Elliott Brack

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I went to Elliot Brack's funeral yesterday. He was a friend. And he was quite a character. He was one of the first people I met outside of work when I moved to Georgia. He was sort of a variation of the main character of Tom Wolfe's "A Man In Full". I used to say that Elliott and I had a 50-50 relationship. He told me what to do and I did it. His 50% was telling me. My 50% was doing it. He was a fixture at my church and involved me in all sorts of things. Including organization of our "Civic Breakfast" where we invited leaders from the community for information and opinions of the community. It goes on and on. There were 260 people attending his funeral. He will be missed. https://www.crowellbrothers.com/obituaries/Elliott-Earl-Brack?obId=48440319

I spent a couple more hours in the ham shack last night. Almost is the word. 20 meters isn't working for me. I think I have antenna problems. I did string a 40 meter dipole and I heard folks for the US (NY, OH, and some others). I rigged up the 400 w amp and still couldn't break thru to give a point or two (perhaps a multiplier) to some contesters. I suspect if I had a kilowatt I would have been there. It was close. So, the next time I go up to the shack I should be in business. It is fun talking to some of the guys down here about how terrible it is to be at the pointy end of a pile up... I just pick on them when they start talking like that.

Today I was out on the sea ice. I spent quite a bit of time in a Hagglund, a Swedish made tracked vehicle. I learned how to profile ice with a power auger, determine if cracks are safe, and generally assess ice conditions. It was informative and enjoyable. Some of the folks I live with down here are an absolute hoot. They are so much into the adventure (just like me) and they are in the zone. I was hoping to get a shot or two of some penguins but it was not meant to be today. We did see some more Weddell Seals. Overall, the ice is interesting. It is like the sea. It moves slower and has a different rheology. The dangers and the respect remain the same.

Still no flights to the pole. Nine days it has been contrary to plan. That a long time out of a season as short as summer in Antarctica.

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