Earlier this season, the Clelia II — an Antarctica expedition cruise ship — was rocked by big waves and lost an engine. There was some damage, the ship was escorted back to Ushuaia and trips were canceled. The best and most important part of the story is that no one was hurt, though I imagine the passengers were eager to be back in calmer seas.
This morning at 8:30 “my” ship, the Polar Star, hit a rock and was damaged.… continued…
We did not mean to sit so still, but we had plenty of time. Why would we rush around to see everything when we could stay as long as we wanted?
The stone house was cold in the morning. We stayed under piles of blankets until we could hear the fire. Then, we went to help with breakfast, unwrapping cheese, slicing bread, boiling water for more coffee. We sat on a long bench with our backs against the wall, cozy with the others who were equally as indolent.… continued…
I am very fond of rough beaches in less than ideal weather, of gray sand and salt spray, of decaying giant trees and screaming gulls and beach communities in the off season.
This morning I joined my friend Knox for coffee at Alki Beach. The air was thick with fog, the beach was almost empty, and the ships blew their fog horns to let everyone know were they were. We drank coffee from Pioneer and sat on the concrete steps while dog walkers and committed runners without day jobs rushed by, taking no time to wonder what that bird with the great wingspan flying low across the water was.… continued…
My camera took a fall about two weeks ago; I blame poltergeists as no one was in the room when it happened. As a result, the lens barrel was tweaked and the lens became stuck. I had to have my camera disassembled, the lens rebuilt, and many dollars later, I have the same camera. It’s okay, I guess, it was cheaper than buying a new one.
Today, I took the ferry to Vashon Island for a meeting.… continued…
