"All work and no play...

.....makes Jack a dull boy", as the saying goes.

And, indeed, makes Peter a less frequent blogger.  My apologies for my lack of posting recently, to those of you in the UK, USA, Ukraine,  Hungary, and all the other places that are home to readers of this blog.

2 days snow this winter, but generally mild.

My idyllic, indolent life in the Falkland Islands took a strange turn recently - I found paid employment!  As I have said in the past, there is virtually no unemployment here, and the recession doesn't seem to have affected the country in the same way as in European countries.

My work as a Nordic Walking Instructor continues, but in winter, many people fly to warmer climes, and you don't get much more of a contrast than between the UK and the Falklands this July.

HQ of Penguin News, Stanley

Despite it being the 3rd warmest and driest July on record, the average temperature in Stanley was a mere 3C (37 Fahrenheit).  From what I gather, it was about 30 degrees warmer than that in the UK for much of July!
And so, many of my clients have been away on the summer/winter holidays.

Gilbert House, home of the Legislative Assembly

So, I was looking round for some interesting work prior to the tourist season starting again in October, and I applied for a few vacancies.

Well, it's not for me to say employers are desperate, but I was successful at all of the interviews....

Typical sunset...4.30pm

I am now working part-time as a Driving Instructor, braving the icy hills of Stanley in a small saloon car. I also have a consultancy role with the Government, which uses skills that have been dormant for a few years.  However, I seem to be picking it up again quickly.

One of the better sunrises. 9am.

I also have some other activities in the pipeline, which I will mention in more detail later.  Added to all that, is the continuing pressure of winning local quizzes.   Last month, our team once again were the Stanley Arms quiz champions. Last week, saw a scratch team (including the local History teacher), win the Community School quiz. (It was to raise funds to send pupils to the UK for a Tourism project).

All very competitive, though.

Searching for the Solar System sculptures....

This week, we are semi-finalists in the FIRS (Falkland Islands Radio Service)Winter Quiz......  watch this podcast!

Heavenly bodies, eg, Saturn in the foreground! On the Solar System sculpture trail.

So, sorry about the dearth of news recently.  More will follow now I am getting to grips with mixing work and play!

However, all this work is interfering with my photographing the sunrises and sunsets, so I hope you enjoy the ones in this blog.  I don't know when I'll next get a chance to see a good one!  Work, work, busy, busy!

Peter