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The first news of the day was that our Herc. is cancelled. So here we sit with our gear palletized. My 1st reaction was deep dismay; if Bill goes through with his plan to leave for Christchurch on Jan. 15 we could never get in any more real field work. That is only 18 days from now and w. delays at every move the picture is clear. I could go home & describe the great things John Annexstad has accomplished! However, I might as well enjoy Darwin. McM would be dreadful in comparison. This should give me time to think for future.

A windy but beautiful morning w helicopters both flying and George, Terry, & Ed Stump, & German party going out & on recon.
Stayed in camp; wrote notes, read about Scott; dozed a long time in PM. Took a walk about 5:10 to 6:10. A returning helicopter buzzed me as I returned to camp. In the evening we made arr. for helo tomorrow to head of D. Glacier: Unpalletized a few field necessities & so got to bed v. late. My alarm doesn't work so I awoke often at night thinking it time to get up. 

G. Denton & Spletstoesser arr. for me to be flown over Berg Glacier in AM. But that would mean breaking from my party & being deposited w. them at least an hour late, so an alternative was suggested: fly over Berg on way home. Denton says the Berg drains 1/3 of E. Antarctic ice sheet & w. Af. Rift Valley is one of few geol. features visible from Mars; I think he was kidding.

[[strikethrough]] Jan. [[/strikethrough]] Dec. 29 Up at 7:30 and ready for helo by 9:00. We went out w. Dr Molton's [?] party, who are studying weathering processes in Antarctica. We were put down on blue ice Nr. [?] on Nunutak & I have never seen such wind. It sailed over slopes w wisps of snow straight in our faces: it blew our big survival bags around & we had to weight everything w. rocks. We gave up picking the moraines and climbed bare ice slopes. By Lunch time Shinaishi & I had found one, deeply weathered, partial stone. We each had one Cornish Rock Hen from last night; two cups of grapefruit & orange juice & cookies. I never got really hungry or thirsty all day. 
The wind slackened and shifted directions. The scene was