Slim Pickens - Fine Cowboy

With the weather still keeping most things at bay all we have for you are a

few outstanding Bits and Pieces from yesterday.

The fanlight directly above the hammock is what is known to me as

The Star Tunnel

with a passage, across a clear starlite sky, at 05:30 of the 

International Space Station

Next thing, there was a squall and all the 'lights' went out! 

A giant of a specimen the huge 

WILLOW

in the back garden of the farm house finally sucumed to Dennis and his pals

 Otherwise it was left to a pair of rather obliging

WIGEON ♂

WIGEON ♀

Happy Together

 There's always One

but it's usually Me!

 and it was noted that the

CHAROLAIS

 were back out free-ranging

 and another sure sign of spring

 (just 4 days away now)

was our first

VOCAL

 STONECHAT

Masirah Island - Part II

In the mess bar on our 4th night we were joined by 2 recently arrived Flight Engineers who,

by the time the 'pop' had kicked in, invited the 2 of us concerned for a junket in a 

Hercules Transport Aircraft.

The flight would take us some 1000 miles to the Omani airbase at Salalah on the mainland and would also include some tactical flight training in both directions. Too good to turn down we awarded ourselves a day off and early morning the next day we were off! My travel companion was

 Diver Dave (Taffy) Davis from Pompey - left of picture.

 (Graham Wooldridge and Timmy Malcolm right)

Sensitivity across most of the Arabian Peninsula didn’t allow for any sort of imagery but,

to describe this as a fantastic trip would be underselling it by a Royal Mile.

Ready for Take Off

Not knowing much about military aircraft it had always been considered that the

Hercules was something of a hulk and not really capable of tactical flying as say a jet fighter. The stay was only a short one, time for lunch and a chat with the locals, but the self imposed myth was to be dispelled on the way back in graphic detail and at very close quarters!

Once levelled out and still at relatively low altitude the Co-Pilot came into the passenger / cargo bay and took one of the ‘uncomfortable’ canvas deck-chair like seats next to me. Asking my opinion of things so far my reply was “exciting” to which he said, “well it’s about to get even more so as I am quite happy to sit here for the rest of the flight while you take over my seat up front”!

 This really was a 'once in a lifetime' and still maintain that sparks could be seen from the wing-tips as we flew along canyons and mountainsides alike. However, the BEST was surely saved until last as the pilot conducted what is referred to as a

Beat-Up Landing

 As the wheels touched the tarmac simulated gunfire was heard with the Captains reaction

being to pull back on the joy-stick to gain fast and high altitude!

This I was told later caused a force of 4G on the human body which was quite a pressure,

but we were soon back in the beer bar!

It was said later that the Pilot had complained of not being able to see the direction (table tennis) bats properly which set one or 2 wags to work the following day.

It was me that was chossen to direct the same Pilot to the stand the following day

with huge bats he couldn't possibly miss.

The job was completed to the satisfaction of the Sultan and RAF overseers with already rumour that there might be a second visit required. On the strength of that it was decided among the 3 of us from Portland to play it down as "not much fun" to disuade others from volunteering. 

That is precicely what happened with just the 3 Portland contingent going out for a further 2 weeks to salvage and sell what equipment was left before the UK left the Omani Military to their own devices.
Nothing at all to report from Local Areas
but would seem from elsewhere Moths are starting to move!

Masirah Island - Part I

1973 was significant as having left the Royal Navy 2 years earlier, as a Submariner / Diver, which was the qualification period of gaining a first promotion in my new found world of the

Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

at 

Portland Naval Base

It was also a golden opportunity to gain proper, ticketed

Merchant Navy Qualifications as well with my sights already firmly fixed.

The qualification for Boatswain at local level was no problem at all and

soon after receiving my ticket I was asked to become part of a team to

undertake a diving contract for the

Sultan of Oman.

The team comprised an officer in charge, myself, 2 of the finest Able Seamen it had been my pleasure to work with (Timmy Malcolm and Graham Wooldridge) plus 3 Divers and their Attendants from Portsmaouth.

A few days later the collective mustered at RAF Brize Norton where we flew VC 10 to

 Masirah Island

 just off the south east coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea.

Stratigic as there was a Royal Airforce Base at the northern tip of the island which relied, to a great extent, on seagoing logistics. To this end there was a small port at the head of a buoyed channel with the repair and refurbishment of these few 'marks' being our task. By no means an ardious task for such a team and given that the heat would only allow for working hours of 06:00 to noon nobody was going to be worked to death. It was in fact on the first 'inspection' dive that this particular shell was found, but prior to this the RAF Flight had no way of collecting these delicious molluscs for themselves - we soon became very popular!

The scars are made by Slipper Limpets which burrow their way through the shells

to get to the suculent flesh within and do cause tremendous damage to such things!

It is said that the United States Navy in WWII transported these preditors into our waters

and do know from scallop diving myself on the Lulworth sand bars in Weymouth Bay how

some of the shellfish are still suffering damage. 

 Just over 9 inches in diameter it is singularly the biggest of the type I, or

anyone who has seen it, has witnessed. This included Ron Parry then the owner of the Dive Shop in Lennox Street, Weymouth who had the biggest up until then. It was with great delight that a visit was paid and asked him if he still had that tiny 'Queenie' in his glass showcase. With a bit of chuntering he took it out of the cabinet but had little to say after the comparrison - all good clean fun but we digress!

That was by no means the end of it as each Airman, regardless of rank, was on a 'one year to the day' engagement there. Additionally, and to pass the time, they were also pleased to invite us to their various departments and show us just how everything worked. It was on one such visit that a DUKW (colloquially known as Duck), a six-wheel-drive amphibious craft, was spotted. The problem here was that no one had a certificate of competency to drive such a craft, but we knew someone who did, 3 of us in our party!

 Let go Forw'd - Let go Aft

 As mentioned in a previous post my interest in Bird Life was embionic haveing joined the

Portland Bird Observatory

prior to departure, with my first foreign bird being

 CRESTED LARK

 Some of the Young Locals

who seemed more intent on killing wildlife rather than protecting it with this

 CHAMELEON

being saved from being stoned to death! 

Wishbone Ash teeshirt, Them Wuz the Days

We will endeavour to tack together Part II for your delectation tomorrow.

 ARAB DHOW