Opua: potted
Opua: potted
Today began overcast with drizzling rain, but turned sunny just before noon, and was calm and lovely in late afternoon. I just ate dinner of Hungarian beef and paprika soup on deck. I bought this yesterday in a plastic bag at the supermarket. It requires only to be heated, which I did in a Calphalon pan, many of which are aboard from the time the boat was our only home. This was the first time I’ve done more than boil water in a tea kettle since before this past circumnavigation, which was potless.
Yesterday I rented a car and drove to KeriKeri where i shopped, booked my flight back to the U.S. for November 6, and had lunch at the Marsden Estate vinery, which looks like something in Tuscany.
I sat outside on a roofed patio, overlooking vine covered hills and a small pond, complete with ducks, and a heron on the lawn who was finding his own bugged lunch.
I did an extemporaneous wine tasting, ordering two glasses of chardonnay--one oaked, one not. They were very different, and I liked them both.
I planned not to go ashore today until near noon because I wanted to eat lunch at the cafe at the new marina building. Light rain obligingly stopped at 11:00 a.m., so I rowed in then, showered, bought a New Zealand courtesy flag and a jerry can for water at the chandlery, stopped by the rigger and sailmaker to say hello. Found that the sail loft has been sold. Saw several other people I know. And had an excellent and original chicken salad at the cafe, which was busy and may be just what Opua has needed.
I rowed back to THE HAWKE OF TUONELA, put the stern cowl vents back in place; removed a couple of blocks from the deck that I won’t be using again soon; pulled down the vestigial spinnaker pole topping lift; and pulled the remaining part of the loose cover from the spinnaker halyard, before enjoying a couple of glasses of wine on deck with music.
One might wonder why if I am so happy here I have already booked a flight back to the U.S. The answer is twofold: I don’t know that I would be happy here 365 days a year; and I miss being with Carol.
I will be flying back to Chicago rather than Boston. Carol has taken a job in Chicago, so that the Evanston condo we both enjoy will again be home.
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The photo, which I may have posted before, was taken from the balcony of that Evanston condo, and is my current desktop. I think the birds are pelicans. I manipulated the color and contrast with Apple’s Aperture software. There are thirteen birds in the picture. I am curious about what minimal lines can instantly be identified as a particular object. How little do you need to know that this is a bird, or a fish, or a woman?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009