Well this is a tough one.
Some time ago I promised some of you a picture of myself, well here I am.
The occasion was my recent wedding, both I and my bride have been widowed, me for three years and Deb for more than ten (Steve died of pancreatic cancer at 40).
Delayed start this morning , had to stock up on essentials, wine, beer and bread with taxi run to the local market.
Away at 10 towards Saugities about 50 miles upriver.
First an anticline for Mrs. O,
or maybe not, I was no great shakes at Geology.
Continue reading “Monday, June 17 on the Hudson, Newburg to Sauguties”
I have been busy these last few weeks putting the boat in good order, a few changes but mostly heavy maintenance items. Our bottoms are newly cleaned and painted so we are ready for the off.
Planning to do what I call “The Northern Loop”.
I’m back from another place and have queued a lot in the process of going and coming. Departure tax payment, airport check in, bag drop, passport examination, security check, flight boarding to name just those involving departure and with two changes (one involving a US border entry) and a final wait for my checked bags. I lost the will to count them all.
They have taken all the fun out of queueing. In the old days one would arrive at the queues, (and there were always as many queues as there were servers), and with a practiced eye one could quickly evaluate the options, length of queue, number of families in each line, number of bags per person in line, gender and age of those in line, estimated nationality of those in line and finally, and most importantly, the gender and estimated national origin of the servers. The fastest service could be almost guaranteed by choosing that queue of bored, sober-suited, middle-aged, white gents with small carry-on bags waiting, with paperwork in hand, for the highly efficient oriental lady server with the indestructible work ethic. You could be through and out in seconds, step forward, slap down your docs., two questions, “Did you pack…?” “Did anyone give…?” Machine spits out boarding card and you’re gone. She would be pushing them through about two per minute, easy.
I’m off on vacation for the next few weeks, starting Monday, heading for sunny Tortola and a little winter warmth, no cell phone, no internet, no worries, should be back about March 6.
In the meantime here is a wee pome for the weather comp.
Shipping Forecast
It’s a comfort to know, when the barometer’s low
That Malin’s expecting a gale
It’s a long way from me, and somewhere at sea
Where the wind is beginning to wail
And in the same blow is expected some snow
For Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle
It’s all one to me, I’m Lundy you see
So I listen to this with a smile
The isles of Faeroe, are in an ice floe
Iceland, Viking and Forties – a fright
Cromarty’s sleet, Forth, Tyne, Dogger are beat
By Fisher’s storm in from the bight.
The Humber/Thames rain will cause Dover pain
And Wight will get little sun
Portland, Plymouth they say will be worse than Biscay
And Trafalgar and Fitzroy are done
The Sole chance for me, is the Irish Sea
Which, with Fastnet, may turn it astray
I’ll stay in the house, be quiet as a mouse
And hope that it all goes away.
The Chariot, stripped of its finery, is now consigned to history, having fallen into disuse in January 2013. RIP.
Voyager 1 was launched. About the size of a small car it carries some cameras and scientific instruments. It has been for some years the most distant man made object from the Earth (Currently it is more than eleven billion miles distant from the Sun and receding rapidly). It may already be the first man made object to leave the Solar System.
Before leaving it did the Grand Tour of the known planets and sent back pictures of Jupiter’s Red Spot, erupting volcanoes on Io, traces of water under the ice of Europa and methane rain on Titan, all unexpected discoveries.
It flies on, with sufficient fuel for instruments and communications until at least 2020, it is, of course, nuclear powered.
John Mackie or Ferret? Have they left us? I do hope not
Johnny finally acknowledges what we all knew and hangs up his International boots…
To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other setbacks gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfilment.
Not a bad achievement at all, I would hazard to say.
Since the Chariot is an open site, we will not publish a link to Tocino’s obituary here. However, we would be pleased to e-mail the link to any member who might request it.
We have left a message on behalf of all his cyber-friends.
Boadicea's Chariot 
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