New Red Kite Film

There is one good thing to be said for the cold and wet weather, it has given me the time to get more of my video footage sorted out. I am making real headway with it too and as I have learnt more about how the editing software works, I am able to get it done faster. While I do have the manual and reading the procedures of what I need to helped a lot, there is nothing better than hands on experience.

Talking of experience, my regular reader may remember that last year I helped the Forestry Commission Ecologist when he was carrying out a survey of Bat roosts in my local woods. The technique is quite simple you have to walk through a patch of the wood in a methodical manner, and mark on a map the possible locations. Returning latter to check for the animals actual habitation. In the case of bats that's using a endoscope, but as the method is the same for most animals or birds, the real trick is being methodical. Well a few months ago I was talking to someone about the technique as they needed to do something similar. However they did not know how to even start, so I explained what myself and the Ecologist had done and he was pleased that this made the whole process straight forward. Just a lot of hard work.

Anyway out of the blue I get a call today, it was this same chap. Although it took me some minutes to remember who he was, he was calling as the charity that he works for is applying for a grant to fund this survey. While it will not be until February or March next year till they know if they have got the grant, I was being offered a job. The Job of conducting the survey. Well I could have been knocked down with a feather.

The job would be in Scotland in a very remote area, and while I would get a cottage to live in while the work was carried out, I would twenty odd miles from anyone, in fact I would only really have midges for company. Now as much as I love where I am, I had to say yes! So while it is dependent upon the grant application being successful it looks like I have a job for the next two years. Bugger me I was trying to avoid work.

While the pay is nothing spectacular, I should be able to save some money while there. Also I will get other fringe benefits such as a clothing grant to ensure that I have the right gear for the weather as it can be extreme at times. As well as getting new good quality boots, better than I could afford myself, I will also get my own laptop, one that I get to keep once the job is finished.

On the down side, I will not have access to broadband, so I will be joining my two readers that are on Dial up! Therefore, I doubt that I will be able to upload much video, but I will keep this web log going as and when I can.

Once I was off the phone, I did think that was the first job that I have ever got where I did not have to suffer an interview. However, I also thought about my friends dog. Previously I was reluctant to take on her dog for her while living here as it would be difficult to keep my cat happy and them separated. However, with the new circumstance I would be able to take the dog with me most of the time, as I will have a lot of walking to do.

However when I telephoned her with the news of the job offer, she told me that just this weekend a chap that lives near her daughter has agreed to take the dog. So I don't know if I should contact one of the rescue centrers now, or wait until a latter date. One thing I will need to do though is start saving for the move, as while it will be subsidised, it will still cost me to move.

Well it has been a surprising day in more than one way. When I was uploading some of the video earlier, there was a clip of two women and their Husky dogs, I may have mentioned it at the time when I met them. But I was talking to the women and the camera recorded my voice. When I was younger I had a stammer, and while its no where near as bad now, it was quite a shock to hear just how much I still so stammer. Well now I know that I have the perfect voice for silent films. LOL

Anyway, one of the things that I have been able to do today is get some of the clips of the Red Kite(s) together so here it is. And I hope that one American friend here is able to take time out from her thanksgiving feast to enjoy it. That's what using dial up is good for, you can download a video to time cooking the Turkey!

A happy thanksgiving to all my American friends.