52 - Christmas, speed of time and stuff

Well here we are again friends,

Pic Richard Youd

Its Just gone Christmas and the pic above it what you would have seen from our Davis Web cam if you had have been looking on christmas day. Firstly though I wanted to talk about time as this kinda leads into xmas. Time is a funny thing, I remember when I was 16 I use to think I wish I was 18, now nearly 40 I think where the hell did the time go. Im sure many of you have thought this at one point or another when your parents said the classic saying......."I remember when......" well I've been doing that a fair bit lately.

While working for Aquaduck giving the guided tours of the Coast that I know and love I would be talking about whatever it was that we were passing. I would explain to the tourists what it was or what building was there ect, well the tour guide that was traveling with me would say " really I never knew that!" then I would think wow Im nearly 40.

Time in Antarctica is a little the same and especially this season as it is only such a short one. By the time we got here this season the sun wasn't setting only a twilight then come up again. This is the land of the midnight sun over summer. Some people have difficulties sleeping, me I can sleep anywhere anyhow and anytime. However having the sun up all the time has its advantages as you can do stuff. Good example of this is the video below that one of the comms dudes did.

Video Richard Youd

This is a short sequence of pictures where he was aiming to the sun transit. 1 shot every 10 minutes from 7:30pm to 7:30am on Boxing Day, December 26th 2012. 

Yea  I know I know I skipped past Xmas with that video so now for that. Brilliant day, even if i was a touch dusty from xmas eve as you guys might have picked from my last blog. I think i did a good job for the condition I was in believe me! Did anyone pick it?????

So the day started with brunch at 11am and Santa arriving at 2:30pm. But as per normal Santa had issues with his slay and turned up late.

 Pic Richard Youd

Dont look too hard below for me in this one as I was not there!!

  Pic Richard Youd

Mind you I am in this one and good luck finding me!!! Think I'm behind the girl standing fourth from left.....

  Pic Richard Youd

Here is Dick on Santa's knee hummm how come I cant say that without thinking Dicky Knee

Pic Richard Youd

And for those of you who don't know who the hell I'm talking about check this out, might bring back some old memories!!!!

Video Youtube

You IDOT Danny, planking Santa just isn't on!!!!

Pic Richard Youd

Yes even the tree was up and tinsel on it, tree not real thats not allowd.....but everyone brings a secret Santa for someone!!

Pic Richard Youd

I even got into the kitchen with the help of a couple lovely AGSO's(Aircraft Ground Support Officers), Electrician and a Aircraft engineer to make some gingerbread. 

 Pic Richard Youd

I had nothing to do with the icing though!! LOL

Pic Michael Goldstein

Dodgy gingerbread house.....

 Pic Richard Youd

 Pic Richard Youd

Tables set and eat like kings we most certainly did................

 Pic Richard Youd

We also have visitors at the moment, the elephant seals have started to arrive and over the Xmas break Richard got some good shots Ive been a little lazy haven't I but steal them I will!!! Here is a couple young ones play fighting in the water.

  Pic Richard Youd

You want to see the big boys, check this video out. This is a video taken at Macquarie Island, one place I'm itching to go to!!!

Video YouTube

Im comming to get you I bet this ba

  Pic Richard Youd

There has also been a couple juvenile Emperor Penguins. they are quite easy to pick apart from the adult as the younger ones have no yellow on their head..... They come to land to moult which is quite a stressful time as the birds are very uncomfortable as their feathers are replaced with new ones.

  Pic Richard Youd

So as I mentioned about Rowdy arriving we did have another VIP arrive on the plane and it was another Director. This was the real deal, not that the Director or General Trades isn't but this one was the Director, big cheese or head honcho of the AAD. What you didn't see from the earlier pics was the red carpet. Didn't roll it out for the big cheese i only had one roll and saved that for Rowdy!!

Pic Perry Anderson

You might also notice his shoes. Much to some peoples disgust Rowdy has the oppisits to mine. It all started in 09-10 when i'd arrive back in my cols porch and someone had swapped crocks. This went on the whole season id have a green on and a blue one then yellow and I came down with two red ones. End of the season and i ended up going home with one of mine and a blue one which was Rowdys so for the last four seasons its been like this.

Pic Perry Anderson

Mind you we do scrub up alright though I think!!!

Pic Cliff Simpson Davis

So this is now the fourth christmas in a row i have not only spent with Rowdy but also two others, poor buggers huh!! Just in case you didn't notice yes  did have a shave and hair cut for xmas Big Timmy cut the long locks. Didn't do a bad job and trust me the size of him you wouldn't say anything other than that!!!!

Now every season I come down its different, this season is no exception. Different start with the ship running late and being such a short one its pushing us all. There is only a handful of returnees which makes things difficult at times but we were all first timers at one point weren't we. This season with a slightly different role as the senior plant operator (senior by seasons) i seem to be organising much more which is quite enjoyable mind you having to great newbie plant operators makes my life very easy!!

Every season I learn something as it is such a melting pot life on station. People you wouldn't normally socialise with are sitting next to you at dinner or the bar. I was asked to help one of the scientists or boffins as we like to call them who happens to be a geologist. Now I've always been interested in rocks all the way back to my childhood.

Digressing for a moment I remember Dad taking me to a place in the Gold Coast hinterland called "Thunderbird Park" OMG its still there!!!! Well back in those days Dad drive a Alfa GTV. The aim of the park was to go around collecting Thunder eggs where you could take them to a shop to have them cut in half. Well I collected so many Thunder eggs Dads poor Alfa was almost bottoming out on the way home!!!!

Anyway back to the story now, the Geologist here i was helping pointed out something called Ice Wedges. Never heard of them or seen them until they were pointed out. Now I do know a Geologist that reads my blog so I'm guessing he will find this interesting as you might too.  In layman's terms it is caused by water penetrating the permafrost over summer then once winter rolls around it freezes. Water expands pushing the ground apart.  Want to know more I have found a couple web sites with some pics and animations to show you better what I'm talking about.

http://www.wiley.com/college/strahler/0471238007/animations/ch15_animations/animation2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wedge

http://arctic.fws.gov/permcycl.htm

Well the first boat went into the water today for a science trip so I'm guessing that Burg cruises will be starting shortly. Spent a couple hours in the boat shed sorting all the survival gear and emergency equipment out. A couple more boxes to tick then try and hold me back.


Ok well as this is take two at this blog and it is dinner time, lack of sleep from not finishing the last one until 12am I think ill leave it there. New Years coming up quickly but ill b having another blog out before then.......

Goldie


P.S..............Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. 
                   William Penn