Visitors

Wow, McMurdo has changed a lot in the last week. We got the first "Winfly" flight in a week ago, and the population has gone from 125 to over 300. That may not sound like a huge difference, but it is. We're used to seeing the same people every day, and knowing everyone. It's like having a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, with a population of 125, and suddenly 30 people leave and 200-some strangers show up. Yikes. I've heard stories of how rough it is on winterovers when people start showing up again, but now I'm experiencing it firsthand. I now have a roommate, too, which is a big adjustment. He's a good guy, though, and we're getting along fine. I only have a month left here, and I'm sure it'll go by fast. I'll be cruising the dog park with Conan before you know it.

(Photo by Kiwi Ken Barlow)

Countdown

Well, the first flight of Winfly will be day after tomorrow. We haven't seen any new faces or imported any freshies since late April. In a way, it's exciting to have produce on the way, and looking forward to the population shifting. At the same time, there's a feeling of dread. McMurdo is a nice, comfy place with 125 people. A couple hundred people are about to decend on us, which is a little daunting.

McMurdo is like a little town in the middle of nowhere. It's amazing that we get along as well as we do, without a lot of the gossip and drama that you find in a little town. There's some of that, but I think we realize that we're stuck with each other for eight months, so we do our best to get along.

I have a theory that we are selected for this work on the basis of how well we play with others. It isn't stated anywhere in the hiring process, but we do have to pass a psychiatric test and interview before we're allowed to winter. Anybody who is really negative, or has a big chip on their shoulder would be a bad match for this work. The Antarctic program isn't for everyone.

I finally got around to putting my license plates on our van. We're not in any country here, so the vehicles don't need to have any license plates on them. Most of them have plates from around the states, donated by USAP participants. Here's mine.

Most of the vehicles here are "monster trucks". They have huge tires to keep from tearing up the ice roads going out to the runways. In order for the tires to clear, they are jacked up about a foot. I'm sure our van would feel huge on real-world roads, but it's just normal here. Part of it's not so normal, though. Free gas! No traffic! It's going to be a big adjustment coming back to the real world. Yep.

Son

I'm getting a little homesick, feeling the weight of this long, dark season. One thing that always cheers me up is to see pictures of my son, Conan. He's a 20-month-old red Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He's living with his parents, Daisy and Roper in Helena, Montana now. I can't wait to get back and roam the dog park with my buddy. He's the greatest dog of all time.

Sun

Well, the sun is officially back. I haven't seen it yet, but I know a few people who have. There's a great big mountain (Mt Erebus, a 12,000 foot active volcano) north of us, which blocks our view of the first sunrises. By going out to Pegasus airfield, or up to the top of some hills around town, it is possible to see the sun.

It is getting remarkably lighter every day-- it's a welcome sight. It has been a long, dark winter. The last time I actually saw the sun was April 24th-- 123 days ago! Light is good.

I'm starting to look forward to redeploying, and making some preliminary travel plans. New Zealand is a given, but I'm thinking Australia and Thailand, if it's not too hot. It has been really cold here lately, and I don't think I'm going to adapt to hot weather right away. We had -80F wind chill yesterday. It is just nasty to work outside in that kind of weather, but I sometimes have to do it.

More Nacreous Clouds

Here are some more pictures of the awesome nacreous clouds from last week, taken by fellow winter-overs Dave Barud and Brian Nelson. Tomorrow is the sunrise! (First time in 117 days. Whew.)

Crazy Sky

It really is getting a lot lighter every day. It's amazing how fast the days brighten up. We have been having some outrageous nacreous clouds for the last few days. It looks like the whole sky is on fire. Nacreous clouds, or Polar Stratospheric Clouds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacreous_clouds are vivid, pearlescent clouds high up in the atmospere. They are often white with pink and blue shimmers, but sometimes they are even orange, red, or purple. I saw some today that had a vivid fuscia color to them. Wild.

I'm getting excited to get out of here, but still enjoying the adventure. Now that we can see the Transantarctic Mountains on the other side of McMurdo Sound, the place doesn't feel so much like the bottom of a well.

Work is picking up, and we're getting ready for the insane rush of activity at Winfly, when the first flights come in. Fresh veggies! Woo Hoo!

(Photos courtesy of Ken Klassy. You can see more at www.flickr.com/photos/kenklassy)

T-Shirts and Light

We had a contest for the design of the winterover T-shirts, and the winner was announced last week. I put together this design, but didn't win. I think I may have some shirts printed up anyway. The winterover T-shirt is a tradition-- it shows pride that we survived the winter season, and solidarity with our fellow winter-overs. There were some really professional-looking designs. I don't feel too badly that I didn't win.

It has been getting a LOT lighter lately. I came out of the galley after lunch today, and I couldn't believe the daylight. It is a very noticeable chance from day to day. Two weeks ago, it was too dark to even make out the outline of the Transantarctic Mountains on the other side of McMurdo sound. Now they can clearly be seen for several hours in the middle of the day. The sun doesn't actually rise for eleven more days, but it's getting close enough to the horizon to produce some comparatively bright afternoons. I've definitely seen enough darkness to last me for quite a while.