an Ending

It's 3am Sat 9 Feb, and this is may be my last actual post from the Ice. My rotator flight leaves at 8.30a, transport is at 7.30a, and I should be up there by 7a. The rotator flights are the LC130 ski airplanes. They take the New York Air National Guardspeople here and there around the Ice and off continent, and are responsible for supplying Pole. Since it's almost too cold now to fly anything into Pole and the season ending in a few weeks means they need to get people off Mactown Station fast, we have the opportunity to fly with our service folks. It's an 7-8 hr flight vs 5-6, and the toilets are fold-down curtained seats, but it'll be an adventure! And I might even be flying off with the helo I road in with. Now that would be something!
It's been a good send-off. I've gotten most everything done that I wanted to, including saying good bye to lots of folks, talking one last time, face to face, with Anne and Peggy, and finally having that heart-to-heart with Betty.... and finishing the bottle of wine! They say your flight won't leave unless you're hung over in the morning. I don't think I'll be that, but close enough to go!
I am totally excited to meet up with Rob tomorrow in Christchurch and do some tramping. Right now it looks like we'll head for the Dusky in Fiordland. After talking more with Anne and Peggy about it (they did it a little while ago), I think it'll be Hard, but a great challenge I am up to. I am looking forward to the adventure, views, beech forest, and stories I'll be able to tell afterwards.
It's been a fully satisfying trip. I'll leave you with this......
Things I'm looking forward to when I get North:

• Fresh food. Having fresh fruit whenever I want, and having it not be rotten in parts.
• Trees. Green.
  
• Humidity
• Humidity.
• Privacy and more people, though I will also miss the community down here!
• Playing pickup in my cleats, on grass.
• Indian food.
  
• Stars (although I "saw" the moon yesterday during the Very Cool solar eclipse)
  

Thanks for following my adventures, and come back for more notes on what I've been up to!
In the meantime, I should get some sleep.......