diff --git a/examples/process_swath_data/control_modis_l2.yaml b/examples/process_swath_data/control_modis_l2.yaml
index 100cd940..c1bde6e3 100644
--- a/examples/process_swath_data/control_modis_l2.yaml
+++ b/examples/process_swath_data/control_modis_l2.yaml
@@ -7,13 +7,16 @@ analysis:
   debug: True
 
 obs_grid:
+  start_time: '2020-09-09'
+  end_time:   '2020-09-11'
+  ntime: 72
   nlat: 180
   nlon: 360
 
 obs:
   Terra_MODIS:
     # MOD04_L2.AYYYYDDD.HHMM.0XX.timestamp.hdf
-    debug: True
+    debug: False
     obs_type: 'sat_swath_clm'
     sat_type: 'modis_l2'
     filename: $HOME/Data/MODIS/Terra/C61/2020/*/MOD04_L2.*.hdf
@@ -25,7 +28,7 @@ obs:
 
   Aqua_MODIS:
     # MYD04_L2.AYYYYDDD.HHMM.0XX.timestamp.hdf
-    debug: True
+    debug: False
     obs_type: 'sat_swath_clm'
     sat_type: 'modis_l2'
     filename: $HOME/Data/MODIS/Aqua/C61/2020/*/MYD04_L2.*.hdf
diff --git a/examples/process_swath_data/process_modis_l2.py b/examples/process_swath_data/process_modis_l2.py
index 1daf2e56..7c22cfaa 100644
--- a/examples/process_swath_data/process_modis_l2.py
+++ b/examples/process_swath_data/process_modis_l2.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 an.control = 'control_modis_l2.yaml'
 an.read_control()
 
+an.generate_obs_grid()
+print(an.obs_grid)
 
 for time_interval in an.time_intervals:
 
@@ -11,5 +13,5 @@
 
     an.open_obs(time_interval=time_interval)
 
-    for obs in an.obs:
-        print(an.obs[obs].obj)
+    # for obs in an.obs:
+    #     print(an.obs[obs].obj)
diff --git a/melodies_monet/driver.py b/melodies_monet/driver.py
index 02cb141f..c41d08cc 100644
--- a/melodies_monet/driver.py
+++ b/melodies_monet/driver.py
@@ -122,8 +122,6 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.variable_dict = None
         self.resample = None
         self.time_var = None
-        self.obs_grid = None
-        self.obs_edges = None
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return (
@@ -241,7 +239,7 @@ def rename_vars(self):
                         self.obj = self.obj.rename({v:d['rename']})
                         self.variable_dict[d['rename']] = self.variable_dict.pop(v)
 
-    def open_sat_obs(self,time_interval=None):
+    def open_sat_obs(self, time_interval=None, control_dict=None):
         """Methods to opens satellite data observations. 
         Uses in-house python code to open and load observations.
         Alternatively may use the satpy reader.
@@ -302,15 +300,6 @@ def open_sat_obs(self,time_interval=None):
             print('something happened opening file:', e)
             return
 
-    def generate_obs_grid(self, control_dict=None):
-        from .util import grid_util
-        self.obs_grid, self.obs_edges = grid_util.generate_uniform_grid(
-            control_dict['obs_grid']['start'],
-            control_dict['obs_grid']['end'],
-            control_dict['obs_grid']['ntime'],
-            control_dict['obs_grid']['nlat'],
-            control_dict['obs_grid']['nlon'])
-
     def filter_obs(self):
         """Filter observations based on filter_dict.
         
@@ -663,6 +652,8 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.target_grid = None
         self.obs_regridders = None
         self.model_regridders = None
+        self.obs_grid = None
+        self.obs_edges = None
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return (
@@ -834,6 +825,15 @@ def setup_regridders(self):
             self.obs_regridders = regrid_util.setup_regridder(self.control_dict, config_group='obs')
             self.model_regridders = regrid_util.setup_regridder(self.control_dict, config_group='model')
 
+    def generate_obs_grid(self):
+        from .util import grid_util
+        self.obs_grid, self.obs_edges = grid_util.generate_uniform_grid(
+            self.control_dict['obs_grid']['start_time'],
+            self.control_dict['obs_grid']['end_time'],
+            self.control_dict['obs_grid']['ntime'],
+            self.control_dict['obs_grid']['nlat'],
+            self.control_dict['obs_grid']['nlon'])
+
     def open_models(self, time_interval=None,load_files=True):
         """Open all models listed in the input yaml file and create a :class:`model` 
         object for each of them, populating the :attr:`models` dict.
@@ -969,7 +969,7 @@ def open_obs(self, time_interval=None, load_files=True):
                 if load_files:
                     if o.obs_type in ['sat_swath_sfc', 'sat_swath_clm', 'sat_grid_sfc',\
                                         'sat_grid_clm', 'sat_swath_prof']:
-                        o.open_sat_obs(time_interval=time_interval)
+                        o.open_sat_obs(time_interval=time_interval, control_dict=self.control_dict)
                     else:
                         o.open_obs(time_interval=time_interval, control_dict=self.control_dict)
                 self.obs[o.label] = o