The Last Week of Summer.....

So there was plenty of excitement this week as the last of Palmer's summer population prepared to leave. I think we all got to know each other very well over the past six weeks but it was definitely time to get the winter started. The summer friends will be missed. But not too badly. HA! :-)

It started off as a windy week as you can see. 44 knots with gusts in the high 50's.

This picture sucks cause it was taken through a window and with my zoom. But it's a huge wave crashing against an island.

They had to take the boats out of the water and store them. One of black buoys that we use on the pier to brace the ship even got blown out to sea. We got it back though. Crazy wind.

We even had a visit from a little penguin friend.

The boat was set to leave on Friday so on Thursday night we had a Crosstown Dinner. This is where we invite the folks from the boat over for dinner. It was a big feast with Beef Wellington, a baked potato bar, and the chefs on the boat prepared some things as well. Including a fresh salad and Pulpo! As you can see above, Lisa, our Winter Station Manager enjoys the Pulpo, or octopus. It is a tasty treat and if you've never had it I highly recommend it. The scientists pulled up a bunch of these little guys in their nets on the last fishing trip. They were SO good!!!


Laura Rip tried one. She's one of our full time engineers back in Denver. It was such a good time that I decided to unleash the dragodile hat. It was a gift back in Denver during OSAR training and I had been waiting for the perfect moment. This was it. I say dragodile because we can't figure out if it's a dragon or a crocodile.

That night Dave organized a great open mic. I played guitar for three songs in a band. There were five or six of us? It was great fun. Some really talented people here. Below our boating coordinator is actually yodeling. Yodeling!!!! And it was so awesome! Not the stupid pretending to yodel. The real thing. He took a class during high school I guess.

This is just one of the mixtures of people that performed. Half-Assed Blue Grass they called themselves. And they sang Gin and Juice.


Some people don't like goodbyes. I don't really care one way or another. I'll probably see all these people again anyways. We gathered to bid farewell in the galley in the morning.

Friday morning the line handlers get ready to cast off the ship for the last time this summer. We won't see the LMG again until September.

I think this picture turned out great. Don't know why. I just like it.

The summer folks on the boat wave goodbye to us. Some of them have been here for the better part of 8 months. I think they are as ready for something new as we are.

Then they leave, motoring into the Antarctic sunrise.

Then begins the crazy Palmer tradition of jumping into the ice cold water as the boat motors away. Crazy!! I'm sure the water is below freezing.



Sean, Chris and Cory jump in these photos. I've done it before. Not here. But before. So I needn't impress myself. I'd rather stand back and take the photos. But good thing there is a hot tub to warm everyone up!!


So we look forward to hunkering down for the quick winter with a small population. I have never cooked for this few people before so we'll see what happens. I have a feeling the paperwork, reports, and menu planning will take up the majority of my time. I am looking forward to midwinter dinner in two weeks. There will for sure be a blog about that. Keep yer eyes open...