Perseverance

After a week of back and forth to Fens, stopping at Relto for respite I finally managed to build my way up the top of that huge upright rock. This was after restarting from the ground up. My mistake was not using its weight for it instead of against it. Leaning the scaffolding in towards the rock face gave me a bit more stability. It’s still a bit rickety but I managed to brace the structure to the already built viewing platform. It won’t last long but that’s the point, minimal environmental impact. Apart from the tarred rope everything is bio-degradable but to be safe I will take it all way when I am done.

How many bamboo poles does it to take to get a photo? I don’t know I didn’t bother counting them but it’s a few. This morning I made the final push and got the top platform completed. I want to get a few shots off before the 30th. My editor is leaving me in charge, so to speak, for a couple of days so I need to be on call. Someone please invent a Quantum phone. Mind you then I would have to buy a mobile phone then a laptop. Na I like to be unreachable.

Tomorrow I will haul my camera equipment up. Hopefully I can get a good close-up from there. It was getting late by the time I had finished. I had some guild business to attend to. Also I had to put this post on a timer. So I hope it goes on as I will be big bird spotting at the time. I will report back in a couple of days. I did get a closer glimpse of my quarry even though it was still some distance away. I will pick it back up tomorrow. A bit of shopping in the morning and back to it. I am going to stop over for the night. I will use the viewing platform to sleep. That way I can get an early start so I can get back in time for newspaper duties.

Now I must remember to take the lens cap off this time...

Structure

I have finally got some time to myself and what do I do? Not take it easy for one. Since I have written enough for Next month’s Newspaper I thought I would take a break and finish up at Fens. It has been a long time coming. When I finally got back to fens I thought for a horrible moment that my flying friends had gone, and then came their cries.

My observations to date make me wonder what they eat. I have never seen them land, that doesn’t mean they never do. I have never seen them chase their food which makes me think that this thick air is full of plankton type creatures. Are they some kind of filter feeder filtering the heavy air? This is all supposition as I have not been able to get high enough to take air samples. The only true way is to take a leaf out of Douglas Sharper’s book and shoot one. With a tranquiliser I mean and pump its stomach but I can’t control the creatures fall. So I must observe and take samples. Now to get higher!

It’s surprising once you start how quickly things start to come together. I won’t be long before I can see if I can get high enough to at least get some pictures. The upper air sample may need a more drastic approach. There may be no other way.

But I do need to get a move on as more and more ages are being written and I have fallen behind. Plus I find myself in a weird position of not being able to get to any of the ages that are not in the more popular refurbished library. Some writers are opting to use the old system of an Age manager. Whoever he or she is, one thing is for sure I am unable to get my grubby hands on the books. I will have to find another way around this problem.

For now back to the scaffolding. Darn I need to tar some more rope........

Methinks I think too much!

With a new year brings what? More days to do fun stuff like explore new ages in far of lands, in what time or universe no one knows and to have another birthday. I am going to start the New Year not by making a resolution but by continuing to grow and expand my mind. To ponder the possibilities of what this New Year might bring. Will we cope with the burden of responsibility of the restoration? Are we going to restore or just make new ages? Will some make a home in the cavern if so how will the Bahro feel about that? But most of all when do we get the keys?

I am so eager to get down there to set up my new desk. The one that the Guild promised me ages ago. They want to stick me in the GoMe Hood right in front of the link in point. This so they can show off their new mascot. What did Semp call me; yes that was it “The Tireless Messenger”. All I need it a snazzy outfit. How about a Yellow cloak with SK or TTM in big letters on my chest? I hope they don’t read this or they just might do it. The cloak I mean. I don’t mind sitting in the hood waiting for people to link in. It is a good way to help others and maybe to recruit some.

I feel we might have had a breakthrough in the Guild’s organisation. Hopefully we will be ready to help new and old explorers alike. I am feeling up about my guild work lately. I should hope so as I will put most of my time into the Guild, well I need time to play.For something totally different: As you may be aware I do a little photography and I purchased Photoshop a while back to aid me in this digital world of image manipulation. I have been practicing and with all its bells and whistles that this program has, the filters are much left to be desired. Don’t get me wrong there are good and you can get some really good results. Then a friend showed me Alien Skin Software. Well my mouth started to water, then after seeing the prices I had to have a drink. Not water either. - Choices always choices. - Then a lie down.
Nice filters though and I will just have to do some thinking on this.