Saturday Afternoon at Lake Austin Spa

Deborah and I made it to rainy Austin, where we are on Lake Austin -- but the Lake is closed because there is too much water!! So much rain here that they are letting water pass thru the Dam, and down river - and Lake Austin is really a 20+ mile long river. We're down river, so no one is allowed on the water. Even the "Slippery When Wet Signs" on the docks are mostly underwater!

Spa and golf courses are still open, though!

Friday Morning at TRH

I'm back from 3 days in cold San Francisco, now off today with Deborah to rainy Austin for a week. Puppies get to go to the country for a while.

Friday Night in Austin

Finished in Austin, and now back to TRH for a couple of days. Then SF, and back to Austin by this time next week!!!

Whew - lots of airline time. Oh, and then after Austin comes another A place, Amsterdam.

Sunday Morning at TRH

Home for a short weekend after being in Boston last week. Off to Minneapolis, Austin, SF, and Austin over the next three weeks, then to Amsterdam and Iceland. Whew!

Went on a Ghost Tour in Boston!! PS. that's a tour guide, not me, in the picture.

Wednesday, back at TRH

And just a short 14 hour plane ride, and I'm back at The Rock House! From the headlines, it looks like I made it out of Muscat just in time!!!

By SAEED AL-NAHDY, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 5, 7:01 PM ET
MUSCAT, Oman - Thousands of people fled low-lying areas as the strongest cyclone to threaten the Arabian Peninsula in 60 years blasted Oman's eastern coast early Wednesday with strong winds and waves, Civil Defense officials said.

This is my picture, taken Monday (below), vs a picture on the internet (above) from Wednesday!!! From almost exactly the same place along the corniche!!!

Tuesday Night back in Riyadh

Whew - I just made it out of Oman before the storm!! Gulf Air cancelled my original flight, so I ended up going from Muscat to Abu Dhabi to Bahrain to Riyadh instead for direct to Riyadh. But at least I made it!!! Others had their flights cancelled completely, and were trying to figure out where to go. Hope all weather the Cyclone OK in Oman.

Tomorrow at 8:30am I start back home, and should be back in DC just in time for the afternoon traffic!!

Tuesday Morning - leaving Oman before Cyclone Gonu

I'm leaving today at 2pm, and later tonight and tomorrow Cyclone Gonu will be here!! Gonu is coming, and I'm leaving just in time.!! On the Map, Oman is the country in the target area, and Muscat is just above where the largest "circle" is!! Seas wil be 30 feet higher than normal - that would put them right at the base of the Shangri-Li hotel I am staying in.

I'm going to Riyadh for a night, no Cyclones there, in the middle of the desert. Then on Wednesday morning I start back to TRH.

Monday Evening, last night in Muscat

The Souk was hot!!! Spent 3 hours there, and came away with nothing but a soaked shirt and pants - I guess I looked like I'd been diving!

Tomorrow I'll visit the Oman Air audit group, then head for Riyadh, and Wednesday back to TRH.

Sunday Night in Muscat

Well, the diving is still nothing to write home about. But since I started blogging it, I'll continue. Viz was only about 10-15 feet again today, and per the Dive Shop Manager, that's as good as it's been since he came in January. The cool water, down to 78F today, would be OK and the diving would be good, if you could see anything! But, it is pretty here - and barren at least in Muscat.

Tomorrow instead of diving I'm going to the Souk to shop!

Saturday Afternoon in Muscat

Did two dives today off the coast of Muscat, in the Arabian Sea. The other three divers were wow'd - said it was really great. I guess I really am spoiled, because it just wasn't!

It was OK, but only just that. Viz was maybe 20 feet, and temp was Chilly in my shorty wetsuit. Colder than in Bonaire. I was looking for warmer water, and much better viz, and much more stuff to see.

There were some big eels, and a nice wreck - but if I'd paid RT airfare to get to Oman to dive, I'm afraid I'd be disappointed. I can count at least 5 places I've been much closer to home that are better.

Maybe tomorrow I'll feel differently when I try again.

Friday Morning at the Shangri-La in Muscat

Well - it's even hotter here than Saudi - at least more humid. 105 F, at 11am. I had trouble taking pictures from the balcony because the camera lens would not un-fog!!

I flew from Saudi to Bahrain to Oman last night - about three hours of flying.



The Sultanate of Oman, right next door to UAE and Saudi Arabia, is very clean, pretty and easy to get into. No paperwork at all at customs. Just pay 6 Omanian Riyals fee ( $20USD or 70 AED - which I am using) and get a passport stamp. One of the customs guy said "your passport looks used, with lots of stamps in it - you aren't like most Americans!" I said yep, most Americans dont even have passports!!!

I need to do a bit of work today - internet access seems to be good - then will scuba dive for a couple of days. I'll also visit a company here, Oman Air, and talk to their internal audit group.