Upper Peninsula Michigan and Auction Win Outcomes

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I was up in Wisconsin and the UP (upper peninsula) in Michigan. It was a lot of driving after launching/landing in Appleton WI. I got an item off the bucket list by driving across the "Mighty Mac". Altough it was built in the late '50s. It is still the longest suspension span in the Northern hemisphere. It is a crazy long bridge with a crazy long suspension span. It was good to see the bridge in context of the seemingly endless forests of Northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The culture in the two haves of Michigan are noticibly different as you might expect. Great time meeting with folks both in WI and MI. The tractor I won in auction, seems to have paid off. This time I beat the odds. It was a really good deal. I have the "no-key, non-running, may have hydraulic problems, unknown hours" -auction win, running well with minimal cost and time. I have some more tweaks, maintenance and minor fixes but the major risks are gone.
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I am at South Pole Station!

The new station is really incredible. This place is not like a building it is much more like a space ship or something. There is always a little vibration and sounds of machinery and ventalation. I am so lucky to be here in this time frame. The new station is fully inhabited and the dome is starting to get torn down this winter. I went straight away to the dome. It really is quite the structure. It stays about 60 below zero in there and the related tunnels. It only feels like -30 or so because there is no wind. None. It is extremely quiet.

I am concentrating getting my body adjusted to the physio-altitude. I ended up not taking Diamox and I am fine. I knew what it was going to be like and have taken the precautionary steps. I should be almost 100 percent today on my first full day on station. Southpole is an inside place. I have not yet gone outside, but I suspect I will tonight and get down to the actual pole. I got on the ham radio last night and talked with a couple of folks in New Zealand.

These pictures are not of the new station. They are in the connected older parts and connected dome. They will be gone soon. I lot of history is there. I have heard conflicting stories of where the dome is going to end up. Florida was one of the places. I think it would make a good night club and restaurant and you get a free meal if you ever visited it on the ice.

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I was up in Wisconsin and the UP (upper peninsula) in Michigan. It was a lot of driving after launching/landing in Appleton WI. I got an item off the bucket list by driving across the "Mighty Mac". Altough it was built in the late '50s. It is still the longest suspension span in the Northern hemisphere. It is a crazy long bridge with a crazy long suspension span. It was good to see the bridge in context of the seemingly endless forests of Northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The culture in the two haves of Michigan are noticibly different as you might expect. Great time meeting with folks both in WI and MI. The tractor I won in auction, seems to have paid off. This time I beat the odds. It was a really good deal. I have the "no-key, non-running, may have hydraulic problems, unknown hours" -auction win, running well with minimal cost and time. I have some more tweaks, maintenance and minor fixes but the major risks are gone.
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