Cheers Palmer Station Antarctica

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."  ~Robert Southey

Good day my friends. How are you? I hope that this finds you all very well, full of smiles and enjoying this life. As I sit in the computer lab, the wind is strong at 59 knots. Snowing. and dark. It is indeed winter. We had a lovely scare this morning. The main generator was leaking so they shut it down and brought up the emergency generator and that started smoking and  the tiniest of fires broke out. It was indeed a very hectic, stressful morning. But after about 1.5 hours, everything was under control, we where let out of our muster place and returned to what needed to be done. We do have so many capable people here on station. What a way to break in the winter team. 
The last week or so has been a blur really. The summer folks came in, turn over started full speed, two different fishing trips out on the LMG (big orange ship) the NBP (other big orange ship) stopped by station at the end of their 2 month cruise and at one point we had about 100 people on station in the bar and lounge. What a night that was. :) Familiar faces and smiles all around. I was kicked out of the kitchen yesterday, Keith, the winter Chef, is going to do a great job taking care of folks. He just got off a year at the South Pole. So this kind of mild weather is nothing for him. So I have spent my last couple of days cleaning station, packing up the final things and just hanging out. That hanging out part sounds real good unless you are only one of two folks that get kicked out of their jobs, then after the first hour of so you feel a bit guilty, everyone is working so hard and you are not.. Oh well, just one more afternoon. My plans thus far is to get to Chile, fly fish, Miami, Mexico and then on over to Europe. I'm not sure how long I will be in Europe, but plan on being there awhile. Then on home to Portland. I am very excited about spending some time down at the beach house with my new nephew :) Don't know what is next for me, but that is whats so fun.. I can take the next year off.!
Thank you all for coming along with me in the crazy adventure I have had these past 8 months in Antarctica. I so loved hearing from y'all and hope to continue to hear how life is going and what is new. And also hope to see many of you through out the summer.
Take care and please keep in touch.
big hugs to you all,
Stacie

a few new pics up on flickr. I will send out a flickr update when I upload some from my return journey.. Cheers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8448893@N05/

Winter Light

Hello!

I hope that this letter finds you all happy, suntanned, relaxed and dry (you East Coasters you). I am assuming a good chunk of you have had a little spring break. If not, then at least a little taste of spring so your can make it through the now grey, wet, cold windy weather. We have hit early winter weather here. In the past two days, we have seen 1.5 feet of fluffy white snow, winds of 56knots, pouring down rain (all the snow gone) then once again the fluffy white stuff. We need to set up a time lapse. Golly! I have to say I am very thankful that I am no longer out in my tent. I have been roommate free for almost 2 weeks now. It's been delightful. Not much has really been going on here at Palmer, which is very nice. With the darkness and weather all we want to do is curl up next to the fire and read and nap. We are still doing science though. The diver group from University of Alabama is here until mid-June so they are going out everyday and collecting samples and checking experiments. They don't need nice weather 40 feet below the surface. We are also lucky enough to help weigh and measure the Giant Peteral Chicks. They are HUGE fluff balls now. Some are getting their feathers and are really angry about getting picked up, measured and weighed. We did receive some news about our departure. A part on the LMG (big orange ship) trolling crane broke. The Science group that is coming down next and staying for a month,  troll for fish on their way down here, hold them and then study them here at Station. So they need that crane. They have been working to get a replacement sent down to Punta Arenas, but of course coming across lots of hurdles. Government ship, inspectors, flight weight (one part is over 1,000 lbs) Easter Weekend, earthquake roads and on and on. So the word is, be prepared for up to 14 days delay. This is our second delay for this season. We would be leaving tomorrow originally but it got pushed back to the 24th of April, now we might be adding on another 14 days. But I am hopeful the part will get down here quickly and installed and they will be on their way. :) 

We did celebrate Mustache Day 2010, April 1. It was a riot. I've posted some photo's on flickr. A couple of the girls, well more than half, there are only 5 of us now, joined in. I scared myself a bit I must say. I do suppose we all have a little of the opposite sex in us.. mine had NO problem coming out to play. Friday we did a Seder/Easter combo dinner. We actually did a short version of a Seder (30 min). It was quiet fun. Do-Jo and I made home made Matzoh bread and Matzoh balls, brisket, hard boiled eggs and some ham. :) And today, Mr. Dave Ensworth BBQ'd the best prime rib I have ever had. He is a MASTER with the grill. We have this wonderful huge cast iron grill someone made out of an old tank. It can fit a whole pig on it. He spent 6 hours lovingly grilling this prime rib. And to quote my friend Zee...." It's like eating really really good bacon" :) 

Well that's all for now my friends. I hope you all had a great Holiday weekend

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8448893@N05/

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality."beatrix potter

Head Hurts???

"Life ought to be a struggle of desire toward adventures whose nobility will fertilize the soul." rebecca west

Greetings my friends. Happy AFTER St. Patrick's day. How does your head feel? :)
How the heck are you? I'm giggling at myself at the moment. I can tell that I am ready to be off the ice. I'm sitting in my office, lights off, only the glow of my twinkle lights, listing to R.E.M. and wanting to just sleep...  And it's 8:30am... Yes, in "ice-talk" I am what you call "Toasty". I think for the most part, the whole station is toasty. It's been a wonderfully adventurous season. Full of yacht and cruise ship visits, lots of science and a unforeseen trip for me back to Chile/Argentina over Christmas to get a root canal. But oh what fun the ride back to Palmer Station was on the National Geographic Explorer. :)
The last week saw our last two cruise ship visits. We went out in a big way.. Two ships in one day. Morning visit was the Orlova (123 passenger's), which brought us Roberta Marinelli. of NSF( National Science Foundation ). She is one of 5 people that fund the science for the Antarctic program. She is our guest until the LMG (big orange ship) departs on the 21st of March. It's been very fun to meet her and show her Palmer Station. The afternoon brought us the Plancius (138 passenger's) and Dave Bresnahan. A guy who use to work here back in the 80's and is currently working for one of the companies that is re-bidding for the Antarctic Contract. And don't forget the brownies... Lots and lots of brownies...This season we saw 16 cruise ships (1093 people) that came for a tour and coffee and brownies, 12 yachts (93 people) that came for a tour and meal with staff on station and 5 off-shore lectures for large cruise ships (those with to many passengers to tour around station aprox 600-1000 people on board) I know this only because I just finished my end of season report.. :)
Last week also brought us the first tall ship to visit Palmer Station. The Bark Europa. She is a beauty. They came for supper and then invited us out for drinks, dancing on deck to a fiddle and climbing the mast. It was a magical evening.
Well the countdown has begun. 35 days till I depart. I was not going to start counting until 30 days, but I had to check and so I'm now starting at 35. Oh well. I have uploaded a bunch of photos to Flickr. I've been putting it off for awhile. So weed through them. I think about 10-15 back you will find the plunge pictures from last night. It was St. Paddy's day... of course we had to jump. I had the wrong settings on my camera, so they are a bit grainy, but still you get the idea. I also have loaded a few pictures of people working around station. Give you an idea of what it is we do here at Palmer. The one with the film crew from Globe Trekker, that is Jim McClintock. He is a marine chemical ecologist and invertebrate zoologist.
Well my friends, I don't have much more to say. I do hope that this email finds you all happy that you have more daylight and relishing the beginning of Spring! We are on the other end. It's getting darker and darker and snow has begun to fall daily and has begun the process of sticking. Building towards winter.
Thank you for coming along with me on this adventure. I could not do it with out you.
Oh.. I also put a very funny time laps up. Phil, our lead Science Manager, found 6 year old apple juice and had the fun task of disposing of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8efZLq80FQ

Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8448893@N05

amazing gift

Greetings my friends. How are you? Well I am good. Very good actually. I had a spectacular day yesterday with some humpback whales. We went out to go whale watching and came across 3 pods of 3 feeding. It was AMAZING. We where able to get real close, smell their breath, and some times feel it too. We stayed out for about 4 hours and just hung out with them. At one time their where 11 humpies in view and one baby. I have put some photos up on Flickr. Actually I think I loaded quiet a few. I have been a little "out of it" of late. The season is starting to wear on me. It's the normal time that it's starting to get harder to get up at 4:30am 6 days a week. Smile at all the tourist and welcome all the yachties that come by to say hi. It seems I spend more and more time out in my tent. But the good thing is, everyone is in the same frame of mind. Mornings are real quiet around here. :) The LMG (big orange boat) arrived today and it's a full day at Palmer. We just finished up cross town pizza with all of the crew of the ship and then in an hour the band is going to play and of course the party. The LMG has been out to sea for 5 weeks doing the LTER

 http://pal.lternet.edu/

and
the ship is dry. So when they come on station.. it's a party. I tend to
say HI to folks and duck out early. The bar is just a little to small
to fit 85 people in it.. :) We where also very BLESSED with fresh food.
The Amsterdam http://assets.hollandamerica.com/Online/HALdown.gif?WT.id=down

was here on Sunday and we went out to do a lecture, the boat has
over a 1000 passengers so they can not come on station so we go out to
them. And of course head straight to the spa. Hair cuts where the number
one request. They where so very nice to us. It was a privilege to talk
with so many great people. And then when we went down to the hoist room
to get into our boats, there where three pallets of food waiting for us.
It was more fresh food than we order from Chile. So of course we could
not take it all but we went through and picked out about 25 cases of
fresh fruit and onions and potatoes and grapes. It was pure delight.

Well I must run, but wanted to send the link for the pics and also
of a video my friend Peter took of a whale tail. It was a bit
overwhelming. I apologize in advance for some of the language the boys
say. But it was a "moment" :)

Blessings my friends. Thank you so much for allowing me the gift of
sharing this crazy life with y'all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8448893@N05/--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80cPS4aiLS8

Blessings,

stacie

Busy- Busy

Hey y'all. How the heck are you? I hope that this finds you all happy and well and fighting off the mid-winter blues. I know I am at that stage right now. In "hibernation" mode. Taking in every moment I have between work and cruise ships tours to take a breather. But I still have 3 months here on the ice, I can't go and get all "toasty" now. :) We are in the middle of our tourist season. We have at this moment two yachts in the harbor and a cruise ship this afternoon. All come over for a tour and the yachties come for lunch/dinner. It pretty much is always "ON" mode when we have guest. But it's also so fun to have them and hear their stories and tales of their journey. I looked at a calender finally and realized that I have been back at Palmer almost a month now. WOW.. time has flown. We have been busy with work and projects and tours and playing. Whales have been all around, baby penguins and seals and birds. My favorite, the Giant Petrels are hatched. They are so cute. Just little white puff balls. I have posted some photos on Flicker of them. I was lucky enough to go out with the birder scientist and help them weigh and measure the chicks and it's such an amazing experience.  Well, I don't think I told you last time I wrote, forgive me if I did, but we did have a visit from another astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. He came, like Neil Armstrong, on the National Geographic Explorer. We got to hear him speak and tour him around station. He for sure is more outgoing than Neil. He is a "Rocket Hero" as he promotes himself (which is so true). He has shirts and a "Rap Video".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QO9U4mwNLQ

It's kind of funny. Real nice guy, but he sure is different from Neil. Neil was so humble and much quieter. What an amazing privilege to meet both these historic figures. We also are having a "funny" visit tomorrow from a couple of passengers and crew from the Explorer. It seems that the "Fact Finding" crew from Jeopardy is on board (No Alex.. bummer :( . They are planning on coming on Station in the afternoon and spending a couple of hours. I don't think anyone from Station will be in any shot, but we sure can try. Slowly the daylight is getting shorter and shorter. Now we actually see the sun go down behind the glacier. In another month or so we will start loosing aprox 8 min of daylight a day. It gets dark pretty quickly.
I'm sending y'all a couple of links of "news of the Antarctic". I don't know if you have heard or not but the Nations that support Antarctica have passed new restrictions on cruise ships coming down here. Yachts, such as the Spirit of Sydney who is a "regular" here at Palmer and we have a great relationship with them, will not be effected by the new restrictions. It is the larger vessels that will no longer be able to sail this way. See links below.
I have posted just a few photos on Flickr. Have not been to much going on here. But hope you enjoy.
Keep smiling friends. So much to be thankful for! :)
big hugs
stace

http://www.spiritofsydney.net/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30279820/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8448893@N05/

Back at Palmer

Greetings my friends!
Happy New Year!! How the heck are you? I pray that this finds you all settled back into "long work weeks" and sticking to your New Year Resolutions with much conviction. :) I'm still trying to figure out what mine should be, I should get on that soon...
Well I have returned to Palmer a couple of days ago. I was dropped off the night of the 3rd of January and welcomed back with many hugs and smiled. How I missed these sweet people. I have pretty much settled back into the routine that is Palmer Station. However there are about 9 new people that arrived prior to me that I am still trying to get to know. Science is in full swing. Summer is in full swing. It has been beautiful warm weather. Sunny days, low wind and hovering around 38 degrees F. It's quiet delightful and amazing to sleep out in. The science folks that are here are doing some wonderful work. We have 3 guys from Miami University in Ohio here that are studying BUGS.. There are two types of insects in this area. A wingless fly and a tick. The fly lives in penguin and seal poop and the tick lives off the blood of the penguins. There is a third insect that lives in Antarctica, a worm that actually dehydrates itself prior to winter so it won't freeze and then reconstitutes itself come spring. Pretty crazy. But they live over on the other side of the Continent. We also have Norbert Wu  (  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1234227/Into-frozen-deep-Stunning-underwater-photos-life-beneath-Antarcticas-ice.html    ) here with 3 other divers to help him. He is an amazing underwater photographer. Then we have 3 divers that are here welding and repairing the dock. It's a mess. It's the same dock they built as a temporary one in the 60's. OOPS!
So my tooth is all better. Had to have a root canal and I have a temporary on it now and hopefully will get the cap put on upon my return to Chile in April. It was only $62.00 Amazing :) I then flew over to Ushiuia Argentina two days prior to my departure on the National Geographic Explorer and went on a 4X4 trip through the Andes. It was amazing. It was such a beautiful day and I tagged along with a family from California. They where a hoot. They made it so much fun. I then hopped on the Explorer and we had a smooth sail through the Drake and made it in only a day and a half. On the LMG (Big orange boat) it takes 4 days!!! It will never be the same sailing on the LMG again. :( We made many stops along my journey back to Palmer. My favorite two where the Weddel Sea on the East side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We hit that New Years Eve.Thousands of huge ice bergs. The way the current flows they break off and circle around to this bone yard of ice bergs. It's so stunning. I stayed up until 2:45am watching the sun set and the moon rise. It was pretty incredible. It was the "Blue Moon". What a thrill. Then my other favorite moment was kayaking in Charlotte Bay in the Gerleche Straight. Amazing beautiful day. Tons of icebergs and Gentoo Penguins. And to top it off, a zodiac would come around and bring you hot coco while you kayak... These are just a couple of the wonderful experiences I had on my VERY blessed journey back to Palmer. I met some wonderful people on the Explorer. The head writer for the Simpson's, they guy who owns SPY glasses/goggles ( he said he would send us some down here at station.How cool would that be..I'll keep you updated :) and the most INTERESTING man I met was the gentlemen who created " The Body Works Exhibi". He is from Germany, a little odd in a wonderful way. Fascinating to talk with. I continue to go through my photos and post them this weekend. Well that is enough about ME.. What about you all? How is the New Year going? Kids back in school. Crazy weather all over the country. Going to the gym. :) I must run and start dinner prep. We are having the Hanse Explorer
 http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=hanse-explorer-yacht-1433    come for dinner and spend the night. They came last year and where so much fun. They invite us out for cocktails and munchies. Usually a good time. As always I appreciate all of you and am so Thankful that you are sharing this amazing experience with me. I am truly blessed.Thank you for all of your emails and prayers and well wishes.
I have put a few new photos up of the Explorer and also last night going out to Torgersen Island to see the penguin chicks. They grow so fast. I also have uploaded a video of me being served in my kayak. I am NO video person this is very obvious! And I'm so bummed, I just meant to change hands and ended the recording. But you get the idea.
Big hugs
Stace
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8448893@N05
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlh5aiAVyEc

Merry Christmas

Greetings my friends. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Things are good. I am good. My tooth is all better. I had to get a root canal. But I was AMAZED.. it did not hurt one bit and it was over in about 25 min. and it cost me only $62.00 HA! When they did the conversion for me on the calculator I thought it was $620.00 and thought that was not to bad. But she smiled and said NO.. only $62.00. I was thrilled and could not believe it. I had a wonderful Christmas dinner last night. Rebecca came in with a whole bunch of others and we had a GREAT time together. They had rented out this hall with an open fire/grill inside. We BBQ'd lamb and chicken and steak. It was really good and really fun. Today is a beautiful day in Punta Arenas and a couple of us are going to the spa at the hotel and get pedicures and a massage. What a treat. Then a dip in the beautiful pool and a carpet picnic in Rebecca's suite. :) I am treating my self by staying in the Dream hotel. We get a discounted price through Raytheon and I just can't get enough of that pool :)http://www.mundodreams.com/puntaarenas/hotel.html

So it seems that I get to fly to Ushia on the 27th of December and get on the National Geographic Explorer. http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/home YIPEEE! I am so excited I can't stand it. I also found out that Buzz Aldrin will be on the ship. How amazing. Me meeting two men that have been to the moon and back. I am so very lucky.

I hope your Christmas day is filled with much laughter and hugs and cookies and really good food.

Thanks also for all of your wonderful kind emails you sent me and well wishes for my tooth. They worked. It was the cheapest and most painless procedure I think I have ever had.

Computer time and availability is kind of limited. I am at the office right now down at the pier but there is a nice long line awaiting to get on the two computers. I assume that there will be Internet access on the Explorer so I will send you an update from there of how things are going. Here's the cutest picture of my friends dog. Just to make you smile.

Have a wonderful blessed day.

Big hugs

stace