Day 45 Mediterranean Sea

Saturday, overcast. Moderate swells from aft, with many whitecaps. Last evening was partly clear for a while. Like the last time I had a good look at the stars, there was no Moon. I was very glad there is a railing around the Pilot Deck. Saw the following: Cassiopeia, the big W, overhead. The Great Square of Pegasus. The Summer Triangle is still visible, early. Polaris. The Big Dipper is low in the sky and was covered by clouds. I thought I was seeing the Milky Way, but it turned out to be stack gas blowing sideways. Wasn't wearing my glasses.

We passed Gibraltar about 0145 this morning. I saw a string of lights on the African side, in the rain. Heard from others that there was thunder and lightening. The rain again washed the salt from my side window. Our general alarm drill was at 1020 this morning. Light rain. In the following life boat drill, I easily got the harness correctly attached and adjusted. Company policy is that we have the option to bring our life vest or the immersion suit, or both. The buoyant suit is closed cell neoprene, and better for cold water. The life vest is better for warm waters. I forgot to bring my hard hat today.

Thanks to all of you for your interest, but especially to my support team members, who have helped with things like lodging and transportation, cleaning up the transmission issues of my BLOG texts, looking up lyrics to songs or poems, researching terms, to name a few. It would be very difficult without your help! I could not remember the correct author of INVICTUS. I was influenced by the last 2 lines, which I first read as a freshman at the U. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley, Yesterday, I finished reading Maya Angelou's touching story, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Usually, I have up to 4 books going at a time, not counting the Sudoku book, or the language books.

Barbeque scheduled for tonight. 1800 on the Pilot Deck. Beer, wine, hamburgers, and other goodies. I have custody of the ships cork screw, and my assigned responsibility is to bring it. I might sing tonight.