A Twin Otter pick from a few years ago. Sorry for the repost, it’s all I’ve got tonight.

Hi all,   it’s Sunday night about 7:30 pm for us here in McMurdo, and there’s a little bit of news.  John and Duck are on the schedule to fly to Elephant Moraine tomorrow morning,   and Brian and I are on the schedule to fly to Shackleton Camp and along the way reconnoiter the targets for the main part of the field season.  These are both Twin Otter flights,  so we don’t have too many hoops to jump through;  we check by phone at about 7:30 AM that things are still on,  and then we get picked up outside our dorms about a half-hour or so later. Of course Duck and John have been getting ansy, since they’ve been on and off the schedule since wednesday.  Brian and I are more starstruck- getting on the schedule quickly and having it look good for flight first time is pretty lucky.   The weather’s looking good for both flights.

If all goes according to schedule, by this time tomorrow John and Duck will be at Elephant Moraine (the subdivision we informally call Meteorite City) and Brian and I will be at Shackleton Camp.  Brian and I are scheduled to return to McMurdo late on tuesday,  while John and Duck will be out at Elephant until Monday. All the flights are easily delayed by weather.    Because of this,  I doubt we’ll be posting to the blog for a few days.  Meanwhile,  the remainder of our team is in the air on their way across the pacific to New Zealand- they should all be in christchurch by mid-day Monday (our time).  Very hopeful that Brian and I will be back in McMurdo to greet them as they arrive.

Here’s hoping for more good weather tomorrow!  It would be nice to get the show on the road.

PS:  Thanks to all the ANSMET vets out there sending us well-wishes,  many of whom reminding me how lucky we are to be missing all the politiking and blustering and other news madness.  We see it,  but one slowly-downloaded story at a time.  Trust me, this is one place where anticipation doesn’t make it better. So this is for you, my “aren’t you lucky you aren’t here” friends- a link to a story that combines the holiday spirit with the sense of impending disaster in subtle, not-at-all-subtle and very humorous ways.   I LOL’ed.

http://www.startribune.com/dear-2016-i-made-you-this-ornament-it-s-a-dumpster-fire/402757886/

PPS:  Go Browns!  Make it 1-11!

-posted by Ralph from McMurdo