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!

Falklands humour & zero tolerance

The Fanklands have a zero tolerance policy on drugs. Drug use is strictly forbidden and overseas contract staff applying for work have to answer a question as to whether they have ever used illicit drugs. Any identified use will be reported to the police and is likely to result in dismissal.

However, there is a defite streak of humour among the islanders, and following recent events this photograph has been circulated, with the caption 'Royal Falklands Police going for world record'. (We really do get amazing foam deposits here.)

Crime and drugs

There is a relatively low crime rate here in the Falklands and many people leave their houses and vehicles unlocked, and often the keys in the ignition! However cars do occasionally get stolen, usually by someone wanting to get home after a night out, and the insurers won't pay for damage if the keys were in the car. Some people only bother to lock their houses in the tourist season, particularly if they live in scenic old houses in Stanley, as apparently some visitors feel at liberty to walk in where-ever they fancy as if it is all laid on as an attraction!
There is a zero tolerance policy on drugs here and there is an RAF sniffer dog on duty when you arrive at Mount Pleasant airport checking passengers and baggage. It is a nice golden labrador called Leo and he and his handler are sometimes loaned to the local police and customs departments to check visiting boats etc.
About a month ago a large quantity of cocaine was found on a fishing vessel, apparently being taken from South America to Spain. 2 men were arrested and had an initial appearance in court but are due back in court soon so are being held at the police station/prison. The drugs were also being stored in one of the locked police cells. It was discovered earlier this week that most of the cocaine had been stolen from the police cell - which is presumably causing considerable embarressment to the senior police. One rumour suggests that one of the suspects could reach from his cell into the other one and had been disposing of the evidence down the toilet. It will be interesting to see what the Penguin News has to say about it today.

Leisure

Before we came we thought we would have lots of spare time to fill but we actually both seem to be keeping quite busy. I now have lots of shifts at work.
We collected the last of our freight a week ago and Simon has been setting up his new computer and other things that I don't understand. I have lots of packages and bundles in the garage which are the components for my polytunnel but progress on clearing a site for it is at a halt at the moment. Today is my one free day this week but it is very wet and windy.
This morning I visited the library to renew the books I haven't had time to read. This is in the community (secondary) school and is very well stocked with fiction, non-fiction, magazines, CDs and DVDs. I then went for a swim. The leisure centre is also attached to the school and has a gym and squash and badminton courts as well as a 25m pool. I just took out pool membership and you can swim as often as you like for£110 a year. It is heated with waste heat from the nearby powerstation and is usually really warm. It was unusually crowded today as there were already 4 people swimming but I often have the pool to myself.
Simon has been windsurfing regularly and I have joined him on a couple of sunny days. There are often sailing boats in the harbour.
Simon is also enjoying trying out his off-road driving skills. Yesterday afternoon we went to Cape Pembroke which is East of Stanley and has an old lighthouse. Simon found some challenging tracks to drive on and we walked around the point. There are always birds and plants of interest to see and we enjoy getting out for a walk.
There are lots of things you could get involved in if you wanted to including amateur dramatics, hand chimes, golf, cricket, Scottish dancing, spinning and weaving, darts and quizzes. There are also lots of local bars. The annual horse races are a big event here after Christmas, there is a fire engine pull next weekend, a raft race and carnival at Christmas, a marathon in March and the midwinter madness swim in June.
I'm not sure when I will have time for all the craft activities I brought with me. Maybe in those long winter evenings!

Camp driving lesson

Everywhere outside Stanley is called camp. This is said to be derived from Spanish "campare" for country. The government has spent large sums of money developing a road network, to support a couple of hundred "campers" scattered over areas half the size of Wales. The roads are well maintained and gravelled, but do have very substantial ditches (and in some cases minefields) adjacent . The results of leaving the road can therefore be serious.

Beyond the end of the government network, there are vast areas of trails and farm tracks, criss-crossing the islands. The etiquette here is that before using private areas you phone the landowner, and in return, they will help should you become stuck on there property. People are generally pleased to help one another, and vehicles often travel equipped with a range of equipment such as "bogging boards" (for crossing boggy areas), spades, tow-ropes etc.

Speed limits in town are 25, and on "designated roads" 40 mph, At present most roads more than 5 miles from Stanley are undesignated, and you can drink and drive at any speed you wish.

On Saturday 8 November, an official opening of the new ferry terminal at Newhaven on the west side of East Falkland was held. The Governor (the Queen's representative on the Island) undertook the opening, with local the Councillors and 100 guests in attendance. It was reported that at his request no alcohol was served, in case of any problems arising with subsequent driving. However, even without alcohol, Falkland roads can be treacherous. With a gravel surface on which tail spin-out can easily lead to loss of control, and on the return trip to Stanley the governor lost control of his official car, with the results shown in this photo.


His comments were subsequently published in the weekly Penguin News, from which the following extracts are taken: "Helen and I would like to thank all those who offered support when I rolled the Crown car at the Saladero corner on out way back from the inauguration of the New Haven ferry terminal. Even though we were both unharmed, it was still a shock to the system. We have been overwhelmed by the subsequent 'phone calls and messages of concern that we have received.

Lessons learned for me are that Camp roads deserve the highest respect even in dry weather and that wearing seat belts saves lives and protects against injury.

Whilst I am deeply embarrassed and my dignity and reputation of being a relatively proficient driver has been seriously dented, at least we were uninjured - apart from a lost claw each, so were our two dogs. But I have a lot to learn about how to drive safely in the Falklands. Alan Huckle, Governor."

Surf Bay

It rained most of the day yesterday but late in the afternoon the sun came out and we decided to go for a walk at Surf Bay which is a couple of miles outside Stanley. It is one of the few local beaches you can access as most have minefields on or behind them remaining from the 1982 conflict.

It is a beautiful sandy beach and the waves usually break and surfers sometimes go there. Towards the top of the beach there is a shallow lagoon where a lot of birds were feeding. There were several Magellanic oystercatchers and two banded plovers and a large flock of white-rumped sandpipers. We had not seen these little birds before. I was amazed to discover when I looked them up in the bird book that they breed in the Arctic and then migrate here for our summer, making an annual round trip of 16,000 miles!


We walked along the promontary at one end of the beach and as the tide was low scrambled out along the rocks at the end. I was surprised to see lots of small red sea anemones in some of the rock pools as I didn't realise they lived in such cold waters.


There were some giant petrels flying around, some rock shags perched on the higher rocks and a pair of kelp geese feeding near the water's edge. We also saw a flightless steamer duck having a snooze on a mussel-covered rock. These large ducks are endemic to the Falklands and are unable to fly. When disturbed or having an altercation with another one they move over the surface of the water flapping their wings and paddling their feet on the surface - steaming along - and making loud noises at the same time.

Windsurfing

The passengers from the cruise ship never did get ashore on Thursday. Apparently it blew a force 10. However Saturday was sunny, relatively warm and a gentle breeze so I decided to accompany Simon windsurfing. Having not been for over a year and there being no rescue boat here to keep an eye on you I was feeling rather nervous. I donned as much neoprine as I could and Simon kindly lent me his hat which was great - my hair stayed dry although I had been under the water! The only snag was that I couldn't hear much as it covered my ears.

Anyway I got on better than I expected and we spent quite a long time sailing up and down in the harbour which is enclosed apart from the entrance which is known as The Narrows. The only problem was when we came to return to the slipway the offshore wind was really dropping and I kept getting tangled in the thick kelp that grows along the edge. It is like huge and very strong seaweed that kept catching on the fin of my board so in the end I had to swim and drag it.

At least I have got my confidence back a bit and will have another go when the weather is suitable.

A stormy morning

We have had a very stormy night and the gales are continuing. Our house is rattling and the lamp posts outside are swaying. Looking out of our front window the wind is picking up the surface of the water in the harbour forming clouds of spray (so much for my having washed the windows a couple of days ago!). A small cruise ship, the Polar Pioneer, has come into the harbour but they don't seem to be attempting to lower the inflatable boats which they use to ferry the passengers to shore. I think I would be feeling decidedly sea sick if I was out there.

I have just been watching a couple of giant petrels flying over the harbour. Even against this wind they are able to glide, hardly beating their wings at all. With a wingspan of 2 metres they are quite awe inspiring when they fly past just above your head if you are walking near the sea and they seem to enjoy racing cars along the seafront. They always win because cars are limited to 25 mph!

Yesterday I planted some seedlings of chives, thyme and mint in wooden planters outside our front door. They are getting quite a battering. The planters are actually boxes which coins arrive in from the royal mint (a perk of Simon looking after the money at the treasury).

The fridge has just started making some very strange noises. Does this not bode well for having guests for dinner tonight? Anyway I had better do some cooking and housework.

Manure mashing

I suspect our neighbours are somewhat puzzled about what I have been doing for most of the day. I have been in the process for a while of making a flower bed at the front of our house. It runs along beside a gravel path and is at the top of a steep slope. The first 18" or so beside the path were solid stone, gravel and sand which I have gradually been digging out. The rest is a mixture of stones and very dry peat which blows away if you try digging it when it is windy. I have put a row of large stones (mostly dug out from the vegetable patch) along the bottom to stop the meagre ammount of soil that is there all sliding down the hill.
In an attempt to increase the organic content and improve the fertility I decided to add some horse manure. This is collected from the common a couple of miles outside Stanley. The horses have all been removed from there and are now in peoples gardens in town - presumably in training for the Christmas races which are apparently the height of the social calendar. Therefore the manure is now rather sparse and very dry and hard. On trying to dig it in it just stayed in hard lumps or blew away.
The solution I came up with was to put it a sackful at a time in a dustbin, cover it with water, leave it to soak for a while and then chop and mash it up with the spade. I felt rather like an African lady busy pounding maize. The result was a nice soft mush to dig into the flower bed.
The neighbours are probably now totally convinced that I am eccentric (justifiably so). I am reminding myself more frequently of my mum - it is just the sort of thing I can imagine her doing!
Our remaining freight, which should include the polytunnel I ordered before we came here, is on the boat due in tommorrow. I have been slowly digging an area in the back garden for it. However, yesterday I hit two very big rocks and felt defeated. After digging out a lot of soil from around them I have eventually managed to loosen them but they are at the bottom of a big hole. I am now viewing it as a challenge rather than defeat but it is going to need quite a bit of extra manpower to get them out.
Maybe one of John's tasks when he comes to visit will be to create a large rock feature in the middle of our garden.

A windy walk

On Sunday we went out for the first time with the ramblers who meet on the second Sunday of each month. After meeting up in town 7 of us set out in 2 vehicles and headed for Rincon Grande which is a farm towards the north of East Falkland. The groupleader had already asked the landowner for permission for us to walk there. There was no-one at home when we arrived at the settlement so we headed off northwards off-road. Simon enjoyed testing out our vehicle's capabilities and his driving skills. It is best to go with at least 2 cars in case one has problems or gets "bogged".

It was very windy when we left Stanley and it steadily increased. At times we were driving behind sand dunes and you could have imagined we were in the Sahara in a sand storm. We eventually parked and set off walking along the north coast with the wind more or less behind us. It was impossible to walk in a straight line as the wind was buffeting me about. The coastline is rocky with occasional sandy beaches and there were huge waves breaking and leaving drifts of foam on the beaches. At one point we saw a seal that followed us for a while, bobbing up through the waves to watch us.


We ate our lunch in the shelter of some rocks on a small beach but they were certainly SANDwiches by the time they got into our mouths! Along much of the coast there are kelp beds and huge pieces of this wash up on the beaches, as well as timbers from wrecked ships. You also see whale and dolphin bones (mostly ribs and vertebrae) washed up. Many of these are probably relics of whaling days.


Many of the wild geese now have goslings and we saw various ducks, oystercatchers, plover, dotterel, giant petrels and a few penguins as well as gulls.


To avoid being sandblasted in our faces it was decided we would return further inland which was a hard slog into the wind. Most of the ground is covered by whitegrass, a short coarse grass growing in small clumps, and diddle-dee which resembles heather plants but apparently has tiny edible berries later in the year. Huge areas are needed to support small numbers of sheep and cattle. The cows we saw were very scrawny and we saw quite a few carcases around. Unwanted livestock are shot and left for carrion to feed on.

It was certainly the windiest walk I have ever done and I was pleased when the vehicles came into sight and we got out the hot flask for a cuppa.

Work and healthcare

I will leave Simon to write about his work but will tell you a bit about mine. When Simon was originally offered the job here I was invited to apply for a nursing post . I didn't want to be too tied down at first so applied for bank nurse rather than regular full or part time hours. Acouple of weeks after we arrived I had a phone call asking me to go into the hospital the following afternoon, I was expecting a formal interview, with considerable trepidation as I have not worked in a hospital setting for 30 years but it was a very informal chat and a look around.
The hospital is actually unusually well staffed at the moment so I have only had a few shifts so far but I manage to keep well occupied with other things. I still feel very inexperienced and out of my depth at times but there are always other trained nurses on duty.

The hospital in Stanley provides all the health and dental care for the islands. The doctors provide a GP service and also staff the hospital and there is a general surgeon and an anaethetist. Three of the nurses are also midwives and they each have their own caseload so women have the same midwife throughout their pregnancy, delivery and post-natal care. There are also a district nursing team, health visitor, physiotherapist, radiographer, pharmacist, pathologist and community psychiatric nurses based at the hospital.

X ray facilities are shared by the vetinary department so apparently dogs and cats may be seen going in but the portable X ray machine is usually taken outside for horses! X rays are taken digitally and can be transferred to UK for advice from a specialist.

There is one 28 bedded ward which covers everything including surgery, medicine, trauma, paediatrics, geriatrics, maternity and mental health. At one end there is a 7 bedded elderly care section (where I feel very at home), there is a 2 bedded intensive care room, 1 isolation room, a 1 bedded maternity room and the rest is 1, 2, 4 and 6 bedded bays.

As well as catering for the local population and contract staff the hospital serves the military and visiting fishing boats and tourists so you never know what might come in. The ward staff also cover casualty and some of the nurses run specialist clinics like diabetes and asthma. The tourist season is just starting and apparently we get quite a lot of patients from the cruise ships (particularly elderly Americans with medical problems). Many of the fishing boats are staffed by people from the far east who are often poorly nourished, prone to TB and may have tropical diseases.

We have various specialists who visit every year or two such as a psychiatrist, an orthopaedic surgeon, a gynaecologist, an ear nose and throat surgeon, an opthalmologist and an optician so they may do quite a bit of surgery when they are here. The doctors here have links with different hospitals in UK for backup in different specialities.

The surgeon here only does relatively minor operations (caesarian sections, appendixes etc). Anyone requiring more major surgery or high tech investigations or treatments is sent overseas, usually to Chile or UK. Also anyone critaically ill is usually transferred out. There is a firm who fly in from Chile with a medical team and equipment to the international airport at Mount Pleasant. They are then brought to Stanley by helicopter, which lands on the football field opposite the hospital. The patient is then tramsferred to their care and taken to the helicopter by the landrover ambulance.

The ambulance here is driven by one of the hospital drivers/porters/security men and if it goes out a nurse and sometimes a doctor go with it to care for the patient. One of the nurses also goes if a patient is to be collected by plane or helicopter.

Wedding anniversary

Again I was awake early on the Sunday morning and despite it being our wedding anniversary the thought that we had only a few hours left on the island had me up and keen to get out. Simon was not so sure but by the time we had had a cup of tea and the sun was shining he was happy to come too so we set out at 6am and headed back southwards towards Leopard Beach, seeing dolphins swimming in the bay and stopping on the way to watch the stragglers of the gentoo penguin colony making their way down the hill to the sea.

Walking along the sandy beach in warm sunshine watching penguins entering and leaving the water was quite idylic. We then visited the smaller gentoo colony and watched Falkland skuas circling on the lookout for unguarded nests to rob. After climbing a small hill we made our way back listening to sea lions roaring on a small island in the bay and watching two of them swimming along near the shore.


After having breakfast and packing up we had time for another short walk before being driven back to the airstrip where are plane was due to arrive at mid-day. We had seen so much and been so well looked after we were sorry to be leaving such a lovely place but suspect we will return sometime.


Our return flight was much smoother and we flew over some of the other islands before returning to land in heavy rain at Stanley.

When I recieved a phone call after lunch asking if I could go to work I declined (one of the advantages of being a bank nurse) and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and going to church in the evening.