Jetsam Noun: Unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a vessel. Often to lighten the ship during a storm. Example: “To try and save the ship they heaved the cannon overboard creating a large jetsam field.” So to answer last weeks riddle: flotsam is accidental and jetsam is deliberate. Photo is of a Japanese cannon from WWII rusting away in Palau. Taken in 2015.
You can’t plan for serendipity But you can leave space for it. This is another of a continuing series of posts about serendipity. Simon and Serendipity are alliterative and I should be able to make a nice motto out of them but the only one I’ve come up with so far is “Simon Seeks Serendipity.” Which doesn’t work because serendipity has to find you. The very seeking of a serendipitous moment makes it less serendipitous. It requires more work. Meanwhile you can admire me holding… Read More »Serendipity
Last April we were on a Glass Trip to Pittsburgh. During the trip we bought a lampwork glass piece that evoked an early, now extinct, jellyfish. Last week while I was organizing our taxes I found a credit card charge for Radiolaria, Carpocanium Irregulare. It took me a few steps to figure out what it was and that it was a legitimate charge. I hadn’t been ripped off by a Latin speaking internet scammer. I need to get more regular at reviewing my credit card… Read More »Radiolaria, Carpocanium Irregulare
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Henry David Thoreau The Red Rocks of Sedona. Thoreau was wise but unrealistic. He needs qualifiers. Life is not an on/off switch. To get a serendipitous moment may require putting up with multiple ordinary moments. A low price.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” William Arthur Ward The photo was taken in Chesapeake Bay in July of 2022 from aboard Adventure captained by Gene B. I think the boat is a reproduction of a 19th century Oyster Dragger. It is now used in the tourist business.
Enochlophobia Noun: A fear of crowds. Example: “My Enochlophobia keeps me from enjoying many crowded venues.” Pronunciation: Enoch lo phobia The photo is of the setting sun shining on the hill east of Healdsburg CA
Gallivanting Verb: To travel from place to place in search of pleasure, new experiences or excitement. Example: “When they retired they went gallivanting around the world.” Alternate spelling : Galavanting The photo is from the American Bar in the Grand Hotel in Trento, Italy. We were gallivanting around Northern Italy.
“Some ideas are so stupid only intellectuals believe them.” Thomas Sowell An idea that probably fits this definition is that we can stop the spread of “invasive species.” The photo shows the sign showing the area near Chicago where they have electrified the Industrial Canal in an attempt to keep the Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes. It will fail but only after a lot of money has been spent.
“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis At dawn in Joliet, Illinois our flotilla set out to make it through the next lock. The couple in this boat had as their goal to complete the Great Loop by next spring. Small goals are better than no goals. My goal is to consolidate, tag and sort all of my digital photos.
“There are good ships and wood shipsAnd ships that sail the sea,But the best ships are friendships,May they always be!” The Loopers Toast “Loopers” are boaters who sail (usually in power boats) around the Eastern US in a “great loop.” Up the East Coast and the Hudson River then through the Great Lakes or Ontario, Canada to Chicago. Then down the Mississippi basin to the Gulf of Mexico. Finally completing the loop by sailing around Florida. The people that do it are self selecting as… Read More »The Best Ships