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Guernsey 2010

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
001.jpg Have a look at this. It's about 4 weeks old.:)
 
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Dear Foxfish, Derek, and and the rest of the gang:

It's Writer of Mermaids Eric here sending messages from distant Arizona. After too long a delay, I decided it was time to check out the board. And so it is only now that I have learned of the tragic loss of Old Man Dave. I send all my belated condolences to his family and his friends. Though with my only contact with him being these messages on this board and one conversation during two drinks over the course of barely one hour, I found him to be kind, intelligent, and a compelling person.

To the many reasons that I was glad to visit the Channel Islands, I now add the fact that I was able to meet Old Man Dave while there was still time.

More messages will come on far happier subjects. For now, know that I am thinking of you all -- Foxfish, whom I have met, but also the rest.

Sincerely,

Eric P. Haury
 
You're welcome.

As for the mermaid story, I am now able to get back to it after a year filled primarily with working on the biography of my grandfather -- to be published next spring by the museum he once ran. I had some time to rethink some of the (human) elements of the mermaid story that were overwhelming the narrative, and my trip to the Channel Islands has made my descriptions of the landscape so much better.

Just last week, at a professional fantasy writer's conference, another writer I know said he'd heard about an agent who is interested in finding good novels about mermaids. It's better to approach an agent once a novel is written, but since she's interested in them now, and I am where I am in the story now, my next goal is to get a sample number of chapters along with a synopsis and a cover letter that doesn't hide the fact that I'm not done yet and send them off to her. So fingers crossed. Any divine intervention that can be invoked would be appreciated.

-Eric
 
Did my AOW night dive a couple of hours ago, think that I am hooked. Saw lots of nice dinners swimming past or half-hidden on the sea bed. Not allowed to fill my goody bag as on a lesson, but manager to sneak a few scallops into my BCD without being spotted.

Came across a beautiful red mullet, by far the biggest that I have ever seen, including on fishmongers slabs! Could have fed the whole family with that one.
 
A year or so ago, I was passing the Wayside Cheer when I saw lights in the sea. I stopped to have a look and after about 10 minutes a snorkeller emerged from the water, I went and had a chat, as I have snorkelled for the last 40 years, on and off, but never at night. He kindly offered to take me out to have a go but as I was recovering from some broken ribs, the trip was arranged for this year. Unfortunately, due to sad circumstances, what should have been my 1st night dive never happened.

:(
 
A year or so ago, I was passing the Wayside Cheer when I saw lights in the sea. I stopped to have a look and after about 10 minutes a snorkeller emerged from the water, I went and had a chat, as I have snorkelled for the last 40 years, on and off, but never at night. He kindly offered to take me out to have a go but as I was recovering from some broken ribs, the trip was arranged for this year. Unfortunately, due to sad circumstances, what should have been my 1st night dive never happened.

:(

Well you'd be welcome to join me/us sometime if you want to.
What is AOW?
 
Advanced Open Water (PADI)

Would love to join you as I would not be comfortable after dark on my own and it is always nicer to have company. Have to hope for better weather as even the surfers have packed up today.
 
Went for a quick night dive with Pete - calm and surprisingly good visibility but just saw some disco fish and a few pollock too. Good to be in but better to be out... man it's getting chilly.
Just had the one torch between us but was actually ok - must weld my one back together...
 
Had nearly an hour in the water yesterday. Water 13°C, air 12°C. I was nice and warm, but was dressed like a Telly Tubby. No fish around but plenty of spider crabs.

New suit arriving this week, Waterproof Taurus Combat. Not as sleek as a spearo suit but should keep me warm through the winter.
 
Beardy and i were in last night, nice to get in and finally try the new wetsuit.
The usual flatties and a blonde around, also Beardy had a good sized red mullet.
I spent most of the dive dealing with being super-buoyant, felt like the michelin man, completely unable to duckdive lol, and couldnt even keep my fins in the water, back to ankle weights maybe.
vis was pretty good, i thought the water was warm, but apparently its not if you're not wearing a new elios :) :)
 
Yep, great to be out - thanks Johnny.

My suit has a few holes in stretched seams that need attention. As a consequence... I froze my doo-dahs off! Couldn't stop anything from shaking by the time we got out. Big bonus of living by the sea is the proximity of a hot shower!!

Was great to see so many fish about. A couple of wily Plaice gave us the slip, I gave a large Mullet a pass and missed another bass/mullet in the gloom as my torch died.

My first skate too. Amazing creatures.

[m]
 
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So what color is the water these days? How much visibility?

Also, someone pointed the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq out to me lately. They use reeds to build remarkably sturdy structures. The person suggested that merfolk might be able to use reeds from the Channel Islands (actually from the islands of Tane and Aros, but its the same idea ;)) to build structures too. I'm skeptical from what I've seen that there are enough reeds found close to shore or that end up out at sea for them to collect and use to build much. But you would know better than I. Do you find many reeds in the water as you swim or growing close to shore off Guernsey, Jersey, etc.?

(An equivalent plant will do.)

P.S. Thanks for the good wishes Jonny. :wave
 
There are no reeds on our sea shore, nothing accessible without getting onto dry land.
We have kelp, the stalks are about 3' long, that is the only thing I can think of that might be used?
 
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