I expect you thought I had been eaten by a Weddell Seal? Well they don't come as South as these parts very often but our colleagues at Rothera often have to gently persuade them to leave the runway there. Apparently the best way to do this is to tickle them under the chin with a sweeping brush....try it next time you want someone to move out of your way. The image at the top is the size of your average Weddell compared to a 6 foot (2m) man.
Anyway I digress. I have now switched to working the night shift and life is gradually getting into a routine again after the chaos of the unloading of the boats.The picture above left is where the boats came into....a dramatic meeting of the ice cliff with the sea ice. The unloading went on for 24 hours a day and took nearly 3 weeks to finish. The guys who were ferrying the stuff across the sea ice had the doors and windows removed from their vehicles just in case they fell through the ice and so aid a quicker escape! Pretty cold work!
I had a bit of a treat for my birthday....I was made an Honoury Winterer. This may, to you, not sound anything special. However...only Winterers are permitted to walk on the sea-ice....so 5 of the Winterers and I walked over the sea-ice (with the instruction still ringing in my ear that if I were to fall through the ice, to spread my arms out as wide as possible as quickly as possible...yeah right) and climbed on board The Shackleton where I was treated to a tour of the ship and several rounds of drinks at the Ship's bar....no 2 small tins rule here...Hee Hee. The journey back seemed much quicker for some reason....
And I do remember that I promised you pictures of representing Scotland in the Antarctic Cricket tournament. A flashing cover drive to the boundary no less!
I expect you thought I had been eaten by a Weddell Seal? Well they don't come as South as these parts very often but our colleagues at Rothera often have to gently persuade them to leave the runway there. Apparently the best way to do this is to tickle them under the chin with a sweeping brush....try it next time you want someone to move out of your way. The image at the top is the size of your average Weddell compared to a 6 foot (2m) man.
Anyway I digress. I have now switched to working the night shift and life is gradually getting into a routine again after the chaos of the unloading of the boats.The picture above left is where the boats came into....a dramatic meeting of the ice cliff with the sea ice. The unloading went on for 24 hours a day and took nearly 3 weeks to finish. The guys who were ferrying the stuff across the sea ice had the doors and windows removed from their vehicles just in case they fell through the ice and so aid a quicker escape! Pretty cold work! 
I had a bit of a treat for my birthday....I was made an Honoury Winterer. This may, to you, not sound anything special. However...only Winterers are permitted to walk on the sea-ice....so 5 of the Winterers and I walked over the sea-ice (with the instruction still ringing in my ear that if I were to fall through the ice, to spread my arms out as wide as possible as quickly as possible...yeah right) and climbed on board The Shackleton where I was treated to a tour of the ship and several rounds of drinks at the Ship's bar....no 2 small tins rule here...Hee Hee. The journey back seemed much quicker for some reason....
And I do remember that I promised you pictures of representing Scotland in the Antarctic Cricket tournament. A flashing cover drive to the boundary no less!
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Hi, good to read that you had some treat for your birthday!
ReplyDeleteI`ll try that bit with the sweeping brush next time I want someone to shift it...
XXX