Terran monitoring · Hood Canal sector · relay 7

Larch Station

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

The view

Live · 17:30 · overcast night · 52°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.
52° FAHRENHEIT
Thermometer
high 56° · low 42°
30.09 IN HG
Barometer
falling
88% RELATIVE
Hygrometer
dew point 49°
0 MPH · N
Anemometer
gust 1 · Beaufort 0
0.00 IN TODAY
Rain gauge
0.02 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.

Thu 5
☀
56° / 47°
56% rain
sunny
Fri 6
☂
56° / 49°
58% rain
rainy
Sat 7
☂
60° / 48°
97% rain
rainy
Sun 8
☂
55° / 43°
35% rain
rainy

“For tomorrow: the reference observers say 56°/49°, 58% rain. Vell's model says 56°/49°, 94% rain. Orm's barometer says 54°/40°, 72% rain. The intern says 62°/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. Take the long way. Tell no one.
Overcast night, 52°, 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. 205 days until the bipeds submerge themselves again, on purpose.
The shore

Beach

Go. The wide water is behaving, which it does twice a year. The flats are out at 8:38 pm.
The flats are out around 8:38 pm (1.4 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 88%, 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. Overcast, pressure falling: the fish approve. Tide going out until 8:38 pm.
CHAPTER IV

Fauna census, today

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

1Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis53
2Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus52
3Northern FlickerColaptes auratus46
4Pacific chorus frogPseudacris regilla36
5Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra32
6Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus31
7Common RavenCorvus corax28
8Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii20
9Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus14
10Song SparrowMelospiza melodia10
CHAPTER V

Observer's log

17:30
Day 447. Morale: adequate. Weather: see above. Snacks: see nothing, because there are none.
15:30
Supply drop: still unscheduled. We asked. We were told to 'keep observing.' We are observing the word 'keep.'
12:30
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.
08:30
Night. Lights on in Structure B. The biped in there is working, or being watched by a smaller screen. Both. Definitely both.
CHAPTER VI

From the files

Fungal activity, autumn. The bipeds photograph them and do not eat them. Correct.
The crossing. A plank. The whole territory is held together by planks.
The crossing. A plank. The whole territory is held together by planks.
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.