It’s been a busy fortnight at Davis station with the festive period culminating this Monday in a “Come as you are” (i.e. however you desire, not the Nirvana song) themed New Years’ Eve extravaganza. The non-judgmental atmosphere allowed many of the expeditioners to showcase the best version of themselves as they took the plunge into the 20’s with a dance party, curiously replete with 80’s classics.
So, looking back on the past two weeks, here is what happened at Davis…
The Helicopter Resources crew generously hosted a pre-Christmas pizza night, concluding in a (almost) full station photograph in the snow.
Helicopter facts and tidbits were posted around the hangar while a partially disassembled machine provided a focal point of expensive machinery for the mechanically inclined to ogle.
The festivities were also interspersed with normal station operations. The station’s Field Training Officers (Marty, Jason, Paula and Mark) used the Monday before Christmas to take the technical Search and Rescue (SAR) team on a field exercise. The steep and uneven rocky surface of Sentinel Knoll proved a challenging location for the 6 tech-SAR members to practice installing rock anchor and rope lowering systems, which were then used to simulate transporting an injured patient in a stretcher.
Back on station the infrastructure projects team continued their excellent work on the water storage tanks.
Christmas day arrived and among the bustle of communal activities, expeditioners were encouraged to take time for themselves to speak to their friends and family back home.
The midday rumble of a Hägglunds engine heralded a visit from Santa (last seen moonlighting as King Neptune on V1) who dispensed Kris-Kringle gifts to expeditioners, including wooden artworks, beautifully handcrafted by expeditioners.
The ultimate success of Christmas rested heavily on the talent, creativity and dedication shown by the three chefs: Donna, Lesley and Henrik. Their Christmas day offerings of brunch and dinner were the fruits of weeks of largely unseen preparations and provided expeditioners with two magnificent feasts in one day.
The presentation for Christmas dinner in a particular was a real testament to their professionalism, so on behalf of the station — thanks again!
