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Not Half Bad


Good morning everyone. Sorry to shock your systems like this but 2 blogs in 2 days? Does this man ever sleep? Not nearly enough some days of the week.

If you looked up perfection in the dictionary there would be a picture of yesterday. Not that there really is any such thing as perfection but yesterday wasn't half bad. We went ashore briefly at Swan’s I to see my dear friend Earl… the Earl of Swans. Many of you have been up to see Earl and know what a treat it is. Summer is winding down for Earl as Labor Day looms too close for comfort and his summer friends begin to head home leaving Earl to survive the winter on “Alcatraz” as he calls it. Compared to his very busy social summer schedule life does slow a bit for Earl during the winter. I am not sure when I will get back to see Earl myself so I felt a special bit of sadness myself.
One of the guests asked in jest for a white sand beach for our noon time lobster picnic. Of course I had to produce just to prove that here in Maine we have it all. The water was as clear as a bell. Lots of folks went swimming. By the way… when we claim to offer an all you can eat lobster picnic we aren’t kidding. We were literally begging people to eat lobster. Now when was the last time that happened to you?

I was up very early this morning to watch the space station pass over. One of our guests, Doug, works on guidance systems that control the space station and he is also a heck of a photographer. He has actually read the manual for the camera! Thankfully we have the same cameras and he and I created the image of the rig against the starry sky. This is a copy of an image Neal Parent created aboard a few years ago with the use of a flash light to paint the rig which normally wouldn’t come out this clear even in a twenty second exposure. So thanks to Neal and Jim and Dudley and Doug for the inspiration to get up early and create a cool image. I know I am slow on the uptake guys so thanks for your patience.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Comments

Unknown said…
Hmmm - Let me see, the last time I was begged to eat more lobster would have been July 9, 2009 on Sheep's Island where we had a lunch-time picnic. I wrote in my personal log that I ate four lobsters and six extra claws. It's now almost two months later and I'm still trying to work off those last two extra claws.

The ISS is scheduled to pass over us here in central Alabama Monday night with about 5 minutes of visibility. With a little luck the sky will be clear and my camera can record the event.
AL from Alabama said…
An article in my favorite astronomy website, mentions that as the ISS nears completion, it will be visible in the daytime, depending on the location of the Sun. I wonder if they have lobster on the ISS. Probably freeze dried or maybe lobster paste.
Hi Ed and Al,

Hope all is cool down there in the sunny south. As always it is great to hear from you. Ed, as I recall the last time you were here we also threw in a couple of additional fog days at no extra charge. This crowd is demanding a weather refund. They claim they have not see the full range of Maine weather as advertised in the brochure. We are refunding double their money on the weather surcharge. I sure hope we get some rain soon. The 3 inches we have received each of the last two weekends is barely keeping up with the evaporative effect of weeks like this.

You two behave... Be well. Do good.
Unknown said…
Cap - As I recall we experienced nearly the full Maine weather spectrum back in July. I got to wear my rain gear over my tee shirt, flannel shirt, wool sweater, and "Wooden Boat" sailing shirt. Even thus attired I shivered. I was holding my Mary Day fleece in reserve in case it really got cold in the wind and rain. Two days later we were in shorts and tee shirts. I forgot my sun screen and got almost as red as the lobsters we ate. The only weather we missed was snow and ice (we did get some great ice cream though).

Most folks don't understand why I think sailing on a cold, windy, rainy day is fun. If they don't get it then they don't get sailing and they don't get Maine. To me it's all part of the package. I know Al will appreciate all the weather when he is aboard later this month.

By the way, I don't get to see Al much anymore. I up and retired from our common place of employment about a month ago. Al and all the folks I trained are keeping the lights on. I wish I could say I've accomplished a great deal on my boat project but progress is slow. I know I can't do it but I seem to be trying for perfection building this boat.

Fair winds - Ed
Michele B said…
Those extra claws will get you every time. I'm still trying to work off the lobster I ate on my first trip, back in 2001! LOL
Lately, we've had some chilly days here in NH. My co-worker, a Brazilian who is always cold, told me one day that she got out of bed and thought "Michele must be crazy to want to go sailing in this weather." You're right Ed, they just don't get it. Can't wait to see the beautiful Mary Day on Sunday the 13. Barry, save some of that weather mix for me! :)
Anonymous said…
Well I think the last time I was "forced" to eat more lobster than I would usually do, (one), was last late September, forget the specific place but do remember it was a nice evening. Ate three lobsters, Capt. Barry has a way with persuasion. The next time I'm looking forward to being "forced" to eat more lobster will be in about 33 or 34 days and I'm so looking forward to that day.
skyewise said…
What an awesome picture! I love it. At first I thought maybe Rob was up there for a little night repair. But no, it was pure photography. Well, it's time to change my desktop background here at work. The fleet rafted together has been floating around on my desk for a couple of months, now we'll take a night voyage.

Wishing you a lovely month!
- Dotsie

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