Palmer Station...

Hello Hello.

Palmer Station. The it is the second base built here. The first station, dubbed Old Palmer is no longer around, but the site rests on another part of the island about a mile or so away. And yes, an island. We are located on Anvers Island. So if anyone is keeping track or cares to get technical, McMurdo is on Ross Island 70 miles from the Antarctic continent, South Pole sits atop a two mile thick glacial ice field, and Palmer Station is on Anvers Island some 20 or 30 miles from the continent. So, realistically speaking after years of working in Antarctica, I have yet to touch the continent itself. Odd.

These first pics you see are of the BIO building. This could be called one of the two hubs of activity on base. There are only about four buildings here and this is one of the big ones.

Inside the BIO building we have the dining area which comes equipt with its own little fireplace. This was taken on the morning of a day off so its nice and peacful. Even with only 32 people on station at the moment it can get pretty hectic in here.
The orange coats you see are Float Coats. They, along with ECW gear, are required for any and all boating trips that are taken on the water. They double as floatation devices and can be seen if a recuse is needed in the dark.

The other pic is of one of the science labs on the first floor. We have everything from fishermen and Antarctic divers to someone who is trying to grown 4.5 million liver cells. Pretty cool stuff.







The next part is obviously my favorite. Although I am biased. These are pics of the galley. It is suprisingly bigger than I thought, however still can be cramped when there are three of us working like there has been this entire last week. It's basically broken into three parts. The service area where people get their food, the back room where all the pots and pans, stoves, and breadracks are, and the baking area. I secretly (not anymore I guess) hate those ovens. They are not convection ovens so they don't cook very evenly and I have a hard time getting bread to brown in them.
The light also does not shut off so you think you might be putting something in a hot oven when in fact, it has been off for hours and don't know it till dinner time but by then it's too late. Damn.

That little wooden table by the slicer is my favorite. Diane plays NPR in the morning and its a nice way to begin the day. Prepping some veggies, looking over menus and recipies. It's a very homey kitchen. Diane likes to make bagels and pastries for our Sunday mornings off. You can see Allen enjoying a bagel.



In the same building, just down the hall I have an office. I actually have an office! I've always hated the idea of having an office, but here I am. It's pretty neat considering I have my own computer and phone and view looking out at the glacier.

I also live in this BIO building for now. I requested to move once winter actually starts because I want a "commute" to work and I don't want my home to be in the same building as my work. One of the reasons I like cooking so much is that I don't take it home with me. If I'm in the building at night I'm tempted to do things after hours. Pull meat that I forgot, look up menu items, etc. It's better to be away.




These pics are of my room. As you can see it's incredibly small. Especially for two people. But I live with my good friend and April the Leukemic Cat partner in crime Dave Barud. But, and I'm sure he will agree, it will be nice to have our own space once winter kicks in. But this next pic is a view from my room. We look directly out into Arthur Harbor. Awesome views. If we are lucky we can hear the glacier crack and cave in our room.

I'll move up to this building. GWR. I have no idea what it means, but it is the other hub of activity on station. The red walkways you see are how we get around behind the buildings.
Here you can see our bar. It is a great place to hang out. Bring your own, of course. Jack, one of our FEMC workers is making his Sunday morning cup of coffee. The bar is littered with trinkets of Palmer history. Boating flags, photos of whales and other wildlife. A nice spot to unwind after a day of work.



There are also berthing units in this building and an awesome TV area for us to watch the many movies that line the walls. It's also a good place to relax. Here Phillip is taking some time to mend his jacket. He told me not to emmasculate him by taking a picture of his sewing. But I did. You are hereby emmasculated, Phillip.



This is our little gym. There's not much, but you don't need much. If anybody wonders how I stay so ruggedly handsome, this is it. HA! And ruggedly humble. :-)






Well, there you have it. I could do more but I'm tired of being on the computer and it's a nice day so I'm going to hike on the glacier.