You can tell things are getting slow here as we come to the end of the season. Our flight schedule has cut back drastically. The good weather we had all year allowed the Guard C-130’s to get way ahead on getting supplies to the South Pole. Next week we start sending a C-17 to Christchurch every other day as the pace of sending folks home quickens. The big tanker ship should be in any day followed closely by the cargo ship. The parking lot outside out dorm turns into a huge staging area for ship delivered cargo. Goodbyes with the associated exchange of personal information continue.

The big event of the day was returning the TV we’ve had in our room the entire season. It belongs to one of the controllers and her husband who are getting ready to head home. They are reclaiming personal equipment for storage until next season. Thankfully the housing folks were able to provide us with a TV that had been turned in by someone who recently left the station. It’s a smaller TV but has a remote control! I think our old TV (which really is old) was built before the advent of remote controls. It had a channel selector, a volume control and an on/off switch. Do you remember what life used to be like when you actually had to get up out of your chair to change the channel or change the volume (If you can, like me, you're older than dirt!)? Ah the simple life.

Sorry I misspelled it in the last blog. We went on a tour of this research vessel last night after dinner. Our guide was very knowledgeable of his ship and gave us a great tour. He was telling us that the scientist/researcher has proprietary claim to any findings/data collected for two years from the time of collection for publication purposes and then most unclassified information is released to the public domain. This ship is much nicer than the Coast Guard ice breaker as far as creature amenities.

As we were approaching the ship on the ice pier we noticed a large crack that ran from one side to the other. It was about 6 inches wide and deep enough that we could see water in it. I don’t know what they will do if the crack continues to grow as it appears it will. The next ship to tie up is a huge oil tanker and depending on the wind it could put great pressure on the pier.

We sent another controller home today and three more go on Friday.

The Nathanial B. Palmer, (Nattie B) the NSF’s research vessel pulled into the ice pier yesterday morning. I was downstairs doing my laundry and the window at that end of the dorm looks out over the pier so I got a chance to watch the docking process. Deni they do it very slowly. They pull in here at the end of the year to off-load trash for the cargo ship to haul north. They also allow tours of the ship which I hope to go on tonight after dinner.

As I thought about the nickname “Nattie B” it made me think of other nicknames I’ve heard since I’ve been here including, “Lucky” a guy who showed up one night at the bar clad only in a leopard skin Speedo, “Sandwich” a young woman with purple hair, “Snacks” a young guy who ate a lot in high school, “Green Piece” an two and a half ton old Navy truck, “Eggs” a guy who’s bald head looks like an egg, “Bomb Bill” a guy who thinks we can bomb the world into seeing things “our” way, to mention a few.

I went to a travelogue presented by “hitch hiker Ben” on his trip through the Outback of Australia. As usual he is very interesting. He stays he usually stays with people who offer hospitality to travelers like him. It still amazes me how these vagabonds travel when not on the ice.

Apparently the NSF also has money issues. Because of that they are slowing operations here and sending folks home early. I ran into one of our Tower controllers who is going home today and another Center controller who is going home Friday both well ahead of the original schedule.

The Coast Guard ice breaker Polar Seas is giving rides out to the open water today. They have offered to take 200 Mac Town people on two cruises today. The best I can tell the last time this happened was 2001. Because of huge demand (about 800 people signed up) they held a lottery. I’m sorry to say not only was I not selected for either cruise I didn’t even make it on the 100 person alternate list. Oh well! I hope the ship sinks. (Just kidding). Hopefully because of the huge demand they will add another cruise next week. Keep your fingers crossed. We have heard there are lots of whales out there to see.

The flow of summer people out and winter people in continues. People who will stay over from summer to winter are headed to Christchurch are enjoying week long R&R’s.

I went to the Tower yesterday to work. To get there we ride a shuttle (sometimes the big Terra Bus or “Delta” the thing that’s like an earthmover or a 10 or 25 passenger van). Which of these we ride is largely determined by the condition of the ice where the land meets the water (ice). To the side of the road to Williams Field there is a huge vertical cliff caused by the prehistoric lava flows as they tumbled to the sea. When we first arrived these cliffs were packed by drifting snow and so were not visible. As the snow now melts more and more each day many of the cliffs have become exposed. As I was coming back yesterday afternoon I looked up to the tops of the cliff and noticed a waterfall. Water was flowing freely from under the snow at the top of the cliff until it met a shelf of lava. The water cascaded over the shelf and continued its fall until it collided with another shelf and so on until it finally reached the surface of the ice where it mysteriously disappeared into the sea below the ice. There was a massive hood of snow that hung over the cliffs which looked much like the hood of a heavy coat as it hangs over your forehead. The hood of snow is swept across the cliff in a perfect curve of pure white and seemed to be suspended in mid-air with no visible means of support. Behind the hood on the cliff is a vast white plane of snow that gradually climbs and merges into Mt. Erebus some 50 miles away. The sheer majesty of the view is awe inspiring. Even in these last days I’m amazed at the beauty that unfolds before my eyes.