Felicity and George stay to run Fossil Bluff. It is nice to come home to a hot shower and clean sheets in my pit room, but it is actually a bit of a shock. Since I have been out in the field our supply ship RRS James Clark Ross has called, several Dash-7 aircraft flights have happened, and the station is full of people I don't know. I often find it an anti-climax when you return from expedition, we have been living a totally separate life and now it's hard to reconnect with reality again. Personally I have a whole new wintering team to get to know.
Work carries on, as there is now a small mountain of outdoor gear to service.
My Christmas present has been carried back north unopened. We have just managed to return to Rothera station in time for Christmas. Sledge Charlie is a short project in comparison to some of the outdoor team who will be spending up to three months out in the field. Another Christmas present awaits me with a Devon post mark. Last summer I was in the field for the Christmas festivities, so I am looking forward to the party.