Sandy Supposes....

Green Snow

ANTARCTICA Vernadsky Station, May 2nd, 2024.

         I tell you waking in the morning here does not entail simply rolling out of bed. Rolling in a sleeping bag leaves me discombobulated which is a long, fancy word for dizzy and entangled. Anyone up for a sack race? I also feel somewhat stiff, but surprisingly not frozen. When I'm snuggled in the cozy confines I cannot help but think of the cartoon/comics in which bears consider campers in sleeping bags to be packaged food. I'm fairly certain penguins are not prey animals. I am enjoying the wonderful absence of insects, too. Thank goodness parkas do not exist small enough to fit mosquitos.

         Some of my resonate dizziness must be an after effect of imbibing the local vodka. It may look like water, but it does not hydrate like H2O. Although plenty of ice surrounds this research center I did not add any to my drink. I am grateful to the steadying pole at the Vernadsky Station Lounge. I'm almost certain the South Pole would not have let me lean on it.

          The winter temperatures here are balmy compared to those back home. Minus 20 Celsius? I dressed in fewer layers for this expedition.

         What timing. We are invited to visit green snow and I am feeling somewhat green around the gills. When I first viewed it I thought to myself how pretty. The green is so vibrant set against the vast whiteness of the snow. It's akin to something Dr. Seussish. Why yes, I like green snow Penguin Sam I Am. It appears fuzzy and reminds me of moss.

         Apparently, this green snow is an algae bloom that acts as a carbon sink, and is due to rising temperatures. Back home I've yet to notice the early crocus. Soon the daffodils, lilac and tulips will make a triumphant return. I wonder if I will learn to see and differentiate the shades of white that exist in this harsh landscape. The Inuit are said to have many names for 'white'.

         Of course I will mail something to my family just for the post mark. I also wish to search for a novel written by the Ukrainian writer Andry Kurkov. It is based upon the first Ukrainian expedition to this research station. The title is intriguing, Death and the Penguin.