The wind in my hair, the salty spray of the sea roughly kisses my lips and face. I haven’t showered or shaved in two days, and I’m in a rigid-hull inflatable boat bouncing through the wind and surf off the coast of a small island nation. I’ve made this trip so many times in the last 24 hours that my skin’s starting to cake with salt. On the wind I can smell the burning of rice patties. It’s a scent that even here, in this faraway place, brings me back to the familiarity of childhood. I can feel the sun scorching the salt-coated skin around my eyes and neck. The boat drops off the face of a wave into a trough, and I tightly grab the rubber pontoon I’m sitting on and my camera bag. There’s a treacherous boarding ahead, and it’s one more thing to anticipate with barely-concealed glee. This is living…
Author: andrew
Week 9
Well, Shinnfans, Week 9 of my deployment is over, and you know what that mean! Fred’s Place has the Week 9 photos up for YOUR enjoyment! You can see them here (new window). Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Enjoy,
Andrew
Ode to the Walmart!
I went to the Walmart today to buy some school supplies as I prepare for the possibility of having a teaching position for the fall. It turned out to be a successful trip!
I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when the cashier rang up the crayon packs. I purchased 10 packs of Rose Art 24 count crayons. You know, just the normal packages. They were $0.09 each. What a deal or should I say steal! 🙂 It’s like they’re giving them away! Needless to say, I went away a happy customer.
I just had to share!
Lisa
How long have I been in the Coast Guard, you ask?
All me bloomin’ life. Me father was Neptune, me mother a mermaid. I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep. Me eyes is stars, me teeth is spars. Me hair is hemp and seaweed. And when I’s spits, I’s spits tar. I’s tough, I am, I is, I are.
Friday Fun
Ok, it’s been getting a bit heavy here at times recently. Here’s a picture I took today. Somehow I was able to capture the thoughts of my subjects with the camera. Hm.
One
I found this on Andrew Henck’s blog (thanks, dude!) and thought it deserves the furthest, widest distribution possible. www.One.org (new window). Check it out. I have some reservations, but in the end I’d rather join an actual effort to change things than hem and haw about the methods. And it seems like these folks know what they’re talking about and are advocating for some real change. As a Christian, I know it’s my duty to care. As an American, I know it’s my duty to participate.
– Andrew
Rumor has it…
That Starbucks is coming to Reedley in August of 2005!Shouts of “Yahoo!” “Hooray!” & “Finally!” can be heard from all over the town by Starbucks connoisseurs. Some in the town aren’t so happy about the worldwide company moving into the SMALL town of Reedley because of the potentially negative effect on local coffee shops. (Isn’t that always the response of small towns to big business?) To my knowledge, there are only a few ‘mom and pop’ coffee shops in town some of which are only open a few hours per day. I don’t know if these will really see a negative impact because of Starbucks. Time will tell. The market may shift, but we smalltowners will have Starbucks at our fingertips!Here’s just one more reason to look forward to August!
New Wallpaper For You: Part 2
I was out today taking pictures of the waves created by the cutter’s wake. I asked myself, “What on earth could I do with a wave picture?” Then I answered myself, “Why, make more wallpaper for my friends, that’s what!” This image is perfectly sized for your desktop if you set your monitor resolution to 1024 x 768. Just click on it to see it full-sized. Are you going to use it on your desktop? Why or why not?
Enjoy,
Andrew
Equatorial Guinea
I realized that I forgot to tell y’all about Equatorial Guinea. Here goes:
E.G. is a split nation, with part of the nation on an island 25 miles off Cameroon and a discontiguous part south of Cameroon. Malabo, the capital, is on the island. As a former colony of Spain, it’s the only nation in Africa that speaks primarily Spanish. Because of the Spanish language and the island feel, Malabo seems like a fusion of Costa Rica and a Caribbean Island Nation. The island’s a bit run-down, but beautiful nonetheless. It’s the third-largest oil-producing nation in Sub-Saharan Africa. You can see oil rig platforms off the coast and I met a lot of American expatriates working for oil companies there. One of the oil companies invited us to relax at their compound, which came complete with golf course and pool.
Click here (new window) to see what the Wikipedia has to say about Equatorial Guinea.
Week 8 Photos are up!
Shinnfans,
Fred has posted the week 8 photos from the CGC Bear deployment! This has been my favorite week so far for pictures. Which photo is your favorite? Do any of the photos really jump out at you? Do you react strongly to any of them? Do you have any comments on individual photos? Click here (new window) to see them.
Enjoy,
Andrew