Wildlife notes

The dead California sealion on East Beach is a foul smelling bag of bones. After four months the bone are clean of flesh but the skin remains intact (more photos). It is no wonder people tan animal hides and sea skins. The gulls and black oystercatchers pay it no attention but I can hardly stand the smell. Some animal odors just seem to linger forever, like the patches of shed skin and fur from the elephant seal which retains its putrid odor for years, even when properly dried.

The collapsed carcass of a dead California sealion. The skin around its head was peeled back by the birds months ago. The skull has now been detached, a few spine bone exposed but the bulk of its skeleton remains trapped in the sack of skin.

Facility work

The generator ran again this morning. With the excess power the desalinator was put to work and I spend 3 hour with the shop vacuum in the basement of the Keepers House (floors, walls, window sills, shelves etc). The rain last night and high winds today kept me off the Energy Building Roof but the solar panels will need a cleaning tomorrow. The cistern pump was acting up and cycling on and off. Hopefully there isn’t a leak in the underground pipe running from the cistern into the Bunker.  I’ll try it again tomorrow when the solar production is high enough to run the pump.

The basement storage room carpet. Can’t get the stains out but at least it is cleaner and smells better in the room.

Vessels

• Ecotourism: 0
• Private: 0

Weather

The flag spent the day lowered and bound. Skies ranging from clear to partly cloudy with scattered showers. Strong westerlies 23 to 37 knots.  Daytime temperatures 10 to 12 degrees.