Thanksgiving Day

At 2:00 AM on Thanksgiving day it really started to snow. This was when we were supposed to take off, so I am impressed that the weather guys are doing so well. It was enough snow for me to be able to collect some snow samples for Jim Lawrence back at UH. Jim measures the oxygen isotope ratios of water vapor, rain, and snow. So far I have been here two weeks and we have only had two significant snowfalls. Hopefully we will get a few more. Because of the late take off, and the fact that my instrument is working well, I took the chance to do some laundry. It was pretty easy to do and didn't take that long, so I probably will not wait so long next time. The washing machines are free and you don't even need to buy any detergent. I was the only person doing laundry at 0900 AM, so no waiting for the washers or dryers. It sure doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, but we are all really missing are families right now. When I was walking to the lab this afternoon (a little after 2:00 PM) I remembered to take a photo of the sundial. This is one of the few places were the sundial is useful 24 hours a day. It is good enough to set your watch by. For me it still takes a bit of getting used to the fact that at solar noon, the Sun is due North. After the cloudy at cold afternoon, the wind died down and it was warm, clear, and beautiful out this evening. The Twin Otter took off successfully at 2:20 AM. We are always a little late for take off because we want to turn on all the instruments after engine start and make sure everything is working before take off. This usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We all have a lot to be thankful for and I am looking forward to spending next Thanksgiving with my family.