An ordinary week - 4 July to 10 July

Moonrise and sunset

The shenanigans of last week are behind us and everyone seems to be back on track. Spending such extended periods in close quarters doesn't make for amicable relationships and everyone was quite on edge and irritable. Thankfully, the better weather this last week has helped significantly with only a few miserable days here and there allowing us to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

A lenticellular orographic cloud to the met staff, pretty to me

I have said goodbye to the last of my captured Moorhens, releasing the final seven from the large aviary on Friday. None of them seemed the worse for their ordeal although they had all lost about ten percent of their body weight in the six weeks since capture. This was not unexpected as they are not used to being confined in such large numbers in such a small area, rather like us! Anyway, they all survived and I have shown it is possible to keep Moorhens confined for six weeks. Which means that one further obstacle in the way of the plan to eradicate the mice has been removed.

The sunlight hours meter makes a interesting subject, I just wish I had a lens that could do this too.

John Cooper, one of my several bosses, has asked me to visit the Giant Petrel colony on the south west coast of the island to count the number of adult birds present during winter, to give them some idea of the numbers to expect during the mice eradication which is also planned for winter. He would of course ask this at the end of the longest spell of good weather we have had since April, just as the rain returns. Hopefully there will be a another break in the weather soon and I will be able to visit the colony and have something new to write about.

High cirrus cloud on a beautiful day

As the end draws nearer, both the feelings of anticipation of returning home and the reluctance to leave are increasing. It will be truly wonderful to come home and see everyone and everything but life here is (mostly) blissfully easy and stress free with no worries about anything really. Being on an island far removed form the hurly-burly of real life makes it easy to ignore things that used to be meaningful (but weren't really) and to have the freedom to concentrate on those things that really do matter. Maybe I'll stay, I quite like it here...
Just kidding I miss you all too much to stay here and life has to continue, doesn't it? It will be good to be home and no longer have to take vitamin supplements intended for pregnant women. I'm not sure what I am less of, pregnant or a woman, but scurvy is best avoided so eat them I will.

I wasn't kidding...