Terran monitoring · Hood Canal sector · relay 7

Larch Station

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

The view

Live · 07:00 · misty morning · 42°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.
42° FAHRENHEIT
Thermometer
high 54° · low 42°
30.14 IN HG
Barometer
rising
98% RELATIVE
Hygrometer
dew point 42°
0 MPH · E
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°
59% rain
sunny
Fri 6
☂
55° / 49°
68% rain
rainy
Sat 7
☂
61° / 48°
96% rain
rainy
Sun 8
☂
55° / 43°
43% rain
rainy

“For tomorrow: the reference observers say 55°/49°, 68% rain. Vell's model says 56°/48°, 98% rain. Orm's barometer says 56°/44°, 40% rain. The intern says 59°/39°, 67% rain. This has never happened before. We are frightened.”

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.
Misty morning, 42°, 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, low water at 7:21 am.
Next low water 7:21 am at 3.2 ft, so not much beach. 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 98%, everything is wet. No wind, so the smoke will sit in the yard and come indoors.
The wide water

Fishing

Go. Something is biting. We have not been told what.
The salmon are back in the wide water and nosing up the creek. Pressure rising, grey. Tide going out until 7:21 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 virginianus532
2Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra43
3Common RavenCorvus corax41
4Barred OwlStrix varia39
5Pacific chorus frogPseudacris regilla34
6Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus24
7Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon15
8Song SparrowMelospiza melodia12
9Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertina10
10Northern FlickerColaptes auratus8
CHAPTER V

Observer's log

07:00
Supply drop: still unscheduled. We asked. We were told to 'keep observing.' We are observing the word 'keep.'
05:00
Fog. We can hear the territory but not see it. Orm says this is also true of marriage.
02:00
Day 447. Morale: adequate. Weather: see above. Snacks: see nothing, because there are none.
22:00
Fog probability was 84%. It is now 100%. The intern would like a medal.
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.