Another trip between Georgia and the New York farm

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Its unusual that I make the trip this late in the year. Although it is highly unlikely it would snow (and bring the road salt and all the other bad stuff). It is often rainy. I had excellent weather. The main objective was to bring the brush hog up and mow trails. The trails have been disapearing and there are a number of bush islands appearing everywhere a small finish mower can't do the job. The tractor worked well. Back up over a multiflora rose bush with the brush hog up and drop it down and take care of business --at least for another couple of year or so. I spent many hours years ago yanking these things out of the ground with tractor and chain which yields a more satisfactory long term outcome. I will be doing the same with the largest ones for sure. I understand that these bushes were originally planted as a natural fence. Animals and humans alike don't like the thorns. They are invasive.

I volunteered in the galley this morning for 4 hours. Time went fast. I cut and arranged fruit for the weekly monster brunch we have here at McMurdo every Sunday. Since I have professional cooking experience I was not relegated to the dish tank, although that would have been fine. I will do it again. The experience reminded me that there is so much for people to explore if they just step off their normal course just a little bit (anywhere on the planet they may be). I am now an insider in the galley. I really need to be conscience about my job since I get to travel and go on mountain tops and so on. Most folks on station are pretty much experiencing the station. They do not get the trips that I do. Greatness starts with gratitude. Gratitude starts with goodness. You can't fake it.

I am working on a great presentation when I return. I have music. I have images. I have video. I have the public speaking skills. The combination is working out well.

In the following satellite image of the Ross Sea area you can see the sea ice is breaking up (if you had seen this before). The island in the lower left is my home, Ross Island. Mt. Terror is an old volcano on Ross Island (one of the three points you can see on the island). I am planning to be on the summit Tuesday. The dry valleys are off to the left, primarily at the nine o'clock position. It takes about 40 minutes to fly to the dry valleys in a helo. That will give you some scale.

The other little guy below is getting a lot of attention form some scientists this year. I had lunch with them (the scientists) a while back.

Comments

Anonymous said…
So, what is your little white friend?
Charles said…
The little white guy as a sea slug. I do not know the scientific name. There is a warm water variety and they are trying to determine how much of the adaptation is genetic versus environmental.

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