The Cut. My Head

Ever since I left the Coast Guard my hair has been an issue. I don't know why, but it seems I was constantly concerned with what was happening with it. Follicle loss, to long, no long enough, brush or comb, turning blond and on and on. As if I may have an appearance on the red carpet. Over it. Plus water is precious on a boat and the more hair the more water use. So today as if I had a drug problem I checked into the gangster Barber Shop, replete with P-Diddy and Snoop Dog videos blasting and a shrine to the Notorious BIG. I queried Marc AKA Barber M/2 if he'd be able to handle my situation. He was nonchalant about it so I plopped into the chair. Well, it was hot and my hair was still damp and this served to gum up his clippers. Clearly I don't fit M/2 normal clientele and he found he'd need to adapt a bit. He struggled but persevered and after awhile M/2 had whittled away enough of my hair where the clippers could get some traction. Game on! Barber M/2 did a great job, kept it tight and even trimmed up the goatee a bit. Price 8 US dollars. I'm very happy to have shed the baggage, although when I scowled in the mirror I looked like Edward Norton from American History X. Not the image I'd like to exude, so I guess I won't scowl.

Capt Chris


Don't forget you can double click the image to exand

A Bus Story

This morning I was picked up by the Grenada bus, not a bus in the Greyhound fashion but more in a hippie VW motif. Not occupied by peace loving beatniks with stringy hair and bad breath heading to a Phish show, but with thuggish looking black fellows adorned with long nails. Immediately overwhelmed with the overpowering beats pulsating from the deep bass subwoffers and tweeters throughout-"sesame street sesame street sesame street yeah yeah" fills the bus from the local guerrilla radio station. Mid beat the DJ lowers the volume enough so he can be heard with the music in the background and his deep Rasta voice says "a car accident has dampened the spirit mon of this mornings show, the car....injuries unknown has hit a pole." The Rasta Rap beat "sesame street sesame street" continues as a subdued gasp from the riders acknowledges this news. Suddenly the bus pulls over to pick up a large jolly black women. She piles in and sits next to me on the bench that has room for two of me but not one of me and one of her. She looks at me and says "y'all gonna be squished, but I'm sure you like that" other riders looking on and nodding to see how the white boy may handle the situation. I acknowledge that in fact I may enjoy it and she starts whooping with laughter and then she says "did ya all hear about the car hittin da pole?" News travels fast with such a collectively concerned society. The driver with his white nylon hosiery over his head with a hole in the top and a fro sticking out the top reminding me of a Dairy Queen sugar cone with vanilla ice cream and chocolate jimmies, gracefully using is inch long index finger nail pumps up the volume after embarking the Jolly women....the deep Rasta voice continues "we pray for the occupants or lone occupant of the vehicle that has struck the pole and hope this dark mood that has been cast over us all will be lifted." Jolly lady gives us all an Amen! The Rasta DJ then feels that Ziggy Marley's "One Bright Day" might serve to remove the shadow the wreck has cast. Ziggy's voice permeates "one bright day we get togetha" as my stop rapidly approaches, I rap on the roof to signal the Ice Cream cone to pull over, Jolly women gets off my lap and everyone wishes me a nice day.

This is how I started my day. A slice of sailors life amongst a different people. Small snippets like this sustain me.


Capt Chris

PS: The photo is a typical bus and driver......full of color and banter

2009 Hurricane Season Starts

Today is June 1st and the official start of the hurricane season. This time last year Christa was in a slip in Salinas Puerto Rico and I was back in the United States. This year my anxiety level is positively low. Grenada sits nearly out of the hurricane belt and rarely gets whacked. And as you can see from the history of June storms, the islands of the eastern Caribbean are pretty safe in June. Furthermore the experts are forecasting a El Nino event this year which normally translates to fewer and less intense storms in Atlantic and Caribbean basin. Furthermore water temps between African the eastern Carib are relatively chilly. These are all good signs.

Another Great Sunset From Grenada

Since arriving here in Grenada the setting sun has put on a show each night. Here is tonight's feature. This was taken from Christa looking west north west. You can see a great fortress on the hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Not long after I took this shot a band fired up ashore playing good old American Rock and Roll. Not something you hear much in the island. I sped ashore to see what the hub bub was about. It was the U.S. Air Force Academy Band named "Blue Steel." They are on a public relations tour of the islands. They are a bunch of enlisted folks who do nothing but tour the world in a C-130 and do this type of thing as a full time duty. And people thougt I had it cush in the Coast Guard. In fact they are still jamming as I type. I have a great seat from the deck of the Christa.

Capt Chris

PS: Don't forget you can double click on the image to expand out.