A day at the keyboard

Yesterday apart from a quick visit to the Super Sol for groceries, I spent all day in the apartment, but not because of poor weather. First, in the morning, I had an email from Amanda saying that she had decided to learn photography, and had bought a Sony HX400, the same as the one Rhiannon had for her birthday, which I'd recommended for its versatility. My response to her took ages to write as I thought I could give her some useful advice about getting started, and encourage her to take on the challenge . Her physical disability may impose some limitations, requiring work-around solutions for getting the kind of photos she wants, but the lovely thing about Amanda is that she will certainly have a go. It'll be good for us as well as for her. I hear that Rhiannon loves her new camera and has been using it too, and I look forward to seeing what she produces too.

In the mail last week was a letter from Bishop June inviting me to participate in a consultation about the future mission and ministry of the diocese of Llandaff. Former St Mike's staff member Stephen Adams, now Rector of Cowbridge, is running the process, so after Clare read it out to me over the phone, I emailed Stephen and asked him to send me the documents to work on here. These arrived next day, and after lunch I started working on them. It took me the best part of six hours, as indeed it should as the subject and Bishop June's questions were interesting. I daresay there'll be scores of respondents, people more active in everyday church and parish life back home than I am, but I'd like to think that have plenty of time to think things through and present a few suggestions might be worth the effort.

This morning, I made sure to get out early and take a walk uphill before doing a circuit of the Old Town and the port. I only went half way up the Gibralfaro path, but my main aim was to get a good view of the the port. There'd been turnover of big cruise ships since the weekend, but also a visit from Club Med 2, which is a large mass cruise ship with six sail masts as well as a conventional engine, to help reduce its carbon footprint. I remember seeing this in port last year. Alongside it on a quay next to the Melilla ferry was a large three masted barque, the Maltese registered Sea Cloud II, with accommodation for 96 passengers and 63 crew, German built at the turn of this century. The third sailing vessel Ann Bonny Uno, has been in port for a couple of weeks. Unusual to see three big sail ships along the same quay together.