12 April, 2003

It snowed last night and left about a one inch think blanket on everything outside. What a beautiful sight to wake up to.

All dressed up and no place to go. I was supposed to dive tender this morning at 9:30 AM. We got geared up and the supplies loaded. Right as we were ready to enter the boat, the wind got stronger. The station manager radioed Chuck, my PI, and said the winds were picking up and to wait a few minutes to see what the weather might decide to do. Chuck went to discuss the situation with him. The dive was cancelled.

The dive was to take place right here at the station on a point called Gamage Point. Gamage Point is named for Harvey Gamage Shipyard, the builder of the Hero research vessel. It sits on Hero Inlet. So, to help you get a geographical picture, Palmer Station sits on Hero Inlet at Gamage Point, which is in Arthur Harbor on Anvers Island. Arthur Harbor is named after the 1956 governor of the Faukland Islands, Oswald Arthur. I just found out that Anvers Island is not Anver's Island, but named for the province in Belgium.

This afternoon at 2 PM we have House Mouse duties. All work ceases for an hour and a half while each person is assigned a weekly clean-up duty.

At 3:30 we will have the weekly station meeting.

Gamage Point

Just like we all have chores at home, we have chores here. Everyone pitches in and has a good attitude. My House Mouse duty this week was to clean the girls' restroom. I'm at the sinks here.

Here I am washing out the shower stalls.

Mopping the bathroom floor.

Here we are at our weekly meeting.