Author Archives: Victoria

Auroras 04/12/13 between 0230 and 0530.  Some of the most amazing ones that I have seen!  

Where there is an airport, there be ARFF, matey… Yaarrrrr…  Okay, I’m past the whole pirate thing. So, one of the main reasons that the Antarctic Fire Department has a permanent station at McMurdo, a temporary station at the airfield (depends on the season and which airfield is operational – Pegasus or the seasonal (temperamental)Continue reading “Purple Stuff!”

Well, at least people around here are.  With the increasing darkness, it is now time to start looking for the Aurora Australis, commonly known as the Southern Lights.  I know I blogged about them last year, as well as posted some photos, but the Southern Lights are the counterpart to the well known Northern LightsContinue reading “Things are looking up”

Dear Tori, Why haven’t you been blogging lately?  It’s disappointing. Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Well.  Frankly… I haven’t felt like it.  The past few weeks I’ve been averaging about three hours of sleep a night.  The exhaustion I’ve been feeling has worn me down physically and emotionally.  I also went through a pretty rough patch ofContinue reading “Dear Tori – Q&A time!”

Antarctica is a harsh continent.  The winter residents here at McMurdo prepare for the worst several times during the year by performing Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) drills.  Because we are isolated and cannot depend on any outside assistance, we are all interdependent upon each other for survival.  At the beginning of the winter season, weContinue reading “Being prepared for the worst”

And other styrofoam items! No, really.  Packing peanuts are banned from Antarctica.  Sure, we get family members sending us things (no, not me personally, but I’ve recently run across a bag of packing peanuts in Skua central from a well meaning family members), and we get frowned upon for receiving items with this.  Why? Fact:Continue reading “You can keep yer angel poop! (Q&A)”

Dear Tori, If there was one thing you could change about Antarctica, what would it be?   Dear Will, Nothing.  I’d love for y’all to be able to visit (without it costing an arm, leg, liver, spleen, brain, heart, lung), but that’s also part of what makes this place so special.  The remoteness.  The harshness.  The factContinue reading “Another Dear Tori Q&A”

I’m still taking questions, but right now I have a few that I can answer.  Others are going to take me a while to answer, but as soon as I find out the correct information, I’ll answer them in other posts.  I’m looking at you, Andy Hall. Dear Tori, Do you have any pets onContinue reading “Dear Tori – Q&A”

But YOU haven’t! Most of my readers (and you all are lovely readers at that…) haven’t been to Antarctica…  If there are any particular questions that you want answered (and I will answer them publicly in a post so you’ve been warned)…  Email me at victoriatparker@gmail.com. The people who send me questions that I chooseContinue reading “Been there, done that..”

This video was filmed on Friday, February 22nd, 2013 at approximately 0300.  This is my walk to work.