On October 3, the story breaks.

Paddle for Cancer

Something worth talking about.

Paddle for Cancer a day of Dragon Boat Racing organised by ESCA the English Speaking Cancer Association of Switzerland.



43 teams took part - each team of 16 paddlers (of which a minimum of 4 had to be female) and one drummer. A reserve of 3 made a total of 20 per team. Each team contributed a substantial sum - many of them corporate teams (some companies with more than one team) - some were just a bunch of friends who shared the contribution.

Each boat had an professional helmsperson, not part of the team, who also looked after the safety of the boat.

Two teams consisted of women who had had breast cancer - they sported pink T-shirts or wigs. One of these teams ("Breast Strokers") came second in the all-female event. Well done girls!

First Snow

Winter lights

I was down town on Thursday evening with a half hour free, camera in hand but no tripod. Lamp posts and bollards make convenient steadying places, but the freezing temperatures killed the inovation a bit. However a bit of luck (serendipity) produced some shots like this:

Racing car

Today I drove a racing car.

I'm not sure if I was more terrified being driven in the mechanic's seat at full speed or driving myself at about half speed. I can tell you which was more unconfortable: unless you're less than 4'10" tall, have an 18" hip measurement and aren't adverse to physical intimacy, I wouldn't recommend the mechanic's seat.


It was a bit nerve-racking to be told "OK your turn now", when the machine is over 80 years old, uninsured and would probably fetch as much as a house if ever sold (it's unique and famous). Especially challenging - the gear-box goes 4-3-2-1, the clutch needs Arni Schwarzenegger to operate it and the brake & gas pedals are the "wrong" way round (gas in the middle). The owner's solution is to change gear without the clutch and only use the handbrake - go figure!




This is James Cheyne, the owner, at the wheel.

Aftermath

Well, the mid-term elections are over and I'm wondering: where are all the analyses of the accuracy of the polls? Where are the cries of anguish over lost votes? Could it be that the voting machines turned out to be 100% accurate?


Has it anything to do with the fact that the not-Republican party come out on top?

Brilliant weather

A foretaste of winter has arrived. Over-night frosts and a cold, dry, north wind has been blowing. Geneva is often under a haze, or even in a fog, from the damp air over the lake trapped between the pre-Alps and the Jura. The north wind, La Bise, blows all this away revealing a blue sky and clear autumn light. Just the thing for a few photos:















If you look carefully at sky around the gull, you will see the bad news - there is dirt INSIDE the lens producing little dark splodges on the image. Sounds expensive . . .
Update: No, the dirt is on the filter in front of the sensor - standard problem apparently.