‘Wind more essential than blood’ the poet wrote. Obviously not literally true, but for a few almost.
I have probably written that before and will again.
Carol is on her way back to the 600’ flatlands and until a few minutes ago I was standing in the companionway, sipping Botanist and listening to the non-classical playlist on the Boom 2s. A partially cloudy sky and a 12 to 14 knot breeze blowing up Skull Creek from the south. I loved the feel of the wind on my skin. The land has been too much with me these last few days and will be again. But to be here, on the water, feeling GANNET move beneath me—who wants stolidly and stability?—was wonderfully restoring and will enable me to face the hassles ahead.
Carol is on her way back to the 600’ flatlands and until a few minutes ago I was standing in the companionway, sipping Botanist and listening to the non-classical playlist on the Boom 2s. A partially cloudy sky and a 12 to 14 knot breeze blowing up Skull Creek from the south. I loved the feel of the wind on my skin. The land has been too much with me these last few days and will be again. But to be here, on the water, feeling GANNET move beneath me—who wants stolidly and stability?—was wonderfully restoring and will enable me to face the hassles ahead.
Just before I came below a snowy egret walked past. Black beak, yellow feet=Snowy. Yellow beak and black feet=Great. Also Great Egrets are bigger, but that depends on their age.
This snowy didn’t even notice me. Another— though I cannot be certain it is the same one, I believe it is—has now twice simply stepped aside when I walked past. It knows I won’t bother it. I hope its trust in our species is not betrayed.
An aside on pronouns.
English is an expressive language, but pronoun deficient.
When I wrote ‘it’ about the egret, traditionally in English when the sex is unknown, the masculine is used. This is clearly sexist, but to say 'he/her' is graceless and 'it' doesn’t seem right when the creature is one sex or the other.
Also the second person pronoun, in English both singular and plural are ‘you’. In many languages there is a superior difference between the personal and the general. The French ‘tu’ and ‘vous’ for example.
No conclusion. Just a writer’s musings.
While I was standing in the companionway, I watched another snowy egret walking down the next dock following by a large man. The man was gaining. Both disappeared and reappeared behind boats. I image the egret looking anxiously over its shoulder. Two boats from the end of the dock it took flight and circled around to land behind the man.
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Carol’s parents, sister and brother-in-law were also here this week. They rented a condo on the ocean side of the island, which is a very different world. It was a nice place, right on the beach and with fine views of the ocean, but in two five story buildings there is only one couple who are permanent residents.
To bike to the ocean is about a six mile ride and you can ride bikes on the beach.
To bike to the ocean is about a six mile ride and you can ride bikes on the beach.
I will.
Since Tuesday Carol has been sleeping on GANNET.
This necessitates a third interior configuration, beyond passage mode and harbor, but the v-berth is large enough for two.
We had breakfast in the Great Cabin, which requires coordinated movements but was satisfactory, and ate other meals with her family ashore.
GANNET is now back in harbor mode and Carol is missed.
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I thank Tom for sending me the POINTS EAST cover.
That GANNET is a handsome boat, but is suspect that some GANNET's are faster than others.
