Post the Twenty-First

Twenty first post.  Twenty first. Holy blogmonsters, Batman!  Do I get a key or something?

And that's not counting the specials and so forth.  When starting out on this project I never imagined that there would be this many.  I was thinking one, perhaps two (short) posts a week would be the maximum.  Who knew that I would be able to generate so much bovine excrement?

Well, truth be told, probably all of you who know me, right?

Anyway, on with the tale of Whoop Whoop, for which I am certain you have been eagerly awaiting.  Of course you have.

When last we visited Matt and Jeff they (i.e. Matt) had just finished rigging up the new generator arrangement, and had rewarded themselves with a quick lunch break.

Now, however, it was time to get back to work.  Well nearly.  First, Matt helped me by wielding the camera for me, and taking some photos of me being all intrepid and Antarctic-y; something I had, until this time, had little opportunity to do given the marked absence of snow and ice at Davis.  Now however there was ice in abundance, and it'll be a cold day in hell before I pass up THAT opportunity.

Firstly, here I am emerging from the accommodation van, also known as the Sprunky Hut (named after the fellow who built it, Peter Sprunk).  And don't I look intrepid?  Yes.  Yes I do.

Indistinguishable from Ernest Shackleton

Not, of course, forgetting another heroic and intrepid member of our party...

Except ol' Ern never had a companion quite like this.

Just ignore the regrettable spelling of "Whoop Whoop" on the sign.  Well, try anyway.

But that's quite enough pfaffing around surrounded by the luxuries of home.  Time to get out amongst it!  And here is yours truly, indicating that yes, at last, HERE is the Antarctica!

Here it is.

Here again is the Antarctica, although this time enhanced by the glamorous presence of Swim-Swim and me.

Saxy

Not only are we beautiful on the ice, but we can enhance the scenery when gracing some machinery.  Here we are immeasurably improving the view, seated on the tracked quad.

That certain je ne sais quoi.

Not satisfied with enhancing Antarctica aboard a quad, it was time to grace the Prinoth snow groomer.

Style and functionality.  The Prinoth has some of those too, I suppose.

The snow groomers are an essential piece of kit at the skiway.  Aside from being instrumental in making the skiway itself, and maintaining it so that it safe for aircraft, but they also very useful for maintaining the area around the vans, and preventing snow build-up.

They're not too bad for draping attractive people over for photographs, too.

And, speaking further of snow groomers, our first job after lunch was to get them refuelled.  The Twin Otter would be returning soon after 3pm, and Matt wanted to get some grooming done prior to its arrival.  So we set to doing that.  Once once the groomers and the generator were refuelled, off Matt popped to groom.

He finished that task with some minutes to spare, so we had time for some witty banter.

We had time for it.  Instead, we did this:

All good things must end.  The arrival of the Twin Otter signalled the end of my time at Whoop Whoop.  Well, poop poop.  With Goldie and Rachel's arrival it was time to hop back on a helicopter and return to Davis.

Oh bother.

Ah well.  I was starting to miss those rocks anyway.


As we lifted of I managed to get this improved aerial shot of (most of) Whoop Whoop.  (I swear, by the time I'm finished in Antarctica I will be capable of some quite moderate photography).

Not all of Whoop Whoop.  Whoop Whoo, perhaps.

Below us here is Twin Otter undergoing refuelling.

Important

Refuelling the Twin Otter is quite important, as without it there would be detrimental effects on the aircraft's operational capability, not to mention its stay-in-the-air-ability.

One last view of Whoop Whoop.

*sniff*

In this one (provided you remember to click on it to get the bigger version) you can just see the recently erected cabling from the accommodation van, across the workshop (poo palace) to the generator sled.

Then, it was back down off the plateau to the Vestfolds.

Yay!  Rocks.

But there was one last treat!

Yes indeed - as we flew back toward the station we crossed a fjord, and on the ice in the fjord I saw...

Weddell seals!

(Weddell seals!)

Not only that, but I was able to photograph them.  How exciting!

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Here we go, then...

Weddell specks!

Yep.  That's them.  Those slug-shaped blemishes on the ice.

Well, that's about the photographic standard for this blog.  What else did you expect?

'Til next time, then.  Stay sane!