From the Captain’s Quarters

Another week, another business trip! Tonight, I’m coming to you live from the Seawind Landing Country Inn on the shores of Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. Okay, not “live,” actually—there’s no internet in my room, so I’m typing this to upload sometime tomorrow. There is internet in the common room, if you sit within about 3 metres of the wireless unit. I had to climb over a Bernese Mountain Dog to get to a seat with wireless. They’re a well-named breed; it was almost like scaling a small mountain! But Beaufort was a great sport about it, barely blinking as I hauled myself into the chair and tried to resist the urge to use him as a footrest. What a sweetheart! I’m a cat person, but I still want to take him home with me!

Frankly, I was grateful to have any wireless access at all, seeing as there’s no cell service here. And we can only make land line calls from the front desk phone, ‘cause the room phones are on a party line, so anyone can listen in. I was starting to feel very isolated! But I did have a chance to pop on briefly, inform Mr. meaux that I’d arrived in one piece (after a 4-hour drive on dark country roads I’d never been on before), and make some tentative plans for a mini-Pajibacon after work tomorrow (lordhelmet and meaux 2: Electric Boogaloo. Yay!). [Update: due to long field day, Minibacon ain't happening tonight. Wednesday it is!]

So, communication issues aside, I rather like these digs. It’s a lovely old inn; the rooms have tons of personality, and they have names, too! I was supposed to get one of the cheap rooms (though even the “cheap” rooms here are more expensive than the project manager would have liked—lucky for me, it was the only place to stay that was reasonably close to the study site. Score!). But because it was more convenient for the innkeepers, instead of the cheap room, I’ve been put in “The Captain’s Quarters.” Freakin’ sweet! Whirlpool tub? Check. Ocean view? (listens to the sound of waves gently crashing on rocks) Mm-hmm. The smell of something amazing baking, possibly some kind of herby/cheesy bread? Oh my, yes. Super comfy bed and cushy loveseat for sitting in and typing a blog entry? Check and double check!

Yes, the accommodations are lovely. The work…well, the work’s not bad—I like doing bird surveys just fine, especially when it’s along a nice scenic coastline. However, do you happen to recall from my previous post, the bird expert who liked to overshare? Yeah…I’m working with him again. *sigh* Ah well, I can deal. I have actually worked with him since that first time, and discovered that if you know what to expect (and how to avoid letting the conversation steer into awkward territory), he’s manageable.

I’d love some better company, but meanwhile, I’ll take what I can from the experience—the more I learn from this dude, the closer I become to being an adequate bird surveyor myself. However, I must admit that the thought of becoming a bird expert scares me a little, as most of the really skilled birders I know are, quite frankly, more than a little bit odd in one way or another. Do I want to be "one of them"??

Well, it's closing in on midnight, and I’d best wrap this up and try to get some sleep. I don’t know if that's going to happen any time soon, as I'm a little overcaffeinated…I just couldn't NOT try that damned Starbucks energy drink concoction I saw in the gas station refrigerator, in addition to the two large coffees I had on the journey, and two more large coffees earlier in the day. GAH!!! No wonder this entry is so rambly. Beg pardon. Okay, I’m cutting myself off now. (Dammit, this is exactly how I get when I'm leaving a phone message…oh, how I hate leaving messages….) OKAY! Say good night, Maureen!

'Til next time, folks.