Sailing with Tiny

Today My old friend (88 years young) Tiny and I took the Windchaser on a motor sail out of South Freeport, past Eagle Island and back up by Chebeague Island. It was warm in the sun and the sky crystal clear. The winds were light until we were with a mile or two of home. The winds were from the stern so we changed tack and enjoyed a short sail with the Windchaser on her side before heading home. In previous years we have done the run to and from Southwest Harbor.

the dominate spicies

One can imagine extraterrestrials viewing the Earth from a distance and attempting to determine which of the many species on this orb is dominant. Because of all our accomplishments one might expect that our own species would be selected. I propose that we would not be selected. The reason for this is that the great majority of our efforts are directed toward the propagation and maintenance of certain other species who do little for our own sustenance. We who spend so much time picking up and disposing of other species poop must be subservient. I propose that canis lupus familiaris would be chosen as the dominant species. A picture of a member of this species with it’s toy goose is included in this submission. Horses and cats are viable candidates but nothing quite matches the common dog. Although cats do less than dogs they are intellectually deficient and would be excluded on those grounds. This situation is not all bad. If the extraterrestrials were bent on destroying the dominant species they would miss us and go for the dogs. All those science fiction films had it wrong.
On further consideration I would prefer that cats were selected for destruction by the species destroying extraterrestrials but we probably wouldn’t be so lucky

Adventures Fox Hunting in Stow

Dogs evolved to run in packs. We are gradually selecting them to be surrogate children living in houses with only the occasional walk outside. The true dog existence is most closely emulated in fox hunting.

Today the Old North Bridge Hounds fox hunt met at the Delaney wildlife area in Stow MA. The day was bright and clear and the foliage not too wet from the rains the night before. Four of we foxes ventured out to spread our anise over hill and dale with the additional help of an old friend from Cambridge, Magie. At any moment in time one of us is in the woods climbing hills and fording swamps laying the drag scent. The others walk along the trail calling to us at intervals to keep the dragger form becoming lost. There were a couple of moments when I had to move quickly as my feet were rapidly sinking into the mire. At such moments it is not advisable to stop and think about one’s situation but to move with swift abandon.

About two thirds of the way through the drag Maggie and I left our dragging duties to return and view the hunt’s return from the wild. As fate would have it, we took a wrong turn and went in a direction opposite to that of our goal. After about a mile and a half we stopped at a farm house situated next to an orchard. No one seemed to be around but in a few minutes, a heard of women sheparding three year olds emerged from the trees. During the earlier laying of sent I had picked up a plastic dragon lost in the woods and was still holding it. Magie and I greeted the apple pickers hoping to get directions back to Delaney. It turned out that one of the pickers and shepherdess of small children was an old friend. She didn’t seem to recognize me at first probably because I was rather disheveled and standing there holding a plastic dragon. After reluctant recognition she helped us with directions. Another shepherdess who was at the time breast feeding a one month old said that she helps place out of work fox hounds in new homes and would be glad to place any that we had available. I gave her my business card as we have the occasional hound that does not hunt and would benefit from a more domestic life style. The directions worked and Maggie and I made it back in time to see the hounds return voicing all the way. Magie survived her first foxing in great form and soon departed the wildness of Stow for the civilization of Cambridge.

Hunter Pace ONBH 9-25-05

Today was the ONBH hunter pace in Carlisle MA. The skies were clear and the temperature cool but not cold. Fall is not far in the distance. The purpose of this exercise is to ride the course at a speed and time consistent with experienced hunters who have ridden the course just before the contest. The riders are usually sent out in pairs. ONBH was gracious enough to allow the Merrimack valley Rotary Club to sell hot dogs and drinks to the riders with the proceeds after cost to go to the hurricane victims.

Concord Fox Hunt 9-24-05

Today was the hunt in Concord MA in which we foxes ran through fields, hills, swamps, rivers and a number of very steep hills. Then, with great abandon, followed the hunters on their horses the hunt beings. First, come the staff with the Masters and whips and their control of errant hounds. The idea is to keep them all on the sent, anise, deviating neither to the right or to the left but down the center of the drag laid by the foxes. After the staff come the field, jumping the obstacles of coops and fences created over the years. Then come the “flats”, those who do not jump. After the all have returned, the hunt is over and the party begins. For some reason, perhaps English, it is called a “tea”. Some are OK and some are excellent. This one was at Olie’s camp in Concord and was excellent. The food was great and the conversation beyond par. The masters of the hunt were not present for reasons that I am bound not to disclose but an enthusiastically great time was had by all.

Exercising puppies

Today was warm and beautiful. Part of the morning was spent walking the fields of Pepperell MA and Hollis NH with a pack of hound puppies belonging to the Old North Bridge Hounds Fox hunt http://www.onbh.org/. We will be hunting new territory this fall and the masters of the hunt along with some hangers on such as myself were out exercising puppies and planning the path for future hunts. This is a drag hunt for which I am a fox so for anyone worried about cruelty to animals; I am the only animal that endures physical abuse which is usually self inflicted. It would be nice to include pictures of the puppies but I was without camera. Stealing a picture from the hunt web page listed above seemed like a good idea. However, the dumb site does not allow one to copy or otherwise save pictures. To see pictures one must go to the ONBH web page. Why do they make things so difficult?

Anchor problems

Today I drove to South Freeport and took the Windchaser out for a spin. It had not been used for a week and I always like to check things out. Also, the alternator belt needed tightening. The wind was right for a nice sail to the goslings where I dropped the hook and read my new book on the “anthropic principle” under clear blue skies in a gentle wind. The wind picked up and it was time to go. The motor pushed the boat forward to put slack in the anchor chain and I ran to the bow to pull it in. With the strong wind, my old frame could not generate enough force to bring in more than a couple of feet. This meant running to the stern, motoring her forward and then running to the bow to pull in more chain before the wind pushed her back tightening the anchor line up again. After several repetitions of trauma to my back, the line was vertical meaning the anchor was about off. This time I motored the boat toward deep water and pulled the anchor off the bottom. One more run to the front and she was aboard and secured. So I didn’t have to stay all night. Someday I will get my anchor wench fixed so that it is the wench and not my back that takes the strain.

The anthropic principle

Certain scientists are impressed with the obvious fact that the universe is compatible with our existence. If any of a number of properties such as the charge on an electron, the strength of gravity, or the strong nuclear force had slightly different values then life as we know it would not be impossible. Why did things work out just right for us? Perhaps we are just lucky. However, there is another area that seems to be to be a strange coincidence, the fact that I am alive at this specific time. In the 4 billion years of Earth’s existence and the at least 200,000 years of homo sapiens reign I am here now in this remarkable age. Two major event are about to happen. The first is that we will hopefully before too long leave the Earth and establish our species and type of life off our mother planet. I personally believe that we are doing less than we could to make this happen but that it will. The second area is that of eternal or at least a very long life. With the advances in modern biotechnology there is a generation alive that will not have to die of old age. New discoveries are coming fast and furious that allow us to understand how life works and that aging is not inevitable. The secret is repair. As I have mentioned before in this blog, diseases such as progeria show us that aging can be accelerated and that it is due to a reduction in the normal repair mechanisms that keep us healthy. If there is no repair to tissues and organs we get old fast. An example is osteoprosis. Our bones are continually being repaired by types of cells called osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Even children will get old fragile bones if this mechanism is not working. Similar repair mechanisms work in other tissues. Also, we see species of similar size that have very different life spans. Why do dogs live just a few years and parrots live into their 50s? Aging is programmed by our genes by controlling the length of time that our normal repair mechanisms are allowed to operate. Our genes get rid of old folks that consume resources past their child rearing years for the benefit of the next generation. We don’t wear out, we are turned off. In the not too distant future we will be able to stop our programmed death.

It is amazing to be alive at this point in time. Our species is about to become extraterrestrial and live forever.

From Sailing to Fox Hunting

The sailing season is drawing to a close and the fox hunting season is just beginning. I am a fox. To be a fox one must be willing to run through the underbrush squirting sent on the foliage while being chased across field and forest by a bevy of beautiful women on horseback. This is followed by a blow out party called a “tea”. Life is good. This Saturday the hunt was canceled because of rain but the tea was held at a beautiful estate in Concord. I must rest up for my next foxing on Tuesday.

Today was Grotonfest where I worked the trails committee booth. It is a great little event for the town and especially the children.

Sailing in Maine

From September 6th through the 13th a freind from Colorado and I went sailing in Maine on my 35 ft sloop Windchaser. The weather was clear and warm and we met some very interesting people. Our adventures are listed below by date. To read this chronicle it might be best to go to the Aug 6th post and read forward.

Return to South Freeport

After a breakfast of sausage and eggs and English muffins we set off from South Freeport and home. The winds were gentle and we motor sailed most of the way. Our path went by Sequin Island, Point Small, Baley’s Island, Eagle Island (going inside) and up North to South Freeport. On the last leg we started putting things away and getting ready to dock at Brewers. At the dock we filled up with diesel fuel and water with a wash down to get rid of some of the salt from smashing through the waves. And then the Windchaser was back home.

Tenant's Harbor to Boothbay

9-12-05


We had a breakfast of raisin bran and yogurt before setting out. The winds had been strong all night but the boat did not rock excessively. As we left the harbor we got the full force of the wind. Most of the morning it was 25 – 30 kts. We raised the mainsail with a reef and headed toward Boothbay motor sailing. Swells a good deal larger than the deck height of the boat came at us. As we were going into them at an angle it was not as bad as if they were hitting us from the side. The wind was at enough of an angle to allow us to sail close hauled. The are two passages South. One outside ant the other inside some islands. The inside route is shorter but has some very narrow passages so because of the strong wind we stayed outside and got the full force of the wind but there was nothing to hit except lobster buoys. These are buoys are the nemesis of the sailor especially the motor sailor. They can get wrapped around your propeller and damage your boat. I keep a wet suit on board to hop over and cut off or untangle the things. In 30 kts winds in a rock strewn bay this is no fun task. Fortunately after encountering hundreds of lobster pot buoys we emerged unscathed. I did feel one ketch on the rudder but it slipped off. What would be an easy sail requires constant attention and course adjustments to avoid the buoys. It was rough enough that we skipped lunch but made it into Boothbay and the Carousel marina by 3:00.

During the later portions of the trip the batteries did not seem to be charging well. I checked the engine and the belt to the alternator was use but at the maximum range of its adjustment. A new belt was needed as they stretch with wear and I had no tightening adjustment left on the alternator fittings. I called Jack at the Carousel and he recommended Sewell’s auto parts who fortunately had one left in the size I needed. I had dingyed over and so had to dingy back with my new belt. The engine has two belt and of course the one that needed replacement was the inner belt so I had to loosen the salt water cooling pump to remove that belt so I could get at the inner alternator belt. This was done with some difficulty as there is almost no room for wrenches or other tools but with perseverance things were loosened, belts removed, belts replaced and upon starting everything seemed to be turning the way it should. One of the problems is that I had installed a 90 amp alternator to replace a 50 one. The larger generator requires more umpf and consequently wears out the belts more rapidly. I will have to get a back up belt when I get home as Sewell’s did not have more than one but thankfully had at least one.

After this repair Brint and I sat in the cockpit enjoying some beverages and the very warm weather. I am sure that the temperature is in the 80’s under bright sun.

Deer Island to Tenant's Harbor

9-11-05
I had a stuffed up nose in the morning as it had gotten colder and I had left the upper board out of the hatch so cold air came down on my head. The morning was bright and cool. The radio said that there was a frost warning in this area. Bring cooked sausages which turned out to be chicken and apple which had a nice flavor. He also made his excellent grilled English muffins with more butter and eggs. We raised the sail at the mooring and headed out. Our course was North to visit Northwest Harbor on Deer Island that Pete had also recommended. It was beautiful with a number of boats moored for the night. We then sailed into Penobscot bay through a number of islands south of Islesboro down along the coast of North Haven. Another recommendation of Pete’s was Pulpit harbor. We motored in and saw a number of boats motoring out after having stayed the night. The harbor is well protected with many impressive homes. Then we headed South towards our destination of Tenants harbor. This picturesque harbor was home to several Weyths of painting fame. I believe that Andrew Weyth still lives there. At first the wind died and then changed direction to blow into our faces as we headed South. The prediction had been for winds from the North but midday they changes to the south to south west, right where we were going. We slogged south through many lobster buoy fields on our way to Tenants harbor. I tried to call the company that had the greatest number of moorings but the recording said that they were closed for the season. We motored into the harbor behind another boat looking for moorings. The asked some boys who said to pick up a white mooring with a yellow pickup buoy. The same boys told us to pick up a white mooring with at white pick up buoy. All the moorings are white. We eventually found one with no idea of whose it was although from the growth on the pendent it looked as if it had not been used for some time. After hooking up we rested for a while and then I took off for a walk around town which isn’t much of a town. Along the road I stopped to talk to a couple where the husband was sitting in the garage with one leg amputated just below the knee and his wife neither of which were spring chickens. He said that he had sold his marina to Jamy Weith around 1990 and that his father had purchased much of the point in 1945 for $5,500. I walked on and came to the Sul Mare northern Italian restaurant. It looked excellent so I went back to the boat and got Brint. We were going to grill steak but he was easy to talk into this restaurant. We both had excellent meals and I would recommend it to one and all. We dingyed back to the Windchaser, talked a bit about Brint’s experiences in Saudi Arabia and went to bed.

Sailing from Southwest Harbor to Deer Island

After a breakfast of raisin bran and yogurt Brint and I headed back to the grocery which opened at 5:30 am. This early opening must be for the lobstermen. The store was small but had the essentials including some New York strip. We procured two for two meals as they were large. After getting six more bags of ice we left for points unknown. We were either going to go up Eggamogen reach or through the Deer Island thoroughfare and then up along deer island in Penobscot bay. Because the wind was strong it would have been a real slog up Eggamogen we decided to take the thoroughfare and up along deer island. The fellow boater Pete that we met at Southwest harbor had recommended a number of places for the night including Sylvester cove on the west side of Deer Island. The winds were strong and we got some sailing in even having to shorten sail. The ride up to Sylvester cove was beautiful it being a clear day although getting a little cool in the stiff breeze. Upon entering Sylvester cove we saw a large number of mooring which are preferable for the nigh. A sailboat looked occupied so we made a pass but no one answered. Someone owns these moorings and may not like having us use one for the night. Another pass roused a man who pointed out one we could use. We thanked him and picked up that mooring. It seems that there is a yacht club, the Deer Island Yacht club, in that cove. Later a smaller sailboat came in and its owners dingyed by after closing the boat for the night. The man said that the mooring belonged to his sister and it was OK for us to use it. He was accompanied by an older women who seemed rather game to be sailing and riding around in that small dingy. For supper Brint grilled one of the steaks with garlic and butter added. We has veggies I cooked very lightly and a salad. Even though the cove was open to the bay there was little rocking during the night.

Isle au Haut to Southwest Harbor

9-9-05

Upon arising I went out and checked the position of the boat in the small. It hadn’t moved at all during the night. Brint cooked a great breakfast of sausage, eggs and fried English muffins. The morning was cooler than yesterday but not cold. We pulled the anchor and headed out of the harbor. Shortly we raised the sails and motor sailed around the southern tip of the island and headed up North toward Mt. Desert that we could see 25 miles in the distance. I used the motor as well as the sails as the house batteries needed charging and we were almost too close hauled. I put a reef in the main and reduced the jib as the wind was approaching 20 kts. It wasn’t sailing well at that tack so I reduced the jib more and removed the reef from the main. This helped but motor sailing we should have been doing better. It then hit me that I might have junk on the prop as we had gone through several patches of seaweed. To remove the stuff I slow the motor, put it in reverse and then gun it. You could just see the seaweed floating away from our stern. After this maneuver our speed increased and we continued on under the blue sky with jewels of light bouncing off the waves . On our way into Southwest Harbor we took a short detour into the bay between the Cranberry Islands. It was nice but nothing spectacular. We turned around and headed for Southwest harbor and a dock for the night. I called ahead asking for dockage and fuel. The dockage was available but as I only needed about 10 gallons of diesel they couldn’t help. It seems that their diesel comes from a truck on the shore and the hose is so long that they have to provide at least 25 gallons to make the system work. They recommended Beal’s lobster pond just past the coast guard station as an alternative. A call to them on VHF channel 88 finally got a response and a come on in salutation. Their dock was very low so we had to lower the bumpers to protect the side of the Windchaser. This place is a working lobster station and not fancy with little protection between you and the dock so the bumpers were essential. We docked without trouble and got our 12.5 gallons of diesel fuel. After a careful exit from a tight spot we headed to the Main marina and a slip. A dock had was there to help us land which went very well in a tight slip if I do say so myself. There was another 35 ft sailboat in the slip on the other side who had six big bumpers out on the side next to me. I told the owner I wasn’t that dangerous and he congratulated me on my skill at docking. He had his boat at this marina all season and said that there had been some pretty bad boat handlers in my current position so he had become rather careful. It turned out that Pete was an telecommunication and management consultant who lived in Dallas, had a think tank in Washington and kept his J34 racing sloop in Boothbay for the summer. We had a great talk about boats and telecommunication. Brint and I walked a short way into town to re-provision. As we reached the grocery in Southwest harbor the owners were just leaving so we had to provision the next morning. Walking down the street that had many restaurants we encountered a fish that was very good. I had crab in a cheese sauce with two additional cheeses added. It was rather good. After dinner we went back to the boat for a little wine.

Hiking Isle au Haut

9-8-05 more:
We then went to the boat and left for points unknown. There was a big debate in my mind about weather we should go to the cranberry islands or the Ilse au Haut. We went back and forth as the wind was good for the cranberry isles but we were close to Isle au Haut. Eventually I decided that we should go to Isle au Haut because part of the island is a nature preserve associated with Arcadia park. The inlet is small with out much room to anchor (there are no moorings) but we found a suitable anchorage and took off on a hike. Brint thought that the sea trail was too demanding so he went by the road and I took the trail. It was challenging but with many beautiful views of forest and sea shore. There are many rocks with foamy waves crashing over their tops. Somewhere along the trail I lost my hat and went back to look for it but never found it. I was late and concerned that Brint would come after me so I continued on hatless. Brint wasn’t and the trail juncture where we were to meet so I walked back on the forest road toward the landing. After about a quarter of a mile I found a number of rocks on the trail and almost passed them by. However, I went back for a closer look and they spelt out “Have gone back Carl” So Brint had left me a message. This was a relief as he could have come after me and gotten hurt on the shore trail I had taken as it was rather difficult with many exposed roots and hard climbs. As I closed in on the bay there was Brint setting at a picnic table talking to a group of hikers that had come over on the ferry. It was more like a large lobster boat and couldn’t take cars. There is a town on Isle au Haut toward the North end of the island at which the launch also stops. We had a good talk. One couple was from Maine and the other ladies were from Rochester NY, the Rochester walking group. None were spring chickens and it was amazing that a couple of them could do it at all.

We then dingied back to the Windchaser and checked the depth. However, my depth gauge was reading zero which was obviously in error as we were not sitting on our side. We were still floating and bobbing with the waves. Another boat about 30 ft inland with twin keels was anchored just in front us and it’s owner waved from his dingy as he passed. Brint and I invited him over for a glass of wine and heard is stories about sailing the Maine coast. His wife had passed away a couple of years ago so he sails with friends and does some single handing as he was doing at this time. Al was a retired Scanning Electron Microscope expert who had worked most of his career at Yale. He told us about the intricacies of preparing specimens for SEM analysis. This was of interest as part of my doctoral work used an SEM to look at the mutant bacteria I was studying.

After he left Brint and I had clam chowder for dinner. We didn’t need much more as we had a fair amount of wine, cheese and crackers with Al. After dinner Brint talked about his university career, he was first in his class of chemical engineers at Cornell. He also opined on old girlfriends and our mutual friend Dick M. who was a fraternity brother at Cornell.

During the night I got up several times to check the boat’s position as the harbor was narrow and shallow. We were OK but if one moved the dingy or anchor lines the whole sea glowed with bioluminescence. It was strikingly beautiful. Pouring water over the side produced the same glow but it lasted longer. Perhaps it contained nutrients that the algae liked. At my 3:00 observation I noted that the lights were on in Al’s boat so he must have had some trouble sleeping or had also been up to check his position.

Exploring North Haven

9-8-05 We had breakfast of raisin bran for Brint and blueberry oatmeal. We both had tea. After breakfast we dingyed into North Haven and Browns marina to pay $10 for the mooring. We had coffee at the lobsterman’s coop and took a walk on the road out of town. On our walk we met an ancient boat builder and woman standing beside the road next to his little boat building shed. The women who was at least 70 has one of his rowboats and does a row every morning.

A little farther down the road we noticed a house with and elegant quilt hanging from the top of the porch. A women and her husband were on the porch and we started up a conversation. It seems that Jean is quite a quilt maker. She gives courses and has some of her quilts in museums. Brint’s wife Carolyn is interested in quilts and we talked quite a whIsle. Jean took us upstairs to her work room and gave us a short course in quilt design showing us several other magnificent pieces. Her address and web site are listed below:

Jean Baker White
P.O. box 449 North Haven Maine 04853
jean@jeanbakerwhite.com www.jeanbakerwhite.com
(207) 867-4450
Quilts Rugs Kintwear

Sailing from Boothbay to North Haven

9-7-05
The sleep on the boat was very comfortable with little wind or wave action. In the morning I got up and heated water for tea. We then had eggs, sausages and fried English muffins. It was rather good. After breakfast we brought the boat into the dock for diesel fuel and water. Our motor from South Freeport took a little over 5 hours and consumed about 5 gallons of diesel for about 5 miles per gallon. The motor and boat in general worked very well. There was little smoke from the engine and no problems with the transmission. We headed out Down Eeast rounding Pemaquid Point and heading toward Hupper island where Pam and Buzz have house used primarily by their cousins. Brint’s wife Carolyn’s family landed at Pemaquid before the revolutionary way and may be the source of the name of Bailey’s Island passed the previous day. We motored into Port Clyde and viewed the beach where a couple of years ago Mark Gerber and I went ashore in the dingy only to fine on our return that the tide had left the dingy high and dry. We then motor sailed to Tennets harbor and few miles up the coast and investigated the harbor. It was beautiful spot and would be a very pleasant place to spend the night but Brint wanted to go to a place that could not be reached by a car on the land so we headed for North Haven. Tennets harbor is associated with the Weyeth painting family. The wind came up and we actually sailed a bit but the wind was at our stern so avoiding a jibe was not easy. On our entry into North Haven we could not find a mooring in the mooring field recommended by the marina. We tried one but the fellow in an Ericson 38 from Boothbay who was already there told us to find another as we were too close to his boat. Brint and I motored to the other side of the harbor and found one mooring available that was away from other boats. Browns marina told us to use the other mooring field but here we are.

Our dinner was steak coated with butter, garlic and pepper, steamed veggies and a slightly used baked potato from the Black Tide restaurant last night along with salad. The steaks were done on the grill attached to the stern of the boat. We had wine and listened to classical music as I wrote down these notes on my laptop.

Starting the cruise

9-6-05
I came up on the 5th and stayed over night on the Windchaser to check out the systems and get things ready for the 6th. Brint, Carolyn, and Brint JR. arrived at Brewers shortly before 9:00am. We all then drove to Shaw’s grocery in Freeport to get supplies for the trip. We procured the basics but nothing exceptional. The main meet was steak which we grilled on the boat on the 9th. Brint purchase several bottles of wine along with the eggbeaters, cheese, sausages, salad greens, crackers, frozen veggies, wraps, ham, turkey, English muffins etc.

Brint, Brint Jr. and I set off at about 11:00 for Boothbay. We motored south out of Casco Bay turning left just before Eagle Island heading past Balley’s Island for Point Small, past Seguin island and then up North to Boothbay. The day was beautiful but the wind was light so we mortared most of the way. The company was very good with many discussion of friends and family. One has trouble imagining the beauty of the Maine coast from the water. So much is missed from the land. Even the air cannot do it justice. All the green and blue interspersed with white fluffy clouds. The seas were relatively calm so there was no “sea sickness”. We arrived in Boothbay at 5:00pm as did Carolyn and their granddaughter Jessica. They were waving from the dock. Jessica is a very pretty 12 year old whose mother is going to medical school in Maine. Her father Brint Jr. is a house husband because of the difficulty of getting a job in the police profession. Full time jobs for both parents would not leave enough time for Jessica. Brint Jr. seems like a rather together guy.
We had a delightful dinner at my favorite restaurant, the Rock Tide in Boothbay just at the bridge to the center of town. The Rock Tide has excellent food and many wonderful boat models in the entry and lounge. They also have trains that go around the cealing along with beautiful view s of the harbor.

Sailing the coast of Maine

It is a beautiful end of summer day and I am about to leave for a week of sailing down east with a friend from Colorado. He once had the same boat as I but in San Francisco Bay. This same make and model of boat was once owned by Senator John Kerry’s father and mother who took it over to Europe and back. They must have been a gutsy couple. My friend’s son and family live in Old Orchard Beach and his wife will be spending time with them while the two old salts are off on their adventure. The picture of the big black shape diving under my boat is of a whale that decided to check us out on a trip several years ago. I like whale watching but from someone else’s boat. This one came a little too close for comfort. Well here goes!

Response problems and Katrina

Hi to Dave and Lue. Hurricane Katrina is a real tragedy and the response, especially of the military was too slow. I heard one Government official blame the slow response on a civil war law that restricted the use of the military in the South. It’s original purpose was to ensure that the U.S. military would not be used to influence voters. It would seem as if some type of executive order could have gotten around that old law. Hopefully it will be rescinded. On another military note, they are getting satellite maps from a local company. A senior manager of this company is working night and day to prepare maps for the army that use their unique coordinate system. The files are created hear and sent to Kinkos in the area for printing. I would have thought that the Army or another service would already have such maps.

Olive oil wins again

Extra-virgin olive oil as part of the Mediterranean diet has known health benefits. Now it seems that the oil contains a molecule that like aspirin and ibuprofen has activity as a COX-1&2 inhibitor. The Monell Chemical Senses Center has shown that three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil contains the equivalent of 10% of the daily dose of Ibuprofen. While this is great one might get very nauseated trying to eat enough olive oil to avoid taking Ibuprofen. Also, the protective effects of ibuprofen are in question and it could actually increase the risk of heart attacks. Today I did more barn repair so Ibuprofen sound good.