A Polie Errant

Well, the last two days I have gotten to go out with a visiting grantee and inspect the full 7-kilometer length of the VLF Beacon antenna. Yeah, it's 4.34 miles long. We got an early start this morning and did the northern half of the antenna. Here are a few pics:
The view back to town:

Our faithful Rocinante, Pisten Bully #309:

Again, the trusty steed:

This sort of picture, with the antenna stretching into the Flat White, reminds me what a beautiful and alien place this Antarctica can be:

Yesterday we did the southern half. Just as we were getting back to the station, I heard a fire alarm called out on the radio. So, I rushed in and helped verify that there was no problem. After a very brief lunch, and finding out our vehicle was having some mechanical issues, I only then had somebody tell me that it was in fact Friday the 13th. It made total sense. I'd felt-in the Force-that something was going to happen today, so had alerted various folks associated with emergency response that I was going to be off-station for several hours.

“One man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world was better for this.”
~from "Don Quixote" by Cervantes

That has to be one of my favorite quotes I've come across in a long time. If you know me, you know why.