Feast or famine…

One day, there’s no prospect of work, the next day I’m inundated.  The National Trail project was confirmed at midday today.  Within a couple hours, I got a call to say that a major engineering project, one that has been hanging fire for weeks, was all set to begin.  Too late, I’d already dipped my mapping pen in ink. 

Here’s an overview of the trail.  As you can see, it covers the length and breadth of Dominica.  The task now is to map and describe it in detail.  The distances and walking times given to the left of the map bear no relation to reality.  You can’t measure adventure by the mile or by the minute.



I’m sure that my grandfather had similar feast or famine dilemmas in repairing church clocks and church organs.  For months they’d tick and shrill without problems and to make ends meet he’d take up his ladders and clean windows.  Then, when one broke down, so did the other.

Here’s a sketch of a church organ undergoing repairs.  Many of the church organs in the Caribbean were built in the West Riding of Yorkshire.  Alas, there’s no record my grandfather travelling this far to make repairs – or to clean windows!