Holding it together...

It's been raining for a few days now, strong winds rustling through the palms, the Atlantic surf pounding and booming, hail rattling off the metal on my deck's railing.   As I sit in an English pub, one that doesn't serve dark beer unfortunately,  the strong smell of leather creates a nostalgic sense of having been here before, but it is only my vintage "satchel".  The soft old thing's scent leaves little doubt it came from an animal, permeating every space it occupies.  Ex-pats watch whatever sporting event is playing out on large screen on every wall, but I've got my nose buried into Charles Bukowski's Factotum, sipping Kronenbourg, damp, smelling of leather.  I could be in a bar in Stavanger, Aberdeen, or even Halifax, but I'm still in Southern Morocco.  It's funny how weather creates so much ambience.

I flew some six hours the other day, with some good solid fog and IFR approaches to offshore rigs that I sorely miss from my years of flying off Canada's East Coast.  But now there's only a myriad of logistical headaches preparing for a base mobilization out of Morocco, destination still uncertain.

While tackling managing this base mobilization was something I've undertaken to keep me from getting overly bored pining away at home while my next assignment gets sorted, it does seem like my next posting is finally firming up. It's someplace I've never been before, so I'm looking forward to some new adventures!  I'll say it's a new continent for me, but I don't want to let the cat our of the bag in fear of jinxing it!

In the meantime, the flying is all but finished, as the logistics of moving aircraft, equipment and crews across International borders looms heavily.  My days are spent trying to understand tax implications of importing and exporting, consumables or temporary, VAT exemptions, etc., something I've been exposed to managing base moves from Turkey to Romania, Romania to Scotland, Tanzania to Kenya, and back again, and after this month, Morocco to........but it's certainly not my forte.  I think I'm better off getting airborne and dealing with the joys of aviating.  Enjoying the challenge nevertheless.....