Austral Summer Solstice

Every hour on the hour for 24 hours

Sunset 24:07

Sunrise 02:21

Notice where the sun sets and where it rises

 8am

 9am

10am

11am 

 12pm

 1pm

 2pm

3pm 

4pm 

5pm 

6pm 

7pm 

8pm 

 9pm

10pm 

 11pm

 Midnight

 Midnight from slightly different angle

 1am

 2am

 3am

 4am

 5am

 6am

7am

Living the Dream

 A young elephant seal stopped by for a visit.

 A beautiful, warm day - time for a lounge by the water.

 Friday night was the Palmer Art Show and Open Mike. We packed up our musical gear and transported it to the bar/lounge Palmer-style - in the Skytrac. 

 The stage

 Jamming ... our set list - Sweet Home Chicago, Sweet Home Alabama, Tush, TNT, Brown Sugar, Stray Cat Strut. It was a fun time for all.

Once the Ice Broke Up ...

After a day of strong winds blowing from the north the ice broke up and moved away from station this week. As a result, the researchers were finally able to get off station and visit nearby islands and water collection spots. Meanwhile back at station, without the thick ice, we had some visitors.

 A lone Adelie penguin. 

 Three Gentoo penguins.

 A juvenile Southern Elephant Seal pretending he's a rock.

 And lots of humans enjoying take out lunch on a calm sunny day.

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

Me and Mount Williams, Anvers Island, Antarctica

Sun, Ice and a Penguin

We have had sunny days recently. Went on an early morning walk today behind the station, onto the glacier ...

 and then down to water on another part of the island.

 Saw some recent penguin tracks and a penguin off in the distance.

As I was walking away I heard a honk and the penguin was running over to check me out. After he realized I wasn't who he thought I was, he ran off. Comical.

Shades of Pink at Palmer

Unlike my last summer here at Palmer the surrounding waters are still covered with sea ice so we can't take the Zodiacs out and visit nearby islands. But it is so beautiful, I can't complain. I'm enjoying the ice and pink reflections at sunset.

Halloween at Palmer - the infamous pink onesie turns into the Pink Panther

CrossFit Malibu/Antarctica

When I'm home in Malibu I regularly workout at CrossFit Malibu. Fortunately Mike-the-owner posts the workouts on the crossfitmalibu.com website so every morning, here in Antarctica, I check the website for my workout for the day and after doing the workout I upload my reps/times/weights used to the website ....

 Then, back in Malibu at the gym, Mike adds my scores to the blackboard... So despite being in Antarctica it IS a small world.

Another Day in Paradise

With the government up and running again, we at Palmer Station went back to normal science and support activities and the ship headed north with just the folks who had finished their work here, instead of taking almost everyone home. There are now just 37 of on station.

Yesterday the sun came out and it felt like 50 degrees (probably was more in likely in the low 40's). Many of us went exploring the in backyard. I wanted to see how Bubba and mom, the Weddell seals, were doing. They too were enjoying the warmth.

There has been no wind and it had been cold so the sea is covered with new sea ice and old brash ice. Wish I could walk on it but it's not THAT thick.