Day 1 - The work has begun.
Feb. 4th, 2005 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreSo far I have answered a phone call, met the bosses boss and moved a few chairs in a wheelbarrow. I badly need a shower - I stink and have multiple layers of aloe vera, moisturiser, sunscreen, sweat, dirt and repellant on my skin. I will have to wait till the other guys get back from town before I can do that - I'm manning the office at the moment.
It's a bit better now with a third person to keep us company - and he's an practical omnivore like me, thank God. Another assistant comes on around May so there will be even more permanent company. A study group will be arriving pretty soon and then I guess it will just be people and in and out until peak season when the place usually has people in it all the time.
I think I just need to be patient. I will have my opportunities to see places other than the Observatory grounds. I'll wrangle days off when people visit me and we can cruise around town (visit me dammit!)
I saw Lee last night. I knew he was coming up soon but didn't expect him to be on the same flight as Chris. Lucky for him, Ricki offered to drop him off at the backpackers.
There is also talk of getting up to Fitzroy Crossing sometime to search for purple-crowned fairy-wrens (Chris is a Malurus nut - Malurus are fairy-wrens. And Ricki has said if I want to pick a place nearish that I want to see that can be organised too, so I'll have to start thinking.
Bugs were a lot more tolerable last night - I think because the outside lights hadn't been on as long to attract them all. The flies and mozzies are the only real problems. The huge grasshoppers and katydids and butterflies and moths are quite fascinating - and they attract Restless Flycatchers. Quite often one will snatch bugs from the window right by me here in the office. There are also loads of geckos and frogs taking advantage of the massive insect population.
Once the guys get home we'll go birdwatching for a bit, within the next few weeks we'll be shown the lakes and this much talked about gravel pit. We'll also do some mudding! I told Ricki about my dislocating knees and she was like "Okay, no deep mudding for you!" Hey I have no problem with that! As long as I can still go in the shallow stuff though - I want these mangrove birds!
Well they've just buggered off, I'm holding the fort for a couple of hours. Also must try on shirts to see what size I need. Then I can get into khaki. Currently I'm in brigh orange which tends to scare the crap out of the birds.
I think that's about it for now. Update you all later! :)
It's a bit better now with a third person to keep us company - and he's an practical omnivore like me, thank God. Another assistant comes on around May so there will be even more permanent company. A study group will be arriving pretty soon and then I guess it will just be people and in and out until peak season when the place usually has people in it all the time.
I think I just need to be patient. I will have my opportunities to see places other than the Observatory grounds. I'll wrangle days off when people visit me and we can cruise around town (visit me dammit!)
I saw Lee last night. I knew he was coming up soon but didn't expect him to be on the same flight as Chris. Lucky for him, Ricki offered to drop him off at the backpackers.
There is also talk of getting up to Fitzroy Crossing sometime to search for purple-crowned fairy-wrens (Chris is a Malurus nut - Malurus are fairy-wrens. And Ricki has said if I want to pick a place nearish that I want to see that can be organised too, so I'll have to start thinking.
Bugs were a lot more tolerable last night - I think because the outside lights hadn't been on as long to attract them all. The flies and mozzies are the only real problems. The huge grasshoppers and katydids and butterflies and moths are quite fascinating - and they attract Restless Flycatchers. Quite often one will snatch bugs from the window right by me here in the office. There are also loads of geckos and frogs taking advantage of the massive insect population.
Once the guys get home we'll go birdwatching for a bit, within the next few weeks we'll be shown the lakes and this much talked about gravel pit. We'll also do some mudding! I told Ricki about my dislocating knees and she was like "Okay, no deep mudding for you!" Hey I have no problem with that! As long as I can still go in the shallow stuff though - I want these mangrove birds!
Well they've just buggered off, I'm holding the fort for a couple of hours. Also must try on shirts to see what size I need. Then I can get into khaki. Currently I'm in brigh orange which tends to scare the crap out of the birds.
I think that's about it for now. Update you all later! :)
