Poetry

Shine not burn.

MacKenzie Crest – Earl of Ross and Cromarty, Lord Kintail, Inverness, Scottish Highlands.

Riding the wind on fugitives’ dreams,

Sailing the senses on love-coloured streams.

Still lingers that kiss of love’s hapless suite,

And the memory of stealing forbidden fruit.

Graham Hitch

Sher and I in Cape Town 1985.
So very true.

There is a strange foreboding in the sea, it crashes hard upon our hearts, and wakens memories of shipwrecked dreams”. – Writer in dispute, public domain.

The dreaded North Sea so’easter

It was in a storm similar to this on the 8th December 1954, that the Scarborough lifeboat was launched to assist a local fishing boat that was taking in water about 4 miles offshore and at risk of losing propulsion. The lifeboat found the vessel and took her in tow heading back for the harbour on a long tow line which was gradually shortened as they turned the outward breakwater to make the best speed run into the harbour entrance. Unfortunately, the tow rope had been hauled in too short and a receding wave from the harbour wall, combined with an incoming breaker hit the lifeboat broadside on and she turned turtle. The new “self-righting” boat was due to replace the old boat the following February. Sadly three of the crew below deck were trapped and drown. The crew of the fishing boat were all brought ashore safely.

Sixty years on, a plaque is being dedicated to the three brave crewmen who lost their lives. It takes a true hero to risk his life voluntarily for strangers with no expectation of reward or recognition. — RIP

blue and white ocean
Photo by Thach Tran on Pexels.com just one of the sea’s many faces.
When love was young – our 30th wedding anniversary aboard the Carnival Princess, Gulf of Mexico.

Two weeks before we sailed, we were told by my friend and Specialist that I had a very rare cancer, probably would not survive the trip and that Sher should double up on our medical cover – still here Joe!

The saddest part of dying is getting old and feeling unwanted.

Memento Mori – “remember one day you will die”, so make the living worth it.


There is a strange foreboding in the sea,

It crashes hard upon our hearts,

And wakens memories of shipwrecked dreams.

Even on land the storms can still pursue you.
How quickly life can change.
There is much more in the night other than sleep.
But storms are never far away.

This mantra exists in many religions around the world. As Demming said, “we don’t know what we don’t know”, nothing should be cast aside just because we don’t understand it at the time.



Paranthropus is probably better known as the San people of South Africa.




Cartoon by Schultz



“Darling, did you hear that bump in the night?”



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