Mysterious sickness; propeller loss; Rosie is learning the Web; Zero recovered

Claude was sick last Sunday evening. He lay on our bed in the late afternoon and went to sleep, after complaining that there was too much light. Later he woke, crying, unable to tolerate any light at all, and having a headache. He vomited and perspired, later went back to sleep and woke in the morning much better, ate some lunch and was able to go to school in the afternoon. What was it, I wonder?

My little motor boat has been tested in the river. The propeller dropped off! I was somewhat chagrined. Anyway, Sanny and another man and a young boy dived down into the murky depths while I, not envisaging success, went and bought another one. Just as I was returning to the river 30 minutes later, the boy fished it up with an exultant shout! So I have a spare prop.
The upper prop shaft bushing leaks too much (some leak is desirable to keep water circulating around the shaft to cool the bushings) and I will have to re-design it. The problem is, the shaft is not central in the tunnel.

Rosie has taken to sending me Yahoo greeting cards by email. I like the thought and sometimes the cards are entertaining. I am wondering if we will be able to use email to discuss more serious matters between us.

I heard a snatch of music on the TV a couple of days ago - "I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls", from Balfe's "The Bohemian Girl" It's a fetching little song, simple and effective. Pursuing the subject on the web, I found a site devoted to Michael Balfe and his doings and family, and another where I downloaded the music, so I was able to learn all the words and play it on the piano.

Our dog Zero quite recovered from his indisposition reported in an earlier blog. I was very relieved.

I am concerned about the swan's situation and send her loving thoughts.

Malcolm

ylang-ylang; high tide jobs at night; Ellen Macarthur

A few days ago Rose told me we had an ylang-ylang tree in our lot. We had both been wondering why we smelled the distinctive scent of ylang-ylang as we passed the corner of the lot. The tree is 15-20 feet tall and the flowers are green. They give off their scent most in the evening. Rose picked some of the lower flowers and brought them indoors, the scent fills the whole house.

It's new moon soon, that means high tides (at night this time of the year). Sanny and I will go to the river tonight around 10 p.m. and put the catamaran up on its stand, it has already been in the water a long time and has probably collected a coat of barnacles, which will have to be cleaned off.

I have been reading about Ellen Macarthur's round-the-world-non-stop single-handed exploit in the big B&Q trimaran. What a woman that is! Imagine climbing a madly swaying 30-metre mast in a rough sea in the southern ocean to effect repairs ... something I could never have done, even in port on a calm day. 27,000 miles in 72 days, an average of over 15 knots, about 18 miles per hour or 29 km per hour. My catamaran feels fast when it's doing 10 km per hour!

Music affects me weirdly

Yesterday I listened to Shira Kammen on the internet, a group that plays/sings Celtic music among others (courtesy of magnatunes, a really excellent site). It was the first time I had really listened to "The Water is Wide". I played it again and again. When I tried to sing it, I couldn't as my eyes filled with tears and I started to choke up. Music seems to have this effect on me sometimes, I start crying when I hear certain kinds of music, or when I hear something I know well but haven't heard for a long time. When a piece of music gets me like this, I have it playing in my mind all the time - even when asleep, it seems, because when I wake up the next morning it's still there playing away.

Another very electrifying listen on this site is Lara St John playing Bach's violin concertos. She is something of a rare phenomenon as she is a real good-looker, in her twenties I guess, besides being a phenomenally fine violinist, and has a website where she writes candidly about her life - much of spent in airports or on planes, alone, as she travels the world playing her violin.

Been busy today preparing the 16-ft native style boat I made about eight years ago for its life as a tug for the big catamaran. It has an engine, not yet fully installed, and outriggers. I have removed the gas tank and will position it further forward so as to avoid the possibility of spilling gasoline on the hot engine when re-fuelling in a rough sea. Tomorrow I have to make a cover for the engine to protect against spray and rain.

Malcolm