OK, I know I've been neglecting this. It's been really difficult because I still don't have internet at home, so I'm still sitting on the library steps on the weekend stealing wifi and I find it difficult to email everyone, facebook AND blog. A bit repetitive for one thing! I should have internet on Wednesday, so it will get better.
And last week being my first week I didn't have much time to be online. Although we're still getting me set up at head office, so it's debatable whether I'll get paid at the end of this week like everyone else. Not pleased about that - I don't think they have ANY idea how difficult it has been to coordinate all this on my end. My request to download Skype has also been turned down unless I can do a business case for it. But funny enough it still downloaded ok...
So work! Everyone has been really great. I'm in a separate smaller building away from my bosses, but I think I'm going to start taking one tea break in the main building just to keep contact. Last week was only 4 days for us, so one day was introductions on site, the next day was driving around the seed production sites, one day researching (this is me trying desperately to process at least some of what I've been told) and then one day in Edmonton meeting more people. It's a bit odd because not everyone at the ATISC (Smoky Lake) site know that my job description has changed and I'm not so much a grunt worker as the woman before me. Not that I won't have to muck in like everyone else at certain times of year (like now - good time to start), and I'm looking forward to doing that and even seed collections (especially when they are via helicopter) and field measurements. But I'm also expected to start researching and publishing this year.
We were doing cut tests on green cones last week. Some species can be picked early and allowed to mature in the DC chamber (dormancy conditioning, although they admit it's not got much to do with dormancy). And since our main competition for seeds are birds (they make a HUGE mess), we have to balance immaturity with availability. Squirrels are a bit of an issue too but if we can find their cache, we just raid it and that saves a lot of time and money. Sounds mean and the squirrels here aren't Grey American. They are little red ones similar to the ones in Europe. Very cute.
And something else really interesting I found out last week that made a LOT of sense. I hadn't seen their dry room, so I asked about it and got some weird looks. Apparently, once the cones have been matured, processed and cleaned, they are usually 7-8% MC!! Amazing! Last year they were nearly screwed because it took them until after Xmas to do some and they were getting dangerously low MCs for those last few.
Well, all this makes a lot of sense because I've been struggling to stay hydrated here. If I miss one tea break I'm in danger of a coughing fit! They probably think I'm ill from the number of times I'm running to the loo! Anyway, I've noticed it in my skin too. I would suggest you all run out and buy shares in Johnson's Baby Oil. Which brings me around to the necessity of finding a man within the next year because I think the wrinkles are going to appear in force this winter. That might have been a BIG con if someone had told me I'd age 5 years in the first 6 months!
And along with the dry air (it's around 20-30% right now), it's very dusty. VERY dusty. The soil is similar to sand. How they grow anything in it, I don't know. I don't like wearing shoes so during the summer I have pretty dirty feet anyway. But I've actually had to take off my ankle bracelet because by the afternoon I have a ring of dirt around it!
But don't let me put anyone off coming to visit! I've been here 3 weeks and we've only had 2 days that weren't beautiful blue open sky and that should continue into the winter even when it's cold. I had to be up early to go to Edmonton on Friday and the mist hugging the ground on the fields was spectacular.
Anyway, hopefully that gets some of you up to date and feeling more included :) My bed should finally be delivered tomorrow. Three weeks on an inflatable mattress is pretty much my maximum I think. My back thinks so too. So there's a bit of info the Facebook people don't even know ;) Oh and internet hooked up on Wednesday. By the weekend I should almost be a real person!
Later.
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