Wednesday, October 31, 2007
I Know What Size Carhartt's Ann Curry Wears
And now you do too! Check out the little patch on her bibs. 32/30. That's the beauty of McMurdo... nothing's a secret, even what size pants you wear and even when you're "famous". The guy in the picture is Shuttle Bill. He's famous at McMurdo.
This is not one of my photos, I grabbed it off the I:drive (the shared drive).
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Today Show is Coming to Town!
Watch the Today Show on November 5th and 6th as Ann Curry will be reporting LIVE from McMurdo Station, my town. Matt Lauer will be as close as he can get to the North Pole, and Al Roker will be in Ecuador on the equator for a series called "Ends of the Earth". Click on this link to read an article about the Today Show's programming for the coming week. I'm going to try to make a sign and be in the background depending on where they're filming it!All on NBC:
November 5th
5am - 9:15am EST
November 6th
5am - 9:15am EST
November 7th
6:15pm - 7:00pm EST
Seal Photos
One of the researchers doing bloodwork on a sample recently taken from a seal. This photo was taken in their labratory.
Jeff in the kitchen
Mother and seal pup
Mother looking back at her pup
Mother seal chasing her pup - The red stuff in the front is afterbirth as this pup was born less than 2 days before we were there.
There are lots of seal carcasses lying around because the don't decompose, so when we first walked passed these guys I thought maybe they were dead. Nope! Just covered in blowing snow. Like I said in the entry I wrote about the trip out there, the weather was not in our favor. You'll notice my pictures are dark. Not sure if that's because of the weather or because my camera was starting to freeze.
A mother and her pup. In the distance you can see the science group working to set up the scale they use to weigh the seals. They've got some amazingly bright yellow pants!
I had Nick snap my photo in front of the camp just before we left. The snow was blowing so hard that I can't believe there wasn't any caught in the picture in front of my face!
This is a picture of the blue ice in front of the Hutton Cliffs field camp. That's our truck with the cool mattracks!
Jeff in the kitchen
Mother and seal pup
Mother looking back at her pup
Mother seal chasing her pup - The red stuff in the front is afterbirth as this pup was born less than 2 days before we were there.
There are lots of seal carcasses lying around because the don't decompose, so when we first walked passed these guys I thought maybe they were dead. Nope! Just covered in blowing snow. Like I said in the entry I wrote about the trip out there, the weather was not in our favor. You'll notice my pictures are dark. Not sure if that's because of the weather or because my camera was starting to freeze.
A mother and her pup. In the distance you can see the science group working to set up the scale they use to weigh the seals. They've got some amazingly bright yellow pants!
I had Nick snap my photo in front of the camp just before we left. The snow was blowing so hard that I can't believe there wasn't any caught in the picture in front of my face!
This is a picture of the blue ice in front of the Hutton Cliffs field camp. That's our truck with the cool mattracks!
Sea Ice Training
Our Haggelund in front of Mt. Discovery with the incoming C-17 flying overhead.
Kevin, our fearless leader, drilling a hole into the sea ice.
Adding on another 3' addition to the drill
Putting the drill with the extensions on it down into the hole to drill further down.
Once we hit water, then we check the depth of the ice with this handy little tool.
An iceberg from last season froze into the new sea ice over the winter. I thought it looked a little strange... I didn't remember seeing it last year.
Drilling in the ice near Cape Evans and the Terra Nova hut. You can see the hut behind the guy on the left.
The emperors we saw on the way home. I was so lucky getting this picture!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Reminds Me I'm In Antarctica
It's funny how you can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day happenings around town and forget that you live in one of the most amazing places on Earth. In fact, it's very easy to do. Last year I would try to take walks out of town, even if it was just the half-mile walk to Hut Point, to remind myself that the world doesn't revolved around this place. Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to go to Hutton Cliffs, where a science group researching seals is based. One of my co-workers, Nick the instrument tech, had to pick up a broken centrifuge and deliver a new one and another team member named Regina. We drove the 12 miles or so by Mattrack (a truck with 4 triangular-shaped rubber tracks instead of tires). Jeff, the camp manager, made us some hot apple cider after we finished unpacking their supplies from the truck. Then Regina took us out to see the seals. The group has a special permit that allows them to study the animals, so we were able to visit because we were with her. Nick was happy to let me drive home, and I was so excited to get behind the wheel of a Mattrack that I didn't realize how bad the weather was at first! I knew the wind was blowing snow everywhere, but our visibility was really low. All I needed to do was follow the flagged route five miles back out to the main road to Cape Evans. There were a few times that I had to stop driving because I couldn't see the next flag. I'd wait a couple seconds until I spotted the next one. If it wasn't Condition 1, it was definitely Condition 2! Nick was very calm the whole time, even when I would ask "Are you sure we shouldn't call someone on the radio?" every ten minutes. I suppose I would be too if I had spent 6 seasons on the Ice. When I could see the next one, I was going about 30 miles an hour (the max speed we're supposed to be driving the vehicle). It was fun to drive. You can tell the tracks were made to drive on snow just by the way the vehicle felt to ride in. It was not a big fan of driving on Ice or volcanic rock.I cannot believe what a difference this season is compared to last season. Besides being in a new workcenter, I'm getting to do things that are considered a boondoggle in the Housing Department that I worked for last season. I went out on Sea Ice training last week (more about that soon), and yesterday I was at a seal camp. And my first week in town, I took Piston Bully and Mattrack driver's training (more about that soon too).
I'll add pics this weekend for sure. Sunday will be my dedicated computer day.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Being Back
I’m happy to be back on station, but it’s really different the second time around. The best part about coming back is that there were people last year that I thought were really cool, but I didn’t get a chance to get to know them. So I am basically getting a second chance. It's nice knowing where things are on station and being recognized by old friends or aquaintences.The strange part is that I’m still “waiting” for friends to show up who aren’t coming back. I’m living in a different building, and I still kind of feel like I’m there temporarily and that I’ll be moving to my old building soon. A friend of mine who came in in August told me that the first few weeks, he would be walking home to the building he lived in last year. I haven't done that yet, but I can see how easily it can happen here.
Last night was our annual Grantee and Science Support Social. It was the first time in a very long time that we were allowed to have alcohol in our work center, so we ordered up 25 bottles of wine and 6 cases of beer. I would say it was a big hit as the conference room was packed. Holly, who's been here 5 seasons now, says it was the best turn-out he's ever seen. I love working with science people: a few of my co-workers made liquid nitrogen ice cream with supplies we rounded up on station. I was not a fan of the Guinness-flavored ice cream at all, but the cookie dough ice cream was to die for! I'll add a picture this weekend.
Weather Report:
It's 5 degrees Fahrenheit today. That's -15 Celcius.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Back for a Week and a Half
I can't believe it has taken me this long to sit down and properly update my weblog. I apologize to those who have been waiting. Good news... my luggage did arrive. However, this season I decided to mail myself most of my clothes and package mail has NOT arrived. We've had a plane break down and bad weather, and package mail just keeps getting bumped off the flights. I guess fresh fruit and airplane engines are more important... whatever.I flew into McMurdo last Tuesday and started work the very next day. It was a crazy week of learning where everything was and who to talk to for each thing and how to work the DOS door program, but I'm finally settling in at the office. I share a nice big office with an INCREDIBLE view with two OAE's. We love our acronyms in Antarctica, and OAE (Old Antarctic Explorer) is a term we use for people who have worked multiple seasons. I think it's in reference to those guys who came down here over a hundred years ago in their fur boots riding horses. Despite their 16 or 17 seasons on the Ice, Karen and Jesse have been really welcoming to me. Although Jesse still just grunts when I greet him with "Good morning!" as he walks in the office in the morning.
The job itself is great! I'm the Administrative Coordinator for the Crary Lab, which is labeled Building #1 for a reason (at least that's what my co-workers say). It is rumored that our building was one of the most expensive buildings on the planet to build due to our isolation and all of the expensive instruments inside. I spend my days updating our incoming and outgoing flight bulletin boards, scheduling and advertising the two weekly science lectures, and programming key cards for the grantees to get into the building and their labs. There are tons of other little tasks I pick up along the way, making my day just fly by!! I forget to take breaks (or get so busy I don't have time), and I don't mind at all.
It's good to be back. Before I had even arrived in Antarctica for the first time last year, I knew I wanted to do two seasons. I wanted to know what it felt like to come back and know the place like a home. Just before I left home, I started evaluating whether or not it is worth missing so much back home to be here. The thought never crossed my mind last year, and for good reason... it was my first year. I did make the right decision this time. Being here is the best place for me right now. I'm sure next year, the decision will be even more difficult.
Last night I was invited to Scott Base (where the New Zealanders live) for dinner (it's invite only). Helen, my old roommate from last season, spent her winter on the Ice cooking and cleaning for the 20 people who stayed on, and last night was her last dinner on the Ice. We curled up by the new fireplace and had a glass of wine before dinner, shared a great meal, and then hung out in her and Blake's room for a bit before we visited with everyone at the Scott Base bar. Blake and Helen gave me a ride home, and the inevitable happened... I started bawling. Helen and I must've hugged about 20 times before she finally got back in the truck.
My new boss Cara at CDC waiting to get all of her luggage weighed.
Getting our boxed lunches for the plane ride
Kim Holland
Adriana
Sharron, a kiwi friend of mine from last season, me, Tony Marchetti (works out at Black Island and we got to know each other on the plane from Denver to LAX), and Adriana (dates my old supervisor from last season)
On the C-17 - cargo in the back behind us
View of ice from the plane ride down
My welcome home notes! Erin and Roxanne were holding the banner on the left that says "Welcome Home, Katie Leum! Get a Real Job - Be a Janitor!" and Carrie had my bed all made with flannel sheets and a cute little sign.
Mt. Discovery at sunset
Last night's sunset
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Terascan Photo of Ross Sea
This terascan was done recently. It's a great because 1) it's clear and 2) you can see the ice edge, a major concern here at McMurdo! It can be a little confusing for the untrained eye so I'll try to explain to you where I am and where the ice is.There is an island (Ross Island) outlined in blue just above the 78th degree. McMurdo is actually at the very bottom point of the island. The white all around the bottom half of the island is the permanent ice shelf and the retreating sea ice. The dark gray-ish black is water or very thin ice. It's not too far from town this year, and emperors have already been spotted near Cape Evans. Hopefully we'll get more penguin sightings this season!!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Weather in McMurdo
I'm here. Things are good and work is busy. More about me soon.Check out the sunrise and sunset times and how fast they are changing on a daily basis!
