And still it rains...........

Not a lot of new scuttlebutt from here between the swamp and the sea. The rain has been steady now for well over twenty four hours, while still trying to remain thankful, but at the same time am ready to see a clear sky. I watched a herd of deer feed through the side yard this morning and thought to myself if it keeps on raining, they will probably be trying to get in the house to get dry.

I am thinking that some reading this may not understand what scuttlebutt means, so in an effort to increase your nautical knowledge I offer the following.

 Scuttlebutt The origin of the word scuttlebutt which is nautical parlance for a rumor, comes from a combination of scuttle - to make a hole in the ship's side causing her to sink - and butt - a cask or hogshead used in the days of wooden ships to hold drinking water; thus the term scuttlebutt means a cask with a hole in it. Scuttle; describes what most rumors accomplish if not to the ship, at least to morale. Butt describes the water cask where men naturally congregated, and that is where most rumors get started. The terms galley yarn and mess deck intelligence also mean the spreading of rumors and many of course start on the mess deck. It is the civilian office equivalent of talking around the water cooler.

Now you can throw the word scuttlebutt out there in passing conversation and sound more like a real sailor. Anyway, hope your day is going well. We remained battened down for heavy seas here.
 I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Leviticus 26:4

Old Captain sends.

Rain, and "All Me Bloomin Life"

It is a rainy, stormy, Monday morning here between the swamp and the sea. A dark dreary kind of day, the kind that can way heavily on my sole. A day for domestic chores, with too much time spent indoors.

I was thinking of responses to questions asked that I had to learn while serving as a member of the canoe club, that is the U.S. Navy for all you land loving folk. Anyway I remember having to learn this poem that had to be repeated back in answer to the question, "how long have you been in the Navy". I now think of this when asked "how long have I been fishing.  Here in short is that poem, and I know that some of my bothers in arms will remember it well.

Question, How long you been in the Navy?

Answer: All me bloomin' life, Sir!
Me mother was a mermaid, me father was King Neptune.
I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep.
Seaweed and barnacles are me clothes.
Every tooth in me head is a marlinspike; the hair on me head is hemp.
Every bone in me body is a spar, and when I spits, I spit tar!
I'se hard, I is, I am, I are!

So here ye now, a bit of nautical lore to ease you through a rainy day.

Old Captain sends.