Hello Friends!

Well  it is that time of year again.   In just about a week,  it will be time to pat the cats , kiss the husband goodbye, and start my trek to the Antarctic.   

It is a bittersweet moment for me. I am  insanely excited to be headed back to the Ice, and see my cruise  friends again.  There is something very Zen about picking, clicking, and debating amphipod leg shape with friends.   I have heard a rumor that the food on the ship has improved. That would be sweet!  I so hope it is true!  I will keep you posted

The bitter part is that this is the last year of NOAA’s winter survey.  Over the course of the cruise I will set my last net, seal my last sample jar,  fill  in my last datasheet, and say goodbye one last time to my ship friends.   Along the way to all those lasts there will be heaps of tows, lots of fun zooplankton, and  good times for all. Who can forget the half a krill we kept alive for more than 24 hours?

So get  ready for more  photos of ice, zooplankton, and seals.  Hopefully the weather will be grand  and there won’t be several days of silence followed by a long explanation of how horrid the weather was.

Alright friends,  you know what to do.  Watch this space.  I will start regularly posting in early August.  If  you read  a blog and have questions-  harass my long suffering husband.  He can get the questions to me (and you  are doing me a favor by encouraging him to read the blog!)