C28 & Beyond

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sun 17 May 2015 22:57
C28 in the Marina and Final Preparations
 
 
 
 
 
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Monday. We got up to thick fog, at six Bear and I were discussing a move into the marina, makes sense to do a full charge on the dock electrics, top up the water and a small shop for last minute bits and try to fill the gas cylinders. Over breakfast there was more talk about weather and when to leave, then trying to persuade the State of Mind pair to spend less time in Tonga and Samoa so they could meet up with the gang in Fiji mid June. By the time Rod and Brenda left the said fog had receded back to a ball of fluff.
Tuesday. Bear left at seven to take the bus to Auckland. I stayed behind to have a cook-in. Steak and kidney, liver and bacon, jerk beef and a cottage pie were cool enough to put into the freezer by the time the skipper clutching Simon returned at eight. We settled for late supper in bed to watch an episode of Blacklist. We tried season two but as Bear couldn’t remember what had gone before he worked through several beginnings and finally chose half way through season one. Munching through his big bowl of mince and tatties he announced that he had bought a mobile phone for twenty five pounds, an android you know, from a Parallel Import House. I await with baited breath the quality of that particular purchase........ I was not bothered about watching repeats as I’m happy to end each day with a few hours on music library rebuilding, now weighing in at two hundred and forty two days, still some way to go yet but at nearly fifty thousands items I’m clearly getting there.
 
 
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Wednesday. At a quarter to nine we said our fond ‘farewell’ to Buoy 23, our safe haven for so long in Bay Beez, Mr and Mrs Mallard saw us off and were treated to a piece of brown bread each. Sheer Tenacity had already made their move to the marina and as we passed Scott-Free, Maj was just releasing their buoy. Quite funny that three boats had all decided to do exactly the same thing, go to see the ladies in the office separately and end up on B, C and D docks on the same morning. Great minds think alike.
 
 
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Passing P3571.
 
 
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C28 – our first marina berth since Tahiti - Bear settled us and by five to nine we had the kettle on. Our new view.
 
 
White-tailed spider by TTaylor  Spider bite
 
Now the saga of my breasticle blister took a severe downturn for a couple of days. My work list had to gravitate around bed. I strayed a few feet to do small chores and soon scurried back between the sheets. Aches and pains, throbbing and shooting heat, general feelings of being under the weather and the strangest floaty sensation. Horror came to mind as words like “necrotic” and “toxic” were bandied about. Confirmation via the all-powerful World Wide Web, my problem simply came down to an encounter with a white-tailed spider, the picture of this innocuous little chap was taken by T Taylor [thank you for sharing him]. Going through Google pictures we found identical blisters and wounds. Please close your eyes and scroll past the next set of pictures if wounds are not your thing, I have put them in small as not to alarm as much as they do me and I own them. Also on the net we found an information sheet, the worst bit was reading the words “.......blistering or local ulceration a condition known as necrotising arachnicism”. Oh dear. Antibiotic cream and plasters was the way forward. The granulomatous or stumpy bit in the middle got harder and eventually fell off leaving something that looks like a target healing from the outside. On the larger version of the middle picture you can clearly see fang marks. It has to be said that the chap in question is not a native of these parts but an escapee from Australia.
 
 
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Injury with ‘core’, without, covered – now awaiting scar........
 
I remember from childhood how my Nana and Pupa would eagerly greet Fred - the House Spider, each Spring as he scampered down – in a diagonal direction across the lounge wall. When we moved from our house to the apartment we actually took our Fred with us in an emptied out medical kit bag the size of a pencil case. The big, burly removals man asked that we not release him until he had gone on his way........ I had the balance in the Caribbean of micro ants to micro spiders allowing two small nests in each corner of the kitchen, spiders munching the ants. We have had our latest spider on board for a few weeks, he was a tiny dot of a thing and as he was on his own he was made very welcome. He clearly wandered under my nightshirt, found himself facing the Great Wall of China at the same time as I moved – nothing for it but to defend himself in the way Mother Nature intended. Wouldn’t mind but we both treated our chap like a pet and even moved him from the lounge back to the bedroom. That’s what we got for believing that nothing could hurt us other than mossies and sandflies in the whole of New Zealand. Lesson learned. I have always admired Buddhists who will walk around any creature rather than step on them. Well, trust me when I say Buddhism is off the list........ from now on it’s the palm of my hand or the heel of my foot from now on.
Meantime Bear has been busy with chores and finding last minute jobs to do, frequently passing me cups of tea and making coo-ing noises. Yes, but you’ve not been weak enough not to beat me, only once and I’m three behind on the backgammon front, not to mention the money I’ve lost.
 
 
 
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Friday. Birthday Boy. I sat up and began to sing the Beatles song:- When I get older losing my hair,
                                                                                                       Many years from now,
                                                                                               Will you still be sending me a valentine
                                                                                                    Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

                                                                                                If I'd been out till quarter to three
                                                                                                     Would you lock the door,
                                                                                            Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
                                                                                            When I'm...... Please don’t sing the next bit.
 
 
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Bear made us a boiled egg breakfast and posed patiently for me to capture his egg event. We had a nice day and supper for two it was really, really good until I was thrashed at backgammon and soundly beaten at Mexican train dominoes. But you are loved. Huh and Grrrr......
 
 
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Saturday. Down to the serious business of weather watching. Maj and Bear take it very seriously while Steve looks like the Director of Operations, all of a sudden fits of giggles. 
Sunday.   Bear worked really hard stowing Baby Beez, fitting a new latch on the back lazerette and general pottering. I did housework and laundry, cut the skippers hair and showered. At six we all met at the Yacht Club for supper and ‘farewells’ as we thought we were heading out on the morrow.
 
 
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The weather we hoped would give us a ‘path’ leaving tomorrow, has sadly decided to throw a wobbly. Opportunity for a new window may open next Sunday. So, more jobs and keep ourselves out of mischief. 
 
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL OUR FINAL MOVE IN NEW ZEALAND
                    NOW WAITING FOR THE WEATHER WINDOW