25 November, 2000

FYI answer for 11/24/00

McMurdo Station has a bowling alley, a weight room, a library, a band room and gymnasium. There are aerobics classes and yoga, dance lessons, and art and ceramics classes. There is a radio station and television station. There is a chapel, post office and store, a barber shop and newspaper office.

Science has time for holidays. Today was the McMurdo Thanksgiving Day. The entire station, except, of course, the cook and kitchen staff, had the day off. Since we were already here from coming in last night, it was a good day for me to spend working on the computer here at the Crary Lab. I was again able to catch up on e-mails, questions and get these journals caught up. I did notice quite a few scientists wandering elsewhere here so they too must have decided it was a time to catch up. Our lab offices are on the third level of this complex. We are in a large room that is kept very cool and is filled with fish tanks and pools. Some of these pools and tanks have many underwater species living in them from time to time. The scientists working with these vertebrate and invertebrate animals must come in on a regular basis to monitor them.

Our team met early this evening for our reserved time to go to the Galley and have dinner. There were so many choices. We, of course, had turkey, potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, bread, vegetables, and assorted salads, but we also could have Antarctic Cod, shrimp, ham, salmon, fresh fruits, root vegetables, rolls, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, chocolate pie, and so much more. It truly was a feast. Many people planned well when they came to McMurdo because they were very dressed up. Others like myself had on our nice jeans or slacks and didn't dress like we do every other day around here. It was a nice, festive occasin. It lasted about an hour and then it was over. But we had a day off. Tomorrow we'll see if the weather gives us a Sunday day of rest.

FYI

Antarctica's ________ surface layer and warmer air above the ______________ combine to form images of objects above their actual position. This is called looming. So if you are ______________ at a mountain peak on the horizon, you will see the same mountain __________ upside down seeming to come out of the top of the real ___________________. These are Antarctica's mirages.

This was a great Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving!