Tomorrow the L.M. Gould will arrive to exchange passengers and cargo. So, today was the day off at Palmer station. Even when there is a day off, however, someone has the watch! This means that one person will be on duty for monitoring radio communications and for checking the power plant and station. That way, the maintenance specialist, the communications technician, and the power plant mechanic can really have a day off!

Today it is Wendy's turn to have the watch. All support staff take a turn doing the watch. Wendy is the excellent cook here at Palmer Station (her desserts are to die for!). Today she is in charge of communications and she will do the rounds of all the checkpoints.

Wendy has had a lot of experience with the US Antarctic Program (USAP). She "wintered over" at the South Pole once and at McMurdo Station twice. She has spent one summer at the South Pole, two summers at McMurdo Station, and this is her second time here at Palmer for the summer season.

Wendy also has had the experience of living in two different temporary field camps in Antarctica. In 1995-1996, she lived at Shackleton, where geologists were studying the area. In 1996-1997, Wendy was at Siple Dome, where scientists study ice cores. In both places, Wendy was the cook. She used a small 4-burner propane stove to cook for forty people! Everyone lived in Jamesways, the temporary summer housing that is used by the USAP.

This watch system (for days off) is used by every USAP station. Each place has a different checklist, however. So, Wendy got her checklist and showed me around, so that I could see all the things she would be doing. First, however, and even though it was HER day off from cooking, Wendy prepared an incredible spread of homemade bagels with all the trimmings. (On the day off , everyone fends for himself or herself in the kitchen. However, there are always lots of delicious things to eat!)