4 December, 1999

This is it! (I think.) The plane from Christchurch (CHC) has landed. I have gone through "bag drag" (This is like the check-in process I went though in CHC.) We have had our final Cape Roberts meeting. The weather appears good and I am manifested for a flight tomorrow morning (12/5/99 NZT). Even though you never know around this place until the wheels leave the ground, this will be my last journal entry from the ice.

Throughout this entire adventure you have heard about my experiences in Antarctica. I hope you will allow me to take a moment to thank a few people, without whose efforts, I would not have had this wonderful opportunity.

First of all the National Science Foundation and the Office of Polar Programs, in parcticular Wayne Sukow, the Director of the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Science Education (ESIE) at NSF. Wayne is, in large part, responsible for the existence of the TEA program and he was the one who called me to inform me of my parcticipation. He has been a support and help ever since. I want to thank Stephanie Shipp at Rice University who coordinates the TEA program and has organized the logistics of the program. Thanks to Emily Olanoff who has coordinated the TEA web site.

I want to thank my friend and colleague Cary Anderson, who took a break from a well-deserved retirement to teach my classes. I cannot express the comfort it gave me knowing that my students were in such professional and competent hands. Thank as well to the Appleton Area School District for the support given to me on this project as well as in the past.

On the ice, I want to thank all of the Cape Roberts Team members who I have recognized in various ways in my journals and are too numerous to mention now. I am very grateful for their willingness to share their knowledge and let me, in some small way, become part of their family. I need to give parcticular thanks to Peter Webb. Peter has been tolerant of me and interested in the work I am doing with children He has also been extremely generous by allowing me to share the resources of the Cape Roberts Project to make my experience as fulfilling as possible. Thank you to the palynology group (or POD) Mike Hannah, Rosie Askin and Ian Raine for letting me be of some assistance in the project and sharing with me their time and expertise. I parcticularly want to thank John Simes, my partner in crime in the lab. He taught me a great deal, not only about lab procedures but how to work hard and how to be kind with those who you work with.

I owe a great deal to John Wrenn. First of all for his willingness to step into uncharted waters by inviting a total stranger into his world. This took a great deal of courage, vision and kindness. John has been patient, persistent and supportive in all of my interactions with him. He recognized the importance of my TEA work as equal to my work on the Cape Roberts Project. He has allowed me to become part of a very significant piece of scientific research. I felt from my first interactions with John that he considered me a full partner in this endeavor. Thank you John for your tolerance and incredibly hard work.

I want to express thanks to all of my friends (old and new), family, colleagues and those of you who just happened to browse into my ramblings. It made the task of writing the journals a joy knowing that people were reading them and finding something of value.

Thanks to all of the students, mine and those of others, who used this site to learn something about this very unique place. I hope you gained something from the words and pictures, but more importantly, that this is only the start of your education about Antarctica.

Finally, I want to thank my children, Ellie (who e-mailed me all the time) and Matthew (who never e-mailed, but I know he meant to.) for just tolerating their father (and a little love would be nice as well). To my long-suffering wife Pam, I love you, I miss you, thank you for your support and love. I am on my way home.

To all of you who have given me the opportunity to leave my footprints on the frozen continent of Antarctica, Thank you.