Oakden writing.

Blasted Holes

The theme of today was virtually identical to yesterday's theme-hole clearing. The title above says it all. I won't go into the details. Suffice it to say that we now have 4 more holes in which to dive, and we all ended the day exhausted and sore. The weather, in typical Antarctic fashion, alternated between being windy & cold, and not as windy & not so cold. We did go around and put cookies on some of the holes. Cookies are an 8" layer of foam sandwiched between two layers of plywood. The cookies insulate the hole, and theoretically reduce the amount of hole maintenance that needs to be done.

	Our 6-wheeled ATV with a load of cookies.

Instead of dwelling on the rigors of the day, I'll speak a bit about the setup of our camp. If I were to be writing an advertisement for a travel magazine extolling the virtues of our field camp at New Harbor, it might go something like this:

"Rustic cabins with ocean view, just steps away from secluded beach. Spectacular vistas of snow-capped peaks and unspoiled valleys. Varied cuisine, lovingly prepared by incontrovertibly the best chefs for miles around. Enjoy leisure activities such as snowmobiling, unsurpassed diving with onsite scuba gear rental, and our focused aerobic and weight-training programs. Amenities include communal living, interpretive nature walks, internet access, and occasionally electricity. Sorry, no pets or children."

The New Harbor field station, showing the living and dining facilities on the left, the orange lab in the center, and the orange generator building on the right, with the spectacular snow-capped peaks in the background.

Closeup of rustic living (foreground) and dining (background) compound, with storage locker and solar panels. The solar panels can easily recharge several laptop computers and a few of batteries, or, on a sunny day, power a modest lamp.

View of communal living area, highlighting the faux army-barrack decor.

Our state-of-the-art communication center allows one computer to communicate sporadically via the internet at 14.4bps, or one person to talk on the phone.

The chic and always fashionable Jennifer, posing with some of the tools used in our fitness program.

Closeup of laboratory building, displaying the secluded beach and unobstructed ocean view. Also pictured are some of our recreational vehicles and the orange Dive Center in the background.

The staff of the New Harbor Field Center, reclining at ease after a bountiful repast of gourmet chow.