Not only have we been enjoying the Westward advance of this ‘ere high pressure system’s Northern half, but also the sunshine which it brings with it. And when we have the golden stuff we have battery juice. And when that is free-flowing, we have a happy alternative to my singing or complete silence or inane chatter. This is not to say I don’t enjoy the silence and sounds of the sea – I just enjoy the diversion of music and audiobooks,too, particularly when we sometimes go for days without. It can sometimes be a very long quiet time and on more than one occasion I have threatened to throw myself overboard, row away and leave the remnants of songs behind for Poseidon to deal with.
So we have been spoilt this week with lots and lots of delicious of sunshine; not only brilliant for warming and soothing slightly-achy-round-the-edges-after-77-days-at-sea muscles, but also for our sanity with glorious hours of music and books.
My Latin teacher at school once described me as a kangaroo brain for my inability to concentrate for too long on one thing, always jumping about. Well, I believe she knew me too well… Though, Mrs Holt, I’ve concentrated for 77 days on rowing so far!
Herewith my Kangaroo Brain listening list for the last few days:
-The Jungle Books, Rudyard Kipling
-Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett
-Becoming Enlightened, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
-The Odyssey, Homer (it’s a loooong story…hopefully he’ll be home by the time we make Mauritius)
-Winnie the Pooh, A.A Milne (My favourite of the above)
Music ranges right across the board and back again and all over the shop in true K B fashion, from classical, to trance anthems, through folk, pop, rock, alternative and more. We’ve introduced the Tweedles to Elbow, The Killers, Fleet Foxes, MGMT, Foals, Stereophonics, REM, Cara Dillon, Joni Mitchell, Stornoway, The Dixie Chicks, The Rolling Stones, Guillemots, Davey Arthur and the Fureys, Beethoven, Debussy, Handel, Elgar, Mozart and more and more besides. It still amazes me that I can store such a massive range on my iPods – what a clever invention. I expect I shall make landfall (one day) and still not have listened to everything. Genius.
And so the sun will soon head to bed and we shall contine our Westward jaunt. This Red Carpet is a bit more thick-piled than the last one, so we’re not eating up 40 milers and haven’t had a chance to break our 58 nauties in a day record yet. More modest, but still massively pleasing, 25-35 miles chaque jour being logged. All in the direction of the rum punch. Life doesn’t get much better at 84 degrees East. Not this far South, anyhow.
Cheerio from this ‘ere Cheery O
x
PS
Dippers says hi as do the Tweedles – they’re all busy surfing…
PPS
Jenna – Magic. I have oft’ thought of that chocolatey creamy heaven of the brownie… Outside world? What’s that? Where’s that? Are you trying to tell me there’s more to it than my big blue tent? Hehe.
Charly Sissons – Your Dad sent me the article – you’re now my famous friend! G’luck with the exams.
Ian Hall – Bless him and his cotton socks and stripey jumper. Next you’ll be telling me he’s out of short trousers.
Robert Nixon – T of C duly celebrated. Were it not for you I’d have been none the wiser. My chart makers obviously didn’t read the recipe right and left it out.
Pam Stocker – I now see what you mean about Godot. Yawn!
Hey you, it’s sunny on Mull too. In fact it’s been sunny for a wee while now and I have acquired something of a Hebridean tan. What I want to know is is it the same Tweedles all the time or are they doing a relay race across the ocean (don’t tell me you don’t know – haven’t you photo-IDed them?!)
Hi SARAH
GREAT TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE ON THE RED CARPET AGAIN ,EVERY SURF IS ONE LESS FOR YOU, WENT FOR A WALK ON THE BEACH THIS ARVO ,A FEW BIG WAVES ROLLING IN ,THOUGHT OF YOU OUT THERE ,ITS FABULOUS WHAT YOU & DIPPER ARE DOING . YOU WILL MAKE LANDFALL BEFORE YOU KNOW IT ,YOU,LL WONDER WHERE ALL THE TIME WENT TURN THE IPOD UP & SMILE TO YOUR GOOD MATE DIPPER CHERRIO FOR NOW TAKE CARE Terry B
Sarah – you’re doing magnficently – keep it up !
Do you know what the first line of the world’s shortest play is ?
” Oh look, here’s Godot now ! “
Hi Sarah
Glad to hear things are going well. I bet you keep the wildlife entertained with your singing. Maybe next year when you visit you will treat us to a sample of your repertoire. Keep smiling.
Libby’s Speech Day went well. Her speaker was a sailor, Lieutenant Jamie Weller.
SHS Speech Day on Friday. I have written you in to my speech.
Some girls are doing a sponsored silence on Wednesday to raise some funds for Arthritis Care. I’ll let you know how they get on. For some of the girls staying silent for a whole day is a real challenge!
Best wishes
Dyl Powell
hiya
good to hear your ipods are up to the job. not sure about the audio books, i kept them light when i needed to use them.
school have sent money to arthritus care so the word is spreading.
Keep it up our thoughts are with you
Charly
Hello Sarah:
As you near the end of your journey,(I will miss you) I wonder if you will have to make adjustments to life on dry land
example-learning to walk on dry land again
– talking to friends face to face
– your digestive system adjusting to whole food.
Also do you have any regrets about his journey.
Take care
Grandma Barb
I have a French friend who worked with Beckett towards the end of his life.
He lives in Rodrigues island one of our dependencies.
We translated GODOT in Creole and were going to play it in real time on the beach. Never eventuated.
By the way, you might be interested to know that you are not coming to an island “dot” in the Indian Ocean : although Mauritius is a mere
2500 sq.kms in land area our territory including our sea zone/outlying islands goes to a massive 2.5 million sq.kms
I lit a candle for you at church Sunday. Now every Unitarian Universalist in Klamath County knows of your trek. Most of us have some form of Arthritis so you have fans here. I’m trying to think of a fund raiser for you. How much do you think I should charge for sugar cookies in the shape of Dippers??
I like you music list but.,…..NO RUSH???????? Shame.
I’m glad to read that you are interested in The Dalai Lama’s writings. He has been a great inspiration to me. I have several of his books. My favorite is “The Universe in a Single Atom- A Convergence of Science and Spirituality” It’s very deep.
I was just flipping through the TV channels and found “Back To School with Rodney Dangerfield. In the movie he has to recite this poem by Dylan Thomas
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Hi Sarah. Bet you are not good at every day concentration because you are a Gemini. We get bored easily so like to start new projects before we’ve finished the last. Keep going on this one though.
Have just been out to Copenhagen for the annual European League Against Rheumatism Congress. There were 13 and a half thousand people there all talking about arthritis. There are lots of new scientific developments which are exciting. And a big strand of the congress was for us ‘patients’. It was really challenging and interesting. I had to give a presentation which was a bit nerve wracking – but it went well.
People there were so impressed to hear of what you are doing to raise awareness of this horrid condition.
Keep going but put sun cream on!!!!
Kate x