This week at Casey the sun gets lower and we find out about the locals routines

The Casey Café

Today’s article focused on asking the Casey Café customers, some downright controversial and crazy questions. I really tried to get the customers to dig deep and make the hard decisions on which their daily routine is based.

Hermann, our CHEF

Q1: Tea/Coffee?

A: Both.

Q2: Porridge or Weetbix?

A: Porridge.

Q: Do you like apples?

A: yes, I LOVE apples, everyone should love apples.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”

Rocket Rod, today’s SLUSHIE

Q1: Tea or coffee?

A: Both.

Q2: Porridge or Weetbix?

A: Porridge.

Q3: Do you like apples?

A: Only in an apple pie.

Pete, the professional PEST (cat, penguin, you name it)

Q1: Tea/Coffee?

A: Weekly tea drinker, coffee on the weekend to get me psyched!

Q2: Porridge or Weetbix?

A: Porridge in the winter, Weetbix in the summer.

Q: Do you like apples?

A: Only red ones.

William, local tour guide

Q1: Tea/Coffee?

A: Coffee for sure.

Q2: Porridge/Weetbix?

A: Porridge all the way.

Q: Do you like apples?

A: I have a sneaky few.

Well folks, there you have it. The extremely controversial and technical questions have been answered.

Let’s not forget Hermann’s relentless work on increasing the consumption of apples on station over the past 6 months, let’s just say “Don’t bite off more than you can chew”.

Jimmy Douglas, Station Carpenter

Portrait of the chef holding a box of apples
Station plumber sitting at the table eating breakfast
The station electrician sitting at a table in the mess
The diesel mechanic having a coffee in the mess

As the sun sinks slowly in the west

It’s hard to capture a typical day at Casey now. The sun barely rises above the horizon just before lunch and has sunk again soon after. What we see in between can depend on the clouds. Generally we have this amazing sunset glow that colours the sky even if we don’t see the sun itself.

What is hard to convey at this time even with a beautiful sunrise and sunset, is that the sun has no warmth at all. The colours we associate with warmth don’t deliver! Our usual daytime temperature is now around -25°C and even with a light breeze with wind-chill this feels like -35°C. On station there are always tasks to do despite the lack of daylight and warmth.

Midwinter will be upon us soon and with that we cut a hole in the sea ice and take a dip. This week, it still seems a long way off and I find it hard to imagine what will incite us…….

Sunrise at Casey station
An expeditioner checking out the refueling equipment
The sun rising in front of Casey station with the flags flying
Two expeditioners stand next to a Hagg trip as the sunsets behind
The sun just above the horizon at Casey recently
The sun glows pink through a thick cloud bank on the horizon
Sunset lighting up a cloud strewn sky
Expeditioners on quads onto the sea ice to drill as the sun rises near Casey
The sun barely above the horizon
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