Christmas blues and and antidote

Last Saturday I was feeling rather down and homesick. All our family were gathered for the Wilkie Christmas gathering which we usually host and, although we had spoken to them on the phone, I felt very far from home. However in the early evening I went for a lovely walk which cheered me up no end. I got Simon to drive me down to Whalebone Cove which is the far easterly end of the harbour.

This is dominated by the hulk of the Lady Elizabeth, a huge iron sailing ship. She was launched in 1879 but was damaged rounding Cape Horn in 1913. She limped into Stanley for repairs but these proved too expensive so she stayed moored in Stanley harbour. A violent gale in 1936 drove her down to her current resting place.I then walked along the far shore of the harbour out to Engineer's Point. If you are looking from our house this is the point on the right hand side of The Narrows (the entrance to the harbour). One of the beacons marking the harbour entrance is sited here. Near it there are some large old chains going down into the sea which have puzzled me but I read recently that during the first world war there was a metal net which could be pulled up across the Narrows to block the entrance and the chains were used to lift it.
Many of the rocks and stones are covered with an amazing variety of lichens of different colours.
A variable hawk was perched on a rocky peak and is, I think nesting there. She kept flying around and making a lot of noise in an attempt to distract me. My attempts to photograph her were unsuccessful, just capturing tail and feet as she flew off.
Beyond the point is a Hadrassa Bay with a pebble beach round to Tussac Point. There were several magellanic penguins on the beach and when they dive into the clear water it is amazing to see them swimming. At the entrance to one of their burrows I could see small chicks sheltering under the parent's flippers.

Beyond Tussac Point the coast along to Gypsy Cove is rocky with waves constantly breaking.
On one rock I saw a colony of nesting black-crowned night herons (locally called quarks). The adult birds are grey and white but the young speckled brown and most seem to have 2 chicks. They usually feed close to the shore catching small fish and crustaceans.
On another rocky cliff was another quark's nest and a group of nesting rock shags. These now have large chicks in their precarious nests. I do wonder how they manage not to fall off into the sea.At Gypsy Cove I saw 2 magellanic penguin chicks outside their burrow just next to the path. There were lots of adults coming and going to the burrows and hundreds congregated on the beach at Yorke Bay. Standing amongst them was one lonely king penguin.
Having watched them for some time I rang Simon to come and pick me up feeling much more cheerful and privileged to be here.

The races

Yesterday (boxing day) was wet and windy for much of the day. Simon was out windsurfing for several hours, although quite a bit of the time was spent changing his kit as the conditions kept changing. I stayed in and did a jigsaw puzzle. However by the time we had a very late lunch it had brightened up and we paid a quick visit to the races before going for a walk at Gypsy Cove.

The annual races, which take place over the 3 days after Christmas are the big social event of the year and people come from all over the islands. I gather that as well as horse racing they have other games/competitions like rodeo riding. These probably happen today and then tomorrow there is a gymkana. I have not seen a programme of events, I think everyone just knows what is happening.We only stayed to watch one race. People must have done a lot of work in the past to prepare the racecourse as it is the biggest, flattest, stone free area I have seen anywhere on the island apart from the airport. There were 4 horses running in the race we watched. Once they got going they seemed quite enthusiastic with one continuing off the end of the course, out of the field and down the road!As the Standard Chartered bank are celebrating 25 years here they are hosting a celebration at the racecourse this evening with free food and drink for everyone so I imagine that will be popular!

Local birds

If I walk into town there are usually some interesting birds to see on the way.
There is a large grassy area between the road and the harbour and a group of magellanic oystercatchers are often feeding there. They make very evocative crying sounds and perform fascinating courtship displays.
There are also blackish oystercatchers, usually singly or a pair, feeding amongst the pebbles at the water's edge.There are always groups of upland geese on the grass and often a pair of kelp geese on the shore.
Of the 3 types of gull resident here the kelp gulls are the most common. They frequently pull mussels from the edge of the sea and then fly over the road and drop them to crack open the shells. Because of this the road is usually littered with broken shells and small stones. I am not sure if the stones did have mussels on them or if the gulls pick them up by mistake.
The giant southern petrels are amazing when gliding effortlessly along (but hard to photograph). They look less appealing when waiting to scavenge whatever comes from the outfall pipe.
There are frequently turkey vultures soaring overhead and occasionally seen on the ground.

Christmas

Christmas here is much less commercialised than in UK. The shops only seemed to get busy a couple of days before Christmas and there are none of the over the top decorations around.

Last Sunday evening we attended the service of 9 lessons and carols at the anglican cathedral which was broadcast and followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

Wednesday afternoon I again heard lots of sirens and wondered if there had been a major accident and then realised it was the police and fire engines on their way to Victory Green where the road was closed and father Christmas distributing goody bags to all the children of Stanley. This was followed by carol singing - planned to be under the whalebone arch outside the cathedral but as it was raining moved to the parish hall. There was a large group of musicians playing brass and wind instruments and a couple of solos from a bagpipe player. There was an excellent turnout and hearty singing of lots of well known carols.

I had left a turkey in the oven and Simon went out windsurfing after work so we enjoyed our Christmas dinner later on that evening.

Christmas day dawned calm and sunny and Simon and I exchanged gifts, in fact the same gift, a recently published book of photos of the Falklands. I did however manage a slight one-upmanship as I had obtained a copy signed by the author! Simon has generously offered to get me a second hand copy of Tony Chater's first book of photos which is now out of print and by no means cheap but which I had fallen in love with when borrowed from the library.

We went to the Christmas service at the Tabernacle, the church we usually attend and on our way home tried out the public glass crushing machine to recycle bottles.

We then drove out to Cape Pembroke east of Stanley and had a nice walk along the rocky coast, which is very reminiscent of Pembrokeshire. Some of the upland goose goslings are beginning to lose their down and get their adult feathers. We saw a lone gentoo penguin standing on a rock and a large flock of turkey voltures were enjoying the remains of a washed up elephant seal carcass for their Christmas lunch. The weather steadily deteriorated and we were ready for a late lunch by the time we got home.

Despite the phone lines being very difficult, especially for internet calls, we eventually spoke to all the family which was really nice.
Simon had been planning to go windsurfing later but as it turned very cold and wet even he enjoyed relaxing at home and in the evening we watched the DVD of The Nativity which made a very fitting end to the day.

carnival

On Saturday afternoon I heard several sirens (very unusual here) and wondered what was happening. A couple of minutes later Simon, who had just come in from windsurfing, announced that the carnival was coming down the road so we trotted down to the corner to watch. The police and fire engines were out in force with sirens going as part of the parade. Father Christmas was on a large float with Christmas carols emmanating followed by many children and some adults dressed in costumes. There was another float of a beast cleverly built on a quad bike and then a procession of landrovers, many decorated with tinsel and balloons.

The tip

On Friday evening we had a trip to the tip which is on the coast at a place called Eliza Cove. You can't access the sea because there are lots of minefields there.


We had taken lots of sacks of stones, clay and general rubbish which I have been gradually digging out of the garden in my attempts to make a vegetable patch. The larger stones are being saved for John to build a wall round the garden and the rocks to build a rockery.

The tip is open at all times and not usually manned unless the JCB is being used. The only things which are recycled here are aluminium cans and glass bottles. (These have to be taken to the back of the town hall where there is a glass crusher but I haven't tried it yet). So nothing is segregated into different skips, you just drive up a large ramp and tip it over the end. As there is no barrier at the top reversing towards the edge can be a bit scary!


Periodically the rubbish is moved to a big smouldering heap and then into landfill. The area is frequented by lots of gulls, some feral cats and turkey vultures all scavenging. There were only 3 vultures on Friday but once when we went on a stormy day there was a large flock of them and the scene was quite apocalyptic with the dark sky, swirling smoke and vultures flying and perched all around.


One of the benefits of the tip system is that you can help yourself to anything you fancy from the heap - as long as no-one else is throwing stuff down on top of you. On Friday we collected a large and very solid wooden packing case. I have been on the lookout for some materials for John to build me a compost bin or two with so it will be very useful!

fashion wear

Lasts week's top fashion item, the extra large and extra strong rubber glove (available in green or blue) has been rivalled in popularity by the new summer season release which went into production on Tuesday. The elbow length cotton mitten provides cool, lightweight plaster protection. The elasticated cuff prevents dust contamination of the top of the plaster and perspiration levels are much less than those experienced with the rubber glove. These are also extremely environmentally friendly, being manufactured from recycled materials (old pillow cases) and are machine washable. These are available singly rather than having to be purchased in pairs which is another economic advantage. However the rubber glove will remain in use for some tasks such as washing up and watering the garden.

Tourists

The tourist season is in full swing now. The majority come on cruise ships and just visit Stanley for a day. Some of these ships are huge, carrying up to 3000 passengers and can not enter the harbour. They anchor outside The Narrows in Port William and have their own fleet of launches which ferry people in to the jetty in town. From there some people go on tours either locally or further afield to see the wildlife or historic sites while many wander round town. If a big ship is in there can be as many visitors as residents in Stanley and it can be quite hard to get about as they tend to wander in the road or block the pavements. Obviously these are the days when all the gift shops do plenty of business.

There are also smaller ships with between 40 and 150 passengers. These come into the harbour and either tie up at the floating dock outside town or have small inflatable boats to ferry passengers ashore. These ships also usually visit one or more of the smaller islands to see the wildlife and their passengers usually seem more purposeful and energetic. These often go on to South Georgia and/or Antarctica.


Most of the cruises depart from Argentina or sometimes Chile. Sometimes when there is a big ship in the military put on quite a show of air power with tornados flying past and helicopters circling overhead. I have been told that this is particularly when there are alot of Argentinian passengers aboard.


Quite a lot of local people take leave from their usual jobs to drive tourists or work in gift shops when a big ship is in.

An old croc

I am feeling rather frustrated at the moment. I had my wrist X rayed again this morning and it is now confirmed that I have a fracture at the base of my thumb - called a scaphoid fracture. So I have had to have it put back in plaster and it is to be reviewed again in 4 weeks. At least I was able to wash my hand before the new plaster was put on. It had got quite smelly and the plaster very grubby so I hate to think what it will be like in 4 weeks time!

It is particularly frustrating as I had hoped John would be able to give me lots of windsurfing lessons while he is here. Also since I have been doing everything with my right arm my shoulder that I injured in January has got quite sore again. On top of that my left knee which has had arthritis for many years has been particularly painful, although that may be a ligament problem.

Hence I feel an old croc with only 1 limb out of 4 working properly but I am sure we will have a great time during John's visit. We have booked to go to West Falkland by ferry for 5 days over new year and a trip to Saunders Island later in January. Meanwhile the list of jobs for him to do here is growing - including erecting my polytunnel and digging out and moving lots of rocks from the garden.

Beans, bees and garden birds

Soon after we arrived I sowed some dwarf broad beans in pots and then planted them out under a cloche. When they seemed to be growing nicely I sowed a long double row outside and was feeling quite chuffed with myself when they came up and the first ones started flowering in profusion, having largely survived the pests and wind. However I have recently discovered the flaw in my optimism - there are no bees here. None of the flowers are getting polinated and setting pods. Although I could well use the space in the garden for something else I can't bring myself to pull them all out. Interestingly lupins and tree lupins flourish here and set seeds. I wonder what pollinates them.

When I was gardening the other day a family of Falkland thrushes came to feed and were very tame, almost like robins at home. They also are blackbird sized and the young ones have pretty speckled breasts.


When we first arrived there were almost always several upland geese and sometimes a pair of ruddy geese grazing in our garden and I thought they would prove a major problem to vegetable growing. However with the breeding season they have moved away. I suspect that I will need to fence winter greens before they return in the autumn though.


The only birds here that are recognisable from the UK are house sparrows which are plentiful in the garden. There are often long tailed meadow larks feeding on the lawn and recently there has been a family of them. Because of their bright red breasts the local people sometimes call them robins. They are in fact a member of the oriole family, about blackbird sized and quite noisy - sounding rather like mynah birds but not copying people or other birds. They are quite striking to see.

minefields

There are about 130 minefields in the Falklands containing over 20,000 mines. They are mostly around Stanley, although some are elsewhere, and they are all fenced and clearly marked.

The mines were laid by the Argentine forces during the conflict in 1982. Since then there have been no human casualties of the mines although an occasional cow or horse has broken through the fencing and been blown up.

Under the Ottawa Convention to which Britain is a signatory these minefields should have been cleared by March 2009 but Britain has asked for a 10 year extension. A feasability study has indicated that the nature of the terrain and the isolation of the Falklands would make clearance difficult and expensive. However a trial clearance of 3 sites is to be commenced soon. It seems rather ironic that Britain should be held responsible for clearing mines laid by the Argentinians.

The attitude of most Falklanders seems to be that they are happy for resources to be prioritised to clear minefields in parts of the world where children are regularly losing limbs. There is also the question of the environmental impact of clearing the minefields here. Many provide safe havens for wildlife.

drugs theft

The investigation into the missing cocaine from the police cells concluded that it had been stolen by one of the prisoners who had already been charged with importing it although he has pleaded not guilty to both charges. The trial has been postponed awaiting analysis of the substance and apparently there have been problems obtaining a licence to import it to UK for analysis.

It appears that prisoners were free to roam within the prison (which is part of the police station), particularly at night, having access to the kitchen, toilets and other prisoners cells. As there is a gap under the door of the cell in which the drugs were being stored (and which was also used to house the police armoury during rebuilding works) the prisoner was able to reach in, fish the packages out and flush the contents down the toilet! One wonders if there were some very animated or sleepy fish and seabirds around the sewage outfall that week.

An extension to the old police station/prison is currently being built - hopefully to higher security standards.

Wrist

This morning I had my wrist re X rayed. I have worked quite a lot of shifts in the past week and it has been quite sore. When the doctor looked at the X rays he said I had better have a plaster on but didn't volunteer any more information. However Eric, who put the plaster on this afternoon said it was inconclusive. He thinks it could be a ligament or tendon injury rather than a fracture. The plaster is to immobilise it for a week and then it is to be reviewed again. So I will be off work again, which is quite nice but rather frustrating that I won't be able to do most of the things I would like to get on with. Maybe I will have time to blog some more!

accidents

On Thursday morning I climbed a small set of steps in the treatment room at work to get a catheter from one of the top shelves. Coming down I lost my footing and fell (I think my brain was thinking of the steps we have at home which have much wider treads). I think I put my left hand out behind me and bent my hand backwards. A soldier who was walking down the corridorhad picked me up almost before I knew what was happening, much to everyone's amusement!

Apart from feeling very embarressed and my wrist being a bit sore I was OK and continued with my work (we were particularly busy that day). However as the shift continued my hand/wrist became increasingly swollen and painful and after completing the obligatory incident form I was sent to see the casualty doctor. He thought I might have a scaphoid fracture although nothing was clearly visible on X ray so I have had it splinted and been off work over the weekend. I had to go back to see him today and as the pain and swelling are much reduced he thinks it is OK and I can move it again but have to have another X ray in a week's time just to be sure.

I was then just on my way cycling home when I saw an old lady who had fallen on the pavement and another old lady struggling to help her up. So my bicycle was abandoned whilst I helped her up and walked her slowly back to the sheltered housing near the hospital where she lives. She said her ankle hurt and she had a nasty graze on her elbow so I decided we had better go to casualty to get it cleaned up. Fortunately on the way we met the warden who managed to find the district nurse so I was able to hand her over with clear conscience and go and retrieve my bike. It's a good job bikes don't get stolen here!

Volunteer Point

On Saturday we visited Volunteer Point. This is only about 10 miles north of Stanley as the crow flies but because of the indented coastline you have to drive about 50 miles to get there and the last 12 are off road. It is advisable to go with other people as once you leave the road it is difficult to find your way and easy to get bogged so we met up at 8am and set off in a convoy of 6 vehicles led by a couple who are very experienced off road drivers and have been there numerous times before. It took about an hour to reach Johnson's Harbour, the settlement where the road ends, and about 2 more hours to cover the last 12 miles.
We had various incidents of people getting bogged and needing towing out. At one point Simon tried to tow someone but the bar across the back of our vehicle that the rope was tied to came off so it now needs some welding. Simon decided this was all for the best, because he would obviously need something stronger if he ever needed to be pulled backwards out of a bog!


There is a warden resident out there during the summer and he collects the entry fee of £15 per person and tells you what is happening. There is a huge white sand beach with remarkably clear water and waves breaking and behind this there is a large grassy area where magellanic penguins nest. There is also a large colony of gentoo penguins and some of these had recently hatched chicks so you could see one or two peeping out from under their parents asking for food.

However the most amazing thing is the king penguins. There are about 500 breeding pairs there so with all the young ones probably about 2,000 altogether. The main breeding area is marked off by stones which you mustn't pass but there were also groups scattered around and on the beach. A few had laid eggs which they hold on their feet covered with a flap of skin and feathers. The adults are stunningly beautiful and it was quite surreal to be lying on a sand dune watching these beautiful birds just a few feet away.


Some of the young ones are quite inquisitive and come up to look at you. The juveniles are quite comical as they have long fluffy brown feathers. Many of them and some of the adults are moulting so they have tufts of old feathers left on top of their beautiful new ones.


We watched gentoo penguins coming out of the sea. On their way in they keep jumping right out of the water. This is when they are most vulnerable to predators and we watched a large male sea-lion swimming along in the shallows on the lookout for them.


Time there went all too quickly and I wished we could have stayed longer although I was glad to get in the car and have some hot soup. There was a very cold wind and even with 5 layers of clothes and hat, gloves etc it was quite chilly. Today however is really hot and sunny and I have sat outside in a T shirt!