Terran monitoring · Hood Canal sector · relay 7

Larch Station

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

The view

Live · 12:45 · drizzle · 54°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.
54° FAHRENHEIT
Thermometer
high 56° · low 50°
29.94 IN HG
Barometer
falling
90% RELATIVE
Hygrometer
dew point 51°
0 MPH · S
Anemometer
gust 1 · Beaufort 0
0.02 IN TODAY
Rain gauge
0.04 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.

Fri 6
☂
55° / 49°
82% rain
rainy
Sat 7
☂
61° / 49°
100% rain
rainy
Sun 8
☂
56° / 42°
51% rain
rainy
Mon 9
☂
53° / 48°
80% rain
rainy

“For tomorrow: the reference observers say 61°/49°, 100% rain. Vell's model says 60°/50°, 100% rain. Orm's barometer says 54°/48°, 80% rain. The intern says 59°/40°, 33% rain. The intern's method (looking out the window) is beating our method (looking at the instruments). We have ordered a bigger window.”

CHAPTER III

Expeditions

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

The path

Hike

Go. The canids have already decided and are waiting by the door.
Drizzle, 54°, gusts to 1 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. 204 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 9:11 pm.
The flats are out around 9:11 pm (0.2 ft). Wind calm, which the canal rarely is, the far shore is visible.
Open flame

Campfire

Light it. Dry wood, no wind. Smoke goes up. Up! For once.
No burn ban in effect (checked by hand). Humidity 90%, everything is wet. No wind, so the smoke will sit in the yard and come indoors.
The wide water

Fishing

Yes. The fish are 'running,' which we assumed was a joke. It is not.
The salmon are back in the wide water and nosing up the creek. Pressure falling, bright. Tide coming in at 2:15 pm.
CHAPTER IV

Fauna census, today

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

1Northern FlickerColaptes auratus16
2Song SparrowMelospiza melodia15
3Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra15
4Common RavenCorvus corax12
5Pacific WrenTroglodytes pacificus11
6Pacific chorus frogPseudacris regilla11
7Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis11
8Varied ThrushIxoreus naevius8
9American RobinTurdus migratorius4
10Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri4
CHAPTER V

Observer's log

12:45
The large biped photographed the small bipeds again. We photographed him. Someone is photographing us. It's turtles.
10:45
Supply drop: still unscheduled. We asked. We were told to 'keep observing.' We are observing the word 'keep.'
07:45
Day 448. Morale: adequate. Weather: see above. Snacks: see nothing, because there are none.
03:45
Drizzle at 54°. The Northern Flicker (16 calls) has resumed yesterday's argument. Nobody is winning.
CHAPTER VI

From the files

Fungal activity, autumn. The bipeds photograph them and do not eat them. Correct.
The canids, at rest. The pale one is in charge. The brown one is in charge of the pale one.
The canids, at rest. The pale one is in charge. The brown one is in charge of the pale one.
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.