First time past the war monument by Stanley harbour (return here about 23 miles later).
Stanley cathedral with the famous whalebone arch.
Just what I was looking for!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Marathon II
Today I received the official certificate and a whole CD of marathon photos. Tiring to look through! But not as tiring as running. the fastest time was just under 2 hours 56 minutes, and I came in in 35th position. Not sure that I will do another one! It was hard work, and the training took up valuable windsurfing time! Anyway, here are a few of the new photos.
First time past the war monument by Stanley harbour (return here about 23 miles later).
Stanley cathedral with the famous whalebone arch.
Just what I was looking for!
First time past the war monument by Stanley harbour (return here about 23 miles later).
Stanley cathedral with the famous whalebone arch.
Just what I was looking for!
Cape Pembroke
On Saturday morning we went windsurfing. Although it was sunny when we set out by the time we got rigged up and onto the water it had turned showery, the sea was quite choppy and the wind very variable so it was quite challenging but generally fun. The worst bit is getting everything packed up afterwards and trying to get out of my wetsuit and boots with rather numb hands.
After we had a late lunch and relaxed for a bit the sun came out again and we decided to go for a walk before supper. We drove to Cape Pembroke and as we had torrential rain the night before Simon had great fun driving through all the puddles.
Just after we had walked past the lighthouse 2 tussac birds flew up to us. We had seen one near there once before. These little birds are extremely tame and inquisitive and will even sometimes land on you. They are bigger than a sparrow but smaller than a blackbird. They only live in areas where there are no rats or cats as they nest on the ground. Presumably they come from some small tussac islands just off Cape Pembroke to feed amongst the kelp on the pebbly shore. They followed us around as we walked and one sat on the back of the car for a while when we started to drive off.
Near the lighthouse is a memorial, made from a propellor, to the Atlantic Conveyor which was lost in the 1982 conflict on May 25th, the day Hannah was born. The names of those lost are engraved on the centre of the propellor and there is also a map showing where it went down. The remembrance wreath was laid by Princess Anne who visited here last week on her way to South Georgia.
We watched a small group of speckled teal feeding in a sheltered spot near the shore and I nearly stood on an immature night heron beside a small pool. I'm not sure who was the most surprised him or me!
After we had a late lunch and relaxed for a bit the sun came out again and we decided to go for a walk before supper. We drove to Cape Pembroke and as we had torrential rain the night before Simon had great fun driving through all the puddles.
Just after we had walked past the lighthouse 2 tussac birds flew up to us. We had seen one near there once before. These little birds are extremely tame and inquisitive and will even sometimes land on you. They are bigger than a sparrow but smaller than a blackbird. They only live in areas where there are no rats or cats as they nest on the ground. Presumably they come from some small tussac islands just off Cape Pembroke to feed amongst the kelp on the pebbly shore. They followed us around as we walked and one sat on the back of the car for a while when we started to drive off.
Near the lighthouse is a memorial, made from a propellor, to the Atlantic Conveyor which was lost in the 1982 conflict on May 25th, the day Hannah was born. The names of those lost are engraved on the centre of the propellor and there is also a map showing where it went down. The remembrance wreath was laid by Princess Anne who visited here last week on her way to South Georgia.
We watched a small group of speckled teal feeding in a sheltered spot near the shore and I nearly stood on an immature night heron beside a small pool. I'm not sure who was the most surprised him or me!
Cape Pembroke lighthouse
Cape Pembroke is the most easterly point of the Falkland Islands and is about 7 miles from Stanley. You turn off the surfaced road near the airport and follow a series of tracks along the peninsula between sanddunes and rocky outcrops. Following rain there are usually lots of very large and muddy puddles or ponds to drive through so that adds a bit to the excitement of going there.
Near the end of the Cape is the lighthouse and by paying £5 at the museum you can borrow the huge metal key to go inside it which we did while John was visiting. There is a string of rocks and reefs running off the north side of the Cape and the almost submerged Billy Rock has claimed 15 ships and many lives over the years.
The 18 metre high cast iron lighthouse was shipped out from London in sections in 1855. The lamp burned more than a thousand gallons of rape seed oil a year and the lighthouse keepers and their families lived in a cottage next to the lighthouse. Supplies were brought in by boat and you can still see the remains of the landing stage. With waves crashing on the rocks on either side it looks a perilous place to land.
It was rebuilt in 1906 as the foundations were collapsing and then a paraffin light was installed which was turned by a clockwork mechanism which required hourly windings. This was in use until the invasion of 1982 when the governor ordered it to be switched off. It was vandalised by the Argentinians and an automatic light has since been installed nearby.
The old lighthouse has been restored to some extent and you can climb up inside, sit inside the remains of the light and walk around the balcony near the top. It was very windy when we went up and you had to hold on very tightly on the balcony but the views were spectacular.
Near the end of the Cape is the lighthouse and by paying £5 at the museum you can borrow the huge metal key to go inside it which we did while John was visiting. There is a string of rocks and reefs running off the north side of the Cape and the almost submerged Billy Rock has claimed 15 ships and many lives over the years.
The 18 metre high cast iron lighthouse was shipped out from London in sections in 1855. The lamp burned more than a thousand gallons of rape seed oil a year and the lighthouse keepers and their families lived in a cottage next to the lighthouse. Supplies were brought in by boat and you can still see the remains of the landing stage. With waves crashing on the rocks on either side it looks a perilous place to land.
It was rebuilt in 1906 as the foundations were collapsing and then a paraffin light was installed which was turned by a clockwork mechanism which required hourly windings. This was in use until the invasion of 1982 when the governor ordered it to be switched off. It was vandalised by the Argentinians and an automatic light has since been installed nearby.
The old lighthouse has been restored to some extent and you can climb up inside, sit inside the remains of the light and walk around the balcony near the top. It was very windy when we went up and you had to hold on very tightly on the balcony but the views were spectacular.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The last week
Time seems to go very quickly. Last week I worked 36 hours - 2 night shifts and then 2 day shifts over the weekend. I did manage to get the lawns mown and the edges strimmed one sunny afternoon. Hopefully that will be the last time before next spring so the mower and strimmer have been cleaned and put away.
I have built an enclosure in one corner of the back garden with a metal gate and some wooden pallets I got from the tip so today I moved the heap of grass and turf into a tidier pile there and the compost bin has also been moved to that corner.
The battle with the earwigs continues. I am now trapping them in marg pots with cooking oil and a few drops of fish oil in, both in the garden and polytunnel. I strain the dead earwigs out each day but although I have caught about 5 pints of earwigs in the last 10 days the population does not seem to be reduced and some lettuce and parsley seedlings I planted in the polytunnel a few days ago are being decimated. The number coming into the house is also increasing and I have seen them eating the mustard and cress growing on the kitchen window sill.
On Saturday evening we went to a production by the local amateur dramatics group in the town hall. It was quite a treat to go out for the evening and very good value as the tickets were £5, popcorn 40p for a large bag and you could have a drink plus any 2 homebaked items (sandwhiches, cakes and biscuits) for £1 during the interval. The play was a farce called Panic Stations by Derek Benfield. There was some excellent acting and it was made extra funny by knowing several of the cast.
We had a larger than usual congregation at church on Sunday morning and the 4 children there gave out bunches of sweet peas to all the mums and grannys for mother's day. I must admit I did feel a bit homesick for my children and grandchildren and shed a couple of tears. It also brought back many memories of special times spent with my Mum and reminded me how much I still miss her. We have our bible study and prayer meeting this evening and I am leading the study. We are studying the first part of Genesis at the moment.
Yesterday was extremely windy and difficult to do much outside so I had a tidy up in the garage. Today has been calm and this morning was sunny so it was a pleasure to cycle to the leisure centre for a swim. I did a bit of shopping on the way back through town and was plesantly surprised to find a new pair of shoes suitable for work. The choice of footwear here is fairly limited. I brought 2 pairs with me but my big toe has poked through one of them and the bottom has fallen off one of the other pair!
As I was cycling back home I noticed a group of dolphins swimming around in the kelp at the edge of the harbour so stopped to watch them for a while. These little Commerson's dolphins periodically make snorting sounds so they are sometimes called puffing pigs. On occasions they have swum around and under Simon's board when he has been windsurfing. I have not had that pleasure yet, although I have seen penguins and last time I went out I found a small fish wriggling around my feet on the board!
Tomorrow I am back at work (my only shift this week unless I am called in for extras). I have been working more on the general ward recently rather than elderly care as we have been quite busy. I am finding this quite challenging but am learning new things slowly and people are very patient and helpful to me.
I have built an enclosure in one corner of the back garden with a metal gate and some wooden pallets I got from the tip so today I moved the heap of grass and turf into a tidier pile there and the compost bin has also been moved to that corner.
The battle with the earwigs continues. I am now trapping them in marg pots with cooking oil and a few drops of fish oil in, both in the garden and polytunnel. I strain the dead earwigs out each day but although I have caught about 5 pints of earwigs in the last 10 days the population does not seem to be reduced and some lettuce and parsley seedlings I planted in the polytunnel a few days ago are being decimated. The number coming into the house is also increasing and I have seen them eating the mustard and cress growing on the kitchen window sill.
On Saturday evening we went to a production by the local amateur dramatics group in the town hall. It was quite a treat to go out for the evening and very good value as the tickets were £5, popcorn 40p for a large bag and you could have a drink plus any 2 homebaked items (sandwhiches, cakes and biscuits) for £1 during the interval. The play was a farce called Panic Stations by Derek Benfield. There was some excellent acting and it was made extra funny by knowing several of the cast.
We had a larger than usual congregation at church on Sunday morning and the 4 children there gave out bunches of sweet peas to all the mums and grannys for mother's day. I must admit I did feel a bit homesick for my children and grandchildren and shed a couple of tears. It also brought back many memories of special times spent with my Mum and reminded me how much I still miss her. We have our bible study and prayer meeting this evening and I am leading the study. We are studying the first part of Genesis at the moment.
Yesterday was extremely windy and difficult to do much outside so I had a tidy up in the garage. Today has been calm and this morning was sunny so it was a pleasure to cycle to the leisure centre for a swim. I did a bit of shopping on the way back through town and was plesantly surprised to find a new pair of shoes suitable for work. The choice of footwear here is fairly limited. I brought 2 pairs with me but my big toe has poked through one of them and the bottom has fallen off one of the other pair!
As I was cycling back home I noticed a group of dolphins swimming around in the kelp at the edge of the harbour so stopped to watch them for a while. These little Commerson's dolphins periodically make snorting sounds so they are sometimes called puffing pigs. On occasions they have swum around and under Simon's board when he has been windsurfing. I have not had that pleasure yet, although I have seen penguins and last time I went out I found a small fish wriggling around my feet on the board!
Tomorrow I am back at work (my only shift this week unless I am called in for extras). I have been working more on the general ward recently rather than elderly care as we have been quite busy. I am finding this quite challenging but am learning new things slowly and people are very patient and helpful to me.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Marathon
The Falklands has the world's most southerly accredited marathon and with the gradients and weather it is said to be one of the toughest courses. The 2009 race was run yesterday. The weather was favourable - cool and overcast but dry and with only a light wind.
Simon decided a few weeks ago that he would like to enter. As he doesn't normally run he has had an intensive training period of a little over a month. 3 weeks ago he ran the Cape Pembroke half marathon in 1 hour 51 mins. Much of that is off road.
Many of the marathon runners are from the military and a number of people fly in to the islands specifically to run it. As well as people doing the whole course there are a lot of teams of 4 runners who do it as a relay.
The marathon is organised by the Standard Chartered bank here and the money raised from entry fees and sponsorship goes to the charity Seeing is Believing which aims to restore sight to blind people around the world.
The race started at 10am behind the town hall so I saw Simon off and then went to church before cycling up to the halfway point to encourage him on. I then met up with him again later and cycled beside him for the last leg. He finished in 4 hours and 17 minutes which I thought was fantastic. We didn't go back down later for the prize giving so don't know yet what the winning time was. No doubt all will be revealed in the penguin news on Friday.
There is only one snag to Simon doing so well. When he first mentioned that he was thinking of entering I rather foolishly said that if he did the marathon I would do the midwinter swim!
Simon decided a few weeks ago that he would like to enter. As he doesn't normally run he has had an intensive training period of a little over a month. 3 weeks ago he ran the Cape Pembroke half marathon in 1 hour 51 mins. Much of that is off road.Many of the marathon runners are from the military and a number of people fly in to the islands specifically to run it. As well as people doing the whole course there are a lot of teams of 4 runners who do it as a relay.
The marathon is organised by the Standard Chartered bank here and the money raised from entry fees and sponsorship goes to the charity Seeing is Believing which aims to restore sight to blind people around the world.
The race started at 10am behind the town hall so I saw Simon off and then went to church before cycling up to the halfway point to encourage him on. I then met up with him again later and cycled beside him for the last leg. He finished in 4 hours and 17 minutes which I thought was fantastic. We didn't go back down later for the prize giving so don't know yet what the winning time was. No doubt all will be revealed in the penguin news on Friday.
There is only one snag to Simon doing so well. When he first mentioned that he was thinking of entering I rather foolishly said that if he did the marathon I would do the midwinter swim!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
General news
Firstly apologies that the blog has dried up recently. I have been working almost full time hours for the last 3 weeks and by the time I have done all the usual day to day jobs at home I seem to be very lacking in mental or physical energy and Simon is often using the computer in evenings. This week I am only working 1 day (tomorrow) but we have had several gloriously hot and sunny days so I had to make the most of them and be outside as much as possible. It is dull and drizzly today. Last week I thought winter had started as we had sleet and hail storms and a touch of frost some nights (we even put our heating on a few times!).
It has just started pouring with rain - absolutely torrential, which I am happy about for a number of reasons:-
1 It makes doing the housework and ironing seem much more attractive than on a sunny day.
2 It will wash the accumulated salt off the windows and save mme having to wash them.
3 The garden will benefit from a good soak.
On Saturday I planted out some forget me nots and a few surviving wallflower plants. I have also this week been digging weeds out of the lawn, a few docks and dandelions but mostly hawkweeds. There are 2 different kinds of hawkweed here. The orange hawkweed was introduced, is quite small with pretty orange flowers and there are a few of them in the lawn. The native Antartic hawkweed has yellow flowers and can grow much bigger.
This photo was taken in the memorial wood a few minutes walk from our house.
The tough rosette of leaves of some of them is as big as a large dinner plate and quite hard to mow over. They have a long tap root (up to 18") but if you loosen them with a fork you can often pull it out (much easier than dandelions). So far I have dug out 13 large sacks full and taken to the tip but there are still a lot left. I plan to leave the areas where there are lots of small ones and just dig out the big ones. This activity combined with having dug out most of the protruding rocks and stones means that the lawn now looks as if an energetic family of pigs or badgers has been let loose on it so some rain to help the grass re-establish will be good. Hopefully the end result will be that it will be relatively easy to cut the grass with a lawnmower rather than the strimmer which is very slow and tiring.
The earwigs are continuing to prove a major frustration. I sowed some seeds in the other half of the polytunnel. Some rocket and land cress have come up and are largely surviving but pak-choi, spinach and chard have all come and gone. Presumably the pests don't like spicy leaves!
It has just started pouring with rain - absolutely torrential, which I am happy about for a number of reasons:-
1 It makes doing the housework and ironing seem much more attractive than on a sunny day.
2 It will wash the accumulated salt off the windows and save mme having to wash them.
3 The garden will benefit from a good soak.
On Saturday I planted out some forget me nots and a few surviving wallflower plants. I have also this week been digging weeds out of the lawn, a few docks and dandelions but mostly hawkweeds. There are 2 different kinds of hawkweed here. The orange hawkweed was introduced, is quite small with pretty orange flowers and there are a few of them in the lawn. The native Antartic hawkweed has yellow flowers and can grow much bigger.
This photo was taken in the memorial wood a few minutes walk from our house.The tough rosette of leaves of some of them is as big as a large dinner plate and quite hard to mow over. They have a long tap root (up to 18") but if you loosen them with a fork you can often pull it out (much easier than dandelions). So far I have dug out 13 large sacks full and taken to the tip but there are still a lot left. I plan to leave the areas where there are lots of small ones and just dig out the big ones. This activity combined with having dug out most of the protruding rocks and stones means that the lawn now looks as if an energetic family of pigs or badgers has been let loose on it so some rain to help the grass re-establish will be good. Hopefully the end result will be that it will be relatively easy to cut the grass with a lawnmower rather than the strimmer which is very slow and tiring.
The earwigs are continuing to prove a major frustration. I sowed some seeds in the other half of the polytunnel. Some rocket and land cress have come up and are largely surviving but pak-choi, spinach and chard have all come and gone. Presumably the pests don't like spicy leaves!
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