The cold earth sleeps below, above the cold sky shines

The vast expanse of ice that makes up the Ross Ice Shelf Current Conditions:  Con3 Temp 19ºF (7 ºF with windchill).  Mostly cloudy.   Population: 787 I've much to blog about but we've been so busy, and the network so slow, that I've fallen behind.  Today, though, I'm writing a relatively dry blog about something wet--ice. We are surrounded by ice, much of McMurdo's research is about ice, and many of the injuries we see in clinic, also involve ice.  It's the central component of life here.   In the last week, my life seems to have revolved around ice.  Tuesday, I toured the pressure ridges in front of Scott Base.  After that, at the Ross Island Yacht club meeting, a McMurdian presented his experiences working on the Nathaniel B. Parker, a ship studying the sea ice.  Then, Wednesday, we went to a lecture about the disappearing ice shelves around Greenland.  Fortunately, Rebecca gave me her field guide to ice.  So ...

Weddell mom and pup (From IcySeals gallery) Current conditions:  Con3. Temp 16ºF (wind chill 7ºF).  Mostly cloudy (some flurries).  Population = 726 Aside from friends and family, there are two things I desperately miss down here: furry animals (particularly my own dog and cat, but really, anything pet-able) and the spectrum of nature's colors (particularly green).  There is no hope for the latter--grey, brown, white and blue is all I'll see for six months.  With respect to the former, we have some relief.  We get to see--though not pet--seals. Three types of seal come through the McMurdo area:  the Leopard, the Crabeater and the Weddell.  A leopard dragged an Antarctic biologist underwater 15 years ago, killing her.  They've also, on rare occasion, attack humans on the ice.  So that's a furry creature I prefer to avoid.  Crabeater seals--which don't eat crabs--are rarely seen.  The most populous of all seal specie...