Icescape

I have been slacking a little on my blogging so I am staying up tonight to put some text down to explain myself.  I figure the best way to do so is with pictures.  Here are a few snapshots of my life in the past week.  I went on a little excursion to hut point which is NW of the station.  Currently there are efforts underway to get an ice dock prepared for the ships arriving in the summer.  This dock is a huge structure of ice that is several hundred feet long and is in the end amounting to 14-16 feet of thickness.  This man-made structure is essential for off loading the cargo ship.     The weather is relatively warm especially just before a storm blows in.  As long as I can find some way to shield myself from the unimpeded winds from the South Pole, which often have speeds of 20 mph and drops the wind-chill factor to minus 30F; a fleece jacket is usually sufficient to walk about the station.  Clear nights often are the most intensely fridge, but they also offer a spectacular view of a rare set of constellations that I have never seen in my journeys in the northern hemisphere.  Such
nights are preceded with spectacular sunsets.  One of the coolest things of coming down early before the winter here is the extended dusk and dawn. I have yet to see the Aurora Australis.  I hope that I don’t have to wait much longer as daylight continues to supersede the night.  The beauty of the landscape and the austerity of the climate continues to fire the adventure of being here.