Berrimilla Down Under Mars Status Report 20 April 2008

I bet none of you were thinking, as you chomped your breakfast muesli or sucked on your Guinness and bacon sando that today is the anniversary of Oliver Cromwell’s sacking of the Rump Parliament, in about 1653. What the hell does that have to do with the price of fish, you may well ask, but it was one of the series of decisive events that resulted, after the Interregnum, in England’s becoming a parliamentary democracy with a titular and more or less powerless monarch . Whose birthday it is tomorrow. Onya Maam.

And the day after is the day the Boot Room Rat, the Senile Old Fart, gets another number carved into his tombstone. I guess around about here in peoples’ lives, the perspective turns from looking forward to remembering the past. Maybe it’s to stave off that moment, as well as all the stuff in my cliche’d rant the other day, that I do these things. Brings the short term into sharp focus and fuzzies the longer. Noice – I like it.

We’re still pretty much stopped out here. Hot and tedious, kite and main slatting and Berri just making way. Reluctant to burn too much diesel while we’re still in the starting gate – ITCZ still to go and we may really need it. Kimbra – any idea where it may be at the mo? Gribs indicate that we ought to have breeze here but…Email me direct if it’s easier. A bit Monty Python – I’ve lost me ITCZ – anyone know where its gone?

Anyway, today’s Consultation will be dedicated to Cromwell, warts and all.

POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 10:10

Hi Everyone,

Pootling along, not very fast, not much wind, its sweltering hot already (0900) though it has been pretty warm all last night. Kite flopping about a bit in the sea, which is vastly more calm than it has been, amazing- it abated so much in about four hours yesterday… I find that quite fascinating, that the sea can build and recede so rapidly. still the occasional chop though that catches us out.

I remember having various classroom sessions on racing yachts and tactics and weather and trim etc… The guy doing the talking was mildly bonkers and always had a picture of a man frowning in the top left hand corner of the whiteboard and in the top right was a happy smiley face, then there was wind, tide, boats, arrows for this and that etc, but anyway, the guy on the top left was ‘the accountant’ who is ‘always there’ and the one on the top right was Mo(mentum) ‘our friend’ Now on this trip there may well be an accountant in the background but we are not bound to his whims and right now we are desperately trying to find Mo….!!!! SHe’s a bit like a plot, not good to lose but once she’s with you, you don’t want rid of her…

Kevvo a wee bit unreactive on the hunt for Mo Mentum, so Teflon Al currently hand steering trying to find her…

Last night was wicked… there was a full moon so it didn’t really get dark all night, the moon just arced over the top of us and was just setting this morning as the sun was rising, It was very cool, look left and in the distance this bright orange huge moon was just dropping down behind dark shadowy clouds,(the shape of the clouds made the moon look like it had wings and appeared to be a giant snitch from Harry Potter. Look right and the sun was rising, the horizon bright yellow all across and fading into that early morning bright blue cloudless sky… it was brilliant… only lasted a minute or so together but great sight to behold!!!

Right must stop chattering and go take my turn trying to make wee berri go faster…

Lots of love to all
McQ

PS younger, less wise sibling, I need your email address, I have to ask you something, can you let me know. hope all is good at the photocopier, lots of love, older wiser sibling. x

POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 10:06