We're almost there. I've not seen our official position, but during my morning flight deck PT run I saw some sampans. I couldn't see land, but those guys aren't exactly deep-sea travelers. In the afternoon, I saw an island on the hazy horizon.

The weather so far this float has been outstanding. No storms. Never a wave higher than three feet. The only rain has been the two-minute squalls endemic to the tropical seas; a refreshing cooling spray.

In the mornings, the sea is the pale hue of a lover's eye. At noon, it becomes a blue so deep and mysterious, one is hypnotized looking into the endless depths. In the afternoon, the sea fades again, into a blue-green jade, pale as the finest stone. As the sun sets, the oceans wears robes of a rich purple, fit to make any emperor weep for jealousy.

Whoa, sorry, got carried away for a bit there. I can watch the ocean for hours. It might be heat exhaustion effecting my brain, because it is hot as, um, er, no, wait, sorry, all the similes we Marines use aren't really suitable for mixed company. So I'll just say it's hot. Overnight lows in the mid-80's, and highs in the high 90's. The humidity is in the 90% range all the time, of course. So we pound water like it was going out of style. The Corps now issues a hydration pack similar to a Camelback, and we're under orders to wear it at all times when on the flight deck, with a promise from the SgtMaj that if someone goes down as a heat casualty and didn't have their hydration pack on, she'll charge that poor SOB. (As if becoming a heat casualty isn't punishment enough. The docs don't waste any time getting your core temperature, ifyouknowwhatImean.)

So, things have been terrifically pleasant this trip. We've all done this so many times the kinks are worked out; we're going to spend time on shore with the liberal III MEF's liberty policy instead of the punitive 31st MEU policy; everyone's happy because in a couple of weeks we'll be done with the MEU for a year. Life is grand!

Posted by: Boviate at 04:36 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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