The Albatross

Position: 42 degrees, 21 minutes north; 154 degrees, 55 minutes west 127 nm day

Waves, rolling down from somewhere beyond. Once set in motion, now unstoppable. One, then another, then the next times thousands rolling under us, hour after hour, day after day. In the distance something breaks this symmetry.

The albatross.

At once recognizable for its soaring grace. Great, narrow wings sculptured by nature seeking perfection through the generations. Toward us it sails. Great sweeping tracks as it soars down into the valleys between waves, gaining energy from wind and water. Then with a tilt of its head it flows to the top of a crest and with an imperceptible command instantly tips astonishingly on its side – wings now vertical – one delicately poised at the wave top, feathers caressing the rippled water, the other reaching to the sky. A pirouette! A bridge between sea and sky! Then as seamlessly as before, perhaps laughing with the joy of such pure flight, the albatross effortlessly levels its huge wings and soars off down the next wave and is gone as suddenly as it appeared.

The ocean rolls on.

And, in other news today…we saw a spectacular “green flash” at sunset. Possibly the best and most distinct one either of us has ever seen. The sun had fully set when back up came the flash of bright green. Most spectacular.

2 thoughts on “The Albatross

  1. Ah yes, it is always the monotony and tedium that drives man crazy. Or to drink. You have chosen the better path; the path of the bookworm. Good job.

    I think you may have just sighted two signs indicating that good things are coming your way – The green flash and the albatross.

    Since you have so much time on your hands you might consider working on a new uke song about the waves. I’d suggest the lyric, “Old man ocean, that old man ocean, he must know something, he don’t say nothing, his waves keep rollin’, they just keep on rollin’ along.” Obviously to the tune of Old Man River.

    Who knows, maybe sailors around the world will love it.

    Sail on, sail on sailors…..

  2. Oh the dream of it all. To think you will be out and back before we get out. Still in the paint booth, still on the hard, still dreaming of the green flash and the elusive albatross, of sunsets on the ocean, of star showers, of visits home, and of visits to distant lands and cultures. Your posts help keep the dream alive.
    Hoping to share a Chrisma soon.

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