A Very Busy Time of Year

We are in mid-January and activity here in McMurdo has picked up. We have the Coast Guard Ice Breaker, Polar Star here to break up the 6 foot thick ice in McMurdo Sound so the re-supply ship and the fuel ship can come in. The National Science Foundation research vessel the Nathaniel B. Palmer arrived yesterday and is docked at the ice pier. Once the fuel and re-supply ships get here, operations really ramp up. But for now we have a whole lot of people here in anticipation of the arriving ships. We  have 50 plus members of the New Zealand Defence Force (the NZ Army) and about 75 NAVCHAPs (Naval Cargo Handlers) to assist with the off-load. We also have future Winter-Over people here from the South Pole for their “R and R”. And a couple of nights ago the Polar Star docked so the Coasties could get some liberty for 18 hours so it was a little crazy for an evening. 

I was able to board the Polar Star while it was docked! I was able to tag along with my boss’s husband’s work centre for a tour! I was working and she came into the dispatch office and asked me if I wanted to go on the ship and of course, I said yes! It was great! We got to go on the front of the ship where the anchors are set, into the kitchen, computer lounge, where the rudder is powered, the helo deck and the bridge! Our Coastie tour guides and other members on board the vessel were great! My surprise was that most of the men and women were very young. My guess would be just barely 21 years old. One of them came to visit the Firehouse on his liberty (he was 20 years old!) and swapped t-shirts and patches with us and the fire fighters gave him a tour of our station and equipment and took him for a ride in the engine! See below for a few pictures of the Polar Star.

The Nathaniel B. Palmer or just “The Palmer” or “The Nattie B” arrived yesterday. It is a research vessel owned and run by the National Science Foundation (NSF) or basically the agency that all of us working down here is supporting. Anyway, the ship is a floating laboratory and partial ice breaker. It can break the thinner ice that is found on the other side of the continent where the Nattie B is from - near Chile. They are here to change out their crew (more people!) and to off load their hazardous waste from Palmer Station It is cheaper to bring their has waste here and then have it shipped off on the re-supply ship to Port Hueneme, CA than to ship it there via South America. It doesn’t sound “cheap” to me either way! I am hoping I can score a tour of that ship as well! See below for photos of the Palmer.

Work has been busy and should get busier! I had a couple more In Flight Emergencies (IFE’s) with the LC130’s. Yesterday one was half way to Pole and had to turn back to MCM because of a “mechanical issue”. And the day before it got real scary. The weather changed quickly that afternoon and we had an LC-130 coming in from Christchurch. They attempted twice to land on 2 different skiways in blowing snow and very bad visibility and couldn’t do it. So they said they were going to land in the “White Out Area” as they had to get the aircraft down because they were out of fuel. This is a crevasse-free snow covered area that is not groomed. It is basically a place for an aircraft to land when all else fails. (So far that has been the 2nd LC-130 to land there this week!) So after they said they were going to land there we had no further radio transmissions from them for 45 minutes. I sent the crews out there to start looking for them (remember there was a snowstorm) and this went on for a while. I activated the EOC and at one point I turned around to the firefighters in the room all gathered behind me and I said to them, “You all better start praying.” Finally the Tower came on the radio and said they had made contact with the aircraft and it was taxiing back to Williams Field and they needed to know where our vehicles were. They were safe! There was a collective sigh of relief by many people (as well as the people on the aircraft I’m sure)!

US Coast Guard Ice Breaker Polar Star

                  

                           
                             The Polar Star Bridge

                 
                       Me on the Deck Aboard the Polar Star

                 
                         The NSF Research Ship, Nathaniel B. Palmer

Happy 2015 From Antarctica!

2015 came into this part of the world 22 hours before it did in Arizona. I was working. It was an uneventful evening however I did get a kiss at midnight from one of the firefighters! Actually I think I won by default as he said he wasn't going to kiss any of the guys at midnight! Of course the next day he proceeded to tell everyone that he, "Kissed Russo at Midnight". See what I have to put up with! I guess boys will be boys!

Our big New Years party, IceStock, was held on January 2nd this year. Even though it wasn't on New Year's Eve it was still a lot of fun. There were 17 bands and it went from 3:30PM to 1:00AM. There was a chili cook-off (the fire department took 3rd place) and the cooks grilled hot dogs and elk sausages! I went out there at 4:30 to see the fire department band, Skuacide and then I went inside until about 9:30 when the fire chief's band played. Below are some pictures from Ice Stock.

The next day, after brunch, was the annual softball tournament. The Fire Department took 2nd place and they said that I should've been the coach! Anyone who ever played softball with me knows that I cannot keep my mouth shut-especially when an umpire makes the wrong call. That would've been the case that day. He should have called Infield Fly Rule and he didn't. The ball dropped and 2 runs scored. I started hollering and that got some members of our team asking the ump about it and he ended up making the right call and sending the runners back to their bases. Our guys said they were happy I was there and that I saved a couple of runs for them. Hahahaha!! The fans in the stands were the real game though. They would heckle everyone and it was really funny. And if they didn't like a call they would throw all their empty beer cans at the backstop! It was crazy! And one of our guys hit the ball literally out of the park and next thing I knew some guy had stripped down to his skivvies' and was running around on the field! Like I said, it was crazy! Here's some pictures from the softball tourney! Happy 2015 from Antarctica!

                                                             Skuacide At IceStock

              The Heckling Beer Can Throwing Fans In The Stands at the Softball Tourney
                                           

The 2nd Place Fire Department Team!

Merry Christmas From the Bottom of the World

Merry Christmas! I have been asked many times why I like going to Antarctica. Why would anyone want to be subjected to the biting cold wind and the months being away from family and friends? And why in the world would anyone want to work 56 hours a week with no holiday or sick pay? I know, it seems crazy and honestly it probably is. I find it to be refreshing. It is different...the environment and the people. It's almost like it recharges my batteries for lack of any other way of saying it. We have some of the most amazing and talented people in the world here washing pots! They have PhD's, the Rec coordinator is an Oncologist; teachers are working in stockrooms and sorting garbage. Yet we are all the same. We share the same living conditions, including the food (blech) and we get along. There is genuine love and caring for each other. We hug each other. When was the last time you hugged a co-worker? How about one that you've only known for 2 months? Everything about this place is unique. That is not to say that I don't miss home because I really, really do. Especially this time of year. I guess I am saying that if I am going to be away from home, at least I am with a great group of people! I can't wait to come home and hug each and every one of you. But in the meantime, please take care of each other. Hug each other and be sincere and honest. The rest of the world seems a little crazy right now. Be careful out there. I miss all of you.

I went to  Christmas Eve church and Mass last night. It was wonderful! The choir sang carols and we sang along with them! Then we went to the VMF Christmas party and that was a lot of fun! Merry Christmas everyone in CONUS! May God bless all of you and keep you healthy and safe!

 

McMurdo Life/Christmas

Good Sunday Morning From McMurdo! It's been awhile since my last post and that is only because not much has changed down here. We are getting ready for Christmas and then the New Year's celebration called Ice Stock. The telephone poles have been decorated with different Christmas items such as the Grinch, stockings and ornaments. There are no festive Christmas lights as you wouldn't be able to see them as it is daylight 24 hours a day this time of year. I have some Christmas decorations up in my room. I have a Nativity scene, a candy cane and a wreath in my room and 2 silver snowflakes on my door. I have sent in some pictures to the VMF (Vehicle Maintenance Facility) so they can include them in their slideshow for their Christmas party on December 24th. They have asked all of us to send them pictures to help the party be more festive and homey for us here. They will have food and punch and I guess there will be carolling! I didn't get to go to the party last time I was here because I was working but I will get to attend this year. I am looking forward to it! Below are the pictures I sent to them. I included one of Alien because as many of you know, we had to put her down last week. It was and still is very sad for me. I miss her terribly.

Holiday Decorations Around McMurdo-the Fire Station is in the Background.

The Grinch

My Alien - This is a picture I sent to the VMF for the party.

And I sent this one of my Grandma and me.

And this one of Laurie, Brooke and I at a Coyotes game.

Happy Thanksgiving From Antarctica!

I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am very thankful for my wonderful family and friends! I am blessed to have so many amazing people in my life and am thankful for those of you who put up with some of my hair-brained ideas and my wanderlust! You know who you are! Enjoy your holiday with family and friends. May God bless all of you!



I had an adventurous weekend! I was able to take of tour of the pressure Ridges at Scott Base. Scott Base is the New Zealand base about 3 K's from McMurdo Station. The pressure Ridges are these huge ice blocks that form because of the current under the ice that pushes the sea ice up against the coastline. The hike thru the ridges is about a mile long. We were out there for about 2 hours hiking and taking pictures. It was a beautiful night - about 19 degrees and no wind chill!

                                   Pressure Ridges-You can see Scott Base in the background.

                                          Me on the trail.




The next night I was chosen via lottery to go to Cape Evans! We took a Delta (a large, weird looking vehicle) out to Cape Evans. It was 1.5 hours of rough, bumpy ride both there and back! Once there we had to walk 3K's, past 2 icebergs to get to Robert F. Scott's Terra Nova Hut. Scott landed on the point by ship, the Terra Nova land there on January 4, 1911 and by January 12th the hut was constructed and ready to be lived in. The hut was used for experiments and exploration of the area. Inside we saw dead penguins, a lab, the kitchen, a stable, bunk beds and even a bicycle. It was thrilling to be in one of the furthest south museums in the world!

Iceberg!

Scott's Terra Nova Hut

This evening I had my first IFE or in flight emergency. It was an LC-130 on it's way to the South Pole and it had a fuel leak in the left fuel compartment. It h ad been on it's way to the Pole and had to turn around and come back to McMurdo. everything went fine and it landed safely. Thank goodness I have that first one under my belt!

Life at MCM

Or Life at McMurdo. MCM is the IATA code. That is the airport identifier code like LAX or ORD or PHX. We have many other IATA codes for around the continent including: NBY - Byrd Surface Camp, NPX - South Pole Station, WSD - WAIS (Western Antarctica Ice Sheet), XGK - Kein Glacier, etc. We have aircraft that service all of those areas. The aircraft range from C-17's and Airbus A310's to Twin Otters, Baslers (refurbished DC-3's) and helicopters. I've included some photos of the different aircraft down here.

So life at MCM. Today the Ob Tube opened. It is a literally a steel tube no wider than an average person that has been placed into a drilled hole in the ice. It is 30 feet long with a steel ladder inside. It opens up into a very small area of Plexiglas just off the ocean bottom where 1 person can stand and view the marine life under the ice. Below are the rules and a photo of the Ob Tube. In case you were wondering, no I'm NOT going to go in it. I have sent my camera with a couple of people and will post pictures later of what they saw. I take down the participant's information, issue them a key and a radio, and the groups go out to the ice.

                                                                                           Ob Tube Entrance

I have my name in a lottery for a trip to Cape Evans. There is a hut there like at Hut Point. The way one gets there is by snowmobile. There are also penguins there! I am hoping to be able to go. There is also going to be some trips to the Ice Caves and again, I am hoping to win the lottery for that trip as well!

More about life here. The other day while I was at dinner, I saw a girl sit down by herself and she had a nice avocado. An avocado!!! She was clearly a "Beaker". That is what us worker types call the scientists down here. I said to the people at my table, "I didn't see any avocados." They said Beaker probably brought it down from Christchurch. So there she sat, carefully cutting open that beautiful, green fruit. She methodically cut it in half. As I stared at her and the green goodness, I secretly hoped that it was rotten inside. Soon all of us were staring at her and the fruit. As she cut pieces out of it and put them on a piece of bread, I said to my table mates, "One of you hold her down, the other one choke her and I will grab the avocado!" We all laughed but I was only half-joking! If I could've shivved her right there I would've! I've got a connection with a guy who has a connection with a Loadmaster in the Air National Guard. I'm going to trade one of my tee shirts for some avocados from NZ. I can already taste it...

Speaking of Beakers, 2 of them got kicked off the island and sent home this week early. I got a call at 0530 am reporting 2 women passed out and a male puking in one of the lounges. They were all super drunk. I sent the fire crew out there and one of the Beakers got very belligerent with my crew. She F-Bombed them up one side and down the other and at one point said, "You guys don't have F-ing nothing on me! I have a PhD!" She was the head professor from University of Arizona working on a project for NASA studying the surface of the Jupiter moon, IO. The landscape here is the same as IO. Well, she is no longer studying it here. She was sent out, along with the guy who was puking, on a plane less than 8 hours later. He was a student researcher of hers. I don't have a PhD but geez I know better than not to get stinking drunk and pass out and then be belligerent. PhD or not, she was a dumb Ass!

                                                                     Twin Otter

                                                                      C-17

                                                                       Airbus A310

                                                            Twin Otter and a Basler

                                                             Me in a helicopter

                                                       LC-130 (Notice the Skis)                

The Season Has Ramped Up

It is November 10th, the 239th Marine Corp Birthday. They are having a cake cutting ceremony this evening in the Galley to celebrate. Happy Birthday to all of the Marines or former Marines out there! Thank you for your service! As far as the rest of us who did not serve in the Corp it is just another day.

As most of you know, I am working the night shift. I will be on nights until January 5th and then I will work days. I am thankful to be on nights right now because honestly, there are just too many people here. We are up to 1100 people on station and for me it is about 700 people too many. When I got here we were at 400. That was perfect - no waiting in line to get into the Galley, no waiting in line to get rid of your plates, no waiting to wash your hands before a meal, no waiting period. We have more than 50 Australians here waiting to fly out to Casey Station but the weather has been bad there for about a week so they are all still here. They are sleeping in the gym because there's no room in the dorms.

We have people going out from here to the South Pole and some Winter-Over Polies coming back here to go home as well. You can spot a Winter-Over Polie fairly easily - It's like they are on drugs. They are oblivious to almost everything. Some of them act like they are on crack. I tried to have a conversation with one who was a cook there over the Winter. He was like Ricochet Rabbit - he was all over...SQUIRREL! It was annoying.

We are in the time of "Just keep going and the holidays will be here soon". The flights have been able to come in and for the most part, go out. I have gotten some packages (YAY!) but not all of them. Some people have gotten to go on "Boondoggles" - trips to help science teams out in the field for a day. Really it's just free labor for those teams. I know of several people who got to fly on a Basler (a refurbished DC-3) or Twin Otter (a high winged plane) and have flown to remote locations to dig out fuel barrels for a couple of hours. We in Dispatch haven't been offered said Boondoggles. It would be kind of nice to be able to get out of "town" for a day. But rumour has it that the Rec Department is working on trips to the Ice Caves and Cape Royds (where there's a huge Adelie penguin rookery) as well as trips out to Scott Base for the Pressure Ridges. I will keep you posted on that and if I get to go to any of those places, I will post pictures!

Last night at about 2100 I hiked out to Hut Point and "Roll Cage Mary" or the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine a memorial to Richard Thomas Williams, a Seabee who died during the initial construction of McMurdo Station when his D-8 tractor fell through the ice. I also got to see several Weddell seals lounging on the ice. Enjoy the pictures!

                                         "Roll Cage Mary" aka Our Lady of the Snows Shrine

                                                             View from the Shrine.

                                                                    Cute Weddell Seal

                                           Me at Hut Point standing next to Vince's Cross