Terran monitoring · Hood Canal sector · relay 7

Larch Station

A weather outpost, staffed, against the wishes of the staff
CHAPTER I

The view

Live · 02:15 · fog · 35°F
Bearing 1 of 7 · Structures A and B
The ship's camera. Arrows, the dots or the keyboard to look elsewhere; drag to scan.
35° FAHRENHEIT
Thermometer
high 55° · low 35°
30.04 IN HG
Barometer
steady
99% RELATIVE
Hygrometer
dew point 35°
0 MPH · N
Anemometer
gust 0 · Beaufort 0
0.00 IN TODAY
Rain gauge
0.00 in this week
CHAPTER II

Hypotheses

What the crew expect, and what the reference observers on the surface say. Graded afterwards, on the hypotheses page.

Wed 4
≋
56° / 46°
76% rain
fog
Thu 5
☀
56° / 47°
76% rain
sunny
Fri 6
☂
54° / 48°
76% rain
rainy
Sat 7
☂
60° / 49°
81% rain
rainy

“For tomorrow: the reference observers say 56°/47°, 76% rain. Vell's model says 55°/46°, 50% rain. Orm's barometer says 55°/35°, 64% rain. The intern says 55°/39°, 67% rain. We have no better idea and are saying so in a smaller font.”

CHAPTER III

Expeditions

Whether the bipeds should attempt the things they attempt. Advisory only. They never listen.

The path

Hike

Go. Take the long way. Tell no one.
Fog, 35°, gusts to 0 mph. The hill is dry enough. The crossing is always fine.
Closed for the season
The rectangular pond

Pool

Closed for the season. Reopens 29 May.
Open from the Saturday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. 206 days until the bipeds submerge themselves again, on purpose.
The shore

Beach

Yes. Bring the canids. Bring a towel for the canids. Bring a towel for the towel. The flats are out at 6:16 am.
The flats are out around 6:16 am (2.3 ft). Wind calm, which the canal rarely is, the far shore is hidden.
Open flame

Campfire

Possible, with the dry wood from under cover. You know the wood. The good wood.
No burn ban in effect (checked by hand). Humidity 99%, everything is wet. No wind, so the smoke will sit in the yard and come indoors.
The wide water

Fishing

Possible. The fish have opinions about the weather too.
The salmon are back in the wide water and nosing up the creek. Overcast, pressure steady: the fish approve. Tide going out until 6:16 am.
CHAPTER IV

Fauna census, today

The small flying ones, counted by the microphones. The full census, with recordings, is on the bird site.

1Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus225
2Barred OwlStrix varia40
3Common RavenCorvus corax8
4Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra7
5Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon7
6Pacific chorus frogPseudacris regilla5
7Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertina2
8Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis1
9Rock PigeonColumba livia1
10CoyoteCanis latrans1
CHAPTER V

Observer's log

02:15
waning crescent moon over the wide water. Nothing to report. Reporting it anyway. That's the job.
00:15
Supply drop: still unscheduled. We asked. We were told to 'keep observing.' We are observing the word 'keep.'
21:15
Day 446. Morale: adequate. Weather: see above. Snacks: see nothing, because there are none.
17:15
Dark. The large rodent at the still water is presumably awake. We have no instrument for rodents. Orm has filed a request. Form 9. Denied.
CHAPTER VI

From the files

Fungal activity, autumn. The bipeds photograph them and do not eat them. Correct.
The open ground. The creek leaves on the right for the wide water. It does not say goodbye.
The open ground. The creek leaves on the right for the wide water. It does not say goodbye.
Structure B. Lit at all hours. We think it's a shrine. To what, we are not cleared to know.
Structure B. Lit at all hours. We think it's a shrine. To what, we are not cleared to know.