Launching

News blues

Third wave sweeps across Africa as Covid vaccine imports dry upWHO says continent urgently needs more jabs as eight countries report rise of 30% in cases in a week 

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The Lincoln Project, Trump's North Carolina Speech In 70 Seconds  (1:02 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

…is a land of stunning open spaces fed by five major rivers. A maze of creeks and sloughs spreads finger-like through some of California’s most important habitat, especially for Chinook salmon and Greater Sandhill Cranes. It also contains over 500,000 acres of prime farmland devoted to diversified agriculture. The Delta is home to a $5.2 billion agricultural economy and to a fishing, boating, and recreation economy worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The Delta’s cultural diversity and rich historical legacy add vibrancy to regional tourism.
Fisheries, agriculture, and people within the region and throughout the state are dependent on the Delta’s fresh water supply. Although other factors affect Delta water quality, water management policies that help to maintain flows of fresh water into and through the Delta are of great environmental and economic importance to all Californians.

But…

“The San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary is on the brink of environmental disaster. The fish, wildlife, drinking water, and the many other uses it provides are all declining due to massive water exports. Currently, the State allows more than half the water needed for the delta’s ecological health to be diverted away for unsustainable Big Agriculture on the west and south San Joaquin Valley.” – Restore the Delta 

Learn more about the Delta >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Quarantine has its upsides. Combined with jetlag, cultural reentry, and the houseboat “lifestyle”, quarantine is a godsend. Without quarantine, I’d likely be working a short-term office gig to generate income lost over the past two years. Instead, I’ve decided not to pay exorbitant professional fees to haul out and clean the pontoons. They’re in decent-enough shape – for now – so I’ll clean off algae, patch what I can, and regularly maintain them. I’ll also slowly repaint the boat’s exterior. Most of all, though, I’ll realistically evaluate the likelihood I can competently pilot this houseboat. It’s big and unwieldy. I’m small and inexperienced. The nature of the San Joaquin River and the Sacramento Delta are to be respected rather than trivialized by my potentially unrealistic ‘can-do’ attitude.

In the shade provided by the houseboat’s bow deck, I unfolded the used/recycled Sea Eagle inflatable I’d purchased two years ago. 

Worried that storage may have damaged it, I followed assembly directions provided on YouTube, I semi-inflated it (using a foot pump), installed the rigid flooring, and fully inflated it. After that, I attempted to launch, solo, the bulky, heavy, unwieldy craft over the bow. Eventually, panting, grumpy, with aching muscles, I prevailed. No perceptible damage from long storage, the inflatable shelters in the space provided by pontoons under the houseboat. Egged on by determination and a stubborn attitude - “by god, I can do this” - I accomplished something almost impossible. Another reason for enjoying the houseboat “lifestyle”: surprised by my heretofore unexplored potential. (Maybe I should run for president?)

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In KwaZulu Natal:
Sunrise: 6:49am, sunset 5:07pm;
daytime high 64 F, nighttime low 41 F

 

In California:
Sunrise 5:43am, sunset 8:28pm;
windy and chilly with daytime high 74 F and nighttime low 51 F.