Happy Holidays

We had a nice Christmas and New Year here at Halley. It’s the first time I have had Christmas on Christmas day here as it’s always fallen during Relief and so we have always celebrated it a number of days later as Fakemas. Not so this year, though, so we had Christmas Eve and Christmas day off. It’s the first time I haven’t been in the kitchen too, so I was able to sit down with everybody else and enjoy what the chefs had prepared. They did a great job and we had yummy Christmas brunch at about 11 am and then even more yummy Christmas lunch at about 4pm. I lead a team in setting up the tables and we just about managed to make it look festive. The decorations, complete with two fake trees, had gone up a few days before. And we had just enough Christmas crackers to go around.

Christmas excitement! Kind offerings from my family and Al's mum and dad.

Jolly hats from our Christmas stockings.

Al modelling his Christmas cracker prize.

Maybe the most festive outfit. Christmas pud jumper and beard baubles. 

Fantastic cakes from by the chefs.

It was back to work on Boxing Day with a lot to do before the ship’s second call, which will be in a few days. Thanks to a lot of help on station, we managed to get our big food move done, which involved emptying two containers of dry food and splitting it evenly (more or less) into two other containers we had emptied. This will make up the dry food for the next two summer seasons so it was important to get that done well and with an accurate stock take. A big job, but with some organisation and some good weather, we got it done and that takes the pressure off for a little bit. It also means we don’t have to panic about squeezing it in this week.

And it meant I could celebrate New Year without thinking about food spread sheets! Once again the chefs did a great job and laid on a wonderful BBQ for us all. We had some volunteers to set out the BBQ’s and source some scrap wood to burn, so they set it up just across from the Modules. And they dragged over the picnic benches we had dug out earlier in the week. The weather wasn’t quite as good as the evening before but it was still pretty warm and, more importantly, not too windy. I managed to stay up to welcome in the New Year, but headed to bed straight after. And it was nice to be able to enjoy a nice day off to catch up on some much needed sleep and just have some down time.

It looks like I am lucky enough to head out in to the field tomorrow on a co-pilot flight with the added extra of staying out for a few days. A great opportunity! So my bag is packed and my wonderful P-bag (super duper cosy BAS sleeping system) is ready for a few days in a tent with Julie, one of the field guides. I will make sure to take lots of photos and sort as post about that as soon as possible.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family. I hope 2018 will be a wonderful year for everybody. I look forward to seeing everybody when I get back – in just over 2 months (all being well). I miss you and I’m sending lots of love to you all. All the best xxxxxxx