Graveyards

Back at work tonight working the Graveyard shift or as they call it down here "Mid Rats". I really don't like to call myself a "Rat" let alone a "Mid Rat" so I'm just going to stick with Graveyards. I had my first drunk dialer tonight and I think it was one of the firemen. Yeah, that's a huge shocker! It helped to break some of the monotony.

Yesterday I went to the Crary Science Lab and took a tour. Quite an amazing place and there is a lot of science and research being conducted there. I got to hold a "Blast" rock from Mt. Erebus. It was a rock that got blasted out of the volcano. The rock was quite large but it was super light! And I got to hold a Sea Lice!! Here are some websites of the science going on down here:
http://penguinscience.com/index.php
www.cedarweb.hao.ucar.edu/
www.antarcticgeospace.org
http://cires.colorado.edu/science/groups/chu/projects/mcmurdo.html
www.wissard.org/

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/18/rediscovering-ross-island-the-2012-expedition-to-understand-the-geologic-origin-of-ross-island-antarctica/

http://erebus.nmt.edu/index.php

 And a webcam:   

http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/scott-base/webcams 

Blast rock

Touching a starfish

Holding a Sea Lice!!



Specimens at Crary Lab



HIke to Hut Point

Me at Hut Point Standing Next to Vince's Cross

Robert F. Bird's Hut Hence Hut Point

Leopard Seal!

Leopard Seals on the Ice



Mumified Seal - Yep, I Got a Picture of THAT!



All Ice

Last night I decided I wanted to go for a hike. I asked my roommate if she wanted to go and she agreed. So we put our bib overalls, boots, hat, gloves and Big Reds on and started the half mile trek to Hut Point. It was so pretty out there and we saw several Leopard seals. Here are some pictures! My plan is to go out there every 2 weeks or so and take pictures and document the changes such as the ice melt and change over to open water.

Pictures

Here ya go!!

Coffee House!

My Dorm - I can't figure out how to flip it!

Fun at Work! James is the Creeper!

Scott Base Ewwww!!

My Dorm Building is the last one on the right ^

View from my hike

Engine 1 Anarctic Fire Department, McMurdo Station

My Photo Has Been Published!

I get to work this evening and open my e-mail and what do I find? I found an e-mail titled "USAP McMurdo Station Situation Report FY12 #2 Week Ending 14 October 2012". I opened the attachment and right there on the first page (the title page) is my picture that I took of the Erebus Chalice (see above)!! Needless to say I was all crack-ish and stopped every fireman that walked thru the door and hollered, "Look! Look it's my picture!!" I'm sure they all think I am some freaky old woman! Whatever. I am pretty excited about it!

I have tonight and tomorrow night and then I am on my 3 day weekend. I am hoping to go to the gym, find some people to go hiking to Hut Point (I hear there is a mummified seal there - I gotta get pictures of THAT!), go to the coffee house Friday evening for the showing of the "Twilight Zone" (yes, the old TV series!), I have to go to ethics training for an hour and a half on Saturday and then find something else to do, Church on Sunday then a tour of the Crary Science Lab and then Sunday evening take in the science lecture. That's the plan. I'll probably be so exhausted from working graves that I'll sleep Friday away, go to the coffee house Friday evening, watch the movie, be home by 8:30 PM (that would happen even if I didn't sleep the day away!) be up all night and have my sleep all messed up! I hope that doesn't happen! :-)

Day Off

So far on my day off I have done laundry and then separated my garbage. That is really a chore in itself as I have to take everything out of my can and place it in the right bins. It can get a little yucky tho! Here's a picture of the bins. And today is Monday here but it is Sunday everywhere I care about so that means FOOTBALL!! I was able to watch Dallas lose!! Woot Woot!!

Here are some more pictures!

The Delta we rode to the station in

The Radio Room I am working in

Windmills

2 Weeks On Continent

Today marks 2 weeks I have been on Continent. The following are my observations.

• We all look pretty much the same when we are outside. All of us have our Big Red parkas with the fur hood. When it is blowing snow all of us have our hoods up and are bundled up like the kid in a Christmas Story. I can't tell a man from a woman let alone if it is anyone I know!
• The food overall, is pretty good...except for the breakfasts. I stood in the "Egg Line" the other day hoping that an egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions and peppers would be better than the other breakfasts I've eaten while here and was sadly disappointed. It had a faint taste of fish. YUCK! On the other hand, the prime rib with scalloped potatoes and asparagus last Friday evening was fantastic!
• There are no trees here. There are no bugs here. (And that's a good thing!) I miss hearing birds.
• People like to drink alcohol here. There are 2 bars, Gallagher's and Southern Exposure and both are open Tuesday thru Saturday 1900 to 2300 and Sunday 1800 to 2200. And there is a "Day Bar" at Southern Exposure on Tuesday, Thursday and Staurdays from 0700 to 1100. I would think with so many other things to do here that maybe, just maybe people could go to the gym, take a spin class, play volleyball or basketball, go to the coffee house, hang out in a dorm lounge and play pool or watch a movie, volunteer at the radio station, go to a science lecture or present a travelogue, to name a few things.
• The coffee house has free coffee drinks!! Capuccino, Latte, Americano, etc. It's free! And on most nights around 1900 or 1930 they show a movie in the attached movie house! It is my favorite place to go!!
• There are no flowers or grass or anything that grows on land here so that means there are no pleasant smells. In fact, there are no smells at all outside.
• It stays light for 24 hours. Like now. It is 0100 and it is still light outside! It looks like dusk but it is still light! Very Freaky!
• Firemen are the same EVERYWHERE! Though I have to say, thy have taken good care of me. They give me breaks and let me eat with them at the dining area and have invited me to....the bar!!
• Snow might as well be sand. It is all over the place! And speaking of snow, it is nicer over at Scott Base. There seems to be more of it and it is cleaner and fluffier.
• On TV is whatever the Armed Forces Network decides to show. I wish I had an "in" with someone so I could watch more Bears games!

Trek to Scott Base

I just got back from a trip over to Scott Base. That is the base just down the road that is run by New Zealand. We had to not only take our parkas off but we had to take our shoes/boots off. The carpet was very nice in there and everything looked clean and in its place (unlike the station I am at a 1950's version of a military base!). I bought some t shirts and other gifts and of course I took some pictures! It is a cold evening tonight. I gotta go back to my room and warm up! Oh and I got a TV today! We get the Armed Forces Network so hopefully I will get to watch some decent football games! As the Kiwi's say...Cheers!

Kiwi!