Horses in the Antarctic? No laughing, please...

I have to momentarily shift away from my typical subject matter to convey an indescribably uncomfortable experience I had a few hours ago.  Laugh if you must, but just know that it was not funny at the time. 

       I had just sat down to enjoy a quiet meal in the dining room looking out onto our inlet when something quite unexpected happened.  I was in the midst of taking my first bite of yummy cheesy olive bread laden with hummus when all of a sudden my eyes were burning and my head and mouth were in a state of utter confusion.  My mind was sputtering and stinging and all I could say and think was oh my god WHAT am I eating??!??!??!  I sat back and waited for the sensation and shock to leave me and I took a few deep breaths.  Did someone put bleach in the hummus?  Was it actually mislabeled crushed garlic?  After a few moments and a few more breaths, I calmly walked back to the kitchen to reexamine the container that I had scooped from.  It still read "hummus."  I came back, sat down, and stared at my plate. 
       Meanwhile, the station Doc was sitting at the neighboring table, engrossed in the crossword puzzle Alice and I had started earlier.  After explaining my odd behavior and conversational lapse, she said, hmmm... "could it be horseradish?"  I replied that I had no idea, thinking does horseradish taste like poison?  If so, then most definitely.  Of course, I have heard of the stuff but never knew what it was.  She kindly lowered her nose and confirmed the identity of the stuff that ultimately ruined my appetite. As it turned out, someone scooped up the leftover horseradish and plopped it inside the hummus bin.  Y'all know how much I love hummus, so you can imagine the dollop I had prepared -- fit only for a giant.  Let's just say that I felt sick for two hours and will be avoiding garbanzo bean products for some time.  Later, one of my fellow residents asked me how the stuff was treating me.  Apparently, rumor of my little mishap spread quickly.   

In other news, today was our first "weather day."  We stayed inside and watched the 40 knot winds drive the water in the inlet out to the harbor.  It has been unrelenting and an all-too-vivid reminder of how harsh this environment truly is, despite the last week of what was beginning to feel like eternal sunshine.  I cannot imagine what it would feel like to stay the winter here, with sea ice everywhere and a wind that cuts to the bone.  That said, I have enjoyed today's dramatic weather as another expression of Antarctic character.  Getting to know a place is like getting to know a person.  You have to see the landscape changing in different light, in different situations, and even see how it is constantly changing and alive.  No two days are alike on the peninsula and the whole thing is here for us to absorb without distraction. 
          I only hope that I can come away knowing the essence of this place, both in the grandeur of the towering mountain range and the minutiae of the lichens that grow on the rocks or the clanking sounds of penguins returning to their stony nests.  I try to capture moments in my mind so that I can keep them forever, but I find that sometimes the harder you hold on, the less you are free to embrace the experience in the moment.  Theoretical mush aside, I know that this place makes a deeper impression on me every day and I wake up each morning wondering what the day will bring - a very exciting way to live.