High Tide09:04 (2.50m)
Low Tide 15:16 (0.60m)
High Tide 21:44 (2.50m)
Sea temperature: 13, but if felt considerably cooler
Sea conditions: good
Weather: see below
Joined by: The LE, her visiting friend Sweet FA and The Bridge Captain, back from her holiday in Italy.
Topics of conversation:
The weather:
The mist was thick and lying low when we all rose and the sky was blue inland. Clouds hung on the horizon and as The Pirate and I sat on the shore the sun began to rise above them. I had my cloudspotter's handbook and we found an image of a cloud formation we often see which was called the Jacob's Ladder. The Pirate, knowing my lack of religious education, told me the story of Jacob's ladder and how the angels ascended and descended, it brought to mind the Blake illustration I had forgotten about. As the sun cleared the top of the cloud there was a sudden and dramatic change in the weather, like a chemical reaction and within a minute we were engulfed in thick mist, fog even. The temperatures dropped and The Bridge Captain only slightly regretted her decision to join us, having spent the last couple of weeks swimming in temperatures between 17 and 22 degrees. She had requested that the pool be reopened so that she could swim, the Italians having closed it up as it was 'troppo freddo', and apparently word got around the valley in no time that there was a mad English woman swimming. She has a new towling outfit, which was supposed to be black, clearly something went wrong in the ordering process and perhaps if they'd seen this photo of her in her fully coordinated outfit of pink Crocks and purple robe, staring out into the misty murk they might have felt reassured.
Sweet FA was not deterred however and ran into the water with a squeal - this is not approved by The Boss (i.e. DK) who reprimanded her "No screaming allowed!" he yelled. The Drapers heard us from their hut, where they had spent the night, and fully intended to join us - so they said when we saw them later and the sun was out again, but I'm not sure that I believe them. After a dog walk and a forage for chestnuts and mushrooms we joined them for coffee at the hut to make the most of the beautiful weather and the girls scared the living daylights out of me by jumping off the new ledge. All I saw was them jump and disappear. The ledge has softened though and it is no longer a sheer drop, so I tried it too, now I know I can get back up if we need the life belt.
As DK and I helped The Pirate with his coat (the lining drives us all bonkers as it's not sewn in and rides down the sleeve) he said "Blimey! Someone's been eating garlic!" DK and I glanced at each other conspiratorially, we both had - he'd been round for Nasi Lemak, a very garlicy Indonesian dish that Mertz had wanted to try out on willing volunteers. The verdict was that it was very good indeed, but we both hate cucumber so Mertz got the hump and ate all of it, maybe that's what helps with the garlic smell...?
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