2011
It’s one of those classic interview questions ‘where do you see yourself in five years time?’ and I think i’ve finally found my stock answer, ‘no idea’.
Once again the year is drawing to a close and for something like the third or fourth year running I have found my career developing on an unexpected tangent despite still being with the same company i’ve been with for ten years.
This year’s tangent has had me once again doing something I never thought i’d be able to do or get the chance to, and i’ve had two big projects to work on, both of which are still ongoing and one of which has taken up a huge amount of time and energy, hence the total lack of updates. There has also been a lack of picturesque photos taken over the year as well, so there haven’t been many pictures to put up on the blog.
Hopefully next year will be a year of sitting back a little bit and enjoying the fruits of this year’s labours, but who knows, I’m just going to try and go with the flow and see where it takes me, it’s certainly been an interesting ride so far.
To finish off the post I thought i’d include some of the few photos that got taken over this last year, hopefully there will be more next year. As to whether the blog will get more regular updating, we’ll have to wait and see what next year brings.
Picture of the Week
A new year and a slight change to one of the regular features. I have decided to make the picture of the week, as it shall be henceforth known, slightly more informative. Nothing too overbearing, just a snippet around the picture, where it was taken, maybe a bit of the backstory to the picture or information about the area with a few web links. It will vary from week to week with the occasional more in depth posting.
Hopefully it will add a little bit extra to the blog. Comments (constructive) are always welcome, and as always, if you like the blog why not subscribe, or tweet it on, or just tell your friends about it.
The above photo by the way was taken in Jan 2009 on Shining Tor in the Peak District. This walk was partly to help figure out if the current walking gear would be warm enough to take on holiday.
It would turn out to be colder in the UK in the first week of February than it was for the majority of the Antarctic adventure.
Completely Unrandom Christmassy Picture from the Depths of my Laptop
Merry Christmas
yes I know it’s a day earlier than usual (did you ever notice this feature only ever appeared round lunchtime – in the UK anyway – every sunday?) but that was so I could wish anyone and everyone who sees this blog a merry christmas.
suitably christmassy picture enclosed
hopefully at somepoint over the last 52 weeks you’ve noticed that if you hover your mouse over the picture you get more text.
RPDL of the week
Danco Island, Antarctic Peninsula
Danco Island, 6am local time. Penguins just arriving in on the morning commute and annoyed with us at arriving so early. Union of Penguins now insisting on tourist visits between 9am and 5pm only, with appropriate lunch breaks.
RPDL of the week
As it moves into the traditional week when I put up my christmas tree a reminder why I don’t have a real christmas tree anymore:
RPDL of the week
Almirante Brown Station, Paradise Bay, Antarctic Peninsula
Picture of the week – A bit about Deception Island
This is Deception Island, a still active volcano that last erupted in 1970. An old whaling station from the early years of antarctic exploration. The wreckage of the years still lies on the shores, not to be touched, left to slowly rot away.
Deception Island has its own website, though the linked webcam doesn’t work. It’s interesting to look though and certainly a stunning place to visit. A regular fixture on the Antarctic tourist circuit with the flooded caldera accessed by a narrow gap in the wall of the volcano. As such, should the volcano ever erupt again any ships that are inside the caldera at the time would probably be in trouble and there is a detailed rescue plan available.
It is still obvious the volcano is active, with the water in Whalers bay steaming away happily, though when the next eruption will be is anyones guess. 
RPDL of the week
Danco Island at sunrise, Antarctic Peninsula
RPDL of the week
Shining Tor, Peak District
