Wednesday, 30 July 2025

An evening with the birds and more ...

After a very hot day, I decided to go for an evening wander on Crescent Beach. With the tide heading towards its low, no wind and a hovering mist (possibly a haar) creating cooler temperatures, it was perfect.

The sea birds also appeared to be enjoying the ideal conditions, playing and splashing in the shallows …



























Thursday, 24 July 2025

First war grave inspection done …


With reference to my recent blog ~ “I’ve got a job …!!” ~ click on the image on link below ..

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2025/07/ive-got-job.html

 

This afternoon I completed my first war grave inspection for the CWGC. It was the grave of Edson Daniel Berrigan, who died 19 February 1919, from illness and injuries sustained during WWI.

More can be read about Edson in a blog I wrote about him on 11 November 2018 titled ~ “One of many remembered today …” ~ click on the image or link below …

https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2018/11/one-of-many-remembered-today.html

 

During the past few days, I have been studying and watching a CWGC training video about their Maintenance Planner app. Initially when I first started looking at it, I got slightly worried and a little apprehensive, the app. seemed rather involved and complicated. To make things a little more challenging, because I do not have a cell phone, I will have to complete the required actions and checklist offline at the gravesite with my iPad, then upload the information and photos when I get home.

Feeling more confident about the app., I went off to do my first CWGC task, which was only about five minutes along the road. Edson’s gravestone was badly stained with mould and fungi, which required a good bit of scrubbing. The overall inspection has 26 items on the checklist to complete, which cover the cemetery ~ condition, access, GPS, and the gravestone ~ general condition (cracks, movement, leaning), eligibility of inscriptions, information on the stone, GPS and other details the CWGC require for their records. It was all completed and in the end, I actually found the app. to be a breeze …

Below are my photos from today, showing the cemetery entrance and the before and after (cleaning) pics of the gravestone. The poppy on the gravestone, I leave that there on every November 11th …

Before ....


After ....



Sunday, 20 July 2025

Morning Glory …

For the first time in far too long, I was out in a Kayak ~ a wonderful 3-hour morning paddle on Molega Lake. It was an absolute joy to be out in total silence, happily paddling around some of the lakes many islands.

I surprised myself by taking my camera with me, but the truth is, it does in fact go everywhere with me, therefore why not in a Kayak …