Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving at Sea


Here on the ship we are busy with ops at station 23 (of 36 – we added an impromptu station when we stumbled upon an underwater “volcano” last week). But fear not, I have forgone sleep in the name of the holiday spirit to craft decorations for the day. Several of my shipmates came better prepared with the store-bought kind, but here’s a quick look at what I’ve been up to:
Paper turkeys on the console for the GEOTRACES team
 

 One scientist’s wife sent foam turkeys for people to assemble, and after we got bored making them I decided to prank our night watch marine technician, Stephen, by sewing a foam “Picasso” turkey to his beanie.

 I made assorted toilet paper people for the tables in the mess
 

And the piece-du-resistance, our Halloween lanterns spray painted and converted into turkeys...



 … laying in wait at our day watch marine technician Patrick’s hammock. He says I’ll be in trouble if he finds any turkey poop in there. Too bad we ate all the raisins on board already! ;D


While it’s just another work day here on the ship, the atmosphere is festive and everyone is looking forward to a spectacular meal this evening. The cooks have been working overtime to make countless pies, side dishes, and prepare the various meats.

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to be an oceanographer, the sunny 80 degree weather, and our [fleeting] internet connection to receive email from loved ones. May your mashed potatoes be creamy, your gravy non-lumpy, and your turkey moist. Happy Thanksgiving, readers!

What does an oceanographer look like?



Despite the world’s slowest internet connection, I am going to attempt to make this blog a bit more interactive. That’s right – I’m asking each and every reader to write back to me. No fair reading and not writing in!

When you close your eyes and picture an oceanographer, what do you see?

Before I show you what I see, send me your vision. It can be a photo, a doodle, a written description, molded from rice crispy treats, etc. Get creative!
Rules:
1. Attachments must be 200 kb or smaller in size!
2. Send your response by December 6th, 20:00 PST
4. See rule number 1.


The lighthouse we saw when leaving Manta’s port 33 days ago.