FFS! Don't feed the goats!
Okay, well now I know. Fine.
So there's this goat, right? She hangs out at the base of Afternoon sector. We think she's pregnant. She'll sit, or stand, unmoving, at the base of one of the routes. Usually the goats are skittish. Not this girl. She stands her ground. You want to stand there to belay? Tough.
Dave Bateman and the other Aussies Brad and Adam met her on their first day. They turned their backs briefly, only to turn around and discover her casually flipping through pages in their guidebook. It looked as though she was checking out what to climb next.
So I was calmly eating my mandarin and thought "What the hey, let's see if she'll eat a piece out of my hand". Well she did. But then didn't want to call it quits at one piece. She was all up in my business after the rest of it. Being a gentleman, I obliged. Okay I was scared. Goats look evil. It's that slanty pupil. She then was rumaging through our food bag and the only way to disuade her was to clip it to the first bolt of one of the 6c's.
So unless you're made of mandarins, FFS, don't feed the goats!
In less goat-related news, I did my hardest onsight today, Aegialis 7c/27 in the Grande Grotta. It's about 30m long and 40 degrees overhanging climbing a series of stalactites, blobs, and continuous tufa curtains. I wasn't very warmed up, having only done a 6b, so I was thankful to find a stack of kneebars (like 15 or something) and just managed to squeak my way through. I spent about 25 minutes on it, and I think it's harder than the other 7c's I've onsighted.
A nice French guy Oliver decided to try his luck after me, and I loaned my kneebar pads for him to try. An hour or so later he walked around the corner to return them looking exhausted, and I asked him how the pads went. He said "I couldn't find one kneebar!". Oh how we laughed! I couldn't believe it! He said I should go to one of his favourite crags Gorges du Tarn in France where there are no kneebars. I said that would be scary because I would have to get fit! :)
I'm now blogging from my new office, as we moved house yesterday. Picture below. The umbrella is today's new enhancement. I must say, I think this is the best office environment I've worked in to date.
So there's this goat, right? She hangs out at the base of Afternoon sector. We think she's pregnant. She'll sit, or stand, unmoving, at the base of one of the routes. Usually the goats are skittish. Not this girl. She stands her ground. You want to stand there to belay? Tough.
Dave Bateman and the other Aussies Brad and Adam met her on their first day. They turned their backs briefly, only to turn around and discover her casually flipping through pages in their guidebook. It looked as though she was checking out what to climb next.
So I was calmly eating my mandarin and thought "What the hey, let's see if she'll eat a piece out of my hand". Well she did. But then didn't want to call it quits at one piece. She was all up in my business after the rest of it. Being a gentleman, I obliged. Okay I was scared. Goats look evil. It's that slanty pupil. She then was rumaging through our food bag and the only way to disuade her was to clip it to the first bolt of one of the 6c's.
So unless you're made of mandarins, FFS, don't feed the goats!
In less goat-related news, I did my hardest onsight today, Aegialis 7c/27 in the Grande Grotta. It's about 30m long and 40 degrees overhanging climbing a series of stalactites, blobs, and continuous tufa curtains. I wasn't very warmed up, having only done a 6b, so I was thankful to find a stack of kneebars (like 15 or something) and just managed to squeak my way through. I spent about 25 minutes on it, and I think it's harder than the other 7c's I've onsighted.
A nice French guy Oliver decided to try his luck after me, and I loaned my kneebar pads for him to try. An hour or so later he walked around the corner to return them looking exhausted, and I asked him how the pads went. He said "I couldn't find one kneebar!". Oh how we laughed! I couldn't believe it! He said I should go to one of his favourite crags Gorges du Tarn in France where there are no kneebars. I said that would be scary because I would have to get fit! :)
I'm now blogging from my new office, as we moved house yesterday. Picture below. The umbrella is today's new enhancement. I must say, I think this is the best office environment I've worked in to date.
The Stations of the Resurrection--Ninth Station--Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias
("Christ at the Sea of Galilee," by Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto)
The Ninth Station--Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias
Leader: O Risen Christ, Light of the world, we adore you;
People: You provided bounty for the disciples when none was expected.
Simon Peter sat and pondered all these events. The last few weeks had felt like a crazy dream. It was all so confusing. His emotions had been torn every which way, from fear to guilt to amazement. He knew he should feel joyful about seeing Jesus again--but it seemed all it did was stir up his own shame and guilt for denying Jesus three times. He needed some space to just think it all over.
He looked over at some of the disciples. "This all seems confusing, but I know what I need to do to sort it all out. I don't know about you all, but boys, I'm going fishing. Who wants to come?" Some of them thought that was a great idea. They could go out in the boat and just relax and be with each other but be involved more with the task.
As they were out there in the boat, Peter thought about how comforting it felt to simply be doing what he used to do before all this "disciple stuff" came about in his life. He didn't really care that he wasn't having a good day in terms of their catch. He peeled off his clothes and just enjoyed the dawning sun warming his naked skin.
Someone on the beach was calling to them. "Children, you have no fish, have you? Then cast your nets on the right side of the boat." They did, and suddenly they had more fish than they could manage. As the morning light grew, they recognized the man on the beach was Jesus. Suddenly, Peter became embarrassed again, threw on his robe and jumped into the sea.
Jesus called for them to bring their catch back to shore. The disciples coaxed Peter back into the boat, and they returned to shore with their huge haul of fish. As they cooked and ate them on the beach, Peter was unusually quiet, and hanging in the background. He was glad to be there. He was glad to be with Jesus. But he just wasn't entirely sure how to feel the full joy of Christ's presence, because he was not yet glad to be with himself.
Leader: When Jesus called for the disciples to return,
People: Peter still obeyed, despite his apprehension.
Leader: Let us pray.
(a brief period of silence is observed.)
O God, author of the universe, provider of all things,
you place abundant bounty before us when we neither asked for it nor expected it.
Sometimes we are so inwardly focused on our own flaws
that we feel we are unworthy of such bounty
and feel too guilty to experience joy.
Embolden us to simply follow your call obediently
when we feel that way.
Meet us where we are, trepidation and all,
and help us to feel the safety that resides in your Son's presence
that can eventually overpower our discomfort.
People: Amen.
Leader: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
People: The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Stockings and Suspender Belts
Suspender Belts
Stockings and Suspender Belts
Suspender Belts
Stockings
Stockings and Suspender Belts
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