What's a pirate's favorite movie? Any one rated "ARRGH!"

ARRGH! Not because I'm feeling particularly buccaneerish . . . I've been battling the McTown Crud, Part III . . . recently H1N1 shots were made available. Everyone should get one, they said. . . even if you aren't feeling well, they said . . . it won't make you sicker, they said . . . they lied, I said . . . ARRGH! . . . after several days of sleep, sweat and chills, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. So I'll 'blog'.

Luckily I took some sightseeing trips the last two weekends. Two weeks ago, I rode 5 or 6 miles towards Cape Evans in a Delta. It took about an hour, one way.

Deltas are the workhorse around here. With the wide balloon tires, they can travel the lightly groomed snow roads on the ice shelf and sea ice. Different configurations allow them to carry passengers or cargo. They just aren't very fast . . . which is a good thing, since they also don't have much for suspensions. . .

The ice caves are located in the side of the ice tongue that sticks into the sea from the glacier down from Mt. Erebus. Waves and glacial movement create openings in the sides, caves. Crystals form on the walls and ceiling.

We couldn't go very far once inside. There are small openings into other areas, but it's best to stay out and just look in. Glaciers sometimes wag their tongues.

Light filters through different layers. I guess this is ice blue. Only about 4-5 of us were allowed in at a time. Once I came out, it turned out some of the locals had shown up.

The policy is, if the wildlife reacts to us in any way, we are to back off. What were we to do when two Adelie penguins decided to join us - run away? We actually watched them come from a couple hundred yards away, making a bee line directly towards us.

I have no idea what was up with this guy. Once he saw the penguins, he pulled off his cold weather gear to reveal the tux. He had the hat in his knapsack. Apparently it was some sort of photo op; there was another person there shooting a lot. The penguins actually started to move away from him. I would have too.

By this time, I was kneeling, taking photos from just a few yards away. These two acted if they were trying to figure out what we were. They were about 18" tall, 24" at the most.

As they kept approaching, I decided to flop onto my stomach for an eye-to-eye shot. This one stopped jsut several feet away and kept watching me. Wish I knew what was going through it's head. Maybe it was wondering what was going through the head of the big red critter lying on it's stomach . . .

Eventually they satisfied their curiousity or whatever and wandered off. We later saw a flock of about 15 off in the distance. These two were probably with that group.

Last weekend's trip was just a short ride over to Scott Base, the New Zealand station. From right out front we could wander onto the ice to check out the pressure ridges. The photos along the side are from that trip.

It's been a while . . .

It's been a while since I've posted anything, I know. The dial-up connection in my room is very slow . . . there are over 1,000 people on station (74% male - not good, except for the women) and the public computers are very crowded . . . I was sick with the McTown crud for a while and I've been very busy since . . . the dog ate my camera . . . okay, the last one was a lie. But if you look to the left, you can see the type of photos my camera is taking. I tried restoring it, changing settings, connecting to the computer - probably not a good idea, it could have made my screen the same way, maybe - and finally contacted Kodak. They directed me to try all the stuff I'd already tried. So I sent them that photo. That's when they decided that maybe the camera had some problems. I'm not sure I'll send it in or not, have to find the receipt, no easy feat from down here, and by the time they get done and return it, well, I'll be headed off the Ice. I have another camera, non-Kodak, on the way but until then I'm at the mercy of other folks. The Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) was earlier this week. It's a drill to test the station's ability to handle an emergency with numerous victims that could overwhelm the station fire/rescue and regular medical personnel. People volunteer to assist in many capacities, stretcher bearers, security and medical recorders/observers among other things, and go through training. I really have been very busy with work, so I only volunteered for the walking blood bank, a list of blood donors should the need arise. However, for the MCI I also volunteered to be a victim.

The scenario was that two vehicle drivers were texting resulting in an accident. That isn't very realistic down here since there isn't cell phone service. No matter, there was an accident. About 20 of us were in the white vehicle, an airporter used to shuttle people to and from the air field. The other vehicle is a Delta with a passenger box mounted. It does the same job, but the box can be taken off and cargo hauled instead. Also, with those big, fat tires, it can go 'off road' out into the snow that hasn't been plowed or groomed. So, the Delta ran into the airporter resulting in injuries to all aboard.

As you can see, my arms and hands were badly burned. I'm not sure where the fire was, some folks had burns on their heads. Nor am I sure where the wood came from, there were several people with large chunks sticking out of their bodies. An Air Force or Air National Guard chaplain had a large chunk embedded in his chest as well as a lower leg bone sticking out of his boot. Naturally, there were shards of glass sticking out of people - one woman had a piece in her neck, she was ruled dead before she left the scene - and numerous broken bones and concussions, contusions, abrasions, and all that other medical stuff.

We were encouraged to ham it up and not necessarily be cooperative. Me? Uncooperative? Hey, the bus wrecked, I got burned, so I bailed out to find some snow to cool my arms. Eventually a fireman put me with a group of other victims, but then he left. So I did, too, wandering up the road in the direction of town and the hospital. The incident commander finally stopped me. He was the last responder between me and town. By then I was gettin' a little chilly so I decided to be more cooperative and catch a ride to town. Another fellow had been instructed to be totally uncooperative. It took three volunteer security/stretcher bearers to get him into the van and keep him there until we made it to the firehouse where the emergency medical center was set up.

Once inside, we went through triage. A tag listed my vital signs and labeled me as a category green - red was critical and black was dead - but for some reason I was put in the wrong area, laying on a stretcher on the floor. When the mistake was discovered, I was strapped down, and then four folks picked up the stretcher, hoisted it high to get through crowded areas and set it down on a frame about 4' off the floor. I could have walked, I'd roamed far enough, and the stretcher frame was across my shoulder blades. Anyway, in the photo above, you can see two volunteers checking me over. They said they administered pain killers and put me on oxygen, but I didn't feel any different and they expected me to answer questions. How do you do that with an oxygen mask on?

The totally uncooperative fellow was on a stretcher to my left, still carrying on, ranting and raving, trying to get away. I was like a lot of other folk, including my volunteers, having a hard time not laughing. Shortly there after, the drill was declared over. I'm not sure if it was a success; the responders all had a de-briefing session the next day. The victims? We were free to go get the makeup off, another not-so-easy feat. The special affects were fastened to us with putty. Putty gets pretty hard in cold weather and it really sticks to the hair on your arms.

This is a pre-disaster shot of all the victims. The three women in black in the center were the ones that made up all of us. The chaplain with the stake in his chest and bone sticking out is just to my left. The fellow all the way to the right with the white-rimmed shades was one of the uncooperative victims, although not the one I mentioned previously. So, the obligatory MCI is now out of the way. At Pole I was an observer the first year, a responder the second and now I've been a victim. Been there, done that, all over the continent. Hopefully my camera will make it in the next couple weeks. If not, I'll just have to go through the computer system common files to find some more photos other people have taken. That's where I got all of these. Well, except for that one up there on the left. Until next time - see ya, and I'll talk to you whenever.

Around the area

First and foremost, before some Polie or Palmerite nails me on it, my first photo from my last post was not from Cape Evans, it was from Hut Point . . . I don't want to provide bad information in case any of you are in the neighborhood, looking for landmarks . . . For a few weeks now, I've been trying to find a way to include larger photos. If this method doesn't satisfy, please direct me to another blog site, system, whatever and I MIGHT give it a try. . . I'm spending w - a - y too much time without getting results. Sending letters is out. My access to the Internet and connection speed isn't a whole lot better than on Kwaj. Our connection here has been compared to a connection for one household back in the States - except there are already over 800 folks in this household with more to come. Maybe it's the starkness of the landscape, maybe it's just the amount of time people have on their hands, but if you keep your eyes open, you notice some interesting creations around the area. Most of our utilities, certainly all the water and sewage, are carried in pipes above ground on racks called utilidors. These are routed under numerous road crossings, but the walkways are routed over the utilidors on footbridges. This particular one has been called the troll bridge. Recently the carpenters replaced the stairs on either side, but none of the horizontal sections in between.

I'm not sure how many times I crossed before I spotted the troll. It's under the section Andy was on in the first photo. One of the carpenters said he didn't notice it until working on the stairs, but it wasn't there when he was here a few years ago.

It's a nice piece of work. I think the name plate across the back reads "Martin", in reference to whom I'm not sure. There are several Martins, past and present, but no known trolls. I could barely get a photo with the framing in the way. They didn't get the critter in there without taking something apart. Some creative welder had some time on their hands. . .

It's required that all parked pickup trucks and vans have at least one wheel chocked, an orange diagonal 'chock' stuck under one of the rear wheels. In summer when the snow is gone, at least for the most part from the roads in and around town, some folks ride bicycles. I think it's a great idea. Anyway, apparently someone took wheel chocking to heart. Notice the small orange triangles attached with cords to the bikes.

This sign is above the New Zealand station, Scott Base, on the road between Scott Base and McTown. McTown is actually on territory claimed by New Zealand. While the Antarctic Treaties have never formerly recognized countries' Antarctic claims, the US apparently doesn't NOT recognize New Zealands claim either, if that makes any sense. Anyway, the birds are supposed to be Keas, native to New Zealand and real pests to hikers and backpackers. I'm not sure what the black thing is - cat or furry opposum. Notice the population of "26 B.O.B." - bodies on board. There's another odd way of referring to people here. During Winfly, if driving out onto the sea ice or ice shelf, we had to check in with the Fire House. Our standard information was, "Fire house, this is truck 135, two souls on board, driver is . . ., etc. etc." I wonder, does that mean a ghost could be one of the occupants? Or maybe Martin? See ya later and keep them cards and emails coming. . .

P.S. . . I think this is going to be the format from here on out. If you want any of those photos on the left, get 'em now, they won't be there next time . . .

Conditions were . . .

Yesterday the temperature was a blazing 16 degrees Fahrenheit - ABOVE ZERO! Man! this ain't your South Pole Antarctica! That's not to say it doesn't get cold here. On Sept. 3 it was -47 ambient with wind chills of -80. Around these parts that's referred to as Condition 2. Under Condition 2 people don't leave town and don't go outside unless absolutely necessary. Condition 1 means people stay wherever they are at until someone comes to get them. I'm not sure who these 'someones' are or why they have to go out and get other people. As far as I know, I'm not one of them. It was certainly a lot colder at Pole, but no where near as windy. I'm not sure if it was harder walking uphill into the wind or downhill with it behind you. The wind could almost take your feet out from under you. Today it was at least 7 with no wind. I saw a fellow walking down the road in flip flops, no socks. At 2 PM. Sober. One of the fire chiefs, a long time participant . . . maybe too long. Anyone who cares to can check current conditions down here by logging on at www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm I'm a mere mortal in the presence of giants and titans. I've met self described -Arctic field camp cook/Middle East warrior several times over/crabber/union foreman -farmer/truck driver/ cat skinner - heavy equipment operator/world traveler -deep sea fisherman/ Arctic explorer/herbalist/charter boat operator/psych therapist -photographer/boat captain/Southeast Asia warrior/out-of-retirement electrician Most are/were hard drinkin', hard chargin' Harley Riders. They've been all over the world, worked on most of the major projects - did he say the Suez canal or was it the canals on Mars? - and made bazillions of dollars. I'm just not sure why they're muckin' around down here with us. Most are on their first or second trip to the Ice. You don't hear much of that kind of talk from veterans around here, the OAE's (Old Antarctic Explorers). Their reputations, for good or ill, are known, a matter of record around the Antarctic stations.

Back on the Ice

On July 31, I left Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, Micronesia. On August 24, I landed at Pegasus Runway, McMurdo Station, Antarctica. In between I went through Honolulu, Johnstown and Denver. Wonder how many frequent flier miles I have ? So here I am, back in Antarctica. It was around -30 when we arrived. Yesterday morning, Aug. 29, it was up to a balmy -7. Pretty good for this neighborhood, this time of year. Today I didn't check the temperature, but it's definitely blustery out there. There were about 150 people that wintered over. Some left, but the majority didn't. Another 300+ of us just dropped in on them. Quite a shock to the system, I'm sure. I haven't counted how many, but there are a lot of faces I recognize from my trips to Pole and Palmer. Can't put names to all of them. It seems pretty common to see someone, recognize them, speak your name and then say something like, "Oh yeah, '05 - '06 at Pole! What are you doing this time?" And all in all, everyone is pretty congenial - even if the winterovers are a little 'toasted'. We're constantly meeting new folks, even if I can't remember all the names. There are five electricians left from the winter and four of us FNG's (as in F....... New Guys). Those of us that just got here spent several days in Denver for orientation and training. So far down here, we've had a couple more orientation and training sessions, primarily, how to recreate outdoors without dieing and how to drive a jacked-up, always-in-four-wheel-drive pickup with oversize tires in/on snow and ice. Upcoming training includes how to wear a safety harness in construction, how to live out of a tent on the harshest continent and the dangers of working on the sea ice and how to avoid/survive them. I've been teamed up with one of the winterovers, Chad, who's getting me familiar with the station while we work on small projects and repairs. Not too much work outside - yet. This time of year is called the Winfly season, as in Winter Fly-in. The last of the passenger flights was Friday. There won't be anymore - other than one cargo flight - until early October. Most of us were brought in to begin getting ready for the 'main body' that's coming. At the height of summer, that main body will number about 1,200 people running around. That doesn't include all the Polies passing through and I'm not sure whether that includes the people who go to the field camps. After 15 months of shorts and t-shirts, now I'm wandering around in about 15 pounds of coat, bibs, boots and miscellaneous clothing. It takes some getting used to. Also after 15 months of the food on Kwaj, this stuff is lookin' pretty good. Maybe not as good as Pole was, but still, pretty good. They've got me hooked just with the fresh bread and baked goods at every meal. Despite the clothing weight and the cold temps, I'll need to begin working out again and be very careful about my intake. I may have put on a pound or two already. Here at McTown, there is a lot of demand for, and not a lot of accessibility to, Internet connections. For the time being, I'm checking my email at the public kiosk or on one of the shop computers. For the blog, I expect I'll bring my computer here to the shop and plug in on a Sunday morning as I am now. So . . . here we go again . . . a new job . . . a somewhat new place . . . new scenery and new photos. Time will tell what else will be new . . . . Later . . . .