12.27.2003
THE END IS NEAR
2003 is just days from being at a close, and all signs point to the nearing end of the summer season here at McMurdo as well. None too soon for me. From atop Ob Hill this afternoon I saw the ice edge and the Coast Guard ice-breaker approaching -- making way for the oil and supply tankers that will dock the first week of February. Strange and exciting to see the alien vessel approach, chomping its way through the ice that has seemed more like land than sea.
Yesterday I watched the ice runway move in preparation for the ships -- dragged piece by piece across the ice, and parading through town to Williams Field on the permanent ice near the New Zealand base. Quite an operation.
Last week I skiied out to the temporary ice runway for dinner, knowing it would be my last opportunity to do so.
Along the road I encountered a molting Emperor Penguin! (Erik just got in from a run and reports that the penguin is still in the same spot, looking pretty ratty--only half of his feathers are left.)
Out at the runway -- one of the Air National Guard LC-130 fleet -- they fly (almost) daily to the Pole.
The runway galley.
Complete with 8-foot Santa for the holidays.
(last 2 photos courtesty Erik Paulsrud)
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I also spent my last Friday painting with the seals at Hut 6. There's now a 2-foot -deep, 8-foot-wide moat all the way around the hut: it's sinking. Arthropods (like little shrimp) are swimming all around. The water inside is so close to the floor that the seals pop up and hang out inside. One greeted us at the door last time we were there.
This is one of my favorite fire-fighters, Jeff Jolly. He assists the divers on Fridays.
We climbed in through the roof to avoid getting our feet wet.
Self portrait on the roof.
Mural in an early stage of development.
This is Kevin -- the diver who asked me to paint the mural. He's pulling up a 6' diam. net from 300 meters below. They pull plankton to feed the fish (the ones I'm painting, the ones they are doing anti-freeze research on).
The payoff. Along with the plankton are various sea creatures, including one jellyfish that has flashing dayglo stripes.
+ + + +
Now the end is really near, I'm tired. Descriptions will now be limited to one action verb, one adjective, and one noun.
See Silly Santas.
2003 is just days from being at a close, and all signs point to the nearing end of the summer season here at McMurdo as well. None too soon for me. From atop Ob Hill this afternoon I saw the ice edge and the Coast Guard ice-breaker approaching -- making way for the oil and supply tankers that will dock the first week of February. Strange and exciting to see the alien vessel approach, chomping its way through the ice that has seemed more like land than sea.
Yesterday I watched the ice runway move in preparation for the ships -- dragged piece by piece across the ice, and parading through town to Williams Field on the permanent ice near the New Zealand base. Quite an operation.
Last week I skiied out to the temporary ice runway for dinner, knowing it would be my last opportunity to do so.
Along the road I encountered a molting Emperor Penguin! (Erik just got in from a run and reports that the penguin is still in the same spot, looking pretty ratty--only half of his feathers are left.)
Out at the runway -- one of the Air National Guard LC-130 fleet -- they fly (almost) daily to the Pole.
The runway galley.
Complete with 8-foot Santa for the holidays.
(last 2 photos courtesty Erik Paulsrud)
+ + + +
I also spent my last Friday painting with the seals at Hut 6. There's now a 2-foot -deep, 8-foot-wide moat all the way around the hut: it's sinking. Arthropods (like little shrimp) are swimming all around. The water inside is so close to the floor that the seals pop up and hang out inside. One greeted us at the door last time we were there.
This is one of my favorite fire-fighters, Jeff Jolly. He assists the divers on Fridays.
We climbed in through the roof to avoid getting our feet wet.
Self portrait on the roof.
Mural in an early stage of development.
This is Kevin -- the diver who asked me to paint the mural. He's pulling up a 6' diam. net from 300 meters below. They pull plankton to feed the fish (the ones I'm painting, the ones they are doing anti-freeze research on).
The payoff. Along with the plankton are various sea creatures, including one jellyfish that has flashing dayglo stripes.
+ + + +
Now the end is really near, I'm tired. Descriptions will now be limited to one action verb, one adjective, and one noun.
See Silly Santas.
