Megan the Nautie Mermate
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A LADY SAILOR
Lots of old glass in the windows - some of it needing repair simply added charcter. Colorful balconies combined with classic lines. Plants galore. There was some serious old world charm going on. The apartment buildings. Gorgeous.
One of my favorite parts about getting to the top of Gibraltar was seeing the Strait from a new vantage point. I could look left and see Morocco and I could look right and see Spain - without worrying about oncoming traffic! Gibraltar was very 'limey'. The stark white cliffs were stunning in the sun.
Being a little lower on The Rock you could see the ventilation holes / canon ports that are part of the tunnel system.
What I want to remember most about the views:
Algeciras Bay full of large commercial ships, the misty Mountains in Morocco, the circling white birds, cannon ports and all the history of the tunnels, and sun drenched cliffs.
I came back to Castine, ME for the first time since I graduated from the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA). I have to admit that I was a little nervous. I have very fond memories of my time spent at the Academy but (yes but) I have some not so fond memories as well. The whole drive up from Portland I kept seeing things I recognized....the Harley store, the curling league building, the open field with big rocks, and the rock shop (yep, I really think they sell rocks).
When I hit Route 175 I was back in the groove. I was going 60 mph (which is probably too fast for a rural Maine road)....and I literally groaned out loud when an old lady in a mini van pulled out in front of me. When Route 175 split into 166 and 166a I waited to see which way she went and then I jammed on the gas on the opposite Route to beat her into Castine. We used to call this our 12 mile driveway. The road basically dead ends in Castine (aka Maine Maritime Academy). The town is very small - and very beautiful....but there isn't much to see and you can't miss MMA. Driving too fast and beating the slow pokes at the split made me feel like maybe some things don't change.
Walking around campus I realized that in fact things do change. No one knew who I was! It was incredibly strange to walk around campus completely anonymously. Improvements had been made on campus and some offices had been rearranged. While I realize change is necessary I wasn't sure if I liked the changes. It made the school seem softer. While attending MMA I would have hoped and dreamed of attending a softer program - after sailing commercially for 6 years I think the toughening up that occurred during my education made my life infinitely easier when I transitioned to sea. Now as an officer I wish that the cadets and fresh out of school Mates were just a little bit tougher.
I have some meetings today with professors - just to shoot the shit - and I'm really looking forward to it.
I'll certainly keep you all posted with some added perspectives!
I've spent the last few days at a totally cool house in Nottingham, NH. The owners were away so I had free reign to look through all their drawers (psych! -that would be a great words with friends word- I can't thank you guys enough....for letting me stay there and for getting me addicted to words with friends!). The house is a renovated farm house. There are wide plank pine floors throughout....the rafters are exposed and look like real trees...and the roof has lightning rods.
Here's the best part: there is a barn in the yard! A BIG barn! You may be wondering what they do with the barn since they aren't farmers...to this I say, 'DUH! They host mad cool parties that include bon fires!'. (They also have their own wedding reception in the barn....what do you eat in a barn in NH? DUH! Lobsters!)
These friends of mine are also insanely resourceful. They have a large garden where they grow veggies and such. The 'such' is the cool part - they grew their own hops - and then brewed their own beer with their own hops. Insane.
I wandered around the yard with my L.L.Bean boots on and pretended that I was a character in Little House on the Prairie....but then I realized it would probably be more appropriate to be a character in Little House in the Big Woods. Either way works for me. Can you imagine what we'd be seeing photos of today if pioneers had DSLR cameras?
