The cold earth sleeps below, above the cold sky shines

A Minke whale right next to hut point.  I was the only person out there (listen to that wind) and had the first "official" whale sighting of the season.  Minkes and orcas frequent the harbor once the ice is broken up.  The orcas eat the minkes, the penguins, the seals and, early in the 20th century, even some of Scott's ponies when they fell through the ice. Conditions:  Con3.  Temperature 18°F (Windchill 0°F). Winds to 24 knots.  Population = 831 Until this week, our time here has seemed endless.  This has become our home and, despite x'ing off the days on my calendar, a departure has seemed like a shifting and fading Fata Morgana. Then, this week, the idea of leaving the ice solidified.  They began "Redeployment meetings", telling us how the process of leaving works (ticketing, stays in New Zealand, travel to other countries). All of a sudden, New Zealand and California seemed reachable.  My head became filled with visions ...

Conditions:  Temperature 28°F (20° with windchill).  Clear.  Population = 861 Practicing medicine here is mundane.  We see colds, sprains, splinters, cuts, rashes, yeast infections, and (shudder) lost fillings--nothing terribly challenging.  But McMurdo clinic is free of charge and easily accessible--right across from the galley with no appointment required--so many McMurdians with no health insurance outside of Antarctica take advantage of the opportunity to see a doctor.  At home, no one would deign come in for many of the minor things we see here. Yet, given that McMurdo has only 250-1000 inhabitants at a given time, it's remarkable how many serious illnesses we actually have occurred.  Some things we've treated here (rapidly progressive cellulitis, perirectal abscess, pneumonia, fractured foot, dislocated shoulder) but others we've had to medevac to Christchurch.   These include: metastatic cancer, ectopic pregnancy, broken neck (...