ARIZONA TO ALASKA

I'd say she's a giant Moroccan Tagine pot short of some spicy chicken now that she's UP AND OUT.

When you look really closely you can just make out the tiny ant like figures stood beneath her. Very brave humans, because I don't suppose at that point there was much beyond gravity securing her to a wibbly wobbly boat. Unnerving.

Those very brave humans were putting a lot of faith in their hard hats...

Is she very much broader than the Xiang? It's hard to tell from the photos how much overhang there is. It's the side swipe waves that'll be trubba.

She has certainly lost some of that expensive paint job she'd had last year.

Perhaps after the ice bath therapy of 2012, Shell were hoping for more of a hot oiling than the exfoliative effects of an Alaskan volcanic rock beach spa treatment?

I have heard she is headed to Singapore to get her toenails painted, but it could be Korea. The official word is that she is bound for 'Asia'. Perhaps they are being deliberately vague for security reasons (to keep the Warrior Princess guessing). Or maybe they just don't wish to narrow themselves down to a specific shoreline on which to wash up next.

The Solomon Islanders may find themselves making a tough decision between decking her out in fairy lights for Christmas 2013 or cooking up some authentic north African cuisine for a beach party.

I'd do both.

And I'd make it a Xena Warrior costume party. Slashed leather skirts and Roman sandals all round...

Back in Captains Bay the plan is to spend the next 3 days “securing, welding and reinforcing the Kulluk into position before they cross the Pacific” - they are expected to depart Dutch Harbor by the end of this week. I shall be sad to see her go, I've grown bizarrely very fond of her.

Oh.

You all guessed as much then?

As she's been a big part of this blog over the last couple of years it does seem somehow fitting that her departure is matching the timing of Joes own farewell.

Of course he could be back come June.

That'll be worth a party.

I'll get Gnu Guy to decorate the beach hammock with some fairy lights and spark up a grill. Joe will be right at home...

Thanks for the pics of The Mating of the Kulluk, Joe. And someone had to look...

Roughly translated from Chinese with credit to Google, "XIANG KUI KOU" works out to "Auspicious Mouth". The mouth is one of the The Nine Wealth Features of the Face

The fifth wealth spot

...the mouth, which is considered the second river on the face. It is known as the river Huai. The mouth is deemed auspicious when it is soft and succulent. Irrespective of its size, the mouth must never appear dry, since this indicates loss of luck. As long as the mouth is always moist, it indicates money luck. The mouth is the fifth wealth spot on the face. Moles around the mouth, as long as they are not black, are deemed to enhance the good luck of the mouth and indicate that the person will never lack for good.

XIANG KUI KOU and Kulluk make a most moist and succulent couple-leaving Dutch.

I was just watching that video - latest blizzard and I am still cold. Some kind of snowstorm. Looking forward to seeing Joe in a couple of weeks. And by then he should be thawed out! He has lots of loose ends to tie up before leaving Dutch for his extended leave. I could help if I were closer. I guess I am sounding like a mom.

Not sure I agree with beell about "moist and succulent". So far Kulluk has found a dry hole and a dry berth. Tired, beaten and battered, the old platform probably doesn't feel very sexy right now.

Dotmom...you are allowed to sound like a Mom. You just can't help it; my mom used to tell me she would be a mom for the rest of her life.

A friend of mine sends me daily affirmations, and yesterday's was interesting in view of Joe's situation:

“Adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.”

Are you anxious about a new job, a new responsibility, a house move or some other life-changing event? Relax! New adventures make everyone nervous. When you reach beyond your comfort zone, away from what’s familiar and comfortable, anxious feelings are inevitable. At such times, remember, fear is connected with joy. We need new experiences to keep our minds fresh. We need new opportunities to feed the creativity of our souls. We need new adventures for personal growth. Recognize that, through these experiences, you discover new parts of yourself. You might just reveal strength, courage and resilience you didn’t know you had, and how great is that? So, reach past your fear and celebrate what your new adventures may bring!

Dotmom, once a mom, always a mom. The hardest and the best job in the world!

OSDiana - I don't know how many new adventures I can try now. So we can watch Joe as he embarks on his next one. I think my last big adventure was when I rode down into the Grand Canyon (North Rim) on a mule at age 70. It was adventuresome. Stop was Roaring Springs, lunch and back up. One part of it was a woman hiking from the South Rim to the North Rim and was exhausted and having to make frequent stops and felt she couldn't finish the hike. Her boyfriend/husband went on ahead looking for help as she was making stops. The hard part she didn't stay in one place so she was hard to track. Finally a helicopter circled prepared to pick her up but by then she had reached the halfway point and was able to ride a workman's mule out. My daughter who worked at the NR at the time told me that if a helicopter rescue is ordered - you pay - even if you do get a ride out on someone's mule. Also, the mules were antsy that day as there was trail repair going on with lots of hammering, etc., and at one point, the lead trail driver's mule and the one carrying our lunches decided to make a U-turn and come back through the pack. If you have ever been on that ride, I'm sure you remember that it isn't a two-lane highway up and down there. Glad I did it!

Miyuki and osdianna - you are both so right - I don't care how old they think they are - I'm the Mom! :)

One down, five to go for the Cards! :' )

Whew...Zags won a real squeeker, Cards "done good"!

Cards "done good" so far - but they make me nervous. They are fun to watch. never a dull moment. Years ago they acquired the nickname "Cardiac Cards" and I believe it is still appropriate.

Meanwhile, U.K. is dealing with some really nasty weather, according to the blurb on the side of WU's page...something about a Russian front parked over their land, leading to a blizzard in mainland Europe (though it didn't look anywhere near as bad as Joe gets) and a deluge in the southern areas. I'll take my 50 degree high with a 20% chance of rain any day.

They had some snow up north of me...in the northern part of the state on Thursday night that shut down the freeway; I was really glad I didn't get stuck in that traffic jam. There is a lot to be said for living at sea level, in what is considered the southwest part of this state.

Thanks for the info, Beel. I never would have thought about the mouth in that way. :)

That advice OSDianna is passing on is one of those things that is easy to say, not so easy to implement always.

As far as the Mom thing goes--I know I will always be a Mom. I will be fretting forever, I am sure!

I made it through my first week with my new Canadian company. I will be working in Houston, but visiting the Calgary headquarters periodically. So, of course, I am starting to watch the weather. The northern climes continue to Wow me. Today Calgary is expecting a low of 9F and a high of 25F. Supposedly they have about 9 months of winter with a short summer. They get snow all months of the year. Even in July and August it may cool down at night and snow a little. Although it is sunny, and they may get some summer highs in the 80sF and such. So they do get some heat. It is amazing to me, though. Even after following Joe's blog and Katy in Tok's pictures for several years, it still amazes me.