Monday 2 February 2015

A weekend athwart and awry

The weekend didn't quite go to plan.

It's becoming something of a frequent refrain, but Calstar didn't get back in the water so that shot our plans for Saturday out of it. She's blocked into the boatyard by a powerboat that is still waiting on spares to fix a problem with its engine. We're assured it'll all be sorted and we'll float again by Tuesday.

I'll believe it when I see it.

A slight, not insignificant aside, I learnt over the weekend that a friend upon whom we were hoping to rely upon his considerable experience to help bring her back up-channel to Portishead has had a heart attack. I understand everything's now stabilised and back under control, but all the same it's a bit of a shock. There are certain people in this world that are so steadfast you think of them as totally unshakable.

The friends we were going to meet for a walk with the dogs on the beach Sunday afternoon cried off. Without the excuse of meeting up with them and their dogs, an hours drive each way on a gig day seemed a bit much, so the dogs got a run in the park instead.

The gig went as planned though. In fact it was a great night. A bit different to our usual stuff. A venue we used to play frequently, but haven't played for a few years; we resurrected a pile of old songs we wrote and used to play some not too few years ago to remember, and mixed them in with a scattering of our more regular covers. The crowd was great, the sound and lights were provided by our friends Panik Events who were organising the gig, so it was an easy, fun night with friends old and new with a great light show and fantastic sound.

The band played okay too. Only downside is I've got a sore throat this morning and something of a croaky voice. Then again, I've not got another gig till the 13th, so plenty of time to recover.

It's been a slow photo kind of month so far, hence no picture at the top of this post. I informally subscribe to the view that every day should have at least something worth keeping, but everything of late seems to be something of a repetition, so I've not felt moved to get the camera out.

The fault is mine, and I should clearly try harder, but I think that's January for you.

I'm definitely sailing next weekend. Lots. If the plans come any closer to fruition than last weekend's do, at any rate. New boats, new sailing grounds, I should be able to find a picture or two in that perhaps.

In lieu of a picture, I'll share a couple of links.

The first, from www.livesaildie.com simply made me laugh, more because I loved the tone of the writing than from any claim to recognition of what they're writing about: 9-everyday-things-a-sailor-will-kick-your-ass-at

The second is the website of a superbly gifted old school friend who now lives in Toronto. We took our Art 'O' Level together, after which I reluctantly left scribbling, sketching and painting behind to concentrate on more serious subjects for my 'A' Levels (Maths, English and Biology; the more fool I).

Liz, wiser than me by far (and infinitely more talented an eye and hand) stuck to what she loved. Her sea and skyscapes are breathtakingly beautiful, in my humble opinion.

www.krawecka.com


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