Day two at Ta’u Island and it wasn’t much different from day one. Today however, we were on the eastern side instead of the west. The west side showed signs of “civilization” with small village dotting the coastline and the foothills. As for the eastern it was the opposite with a few uninhabited beaches and a rain forest covered mountain dominating the landscape. These islands, known for Samoan folklore, are stunning and as I said on Facebook blotter the other night, people are wrong to say places like this no longer exist. It has to be some creative writer’s imagination. Yet there it was right before my eyes. Of course the closest I get to it is standing on the deck of a ship. Reality sets in and it is time to work or continue my daily rounds.
Sunset over Ta'u Island
Yesterday and today was occupied with computer issues. I talked to “L” yesterday and she is going to need a computer for Internet and school. Instead of going out full bore on a laptop I am considering getting her a mini-Mac. The desktop she had was too powerful for her though my daughter used it in her first year of college.
Village on Ta'u
Last night I had to update servers and shut it down. It was done late night so as not to interrupt any work. I did write a ship wide memo informing the crew. That lasted about an hour and it was bedtime, or at least I thought. Unlike the early days where I had no problems falling asleep on a ship, it is not so now. Even the smooth rolls that used to rock me like a baby in a cradle does nothing. I am sure there is some explanation including anxiety to go home but I will not buy that analysis. It seems I get a second awakening about eleven each night. When I get home I do have problems falling asleep because of time zone differences and the adjustment the body demands on me. Tonight I will see if I can be asleep by eleven. I did bring books to read so I will resort to that if I have a second awakening again. I admit I have been slacking off when it comes to exercise and I would love to shed about twenty five pounds. Usually when I work outside I feel like I had a good workout due to the heat and humidity of the tropics. In addition there is climbing up and down ladders and the t-shirt feels like I took a shower with it.
Ta'u Island in the distance
I read that the mainland is going on daylight savings time tonight. I will be four hours behind the Pacific Time zone. So when I finish dinner and call “L” at six my time, it will be ten where she is at. The Windows operating systems on the ship already put the mainland one hour ahead last week. I will have to forward Seattle, currently in Alaska Time zone, to Pacific Time zone tonight. I am not a fan of daylight savings time. Especially if you live as far north as I do, sundown around nine thirty at night doesn’t do it for me. I recall years ago going to Edmonton in July and the sun was still shining at ten at night.
Ofu and Olosega. Clouds always covered the peak at Olosega
Fortunately, Hawaii or American Samoa does not forward their clocks and it was difficult to explain the logic to “L” when she first came to America. There is no need to do it in the tropical zones as sunrise and sunset is nearly twelve hours take a few. At the equator it is almost exactly twelve hours plus or minus a few minutes. Whenever the KA was doing ops on the equator it was interesting to see the sunrise and sunset times on the GPS receiver as it would be twelve hours.
Speaking of which, I am going to see if I can get some good hours of shuteye tonight. I bid you goodnight from the South Pacific and Manuia-po from Manu’o Islands in American Samoa.
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