Page 162 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

TWO DAYS AT SEA

DAY 1 (53 12S & 44 14W) Beaufort 3, seas slight, air temp 41F

We woke today to perfect sea conditions - flat calm and no wind - even the air

temperature seemed mild compared to our temps on some of the Zodiac outings.

Then miracle of miracles, it stayed that way all day too - except that it actually got a

little warmer as the day went by.

Stretch class in the sunshine up on the sixth deck was positively delightful. However,

since Kay had started early getting ready for her afternoon slide show presentation,

she skipped the physical exercise today. She worked energetically all day, with only a

time-out for lunch, and finished up just an hour ahead of the scheduled program.

The morning was quiet in our room with Kay doing digital photos and Lois reading. At

11 AM Marco came down so that he and Kay could work out a joint presentation with

Kay providing commentary on the slides and Marco giving tidbits about the wildlife

pictured during the show. As a surprise, Marco and Patricia worked up a wonderful

quiz for the folks at the end of the slide show.

Lois went to see “90 South” the archival film using the movies shot by the expedition photographer, Herbert
Ponting, during the ill-fated Scott South Pole attempt. The film was in amazingly good condition and the

shots of the men, the ponies, and the dogs were touching and so immediate. Even the wildlife Ponting “shot”
was wonderful and so real and alive. Of course, Ponting could not go with the men who actually made the

run for the pole, so that part of the story was covered with artist’s renderings. It was a technical triumph to
have those films and the story itself never fails to move its hearers, or watchers, as the present case was. The

archival footing was retrieved and restored in 1993 after having languished in various places in the
intervening years since Scott made his fateful trip in 1912. The eighty-one-year-old movie film was still in

remarkable condition.
Sketch class was held today at 2 and again Lois had to represent both inhabitants of

Cabin 508. Kay was still doing last minute “tune­ups.” MJ today demonstrated to us

the use of Chinese brushes and real bird feathers in creating special effects in

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