UNITED+STATES
Tropical Storm Fay, didn’t quite reach hurricane force; nor did it work its way up the west coast. The eye went over Charlotte Harbour, which is where we had intended to reconnoitre an anchorage for a prospective hurricane. Fortunately, we had been advised to hightail it back to Twin Dolphin Marina. Fay then tracked across country and travelled up the east coast The NASA Space Centre was deluged with 25 inches of rain! Hail stones, measuring 1/2 inch diameter, fell along the east coast. Tornados struck. Although the winds did not exceed 65 kn, the rain became a threat to life.
Some saw the winds as an opportunity to windsurf; others decided to kite surf. There was graphic TV footage of one such man, presumably harnessed to his kite, who was lifted, bodily, to a height of 50 ft and then crashed back to earth…like a flat pebble across a pond; then, being lifted up again and thrown across a freeway, to end up against the wall of a building. Not surprisingly, he sustained serious and multiple injuries.
Fay is about to cross land, again,having recharged itself over Atlantic waters. The predictions are that Fay will cross the base of the Florida peninsula and enter the Gulf. Here, Fay is likely to continue westwards; but, there is some concern that Fay may make a U-turn and head south along the west coast. Fay is moving very slowly; 2 mph. We won’t know what will happen for, at least, another 48 hrs. Meanwhile, we stay at the centre of our spider’s web of docking lines. The idea is to keep BEESMEJ off the dock side; it is an interesting learning curve.
Our impressions, about the USA, is taking a nose-dive. Business seems take a path of promises, which are either not fullfilled or are, extremely, delayed. So far, only one individual has turned up on time and on the pre-arranged day. As the dock-master commented: “You cannot expect things to be done by a certain time; just be grateful that things happen at all! Learn to lay back and relax!” When the news mentions that the US is 3 billion dollars in debt, it doesn’t surprise me.
Everything, here, is big. Some humans are vast; the minority are thin or slim. Avocados are huge; but tasteless. Baking potatos are rotten. Beef, which we expected to be fantastic, is tasteless and stringy…even from a butcher. Maggie believes the beef is, in fact, horse meat; I suspect it is more likely to be buffalo. Nothing tastes good…..we are, actually, missing the food produce from Tesco!
And we miss the simple delights of life; like, French Fries. We cannot get them in Florida. The best French Fries we ever had was in the restaurant at the top of the Twin Towers. So, French Fries can be obtained in the US; just, not here!
And there is no hope of getting Branston Pickle! There are advantages to living in the UK, after all!
Fruit is beautiful; ripe and juicy. Bread is awful. Everything loaf has buckets of sugar. I am, actually, baking my own bread! More news, soon.
posted Thursday August 2024