Freeze

I am giving up my computer today. I will be packing my computer, lab and field notes and papers to get them into the cargo system so they can be waiting for me in Columbus when I return. The water in the turning basin has started to refreeze. The whales have left and although the emperor penguins were here over the weekend, I think they finally swam home yesterday too after exploring the sea-ice near station for a while. I took this picture from the Crary Lab window. The turning basin is filled with grease ice, which is one of the early stages of sea-ice formation.
It would be unfair to say that it is starting to get dark here. However, the sun is lower in the sky and the first sunset will happen next week. The "sunset" picture was taken Saturday night around 11PM. Some people who are staying for the winter are anxious for the summer people to leave. I understand this sentiment having grown up in a beach town that was a summer tourist resort. It was always a little relief on Labor Day to get our town back from the visitors. Some of my friends who are wintering can't believe that we are leaving so soon and they are sad to say goodbye. In any case, it's just a matter of time before the summer residents and visitors to McMurdo pack up their things and say goodbye.