autumnal (and a rubber dinghy)

I'm not fond of the year growing older, and for the first time in quite some years, feel like we haven't had enough of  a summer to justify the on-rush of winter. But I couldn't help feeling, as I walked Lottie around our local park yesterday evening, that autumn can be ever so pretty.

In other news, I took a trip back to Portishead with Dad the day before yesterday, to pick up a new tender from the chandlery there. A Honwave T25-AE; basically, a 2.5 meter rubber dinghy with an aluminium insert floor.

The idea is to trade the inconvenience of the extra weight involved for the additional stability it should give, and so make Petrella a little more accessible at anchor or on a mooring buoy for the less mobile members of her crew. I'm specifically thinking of Dad, Nikki and, potentially, Lottie. The dinghy's bigger tube diameter and inflatable keel should also make the ride dryer and more comfortable for them.

The chandlery in Portishead was able to source the dinghy for £100 less than I could find it for sale anywhere online, which was a nice change. Always prefer to support a local business if I can.

I've also bought an electric pump, an AIR NRG 6000; this admittedly from an online chandlery. It's not that I mind pumping up the tender manually, but it's a job Dad always insists on doing. Which always draws dirty looks from any boats surrounding: "why is that fit young man sitting there with a beer watching whilst that poor old man does all the heavy work?"

Which, I admit, simply amuses me. Both the idea that being a "fit young man" is only relative to the company I keep when sailing Petrella, and the idea that I have any say in the matter as to who gets to pump the tender up.

In fairness, the electric pump was, I think, his quiet suggestion. Because, as he puts it, pumping up the tender is such a nuisance. Which, of course, it wouldn't be, if only he'd let me do it.

All four of the above photos were taken within the space of about a minute with, of course, the phone in my pocket, on yesterday evening's walk, facing three different directions, the sunset to the left of Lottie, the moonrise over Robinswood Hill to the right. 

I think dusk is my favourite time of day. I just resent the fact that it arrives so early at this time of year.