Groan! Sorry, but I couldn’t resist it.
Today I ate my last fresh mango, a sad moment, but this terrible pun cheered me up. I brought a stash of fresh food with me, and there is still quite a bit left. But the mangoes, bought by June from the organic stall in Fremantle Markets, were the last of the season, and did not have a long shelf (or locker) life. Today when I inspected my inventory, two had split and gone mushy, and only one good one was left. And very delicious it was too.
First crop of the season: as one food door closes, another opens. Today I had my first crop of beansprouts from my sprouter. Thanks to Farmlands for the beans. They worked a treat! 
Return of the low-flying squid: between Hawaii and Tarawa in 2009 I was bombarded by 3 squid that came hurtling out of the water like torpedoes in reverse one day as I was rowing along. It was quite startling, to put it mildly. Today I found two much smaller specimens on my deck, looking rather the worse for wear. They must have come flying aboard during the night, and by the time I found them they were long past resuscitation. I said a few words and gave them a decent burial at sea. 
Looping the loop: Last night a strong wind picked up and blew me quite a few miles south, back the way I’d come. I spent all morning and part of the afternoon on the sea anchor while the wind continued to blow and I watched my progress tick backwards. Towards the end of this afternoon the wind turned from northerly to westerly, pushing me back towards the coast. Actually this is better news than it sounds, as I was afraid I had strayed into the Leeuwin Current (bad) and now I will be safely back on the continental shelf (good). 
The net result is that I have looped a big loop, about twenty miles from top to bottom. So I am re-rowing some of my miles, so people who sponsored those miles will get thanked again. Don’t say I don’t give value for money!
Woody the Pirate has been keeping a low profile so far while he gets his sea legs (or sea leg, I suppose, as he only has one). But he will be putting in an appearance on this blog soon. Meanwhile, he says “Arrrrrr!”, which is pirate-speak for “hi”.
Sponsored Miles:
Anthony Peters, Don Kuroyama, Rosalyn Page, Paul O’Hare, Rachel (Green Film festival), Susan Bartlett. There are some more sponsors mentioned before,whose miles will need to be rowed again!
“Woody the Pirate has been keeping a low profile so far while he gets his sea legs (or sea leg, I suppose, as he only has one). But he will be putting in an appearance on this blog soon. Meanwhile, he says “Arrrrrr!”, which is pirate-speak for “hi”.” I guess he says, “Shiver me timbers” too – being timber after all?
Your course and weather description reminds me of canoeing survival camp, in N. Ontario Canada, when I was 13 in 1970… We used to tell the new kids, “Go to the next camp and get the smoke shifter and bacon stretcher.” It sounds like you need a good “smoke shifter” to blow you in the right direction… I’ll see if I still have one… If so, I’ll send it to you with the next new kid at camp!
Roz, We are all with you in spirit – Moving forward, backward or standing still… There beside you to steady you as you stumble or struggle from time to time – as we all do and need from time to time… “Don’t walk in front of me, I will not follow, Don’t walk behind me, I will not lead, Walk beside me and share in what we can accomplish together!”
Some kind person did make an offer to copy the comments to send to Roz. Neither Roz nor I can recall who it was. If he/she sees this, or if someone else would be willing to do it, please send a message through the Contact link at the top of this website page. I would be really grateful – Roz’s mother.
Rita: It wasn’t me, And I am not very techie – my page does not even have a “Contact” link above, But I would be happy to give it a shot… Just tell me where to send the copies of the comments, and if there is a time that is best – We are 13 hours behind/earlier than Roz here in DFW…
So sorry to hear you and Sedna got the ol’ drunken spider blues, but thankfully your wonderful sense of humor is shining through, enjoying the deep blue. Love and cheers … and … you’ve made my day ;-D
Row adroitly, Roz!
Hi Roz,
Yes, it is a terrible pun. But it’s also the name of a great Jimmy Buffett song about meeting the spirit of adventure in a bar. It’s oddly appropriate for you. I wish I could play the song for you, but here are the lyrics:
Last Mango In Paris
By: Jimmy Buffett, Marshall Chapman, Will Jennings, Michael Utley
1985
“For all the living legends I’ve had the pleasure to know. There’s
still so much to be done.”
I went down to Captain Tony’s
To get out of the heat
Then I heard a voice call out to me
“Son come have a seat”
I had to search my memory
As I looked into those eyes
Our lives change like the weather
But a legend never dies
Chorus:
He said I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there’s still so much to be done
I had a third world girl in Buzios
With a pistol in each hand
She always kept me covered
As we moved from land to land
I had a damn good run on Wall Street
With my high fashion model wife
I woke up dry beneath the African sky
Just me and my Swiss Army knife
Chorus:
I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there’s still so much to be done
We shot the breeze for hours
As the sun fell from the sky
And like the sun he disappeared
Before my very eyes
It was somewhere past dark-thirty
And I went back to the head
I read upon the dingy wall
The words the old man said:
I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there’s still so much to be done
I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there’s still so much to be done
That’s why we wander and follow La Vie Dansante
-God speed and squid free Roz!
Another odd and stupid question being new to Roz’, and Roz’ causes, fan club… FIRST, I totally agree with not posting her route… BUT, as she completes this amazing leg of her journey, being the first woman to do so, I would think it would be so important to her causes for The Press to cover her arrival WHEREVER, How will that be accomplished without putting her security at risk? I would think this would be newsworthy worldwide then – Roz being the first to do this… And when you think of the value of World Press to her causes, at Hundreds Of Thousands of Dollars/GBP per minute, per repeat/replay, per station, per network, per country/nation for TV alone – let alone local, national and world Print and Internet Press… I don’t know, Just thinking, I guess… To say nothing of the party that we should have arranged waiting for her upon her arrival…
Have you seen Roz’s departure on YouTube?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mRHjymHiqM
Rita…thanks so much for posting…a wonderful production of Roz’s departure…will pass it on to others
Too bad Woody can’t keep the other pirates away. I enjoyed watching your progress on the web tracker.
Jerry, I bought a bunch of miles strategically placed so I can monitor her progress … created a chart in excel cause I’m a visual kinda person … pink curve on a deep purple background, or course ;-D http://bit.ly/FollowGreenRowed
Doug…you sneaky devil you…what a great idea…
“So I am re-rowing some of my miles… …Don’t say I don’t give value for money!”
Love it. It is just awesome following your progress and efforts. Remember, it IS the journey, not the destination that matters. Someday this will all be behind you and you will miss it. And you will have accomplished a lot by it. Thank you for rowing for the benefit of our earth.
Hey Paul, DEFINITELY AGREE with the, “journey, not the destination that matters.” But, as I touched on the other day, I hope that when Roz completes any portion of this “Journey” that is becomes something she is happy she completed, and is comfortable with the accomplishment, as part of being comfortable with everything she accomplished in life – and even those things she didn’t… So, I hope she does not “Miss” it, I hope she looks back at it with great and comfortable glee and says, “Wow, I did that.” Each of these “Journeys” should be placed in her, “Magic Memory Box” – that I mentioned earlier in this Blog, which she can open at any time to review the wondrous contents within…
Aww, Look what I just found…
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/3118139670_ef354ce31f.jpg&imgrefurl=http://radaris.com/p/Rita/Savage/&usg=__kJ5MSWgfyekyh8SKljb8EONbT2w=&h=313&w=500&sz=87&hl=en&start=8&zoom=1&tbnid=tDVRrfJuIPA2BM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=130&ei=kkaqTZXQKoXYgQeqnNGKCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drita%2Bsavage%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D786%26bih%3D400%26tbm%3Disch0%2C97&itbs=1&biw=786&bih=400
Rita, You Did Good!!! Roz, Beautiful and Amazing Baby, Beautiful and Amazing Woman!
Rita, In the picture above We sure see where Roz gets her inner and outer beauty and strength… Your eyes are amazing – the key to your soul has they say… And Roz, I have been thinking of the VERY old song ever since seeing that picture, “You must-a-bin a beautiful baby…, Cause baby look at you now.”
Roz i can’t sponsor any mile of your journey, but what i could do is, to include you in my day by day prayers…have a safe journey!
Hi Roz we’re tracking and cheering for you from Hawaii.
There is a fair goddess from Oz
Whose visage we know has no flaws
She roams without spectacles
With shouts quite respectable
She’s drawn many cheers and applause
Row roundly, Roz!
Roz, about those squid… maybe you have an albatross or some seabird similar trying to feed you… I read about an underwater photographer who dived with Leopard Seals and rather than being attacked, this giant seal tried to feed the cameraman penguins… (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxa6P73Awcg). Amazing photos yours and his. All the very best to you dear Roz, watch out for that albatross 🙂
Tim
Do you think the sense of humor of people isolated from direct human contact changes over time? Just wondering.
Actually you have a great sense of humor and I enjoy your blogs. British humor is the best, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and Monty Python!
Well, Roz, it’s the morning after for a few of us who had our “booby bird way’ on your facebook page late last night, with no less than 49 comments on my earlier attempt at a limerick in your honor. We collaborated and had a jolly good time, but the end result was Claire’s wonderfully inspired tribute … (edited a touch for rhythm))
There was a fair rower named Roz
Who launched from the west coast of Oz
The world for to show
The places so low
From rising sea levels we cause!!!!!
Row rhythmically, Roz!
… and while researching our collaborative fun to extract Claire’s limerick from the unsightly mess we left, I discovered another merger of minds with this little ditty … by co-conspirators Claire and me:
There was a fair rower named Roz
Who launched from the west coast of Oz
An ocean to row
With Sedna’s new glow
At least there’s no mess from Macaws
Row cleanly, Roz!
(I just noticed this is comment #23 … a good omen?)