Today, there are high, thin sirus clouds.
Last night again, the red sunset behind the downtown skyline was beautiful.
It reminded me of the gloaming at Subic Bay in the Philippines. There was a
mountain on the penninsula across the bay, to the northwest. The large bay
extended further north. Spectacular and extended sunsets were frequent. It
was not unusual to see every color of the rainbow in the sky, and reflected on
the waters of the bay.
Overnight, the ship repositioned slightly, a little further west along the
pier. We may depart at or after midnight.
Laundry
I need to take a picture of the washing machines. Some ships have tried top-
loaders, but they fail at sea. While the roll of the ship probably helps the
washing, it causes the drum of a top-loader to hit the side of the machine and
stop. These tumble washers have 9 pre-programmed wash processes, with
different temperatures, and some with 2 wash cycles. On the top of the
machine is a lid, with 3 channels. Soap can be placed in the first 2, for
each of the 2 wash cycles. The 3rd is for conditioner. I don't think my
clothes have ever seen conditioner, and there may not be any on the ship.
Afterwards, I asked about the ECO button on the washers. Pressing it saves
more water.
Walking on the dock.
The activity on the dock is sometimes intense. I had a flashback of working
on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. One difference was that here I
didn't have to be concerned about being sucked into a jet intake. There are
trucks, trains, forklifts, and other vehicles moving around briskly. It is
necessary to stay sharp and look frequently in all 6 directions. On the
freighter, and close to the ship, there may be crane loads above. Walking
under a suspended load can be fatal. I don't do it. At the same time, it is
necessary to watch the ground. There may be train rails, debris, traffic
barriers to trip over. Like the carrier deck, it is more hazardous at night.
My friend Dave has reminded me that today is the anniversary of 'The Perfect
Storm'. Dave kindly loaned me his ipod with 12,000 songs and 86 movies. It
has been a great suppliment to my reading and writing. Thanks, Dave.
