Terran monitoring · Hood Canal sector · relay 7

Larch Station

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

The view

Live · 12:15 · clearing after rain · 50°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.
50° FAHRENHEIT
Thermometer
high 55° · low 33°
30.16 IN HG
Barometer
steady
83% RELATIVE
Hygrometer
dew point 45°
0 MPH · E
Anemometer
gust 2 · 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.

Mon 2
☁
52° / 45°
16% rain
cloudy
Tue 3
☀
55° / 42°
11% rain
sunny
Wed 4
☀
56° / 47°
87% rain
sunny
Thu 5
☁
56° / 47°
78% rain
cloudy

“For tomorrow: the reference observers say 55°/42°, 11% rain. Vell's model says 53°/46°, 11% rain. Orm's barometer says 55°/33°, 48% rain. The intern says 55°/40°, 33% 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. The canids have already decided and are waiting by the door.
Clearing after rain, 50°, gusts to 2 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. 208 days until the bipeds submerge themselves again, on purpose.
The shore

Beach

Go. The wide water is behaving, which it does twice a year, low water at 6:21 pm.
Next low water 6:21 pm at 5.7 ft, so not much beach. 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 83%, dry enough. 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 steady, bright. Tide going out until 6:21 pm.
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 virginianus243
2Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra164
3Common RavenCorvus corax109
4Northern FlickerColaptes auratus99
5Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus90
6Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis82
7Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri78
8Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus65
9Barred OwlStrix varia48
10Pacific chorus frogPseudacris regilla35
CHAPTER V

Observer's log

12:15
Rain at 50°. The Great Horned Owl is still shouting. Respect.
10:15
The structure is leaking smoke again. Not an emergency. We checked. Twice. Stop filing it.
07:15
Rain. The bipeds went indoors. Cowards.
03:15
Supply drop: still unscheduled. We asked. We were told to 'keep observing.' We are observing the word 'keep.'
CHAPTER VI

From the files

Fungal activity, autumn. The bipeds photograph them and do not eat them. Correct.
The still water. Built by the large rodent. Rodent instrument: requested. Form 9. Denied.
The still water. Built by the large rodent. Rodent instrument: requested. Form 9. Denied.
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.