IF... (2nd July 2011)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!

Russia (Day 47) Meino

Woke up feeling rather sick and weak again and so it was a struggle to go out but I forced myself and so Martin and I had a stroll to the floods where the water levels are so low that we predict that only another week will pass before the water has totally gone. There were no waders present today here but as we walked back there were at least 3 male Mongolian Plover's present that appeared to be brooding chicks. A pullus Lapland Bunting was a nice surprise and 3 Pacific Eider, 2 scaup and a single Long tailed Skua were the only other sightings. We returned back early as the sky had turned black and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance with lightning lighting up through the black of the sky. Rain followed but we were fortunate enough to be back at base as this began. The sky has turned blue again as the storm seems to have passed through now and it is a friday evening here in Meino.

Russia (Day 46) Meino

A warm and sunny day here in Meino and I went with Martin to the school to drop off some photos for the English teacher and 15 minutes later Martin and I found ourselves participating in the gym class with the local children which involved running in 2 different chains of kids with books on our heads, playing volley ball and just having a good laugh with the kids. A quick (planned stop of 15 minutes to the school via shop) resulted in walking away from the school some 4 hours later. It was nice helping to get the local kids supporting the Spoon Billed Sandpiper cause and also for them to want to learn the English language more. Also found out that I can use the weights room of the gym at the school and so I will now start to do some training after being absent from a gym for over 7 weeks. After this I took a stroll to the nearby marsh where a single Spoon Billed Sandpiper was present briefly but the mosquitoes are now becoming rather annoying and persistent to say the least. Also feeling somewhat un-well with stomach issues.

Russia (Day 45) Meino

Today involved an early start to visit a Spoon-billed Sandpiper nest and then the rest of the day involved being at base on house duties until early evening when I had a stroll down to the floods where a different male Spoon-billed Sandpiper was giving a full display song from a tussock and the odd display flight overhead. This bird was also feeding nearby to a Ringed Plover but did not like being to close to the bird and would always move away from the water's edge before returning once the Ringed Plover had passed by.