Category Archives: lifestyle

Color Your World: 28 Almond

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Today’s color for Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge is: almond. Here’s a reference…

A lot of these colors look alike to me- almond, apricot, peach, desert sand- mango tango and burnt orange- copper and antique brass. Can you tell them apart? I sure have a hard time! Why do they need crayon colors so close together nobody can tell them apart unless they’re studied under a microscope?

I always thought part of the fun of drawing/painting/being creative was learning to blend the colors you had to make the ones you wanted. I’ve been trying to learn to paint lately. I sure as hell don’t want to go buy every color I might need to make a painting come out. That would cost a fortune! I’m learning the color wheel and how the different colors relate to each other.

It’s a challenge to make just the right color to make your painting ‘pop’. It’s fun too. Here’s an example of what I mean. I painted this a few years ago, when I was working as an AB on the tankships running up the West Coast to Alaska. Of course, I didn’t bring any paint with me. I scrounged around in the paint locker til I found what I needed.

I made that whole colorful undersea scene with only a few colors of deck paint. I know I had black, white, signal red, yellow, international orange, green and blue. That was pretty much it.

I must sound like an old geezer, ‘well sonny, back in myyyyy day, we used to color with only 8 colors in the box!’ I actually got the 64 crayon box later when I was growing up, but did I ever use all of those colors- nope. Does anyone use all of the 120 colors this challenge is based on? I think I would have a hard time using up a whole box of crayons myself. 😉

Anyway, here’s my entry for the challenge color of ‘almond’…

I took this photo in November while I was traveling around Turkey. I had a great time wandering all over Istanbul and Cappadocia where I took this photo of one of the many ancient rock churches at Goreme. It was a lot of fun scrambling around amid all this history, seeing how the people lived and worshipped all those years ago. I only regret that they didn’t allow any photography inside (even without flash). I really would have liked to have got a few shots of the beautiful frescos inside. I’ll just have to be satisfied with the internet. 🙁

So Cool!

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I’ve always loved dolphins and whales. I always wanted to be able to swim freely in the ocean with them. So far, I’ve never been this close to any out in the wild. I’m pretty sure it’s against ‘the rules’ to get so close to them or to touch them like these people were doing. Tho I have to admit, I would have a hard time holding back myself if they came so close. I think they’re beautiful and intelligent creatures. I hate to see how much we’ve destroyed their world, and yet they’re still mostly OK with us. 🙂

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Dn9XJwxkUiY%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent

Mother Whale and Calf with people on whale watching trip. Very cool to see the Momma raising her Baby to show it the funny looking humans! Like a revers Zoo, were the people out to see the Whales, or was the Momma Whale teaching her baby about humans? The big momma Whale held her baby […]

via Mother Whale Lifting Her Baby to See Humans on Boat — 2012 The Awakening

Color Your World: 24 Peach

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Well! The first day in a week where I actually know what color I’m supposed to be looking for! 😉

For Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge, the color today is ‘peach‘.

Here’s my entry…

I took this photo the other day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. I usually try do more than one thing when I go all the way to Houston. I go to a museum or the zoo, or a meeting. I don’t like to drive all the way up there just for an hour or two. I don’t remember what kind of crystals these were. I’m pretty sure the big white one is quartz (but not positive), but I don’t remember what the ‘peach’ ones were. Anybody have any ideas?

Maritime Monday for January 23rd 2017

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More fascinating maritime history from Monkey Fist by way of gCaptain. This week there’s some interesting stories about the Vikings, some Irish monks, and the true story of how Gambia (the country) came to be. There’s another story about an underwater ‘art museum’, a new one- not the one off Cancun.

There’s a story about yet another #$%^##$% ship owner/operator who treats their crews like shit and than abandons them without pay. These poor guys have spent 7 months onboard without pay. Would you work for that long without a paycheck? Me neither! But these guys (and so many others) really had no choice. They can’t just say to hell with this shit and leave. Where can they go? Jump overboard? And then forfeit all their hard earned wages for the months they’ve already worked? And then, how to get home? India is a long way from the North Sea!

This type of work is not easy. Besides the fact of being away from home for months on end, there is the weather to deal with (the North Sea in winter is no fun!), the job they’re hired to do is dangerous. They earned their pay and they deserve to be paid on time, not sluffed off with lame excuses! Not abandoned and left to fend for themselves with no food, water, money, fuel in some foreign country where they might not even know the language!

This is just one more example of the all too common situation in the shipping industry today. The race to the bottom. ‘Globalization’. Americans are used to being replaced by cheap labor by now. Looks like the Brits are getting used to it too. 🙁 This ship is crewed by Indians! I guess it’s their turn now. They are now getting replaced by even cheaper labor!

How does this race to the bottom, becoming standard now- to treat your seamen like so many tools to be used up and then thrown away- how does this really help anyone? Americans losing out to Filipinos, who are losing out to Indians, who are losing out to Ukrainians, who are losing out to Indonesians, who are losing out to Malaysians. Where does it end? With ‘crew less’ ships (they are coming). Shipping rates are so low now it’s cheaper to send something across the ocean and back then to truck it across the state! The added cost to anything you’re going to buy is a very small part of its price.

This particular ship actually has it good. Apparently they still have food, water and power aboard. It’s stuck in Britain and the crew is allowed ashore. The people of the town are able to visit, they help as they can- they bring coffee and biscuits. It’s better than they would get in most places. Here- for instance- where they would most definitely NOT be allowed off the ship. Nor would anyone be allowed to visit (except maybe the port chaplain, ships agent, etc- all on ships business). Thanks TSA, PATRIOT ACT, etc. 🙁

This sort of thing is all too common. The MLC (maritime labor convention) has some new rules that just came into force Jan 18. Hopefully it will put some teeth into the rules regarding treatment of seafarers. It’s long past due.

The Lyford House being saved from demolition, 1957 Built in 1876, the house is listed …

Source: Maritime Monday for January 23rd, 2017 – gCaptain

Song of the Sea: Dream of the Drowned Submariner

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I found this video when I  was looking around last time. It’s another one by Mark Knopfler. I’m definitely going to have to buy some of his albums. 🙂 I really like this song. The music is quiet and peaceful, the lyrics are slow and wistful. I never really think of submariners too much. I guess it’s a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. I’ve always worked on top of the water, and it’s our main objective to stay up there. 😉

I have to give them their due. Their time at sea and under the water must be even harder than for those of us who sail above the water. The darkness, the pressure, the cramped quarters must really be rough.

I’m reading a book right now. “Dead Wake” about the last voyage of the Lusitania. Basically, a submarine sunk the ship and brought the USA into World War I. I’m not even halfway through it yet, but so far it’s pretty good. It’s given me a whole new appreciation for the submariners.

I hope you like the video as much as I do.

 

“Dream Of The Drowned Submariner”

We run along easy at periscope depth
Sun dappling through clear water
So went the dream of the drowned submariner
Far away from the slaughter

Your hair is a strawflower that sings in the sun
My darling, my beautiful daughter
So went the dream of the drowned submariner
Cast away on the water

From down in the vault, down in the grave
Reaching up to the light on the waves

So she did run to him over the grass
She fell in his arms and he caught her
So went the dream of the drowned submariner
Far away on the water
Far away on the water

Color Your World: 21 Raw Sienna

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The color of the day for Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge is ‘raw sienna‘. Here’s the reference.

I had a hard time coming up with a match for yesterday’s color. Today was almost as hard. I think I found a good match with this old door from Zanzibar. It actually has a lot of different colors in it, lots of different shades of brown.

These beautiful carved doors are all over Stone Town, the ancient capital of Zanzibar. I really enjoyed myself just wandering around the narrow, crooked streets. Most of them weren’t wide enough for cars, so I could stop and take all the pictures I wanted. 🙂 Isn’t it gorgeous? Look at the detailed carving all around it. It all has meaning. I was told that the studs were to keep the elephants out. 😉

Who Is…

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…keeping up with politics? Anyone subject themselves to the carnival on TV today? Trumps inauguration?

I do my best to avoid all that. I hardly saw any of the circus leading up to the election. I don’t like or trust any politicians and my greatest wish is for all of them to just leave us all alone!

In accordance with that, I did not vote for Trump. I voted for Gary Johnson and the rest of the Libertarians. They at least say they want to do that- leave us all alone.

Almost everyone I talked to did not like either Trump or Hillary. Most of them liked the Libertarians, but refused to ‘waste their vote’. I’ll never understand how it’s a waste to vote for someone you believe in. Continue reading →

Color Your World: 20 Desert Sand

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For Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge, todays color is ‘desert sand‘. Another color I had to look up online. Here it is for reference.

Here’s my photo. I took it a couple of months ago. I was on an African safari. I spent a few days on Zanzibar. This is a photo of the Old Fort there in Stonetown. It was really a pretty cool place. People had set up little stalls around the walls. They sold all kinds of crafts. Inside was full of shops and bars. There was a big arena too. There were some guys practicing their break dancing, they were pretty entertaining. It was an interesting place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

Color Your World: 19 Antique Brass

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For Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge, todays color is ‘antique brass‘. Another color I had to look up online (I don’t have the large box of crayola crayons to use for a reference). 😉

Here’s my entry. Some of those roots seem to be a pretty good match. Best I could do.

I took this photo a few years ago. I was wandering around Thailand. I always enjoy shopping, just to see what they have that’s different than what we have in our stores. They had a very large selection of ‘natural medicines’. I was interested to see how popular that sort of thing was. Lots of people swear by it. I haven’t really tried enough of it to say one way or the other.

One Word Photo Challenge: Drink

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The word for this weeks One Word Photo Challenge is: drink.

Delicious, icy cold margarita. Yum. 🙂 I enjoy a good margarita anytime, but even better on a beautiful day on a beach in Mexico.

Color Your World: 17 Atomic Tangerine

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Where the heck do they come up with these names?! Continuing on with Jennifer’s Color Your World Challenge, the color for today is “atomic tangerine“.

I really had no idea what color that was, I had to look it up.

And now, let’s see. This is the closest I could come. I’m having a hard time distinguishing the difference between some of these colors, they really look a lot alike, especially when the color is not on a crayon or a color swatch, but on something from the ‘real world’. I took this photo of a neat looking shell at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

 

Color Your World: 16 Mango Tango

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Still playing along with Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge? It’s never too late to join in. Today’s color is ‘mango tango‘.

Here’s my take on it…

I took it at the Houston Museum of Natural Science a couple of months ago. They have a really nice butterfly exhibit. Not all of them are dead like this one. You can walk around the habitat and sometimes the butterflies will land on you.

I forgot what kind of butterfly this photo is of. They have cards with pictures so you can identify the butterflies around you. The only one I can ever remember is the Owl butterfly. This one is definitely not an Owl. 🙂

Maritime Monday for January 16th 2017- A Warm Broadside

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Last week went by too fast! It’s time for another email full of interesting maritime info from Monkey Fist and Maritime Monday. This week I really enjoyed the old photos of the Tower Bridge. It brought back good memories of staying nearby in St Katharines yacht harbor. I was able to stay aboard an old sailing barge there for a whole summer after I graduated high school.

This week Monkey Fist shares articles about a couple of books that look interesting. “Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure”. Considered the “first original English prose pornography” and banned in Massachusetts,  I doubt it gets as explicit as the “Fifty Shades’ series which I just finished reading, but might be worth a peek.

The other one is “Scurvy: the Disease of Discovery”. Of course I knew about scurvy, and not just from the old ‘pirate’ thing, calling everyone a ‘scurvy dog’. I had no idea it killed so many people. More than 3 times as many as died in the Civil War?! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for this book.

Check out the rest of the post…

Old Dragon’s Head: Where the Great Wall of China Meets the Sea Old Dragon …

Source: Maritime Monday for January 16th, 2017- A Warm Broadside – gCaptain

Color Your World: 13 Orange

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I’ve been enjoying Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge. Everyone has been coming up with some great posts. I’ve been busy the last couple of days, so skipped out. I’m back today for the color orange.

I was on vacation in Argentina a few years ago. We went out one day to watch the toninos (they also call them pandas of the sea). We passed this fleet of orange fishing boats on the way.

Thought I Was Too Tired

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I really feel like spewing out a huge rant right now. I’m so tired I don’t know if it’ll go anywhere, but we’ll see. Fair warning!

I only fell asleep last night about 0130. Had the alarm set for 0330 so I could get up and be sure to have enough time to find my way to safety ‘training’ this morning. They said to be there by 0645, locked out if not there by 0700. I didn’t want to drive all the way up there, just to be locked out. So I made sure I’d get there plenty early.

Anyway. I spent the entire day from 0700-1600 with only a couple of 10 min breaks and a half hour for lunch going over some really basic safety stuff. Things I’ve been in control of for decades. I’ve been the one writing the JSAs, controlling the permits, writing the work procedures, testing the tanks, running the drills, writing the safety manuals, giving the safety training. Things I’ve been in charge of teaching others for decades.

WTF is all that experience completely worthless? I’ve got training certificates out the ring-yang, but not a one of them acceptable. Grrrrr…

These companies take no interest in the fact that their students know more about the subject than their teachers, if you don’t have the specific piece of paper for the specific company, it just doesn’t matter. You’re going to waste more time in ‘training’! (how do you make an ANGRY smiley face?)

Why the hell can’t they standardize their certificates so that you don’t need to get 2 dozen different ones to do the same damn thing! It’s the same offshore. No benefit to anybody except the training centers making a mint off these scams.

It pisses me off to no end to have to repeat this stuff over and over and over and over and over and over and over and especially when I’m not getting paid for it! Even more when I have to waste my money as well as my time. At least they didn’t charge me for it today.

Or maybe it would’ve been better if they had. I would have immediately refused instead of spending all day today up there and tomorrow too. I wouldn’t be furiously steaming all afternoon about their company policies.

This all ties right in with my post from yesterday. The absolutely insane ideas people in the US have come to believe in the last couple of decades. The huge loss of freedom, individual liberty and human rights. The absolute and complete disrespect for us as individual human beings and our innate dignity.

They did spend about a half hour telling us about their company and allowing us to ask questions. That was useful. I learned a few things. Continue reading →

Just Jot It Jan: 10 Danger

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First thing I thought of when I saw todays prompt (danger) for Linda’s Just Jot It January challenge was the robot on the old TV series “Lost In Space“. I used to watch that show after school in the afternoons and always got a kick when the old robot would freak out. It kept repeating “Danger! Danger Will Robinson!” while madly waving it’s ‘arms’ around and spinning it’s little ‘head’. 🙂

But I really wanted to make a few comments on the perception of ‘danger’, of what’s dangerous, and how much it’s changed since I was a kid watching that show.

For example: just being kids. We used to stay out all day long. No cell phones. Nobody thought twice about not being able to contact us every minute of the day. We rode our bikes or skateboards everywhere (without helmets). No one thought that was OMG sooooooo dangerous! We were allowed to run around by ourselves, without an adult, even outside of our own yards and nobody ever considered calling the cops. We were ALL ‘free range kids’ back then and nobody had a problem with it.

We drank plain old tap water, sometimes even out of the hose in the backyard. Nobody worried about ‘germs’. Cooties, maybe (but you didn’t get those from the water). Nobody died from the lack of expensive bottled water.

I’m only going to list these few examples. I could go on for hours! I just don’t understand WHY the perception of ‘danger’ has changed to the HUGE amount that it has. I think the attitude of so many people today is just absolutely ridiculous! The risks today are NOT that different! None of us was really harmed by ANY of that stuff we did as kids. All of which could get parents hauled off to jail today (or at least dragged into court). It’s happened!

WTF is wrong with people these days? Why does everyone consider all those things suddenly so dangerous? We all survived our childhoods just fine. What exactly is the problem?

Why are we, here in America (especially), changing from a country where people once came and put up with real hardships, real dangers (wolves, bears, indian attacks, blizzards, tornados, etc), into a country where we insist that we must be 100% perfectly safe at all times, in all circumstances? And if we find the slightest little risk, we must strive to eliminate it from all possibilities of it ever happening?

And if, by some ‘miracle’ after all we’ve done to prevent it, something actually does happen, then we have to sue the shit out of everyone remotely involved?

What does this kind of atmosphere do to people? How, exactly is it helping us? By turning us all into whiny little babies, screaming for big brother to come and take care of us- to protect us from all conceivable harm?

How is that helping us live our lives as responsible human beings?

Why in the world would anyone choose to live that way? Personally, I don’t consider that kind of existence to be ‘living’. What a drab, dull, desolate and dreary existence. 🙁

As a libertarian, I have to say, let people who want to waste their lives trying to avoid all ‘danger’ do what they think they can with their own lives. But, I wish to hell they would stop trying to force the rest of us into their narrow little mind views!

Ben Franklin said it best…

Color Your World: Burnt Sienna

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Another post for Jennifer’s Color Your World challenge. Maybe I’m blind, but I really don’t see much difference between today’s color (burnt sienna) and yesterday’s (vivid tangerine). I think today’s is a little darker hue, but I can’t be sure that’s it.

Here’s my best guess for today…

More of the interesting architecture from Singapore. They’ve really fixed up a lot of these old ‘shop houses’ around the Chinatown area. I really enjoyed wandering around down there when we were able to get off the ship and spend some time in port.

Decisions

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I might not be on here for a few days. I’ve got a hard decision to make. I got laid off of work last September (2014). I’m not eligible for any help (unemployment) since my last job was overseas. The offshore oilfield still shows no signs of improvement and probably won’t til the price of oil stabilizes above $60/barrel.

Everything I’ve tried to do to earn money since I’ve been laid off has not worked. No one has been interested enough in buying my beach house to even take a look at it. I haven’t sold one piece of art except a small 4×6 photo for $10. My writing mostly hasn’t been interesting enough to an editor to be worth a reply. None of the jobs I’ve applied to have been interested enough to call me back, except Dominos Pizza for $6 and change/hour.

Beach House- For Sale- Fishermans Delight!

I still work doing the emergency management training if they have a class and if they put me on the schedule. That hasn’t happened since the end of October. Nothing coming up til the last week of January.

I’m really starting to worry about my situation. I’ve managed to save some money, normally enough to last being laid off, but I never thought it would ever take this long to find a job!  My friends tell me to ‘sell some of my stuff”. They don’t realize I’ve been trying to. No one wants to give me a fair price and I’m not willing to just give it away.

The decision I’ve been wrestling with is to take a job as a ‘safety attendant’, working in the plants around here. It’s ‘local’- I’d only have to drive 2-3 hours back and forth every day. My truck is getting to the point where I don’t want to put it through that (1997 F-150). It’s a 12 hour/day job, every day. Until the job ends. Then you’re supposed to be able to collect unemployment til they call you back again at some point. It pays $14/hour.

That would (barely) cover my bills (if I don’t have any time off- no down time for weather, etc). It would mean I have zero time for anything at all but eat, sleep, shower, work. For weeks, maybe months on end.

I have to spend all day Wednesday-Thursday in ‘training’ in order to get certified to do this job. Same thing I’ve done for the last 30+ years, but never needed a certificate to do it offshore (yes, it’s amazing that they don’t require it too, but actually let us do a simple job without spending hours in a ‘training facility’ on the beach!). They give us the same training, they just call it something else at every company. This place doesn’t even pay for the training.

I’m thinking I should at least go to the training. Maybe I can find out more about the actual conditions of this particular job from others there?

The other choice is: to just give up. To quit ‘working’ altogether. Forget about trying to keep my documents current. Forget about looking for work. Stop spending hours filling out online applications for jobs that don’t exist and just chill. Relax and work on my art. 🙂

an example of my art- star fish in pastels

Spend that time figuring out how to get the hell out of this ratrace and find somewhere that I can afford to live with no job. From previous travel and research, I know already that almost everywhere is cheaper than the US. My only real concern is how long can I make it without any income from work at all? I’m (only) 55. A very, very long way from being able to collect on social security (if it’s even still there).

If things were like they were when I started this career, it wouldn’t be an issue. I could take off for a couple of years and when I was ready, just  jump right back in to work. That’s not possible any more.

When I was taking my walk tonight, I figured the absolute minimum I would need to just keep my license current would be $10,000 and 5 weeks of time! We have to re-take a hell of a lot of ‘training’ now and it seems they require more of it every year. That’s really a very, very low estimate.

So, if I do decide to quit. I won’t be able to come back. Ever.

I hate the thought of that. I LOVE what I do! I’ve spent almost my entire life at sea and I don’t want to leave it. I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars to get my license. I hate the thought of just throwing all that away.

It gives me chills even to think of giving it up forever. I really don’t know what to do. I’ve been in this limbo for months now. I can’t concentrate on trying to make a living with my art (writing/photography/painting) since I’m distracted all the time trying to look for work. I think I might quit for a while, but then I remember theres no coming back if I do.

This really sucks!

I keep hoping that someone will come through with a real job for me! A job where I can do what I’ve been trained to do already! A job that I’m good at. A job that I actually LIKE!

I’ll call them all again tomorrow, see if there’s any hope at all. Keeping my fingers crossed.

one of my favorite paintings- I did this on the ship using deck paint!

Color Your World: Vivid Tangerine

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I found another blog challenge from Jennifer Nicole Wells, she runs the Color Your World Challenge on her blog. I did a few posts last year. It goes on for 4 months, so I didn’t manage to finish the whole thing, or even to post every day.

Jennifer is running the Color Your World challenge again for 2017. I’ll post when I can. Todays color is ‘vivid tangerine‘. Here’s my take.

I took this photo of the traditional ‘shop houses’ in Singapore a few years ago. Back when I was still working and able to travel. We used to spend a lot of time there. I miss the days we’d spend at the Jurong shipyards. The Seaman’s Center took good care of us. Their people haven’t forgotten the importance of the merchant marine. 🙂

Singapore is a fantastic place to hang out. I loved to take the metro downtown and see Chinatown, Clark Quay, and the Durians. The beer was always cold, the food was hot, cheap and plentiful. The people were friendly. I’d go back anytime. 🙂

Just Jot It Jan: 8 Mongrel

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I skipped out on the last JusJoJan prompt (for the 6th- Tangible). I still don’t really have anything to say about it, so I’ll just start up with something for today’s prompt- mongrel.

noun
1. a dog of mixed or indeterminate breed.
2. any animal or plant resulting from the crossing of different breeds or varieties.
3. any cross between different things, especially if inharmonious or indiscriminate.
adjective
4. of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.
If I had any pictures of old pets, I would post them here. Our family was always partial to mutts. We had pets of all kinds over the years, but I don’t think we ever had a purebred anything. I haven’t been able to keep a dog for years. Or pets of any kind really. Not even plants lately.
Since I’ve been working at sea, I haven’t been able to keep anything alive while I’m gone. No dogs, cats, fish, plants. They’re all dead or gone by the time I come home.
I’ve been out of work for more than a year now. I could have picked up a pet of some sort by now. A mongrel dog or cat would be just fine. I would love to have another dog, or cat. But since I’m still hopeful of finding work at some point, I haven’t done it. It wouldn’t be fair to the dog, cat’s don’t seem to mind quite so much. 😉
My best friend finally got herself another dog after years without. Just to keep her company I think. It was a mongrel. She thinks is was part lab and part blue heeler, but of course not sure. She got it from the pound.
Sad to say, she had to take it back. It freaked out when someone came to the door and she was worried it would hurt someone. She wouldn’t be able to stop it. She still misses it.  Sad for both her and the dog. 🙁

Songs of the Sea: So Far From the Clyde

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I have to say thanks to the Old Salt Blog for sending me news of this song in my email this morning. 🙂

I’ve never heard of it before. I’m not really familiar with Mark Knopfler, even tho I know a few songs by Dire Straits. After listening to this song, I’ll be sure to track down more of his stuff.

As a seafarer, I know exactly what he’s singing about. It’s a sad song about riding his ship to the breakers. So many great ships were built in Scotland, on the Clyde. I’ve even been on one- the famous tea clipper, Cutty Sark. She’s kept near London now, as a museum.

Most ships are brought round to the breakers in the Indian Ocean. They’re driven ashore in Pakistan or India. It’s just so much easier and cheaper to get rid of them there. That’s a story in itself. National Geographic did a photo essay on it recently.

I’ve never done it yet myself. I would like to once, before I have to give up sailing. Closest I came was to deliver the tanker “Coastal New York” to a shipyard in China for scrapping.

Listen to the lyrics…

“So Far From The Clyde”

They had a last supper the day of the beaching
She’s a dead ship sailing skeleton crew
The galley is empty, the stove pots are cooling
What’s left of the stew
The time is approaching, the captain moves over
The hangman steps in to do what he’s paid for
With the wind down the tide she goes proud ahead steaming
And he drives her hard into the shore

So far from the Clyde
Together we ride, we did ride

A drift to a wave from her bows to her rudder
Bravely she rises to meet with the land
Under their feet you can feel the Kings shudder
The shallow sea washes their hands
Later the captain shakes hands with the hangman
Climbs slowly down to the oily wet ground
Goes back to the car that has come here to take him
Through the graveyard back to the town

So far from the Clyde
Together we ride, we did ride

They pull out her cables and hack off her hatches
Too poor to be wasteful with pity or time
They swarm on her carcass with torches and axes
Like a whale on a bloody shoreline
Stripped of her pillars her stays and her stanchions
When it’s only her bones on the wet poison land
Steel robbers will drag her with winches and engines
Till it’s only a stain on the sea

So far from the Clyde
Together we ride, we did ride
So far from the Clyde
Together we ride, we did ride

Read Harder Challenge

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I’ve had some extra time lately (and my internet issues seem to have finally sorted themselves out somehow), so I’ve had a chance to do a little more blogging. I’ve joined in the Just Jot It January 2017 challenge hosted by Linda on her Linda G. Hill blog.

Thanks to that challenge, I found another one the other day. I saw a post on Cyn K’s blog “that cynking feeling” about the Read Harder challenge. I’m a pretty fanatic reader. I read everything I can get my hands on. Constantly reading a book, magazine, kindle, or even the labels on the condiments at mealtimes if I get desperate. 😉

I clicked on over to the Book Riot blog to find out more about the challenge. It looks interesting. It looks like a fun challenge. I’m doing it!

Just as in years past, there are 24 tasks, averaging to two per month over the course of the next 12 months. You may count one book for multiple tasks, or read one book per task. I’ve said it the last two challenges, so it bears repeating: “We encourage you to push yourself, to take advantage of this challenge as a way to explore topics or formats or genres that you otherwise wouldn’t try. But this isn’t a test. No one is keeping score and there are no points to post. We like books because they allow us to see the world from a new perspective, and sometimes we all need help to even know which perspectives to try out. That’s what this is – a perspective shift – but one for which you’ll only be accountable to yourself.”

You can read a book for each task, or one book could work for more than one task. For instance, I recently read “Fifty Shades of Grey”. I could count that as #2 (debut novel) and/or #12 (fantasy novel- maybe not technically, but a fantasy as far as I’m concerned- considering when would I ever meet a gorgeous billionaire who falls in love with me and we have kinky sex all day every day?).

Here’s the challenge (or click the link). I copied this from the Book Riot blog post, the links below are theirs. They’ll take you to some interesting (and relevant to the challenge) resources. Enjoy…

  1. Read a book about sports.
  2. Read a debut novel.
  3. Read a book about books.
  4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author.
  5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigrationnarrative.
  6. Read an all-ages comic.
  7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950.
  8. Read a travel memoir.
  9. Read a book you’ve read before.
  10. Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
  11. Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location.
  12. Read a fantasy novel.
  13. Read a nonfiction book about technology.
  14. Read a book about war.
  15. Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+.
  16. Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country.
  17. Read a classic by an author of color.
  18. Read a superhero comic with a female lead.
  19. Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey (From Daniel José Older, author of Salsa Nocturna, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, and YA novel Shadowshaper)
  20. Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel (From Sarah MacLean, author of ten bestselling historical romance novels)
  21. Read a book published by a micropress. (From Roxane Gay, bestselling author of Ayiti, An Untamed State, Bad Feminist, Marvel’s World of Wakanda, and the forthcoming Hunger and Difficult Women)
  22. Read a collection of stories by a woman. (From Celeste Ng, author Everything I Never Told You and the forthcoming Little Fires Everywhere)
  23. Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love. (From Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of the Esa Khattak/Rachel Getty mystery series, including The Unquiet Dead, The Language of Secrets, and the forthcoming Among the Ruins)
  24. Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color. (From Jacqueline Koyanagi, author of sci-fi novel Ascension)

Just Jot It Jan: 4 Spangly

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For the ongoing challenge for Just Jot It January, todays prompt is: spangly.

spangle-noun
1. a small, thin, often circular piece of glittering metal or other material,used especially for decorating garments.
2. any small, bright drop, object, spot, or the like.
verb (used with object), spangled, spangling.
3. to decorate with spangles.
4. to sprinkle or stud with small, bright pieces, objects, spots, etc.
verb (used without object), spangled, spangling.
5. to glitter with or like spangles.
6. spangly- adjective

I came up with this photo. I took it at the Brazoria County Fair. An amusement park ride. Starship 2000, all ‘spangly’ with flashing and colored lights. 🙂

What can you come up with?

Maritime Monday for January 2nd 2017: Let the whale be the whale

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Another week of the most interesting maritime matters. Thanks to Monkey Fist and gCaptain for sending out the news…

A large whale, believed to be a humpback, was spotted in the East River in …

Source: Maritime Monday for January 2nd, 2017: Let the whale be the whale – gCaptain

Just Jot It Jan: 3 Warning

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When I saw the prompt for today’s Just Jot It January challenge (warning), I immediately thought of this photo. I took it once on vacation in Thailand. I was going on a tour of Phang Nga Bay. We’d be riding one of the local ‘long-tail boats’. I was really looking forward to seeing the limestone caves, the village of the ‘water gypsies’, and ‘James Bond Island’.

I did a double take when I saw this sign as we were loading the boats.

What are ‘jacket lifts’? 😉

Are they warning you not to forget your Bacardi rum to go along with your ‘jacket lift? Or maybe you’ll need your rum after you finish your ‘jacket lift’? 🙂

I can’t read Thai, but hopefully it’s more clear in that language than it is in English. 😉

I’m sure they meant ‘life jackets’. I just couldn’t help but wonder how all the people who’s first language wasn’t English (or Thai) would interpret that warning sign. 😉

Just Jot It Jan: 2 Time

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I’ve joined in on Linda’s Just Jot It January 2017 blog challenge. Posting every day in January to her daily prompts. Today’s theme is: time.

A great prompt! There are so many ways I could go with this one. I don’t usually think much about the ‘idea’ of time. Only to think ‘I’m running out of time’, or ‘I don’t have time for that’.

Even now that I’ve been out of work for so long, I’m still in that mindset. Even tho I’m able to decide how I want to spend my day, I still feel like I’m ‘running out of time’, and “I don’t have time for that”.

I’ve fallen into the trap that so many people do. Living in the past- or the future. I keep thinking about how much I miss working. Miss having that steady income so I could do all the things I wanted to. I keep thinking about how I’ll be able to do all that again, only once I get back to work. And stock the bank accounts back up.

In the meantime, I stress about ‘how am I going to survive’ next year if I don’t get back to work soon? I’m worried about how can I possibly make it another year? 5 years? 10 years? 20???

Instead of doing what I should be doing- living in the moment- taking these huge blocks of free time to concentrate on my writing, painting, photography- I spend too much time worrying and wasting time online, filling out applications and looking for work that just isn’t there anymore!

I’m still very undecided. What should I do? Keep on trying to find work? When I KNOW there is none? On the slim hope that I’ll finally find something that fits my skills and experience?

Or take a mind numbing, totally exhausting job for $14/hour (add 3+ hours daily commute) where I’ll have no life, no time for anything but work- eat- sleep? A job that still won’t cover the bills, but will help, a little bit.

Time…

I only have so much time. I’m getting older, 55 years old now. I feel like I should stop wasting it, hoping for a job that just is not going to happen. I should just forget about ever going to work again, since the likelihood of that happening is fading away with every day that passes. I should just forget it. The question is- how???

I feel horrible, trapped by fear, but can’t seem to get past it. There are so many things I want to do (most of all, to travel). But everything costs money. Money I don’t have anymore. And tho I could possibly make things happen even without much money, I’m afraid to go that route. Even when I can logically tell myself I’m being stupid.

I get the points these quotes from Tolle, Buddha and Einstein are making. About the nature of time and reality.  I still can’t stop my fears. 🙁

Just Jot It Jan: 1 Spider

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Here’s to starting out the new year with a bang! I’m participating in the Just Jot It Jan online ‘event’ for 2017. The first prompt (for yesterday, Jan 1) was “spider”.

Call me weird, but I actually like spiders. I think they’re pretty cool, what with all those eyes and legs. I don’t bother them around the house. I like that they eat the nasty bugs.

I do have to say I would probably change my SOP (standard operating procedures) if I had big guys like this one running around! I just don’t like the idea of stepping on something like that in the middle of the night. Uuuuugggghhh.

The picture is of a Goliath Birdeater Tarantula. I took it the last time I was at the Museum of Natural History in Houston. They have a really nice insectarium and a nice butterfly habitat where you can wander around and let them land on you. (The butterflies, not the tarantulas!)

If you want to join in on Just Jot It Jan, check out the links to Linda’s page. Here’s a link to the rules. 

Happy New Year 2017

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Happy New Year everybody! Here’s to hoping 2017 turns out better than 2016. I’m sure glad to be looking at that one in the rear view mirror. Whew, what a hell of a year!

Will start out tomorrow with the traditional black-eyed peas, cabbage, corn bread and sausage with friends. No, I’m not going out to celebrate anywhere tonight. Did better than I did last year and at least managing to stay up til midnight tonight. Only a few minutes away.

What are you all doing to celebrate? Parties? Fireworks? New Years resolutions?

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you have a great time tonight and a great year coming up! 🙂

Maritime Monday for December 26th 2016

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Here’s another Maritime Monday thanks to Monkey Fist and gCaptain. Enjoy the weekly shot of maritime news and history…

Berenice Abbott (July 17, 1898 – December 9, 1991) was an American photographer best known for …

Source: Maritime Monday for December 26th, 2016 – gCaptain

Merry Christmas

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Just wanted to be sure and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 🙂

No, I’m not a Christian, but even atheists like to get together with friends, family, and have a good time. 😉