27 February 2018

So, still here at the Range.  The NASA plane carrying cameras and laptops from our last launch, in Alaska, was supposed to be here on Monday.  Now, it's looking like Wednesday.  Each day, we change our reservations.  It gives us a very short time to set up the camera sites but we will just do our best.

Toured around town today.  It's a very short tour.

25 February 2018

Sunday at the Range.  The big activity was hiking up the mountain, to Alomar.  Since the weather is supposed to be changing, for the worse, we enjoyed the sunshine.

24 February 2018

I was informed that my crates of camera equipment have arrived to Gjesvær!  That's excellent news.  My host has already arranged for help getting them to the camera site when I arrive on Tuesday.

This is why I plan to arrive during the day.  No way do I want to drive that road at night! This also explains why there are two snowplows on this road 24/7.  I'm lucky to be arriving on Tuesday, since Wednesday has gale force winds predicted.
Gjesvær road at night

I spent some time in the massage chair this morning.  Man, if I could only figure out a way to bring that home with me.  I may have to try it again later, perhaps before a sauna...

Lunch in Bleik, today.  It's only a five minute drive but you end up on the sunny side of the mountain, after driving through a tunnel.  A small grocery store with a cafe attached.  It's obviously the gathering place for the whole town.  Everyone seemed to know each other and table groupings got larger and larger.

These are from the drive back

23 February 2018

Went to the bank yesterday, to get some cash out of the ATM, and then went inside to see if they could give me smaller bills than the 1000.  She opened a drawer in a wooden desk, right next to me, and pawed through it to come out with five 200's.  Left the drawer sitting open even after handing me the money.  Some days, it turns out, they are out of cash. You know it's a small town when.....

You'll notice that there is no sun in my pictures.  That's because the sun has yet to appear over that very tall mountain behind the Range.

Aurora paintings in the hallway

Monday, cameras and computers from the Alaska launch should be arriving on the NASA plane that will be used for one of our camera sites.  Tuesday, Barrett and I head to Alta and Gjesvær and Lucas heads to Tromsø, where he will be photographing from the plane.

Limited channels on the TV in the lounge, so we are mostly watching Norwegians competing in the Olympics.  In the evening, American Ninja Warrior.  Not a show that any of us has watched at home. Reminds me of getting hooked on Little House on the Prairie, while living in Japan.

22 February 2018

A lot of time was spent troubleshooting, on Tuesday.  Converting from 240 to 120 is not always easy.  After destroying one of the powerstrips in the camera boxes, and learning that they do not use a "ground" here, it was decided that today we will cut the ground wire in all the plugs.  Hopefully, this will take care of the problem.  After rigorous testing, it appears that we have fixed the problem.  It's good to work out all these issues HERE, instead of having to figure it out at the remote camera site.  Especially since I'm not particularly electronically inclined.  To be honest, I'm not at ALL electronically inclined.

Tried to find volt meters in town, for us to bring to the camera sites.  It seems prudent to verify whether it's 240 or 220 coming in to the transformer, so that we use the proper setting.  No luck at the hardware store.  They directed us to the electrical supply store.  We were then advised to check the Shell station (?) and the plumbing supply store.  So, we ordered online.

The weather has been fantastic.  Clear and sunny.  It will undoubtedly turn nasty around the time the launch window opens, when we need clear skies, aurora, and low winds.  For those of you who have been here, not easy to achieve.

Yesterday, they began moving the assembled rockets to the launch area.

An appropriate local brew

One mission accomplished.  I acquired the last two rocket range chapsticks.  They are very popular back home and it's a shame that they no longer have them available.

Around the Range

19 February 2018

After five on-time flights, we finally reached Andenes, yesterday. 

At the last airport, in Tromsø 

Nice to see some aurora when we were coming back from dinner!  Today we set up the camera site here at the rocket range.  Sunny and not too windy and we are hoping the weather holds....

Not a bad spot.  Barrett, Lamar, and Lucas are doing most of the work.  I am the overseer :)
Here's the view from the beach in front of them

and some of the frozen bits on the beach

Who knew that frozen sand could be so pretty.

Nice backdrop