South Pole Electricians, John Miller, pen pal... and Satchmo

Here is a nice photo John Miller sent our school which was taken in January when the sun was shining in the Antarctic "summer." (John is wearing the red hat and scarf. Their summer in the southern hemisphere is when our winter occurs; their winter is when our summer happens.) During the Antarctic "summer" the sun shines all the time but stays low on the horizon. In the Antarctic winter -- which is occuring now-- the sky is endlessly dark and extremely cold.

So, let's all send some good, warm New Orleans-style vibrations down there to help keep our friends warm. Everyone just think of Louis Armstrong's greatest song, and that should warm things up a bit (please sing along "way down yonder" in Antarctica, if you know the melody):

" I see trees of green, red roses too; I see them bloom for me and you,

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white; the blessed day, the dark sacred night,

and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky; are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands, saying 'How do you do?' They're really saying, 'I love you.'

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow; they'll learn much more than I'll ever know.

And I think to myself , what a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself , What a wonderful world."

Satchmo knew how to Jazz it up!

This great song was written specifically for Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss in 1967 in response to the troubled world of that time. Satchmo was, of course, born in New Orleans and learned ragtime and Jazz here before moving to Chicago and becoming world-famous.

I hope the Jazz tune (without the music even...) spreads a little sunshine on the Ice.

--Adrian