Life here is brilliant, as brilliant as Arctic dwelling can get in fact, might not compare to a few weeks sailing around the coast of Southern Thailand, but within its genera, its pretty dame good! My only compliant is that I still haven’t seen an animal of any kind! (Sorry Hector soon as I do I will get picture up for you.) The weather has been overcast the past couple of days and a nippy wind has picked up making it feel a little colder (or ‘brutal’ as the Canadians would say), but this hasn’t stopped the work. We have been beavering away with a multitude of home improvements, worthy of any mid morning TV show.
The latest instalments have been; a new kitchen with sink built into the worktop, a shower cubical with changing area, coat rack and boot area, fuel bund with dispensary taps, and an external home for the generator (with chimney for the fumes). Last night we even put up a dining table, found a few old plates and I made us beans on toast … who could ask for more!
Even with all these luxurious home comforts we have surrounded ourselves with, life isn’t quite like being at home, there is always a longer process involved in receiving the end goods. The shower for example. If you decide you want to have a shower you must first collect a bucket of snow, leave it by the heater for several hours to melt, then fill the bag with nozzle attachment with the water and put it up on the top shelf over the shower, then leave for several more hours for the water to warm in plastic bag. We purposely built the shower right next to the heater hoping sufficient hot air would rise to the roof of the porta cabin and heat the water sufficiently to take the Arctic chill off it. Tarka is about to try the first shower this evening so we will see…! Another example, Charlie pointed out to me the other day as he came in laughing at the randomness of cold weather living, was when he could hear sawing and wondered in to see what I was creating next, only to find that was in fact sawing away with the large wood saw, but what I was desperately trying to cut through was the weeks rashen of cheese!
I even managed a short run this morning up and down the runway, my poor lungs were the only thing to suffer, with every freezing inhalation causing a deep burning pain. Couple more days and I am sure they will have got the gist.
We are working on the video of camp but having a few technical issues…will keep trying.
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:53 pm
well glad to hear you're all well and good, the shower sounds a little like mine and johns improvisation as children – involved a watering can stood in the sun all day and a washing line, john liked the idea of attaching string to the handle then he could 'turn ' it off and on, it involved much experimentation to get right and was always bloody freezing! – boys love being able to see where you are and what youre doing – keep going ! loads of love Jo & The Boys XXX
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:41 am
Great to hear your news! My 1st adventure race in the New Forest with Dee was a blast. Next time I lack motivation to go out for a run though, I'll think of you training on the ice down the runway…
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
sorry not been in touch, just hit the rush hour in Courchevel for this week and next, it seems we are lucky to be working atall the other ski schools are really suffering from lack of clients. Snow still good, Chiara is off round the world so I am happy to give 100% to the clients, takes my mind off you all. I expect you to dig down under one of the cabins to make a pool and undergound arctic marine lab not to mention the second floor gym and health spa. Come on Tarka, lets see some proper construction, ice carving classroom, model submarine building…..