Happy New Year!

The holidays have come and gone and I find it hard to believe that my time here has flown by so quickly. I was told that it would but I hushed that friend and said, “Let me take my time getting from now to February.” Is it because it’s natural for time to fly when days are not separated from one another by even a few hours of darkness, that there is one long day from late October to mid-February? Working 6 days each week leaves one short day for friends, play, rest and laundry so even the weeks blend almost seamlessly from one to the other.

We were given 2 days off for Christmas- Thursday, December 25th and then Sunday, our regular day off. Christmas Eve we enjoyed the company of a few friends for a mellow night of drinks and music in our room. Holley, Danny and Chris played and picked guitars, mandolin and banjo. Christmas Day started with sleeping in, then a simple breakfast and a long run before heading to the Galley for dinner with our co-workers from PHI. Women from the BFC (Berg Field Center) hosted another more intimate gathering in their space with gauzy window coverings letting us pretend it was dusk, strings of little white lights draped from the ceiling, cushions on the floor inviting games and laughter, tables for tea and conversation.

It’s simple here. Folks from the community volunteered for parts in the Charlie Brown Christmas play performed in the Chapel of the Snow. People in the waste department (Wasties) joined the carpenters (Carps) to organize an acoustic music night complete with multiple artists, a living room stage and many couches for seating, Christmas cookies and a warm place to spend a long night with friends. The evening ended with the Zim Brother’s Christmas Show where 3 got on stage to sing Christmas carols with the lyrics changed to reflect humorous life here at McMurdo Station.

Last night, New Years Eve, most people went to IceStock, a music event from 6:30 to 12:30 again with many folks volunteering to make it all come together. The weather was cool and windy but the stage was sheltered and Sawbucks coffee shack was set up by the Carpenters to serve hot coffee and cocoa. Kiwi’s brought out the grill to offer Brats, Wasties created 12-foot tall costumes of a Skua bird, a butterfly and a Dr.Seuss looking creature to walk through the crowd and music played for hours. Holley and here bands were a hit once again as her clear and beautiful voice lifted over the wind and carried out to the audience. People first moved forward to dance when they played a slightly rocked up version Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash and from then on there were hula-hoops and dancers.

While our work schedule was been lighter lately, we are starting to feel the buildup of longer hours and more flights as science groups once again move in and out of their field camps. Our flights off the ice back to Christchurch are already getting tentatively scheduled for early February and talk has turned to travel plans and summer back home…

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year! Thank you to all who have written to keep me company and thinking of home.

ali