Christmas Eve

Last night was beautiful.  I fell asleep with the door to my tent open, there was no wind and the sun really warms the tents up nicely.  This morning we got up early to get rolling, but we learned that some people from McMurdo were going to fly out on a helicopter to tour the Dry Valleys.  We were a stop along the tour and were asked to be at the camp at 2:30 pm so by the time we got everything together and arrived out at the spot we had to be for the day we would have had to turn right around.  Instead we took the day to clean up around camp, make Christmas gifts, and prepare for our visitors.

We learned at about 10:00 am that the weather in McMurdo was too bad so they wouldn't be coming out.  So, we will have to eat the cookies we baked that were intended for our visitors.  I took my kite out for further test flights.  I was finally making some progress when all of a sudden the thing dive bombed and broke.  I am retiring the kite, and pursuing other options for gifts.  I have an empty scotch bottle sleeve that I am going to put two beers in for part of my gift.  I also am going to give brownies, and some stationary with stamps.  I think it should be sufficient, however not as much fun as a kite.

We are all just doing our own thing here at F6, mainly working on crafts and projects to pass the time today. It is extremely windy out right now otherwise I would consider going for a run.  Maybe I will just suck it up and go anyways.  Honestly, the biggest factor keeping me from running is that my nearest shower is over a week away.

Needless to say, I have some free time today, and I finally am getting settled in here.  Everything has been moving so fast this trip and there has been so much to do it has been hard to take a second to take everything in. Now I finally am getting a chance to look around and realize where I am and what I am doing.  The view from our little hut at F6 is just spectacular.  The photos with my cheap camera don't quite seem to do it justice.

Tonight, weather permitting, we will fly to Lake Hoare for Christmas Eve celebrations and Christmas festivities tomorrow.  If we don't get a flight, we will walk, which isn't too bad only about 3 hours.  I am going to try to find something productive to do.  Hope everyone back home is having a great week leading up to X-mas!