October 25: Repack once again till 09:00 and unloaded my stuff with the help of the engineer in the office where it was to wait till "Rockeater" sailed to South Africa. Returned the truck and paid another $ 33.
Then had lunch with Burl and collected the two jets and associated paraphernalia, which he duly explained. And now came the moment that beauteous yard secretary Monica Meyer called me for a date, sorry, too late..
20:30 porkchops at the Stephansens, who took me to the airport at 21:00 after a quick goodbye to the pleasant Johnsons. Flight departed at 23:00, but some ardent conversationalists nearby did not allow me much sleep.
October 26, Sat.: Because of mist associated with Hurricane Ginnie we landed on Idlewild and then with at least an hour delay on Dulles Airport.
Tried to call everyone without any luck. Admired the giant people-movers!
Took $ 2.50 bus through beautiful Indian summer colors to Washington, then messy and expensive taxi to OSE Office on DuPont Circle . Larry Brundred advanced me $ 80 and Willard Bascom was in a good mood and told me that we would only have to leave on Tuesday and would get the weekend off .... he also explained the De Beers - Anglo-American - OSE projects underway:
(1) sampling of beaches (see copy of his proposal which I retyped in 2003 ...) which Francois and I were to accomplish
(2) with Alpine Geophysics along the West Coast of South and South West Africa in which John Hoyt and George Shumway were presently involved (see my OSESA- webpage)
(3) completing conversion of "Rockeater" in Capetown, followed by marine diamond sampling program
Next, I called Francois, who immediately comes over to pick me up and install me in a motel and take me for dinner. We'll fly via Dakar instead of London, and he and I will stay together till Christmas at which time he'd go on another project and I am to continue alone.