third archival email

Hi all,

A few updates since my last email, just to let you all know what's
going on and to answer a few questions that I have gotten from some of
you.

first, new photos can be found at
here

there are some aurora australias (southern lights), some of the
sunrise/sunset (there really is no differentiation between the two,
just a few hours of pink in the sky and then dark again) and some
other interesting stuff from my first few days here. 'Ivan' the
terrabus is what I rode in from the airfield to the station. I
thought it was pretty cool. The aircraft pictures are all of C-17
globemasters, which is what I had the privelige of riding on. Much
better than a C-141. There's also one of a firetruck outfitted with
'mattracks'. They don't work any better here than they did in
Yellowstone or other places, but....they still use them. Keeps
mechanics employed I 'spose.

FRESHIES!!!
due to the fact that I'm near the end of the longest logistical chain
in the world, and things don't grow to well here, fresh
fruits/vegetables/eggs are a rare treat. They come in on the plane
when it comes. I came during a period called WINFLY. It's a term,
borrowed from the military, which is a bastardization of winter fly
in. Basically I am part of a skeleton crew who is here to get things
ready for "main body" which happens in October. I didn't realize it,
but the last plane came in last friday and then left, basically
isolating me from the rest of the world. No mail, no way
out...nothing, except a few fresh greens that will be eaten soon, then
nothing until October.

Gear issue:
Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear was issued in Christchurch N.Z. on the
way down. There is lots of stuff available, but a visual of the basic
issue is here:

the first hallmark item is what we call "big red" Its a thick, heavy,
down jacket. the specifics can be found here for all my gear junkie
friends here
it is a pretty nice parka, very cozy.

also included in the issue are "mickey mouse" boots (standard G.I. ECW
boots), expedition weight poly-pro undergarments, Wigwam heavy wool
socks, polar fleece jacket, balaclava, stocking cap, a vast
assortment of gloves and mittens, goggles, sunglasses, insulated wind
pants, insulated carharrt bib overalls, carharrt jacket, julbo
sunglasses.

I have moved to a different room so I don't have to share with the
Andrew the cross-dresser and his girlfriend.

The water in the toilet/sink/whatever doesn't spin any differently in
the southern hemisphere than in the northern. That was all just an
urban legend, and I'm pissed about it! The legend is based on the
coriolis effect..if you're bored and wanna read up on in it..here ya
go
There have been some scientific questions thrown my way, currently,
there are no science lectures being presented so I am unable to ask
questions, but they will start in October and I intend on going and
asking. I want to learn as much as I can while I'm here.

We run on New Zealand Standard Time, which is 18 hours ahead of
Mountain DST. Currently we only get a few hours of light each day but
soon it will be light all the time so time really isn't relevant.

No special shots were required to come here (except tetanus). There
isn't a problem with malaria, etc. No mosquitos to spread it I guess.

Day to day life is pretty 'normal'. My schedule just changed a bit, I
will be working five 11 hour days and then get 2 days off. I'm not
sure what I will do with myself for two days, but I guess I will
figure it out. The job itself isn't too unlike any other job, just
that it's in Antarctica. The commute is the worst of it. I walk 3
minutes, uphill, into the most brutal headwind you could possibly
imagine. Some days the wind chill has been -80 degrees. It's
painfully cold. I work both inside and outside. Outside work really
isn't that bad. Over the years people have engineered ways to keep
the misery to a minimum. Inside work is actually worse. Bringing a
frozen piece of equipment into the shop and then crawling under it to
fix it usually results in getting a shower of ice cold greasy water.
Food is still good. The kitchen does an amazing job given their
limited resources and the demands of institutional style cooking.

Well...that's about it for now. Keep those emails coming folks! It
gives me something to do.

Later,
Will