
blind corner and heading straight at your comparatively-puny Humvee.  Got my
first gray hair Christmas Eve, no joke!
 
Haven't had one moment to shell the coasts but as soon as Operation Mitch
gets over with and we get through with the seasonal National Guard
rotations, I should be able to take a few long weekends and hit the beach.
 
Have enlisted the local kids to look for landsnails, and have found some.
In fact I have some nice digital pictures of one particular specimen.  I
believe it's semiaquatic but have no clue about freshwater snails, so if
anyone is interested in checking out the photos or putting them up for
public access on their webpage, just ask.
 
Does anyone have a good book or two to sell, reference fresh and land
snails?  Would prefer used for obvious reasons.
 
Lake Yojoa, just northwest of here, has an abundant population of freshwater
snails, rather good-sized and evidently prolific judging from the egg cases
deposited near the water's surface on reeds and pilings.  I have a little
weekend expedition in the works to take a boat out around the lake and see
what can be found.
 
Have saved both the semiaquatic specimen and several of the Lake Yojoa
snails for whole preservation in alcohol.  Even drilled holes in the spires
on the big ones so should be well pickled by now.  I plan to clean the other
six that I saved but haven't gotten to do that yet.
 
I'm keeping the alcohol/snails in my freezer.  Alcohol doesn't freeze there
but can anyone think of a problem with this technique?  I don't want to
damage the specimens.
 
So, anyway, a promising start here, and given more free time (ha!) hopefully
I'll have more snail news to share as time goes by.  Anyone interested in
shelling the interior, let me know as I have made some contacts and
discoveries  I could recommend.
 
Has anyone identified the mystery Cyphoma shown in my article on Cay Sal,
previous issue of AmConch?
 
Oh, yes, if anyone would like to send donations of food/medicine/kids'
clothing, my unit sponsors a local orphanage here (Tierra Santa, in La Paz,
a little highland village) and we'll be making a trip soon to visit the
kids.
 
What's new in the shell world?  I'm happy to be back in touch!
 
Hooah,
 
Jenny
 
V/R,
Jenny Cline
1LT, QM
Support Platoon Leader
HSC, ARFOR
 
x5120 (fax/voice)