Post Number 100! More Diving, the New Sea Ice Runway and the Last Flight of Endeavour

I'm about ready to launch out of here and return to the planet earth!13 days and a wake-up!

Collecting Antarctic decals, pins, and patches is very popular.

Gear storage in town. Photo credit to Paul.

Arriving at the dive hut on the sea ice.

Nicely cut hole.

Two of these divers are here on an NSF grant from the University of Oregon. They are collecting worm specimens from McMurdo Sound.

One of the divers has 33 years experience in these waters. The depth of water in this location is about 100 feet. Visibility in the sound is 250 feet.

From the Lonely Planet New Zealand Cycling Guide showing several of the areas Jocelyn and I will cycle.

I will be staying at a hostel across the street from this Brighton Beach break (screen shot from Saturday September 15th) when I return to Christchurch. Unfortunately the water temperature is 50 degF. The highest it ever gets is 59 degF. This is fun looking surf.

To the right is the new sea ice road that leads to the new sea ice runway.

To the left the new runway meets the sea ice road. Starting at main-body on October 1st the C-17 will land here less than a mile from town. At that point the population will start to soar to over 1,000. Fortunately I will be leaving on the 5th.

The sea ice showing cracks.

Mt. Erebus steaming.

Castle Rock to the right of Erebus on the Ross Glacier.

The new ice pier inside Winter Quarters Bay is looking good.

The diving hut where the previous pictures were taken is in the middle top. The building I work in is to the left of the two story building with the two golf balls. The blue building is the galley, offices, and one of the dorms. The big gym where I play volleyball is directly in front of the green building (helicopter hanger) to the left.

Observation Hill.

My "playground" behind me.

The space shuttle Endeavour on its last flight.

Going home to California.

The two shuttle pictures and the following reflective words are from Sean at 16streets.com, a surfing website from 16th Street in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I too realize that the space shuttle has taken 30 years of my life that passed with the blink of an eye. I spent time with the shuttle Endeavour while it was being built in Palmdale, California. Thank you Endeavour.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 I thought I saw a Ghost Ship, riding across the heavens this morning. But when I looked again, I could not be sure. The sky opened and closed, and did not wish to relinquish that which belonged to it. And even as the phantasm flickered briefly into full view, the Ghost Ship remained shadowy. An apparition, a specter. And when I looked a final time, it was gone as if it had never happened. And then I realized that the Ghost Ship had taken thirty some years of my life with it, as it passed from view. Go well, Ghost Ship, go well.