diff --git a/Analysis/plot_eddy_contours.py b/Analysis/plot_eddy_contours.py
index 7ee1727a505b42c13ebd65f8814d78b4dc7374f8..e99e586ca84ba5e26d69d726a14ef7f45cc10f84 100755
--- a/Analysis/plot_eddy_contours.py
+++ b/Analysis/plot_eddy_contours.py
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ def open_shpt(shp_coll_dir):
         try:
             readers[layer] = shapefile.Reader(path.join(shp_coll_dir, layer))
         except shapefile.ShapefileException:
-            print(f"Shapefile {layer} not found.")
+            print(f"Shapefile {layer} not found in {shp_coll_dir}.")
 
     k1 = readers["extremum"].record(0).date_index
     fname = path.join(shp_coll_dir, "ishape_last.txt")
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
                         action = "store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-s", "--scale", default = 20, type = float,
                         help = "scale of arrows for the velocity field")
-    parser.add_argument("-k", type = int, help = "date index")
+    parser.add_argument("-k", type = int, help = "date, as days since 1950-1-1")
     parser.add_argument("-g", "--grid", help = "plot grid",
                         action = "store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-w", "--window", help = "choose a limited plot window",