Sunday, March 2, 2014

San Diego: dry; 'B'


        The storm, such as it was, has ended.   Even taking into account the practice of meteorological services world wide to give worst case forecasts because people don’t complain when the weather is better than predicted, but do when it is worse, I expected more.
        This was a storm only in places that don’t have storms.  In New Zealand or the United Kingdom it would not have been noticed.  This winter in southwestern England, it would have been considered a dry spell.
        While more fell in the inland mountains, only little more than an inch/2.5 cm was officially recorded at Lindberg Field, San Diego’s airport, about three miles southeast of GANNET, through yesterday afternoon.  We did have a little more last night and this morning, but not substantially.
        Between widely spaced showers yesterday, I walked out on the south jetty beside the Mission Bay channel.  Four or five foot not quite breaking waves were rolling more than halfway down the channel.  It would have been possible to get in and out, though unpleasant.  No one was trying.
        I had expected the San Diego River channel to be rushing.  It wasn’t.  Areas that uncover at low tide were as usual.
        GANNET’s hatches are open, and I expect to have a drink on deck late this afternoon for the first time since Thursday.
        Tomorrow I do my laundry and try to fix a couple of leaks: the trailing edge of the forward hatch and around the halyard clutches to port of the companionway.

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from THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY

        barometer:  an ingenious instrument which indicates what kind of weather we are having.

        Belladonna:  in Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison.  A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.

        bigot:  one who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.

        bore:  a person who talks when you wish him to listen.

        boundary:  in political geography, an imaginary line between two nations, separating the imaginary rights of one from the imaginary rights of the other.