First prize to the person who can spot the point the anemometer bearings seized up. (Clue: it has been windy all day) You can also see where I climbed up onto the storeroom roof to take down the anemometer and lubricate the bearings. The weather station has been operational since June 2014, which is just over three years. It is very dry and dusty here with a lot of salt from the sea. Davis, the American company who make these weather stations reckons they have an operational life of around ten years but will require some replacements during that time. So far I have only changed the backup batteries in the wireless senders which transmit the data collected by the sensors. The clean and lubricate job will get the anemometer up-and-running but it is not a permanent repair since the oil will attract dust, eventually clogging up the bearings. I have found a company which supplies sealed replacement bearing for the unit. I’m pleased not to have to replace the entire anemometer and direction indicator as it is expensive.
It was windy all night and it was windy on the walk this morning too. Minnie went AWOL but caught us up as we were heading along the stony beach towards the kantina and the field behind. She was the first home as she took herself in!
Tomorrow’s weather is looking even windier than today so I have made the decision to take down the awning. This is already a job which requires attention when it’s windy but even more so when there are LED lights built-in to the frame. I had to remove them and roll them up so that I could take down the awning. I have not been able to take the awning right back into its housing but that doesn’t matter as I am unlikely to be driving anywhere.
The dogs have only just been fed and I will be putting them to bed soon. They like the wind as much as I like it too. I’m not sure that they worry too much about all the dirt and dust though. I have swept out the van but I should imagine it will be dirty before I get back in there as the windows and the roof vents are open. It is still 32.2C so shutting all the vents and windows is not a viable option.
Dave is in the best place as he has his house inside the storeroom but can come outside whenever the urge takes him. Boris has now added a basement to the massive hole he has dug in the corner of his run. Soon the other dogs will be falling into his area!
The anemometer cups are now really whizzing round thanks to the oiling I gave them earlier. At least now the wind recordings will be more accurate. I notices a slight noise coming from there a few days ago but got distracted so didn’t follow it up. If I’d looked carefully at the wind recordings I would have seen there was something wrong this morning. It was only when I glanced up idly to notice the cups were not turning even though the wind was blowing quite hard. I had to tie the top of the ladder to the reinforcing rods sticking out of the concrete to stop it from blowing away. I would have looked pretty stupid having to call someone to put the ladder back for me. There’s no real need if it comes to it as the carob tree makes an alternative ladder albeit on the wrong side of the fence.
Sunset is now 20:20 so it’s getting dark now. Need to put the dogs to bed and sort out Dave.
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