Rebuke from Neptune

Post date: Jul 14, 2009 1:21:45 PM

After work, MAL positioned the patio table and umbrella for shade as he worked on filling the starboard side transducer hole. It was pretty hot, so the shade offered by the patio umbrella provided some relief. About half way thru placing 20 layers of fiberglass, MAL was letting the epoxy cook a bit as he cleaned up some messes in the work area. A breeze had been building to the point that a small craft advisory would have been posted had an ocean been nearby.MAL, deeply focused on his fiberglass work, ignored the building wind and was oblivious to amount of canvas held aloft by the patio umbrella. Had he been paying attention, he'd have reefed the umbrella or even dropped to bare poles. Apparently Neptune's presence and lessons carry to the high mountain desert climate in Wyoming, for as MAL stupidly watched, the umbrella slowly rose from above the patio table, swung its 1 1/2" dowel stem to the north briefly, and then whipped back to admonish his student for his lack of awareness with a sharp blow across the nose. The umbrella then glided across the backyard and sacrificed itself in a crumpled heap against the fence.