Welcome to Travel Journaling: Antarctica Entry 14 November

 This entry is the last full day on the ship and in Antarctica. 

14 November, 2025

National Geographic Explorer

14:47

We are about to go to the debriefing for how to disembark the ship. C.C. and I have mostly packed and our bags are the correct weights.

This morning the water was choppy, but nothing like going through the Drake Passage. C.C. and I rolled out of bed at 7:30 to the announcement that we were entering Neptune's Bellows. Humpback whales led us into Whaler's Bay. C.C. saw them. I did not.

Entering Whaler's Bay.

C.C. and I were in the second group to go out, so we listened to the ship historian's presentation on whaling in the southern oceans. He started with a brief history of whaling in general before going into detail on the southern hemisphere. 

The remains of a whaling station and processing plant.

16:08

Well now everyone is worried about their luggage. The rental gear has to come with us. C.C. had a plan and stuffed it in her bag. She is still underweight.

Our group went out to Whaler's Bay first in the second group. Whaler's Bay is on Deception Island and has an old whaler's station on it. The ruins are eerie looking and whale bones litter the rocky beach. The beaches are full of black rocks with dead krill. Only a few penguins popped up to join us.

The beach with dead krill boiled pink.

An ornery fur seal had found a spot next to an old rusted piece of equipment. The had to put cones out so we could keep our distance from him. 

He was not happy to have people around while he napped.

Chinstrap penguins have a rookery on the outside of the island, but gentoo were walking on the beach we were at. It was an incredible hike up to an overlook with a huge drop into the ocean. Incredible in that my calves got an amazing work out. I went slow and steady.

I nearly fell in due to bad footing.

I did see a dead seal on the island. It was sad.

Tons of birds flew around, though, and they looked cool in the wind. I got tripped up by a false penguin*.

This is not a penguin.

We are now signing our lives away to participate in the polar plunge. We get in our bathing suits and jump into the ocean. C.C. and I are getting ready to do it. We're just waiting for the announcement to go down to base camp. 

17:10

K and El confirmed we likely saw a minke whale last night. That's four whale species, five seal species, and three penguin species. (Listed below.)

• Whales
• Humpback
• Orca
• Fin
• Minke
• Seals
• Southern sealion
• Weddell seal
• Leopard seal
• Crab seal
• Fur seal
• Penguins
• Chinstrap
• Gentoo
• Adelie

22:02

The worst kept secret on the ship is the polar plunge. Both C.C. and I did it. S was dancing to an 80s music playlist while everyone lined up to jump. A bunch of us started signing along with "We Didn't Start the Fire". 

C.C. jumped before me. Her pictures are really funny. The did not attach anything to us. We jumped from a zodiac and had to swim to a platform. I felt like I was underwater forever, but really it was only a few seconds. Everyone who took the plunge, was given a patch, a cup of hot thickened tea, and a shot of vodka (I skipped the vodka). 

When I went to dry off, C.C. noticed my knee was bleeding. Since the doctor was outside on the zodiac, the nurse looked at the cut and bandaged it up. I was told to apply a new bandage after I showered. Da also scrapped his knee on the platform. I guess we both left a bit of ourself on the 7th continent.

I went up to the sauna to warm up a bit more. There were quite a few people in there as well. A quick shower later and we were all in the lounge for the recap and Captain's farewell speech. All of the crew were present and we learned the history of the ship.

I tried a zero-proof mocktail at the cocktail hour - a maple rum old fashion. It was pretty good if a little sweet.

Dinner was a buffet of grilled meats - Argentinian style. I tried black pudding and liked it. Dessert had a little too much alcohol in it for me (C.C. and El made some really funny faces when they tried it), so they gave me a non-alcoholic version. 

After dinner, we went back to the lounge for the trip recap with submitted photos in a 13 minute slide show. It will be sent to us after the trip. I stepped outside to see the sunset and the group from Washington University was there. Two of the guys were smoking cigars. It reminded me of my dad. Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of his passing.

I know I don't usually post pictures of people, but the captain agreed to pose with Teddy.

Until the next post. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like to hear from me.

*Antarctic Shag (also known as the king cormorant, imperial shag, blue-eyed shag or Antarctic cormorant) - they look like penguins when they don't stretch out or about to fly.

Welcome to the Jersey Shore Habitat

When people think of the beach, they may have some misconceptions about America’s Armpit: New Jersey. The MTV show of the 2000s and 2010s featured a bunch of people from Staten Island (which is in New York by the way) being as stereotypical as possible. This was “The Jersey Shore” for many.

But growing, I spent time in South Jersey, north of Cape May and the Wildwoods (there are a few), on a 7-mile island (conveniently called 7-Mile Island). The beaches on this island were smaller, well guarded, and fairly shallow. It was perfect for families wanting a safe area for their kids to enjoy - and it still is.

From my (limited) experience, New Jersey takes care of the beaches. Each town provides seasonal tags the produce enough revenue for lifeguards and cleaning crews. Their sand dunes are well protected and high, preventing damages from storms. Even after super storm Sandy in 2012, the beaches were ready for the 2013 season.

Picture of Ocean City, NJ.

But the Jersey Shore isn’t just an excellent place for people, it’s also a fantastic habitat for plants and animals. Laughing Gulls are a dime a dozen - stalking people foolish enough to bring food to the beach - however, the rarer Red Knots can also be spotted on their migration from Mexico to Canada, stuffing themselves on horseshoe crab eggs to complete the journey. 7-Mile Island has two bird sanctuaries, along with a protected area at the southern tip of the island, and a Wetlands Institute that educates visitors on local marine wildlife.

Cacti can be seen in the sand dunes, while sea grass and kelp will wash up during a bad storm. There are rocks for an octopus to hide and barnacles to stick to. The brackish water of the back bays that separate the many barrier islands from the mainland are good spawning area for sharks and fish. Plenty of filter feeders like clams and muscles hang out in those waters too.

Even bunnies and rabbits call the islands home. They have very few predators on the islands (apart from people’s pet dogs which are supposed to be on leashes).

Off the coast of New Jersey, the state has started building artificial reefs for animals, fishermen, and divers. They sink boats and other materials (even a whole subway car in some reports) to build the reefs. It’s part of an effort to keep the ocean habitat diverse and healthy.

Though I didn’t see them this year, a family of dolphins tend to hang out at the southern tip of 7-Mile Island. They’re far enough away that people can’t really get to them, but ever year someone tries to swim out to them. The lifeguards blow their whistles and, if the people are really stupid, bring out a life boat to rescue the morons. Not only is the surf strong going out to sea once you can’t touch the bottom, the dolphins also aren’t very friendly and will bludgeon anything that gets to near.

However if you see the dolphins, you can rest assure that sharks in the area have scattered. 

Yes, sharks are off the Jersey coast (like in ever ocean), however the shallower waters only provide easy access for sand sharks and dogfish to come close. Earlier this year (2023), a surfer was bitten by a shark, but they was fine.

Remember, the ocean isn’t just your playground. It’s an ecosystem and habitat that provides food and shelter to a lot of plants and animals. Migratory birds enjoy the layover before flying north to Canada. Turtles and horseshoe crabs feel safe enough to lay their eggs. You can go dolphin and whale watching. You might even spot a bunny or two.

100 years ago, hardly anyone lived on 7-Mile Island. Now there’s summer houses from North to Southern tip. It’s only three blocks wide from East to West. And rising seas could swallow it whole.

Welcome to the real Jersey Shore.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, comment, and/or share it. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Wilderness an Hour from DC

 "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." - unknown.

Looks like a scene from My Neighbor Totoro

This quote has been attributed to a number of environmentalists and founders of conservation movements. A quick Google search claims it to be from John Muir, but a quick scroll down the search page shows that there are others who might have coined this phrase. 

But who said the quote doesn't make it any less important when you go to wilderness for an adventure. 

This weekend I went to the Shenandoah National Park and stayed in one of the three Lodges off Skyline Drive. It was so much fun (worth the scolding I got from my cat when I got home). I found the accommodations perfect, though they're more like motels or cabins rather than 5-star resorts. I had little to no cell service and the only area with wi-fi was the main lobby. The main lobby was incredibly inviting - excellent for bird watching or curling up in a rocking chair next to a roaring fire in the fireplace. 

I stayed in Skyland which had several trails within walking distance of my room. Some were very popular like Stony Man and White Oak Falls. Others had almost no one on them like Miller's Head (which led to a beautiful view on an old fire watch). There's also a stable for horses on Skyland with the option for horseback riding starting in late May.

I walked so much that by Saturday afternoon - when the weather took a turn to grey skies and rain - I found myself passed out for several hours before crawling out of bed for dinner. 

I've never hidden my love of hiking and getting lost in the wilderness. It's dangerous to go off by yourself, especially if you don't know what you're doing, but I've made it a habit to always let people know where I'll be going, knowing how to handle an emergency, and picking trails that will have some people around.

Thankfully, the Shenandoah National Park has an app with maps and resources for hikers. If you can't use the app, most trails have a map at the beginning of the trails that you can take a picture of. They'll also let you know the estimated amount of time to complete a hike, how much water you should have, and any other gear you will want to have on hand. 

One of my favorite investments has been my headlight flashlight that sits snuggly on my head and provides white and red light. It makes climbing up rocks easier in the dark without precariously balancing a flashlight in my hands.

As I don't have much service up in the Shenandoah, I don't have my headphones in. I can take in all the sounds of the woods. There are plenty of bird calls and songs, the sway of the trees, and the occasional howl of wind. Its in this atmosphere that I have nearly ran into deer, had a close call with a depth-perception challenged hawk, and a startling encounter with a bald eagle. There were a lot of deer this trip...and possibly a majestic peregrine (its a type of falcon). 

Surprisingly, the closest I have ever gotten to a bear was less than 10 miles from my house in New Jersey. It was while I was at my favorite hiking spot with two guys on our way to a place aptly named Bear Swamp. 

I didn't seen any bears this trip, but I'm sure they were around. 

Though spring is in full swing in and around Washington D.C., the Shenandoah mountains appear to be about a month behind. Certainly there were plenty of flowers (some of my favorites on this trip were little purple buds clinging to the eastern side of rocks). Friday and Saturday had hardly any trees budding, but this morning there were little dots of green everywhere. What a difference waking up in a cloud makes. 

Yep, that's right, last night I went to sleep on a mountain and today I woke up in a cloud. I could go five minutes of the road and see clear blue skies, but the next moment the wisps of water vapor were flying up the western ridges. It was eerie. It was beautiful. 

All of this is why Shenandoah National Park continues to be one of my favorite places in the world. I highly recommend it. There's plenty of hiking, amazing views, camping, and horseback riding (seasonal). There are great places to eat and park rangers to ask questions to. 

The wilderness is about an hour and a half from D.C. The next time you want to visit the capitol, might I suggest I short detour to the wilderness in Virginia...the Appalachian Trail is there.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Summer Garden Heat

2020 has been an incredibly stressful year, full of change and one unfortunate incident after another for the world at large and my personal life. It’s been tough to find time to relax and allow myself time to mentally decompress.

One of my few great distractions is looking after my little balcony garden.

It’s been a few months since I first mentioned my garden in this blog (click here for details), but I’m still working on it and there have been a lot of ups and downs. Some days it feels like there are more downs than ups.

Here are a few highlights of the things I learned:

During the first few weeks of my gardening, I lost the lemon balm I planted. It took patients and a few more seeds, but eventually the lemon balm grew nicely to the point I made a pesto with some of the leaves-basil was in there too). However, I eventually had to go away a few days during a heat wave and the lack of water did a number on the herb. Thankfully it’s slowly coming back. It’s my favorite to use for water infusions with some lemons or strawberries.

My two lettuce plants were taken out in May. One from over watering and the other from aphids. The overwatering was totally my fault. The aphids...well, let’s just say that aphids have become the bane of my garden.

My fight against aphids was at its peak with my pea plants. Peas are stubborn, yet delicate in general, which makes caring for them hilarious at best and an exasperation at worst. The June aphid attacks took out several of my pea vines. The July heat was the final death stroke for my first crop. Thankfully, I did managed to harvest several pea pods before their inevitable demise - they were quite tasty. I’ve planted an autumn crop which should show up mid August. Hopefully this time I’ll have more ladybugs around to help me with the evil aphids.

Speaking of unwanted insects, I think a small colony of ants have taken up residence in my camomile. They don’t seem to be hurting the little flowers, but occasionally see them dragging around an aphid or two. No ants have infiltrated the apartment. Cayenne helps keep them out.

Cilantro seems to do really well during the spring. By the end of June, it had started to bloom and I lost the leafy green part that is eaten. I’m hoping to get some seeds out of this travesty.

I’m not sure if my lavender is dead or very slowly coming back. Every day I check and there are little green growths on some of the stems. Only time will tell. My cousin also struggles with her lavender plant. It definitely needs more water than it lets on...and a lot less heat.

I was utterly convinced that I had killed one of my tomato plants until a few days ago I went out and found two new stems growing out of it. Though neither are tall, flowers have started to bloom and I have a small green tomato growing on the healthier plant.

Bachelor buttons are some of my favorite flowers and I am happy they are doing relatively well. I’m not sure why they lean (probably to get more sunlight), but they are lovely. I remove the deadheads once the flowers have begun to dull.

I know I didn’t really talk about the King Tut Papyrus plant. I’ve had him a few years now. He’s doing alright outside, but will again be brought in for winter.

The sage is doing just fine, while the basil seems to be thriving and is by far the easiest herb to work with at the moment. The rosemary is just kind of there. No carrots have yet to shoulder their way through the soil yet. The jalapeño plant is new.

Nothing kills mint...and even when you think it’s dead, it’s not. It will come back. It’ll even find new ways to spread, even when confined to a pot.

It’s not just plants that are a part of my garden, but also bees and other insects come to visit (along with one very stupid wasp). Spiders have found their way around the pots and shelves. They don’t bother me except when they make a giant web on the furniture and I have to evict them. There’s even a beautiful goldfinch who likes to perch on my yellow camomile pot. One day I might get a picture of him.

Gardening, even on a balcony, is a time consuming process that involves a lot of delicate balance. I have to make sure each plant has enough water, but not too much water as I learned with one of my lettuce plants. They need plenty of sunlight, but too much heat is also bad. Some plants might look dead, but are really just figuring things out. Other plants just hate being told what to do. And mint is nearly impossible to kill.

You’ll see a wide variety of wildlife in you plant a garden...some of it will not be welcome. Bees and spiders are your friends, while aphids are the devil’s spawn. Occasionally, you’ll see a creature you weren’t expecting at all.

If you are interested in planting a garden, it’s not too late to start. There are a number of plants that are best planted in the summer for a fall harvest like pumpkins and winter squash. It’s tough and you will likely lose a plant or two (unless it’s mint), but it’s wonderful munching on peas I grew myself or sprinkling Freshly cut basil onto pasta.

Gardening requires a delicate balance of nature and nurture. There’s only so much a person can do if luck isn’t on their side. But it’s a worthwhile hobby.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Losing a Beloved Pet

My dog, Gertrude, died on Tuesday. On some level I'm still processing that she's gone. I just saw her while vising my mom in Michigan for the holidays. On another level, I knew that it was very likely to be the last time I saw her.

Gertrude was nearly 14 years old. We had had her since she was a tiny puppy who could barely jump onto the couch. She grew until she was nearly 3 times the size that we had thought she would be (75 lbs versus 35 lbs). I especially loved her awkward puppy phase where she was nothing but legs and ears.

She was my first Facebook profile picture and the first time someone tried to make fun of my blog, they specifically referenced how they "didn't want to hear about my dog" (I blocked them). She was a constant companion during high school and always happy to see me when I came home for a visit after I moved away. She was a Boarder Collie German Shepard mix and could fit in my dad's hand when she was a puppy. She was sort of friends with our cat, Karma. In the last years of her life, she got to play with her adopted sister Millie.

I'm glad she had a good long life.

She wasn't my first dog or even my first pet. My sister and I raised hermit crabs for a long time before we finally got our first dog. He was an equally wonderful dog who would never have allowed anything bad to happen to the family. It was tough when he died and we waited a while before adopting Gertrude.

Pets are wonderful family members, and yes they are family. It's nearly impossible not to love a dog or cat or hamster or any of the other furry critters that come into our lives. I'll even give people who raise reptiles as pets credit. The amount of pictures of cute pet snakes on Pinterest alone can have me falling into a black hole of saying "aww" for an hour or two.

There are many days I wish I had a pet with me. I'd love to come home to an excited pooch happy to see me. But it's just not possible right now. Pets are a huge responsibility and I couldn't commit to having one with my current lifestyle. Plus I'm super allergic to most pets that aren't dogs.

Instead I raise plants.

Plants aren't animals, though, and they are hard to cuddle with (especially my temperamental cactus). Also, when a plant dies, I don't feel quite as bad. Don't get me wrong, I'm still sad when I accidentally kill one of my plants, but I've taken steps to only look after really hardy plants that are really hard to kill.

My emotional attachment to a pet is a lot higher than to a plant. I am still adverse to watching any emotionally driven movie or horror movie with a dog in it. It's an almost automatic hard stop if a dog, cat, or horse dies. I've heard a number of authors state that they avoid killing a pet (especially a dog) because it will generate enough hate mail to fill their entire house.

A pet's passing is something that hits us right in our basic emotions. I cried for a few hours while I tried to process that Gertrude was gone. Other people also understood how I felt. Everyone who has heard of Gert's passing has been very nice and sending me their condolences.

I wasn't the only person in my sphere of friends to have lost a furry family member. From what I was able to gather, these beloved pets were also older and had lived good long lives. They were loved and cherished until the end.

I'm going to miss Gertrude. She was awesome.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really hit you in the feels) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.