Hilton Head Island: Gabrielle; blocked; Australiana; Laphroaig; back

Zane, who lives in Auckland and whose parent’s home was partially flooded in that city’s recent record rainfall, emailed me about what has now become cyclone Gabrielle which is predicted by all models to make landfall in northern New Zealand in the next few days.  As you can see from the screen shot of this morning’s earth wind map Gabrielle is presently off the Queensland coast.  It a category three storm.  It is expected to weaken some as it moves out of the tropics and over cooler waters, but is still forecast to be a serious storm that will drop considerable more unneeded rain over the north of New Zealand.  It is being called by some sensationalists ‘the storm of the century’.  Get serious.  The century is not even a quarter over and it is far too early to be talking about anything being ‘the…..of the century’.  

My thoughts are with all of those who will have to endure another deluge.

A friend sent me a link to a movie about Mike Plant, an American sailor who died at sea in 1992. I knew of him, but I never thought he did anything significant or original.  However, I tried to watch the movie.  I only made it to the second minute when someone claimed “Mike Plant is American’s greatest solo sailor.’

There are two men who have legitimate claims to being America’s greatest solo sailor.  One is Joshua Slocum and the other is not Mike Plant.

I decided to google him to see if he had ever done anything I missed.   At Wikipedia I found that he didn’t.  

There is a statement there that says he was at the time of his death one of only five men to have made three solo circumnavigations.  In 1992 that may have been true, but is no longer.  Among I expect several others, I have made three solo circumnavigations:  my first, fifth and sixth.

Being at Wikipedia I went to the bare bones article about myself which someone kindly created.  I decided to try to upload the chart of my circumnavigations and some photos and clicked on the edit button and got this:

I have never before tried to submit anything to Wikipedia.  Our Internet comes through T-Mobile Internet.  We have been with them only a few months.  They provide the router, which seems to be new.  So I have no idea why this appears and at present don’t feel like reading through their FAQ and too numerous rules.  

Australia, as well as New Zealand, has recently been very much on my mind.

I have received several emails from readers there.

I just finished reading Patrick White’s THE VIVISECTOR, a novel about a painter who lived in Sydney, which remains my favorite big city in the world.  I have spent a total of three years there on various voyages.

An album by the late Aboriginal singer, Gurrumul, came up on one of my playlists.

And I wore my Akubra hat on the flights back from Chicago.  For American readers, Akubra is perhaps the best known Australian hat brand, similar to our Stetson.  I am gradually moving more clothing from Lake Forest to Hilton Head prior to the final move next year.  I realized that hat is almost forty years old.  I bought it during 1986-87 when Jill and I lived aboard RESURGAM for a year on a mooring in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay.  Akubras really do last forever.  Too bad I don’t have anyone to will it to.

I thank Tim for a link to a video about my favorite liquid.

https://youtu.be/sUFa_GxgPqY

I watched and enjoyed it last evening.  In the background of some scenes I saw a marina I did not know is there.  Tempting.

I confess that I do not find in Laphroaig the citrus and pineapple touches that are claimed in the video, but then I find the language of wine tasting also alien.

Naturally the video resulted in my wanting a sip of the golden pour.  Alas, I had none on hand, and almost constant rain was forecast for today and tomorrow.  Liquor stores aren’t open in South Carolina on Sundays so I was faced with a disconsolate wait until Monday.

I woke this morning to low skies and rain.  However at a little after 9 there was a break and I made a break for the supermarket and nearby liquor store four miles away, pedaling fast.

I made it to the stores in twenty minutes, five minutes faster than usual.  Bought the last two bottles of 10 year Laphroaig at the liquor store; bought berries, grapefruit juice, milk, sushi, a salad, a container of frozen shrimp and sausage gumbo, and another of Cherries Garcia ice cream at the supermarket.  Then pedaled furiously for Skull Creek.  I made it home just before the rain resumed.  My legs are back.  Maybe they weren’t as far gone as I thought, but muscles do return when you use them, even when you are seriously old.