… are in short supply right now. There are lots of flashes of lightning around the dark horizon as I write this blog, but those are the only flashy-type things happening on this bit of ocean right now.
I’m absolutely stupid with tiredness, so I’m going to keep this really short – with apologies for my brevity. But I needed to let you know I’m still alive!
Headline is: it’s been a good productive day at the oars. I’ve regained another 23 miles of lost latitude, and am almost back to where I was before the wind and currents started sweeping me north.
I won’t say the weather has been helping me, but it hasn’t been hindering me either. For most of today there has been no wind at all – which has made for VERY hot rowing conditions.
There was a notable exception at about 2pm, when a big cloud came over and in the space of a minute – literally – the wind went from 0 knots to 40 knots. It lasted about 10 minutes, and then subsided again almost as quickly. I was caught off-guard, with the sun canopy up, and it was banging about like a demented thing. But fortunately no damage done.
So, in the absence of wind assistance, I’ve been rowing my little heart out, and am now as pooped as a booby-pooped poop deck. So I’m going to bed. Sorry! Will try to be more creative tomorrow.
[photo: Continuing the aerial bombardment of my boat, this chap landed on my deck this morning. Any offers as to identity? I’m guessing that big pointy thing on his schnozz is going to be indicative of his name – or is it just a very small marlin? Baseball cap included for scale.]
Other Stuff:
Rave of the Day: rediscovered a bag of powdered coconut milk from Wilderness Family Naturals, and added a spoonful or two to my dinnertime curry. Delicious!! Definitely my new favorite meal.
Crave of the Day: white fluffy towels and crisp white sheets. Ahhhh, sigh!
A new batch donations has come in – thank you Rozlings!! Special thank yous today to: Edward Gutman, Ian Wilkie, Jennifer Eggers, Nancy Glenn (special hello to Nancy!), Bill Spinks, Mary Dionne, Keith Ferstl, Margaret Taylor, and Sarah Watson. (Thanks, Sarah!!!!) This is SO kind of you – it’s not just the money, it’s knowing that you care. I truly appreciate your generosity of spirit.
Weather report:
Position at 2310 HST: 02 16.105N, 177 02.609W Wind: as described above
Seas: 2-5ft E
Weather: as described above
Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com
Latest tracker reported your position as: 02 39N 177 05W as of 09Aug 2335HST.
As of Monday morning 10 Aug 2009. According to measured data, there have been Eerly winds up to 7-12kts and little significant rainshower activity in your area. 10kt Eerly winds extends to 01 30S then increase to Eerly 15-20kts then shift to SEerly 0-20kts. Winds continue to be very shifty next couple of days becoming Eerly 0-15kts by 1500HST 11Aug. Then shifting to SEerly 0-20kts by 12Aug 1200HST. Uncertainty remains in the forecast, as previously discussed.
According to satellite imagery, there remains widespread areas of low level clouds amongst scattered areas of deep convection. There is a significant area of deep convection south of the Equator centered near 03 00S 175 00W. Rainshowers, squalls, and thunderstorms in areas of deep convection.
Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy. Scattered moderate rainshowers, squalls, and possible thunderstorms.
Forecast (low confidence due to extreme variability in equatorial regions and naturally occurring small scale fluctuations in direction/speed in the Doldrums) Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft) est 10/1800-10/2100 E-SE 0-20 2-5 10/2100-11/1800 SE-E 0-20 2-5 11/1800-12/1200 E-SE 0-20 2-5 12/1200-14/0600 SE-ENE 5-20 2-5 14/0600-15/0000 ENE-SE 0-20 2-5
Next Update: Thursday, 13 August
Hi Roz,
Just wanted to let you know that I blogged your ‘I AM WHAT I AM’ article on my site at http://lorrinlee.com …it is one of my favorites. I especially am fond of ‘writing your obituary now’ exercise. Thank you. It works. Now, I find great pleasure in writing my obituary. Making adjustments. Actually, fun.
I know you haven’t seen my http://lorrinleevideo.com/rozsavage …it now has over 1000 visits. So, I am doing my little bit to share your inspiration with the world. Creating this video for you is really special because I have never created a video on any other person in my life. And, I did it within 2 weeks of meeting you just by chance.
Thank you for your daily and color blogs. Gives me new ideas on how to write better, which I am constantly striving to improve. Now and then, I visualize you being me. Now, “what would I do if I were ROZ? How would I handle rowing for hours and thousands of miles. ALONE. With NO Support System near by. Hmmmmm.” Then, with a sigh… “I prefer being where I am in Hawaii living a less-challenging life.”
Once in awhile, I look at what I am doing with my life. My projects…and then, I say to myself, “What would Roz do if she were in my situation?” …Well, …”she would keep persisting.” So —– I get back and do that, especially, when I want to do other more pleasurable activities.
So, my dearest ROZ… your inspiring presence is in my thoughts daily as you row, row, row, row, and ROW.
Mahalo and Aloha!
Lorrin
The fish is certainly one of the many species in the half beak family. There are probably close to 100 species, the most well known is the common bait fish ballyhoo. Without closer inspection and from the length of the ROZ-trum it could be a long-beaked half beak or a flying half beak seeing as it ended up in the boat. Probably only yummy to predatory fish like tuna, wahoo, sailfish and starving oceanic rowers etc. w@noaa
Roz … no need to EVER apologize for your blog posts being too short! We love to hear from you even if just a line or two. (I think I can use the pronoun “we” here without being presumptious). I’m amazed how creative and engaging and educational and inspiring (and so many other sterling adjectives) each of your blog posts ARE, that if you ever need to take a wee breather (BECAUSE YOU’RE EXHAUSTED FROM ROWING 16 HOURS OF THE LAST 24 THAT JUST PASSED), we understand! Point I’m trying to make: You’ve spoiled us rotten here w/ your blogposts — I’m a fan that is still catching up by reading your posts from the beginning of your voyage — so please never feel you need apologize! 🙂
Happy for your progress; so grateful for your inspiration.
Naomi
8 AM (~8,400′) Arrived at Angora Lake nestled at the base of Angora Peak which is a mirror image on a still flat surface. Circumnavigated the still waters snapping photos, mingling with rock and tree. Now atop the moraine finishing lemon bar Larabar and starting an apple pie. Humm food. Roz, you must have more finess than I — my wrappers are shredded in pieces. Rozlings should appreciate the care Roz exercises to produce entact wrappers suitable for lamination. Fortunate to have cell connection way up here. Heading back down to the mountain out of range. Calm still waters to you Roz … and Naomi, count me in the ‘we’ ;-D
While I am confident after spending many years at sea myself there is no shortage of meteors in your life at sea, things will get even better in the next few nights. The Perseid meteor shower is about to peak. The show begins after sunset on Tuesday, August 11th, and continues until the sun rises on Wednesday, August 12th. A time of particular interest is 0800-0900 GMT (1-2 a.m. PDT) on the 12th. That’s when Earth is expected to pass through a denser-than-usual filament of dust from Perseid parent Comet Swift-Tuttle. Forecasters are unsure what will happen, but some have speculated that meteor rates could surge as high as 200 per hour. You will have the most spectacular seat in the house!w@noaa
We’re all pulling for you. While I was reading your blog for a couple of weeks, kind of makes me want to do what your doing, but with bikes. I love to ride my bicycle a lot, so I was thinking maybe I should do that. I was wondering if you have any kind of edvice for me, that would be great. Thanks!
I’m going to echo Walt to tell you that little fish looks like a ballyhoo…I see them all the time off of my dock, and my son and I spotted one this morning swimming in south beach. I wouldn’t eat it, but you could fish with it (if it weren’t all sun baked and dead).
I hope you get to see some fantastic Perseids tonight. One of the downsides of Atlanta is light pollution fading out nice celestial shows like that. Wish I was back in Sedona tonight.
Thanks for thinking of adding the cap for scale!
Joan, get out of town! Perseids only come once a year! I slept on the deck under the stars last night (the sky was “black as pitch” until the moon came up) and was amazed at seeing the Milky Way so clearly … Will be on the deck “sleeping” and watching tonight again. Hoping Roz and Rozlings all have front row seats.
It looks like you really pulled your weight today – Great progress!! Caution may be called for though keeping in mind that you are in for the long haul – so to speak – slow and steady will get you to your final destination.
Hi Roz,
…gotta’ say, I’m a wee bit disappointed. When I read your tweet about the fish, I imagined a creature of more substance, something like a ‘whopper’. Anyway…pretty cute fish.
Great interview with //REMarkify (http://bit.ly/17O2pe) today! (Ed mentioned your dream about your iPhone.
Hope you will enjoy the perseid meteor show. You probably have the best seat on the planet. Cheers!
Rozta’ Bill
9 PM – Saw a Perseids meteor streaking Act 2 of Shakespeare’s “Measure For Measure” … Reflecting on the plot, the twists and turns — not to mention the Bard’s whimsical way with words — reminded me of the twists and turns in your recent “progress” punctuated with humor and irony AND it had a happy ending, as will you, Roz. BUT your writing is completrly reader-friendly and understandable ;-D
Joan, my reply “get out of town” was meant to be in jest — partially influenced by the Bard and partly by a flagon of mead (actually Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout) — but rereading, it doesn’t convey the humor intended, for which I appologize. And in any event, to increase one’s carbon footprint for the chance sighting of a few streaking meteors hardly seems appropriate. For the perfect conditions that graced my location, I saw none during the “best” window of time, but saw 4 or 5 the evenings before and after that were so brilliant they could have been easily seen from any city — the waiting and serendipitous glimpse in my peripheral vision were the keys to those sightings. Extraordinarily long horizontal brilliant white flares streaking across the sky leaving a momentary shimmering trail — just a few miles up at the outer reaches of the atmosphere — but extraordinarily miniscule odds of occuring within one’s field of vision. So, don’t get out of town ;-D