Sucess and Travel

We arrived in McMurdo on Friday 12/16 with a little snow on the ground and a little falling. After dinner, the first shower in three weeks, and 10 or 12 hours sleep we returned to the power failure problem and solved it just before midnight Saturday.  Here's a pic of the light snow and another of a rather unusual doorway on the upper floor of the main commons building (cafeteria, a dorm, etc). Note the door opens to the outside with no way down but the quick way.
We took two hours off to see the "Women's Soiree", which was a talent show of McMurdo women that has been in preparation for 2+ months. Two comedic MC's presented: a Maori greeting dance, country singer, belly dancer, a singer from Scott base who learned guitar 2 months previous, a comedic band, and Can-can dancers. Here are a couple pics to give you a feel for it. I particularly liked the woman from Scott Base's song selection which was: "Someone Like You" by Adelle which you can listen to here. Great for evoking feelings of love lost; perhaps the story of my life, but certainly a poetic fundamental of human life.
Sunday night I went to the airfield, leaving Joulien the simple task of flying back to the ice shelf Tuesday with the station and plugging in a handful of cables. On the way to the Pegasus white ice airfield the shuttle drove by Scott Base and I could see where the edge of the Sea Ice was breaking up -- forming a field of 10-tall fragments at all angles. The season has progressed to the point that the sea ice was no longer safe enough to use as a landing strip like it was when we arrived. Waiting on the airfield, I watched the C17 land and unload. Simply slept on the red-eye flight to Chirstchurch arriving around 9am.

Here's a shot saying goodbye to Joulien in Crary lab surrounded by our equipment, and a panorama at the airfield.