(no subject)

Cold and snowing hard again! Where has summer gone? can't really complain as we have just had two glorious days.
Spent an evening sitting down by the rusty chains with a cup of tea, actually ended up lying on a flat rock like a seal. Very relaxing.
Less soothed however when I decided to uncover my long-unseen feet and give them a bracing salty dip, and on doing so discovered chilblains! The other two have had them for weeks and I was feeling marginally smug about my obviously superior circulation and/or boots. I have three on one foot and a couple on the other! Not too itchy and sore yet, perhaps now it is getting warmer I can take extra care and make them go away. So the next morning we had breakfast on the verandah, and I made a foot bath with peppermint and tea tree oils. Very nice, I'm sure that's helped.

We have a morning off, no ships! so do a little joinery with Rick. We make a raised board for under my bunk bed to enable me to slide my clothing boxes over a bar on the floor, which was annoying me. Fine job, and now it they glide in and out with ease.
I have my first run! We all set off round Bill's island, I get wet feet from looking at the view instead of the puddles, but it's really enjoyable. We can't get round our island as well though - the tide is a little too high and there is a great cornice of snow to crawl under so we stick to Bill's. The shop is warm from the sun, and we are enjoying a little after-run stretch when I spot Europa coming into the bay. What a glorious sight! she is a tall ship, built in 1911, and looks so much like a historic expedition ship coming into view under sail. We sit and watch on the verandah, wave at some figures on deck who wave back. They come and pick us up and we go over for a pre-vist beer. Later we go back again for our first barbecue of the season. The weather is wonderful, there is a minke whale in the bay, and a leopard seal swims round and round the ship watching us watching it. We have a lovely evening, great food and company. There is a bad flu bug on board though and we ho
pe we haven't caught it.

Next morning they pick us up and we go over to Jougla Point on Wienke Island. It's so close, and we've never been there yet! There is another gentoo colony there, and blue-eyed shags too. We have a great walk, see our island from a different perspective! and go over the low ridge to view the Peltier Channel. Slide down the snow slope back to sea level, filling our jackets and trousers with snow, and back to the ship for lunch. Afterwards they take us round the corner to another British Hut, Damoy. There used to be an airstrip on the snow here - the hut was built in 1975 and used up to 1993 to enable staff and stores to be flown south to Rothera when sea ice prevented ship access. After we have a look round they whizz us back home in a zodiac and we have a peaceful night in - all really tired by our day off!