Tradition is strong at the South Pole, and last week was validation of that. After the final plane departed with the remaining summer personnel, the winterovering station crew all gathered in the gym for the traditional screening of all three versions of “The Thing.” They engage in this marathon viewing each year. Earlier in the week, things were busy as usual, with some IceCube troubleshooting work balanced with station activities. There was preparing nutrients for the hydroponic greenhouse system, defueling and marshalling of aircraft, and removing the last of the snow drifts before retiring the heavy-duty snow blower for the winter.
