Monday, July 30

 

 

Sunshine and I both woke up about 8:00. I looked outside and saw clouds. I went outside and the temperature had dropped. I didn’t feel cold but sunstroke seemed highly unlikely. Sunshine went to the kitchen, ate a mixture of dry and wet food, and then trotted outside. He, at least, seemed pleased by the new weather.

The warm wind grew and I spent the morning vacuum-cleaning all the buildings I could reach with the extension cord.

At midday the sun suddenly began to peep through the clouds, and then blue sky appeared. I seized the moment and ran down to the jetty, jumped in and washed my hair. One good effect of this wind: the algae had almost completely gone. I floated around for half an hour and then got out and dried myself down.

I had had the song The Rose going through my head for a couple of days so I watched the video on YouTube, which led me to watch a video of Bruce Springsteen singing Sandy, which in turn led me to watch some Smothers Brothers videos. Time passed and I found myself watching Alan Moore describing how he feels about Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko until I decided that I should inflate a surfboard.

Or an ISUP, an inflatable stand up paddleboard, as it says on the packaging.

I open the large box and find a lot more inside than I had bargained for. I find the paddleboard itself, about three metres long, and wrapped inside a custom-made rucksack. I find three fins, and a repair kit. I find various sealing rings whose functions I never work out. I find a large pump with a gauge that seems unwilling to register anything other then zero. I find a paddle in three parts. I find more instructions than I had hoped for.

I read through the lengthy instructions and proceed cautiously. By the time the board seems fully inflated the gauge, which has sneaked into action somewhere during this process, still registers less than the minimum psi. Hmm, I think: how will I explain the fact that I have burst it in my first attempt to inflate it to the women when they arrive?

I leave it slightly under-inflated and resolve to experiment some more with the pump. I also resolve to find a use for the sealing rings before sending Naa and Irma off to sink in the bay.

I will realise as I finish all this fun that the sun has come out properly and that I have sweated all my surplus liquid away. I will begin the next phase of the day by going indoors and drinking a litre of water.

Later I will catch the ferry to Tirmo to buy the ciders that Irma indicated on WhatsApp she would like to find in the fridge when she arrives.

Later still Irma and Naa will arrive from Helsinki and find them in the fridge.