Week 42 at the Pole
The scene outside the South Pole station—now that there’s sunlight to see by—is rather changed from how the winterovers remember it last summer. There’s quite a build-up of drifted snow around the tower end of the station, but clearing it all out will wait for summer newcomers. This year, summer season staffing and logistics for the South Pole have been modified, and the first flight arrivals will occur in early November, somewhat later than typical (last year it was in mid-October). So they have a couple of bonus weeks for the winter season. A bit more time for station cleanup—organizing the quiet reading room was apparently a major event. As for the greenhouse, it’s looking good, with a healthy strawberry plant bearing (barely visible) ripening fruit.
