Christmas in a desert... in summer

So Christmas has quickly come and gone for us here in Antarctica. We in the galley had a random extra day off during the month as our "Christmas." Mine was a few weeks ago. I remember the  day. I spent the whole day in my pajamas. Relaxing was the whole agenda.
Christmas for the rest of the town was a totally different story. Everyone on "Town Schedule" (work Monday-Saturday and Sunday off) got an extra day off, Saturday which was the day we celebrated the holiday. My day had a slow start because of a late night the night before. The Town Christmas Party at the Vehicle Maintenance Shop was a crazy mix of photos with Santa, a slide show of pictures from home, caroling by the choir, snacks, drinks, and dancing the night away. Back to work... My work day was from 9am to 7 pm and included helping setting up the dining room, washing pots and pans, and goofing off. The day went by pretty quickly and included being "adopted" again like Thanksgiving so I got an hour and a half off mid afternoon which I used to nap. I got off work just in time for the last dinner seating and sat with a group of friends and enjoyed some conversation and a few bottles of wine. The night was spent at the Carpentry shop which was transformed into an art gallery for the night. MAAG, McMurdo Alternative Art Gallery, happens once a year and is a showing of everything from interactive art to paintings and a fashion show. The night ended again with dancing the night away.
Sunday was a morning to sleep in. Again a group of us met in the galley this time for brunch and mimosas. We parted ways after stuffing ourselves again. I called home and then went for a walk out to Hut Point and happened to see 6 penguins!! They were way off in the distance so the pictures aren't very good. Then I went to see a group of people put on Charlie Browns Christmas play which was cute and then went outside and saw the CREST LDB balloon up in the sky. Overall a great Christmas weekend.
Up next... New Years and Ice Stock, McMurdo's Woodstock!

My new gig

So I was selected to be the new DA(dining attendant) for the Long Duration Balloon facility run by NASA here just a few miles from McMurdo Station. I have only spent 2 days out there training so I don't have all the info and stats on it and only limited pictures but I am so excited to share the news about it.
Monday will be my first day out there post training and to add to the excitement there is the possibility of a launch! There are several projects going on here in our few buildings one of which is a large balloon with a payload of 7,800 lbs that will be looking at the particles that hit the Earth from Super Novas.
To watch it all happen check out the "real time video" on this site... http://www.csbf.nasa.gov/antarctica/ice.htm
I hope it works!
The window of opportunity that I was told about is from 11am-4pm on Monday here in Antarctica. So that would be Sunday from 5-10pm eastern time. This is subject to change due to weather conditions.
Some more info about the projects...
http://stratocat.com.ar/bases/41e.htm
http://icecube.wisc.edu/info/neutrinos

Mc Murdo’s Inner Workings: Water Plant

How the heck do we get water in a desert? Well that's what I went to find out.

Last week I attended the Ross Island Yacht Club meeting and happened to sit down next to a guy that works at the Water Plant, so I set up a tour! I told a few friends and 7 of us ended up going. So we walked down the hill to the water/ power plant building. It turns out that the Blue Ribbon Panel that is here on station was touring the plant too. So we waited. 

When it was our turn we had Paul(who I estimate is in his mid 60s, maybe more) show us around the plant and explain what did what. 

The process is basically take water from the Ross Sea, heat it from 28 degrees to 38 degrees, remove the salt, filter it, treat it with chemicals, store it and use it! You may be wondering about the temperature. Salt water freezes at lower temps than fresh. It's not special Antarctic water or anything! 

So we walked around and saw all the pumps and filters and holding tanks and felt the pipes to get an idea for how cold the water is. It was pretty loud so I didn't hear everything but I got the gist of it all. 

An interesting stat: we use about 60,000 gallons per day on an average summer day. There are about 1,100 people on station. We have experiments going on, laundry to be washed, food to be cooked and cleaned up after, smelly hard workers... Lots of water used.

Neat Place... now what to tour next?

Pictures...
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.695955767349.2144599.44801562&type=1&l=850cfb4a8f

Some time outside the Galley and the Craft Fair

So a couple days ago I got to get out of the kitchen and do a special project. This is the first special project I've gotten to do since I arrived so I was very excited. I had the honor of spending about 2 hours helping out a very sweet lady named Peggy who is in charge of the food for the field camps. She has a room upstairs in this storage building that is basically a grocery store. But you don't pay.
I arrived at Peggy's after our afternoon break to see what my task would be. I've heard stories from other DAs that they make trail mix or repackage things and that Peggy offers you tea and listens to good music. This sounds very exciting and all... right? So my projects included repackaging baking powder into smaller bottles and labeling them, mixing and repackaging tortillini, and dividing up some sort of burrito chili thing. All in all not exactly thrilling tasks but it was very nice to be able to work on something that I don't do every day. It was also a beautiful day out so the walk to and from the galley was a treat.
Today the galley was transformed into a craft fair and what a time we had! I wish I had thought to bring my camera with me, but none the less it was great. I ended up spending about a hundred bucks on everything from earrings to a t-shirt to a wallet/passport holder. Now you may be wondering what the heck we are doing having a craft fair in Antarctica. Well, we all have to pass the time somehow. Some drink, others sew, or knit, or fold things. What did I purchase? Well, I got a pair of feather earrrings, a passport holder/wallet, a t-shirt stating "You don't have to be crazy to work here. We will train you.", a small fish mobile, some pins/buttons and 2 magnets, some wool gloves, and I think that's it.
Now I've never attended a craft show in Antarctica before but based on the turn out I'm going to say it was a hit! The number of people streaming in and out was great and I think people made some great purchases. A hit in my book!

Pegasus Crash Site Trip

Monday night I was a part of a group of 21 people that headed out to the site of the plane nicknamed “Pegasus” that crashed about 40 years ago. We had to bring or wear all of our extreme cold weather gear and were loaded up into a vehicle called a Delta for the hour long trip out to the site. Vehicles here are only allowed to travel at a speed of 20 mph because of the temperature and “road” conditions. That translates into an hour to go about 17 miles via gravel road and permanent sea ice road. It was very bumpy but we had a good time. Once we arrived we were told the ground rules and set free to roam around and on the plane. Yes, I said on the plane. It’s mostly covered with ice and snow except the tail and about 2 feet of the top of the plane. There were two shovels that came with us that were used to attempt to dig out the words written on the side of the plane that read United States Navy. They didn’t get to far. 40 years of snow and ice is hard to move. We took lots of pictures and explored the plane thoroughly as best we could. No one died in the crash incase you were wondering. We then loaded up and headed back to McMurdo. At about 12:30am we arrived back at the lovely blue building, Building 155, that I call home.

Some info about the crash…

"In October 1970, a C-121J super constellation called "Pegasus" crashed into an airfield near Mcmurdo. A storm had blown in from the south, as they're known to do, and completely eliminated visibility. The flight had already passed PSR (point of safe return), therefore lacked fuel to turn around and was left with no choice but to 'put the girl down.' After circling the runway for hours without getting a visual, they caught a quick glimpse on the last pass and set 'er down, sliding into a heavy snowdrift caused by the storm and spinned the connie around while flinging off a couple propellers, a couple engines, and the entire right wing. Nobody died."

Pictures from Facebook…

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692783534529.2144260.44801562&type=1&l=07d1cce602

Thanksgiving for real this time!

So Thursday the 24^th was actual Thanksgiving but it was just a normal day at work for me. My schedule here was the same as any other day. Not too exciting, right?

Well, Friday morning was Thanksgiving back in the States so I did call my family and wish them well, but otherwise it was just a normal day for me again!

Saturday is when things get interesting. Due to the projects that go on here we couldn’t take a day of during the week so Thanksgiving was pushed to Saturday and all the townie folks got a two day weekend. So I had a phone date with my brother because I had extra time in the morning due to the special Thanksgiving schedule. We spoke for a while and then I grabbed some breakfast and got ready for work. My day was a unique schedule because rather than having lunch and then one dinner we had lunch and then three dinners. To start out right we set up the dining room with white tablecloths, fall decorations and lots of food! We set up a bunch of tables so that we could have “family meal.” What is family meal you may ask? It is usually who ever is working that shift, both cooks and dining attendants, eating what we are going to serve before we serve it. Since Thanksgiving is so big no one had the day off, which meant we had a family of about 65! And to make it extra special we got a full hour to eat instead of our normal 25 minutes. Lots of laughs, we all went around the table and said what we were thankful for, and generally enjoyed each others company.

We had a special visit from 3 guys dressed as turkeys that did a little morale boost. They had a cute sign for us and then did a pop quiz with questions like what is a group of turkeys called. Those that answered correctly got gift certificates to our burger bar. I got a question right! Thanks guys!

We then set out to serve over a thousand people Thanksgiving. I worked the 3 and 5 pm dinner seating and then as a special treat all the DAs were “adopted” by a community member. This translates to they came in and worked for us for one hour. So this combined with my half hour break meant I had from 6:30 to 8pm free. So I got to eat with some friends… meaning 5 guys! J They were all very sweet and talked surprisingly little(I hope because the food was so good!) during the meal. I then changed clothes and went back to work for another 2 hours before we were done for the night.

A Happy Thanksgiving was had by all here at McMurdo Station.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692554857799.2144247.44801562&type=1&l=bf4a496aaa

Rewind!

Three weeks ago I went out to the ob tube for the second to last time before it was removed. I saw the same small jellyfish looking things floating around as I had seen on previous trips but the new thing was these two small fish sitting on the outside of the window frame. They were each smaller than my finger, one about the size of my pinkie. They didn’t move much, just turned their head to look around. There was no wind that day either so I took a 360-degree video clip of the area. (Available on Facebook.)

Two weeks ago I took a tour of the Crary Laboratories here at McMurdo. We met at 8am and were showed through the building starting with the display cases at the entrance, then going down the 3 phases or levels of the building. Each level is for a different type of experiment or science. We started at the top and moved down. We looked at things like the skulls of the seals found on the continent, marine creatures like giant sea lice, stuffed penguin vs skua, diving gear, maps of the continents, weather, volcanic rock from Mt Erebus, and lots more. We ended the tour with my favorite part… the aquarium and touch tank. We got to touch and pick up different marine creatures that are found around the continent. The tank was a lot smaller than I expected. Only a few inches deep and about a foot and a half square. Still it was really neat and I was so excited I forgot to ask about the things I’ve seen in the Ob Tube and have no idea what they are.

After this I went to the Ob Tube for the last time before it was removed from the ice. I went with a co-worker, Grace, and we got to spend some time watching a seal sunbathe while the other was in the Ob Tube. Neither of us saw anything we hadn’t seen before but the seal on the ice was pretty neat.

My day was then to be continued with a hike. The weather was too nice not to! I did the Hut Point Ridge Loop with 3 co-workers, Kira, Michael H, and Bria. The loop took us about 2 hours including stops for water breaks and to take pictures. We saw 4 seals out on the ice below Hut Point, otherwise no wild life. The view was amazing looking out at nothing but ice and mountains for miles and at another point back at McMurdo.

Pictures of all this can be found at….

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692546409729.2144243.44801562&type=1&l=2642c1611e

And my 360 video tour… 

Happy Thanksgiving from Antarctica

Just wanted to wish you all well on Turkey Day. Officially yesterday was thanksgiving here but we are actually celebrating tomorrow. Just called home, now off to work a regular day. Tomorrow... turkey!

Friend's Blogs

I have enjoyed writing my blog over the years now but here seems to be the hardest to find time to write! I have been keeping busy and making time to sit down and write seems to be a challenge. Then when I do write I seem to forget details that I should include!
So since I've arrived here on the Ice I've met lots of new friends who are becoming my McMurdo Family. I have slowly been finding more and more blogs written by friends and co-workers. Such talented people! 
So because I haven't uploaded pictures from my last hike on my day off last week I will leave you with some URLs of other blogs. Interesting how the same place can have so many perspectives.
Here are a few...
Kira- Fellow DA, who I worked with at Edelweiss in Germany with- http://mynameiskira.wordpress.com/
Gwen- Fellow DA- http://gwenshoemakerblog.com/
Julie- Roommate and cook- http://juliebuggs21.blogspot.com/
Tessa- Cook- http://growmeaboat.blogspot.com/
Bill- Cook- http://chefbillmorris.blogspot.com/
Alyx- Friend, hobby: photography, his website, not a blog but still cool!- http://www.alyxbowen.com

Inside Bertha

So as part of my usual tasking at work I was scheduled to deep clean our large dishwasher, nicknamed Bertha. Now this is like the 3rd or 4th time doing this for me so nothing that new. An average Sunday afternoon. Now every other time I was one of the ones removing everything from the dish room, scrubbing the floors and walls, etc. What was new about this time was the I was going inside Bertha. Bertha is a large conveyor style dishwasher and has 3 compartments that need to be scrubbed from the outside and inside. The inside part is my turn this week. We first removed all the sprayers and the curtains dividing the compartments and then the cleaning begins. This involves laying on your back, inching through the machine wiping down all the surfaces. Now, this means the sides and inside top of the machine so the chance for splatters is there so a face mask, safety goggles, and a soapy rag. I kept fogging the goggles so I tried to wipe ahead of where I was to reduce the risk of direct face spray. This worked until the very end... the dirtiest part. Mold seems to be pink and goo like here. Don't ask why because I have no idea. Things got very sticky very quickly and I wanted to be out of that machine! I never really felt claustrophobic but I definitely wanted out at the end there. Friend Alyx captured me inside of Bertha. I will post it soon as I am on a public computer without my usb thumb drive.

Mc Murdo’s Inner Workings: Waste Barn

Ok let’s Trash Talk!

This isn’t what you’re probably thinking. I’m not writing about gossip or being mean. This is how intense the waste management system is here on the ice.

 

 

Ben, our tour guide, sorting some mixed paper

Plastic compactor and recycling bins

 On Monday I went to the Waste Barn where one of my former roommates, Vicki, works sorting our recycling and trash. Vicki works at the Waste Barn with a handful of others diligently sorting out all the bags of stuff we throw away. This is all sorted into several categories and is usually then packaged up as small as it can be and then shipped back to the US via boat in January.

Vicki(left) and co-worker reassembling a bin to be brought out back around base

The cardboard conveyor to the compactor

Vicki and I

Some of the joke bins around Mc Murdo

The real bins

 

 

 

Another joke bin. 

 

 

A set of sorting bins in my dorm

The janitors take the bags from the bins inside to the large boxes outside which are taken to the Waste Barn. 

Depending on what the item is dictates what happens to it...

Clothing scraps- sold to China

Returnable bottles- refunds from California

Metal- sold at auction

Wood chips- sold for heating

Paper towels- landfill

A very neat place to learn what happens to our stuff that we throw away. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

So here at Mc Murdo the kitchen staff all work on the holidays that everyone else gets off so Monday was my "Thanksgiving." I spent the day doing laundry, going on a tour of the Waste Barn, going to the the ob tube again, and while we were there got to do some fishing(I'll explain more in a minute), came back had dinner, lowered my bed to a height I can easily climb onto without the aid of my nightstand, vacuumed and chatted with friends. A great holiday!  I am very thankful for many things and many people. I am so glad to be here at Mc Murdo and to have a job. I'm thankful for my health. And I'm very thankful for the new friends that have become my family and support system here. Most importantly I am thankful for my family and friends at home supporting me in my travels around the world.

Ok this fishing you are wondering about... as Grace, Baxter, and I walked to the ob tube we noticed that there were people in the fishing/diving hut nearby the ob tube. When we looked in the window we were invited inside. A scientist that goes by the nickname of Sandwich was fishing with the aid of two gentleman.

 

One a cook that I know, Matt, and the other a guy I've never met. We took turns fishing and going down the ob tube. The view was the same down the tube as before and you couldn't see the fishing lines. The catch was just one for the day. The lucky pole was the Barbie pole! We stayed for about an hour fishing and chatting. And yes, just fishing, no catching while we were there. 

the fish caught by the Barbie Pole

Matt, left and Sandwich, right. Fishing away

Matt and I fishing

More Ice as seen from the Ob Tube

Brr!!

Tuesday I walked around the Crary Labs for a little while and signed up for a tour next Tuesday.

Inside Crary Lab.

Scott’s Discovery Hut Tour and Hut Point

8:30am I am waiting bundled up for the tour to begin. Presented by one of my co-workers, a group of 6 of us headed out towards the ice pier and Hut Point. It was a sunny day with a bit of wind but picturesque. After walking for about 15 minutes we arrived at Scott’s Hut which is a prefab structure built in February of 1902. Our greeter was the carcass of a seal that is roughly 100 years old laying outside the hut.

The hut was untouched from 1917 until 1956 when US explorers dug it out and found how well preserved it was. It has remained much the same. There is a New Zealand team that is refurbishing some of the artifacts found inside. We had to clean our boots off before entering and we were issued flashlights. We saw things like dog biscuits, pots and pans, mittens, socks, tools, and some really old meat hanging on the walls. After signing the visitors log we headed up Hut Point to  the a wooden cross erected in 1902 to commemorate Seaman George T. Vince, the first man to lose his life in McMurdo Sound, following a fall into the water from a steep, icy slope nearby during a blizzard. Also above the hut is the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine, a madonna statue that commemorates Richard T. Williams, a Seabee tractor driver who drowned off Cape Royds in January 1956 when his 30- ton tractor broke through the sea ice. I visited this yesterday when I walked back out here for the second time. 

A little history about the hut...

In January 1902, the British Royal Navy's Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his crew of 50 men arrived aboard the 700-ton vessel Discovery. During this expedition, Scott's party built the "Discovery Hut" (often called Scott's Hut) near the site of McMurdo Station as a land base for sledging treks on the island and onto the ice shelf. Scott also named many prominent features including Mt. Discovery and the Royal Society Range (for his sponsors). An attempt to reach the South Pole by sledge accomplished a farthest south of 82o71' on 30 December 1902. Before the polar attempt, a three-man party made a 6-week mid-winter sledging journey around the south side of Ross Island to Cape Crozier to collect emperor penguin eggs.
The next occupants of the "Discovery Hut" were Ernest Shackleton and three companions in 1909. In 1907 Shackleton arrived aboard the Nimrod at the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf to begin an expedition to the South Pole. Decided this location was too dangerous for the approach, Shackleton sailed further south. On 3 February 1908, he landed at the Cape Royds where he built his base. After an exhausting man-hauling sledge journey of 17 weeks that included discovery and ascent of the Beardmore Glacier, he and his three companions came within 97 nautical miles of the Pole; to have gone farther with their depleted rations would have meant death on the return trek. They returned to the "Discovery Hut", barely reaching the site in time to catch the Nimrod on 1 March 1909 as it prepared for the return to England.
Scott returned to McMurdo Sound in January 1911. Unable to get to his former base at Hut Point because of the ice pack, he landed at a point 20 kilometers to the north, which he named Cape Evans in honor of his second- in-command. The objective of his expedition was again both scientific and to reach the Pole. During this expedition (British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913), the "Discovery Hut" served as a supply depot for the journey south. An advance sledging party placed supply depots along the way, as far as the polar plateau beyond the head of the Beardmore Glacier. Shetland ponies and Siberian huskies were used during the first half of the journey. One by one, the ponies were shot and used for meat for the dogs and men. The journey was completed by man-hauling the sledges. After 2-1/2 months, they reached the Pole on 18 January 1912, only to find that Amundsen's party had preceded them by more than a month. 

A great quick tour before heading to work. As I mentioned I went out again yesterday to Hut Point and visited the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine.


Pictures can be found at... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.682778010679.2143181.44801562&type=1&l=e2a7b5abca

Mc Murdo’s Inner Workings A Series of Tours… Waste Water Treatment Plant

  Just down the hill from most of the buildings at Mc Murdo is building 199, the Water Treatment facility where there are 3 employees working hard to take care of business… our business.

The cast of characters: myself, Levi, Julie, and Jason.

We met Rick, one of three waste employees, at one of the bars the night before and arranged a tour of the facility to see what exactly happens after you flush here. 

We arrived at 3pm sharp, greeted by Rick and our tour started with an overview presented via a poster created to help one understand the process. We then gloved up and started at the beginning, the Muffin Monster Masticator.

Muffin Monster Masticator #1 and #2

Now, you might be thinking I am making this up but it is the trademarked name! And technically speaking we actually have two. This is used to break up any solids. Officially this is all we have to have according to the Antarctic Treaty, but we have much more! Next is the flow meter which measure the volume of incoming waste which leads to the aeration tanks which separates the clarified water from the solids which go to the digester.

Aeration Tanks

From there the solids go through the belt filter press which mixes some goo in to help bind things and it gets placed in a box to be sent back to the USA. 

Belt Filter Press

A "cake" all boxed up ready to be sent to the USA

The clarified water goes through a set of UV lights and then through another flow meter and out into McMurdo Sound. 

UV lights at work

Rick showed us around to all of this and then took us to the lab where we looked at some samples from the process to make sure everything is working right. Seeing the worms, which are normal in the samples, was enough to make me squirm.

The whole tour was very interesting and I'm glad to know that everything is taken care of.

More pictures available at...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.682782272139.2143184.44801562&type=1&l=2b69d748e6

Quick Preview!!

Two posts coming soon...
Yesterday's visit to the waste water treatment plant

and
today's trip inside Scott's Discovery Hut and to Hut Point.

Great day off...

Now I knew it was scary outside today but we are the only place at condition 2 and I think that might be because it's lunch time!

Fata Morgana

What the heck is a fata morgana? According to the Wiki... a Fata Morgana is an unusual and very complex form of mirage, a form of superior mirage, which, like many other kinds of superior mirages, is seen in a narrow band right above the horizon.
This afternoon I was told to quickly go outside and look at the mountains across the sea ice. What did I see but a mirage that looked like a butte at the base of the mountains. I didn't have my camera handy but Kira came through once again...

If you look where the white snow of the sea ice meets the darker mountain formation you can see a long rectangular thing which is the mirage.
So cool!

Drinking on the Ice

There is something about the climate here or maybe it's really something in the water but holy smokes this place is intense. I have heard stories of how intense hang overs can be since before I even got here. Its kind of crazy. I've been doing very well pacing myself but water is so vital here I can't stress it enough. One has to drink one water for every drink otherwise disaster will occur! We have 3 drinking establishments here at McMurdo. I'll go in order of proximity to my dorm. First, Gallagers, which is the home of many events such as Bingo, Kareoke, live bands, and many a Saturday night dance party. Generally plays more up beat music, dance type. Next is Southern Exposure, more commonly known as Southern, which is for more the serious drinkers, more pub style. There is a pool table, shuffle board, TVs etc. Third is the Coffee House, very ski lodge- esque. Serving coffee, hot chocolate, wine, and limited liquor drinks. I am currently plugged into the internet here. None of these establishments have windows. All are closed on Monday nights.
These places have such a range of people in them every night that it amazes me, there are young, old, male, female, gay, lesbian, straight, every education range... it's incredible. All here together in this harsh place.
So the moral of the story is, drink lots of water!! And well, enjoy the people watching.

Halloween Mc Murdo Style

I am quickly learning that parties Mc Murdo style are pretty wild!
Last night I attended our Halloween Party as a trashy pop star(think Ke$ha or Lady GaGa) complete with a low cut shirt, skin tight pants and a gigantic blond wig. The party was held down the hill from my dorm in the gym building which is home to the basketball court decked out in Halloween decorations. We took a brief "Occupy" photo outside before dancing the night away to various songs played by a DJ. There was a costume contest that I didn't get to see as I got out of work and was getting ready when it occurred. We had a great time dancing and carrying on. To walk outside at midnight and it being as bright as 4 pm is still mind blowing to me.

Weather Conditions

 So we have some pretty serious weather to contend with here in Antarctica. The  folks here have come up with a rating system that allows us to see just how harsh it is and what can go on here.
Here is what our official intranet says...

Severe Weather Condition I

• Winds greater than 55 knots sustained for one minute, or
• Visibility less than 100 feet sustained for one minute, or
• Wind chill greater than -100°F sustained for one minute.

 

Severe Weather Condition II

• Winds 48 to 55 knots sustained for one minute, or
• Visibility less than ¼ mile, but greater than or equal to 100 feet sustained for one minute, or
• Wind chill -75°F to -100°F sustained for one minute.

 

Weather Condition III

• Winds less than 48 knots, and
• Visibility greater than or equal to ¼ mile, and
• Wind chill temperature warmer than -75°F.

 

The other day we got to a condition two here in town and condition one in most other locations(ie the runway, roads, New Zealand Base) 

While this was happening it was my day off and I was sitting in the dining area enjoying some lunch and we watched as building seemed to have disappeared. It was pretty wild.

Our activities are restricted as well when this happens...

Restrictions:

Severe Weather Condition I

Severe weather is in progress. All personnel must remain in buildings or the nearest shelter.

Severe Weather Condition II

Restricted pedestrian traffic only between buildings is allowed. Vehicular travel is only allowed in radio equipped, enclosed vehicles, and check out with the Firehouse, ext. 2555, is required.

Weather Condition III

Unrestricted travel and activity are allowed.

Luckily I work and live in the same building so I don't really every have to worry about whats going on outside.
Well, just a little info. Back to work. 

The Pictures I Promised

So the pictures that Kira took on our trip to the Ob Tube are here....

The Observation Tube!

My adventure yesterday was quick but thrilling! Where do I start!

Ok so yesterday was day off #2 since I arrived and the sky had cleared and not much wind, so perfect in my book! I have been trying to go out for a walk or hike of some sort but the weather has always turned out poorly when I planned something. So score 1 for me!

I started out at about 1 after finishing lunch with the process of dressing to go out. The temp was about -5 F with little to no wind. My layers went something like this, sock liners, wool knee socks, toe warmers, thermal underwear top and bottom, fleece pants, snow pants, thicker thermal type top, fleece pull over, big red(the famous jackets we are issued), fleece neck gator, fleece hat, hand warmers, mittens. And since it’s so sunny, my shades, water bottle, and camera!

We have to check out with the fire station for certain hikes, this was one of those adventures. We have to sign out, get a key, a radio, and authorization, list a contact person staying back and then we were off. The walk takes about 20 minutes I’d guess. This included one fall for me that was evidently a domino effect because Alicia and Kim promptly fell and almost slid into me already on my butt! No injuries just lots of laughs there! We had to detour to the newer ice runway road because the older part was very icy.

 We arrived at the ob tube, which is a cylindrical pale green colored metal tube about 30-40 feet tall(or deep I guess) and about 3 feet in diameter. The process of installing it involves cutting a hole in the ice and placing this tube down the hole and installing two horizontal beam like supports that lay parallel to the ice on the surface and are about 20 feet long. The top of the tube has a plywood cover

Said cover

on it which is locked(thus the key we got from the fire house). The “ladder” is rebar that’s bent to make a ladder like series of hand/foot holds until you are in the observation part where it switches to a rope ladder.

Alicia on the ladder

I was the first to descend from our group! 

ME!

Once down there I sat on the wooden box, which is used as a seat. The viewing area is smaller than an airplane bathroom with rectangular windows providing a 360-degree view.

What exactly does one see from the ob tube?

Ice Crystals on the outside of the window

Well, I’ve heard stories and seen pictures of people seeing divers(there is a dive hut near by that I could see the hole in the ice for), seals, penguins, and jellyfish. On this trip all we saw were these small(approx 2 inch I’m guessing) tadpole looking things. Maybe a type of jellyfish. The bottom of the sea ice was neat to see. There were icicle like things hanging down I could see and a rocky bottom towards land that quickly drops off. I plan to go back now that I know how to get there. I will post more pictures. I have some already on Facebook(https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.676653798649.2141778.44801562&type=1&l=ae43600e4b) and will get the ones the other girls I went with took of me!

New Zealand vs Australia World Cup Rugby Match

Sunday night I walked the approx 2 miles to the New Zealand Base, Scott Base, with Grant, firefighter here at McMurdo, and Julie, cook here that I arrived with. This was the first time I went out on any sort of outdoor adventure since I arrived. The view was amazing!! The weather had cleared and there wasn’t much wind. I got off work just before 8 pm and it took us about 40 minutes to walk there. You might ask what kind of a view I could really see between 8 and 9 pm… well remember that we have almost 24 hours of daylight. Technically the sun still sets but it’s always light out. The last sunset of the summer will be in just a few days.

We walked past the 3 large wind turbines that are just over the hill from McMurdo and down to Scott Base. Their base is set up with almost all the buildings connected via enclosed hallways. Very smart those Kiwis are! We watched the match in the bar and New Zealand won!! There were a few Aussies there who work at the base so the rivalry was even stronger! After the match was over Julie introduced me to some of the Kiwi cooks(who greeted me not with a hand shake but a hug!) who gave us a tour of their kitchen and dining area with the seating room attached. Their view is AMAZING!! They look out over the sea ice which has several pressure ridges(areas where the ice has buckled) a short walk away and two seals were laying out. They can also see Mt. Erebus the volcano. Words can’t describe it! And I was too stunned to take a picture! We got an invitation to go back(we can’t just visit their base and they can’t just stop by ours. Invitation only.) and tour the pressure ridges. They arranged for a ride back for us and of course hugs goodbye!

Pictures from the walk and my trip to the Ob Tube(next post) can be found at… https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.676653798649.2141778.44801562&type=1&l=ae43600e4b

The first week on the ice

So today is my first day off and I am so ready for it! I slept in until 10 this morning and it felt great.
A recap of the week...
We arrived Tuesday evening and I got settled(pictures and info in the previous post). Then Wednesday I worked from 8-6 which included alot of information and quick tour around the base then some hands on stuff. My normal schedule is 11am-9pm except for Sundays when we have brunch so our schedule is moved up an hour to 10-8. Our days are scheduled into blocks by our leads(supervisor like folks) so our time includes a mix of tasks to avoid boredom and repetitive motion injuries. The day includes some mix of doing dishes, washing pots and pans, refilling food(either hot food or cold food and desserts), cleaning and deep cleaning, and prep of milk, juice, or helping the cooks. We also have mandatory stretch breaks, meal breaks, and other short breaks in our day.
We have gotten in 2 flights since I arrived and the new folks are going through the same training. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on where things go and when to do them. Still learning little things that seem to change.
My free time has been spent at my new favorite place, the Coffee House, which is currently only open in the evenings but has a great ski lodge type feel and is usually a bit quieter. They also serve wine and limited other alcoholic drinks. I also spent parts of Saturday night(the night off before the day off for almost everyone else on base) at the two bars, Southern and Galagers. The gerbil gym is in the next building and I have been in to use the elliptical etc.
I live in the main building(Building 155) which is great for my morning commute, all inside!  In our time off we can walk around in slippers and not worry about the elements outside. The lounge in this building is directly above my room which has proven to be a bit annoying due to the thinness of the walls.
Well, thats all I have for now. Hopefully I will be able to get out and take some pictures. The weather has been a bit varied since I arrived and today isn't looking too nice out.
Oh and if you're interested in sending me mail or a package please email me and I will send you my address.

Welcome to McMurdo!

I made it! What a journey, but well worth it.

I didn’t sleep very well last(Monday) night because I was worried about missing the phone calls we got the previous night about delays and cancellations so I was looking at the phone and clock frequently. I got up at 5:30am and got myself together. The shuttle arrived at 6:15 and we were off to the Antarctic Terminal and Clothing Distribution Center. We had some last minute bag sorting to do and then dressed in our extreme cold weather gear before heading to the check in line where we sent our checked bags away along with our boomerang bag to be then weighed with our carry on bag and all ECW. Holy kilos!! Our boarding passes were yellow laminated cards on a necklace, which we would later turn in so no souvenir there! Erin and I then went to have our prepaid breakfast just a quick walk through the rain away. Up next was our what to expect briefing done by a Kiwi including a video and then we went through security and on to a bus. The bus brought us out to the runway where we boarded the C-17 run by a great crew from Washington state.

We were issued a bag lunch and then boarded and picked out our side facing seats. Let the adventure begin! Erin and I ended up sitting next to the mechanic type guy for the plane so we got to learn about all the boxes and hoses all over the plane. Once we were in flight we got a chance to tour the flight deck and meet the pilots and crew. I read a bit, chatted with Erin and our new Air Force neighbor. Once we got closer we could see the ice through the small door windows(no window seats on this plane!). 

Landing was kind of strange because there is nothing to reference your location to. The blast of cold air when the doors were opened was refreshing. The view when I stepped off the plane was breath-taking. The group of us that has been hanging out together were taking pics of each other with the plane and snow in the background. (Thus the pic in my previous post.) 

Erin, Levi, and Julie

One of the transport buses. Not the one I took.

Me and Sheila

View back to the plane. In Crary Lab warm!

 We were then loaded on to an awkward bus type vehicle for the drive to McMurdo about 10 minutes away. We unloaded at the Main Lab and had some orientation like talks and then got our keys for our rooms.

Doors into Crary Lab. Looks like a walk in freezer!

 We got our linen(provided for us) and then collected our bags from the post office. Dinner was next then a talk about outdoor safety followed by some serious unpacking and getting settled. A shower was the last order of business and then sleep!!

My bed in my new room with all my stuff!

Made it to McMurdo!

Just have time to say I made it. Will post more soon!

Monday: Flight day

Last night I spent some time repacking and prepping for my departure. We had a 6:15 shuttle departure. I got a call at about 4:30 am saying our flight was delayed 3 hours. So I reset my alarm clock and slept a bit more. By 7:30 I was awake and got myself together, called mom on Skype and then got another call saying the flights for the day are cancelled. We still had to catch the 9:15 shuttle to get more per diem money as well as shuttle vouchers. The rain tapered off during the day allowing us to enjoy the park a bit more. The rest of the day was spent eating, bowling, and walking all over town. I didn’t bring a plug adapter so that plus some TimTam cookies were on my shopping list. I have been charging my laptop and composing before I use my allotment of free internet provided by the hotel.

We will try again tomorrow on the same schedule.

My time in Christchurch, more preparations

I have been staying at the Ashley Hotel, which is a few blocks west of Hagley Park, a large park that includes a botanical garden and lots of trails and playing fields. Co-worker Erin and I went for a run/walk through the park to celebrate being off the planes!  Erin, Levi, and I walked for about an hour and a half trying to find some other Antarctica people but failed. We had dinner at Sophie’s Café and took a free bus back to near our hotel and collapsed for the night.

Yesterday morning we headed to the CDC, Clothing Distribution Center(not Centers for Disease Control!) and were issued our ECW, extreme cold weather gear. The process included lots of information and trying on so many layers! We had to try every zipper, snap and item to ensure it fits and works properly. 

We will have to wear most of the ECW on the plane and the rest packed in our bags. Our bags fall into 3 categories: carry-on, boomerang bag, and checked bags. The first and last your are probably familiar with but a boomerang bag is the one we get back in the event our plane takes off but can’t land on the ice.

Some pics of the gear issue process…

Examples

My Bags

Work uniform

Julie with the hats

Holy Hot!

Bunny boots!

Feeling my inner Vermont child

My name tag on "Big Red"

After all this a group of us kitchen rats spent time walking around the botanical gardens(signs of spring everywhere!) and then touring the edges of the devastated downtown area that was damaged by the earthquake and is not fenced off. Very scary and sad at the same time. 

Beautiful flowering trees

Lots of flowers!

Some damage

An example of one of many buildings.