Oriental for a while
AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Sat 26 Oct 2013 20:39
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Back on familiar ground after just three months absence.
Only it has become a lot colder over the past few days. We are mighty glad we
bought the new circuit board in the UK for one of our two Webasto diesel
heaters. They have been busy keeping us toasty warm during this nippy spell.
The remainder of the trip southwards from Buck Island was
uneventful, with no adverse winds, even the sun made an appearance for a while.
Have posted some pics of the trip south from Norfolk featuring the usual
military hardware in the shipyard.........
  Always
curious as to what is in
port
A dry dock big enough for a flat decked assault ship run by BAE
Systems
  Then we get
stuck behind a tug with a side-tied derrick..........all the way to Great
Bridge, where things became rather busy at the lock
  They are into re-enactments at Great Bridge, this
was to commemorate the original opening of the first waterway - they docked
behind us, staggered ashore in their dresses and boots to use the public
convenience and then got on with their re-enactment.
 Chilly foggy mornings and early fall
sunsets
Arriving back in Oriental there was one notable
difference as we crept towards our previous slip. Gulls! Thousands of the things
have taken up residence wherever they can find an empty dock or piling. As we
tied up we stepped ashore onto a carpet of guano. Apparently they are protected
here in the States and cannot be shot or eliminated which immediately
elevates them to a much higher status than the human population in some
inner-city areas we can think of. We have been reliably informed that
in two to three weeks will see the end of them as they fly to some other
place for another messy stopover. Having washed the
droppings off the dock Skip set about coiling a piece of old rope
we found to look like a rearing snake which he placed on top of the
piling at the end of our finger pier. Seems to work as it's one of the few
perches that doesn't seem to get used by the wretched things.
With the gulls now being kept at bay it was straight into
social calendar with a live music gig at Silos, but only after spending the
morning loitering around the Chilli Cook-off competition at the local Tiki bar.
This event was a fund-raiser in aid of The Old Theatre which is 70 years old
and run on voluntary contributions. As we'd just had breakfast we
couldn't quite face spending $8 each to sample the competitors offerings
and vote a winner but it did smell nice - well, most of it anyway. It's
what we like about the place, lots going on and many people participating and
having fun.
   Gail trying some chilli............best dressed
participant........and of course it's pumpkin time again
At Silos restaurant Saltwater Gold, the resident band played
in the car park again. Apparently a reincarnation of The Supremes, one
of many no doubt, had been booked to head the bill but the promoter pulled the
plug at the last minute due to ticket sales not reaching 1000. Not surprising
really as that's half the population of Oriental!! Anyway Salt-gold are always
good value. Unfortunately, Australia's one and only Sax player has
left the area and therefore the band. Missing you already Pete and
Gail!!
  The band in action
the Admiral in
action
Last night The Old Theatre was showing an Audrey Hepburn
film 'Wait Until Dark' (1967). Tickets were $5 each with all the popcorn you
could stuff down yourself or drop on the floor throughout the performance.
Goodness! Americans do love their popcorn, they eat it by the
bucketful. Red and white wine was also available for a voluntary
contribution (no liquor license so can only ask for donations). The box office
opened at 1830 but the doors not until 1900 which gave us 30 minutes to freeze
to death outside the theatre. Gosh! it was cold with the temperatures due to be
just above freezing. We walked round the block to keep warm and run down the
clock. They let us in a tad early but were having trouble getting the screen to
drop down into position. There was a very tall ladder erected on
stage which indicated they were working on the
problem. Eventually we watched the film against the backdrop curtain
and that was fine. Average age of patrons 70ish and all seemed to know each
other. The couple who arrived and sat behind Skip had
to reluctantly move because they couldn't see over him - or through his birds
nest hairstyle more likely. We heard him mutter about it as he shifted seats,
and then the Admiral heard someone say "and that's the cruising couple with the
boat in the marina" Yikes! It was a good evenings entertainment, first a
Merry Melodies cartoon followed by an episode of 'Commander Cody' and the Radar
Men from the Moon, (can't believe we're typing this!) a sci-fi
adventure which was filmed in 1952, Skip's birth year! This
was funnier than any cartoon notably for the quality of the
writing, acting, shooting locations and the star of the film Commander
Cody who donned a bullet-shaped helmet and flew round with a jetpack
on. Now that was prophetic, the jetpack that is. Fortunately the nasty Moon Men
have never come to fruition but their laser guns certainly did. It's available
on the internet if you want a laugh. In fact it's side-splitting! If you
haven't seen 'Wait Until Dark' it was a very good suspense movie and quite scary
in parts born out when one of the audience actually screamed at
one point which frightened everyone more than the movie itself.
   Before
restoration and now. A really nice little provincial theatre run by people that
care. And, couldn't resist this - Commander Cody ! How things have
changed
We walked back to the boat hoping the heaters had
thermostatically kicked in whilst we were in town - they had and we were snug as
bugs in rugs!
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