Low Tide	03:17 (1.00m)
High Tide	09:18 (2.50m)
Low Tide	15:44 (0.70m)
High Tide	22:20 (2.40m)

Sea temperature: 13.7 on Thursday (last check)
Sea conditions: Full on surf, rollers, the lot
Weather: North westerly wind bringing a front of black clouds, but the sunrise was clear
Joined by: no-one, not even DK or The Pirate
Topics of conversation: None as I was alone on the beach for half an hour watching the sun rise. It's very unlike The Pirate not to turn up. I do hope everything is OK. I was also expecting to see DK regardless of the weather as he's been in London for the last week for the first rehearsals of his West End show and he got back last night. At least I hope he did because I returned Mabel to their house at 10.30pm ready for their return.
I didn't swim alone as there were some of the biggest waves I've seen on our shore, which were clearly being broadcast across the surfers' network as 4 turned up at a pace whilst I sat in the dunes, sheltering from the wind. 2 went in as I watched and that was the confirmation I needed that it wouldn't have been safe to go in. Watching them being thrown about on their boards convinced me to stay put. The sun rose from behind some horizon clouds and as I turned to walk home the contrast was remarkable, the sky inland was black with tiny whips of grey showing the wind direction - this way. I hurried home as the geese were struggling to fly overhead to the grazing fields below our house. They kept low and close to the rooftops, which I suppose must keep them out of the strongest winds but as the were buffeted over our lane it felt as if you could almost reach up and touch them, they were so low. The rain reached the house just as I turned on the porridge, what a perfect excuse not to do our Saturday job. Using a chainsaw on the fen in this weather doesn't fill me with joy, especially now that it's started hailing. Perhaps I'll light the sauna instead...
As I haven't had time to blog this week I'll try to remember some of the topics covered:
The sauna party - the latest Workshop project is complete and TPGF has done a wonderful job. He lit the sauna on Thursday afternoon for it's first proper burn and I kept it going till the late evening when it had it's first real test. I'm determined not to get the lurgie, which my student has been dragging into my home for the last 3 days and so the new Turkkilainen oil (rosewater, eucalyptus and lemon) was mixed in with the water which cleared any slight sniffle I might have had. It works, in fact it works well. My only concern now is whether I'm going to have enough firewood to keep it going all winter, so perhaps I do need to get the chain saw out after all. Legs and I are planning a sauna party for The Swimmers and their families for next month. She's a brunchmeister, being of American/Norwegian extraction and she used to host a weekly event at the local pub as her waffles are the stuff of legend. Happily she has offered to keep the kitchen going whilst those of us who are still swimming by then do, and I make sure the sauna is functioning at full speed. It's just big enough for 6 to sit in the fire room at one time but there is another space with a folding bench which will be for yoga and chilling (literally) so we can take turns.

Sara's assignment - we had a long and ridiculously deep conversation (for 7.30am) about her interpretation of a question about the interpretation of myths. It started with her saying "Plato doesn't know what he's saying most of the time" and grew from there. As it was just The Pirate, Sara and I we each had quite a bit to say on the subject, which then turned towards god shaped holes and whether there could be a 'shaped hole' if the thing that was missing had never existed in the first place, at some point The Pirate got into full flow as we'd mentioned Richard Dawkins, who he has little time for. We decided that had DK been here we would have ben steered away from the subject rather more rapidly.

Keeping in touch whilst travelling - The Pirate had an email from No.1 Son this week entitled "specially for Dad" but when he opened it the message itself was clear, as in empty. Very disappointed. Sara had similar experiences with her sons and we reminisced about the old way of having post boxes around the world from which you collected your family's messages. When Mertz was travelling for 18 months he had a friend following in his wake, on the same route, but 2 months behind so he'd leave messages for him too. 
Alf - we talked about Alf a lot. He's The Pirate's 'other dog', as in not Bosco, who is always with us in the mornings. Alf, on the other hand is a law unto himself. He is a small wiry terrier of some sort (I'm not even sure if The Pirate knows what sort) who is blind and crotchety and who decides whether or not he will grace us with his presence in the morning, which he has been doing more often recently. I adore Alf. He's got such character but he only adds to the delays in the morning as he can't see his way home and bounces of the sides of the roads like a pin ball. The Pirate has begun to bring a lead down to drag him back with but I suspect that as it gets colder I shall be tempted to take my life in my hands and pick him up.
Just had texts from The Pirate's Wife and DK, all fine, DK had a lie in and The Pirate forgot to say he was working in Essex today, well he probably mentioned it earlier in the week but he clearly said "see you tomorrow" as we parted company on the green.