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May 31, 2016

Are you content to dawdle?

I SOMETIMES WONDER how many sailors are content to dawdle along at a couple of knots when the wind goes light. Not that many, I’m thinking. But I reckon the late Hal Roth was a kindred spirit. Like me, he wasn’t one to start the engine when his speed dropped below 5 knots, as so many sailors do today. When he was sailing around the wine-dark seas of the Mediterranean in the wake of Ulysses, he once took 6 hours to cover 15 miles in Greece — an average of 2 1/2 knots.

Like him, I grew up in an era when sailors actually sailed. The grumpy old salts I learned from frowned upon anybody who switched on an auxiliary engine just because there was no wind. I was actually quite shocked when an American yacht came past me once on a passage around the bottom of Africa. He was actually motor-sailing, and he didn’t look at all guilty about it. We were making a knot-and-a-half and he was making six. Such bad taste, I thought.

On another occasion I was sailing from the British Virgin Islands to Fort Lauderdale when two American sailboats, Pendragon and Escudo, came motoring past our 30-footer in mid-ocean. They were talking about us on VHF. They couldn’t understand why we weren’t motoring in the very light air. There was a lot of discussion about how much ice their freezers were making, with their engines running all the time.

When the wind hauled aft we were able to raise our twin running jibs. “Well, whaddya know?” said the radio. “The guy’s got his spinnaker up at last.”

“Yeah, slow thinker,” came the reply.

We thought they were very rude. I contemplated hitting back at them on the VHF with some powerful invective or some scornful, withering sarcasm, but in the end we held our tongues and slid over the calm waters leading to the Bahamas in stately silence, as all decent sailors should. Motors be damned.

Today’s Thought
One of the greatest sounds of them all—and to me it is a sound—is utter, complete silence.
— André Kostelanetz

“What’s Monica’s last name?”
“Monica who?”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 29, 2016

Uniform tips for high fliers

THERE WILL BE THOSE among us who aspire to high office in sailing associations and yacht clubs. It is to these worthies that I dedicate today’s column

I can imagine how difficult it must be to maintain a smart appearance in one’s best club blazer and pants while confronted with the rigorous requirements of running a small yacht, such as servicing the engine or unplugging the blocked head.  Neverthless, one needs to set an example at all times, convenient or not,  for other boaters to follow; and one also needs to be prepared at all times to appear on the foredeck at short notice in the appropriate attire, should the club commodore happen to cruise by and require  the customary salutes and obeisances.

It is with this in mind that I quote some helpful advice from a book named The Naval Officer’s Guide, by Commander Arthur A. Ageton,, U.S. Navy. It is readily apparent from the book that naval personnel experience exactly the same difficulties as amateur sailors  do in keeping their uniforms neat and tidy.

Here, for a start, is how to look after some important components of your uniform:

“Care of Gold Lace — Gold lace will rapidly tarnish and deteriorate if in contact with, or hung near, any substance containing sulphur, such as rubber or ordinary manila and kraft wrapping paper.

“To Remove Tarnish from Gold Lace — Gold lace may be cleaned by dipping it in a solution of potassium cyanide and rinsing it thoroughly with water. The use of potassium cyanide is very dangerous, as it is a powerful poison, and extreme care must be exercised. Never under any consideration use it when hands bear cuts or scratches. In any case it is far safer to have an experienced tailor clean gold lace.”

Once you have your gold lace under control, it’s time to turn an eye to your uniform buttons. Here what Commander Ageton has to say:

“To Clean Buttons That Have Turned Green — Buttons sometimes turn green when the gold plating is worn off and the copper base becomes covered with green copper carbonate due to exposure to moist air. This can be removed by rubbing gently with acetic acid or any substance containing this acid, such as vinegar or Worcestershire sauce, followed by a thorough washing in fresh water and drying.”

The book contains similarly helpful advice on how to remove many other substances likely to soil or disfigure maritime uniforms, including oil, grease, kerosene, paint, wax, iodine, fruit, and chocolate. If you should be interested in the details of how to deal with any of these problems, simply let me know.

Meanwhile, here is a final piece of advice from the book that will prove most useful to those whose uniforms are showing embarrassing signs of age, especially in the nether regions:

“To Remove Shine from Serge Uniforms —  The spot to be treated should be steamed by laying a wet cloth over it and pressing with a hot iron and then rubbing it very gently with a piece of ‘00’ sandpaper or emery cloth. This should be done by a regular tailor.”

Today’s Thought
We are all Adam’s children, but silk makes the difference.
— Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia. No. 5425

Ever wonder why the average man prefers women with beauty to women with brains?
It’s because the average man can see better than he can think.

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 26, 2016

The graveyard of toilets

SOMEONE ASKED ME the other day how much a used marine toilet is worth. I was able to tell him that a used marine toilet is worth about as much as an ice cube in Alaska. I know this because there was a time when I, too, threw the plumbed head off my 22-foot race boat in favor of the much lighter bucket-and-bag-it system.

I took it down the road to the local marine consignment store.

“I have a porcelain head,” I told the man. “Good working condition.”

He sighed. “Let’s see it,” he said warily.

I led him outside and threw open the trunk of my car. The head crouched there innocently on a piece of blue tarpaulin, clean and bright and trying to look hygienic and attractive.

“OK,” said the man. “Bring it in.”

He guided me through the store and down some stairs to a basement room. And there, to my astonishment, stood rows and rows of pre-owned white porcelain toilets, wall-to-wall as far as the eye could see. It was like the Arlington National of boating bathrooms.

“This is where marine toilets come to die,” said the man, waving an arm at a veritable elephant’s graveyard of maritime plumbing. “Yours might take a while to sell,” he added unnecessarily.

I’ll never know whether it sold or not. That was 16 years ago. The consignment store is no longer in business. I don’t know what happened to my old loo. But I’m sure that wherever it is now, it’s not lonely.

Today’s Thought
Let not the eyes be dry when we have lost a friend, nor let them overflow. We may weep, but we must not wail.
— Seneca, Epistulae ad Lucilium

A VA doctor was examining a man back from a long spell in Iraq.
“Do you pee normally?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t go more than usual?”
“Um — no, sir.”
“When you pee, does it burn at all?”
“Don’t know, sir. Never tried to light it.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 24, 2016

How to be a benevolent dictator

I HAVE ALWAYS maintained that the skipper of a yacht must of necessity be a dictator, preferably a benevolent dictator. In my opinion there is no place on a sailing vessel for a captain who is unable or unwilling to make a decision without the comfort of consulting his crew and passengers, and gaining their approval.  There is no time to form a committee and seek consensus about whether to tack or not when you suddenly find yourself on a collision course with a large freighter.

Dictatorship  is not a particularly popular stance to adopt these days, when the American citizenry seems obsessed with human rights and the privileges bestowed by a generous Constitution; so you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the U.S. Navy agrees with me.  Or, at least, it used to, back in the wartime 1940s when a book named The Naval Officer’s Guide was published. The author was Arthur A. Ageton, then a Commander in the Navy. Here’s what he said:

“A navy is essentially and necessarily aristocratic. True as may be the political principles for which we are now contending, they can never be practically applied or even admitted on board ship, out of port or off soundings. This may seem a hardship, but it is nevertheless the simplest of truths.

“While the ships sent forth by Congress may and must fight for the principles of human rights and republican freedom, the ships themselves must be ruled and commanded at sea under a system of absolute despotism.”

I agree. In fact, these truths are self-evident. And they apply to recreational boats as much as they do to the ships of the navy, except perhaps in minor matters such as the commissary, for which it might be wise, if you have any sense at all,  to consult the cook in advance about what stores and  menus might best be procured for a long trip.

But how can you tell if you qualify to be a benevolent dictator aboard your own craft, rather than the despot your wife claims you to be? Well, Commander Ageton explains it all under the heading “Attributes of a Naval Officer:”

“An enumeration of the best attributes in character and personality of all the great leaders would include — simplicity, earnestness, self-control, assiduity, common sense, judgment, justice, enthusiasm, perseverance, tact, courage, faith, loyalty, acumen, truthfulness, and honor. These might well be called the sixteen points of leadership.”

Yeah well . . . tall order, hey? Let’s face it, some of us will never qualify. Some of us don’t even know what assiduity is.

Today’s Thought
Nature has left this tincture in the blood,
That all men would be tyrants if they could.
— Daniel Defoe, The Kentish Petition: Addenda

“Basil, have you been drinking beer again!”
“No my love, not a drop of booze has passed my lips.”
“What have you been up to, then?”
“I was at a French restaurant eating frogs’ legs.”
“Oh, sorry, it must be the hops I can smell.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, for a new Mainly about Boats column.)

May 22, 2016

Bad things happen at sea

WHAT’S THE WORST THING that can happen to a sailor at sea? Here are some of the answers you’ll get if you ask around:

Mast failure. Nothing makes your heart beat faster than the sight of your mast going overboard, or so I’m told. The seriousness of the situation depends on many things, of course, especially how far away you are from land and rescue services.

Anchor dragging onto a lee shore. Naturally, this only happens in the worst weather when it will cause maximum harm. Depending on the forecast, and how fast the anchor is moving, and how far offshore you are, it can be white-knuckle time. The answer is to retrieve your anchor and put out to sea as soon as the wind starts blowing hard onshore.

Engine failure while entering a strange marina. It happens with puzzling frequency. It’s as if engines know when best to punish you. One answer is to have a stern anchor set up and ready to hurl overboard within seconds.

A leak in the water tank at sea. It really gets your attention when you wake up to find your floorboards awash in fresh water. Whether you die of thirst or not depends on your knowledge of extracting lymphatic fluid from fish, as Dr. Alain Bombard did, and how much moisture there is in those cans of baked beans in the galley.

Seasickness. For those afflicted, nothing is worse, even death itself. In fact, some in the deepest throes of this maritime misery have been known to beg to be allowed to die. Don’t let them. Force-feed them with dry crackers, keep them hydrated, and give them a steady supply of brown paper bags. And don’t expect any thanks.

Some other suggestions I’ve come across::

— Going hard aground at high spring tide in front of the yacht club.

— Turning turtle at sea; and, poignantly,

— Getting too old to sail.

Today’s Thought
The true test of seamanship is how a sailor reacts when things go wrong.
— John Vigor

“You quite sure you captured this gator yourself?”
“Howcome it’s all dirty along one side?”
“Hit the mud when it fell out of the tree.”
(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 19, 2016

Why hulls are not symmetrical

THE OWNER of a 28-foot Cape Dory sloop was once upset because his rudder post did not come up through his cockpit on the exact centerline. It was, in fact, offset by about an inch or so to one side. Was this normal? he wanted to know.

But what he was really asking was: Is it okay for this not to be symmetrical? The human brain loves symmetry to the extent that it will forgive all kinds of mistakes. If something’s wrong it doesn’t matter — as long as it’s equally wrong on both sides. It’s more important that mistakes should match.

Unfortunately, things don’t always turn out the way the brain would prefer them to, as demonstrated by the Cape Dory’s rudder post. In fact, there are many, many boats that emerge from the manufacturing process rather differently from what the yacht architect so painstakingly designed. In the heyday of one-off wooden yachts, a naval architect was well pleased when a 35-footer came within 6 inches of its designed overall length.

Even today, in this era of improved precision, it’s not always possible to match a finished boat to those beautifully faired lines on the designer’s drawing board. For example, one experienced contributor to the Cape Dory bulletin board confirmed that when he worked for Sam Morse, building the famous Bristol Channel Cutters, it was quite obvious that the hull mold was asymmetrical.

Now, Sam Morse boats are renowned for the quality of their build and finish, and BCCs have always been top-of-the-line cruisers. Even so, “One had only to stand behind the boat and look forward along the garboards (where the lower part of the hull joins the keel) to see the difference between the port and starboard side of the boat,” he wrote.
“I noticed this difference quite readily when installing the ballast. The lead castings for the ballast reflected the hull’s asymmetry.”

Sam Morse is not alone. BoatU.S. Magazine quoted the owner of a 2007 C&C 115 who discovered his deck was off-center by 1 1/2 inches. The builder responded: “One of the norms of the industry is that no builder guarantees symmetry. Even in strict one-design classes there are variations ...”

A hull that is not symmetrical will probably list to one side, of course. That fact, combined with an offset rudder and a mast that is not quite on centerline, might make a boat a race-winner on starboard tack and an absolute dog on port. On the other hand, the mistakes might tend to cancel each other out so that you end up with a reasonably normal boat on both tacks.

It is difficult to predict in advance what the overall effect of an asymmetrical hull might be. We are dealing here with changed centers of buoyancy and gravity, and possibly with the center of lateral resistance, too.

But, to get back to the Cape Dory man’s question, does a little asymmetry really matter? Not in most cases, I venture to suggest. I learned this from personal experience. One morning I was happily cleaning my teeth when I noticed to my horror that the middle of my top teeth did not line up with the tip of my nose. In other words, my center of sniffing was displaced to starboard of my center of chewing by about one-half tooth.

It was rather a shock to me to discover after decades of looking at myself in the shaving mirror that I had an asymmetrical face. I immediately took action to disguise my disfigurement. I learned to smile infrequently; and on the rare occasion when a smile was essential I learned to open the outer ends of my lips in light-hearted happiness and keep the middle parts firmly clamped shut.

Then, after considerable research, I learned that many people, if not most, are asymmetrical in one way or another. The length of legs can differ. One eye can be slightly higher than another. Women’s individual breasts frequently differ in size and pointiness. And I finally noticed that one of our most famous national TV newscasters has a nose running northeast and a jaw sloping southwest — and it does not impinge one whit upon his pomposity.

So I don’t worry about my nasal/dental asymmetry any more. Well, not most of the time, anyhow. I have found, though, that on meeting an interesting person of the opposite sex, my nose now bends itself slightly half a tooth to port to line up with my top teeth. It does this quite automatically without any urging from me and I take this as a happy sign of how Nature compensates for all our inadequacies. Which means that you shouldn’t really worry too much if your rudder post is offset, your center of buoyancy is skewed, or one ear sticks out more than the other.

Today’s Thought
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.
— Francis Bacon

Commander: “What blankety-blank put these goddam flowers on the navigation desk fer chrissake?”
Lieutenant: “The Admiral did, Sir.”
Commander: “Purdy, ain’t they?”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 17, 2016

Are blisters over-rated?

“SHOULD I BUY a boat with blisters?” That’s the query I once received from a reader in San Diego. “Cautious” had fallen in love with a 10-year old, 30-foot sloop, but he was scared to tie the knot. He was afraid to commit, because when he had her surveyed he found she had “a whole lot of dime-sized blisters on her bottom.”

Well, my advice to “Cautious” was simply: Grit your teeth and buy her. Nobody’s perfect, and no boat is either. Although fiberglass boats have been around for more than 50 years, there’s still a lot of misinformation doing the rounds, especially regarding the dreaded boat pox.

It’s reassuring, therefore, to hear the experience of David Pascoe, a marine surveyor based in Destin, Fla., who says that in more than 30 years of surveying and examining 4,000 hulls, he has seen fewer than 10 cases where blisters have resulted in serious structural degradation of a hull.[1]

We’re talking here of dime-sized blisters. In 99 percent of the boats Pascoe has surveyed, blistering involved only the gel coat and the surface mat — neither of which is a structural part of the hull laminate.

Pascoe says that even boats with numerous blisters up to about 1-inch in diameter usually show no significant weakening of the plastic. As a result, “moderate blistering on an older boat rarely impedes the sale.”

As a matter of fact, Pascoe reckons that by the time a boat is 8 or 10 years old, “whatever is going to happen to the hull has probably already happened.” That means if she hasn’t developed blisters yet, she’s not ever likely to, so don’t be tempted to apply a barrier coat.

It’s quite another matter if a new boat develops blisters, of course. On a boat that’s been afloat for only two or three years, it’s likely that blistering is just the beginning. That’s not good news. But one that’s been afloat for eight years or more without developing blisters is  pretty safe bet.

Interestingly, Pascoe doesn’t even think it’s necessary to do anything about small blisters. Admittedly, they make the hull more difficult to paint and they will slow the boat down slightly, but: “If blisters cannot be shown to be causing significant damage, then repair is certainly not mandatory, despite the many horror stories you may hear from people trying to sell you a costly repair job ... Bear in mind that blister repair jobs are now big business for boat yards, so that taking advice from yard managers may not be a good idea.”

He makes another good point, too: “Further, you should be aware that the number of failed blister repair jobs that surveyors find is very high. No one’s ever going to know why blister repairs fail because no one is going to spend the money to find out.”

So go ahead, I told “Cautious.” Be brave. Put your money where your heart is. Who else is going to see your new girl-friend’s bottom anyhow?

Today’s Thought
The desire of perfection is the worst disease that ever afflicted the human mind.
— Fontanes, Address to Napoleon, on behalf of the French Senate, 1804

”Why do you call it love at second sight?”
“I didn’t know she was rich when I first saw her.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 15, 2016

A knife could save your life

I HAVE LONG BELIEVED that people whose lives depend on rope should always have a sharp knife at hand. The more you sail, the more you realize the need for a knife. That need doesn’t arise often, thank goodness, but the occasions when it does are usually characterized by strong winds, heavy seas, threatening rocks, and a crew paralyzed with panic.

The kind of knife I’m referring to must be capable of slicing quickly through the largest rope on your boat. That may be the anchor line, a halyard, a sheet, or even the dinghy painter. If you have ever seen a crewmember pinned against the cockpit bulkhead by a mainsheet across the neck after a sudden jibe, you’ll know what I’m talking about. And if you’ve ever gotten a finger caught around a winch while trying to free an override in the genoa sheet in a surprise squall, you’ll appreciate the need for fast relief.

The only question, really, is what kind of knife; and where do you keep it?

My preference is for a fixed-blade sheath knife worn on your belt, so that it always goes with you. It can be a nuisance sometimes, I know, when it catches on the lifelines or something, but it’s worth the bother. The blade should be as long as practical, even if it’s illegal ashore, but nothing less than 3 1/2 inches.

I have never figured out whether it’s better to have a plain, hollow-cut edge or a serrated edge. I think the knife manufacturers are still trying to work this one out, too, because many of them offer blades that are partly serrated and part plain knife-edge.

I remember Jerry Powlas, technical editor of Good Old Boat magazine, saying that a serrated edge was good only for bread knives, but there are many who swear by the fast cutting power of a serrated edge. And if you buy a blade that’s half serrated and half plain, how can you go wrong? I believe that Jerry’s main objection was that he found it impossible to sharpen a serrated edge to the same razor sharpness he creates on his ordinary blades.

If you can’t wear a sheath knife on your belt for some reason, then find a good place in the cockpit where you can keep a fixed-blade knife, somewhere that is readily accessible day and night.

You might also want to keep in your pocket a small rigger’s or yachtsman’s knife, one of those with a folding knife blade, a marline spike, and (very important) a beer bottle opener. Alternatively, you could have a Leatherman-type multi-tool with a small knife blade and a pair of pliers that can open shackles, as can the spike on the rigger’s knife. But these knife blades are only second-best in an emergency. It takes time to find them and it’s fiddly to open them, and you might have only one hand available anyhow. And even when they’re finally open and ready for business, they really are quite puny for the job, compared with a big robust sheath knife. They are, however, infinitely better than nothing.

There is one fairly frequent situation where a good cutting knife is called for, and that’s when you get a rope or fishing net around the propeller shaft. I would hesitate to use an expensive sheath knife for this because you’re bound to blunt the knife against the metal shaft, and I have often thought that some kind of hacksaw blade with a decent handle, or even a few wraps of duct tape, would be better for the job and a lot cheaper.

Finally, if you’re looking for a nice present for a sailor, a knife might be a good choice. If you Google the names Gerber, Myerchin, and Spyderco you’ll find some very modern designs made expressly for cutting rope in a hurry. You’ll also notice that the purchase prices of the more exotic models are such that you might well be tempted to investigate my hacksaw blade idea with justifiable fervor.

Today’s Thought
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and a book of rules,
And each must make, ere life is flown,
A stumbling-block or a stepping stone.
— R. L. Sharpe

“I need a new dipstick for my car, please.”
“But surely the old one is still there, madam.”
“Yes, yes, my good man — but it doesn’t reach the oil any more.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 12, 2016

Finding a cure for hunting

SOME BOATS MAKE QUITE a menace of themselves at anchor when they continuously “hunt” from port to starboard and back. This hunting habit carries them far and wide across an arc of 20 degrees or so, with the anchor as its center. It wouldn’t matter much if there were plenty of room, but since the plastic revolution every man and his dog seems to be able to afford a boat, so all the nice anchorages are very crowded.

A boat with an all-chain rode usually sits very quietly at anchor, but most day sailors and coastal cruisers choose a rode that starts with a small length of chain next to the anchor, and then nylon rope right to the bitter end.

Now nylon line is nice and springy, so when a puff of wind hits the starboard bow, the boat slides aft until all the nylon line is taken up. Then it stretches a bit and, recovering its elasticity, slings the bow back over to the opposite side. It continues this back-and-forth slingshot motion in a wide arc ad infinitum.

Once again, it wouldn’t matter much if all the boats in a congested anchorage could be induced to indulge in synchronized hunting. If they all went to port at the same time, and all swung back to starboard together, there would be no problem. Unfortunately, neither the yacht designers nor Nature seem to think this problem worthy of investigation and correction, so we poor souls with boats that hunt have to learn to live with it, scrambling for fenders and yelling loud curses when one boat hunting left comes speeding sideways toward its neighbor boat hunting right.

There are three things I know of that can lessen the arc through which a boat will swing at anchor, and I offer them in order of effectiveness:

The bridle

Deploy your rode as usual, lead it through one of the chocks near your bow  and make it fast. Now take a line of suitable size and tie a rolling hitch around the rode just ahead of the chock. Give this line a few feet of slack, pass it through the chock on the opposite side of the bow, and cleat it. Now offer up some rode from your original anchor line until you have a bridle in front of the bow, that is, an inverted V pointing toward the anchor. Make your original rode fast when the two legs of the V are equal in length. Don’t expect too much from this bridle, but it does help a bit.

The riding sail

If you have a yawl or a ketch, set your mizzen and sheet it in tight. You can center it, or tie it off slightly to one side or the other, as seem best. There are times when the stalled sail will flutter and rattle its fittings and drive you mad. You will have to choose between going crazy and being smitten against your neighboring boat.

If you have a sloop or a cutter you can set a riding sail as far aft as you can get it. The usual arrangement is to hank it to the backstay and lead the sheet forward onto a cockpit winch. It’s often recommended that you use your storm jib for this purpose, but a boat with a full keel normally needs a rather larger spread of sail to be effective. I don’t regard it as a very seamanlike procedure in any case. It always seems wrong to have an unsupported leading edge to a sail that shape. But a lot of people swear by it, and they’re entitled to their own biased opinions.

Set another anchor

You will drastically reduce the arc of your swing if you set a second anchor at an angle of about 45 degrees to the first one. It’s the principle of the bridle again, only reversed and on a much more effective scale. You will have rodes leading off to each side of the bow at just over 20 degrees each and your bow will be snubbed very quickly each time it wickedly attempts to stray from the path of righteousness. Of course, there’s a problem with this arrangement, too. You need room to put out the second anchor, and some ignorant fool is almost surely going to drop his anchor right over yours.

Oh, and there is a fourth method I’ve just remembered.

If you have a cutter or a sloop, simply anchor by the stern. Try it some time. You will be amazed at how quietly she will lie downwind. In fact, this is often the most effective method of all to cure hunting. Its only drawback is that the people all around you will regard you as the village idiot because you’re doing something different from their brand of superior seamanship. No matter. I find that if you return their disapproving looks with a nice, friendly, vacant smile it drives them nuts. You might want to take along some straw to chew at the same time.

Today’s Thought
Seamanship is the art or skill of handling and maneuvering a vessel in the way that best satisfies the needs of the craft rather than the expectations of critical onlookers.
— John Vigor

“I was swimming in a Florida swamp when three gladiators came straight at me and . . .”
“No, no, not gladiators. Allegories. Things like crocodiles.”
“Well what are gladiators, then?”
“Gladiators? Uh, they’re, like, flowers you grow from bulbs.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 10, 2016

Waiting for first scratch

LAST TIME I painted a deck it was a major disaster. Because of incompatibility between two lots of epoxy undercoat, my whole twin-pack polyurethane deck peeled off in one piece two weeks after I finished it, and I had to do the whole damn thing again.

Even after I eventually got it right I didn’t experience the inner joy that’s supposed to make you burst with happiness. I was always afraid some fool would drop a winch handle and chip it. Or some landlubber would sit on it with a marker pen in his back pocket. Or some damned seagull would drop his freshly picked mussel on it from a dizzy height to break it open. The suspense was killing me.

In the end, I invented a ceremony that brought me peace of mind. I called it the First Scratch Ceremony and made it a chapter in my book How to Rename Your Boat — And 19 Other Useful Ceremonies.

The essence of the ceremony is that you deliberately put the first scratch on your new paint job in an inconspicuous place. And then, when your gleaming paintwork finally does get ravaged by some thoughtless idiot, you won’t be consumed by a paroxysm of rage. You will be able to control the very natural urge to commit homicide because it won’t be the first scratch.

The ceremony ends with a lovely (even if I say so myself) little prayer to Aphrodite, the guardian of love and beauty, imploring her to bless the first scratch that will spare us the agony of the endless wait, the awful anticipation that keeps honest mortals awake at night, staring into the darkness, wondering when that wonderful new paint finish will first be violated.

I’m not planning to paint a deck any time soon, but when the time does come I will definitely organize a First Scratch Ceremony and party. And I won’t stint on the champagne, either.

Today’s Thought
The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw.
—Havelock Ellis

“Why are you puffing so much?”
“Man, I just saved myself a buck. I missed the bus and ran after it the whole way.”
“Jeez, you dummy, why didn’t you run after a taxi and save $10?”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 8, 2016

What to do about fog

EVERY NOW AND THEN I run into some sailor who has just been scared witless by running into fog in the islands somewhere. We don’t get a lot of fog around here, but when the tidal currents are flowing fast and Washington State ferries are blowing their horns all around you, it can be a very frightening situation. I’m often asked: “What’s the best thing to do about it?”

Well, to tell the truth, there isn’t much advice to give about getting caught in fog that isn’t covered by common sense. If you see a fog bank forming ahead, and you have a chance to turn back to a safe anchorage, do so. It’s the seamanlike action to take.

Fog is treacherous. Go slowly and listen very carefully. If fog catches you out, try to get into shallow water and anchor there. Oftentimes that’s easier said than done, of course.

You should raise a radar reflector as high as you can so other vessels with radar sets will detect you. And you should be meticulous about making the right sound signal every two minutes or less. I have noticed that too many skippers are very lax about this. I have even traveled on a Washington State ferry that made no sound signals in thick fog, presumably relying on radar and clearance from Seattle Traffic Control, which can’t possibly tell the ferry if a small craft, invisible to radar, is in its path.

If you’re sailing, the correct signal is one long blast and two short blasts. That’s also the signal by a vessel not under command, or restricted by her ability to maneuver. The same signal comes from a vessel engaged in fishing, or towing or pushing another vessel.

If you’re under power, the fog signal (and the signal in any kind of restricted visibility, by the way) is one long blast every two minutes or less.

And one last tip – take along a horn that you can blow into. The fog horns that work off cans of compressed air don’t always work. I can vouch for that. I can also tell you that blowing the damn horn as loud as you can every two minutes as you motor along cautiously is a pain in the you-know-what. You can’t go anywhere or do anything that lasts more than one minute and fifty-nine seconds. It puffs your cheeks out and raises your blood pressure. It makes you dizzy and produces black spots before your eyes. But it’s better than being run down at sea. So do it.

Finally, if you’re in an area where authorities such as Seattle Traffic Control are maintaining a radio and radar watch over congested traffic lanes, call them on VHF and ask if there is any ship traffic headed your way. Make sure you know your approximate position first, of course, so they can check to see if they’re picking you up on radar. You’ll find the appropriate VHF channel on the chart or in a cruising guide, but in a pinch you can use Channel 16, either to ask for the correct channel or to broadcast a message to all stations in your area advising them of your name, position, speed and heading.

Finally finally, if you boat is big enough and you are rich enough to afford an AIS transceiver there is very little reason to panic in fog. You will know the position and speed of all nearby vessels over 300 tons, and they will be aware of your position, speed and direction. With any luck, you’ll all miss each other. (Yeah, they said that about radar, of course, until the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm ran into each other, guided by radar. Try Google for the whole story.)

Today’s Thought
He that bringeth himself into needless dangers dieth the devil’s martyr.
— Thomas Fuller, Holy War

“I’ve found out why production has slowed down since we got that second computer.”
“Good. What’s wrong?”
“The big computer’s shoving all the work on to the little computer.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 5, 2016

How Friday got unlucky

FRIDAY IS upon us. Frigga’s day. Frigga, the Norse goddess of love and fertility, the wife of Odin, the most powerful of all the Northern gods. Also, some people say, the same person as Freyja, or Freya.

In olden times, Frigga’s day was regarded as a lucky day. Northerners held their nuptials on that day. And all was smiles and happiness — until the Christians came along.

As they spread their gospel, they also spread the calumny that Frigga was a witch. Because of this false testimony, Friday became regarded as an unlucky day, a day on which no right-minded sailor would set sail, for fear of bad luck at sea.

That old superstition still holds sway among those intending to set out on long voyages in small boats, and even among those who man the warships of countries with large navies. No-one who depends on the sea for his or her livelihood scoffs at this superstition.

So what to do, if you simply must sail on a Friday? Well, there is a way to set sail on Frigga’s day without attracting bad luck, if you know how. And here’s how:

Start your voyage on a Wednesday or Thursday. Go a mile or two purposefully, and then return to your mooring or slip to attend to some problem that seems to have arisen. Perhaps the cook forgot to buy cooking oil. Perhaps the bosun has discovered a stay starting to strand. Perhaps the skipper left his chronometer on the bedside table at home. There are many convincing causes that would require a prudent crew to return to port.

Now you can set sail on Friday without the burden of bad luck hanging over you, because you are not actually setting sail on Friday, but merely continuing a voyage that started on Wednesday or Thursday.

And if a Christian should challenge you and accuse you of deception, you can say: “You’re a fine one to speak of deception, my man, after what your people did to dear old Frigga.”

Today’s Thought
And on Friday fell all this mischance.
— Chaucer, The Nonne Preeste’s Tale
Men don’t make passes
At girls who wear glasses;
Girls who don’t, but should,
Wear glasses,
Will never know
If men make passes.
(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a new Mainly about Boats column.)

May 3, 2016

The propeller's worst friend

IN THE YEARS I have been writing about sailing, I have come across many suggestions for preventing barnacles from attaching themselves to propellers. One friend of mine swore by axle grease that he stole from the marine railway when his boat was hauled out for antifouling. He would smear thick gobs of it on his prop just before launch time.

Other people advise you to use carnauba wax, or zinc paint. I myself have tried two coats of copper antifouling paint. It worked for a while, but eventually wore off. I’m told the backroom boys are working on a way to apply a Teflon coating to a bronze propeller, so barnacles simply won’t be able to stick to it. But so far none of these remedies has worked satisfactorily in all waters. The very action of a propeller working in water quickly abrades whatever coating you apply.

There is one trick that really does work, and that is to tie a black plastic bag around the prop each time you reach your home mooring or slip. Some fanatical racers do that, but I’m sure you can see the problems, not the least of which is to remember to remove the bag before you set off again.

There is a theory that barnacles will not touch a prop that isn’t protected by a sacrificial zinc. Apparently the tiny electric currents generated in the bronze of an unprotected propeller are sufficient to deter them, and convince them to move to the boat next door whose propeller is nice and docile, thanks to its sacrificial zinc.

No doubt you can spot the problem, here, though. The electric currents that keep the barnacles away are also slowly eating the propeller away. Maybe if you can afford a new propeller every couple of years you can live a lovely life free of worry about barnacles. If not, you, like most, will just have to put up with an increasing number of barnacle squatters and a corresponding decrease in motoring speed as time goes by.

You can, of course, dive and scrape off the barnacles from time to time if you sail in warm waters. But if you live in the frigid zone of Puget Sound like me, then grinding your teeth and swearing in a sailorly fashion seems to be all there is to do about it until the next haulout. You might find, though, that the occasional beer or Dark ’n Stormy helps.

Today’s Thought
Though you drive away nature with a pitchfork, she always returns.
— Horace, Epistles, 1, x

“Why has your dog got such a flat nose?”
“He keeps chasing parked cars.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)

May 2, 2016

Seasickness explained

I SOMETIMES WONDER how much more popular sailing would be if it weren’t for seasickness. It’s a great pity that such a satisfying and enjoyable sport should make people physically ill. It’s not surprising that many people, after experiencing their first bout of seasickness, firmly put aside any thoughts they may have had about taking up yachting, and devote themselves instead to golf, table tennis, and crocheting little socks for newborn babies.

On the other hand, there are many people like me who go sailing despite a tendency to suffer seasickness. We have convinced ourselves (perhaps without much evidence) that the pleasures of sailing overcome the miseries of hanging over the side and puking.

Although it’s a disease of the mind, rather than the stomach, there should be no shame in suffering seasickness. Almost everyone will become sick if conditions are rough enough. Even in normal weather, 60 percent of people cast adrift in small inflatable liferafts succumb to seasickness. So the rather regrettable fact is that it’s more normal to be seasick than not.

The cause of all this misery is understood to be a conflict between what your eye sees and your inner ear “feels.” The inner ear is the balance organ, of course. When you’re down below, and no horizon is visible, your inner ear senses that your body is dropping through space as the boat falls off a wave. But your eyes say no, hang on, we’re not moving relative to anything we can see in the cabin.

So your confused brain sets up a little boxing ring with Eyes in one corner and Inner Ear in the other and lets them fight it out. Skin, meanwhile, loses pallor and becomes damp and cool. Legs, intuitively fearing the outcome of this fight, become a little wobbly. And finally, Stomach, noting no real progress in the ring, takes things into its own hands, as it were, and says it’s obvious that something’s radically wrong, and if you guys can’t figure it out then maybe I’ve been fed some poison. I don’t want to be the fall guy. I don’t want to be blamed after all this is over, so I’m going to throw up everything I’ve eaten in the last 12 hours. And I’m going to do it now, right now.

As a matter of fact, scientists don’t yet have a logical explanation for the nausea and vomiting. I have considered explaining it to them, but you know how they sneer when an outsider tries to tell them anything. I see no good reason why I should suffer such rejection. Maybe they’ll work it out for themselves in a century or two.

Today’s Thought
Money does not buy happiness but it does allow one to be seasick in finer surroundings.
—Dave Martin

“Why are you looking so gloomy?”
“My wife just had a baby girl.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I was hoping for a son to help with the washing up.”

(Drop by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for another  Mainly about Boats column.)


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Wear and tear and the importance of a property inventory

Wear and tear and London inventory services

The rental market is at an all time high and people are moving from one property to another. Once a tenant leaves their property to move into another, there are probably damages that have been done in the vacated property they have left. Such damages may include scratched walls, damaged furniture, cracked windows and broken appliances and many more other damages. The property owners need to have a way out in place to cater for the damages and how exactly to go about the repairs or better still, the payments for what’s been damaged.

wear and tear

Property inventory companies have come up with ways to better manage and record inventories and in a professional way. They have opted for the independent inventory clerks and their training has gotten to focus more on the wear and tear allowance. These are professional inventory clerks that will always ensure that their reports on losses or damages are of high quality and at the time the tenant wants to check out into a different house, they ensure that all issues are sorted out amicably without any disputes or arguments.

In case a dispute gets to arise, London Inventory companies wear and tear services will always come and save the situation by coming up with a clear guideline. The guidelines will state if or not any compensation needs to be done for wear and tear if the tenant needs to make any payments for the damage and any conclusion that comes up of the tenancy.

Wear and tear are often misunderstood and dispute often arises between the tenants and the landlords. However, we can conclude that to have a smooth stay as a tenant, it is good to have a professional come in for the sake of inventory and handling any kind of wear and tear. London inventory companies are professionals who can be greatly counted on for this.

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the Mr. and Mrs. Smiths | couples photography

I did a quick session with Andy and Bethany (married 1 1/2 years)
and Andy's parents, Dave and Peggy (married 34 years).
It's amazing how fast you can get it done when there are no kids running around.
Well, no kids running around outside...yet.
There IS one in the picture (see if you can find him/her)!

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Monday, 8 January 2018

Cancer HAS been cured

In 2001 I proposed the use of HIUD to treat cancer. The next year the Moffitt published the cure of cancer using High Intensity UltraSound. A lady doctor told me, they all bought an 8W 3MHz ultrasound to confirm the cure.
20 seconds of external 8W 3MHz ultrasound blows all cancers away – and induces the immune system to clear all secondaries. I use an 8W 1MHz device, which takes 1 minute – but has more penetrating power.
1MHz Ultrasonic Cavitation Slimming Massager Cellulite Removal Machine Therapy

1MHz Ultrasonic Cavitation Slimming Massager Cellulite Removal Machine Therapy

Brand new
This High Intensity UltraSound applied 20 times for 1 minute, will repair all organs – included the liver, kidneys and brain. No dialysis ever required. Fix MS and alcohol damage – and stop drinking!
I was just looking, and the latest graph was for 2010 – the year High Intensity UltraSound 8 years after High Intensity UltraSound was medically proved. So every Dr on Earth proved High Intensity UltraSound, and had the device.
And acted as if the world had ended. No 2 years biochemical descent to death. A 1 minute total cure – that is almost free. Dr.s carried on prescribing cancer drugs – but that was criminal, and struck them off.

So grudgingly they used High Intensity UltraSound. Which also cures heart disease and diabetes – see my posts on 'High Intensity UltraSound heart disease' and 'High Intensity UltraSound diabetes'. The greatest boon to human health.
Dr.s problem, is no Dr required. Buy you own 8W 1Mhz device over the internet -cure your own cancers. No hospital or doctor needed. 3 patients showed up at my heart heath group with Alzheimer's, MS, Parkinson's and inoperable liver cancer. All totally cured.
Who arranged this? And did they use the new medicine. So mental health problems cured 2013. Cancer drugs, radio therapy all defective, criminal medicine 2013.
And any prescribing Dr left medicine the same day. $16 million fines for all death, 25 years in jail. But an extra 75% of patients were being cured 2014. By now it should be up to 100% cancer cure rate – under the Dr.
Ultrasound - cancer cureBy Jonathan M Thomason
Paperback: List Price: £8.72 £7.41 (excl. VAT) You Save: 15%
Prints in 3-5 business days
Highly intensity ultrasound 150 W 40 kHz applied externally just once will cure all the diseases of age!
Drug companies want to hide the fact cancer is cured. AstraZeneca alone owes a legal fine of 200 trillion, for continued manufacture and sale of defective medicines. And all its managers and workers die in high security prisons. Ignoring the cancer cure is that important.

So I have saved 200 million lives, and sold 5 copies of my book. And people are still paying $3,000 to be biochemmed to death by their 'Dr'. So struck off 16 years ago.

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Quirky Romance #1: Benny and Joon, 1993 Benny the mechanic and his mentally ill sister Joon live together in a small town, each with life of very own until Sam arrives. Sam lives in his own world and patterns himself after silent film star Buster Keaton. Joon and Sam are drawn together and Benny fights to protect his sister from the inevitable pain of relationships. All three characters, aptly played by Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson and Aidan Quinn, share qualities with me. I am, by turns, protective, independent and fancy.

Camelot ~ What could be more romantic than this tale of King Arthur, Guenivere, and Lancelot? Sure sure there’s betrayal and all that rot, but still it. it just makes one’s heart all a flutter. Just quite nicely done and really fun. Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero.

For unknown reasons, many television critics gave Flashforward an awkward time. It got until where they almost seemed delighted not wearing running shoes might venture down in hearth flames. It would be a substantial slap ultimately face for all those who doubted the show to consider it return and even joseph fiennes lord robert dudley compared to it was before!

Quirky Romance #10: Moulin Rouge, 2001, A musical using popular 20th century music and starring a who’s who of Hollywood, Moulin Rouge tells tale became media frenzy of poet who falls for a courtesan is actually promised in order to duke. The cast is populated by narcoleptics, midgets and several eccentric performers hoping to make their dreams come true at the Moulin Rouge. I love the way popular music is woven through tale. I was impressed by the vocal talents of Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. And I was totally immersed in their love story.

Quirky Romance #7: Associated with Angels, 1998, When an angel, whose job moment has come to accompany souls as they depart their earthly bodies on their way to heaven, becomes intrigued with a doctor who fights guide keep people alive, he must choose between immortality free of emotion or senses and mortality with its discomfort. Nicholas Cage chooses Meg Ryan and mortality. His awakening like a human finding yourself in her world is liberating and horrific. Together they plan a beautiful future until destiny steps all through. To love someone so much that you’d leave produce know to get along with them in a strange ” new world ” is must all secretly yearn available for. To give ourselves so completely to someone that fat loss products . is meaningless and life begins with them is greatest way love actual story.

Lost is ending next May. FlashForward has prospective to take its site. Although many see the April 29th date as ending the mystery and the show, I’ve read typically.

Speaking of original, there have been several forensic/crime shows lately. There’s “CSI,” “NCIS,” and an abundance of other shows which the same formula. Get ready for an entirely new spin on the forensic choir. “The Forgotten,” starring Christian Slater and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer promises turn out to be a great new series for ABC. The show takes the old formula and flips in on its backside. A team of civilians form an agency of detectives whose primary focus in order to use identify John and Jane Doe’s. The Forgotten Agency is not related to the federal or local level law enforcement company. Are generally strictly a team of civilians who believe that no victim should go nameless. The series extra of the countless new demonstrates this ABC is premiering. It airs on September 22nd at 10 p.m.


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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Valentine's Day

Josh and I celebrated Valentine's Day early this year since we both work later in the evening on V-Day. Once Josh came home from work we exchanged a few small special gifts and then enjoyed a dinner out at Granite City! We shared our favorite appetizer, Idaho Nachos and a plate of linguini pasta for dinner. We ended our evening with a few round of Mario Kart while eating chocolates! It was a great first married Valentine's Day together!

Feeling full from Idaho Nachos

Yummy Pasta!
Josh showing the Valentine I made for him with candy hearts. I also gave him a basket full of his favorite candy, a card and 2 potted flowers to brighten up our home!

The candy heart Valentine read (I like to think of it as high school version!): Josh, I  am head over heels for you! There is no doubt that you rock! You are my heart throb and I hope we can be friends 4ever! Honey Pie, there is no way that I could ever live without you! Guess what? I'm in love with you! I think that you are my soul mate and that you are good 4 me! The truth is...I want you! Email me!
I love you, Ann

Josh gave me a box of chocolates (that I picked out weeks ago!),  a box of my favorite Girl Scout Cookies- Thin Mints, and a sweet card!

Yay for our first married Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day friends and family!

Love from Fargo,

Josh & Ann

1 comment:

  1. Happy Valentine's Day to you two love birds. Ann, your card to Josh was darling.


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Sunday, October 2, 2016

Book Release this Friday in Los Angeles at Stories in Echo Park!

Come join us at Stories Books and Cafe 1716 W Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA at 8pm on Friday, October 7th for the fabulous release party of
Comfort Eating with Nick Cave: Vegan Recipes to Get Deep Inside of You
& Defensive Eating with Morrissey: Vegan Recipes from the One You Left Behind

with the authors, Automne Zingg and Joshua Ploeg
Automne has done much art and many zines, these books feature her magnificent idea of depicting the two musicians enjoying delicious food items while engaged in other activities such as riding bicycles or contemplating the world.
Joshua provides the recipes and zany commentary.
this evening there will be:
* A meet & greet with snacks from the books
* Joshua Ploeg will give an introduction and play MacArthur Park on the bodhran
* GG James will perform a little comedy with a joke or two pertinent to the subject matter
* Ukulele duo Echo Manor will perform a thrilling set, featuring some amusing covers
* Automne Zingg (coming here all the way from NYC!) will discuss her muse and give a Q&A
- the folks at Stories will be selling their wares- autographed copies of the books, treats, beer/wine and arnold palmers and of course books by other people too!

It's free of course!
Stop by and say hi or start your evening, or of course hang out for the whole thing and come out with us afterwards, hope to see you there :)

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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Diagnosing Haters

Do you think of yourself as a hater?  Probably not. But if hate is the opposite of love, than the opposite of 1Corinthians 13 (the Love chapter) would be.......maybe what I found at Kevin DeYoung's  site:
Hate is impatient and unkind; hate is jealous and proud; hate is arrogant and rude.  Hate always insists on doing things its way; hate gets upset over every offense and keeps a close record of every wrong.  Hate does not delight to see good things, but rejoices when people screw up or get what’s coming to them.  Hate complains about anything, is cynical about everything, has no hope for anyone, and puts up with nothing.
So if I am jealous, unkind or rude I might be a hater?  Ouch! Hits home, doesn't it.

Lord Jesus, reduce me to love!


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Friday, January 16, 2015

Photos from the winter preparations

The boys were sent off to Košutnjak to run. (Before anyone gets a heart attack that they had to run straight from Zemun: they were all taken there by bus.)

Ready to kickstart the Steam Roller: Gribć and Babović

Yes, Stanković is still here preparing with the team

So is Volkov...

...Šaponjić arriving behind him can confirm it

Nemanja Kojić

The Captain: Saša Ilić

Brašanac has this wide grin on his face even while running behind Pantić

"Let’s speed up or else we’ll miss breakfast"

Team Živković, doing their best

Petar Škuletić with Mirosla Bogosavac

The prize: many bottles of mineral water

It gives extra spirit to Ninković

Post-running power walk á la Drinčić

Always listen to what experienced players say: Saša Ilić giving tips to Pantić and Brašanac

There are some for whom even this long run couldn’t turn down high spirit

Stretching and crackling joints

Lazović and Branko Ilić stretching

A bunch of youngsters: Marinković, Pantić, Lukić and Šaponjić

Džigi always gets to find a photogenic pose

Photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan

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Saturday, July 31, 2010

It's in the genes ...

... or "in the blood," as some people would put it. My little granddaughter spent some time with me recently. She was eager to put her new sewing skills to use, and spent most of one day stitching a quilt. She chooses her pieces, carefully arranging them just so. It's a work in progress -- she does a little bit more every time she comes. I am amused to see that we're attracted to the same colors -- she raids my stash and claims the fabrics she likes best. Now we keep her stash separate from mine, so I won't use up all her stuff. (?!?)

The funny part is, after we come back home from the studio, she sits and colors with her markers. "Wanna see the design I made for my next quilt, MaMa? Do you think this will be pretty?" Or while we're out bike riding, she'll be chatting away, "... on my NEXT quilt, I'm going to ... " She hasn't finished the first, but she's already got several more in the planning stages. A girl after my own heart, that one!

Pretty soon they're going to have to install a traffic signal on our little country road, what with all the folks coming by to have a peek:

Is it a Martian landing site? Nope. It's major construction on the farm next door. People come from miles around to see the progress. If you live anywhere in Northeast Pennsylvania, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you don't, you'll just have to stay tuned for updates.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

what's wrong with this picture ... ?

At least once a week, I get an e-mail message from my favorite commercial yarn source. (Notice, I HAD to make the distinction there, regarding commercial yarn. My favorite source of yarn otherwise would be my flock of sheep. Just a stickler for detail, I guess. For those who know me: Joking. Just joking.)

This morning's message announces a new yarn, made of wool and nettles. Nettles?!? Mmmm ... sounds lovely. Not.

I know a guy who once went to the emergency room after working in his yard a little while. He thought he had a violent allergic reaction to something after pulling weeds. He had a "terrible stinging sensation all over his arms and legs ..." Bwah-hah-ha-ha ... He had recently moved from the city to the country and had his first run-in with nettles. (Side note: this guy always seems to find more excuses not to work than most folks, so he might have thought he'd found his best excuse ever with this one, only to discover it's nothing out of the ordinary and would not even afford him one single sick day. It still makes me chuckle.)

Now, I'm pretty sure the manufacturer of the new yarn MUST have done something to render the nettles harmless before incorporating it with wool to make a new yarn, but still ... there's just something about the very idea of it that makes me itchy. And it's NOT the wool!

Something I read about nettles: it used to be used as a counter-irritant to rheumatism. The sufferer would be whipped with the nettles, and the pain of nettle stings would make the afflicted person forget about the pain of the rheumatism. Nice!

Supposedly, nettles can be eaten after you boil the sting out of them. Yeah, right. I once paddled out into the middle of a pond with a neighbor to pick cattails because we'd read that they tasted "just like asparagus" when cooked. Blykk! Tasted like pond bottom to me! I suspect cooked nettles would be similarly palatable. Thanks, but no thanks. And you can keep them out of my wool, too.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Is it just me?

Look at these boots, and tell me: is there something about the white one that is reminiscent of a foot cast? Hmmmmm ... wonder where THAT idea came from? Maybe the designer is making a statement?

Or is it just my suspicious nature in high gear? My take: it looks like a cross between a cast and my old ski boots, with the added benefit of that wobbly heel. Do they still make ski boots like that? So rigid you cannot bend your foot at all, resulting in a Frankenstein-like walk sans skis? (Haven't been downhill skiing in many, many years. The last time I went I didn't realize I was coming down with the flu at the time, but once I got to the top of the hill on the lift, I wondered how I would ever get to the bottom alive. I was soooooo tired I couldn't function, so took the skis off and walked all the way down the mountain. I knew it would have been the end of me if I had tried to make it on skis. I wasn't a very good skier to begin with, and felt my chances of survival were much higher without the incredible speed and treachery afforded by strapping myself to slicked-up sticks aimed for destruction.)

Okay, I'll admit. Fashion is not my forte, and when it comes to feet I'm ALL about comfort (style be damned!), but I have to wonder how/why anybody would want to torture their feet into something that looks like a disaster waiting to happen. I do have to say that I'm thankful for the company that sends the catalog. It takes little to amuse me, I guess.

Weather has been tortuous here. As if an on-going heat wave weren't enough, the humidity has been incredible. Upside: looks like the tomatoes will produce a bumper crop this year. We had our first two ripe ones Friday. That's early for our garden -- doesn't usually happen till August. Mmm ... mmm! Nothing like a fresh ripe tomato, after waiting all year. Actually, we've been waiting two years, because we didn't get any last year. The garden drowned last year due to incessant rains from May till September. We got no tomatoes, or much else for that matter.

We did finally get rain. Ahhhh ... things are already starting to green back up. Green's my favorite color. I'm liking the look. There were warnings of a possible tornado here late yesterday. The ONE place I don't want to see green is in the sky. Once when visiting my son's family while they were living in Texas, they said if the sky turned greenish, watch out -- that was an indicator of a tornado nearby.

I am now on my way out to the garden, trying to beat the worst of the heat. It's already got a head start on me.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Two-Faced ...

(the quilt, not the woman!)
Linda was here for the first time yesterday, and did this two-faced quilt. Cool, eh?

Cathy is at it again -- designing her own patterns. They will be published and made available soon. I'll post any news on this front as soon as I hear it. Anyway ... we're excited for Cathy and her new business venture.

And we're FINALLY getting some much-needed rain. The good kind that soaks in. I'm excited.

Has anybody noticed that since they took the trans fat out of things like cookies and crackers, they're all crumbly? Now, I realize it was done supposedly out of consideration for our health and that it all goes in the same place anyway, so it's not really a big deal. But I find it annoying to try to have a little snack of crackers and cheese when this is what you get when you open the package:

Is it just me?

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Feeling loopy, seeing stars ...

No, I haven't been drinking; rather, quilting. While Peggy C was finishing up a really, really large (measured something like 99 x 120 inches) quilt for a special family friend, here:

I was doing this one for Joyce R.:

You can see the loops and stars better from the back:

Well, in this photo it looks more like loops and loops -- but it really does have a nice balance of stars if you could see the whole back at once. This is actually just a bit of the red band that goes down the middle. The blue fabric reflected the flash from my camera for reasons unbeknownst to me, so was an even worse photo.

Peggy's quilt turned out great, and I couldn't believe how quickly she got it finished. She was out of here before 3:00 today. I, on the other hand, dawdled a lot and was still "working" at 3:30 -- and this was not a very large quilt. If I'd not spent so much time looking at pictures in books, it wouldn't have taken so long. I was trying to plan the next quilt I am going to make for myself. I have one in mind, but couldn't remember where I'd seen it, so was on a hunt.

I did manage to get home before the torrential rains started. Just as I suspected would happen, we got a heavy downpour once it finally decided to rain here. What we really need is a nice, steady soaker. (M'Jo, if you're reading this, I STILL blame YOU!)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Trying to be helpful?

No matter what we're doing around here lately, there will be a batch of kittens getting right into it with us. DH was replacing gutters at the back of the house. The kittens volunteered to try them out before he installed them. It makes a great kitty slide.

And here they are on, in and under my garden cart -- "helping" with yard work.

And ... he's baaaa-aa-ack;

Tuck is actually a big help, shown here taking a break, having just gone to help round up cows in the woods and bring them back to the pasture.

A friend gave me a calendar with photos of Border Collies. One page attributes this to "Unknown":

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours,
faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

(Whoever wrote it must have known my Tuck!)

Friday, July 9, 2010

No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o ...

Did you hear me yelling this morning from your house? Here's what happened -- I went to the barn to do chores this morning, and thought I was going to have an easy time of it because the cows didn't come down to the gate. The rule is, if they don't come down on time, they stay in the upper pasture all day. Often, that's their choice in the summer because they have plenty of water there, can go to the woods for shade, lots of grass, and a pond to take a dip in when they feel like it.

Heading back to the house and pondering what I'd do first after breakfast today, I glanced up to the garden. At first I thought there was a cow inside the garden fence. I'm paranoid about cows getting where they ought not, so dismissed it and went inside. Then, about two seconds later, I decided I was going to have another look. There was not a cow in the garden, there were ten of them! Nooooo-ooo-oo-o-o-o-o!

I about threw a fit and stepped in it. I rushed up to see what could be rescued from certain demolishment (is that a word? who cares ... it works). I opened the gate that leads to the pasture, called for assistance from my faithful friend Tuck (who was, as always, eager to help). I sent him around the perimeter to get behind the cows, I went to the open gate and called Stooge. She's pretty much the leader of the pack. Imagine my amazement when the cows all lined up, single file, and paraded straight out through the open gate! All that was lost besides the corn were a few pepper plants. A few bean plants got squashed. The mulch needed to be tidied where it had been kicked up, but other than that ... very little damage. Whew! What a relief.

I discovered that the corner post of the fence had been uprooted, allowing them all to prance right over the fence and into the garden. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why. Unless it has something to do with that aura thing again ...

I stayed in the garden until I was woozy from the heat. I figured it would be worth at least 6 pounds, according to the information given on the news about losing a quart of water an hour in this heat. Well ... either they are nuts, or my scale has joined forces with everything else in my life that works against me. I didn't seem to lose an ounce for all the sweat that poured out of me.

I spent the rest of the day finishing up a customer's quilt:

This one belongs to Louise W, and is very pretty, don't-cha think? See those pink lilies behind the quilt in the photo? They just opened up this morning. A big yellow swallowtail butterfly just couldn't seem to get enough. They DO smell very sweet. I think he decided he'd better not attempt to fly home after such a binge. He seems to be sleeping it off on this nearby weigela.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Just another day in Paradise ...

The thermometer read 80 degrees in the shade at 6 a.m. yesterday. On the evening news, they said a person could lose as much as a quart of water per hour. What's that, now? A quart equals two pints. A pint's a pound the world around. So I could be losing two pounds per hour?!? I'm starting to have a whole new attitude about this heat wave here, folks!

With that astounding news in mind, I've been working faithfully every morning in the garden. Weeding is not a drudge, it's a weight-loss opportunity in this kind of heat. I'm on it!

As you can tell by the photo above, I have a rather relaxed view of weeds in the garden. My usual approach is "I'll get to them sooner or later." When I weed, I haul the weeds in a bucket to the chicken coop.

Weeds in, fertilizer out.

I use the stuff cleaned out of the coop to build new planting beds, thusly: I dump it into a high-tech planting bed form (formerly used to frame glass for a window). I throw in whatever compostable goodies I have from the kitchen.

Then I cover it with soil dug from between garden rows (only place I can get soil easily). Later, the trenches left from digging soil will be buried with old bedding cleaned from the pens in the barn. The old hay serves as mulch to keep the weeds at bay for the rest of the summer. At the end of the season, it will all be turned under to enrich the soil. Ah, yes ... the circle of life.

There, that looks better. After all this work, I'm feeling skinnier already. Or else I'm just lightheaded from the heat. In any case, I head inside to do something entirely different. Here's yesterday afternoon's accomplishment:

Can you see the flag quilted in the center? Maybe if you double-click on the photo to enlarge. Or not. Anyway, it's there, and looks pretty cool. This is Sandie B's wallhanging. I hope she likes it.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Update on yesterday's saga ...

When I got home yesterday (sans groceries, as I said), there was a message from the offending store manager, asking me to return his call. He might want to re-think THAT one. The only reason I would call him back is to rip him a new one all over again.

After I dropped my little charge off at camp this morning, I drove right past that time-waste of a store I went to yesterday and went on to Wegman's. I still didn't have enough cash in my pocket. I didn't even have my store card with me. They let me shop, looked up my customer number FOR me so I could take advantage of the sale prices even though I did not bring my card, and accepted my check for over $400 without batting an eyelash. They even "lent" me $40 for gas in the car by writing that amount over the cost of my order. And all of that took place without even having to call a conference of managers together. Imagine that!

On second thought, maybe I will call the manager of the P&C back and tell him THAT. Or would that be a bit much?


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Saturday, 16 May 2009

Just a quick hallo!

It is a miserable and cold, cloudy day here, but our hearts sing. Our friend Stefaan is home for the weekend (and his daughter's birth on Monday) after which he will return the rehab hospital later on Monday.

He is making excellent progress and can move all 5 the toes on his foot. Thanks again for your prayers.

If you are new here and want to know what this is about, click my tag "friends" and read back to easter weekend.

  1. Thank you for the update. Hugs to you all! Hope it warms up though I'm sure you all need the rain like we do.

  2. So glad to hear Steffan is improving!

  3. Thanks for stopping by my blog via Rachel!

    I am so glad you enjoyed the post and look forward to checking out your blog!

    The R Family

So what's on your mind?


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Home > Unable To > Transmit Support

Transmit Support

it could have been casted for the movie kickass. ;) the only thing i'm missing is a fxp functionality. Apparently its been a problem for years but the dudes in cupertino don't use Windows so they don't acknowledge the issue. Replace the memory device.If the document is scanned with [Scan Settings] set to "Divide" or "Single", data already written to the memory device is saved as is. There's also spring-loaded folders.

but not in the local view. You signed out in another tab or window. TopPreviousNext Copyright © 2008 ERROR The requested URL could not be retrieved The following error was encountered while trying to retrieve the URL: Connection to failed. For details, see "Programming the LDAP server", Network and System Settings Guide . “Memory is full.

Transmit Support

In [System Settings], under [Administrator Tools], check the settings of LDAP server. Or can I only search for files within the current open directory? One caveat: the passwords did not move (as expected). Select whether or not to save the scanned document to the memory device. “Memory is full.

I _did_ in fact learn a couple new things. Antoine Dan 4/12/2011 12:10 PM Love transmit. Congrats for this great piece of software. Transmit Auto Sync On Save So a samba implementation would make this awesome app 100% for me.

Especially liked how to hide Bonjour/iDisk, folder linking, image size inspector and custom icons. Transmit Synchronize Scanning has been cancelled. Peter Wooster 7/23/2014 3:53 PM Please DO BE AWESOME and answer serious questions posted 2 months ago. https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/5c3fd0a8-0564-47d4-aa03-58747692b155/specify-remote-folder-the-specified-path-is-not-a-remote-shared-folder?forum=windowsbackup Transmit 4.4.7 Released on 9/16/14 Added full-screen mode Improved compatibility with S3 Improved 10.6 compatibility Transmit 4.4.6 Released on 2/5/14 Improved reliability of Transmit Disk Passwords from ad-hoc connections are no

What makes GSCopyPro stand out from other competitors is the fact it works on 32-bit as well as 64-bit systems and has no restrictions. Transmit Applescript This is possible in TotalCommander's FTP client and is really really handy. shane 12/11/2010 8:24 AM These are great! Top Jordan Transmission Developer Posts: 2311 Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 3:39 pm Location: Titania's Room Re: Select download folder from web client (diff attached) Quote Postby Jordan » Thu Apr

Transmit Synchronize

GSCopyPro also comes with an open file agent which can copy files that are locked/ opened by other processes. Dave 3/8/2013 8:20 AM Thank you. Transmit Support The scanned data will be deleted.” Because of insufficient hard disk space, the first page could not be scanned. Unable To Create Directory For Mount Point Press [Send] to send the scanned data, or press [Cancel] to delete.” The number of scanned pages exceeded maximum page capacity.

Rick 1/25/2013 6:50 AM Is there any way via applescript or Automator to get notification of a folder modification ( files that are added) Alex 2/2/2013 4:51 AM Does Transmit support Scan the pages that were not scanned and store them as a new file. Try Dock Send Inspired by the late Erik J. If you click on the little action button, we've pre-loaded "zip" and "unzip" shortcuts, but you can execute any UNIX command. 13. Panic Transmit Unable To Create Directory For Mount Point

One note: this can be tricky for dynamic menu items that change based on what's selected -- you've gotta match the name exactly. Transmission A Fast, Easy, and Free BitTorrent client Skip to content Search Advanced search Quick links Unanswered topics Active topics Search The team FAQ Login Register Board index General Support Search For details about how to do this, see "Changing Scan Settings", Scanner Reference . “Cannot start scanning because communication was failed.” The [Take no action] setting has been selected on the For example, I'm browsing a remote dir via ssh, I edit a file in my editor, and when I save I have to wait for Transmit to begin syncing the modified

Please wait.” Data is being prepared for sending to a client computer. Transmit Droplet This feature sucks in Transmit (simply doesn't work). Since then I am also getting a "download directory path is not absolute" error message, making it unable for me to download torrents.

The system returned: (22) Invalid argument The remote host or network may be down.

Cyberduck has a contextual menu that simply does the zip/unzip without all the BS that Transmit requires (yet still doesn't succeed at). Check the settings.” The user name and password differ from those set for LDAP Authentication. Di 3/29/2012 11:39 AM Is there a way to get the synchronize w/ files to skip to be recursive? Panic Transmit El Capitan local paths like C:\...) or with two slashes and a letter (i.e.

Check that the ID and password for the destination folder are correct. Now, as you change files, Get Info will automatically update. 10. Check the maximum number of characters which can be entered, and then enter it again. Just recently, i noticed that when i dragged my files to a Droplet, transfer would not start until i click on the Transmit Icon on my springboard, then i would see

Check the number of characters you entered, and then enter the path again. “Exceeded max. However, I find it curious that there is no place at panic.com to "log in" to our purchase account. Type this command into Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities): defaults write com.panic.Transmit CopyURLWithoutLogin 0 And that'll do the trick. Go To:>> http://www.gurusquad.com/GSCOPYPRO Andy M 11/18/2013 8:56 PM I've noticed that since Mavericks (and an update of Transmit) that there is a delay before Transmit updates a save to a remote


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My photo

I knit, I sew, I run, I look after children and hamsters, I take truly terrible pictures, I cook, I complain.  Sometimes all at the same time.

Handmade Wardrobe

Striped Coco

Terrible picture of my lovely red Coco

Sunday School teacher grey Coco

Dress made out of clouds

Curiously unphotographable Aiken

Weird boob dart Françoise

Sober Coco, going to be turned into a top any time now

Garter Yoke cardigan

Cheer up love! Idlewood

Charley Harper Coco

Cat Lady Sewing Challenge Cat Anna

Stripey Coco

Zippy Butterfly Top

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WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

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Selena Gomez Spotted Out With Nick Jonas

Selena Gomez didn’t help with the rumors that she and pop star Justin Bieber had broken up when she was recently spotted out and about with ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas. According to MTV UK the two were seen “hanging out” while Justin is busy on his My World tour overseas.
If you were Justin would you be upset that Selena was seeing her ex-boyfriend? Especially since he’s not currently anywhere near the two Disney stars?
Selena recently said in an interview that she and Nick are still good friends. Do you think they will rekindle their romance in the future? Or do you think Selena and Justin are just way too cute to break up anytime soon?
We’ll keep you posted!

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New Roller Lash!

Benefit Cosmetics LLC

14 August 2009

Pippa from Zoya

This nail polish is FANTASTIC. I could have used only one coat, but I chose to do two just because I do that. The color is the perfect yellow, creamy, smooth, and OPAQUE. There was absolutely NO streaking with this polish! YAY.

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Answered By: Kelly Faulkner
Last Updated: Aug 19, 2016     Views: 21

Lots of biographical information on the president can be found through the library using:

Gale Biography in Context

Another great resource is POTUS, a huge collection of information about all the U.S. presidents created by the Internet Public Library:

POTUS: Presidents of the United States

For books (such as biographies or political commentary), search the library catalog for the name of your president:

You can do your research from anywhere in the world!

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Monday, July 15, 2013

Monster Cookies

Today, it was super cloudy and cool outside (and when I say cool, I mean it was 95 outside)
perfect weather for making cookies with my boys.

So, we made Monster Cookies.
This recipe makes a TON of cookies.  I'm only giving you the 1/2 batch recipe, and I still got over 65 cookies with the 1/2 batch.  And not 65 small, bite size cookies.  I'm talking 65 - big enough to impress my son - cookies.

My advice?
Make 1/2 batch.
Bake half of that.
Freeze the rest of the dough for another day.
Unless you just really want a lot of cookies; and I wouldn't blame you.

So here you go:
Monster Cookies

Mix together in the order given:

3 eggs
1 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. sugar
1/2 T. vanilla
1/2 T. corn syrup
1/2 c. margarine, softened
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
4 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 1/2 c. M&Ms
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Drop by large teaspoonful on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350.  Allow to cool almost completely before removing from cookie sheet and transferring to cooling rack (I learned this the hard way!  If you try to remove them from the cookie sheet too soon, they will crumble).

A word of advice?  Be sure to leave plenty of room for them on the cookie sheet.  They do grow quite a bit while in the oven.

I hope your kids enjoy them as much as mine!  Even my non-sweet eating child loves these!!

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

A little of this, a little of that

Yep it's official... I'm bored, bored out of my mind. It's that stage between waiting for the garden to be ready and watching stuff grow on the germination box. BORING... well at least once the stuff has come up, because it is exciting to see the little guys poke through the dirt but after that, well, not much to watch.

The repairman came today and swapped a part out of the washer, he left me the old part because it seemed to fix itself and has been working fine but "just in case" I have an extra part. I basically watched what he did, so if I have to, I will be able to put it in, fingers crossed I won't ever see the flood again.

I've been knitting a scarf, yes I've actually picked up my knitting needles! It's because I wanted to try knitting a cable and this pattern looked pretty simple. It seems odd to be knitting a scarf while our temperatures have been almost summer-like, but I figure I can tuck it away into my Christmas stash and save it. So far I've knitted over four feet but I think I'll quit at six, that way it should fit an adult.

Hubby is supposed to be home next week but there's extra wood in the sort yard so he may have to stay and dump it in the ocean so that means we won't see each other until almost the end of May. I was so looking forward to another trip to Kamloops and our one-night getaway, but it may have to wait :) I had to take a quick trip into Lytton on Tuesday so I thought I would send up a care package. The last parcel took 14 days to get to him so this time I used "Express Post." I was told it would be there in 3 to 5 days... I checked the tracking number and it was there the next day at 4:22! Just over 24 hours! Now I kick my butt because I really wanted to toss in some homemade bread but I figured that it would be stale by the time the parcel got there, at least I know better next time.

Sabrina said...

Kansas, what a pretty scarf. I heart cables. I've discovered that I don't enjoy knitting at all when it's cold. Thank goodness we only have 2-3 months of real cold here. So I do all my winter and summer knitting in the warm months. Cooler months are for small knitting and lots of reading.

jackie said...

If you had put the bread in then it would have been a delay and it would have been to him within a week. It is the law of Canada Post.

DaviMack said...

Of course, if anybody reads the blog, then they'll have forgotten about this by the time Christmas rolls around. ;) Nice cables!

dawn said...

Great thing to get started when bored. I wish I were bored sometimes. The mail so is unpredictable. Kind of like the weather.