However, it's as dark as it is going to get. From here on, the amount of light will increase. I started to type 'sunlight', but in fact, the sun won't be shining directly on McTown for some months to come. The next sunrise behind the mountain to the north, beyond our sight, is August 19th.
For people on all the stations in Antarctica, mid-winter is THE event of the winter season. Stations send greetings to each other and mid-winter dinners are the highlight of the holiday. I've seen this celebration at all three U.S. stations and McMurdo has the other two beat hands down when it comes to the production. Preparations began a couple weeks ago. Last weekend there were printed invitations left at our room doors. Yesterday afternoon the preparations began in earnest. I volunteered to help set up. Set up some tables and chairs, I figured. The women that did the planning figured otherwise.
There must have been 30 or more of us. Move tables and chairs, for sure, but also put out the table cloths, napkins, silverware and glasses. Window hangings. Lighting on the walls. Lighting on the tables. Two hours after it all began, I slipped away as the last of the lighting and decorations were going up.
At 5:30, the cocktail hour began with wine, beer and appetizers. Attire ranged from jeans to suits, slacks to party dresses. At the galley entry, small place tags with our names were lined up on a table. You put it at a table to reserve your seat. At each place setting, the wine glass had a small rock wired to it. These are Erebus crystals.
Appetizers included cashew encrusted lamb, southwestern shrimp, chicken wontons and bruschetta with dips. Volunteers roamed with platters while wine stewards made sure no one wanted for more wine.
About 6:30, the curtains separating the serving area from the dining area were pulled back and we were invited to begin. The biggest line was for the salad, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts, a rare treat from the greenhouse. People also loaded up with entrees. Just about everyone took a crab-stuffed lobster tail, and many doubled up with beef Wellington. There was PLENTY of everything, no chance that anyone would be deprived of anything. The Cornish game hens and vegetarians' risotto croquettes weren't in demand. There were pate's and soups, several side dishes, two types of real ice cream, not the soft stuff out of a machine, a sorbet and a table laden with desserts from the bakery. A salad, the lobster, some sides, a little ice cream and a lot of little truffles and just like the lobster, I was stuffed.
After dinner, the National Science Foundation representative said a few words and read a message from President Obama. Next the Raytheon station manager spoke, thanking all who made the celebration possible. The night before, a select few of our crew were included to the New Zealand celebration at Scott Base. With many of the Kiwis present, their manager commented briefly on the cooperation between the stations. Today, some hearty souls are over there taking part in the mid-winter polar plunge. Each fool, I mean, hearty soul, is hooked to a safety belt and plunge into the water through a hole in the ice specifically kept open at Scott Base. Since I hopped in the ocean a few years back over at Palmer, I decided to fore go this part of the festivities.
Anyway, back to last night . . . the biggest round of applause went to the kitchen crew. All of them came out like the cast of a Broadway show and took a collective bow. They deserved it; the dinner was a feast.
After dinner, many people socialized, talking and taking photos. Then the dancing began and some interesting dancing it was . . . the majority of the people are in their 20's and 30's, but the music was more appropriate in the 70's or 80's. That was fine by me; I was happily that it wasn't rap or hip hop or whatever.
People left slowly, some to their rooms while others continued the party at the bar. I was among the latter until the young folks decided to play their music - LOUD! That was okay - it was late and the two prior evenings had been late as well. We have today off as part of the celebration as well as our monthly two-day weekend. When I wintered at Pole, the dinner really was mid-winter, the middle of our season. At Palmer, we had our mid-winter dinner a few days after the last ship left and our period of isolation had just begun. Here at McTown, people that came at the beginning of the winter season are just over half way through their contracts . However . . . in about seven and half weeks, the first Winfly flight is scheduled to arrive. There are 198 folks here now. When the Winfly folks get here, there will be a total of about 650. There will be daylight again. For me, winter will be over. After that, it will largely be a matter of wrapping things up and turning them over to the folks who take over at Main Body. That's scheduled to begin in Sept. I better get busy. I don't have any definite post-Ice travel plans yet.
