Work work!

Coming to the end of a three day obs shift and I am tired. Worked the whole Easter period but have had a good time anyway. Hydroponics is going well again, had some set backs with plant bays flooding but I think we're onto a winner now. Photos one day ;)At work so can't upload them.

This morning Davis was like a ghost town, given that most people have this time off they have been hitting the booze. While not many bodies are usually up at the start of my shift anyway, the total lack of ANYBODY was really noticeable today.

Days are staying darker longer... go figure ;) I have recently had an overnight walk and been on skis out to a nearby island over the sea ice. Not much else eventful to report though. Business as usual.

Catch you guys, stay well
B2

Winter, entry 1

The last leg of summer was a strange time. Very chaotic and at times uninspiring, hence a prolonged space between now and my last writing. The blizzards from that month gave different people different feelings, for me they were exciting and helped keep me going, while more seasoned expeditioners looked at our naive enthusiasm with amusement or disinterest and sometimes disapproval.

From a work point of view, everything went wrong. When the task seemed insurmountable advice came from the mainland and two significantly bad technical issues were solved in a tidy and helpful manner. As the tech here I enjoyed being the eyes and hands for the big players that helped me work through the problems to solutions. I finally felt my place as the tech down here was justified. All this time I have been performing the preventative maintenance program but never feeling like my input was enough. To have two issues right when the last ship for the season was pulling away from the shore and leaving us for 7 months was a daunting but exciting feeling. Now Met is hoping to settle back into a more comfortable routine, and the met tech is looking forward to his preventative maintenance and wont ever cross his fingers for more work again ;)

The winter crew is an interesting bunch, really good people. We have our differences and time will tell how much they factor into the success of our year. The other night I was lucky enough to spy some aurora activity. Enjoy the pics.

B2

March update

We have had 2 Blizzards this month. First was 2/3 and the next was 16/3. I have some footage to show once I am home. Below are some screen caps of Janelle's blizz balloon release on 2nd and Jenny's just post blizz conditions throw on 16th. While Jenny's balloon was thrown after the technical specifications for blizzard had past, namely vis had improved, the winds were still gusting as high, if not higher than the past time.

Janelle's throw

Jenny's throw


I have also been out on a iceberg cruise in the time between the last and current post. Too many photos in there to share. Be in touch.

First week of March

Well, look at me being all bloggy and sh*t. I'd almost say this was on time...pffft!

Ok, in brief, Aurora seen last night, beautiful to behold

Also, seen as it is there, check out "This week at Davis". It covers what's going on at Met quite nicely. (That and I make a cameo or two)
http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/2011/4-march-2011

Toodles people

Last part of Feb

Saw a fantastic Aurora the evening before AA arrived. Saw off friends and got down to the business of realising that in 6 weeks, the AA will be back for the last time in 8 months. We 24 expeditioners will be about as isolated as you can get in the most inhospitable place on earth. The mind sets are starting to change around station, serious faces, but positive attitudes too. I feel that my entries will start to get smaller and smaller. This is now my day to day, I am not immune to the fantastic but I guess it is all relative. I will try and keep you all informed as larger events occur, but things will get very intense for me in the next weeks while we wait for V4. Once that has been and gone, maybe then I will get back in the blogging mood ("what blogging mood?" you guys scream :P HAHAHAHAHA, be thankful of this much ;) )

Anyway guys, later

Pip B2 Kenny

Quick overview of Feb after Zhongshan

All pretty routine for me here, at least to start with. Went back to WPWP for what I thought was the last time this season. Things looked to be all good, then they looked to be FUBAR, then they looked good again. Today will be the day that decides whether or not I go back out there one last time by helicopter because the AA will be here tonight.

Sooooo, V3 has nearly arrived, the helos go to Mawson for their resupply and we here at Davis Met sit twiddling thumbs between synops without the aviation obs.

It is four months minus one day since we left Hobart. I reminisce regularly now, thinking about the trip on AA, the settling in period here and the ongoing settling in period.

The Lidar was on last night, and two nights before that. As we are starting to experience something of a night time we could actually see the green beam and behind, in the backdrop, stars! I saw stars for the first time in what seems like so long.V4 will be here soon too and soon it'll be Christmas! This place has a funny way of gently manipulating my perspective on time and my place in it. It feels surreal, genuinely surreal. I still can't believe I am down here sometimes. I'm thinking of you all, Winter is so near now. Time to get my weird and crazy on... Davis isn't gonna wig out on it's own you know? ;) STAYWELL

Official illiterate stamp. Too early for this kind of thing.

Zhongshan, local chinese base

Luck was with me. I got picked to go to Zhongshan, a neighbouring Chinese base, to celebrate their new year. After a magic heli flight crossing 3 glaciers, and an awe inspiring tour of the base we got down to the business of eating... yeh, ok, you got me, AND drinking! 50 year old rice spirit FTW... actually it was pretty rough stuff... rocket fuel I heard it described as, quite apt.

Glacier

Ice

More Glacier

Our counterpart Met station at Zhongshan

Me, and some kind of modified vehicle. Exactly what they can be camouflaged against down here, I don't know.


Officially un-proofread... I think I am developing a serious case of dyslexia! At least this isn't hand written is all I can say.