Lonely as an iceberg...

...only 1500 penguins for company!
Yes, we have now had 4 ships cancel - beginning to worry about the 8
tonnes of stock we have to shift! Carry on painting and scraping and
sanding - the place is looking really good now. The weather improves. I
have breakfast on the verandah for the first time. Totally silent except
for the splosh of diving penguins and the patter of their flappy feet on
the snow, occasional rumble of collapsing glaciers and the squabbling of
the sheathbills. They are getting pretty lively on the roof at 5am these
days so we are still rising early. Eating reasonably well - forcing
ourselves to get through last year's left overs before we begin on the
food we brought. We are getting more and more inventive - chilli con
spam, salmon spaghetti surprise, soya mince rogan josh. We are able to
eat most meals without the use of a knife, or much chewing that's for sure.
I have had three washes too over the last two and a half weeks! Two of
them snow washes at the landing site. A flannel, a dollop of snow and a
good rub, top half and then bottom half. Not as bad as it sounds on a
sunny still day. Great views! And once when the weather was wild for a
while, half a bowl of warm water in the bunkroom in front of the gas fire.
Had a lovely afternoon off the other day - completed a total
circumnavigation of both islands - Bill's and Goudier - at low tide. Saw
much marine invertebrate life. Sea urchins, limpets, starfish and a
giant isopod! which only I was brave enough to fetch for closer
inspection (necessitating removal of trousers, socks, shoes and a fair
bit of a paddle - it was pretty bracing to say the least but I survived,
just a little bit pinker-skinned than before).
Must be time for a cup of tea - bye for now!