Hi Connor!

So I was in the galley at lunch yesterday, and Gretchen and I were approached by a nice lady who asked us to take a postcard that had been sent from an Eighth Grade class from . . . . . Central Middle School--Anchorage, AK. Small World. The card had a couple questions for us to answer. Connor asked how long I had been down here and how long it has taken me to get used to Antarctica. I hope I got most of that right.

So here goes. I left Anchorage on August 16. I got here on the 25th after training, travel, and a weather delay. August 25th is about like Barrow, AK on February 25th (since the seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite ours in the north.)

And I don't really think that I am used to it or that my body has adjusted significantly. Maybe, if a person were outside 24/7 then his/her metabolism would speed up some--creating a little more warmth. But, mostly we all find our ways to adapt and deal. Some people stay indoors most of the time. As a carpenter I have to work outside so I wear goofy amounts of layers--3 hats and bunny boots really work well. And mentally, we start to expect the cold and wind so we aren't surprised by it as much.

Here's a picture for you all.

The clouds are particularly beautiful here. Did I mention I like lenticular clouds? This was taken from our dorm room window. The room is small, but the view is the best on station.

FYI, all are welcome to post comments on the blog. They can be questions or thoughts. Click on the word comments at the end of a post and that will take you were you need to go.

Cheers to all,

Ben