Waiting on the rainbow

Suprised to wake up to steady rain at dawn. The weather pro`s had said "chance of rain" but they`re usually wrong.
I went down to surf but the swell is still pretty weak. The sea was glassy and the wind was light offshore but the surf just wasn`t there. I`m back home to face the prospect of clearing my desk and doing the paperwork I usually put off.

Knee-high glide

Literally "dusted off" the longboard today. I don`t think I`ve had it out since last winter. Given the lack of swell it was the only way to catch a ride. I went out at the River jetties mid-morning and it was knee high. Conditions were pretty, the sun filtering through the cloud cover plated everything in a siver sheen, the water was refreshing and there were just a few guys out. I did 45 minutes and went back to work, thankful that I`d gotten some and at the same time knowing I wasn`t missing much.

Wednesday

I had a fairly open schedule today and surfing was on my agenda but the swelll was lacking. The conditions were pretty nice but the energy was low. There were 2-3 guys out at H.B. this morning but they were`nt doing much. I find myself wondering "why are they out there ?" but realize it isn`t always just the wave. Sitting on your board at sunrise or enjoying the brisk water in the afternoon is all the reward you need sometimes











This guy was running eagerly into knee-high mush, but I bet he had a good
morning anyway.

Autumn sky

I didn`t have to worry about missing any surf today as there was almost nothing locally. I did get in a productive day on the job site and got started with the Christmas lights at home.. It was a beautiful warm day but the clouds moved in and it got cool by sunset.I had to grab a shot of this cloud pattern hanging over our house.

Lunch on the southside

I was able to pull away from work to get in an hour on the southside. After a weak couple of days, there were finally some signs of life out there.The tide dropped and the wind stayed light and the crowd was easy to manage.
I spoke to a guy on the beach who was flying home to Colorado tomorrow , he hoped I knew how lucky I was. " I know" was my reply and I hope I never take a beautiful day like this for granted .

Sunday shut-out

Sunday morning with little or no swell and the tide coming way up. I only saw a few dedicated souls in the water between Blackies and H.B. It is a beautiful morning just the same, nice sunrise and a cold offshore blowing lightly.
This guy has the right idea.

Life`s hard realities are always there if you look for them. This guy probably doesn`t find his morning at the beach as enjoyable as I do.

Mayall

Here`s a nice little piece , just a couple of minutes long, of John Mayall. Takes me back almost 40 years but I still love it.

7' High tide

The surf was weak and swamped early and I did`t get out there today. I`ve pulled out some pictures from a trip I took a couple years back. The place was pretty and has lots of potential. The swell wasn`t really from the right angle but there was something to surf on everyday. You`re on an island so if there is no surf it`s nothing but a hammock and a good book

Thanksgiving `07

 
 

Some simple realities...
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness… you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

• If you have never experienced battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation… you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

• If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep… you are richer than 75% of this world.

• If you have money in the bank, money in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace… you are among 8% of the world’s most wealthy people.

• If your parents are alive and still married… you are very rare, even in the United States.

• If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful… you are blessed because the majority can, but do not.

• If you prayed yesterday and today… you are blessed because you believe God does hear and answer prayer, even though you are in the minority by holding this belief.

• If you can read these words… you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

There is no doubt that God is good

Wednesday

 
 
Took a break from work to catch a few at H.B. this morning. It was kinda small but had decent shape at times, glassy mid-mornings. How do you walk away? Lots of kids out of school, I was three times as old and twice as big as most of them. I`m thankful for the chance to get away for a little exercise, every day is Thanksgiving if you think about it.

That`s McPhee hanging by the trash can

right wing/ left wing

 
The gulf between the two points of view in this country is a little depressing. I find that the old media/new media/ blogosphere makes it so easy for all of us to put out any and all ideas. Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of our free society and I wouldn`t change any of it. But that Freedom of speech comes with the consequence that anything can be said and then we have to determine it`s validity. So many charges and accusations fly with no sources and little proof to back them up. As an average guy with lots of commitments and responsibilities I find I don`t have time to do the research an educated opinion requires.
I watch one sides point of view that tells me I`m a brainwashed sheep, naively going through life with blinders on, oblivious to monumental evil being done by a country I call home. I listen to KPFK on the way home and wonder how they can see the world so different from the world I see. On the other hand I listen to the right wing voices who paint the opposition as partisan hacks, only interested in undermining Americas best interests just to make the Administration look bad. Or as Socialists and Communists who want to change our country to a system that has failed in every place it`s been tried. Both side are so strident in their beliefs but who has time to arrive at a truly educated opinion. Many of us beleive we(U.S.) are doing good in the world and another segment sees us as the great Satan.
So what can I as an average citizen do? How can I sit in the line-up with a smile on my face? The way I see it, all I can do is follow the old axiom -"think globally, act locally" and live by the Golden Rule. Get up and try to make the world a better place one day at a time, love my kids and raise them to be responsible ,open-minded citizens who think for themselves, and put my Faith in God to work things out.

Surfing and substance abuse

 
I bring up the subject of substance abuse as it relates to my surfing life, not actual substance abuse, but the way I sometimes use surfing as a psuedo-drug.
If the work load is too demanding, dump it and go surfing. If I don`t want to deal with something I have to do- postpone it and go surfing. Today I had some distracting family issues and my impulse was to go surfing and deal with it later. It would be in my best interest to just face the challenge at hand and deal with it, but there is a character weakness at times that has a hard time doing what is right,right now.
I am in no danger of the legal and societal issues involved in actual substance abuse, yet I need to be aware that any good thing can be abused and have negative repercussions.
I`ll still try to get out tomorrow if it`s on, but today I just realized that a good surf session isn`t always the thing I need!

Sunday in November

 
The surf did not look like this today. This shot is from the start of that great offshore event last month. It was cold and foggy down there today. My wetsuit was a cold, damp wad in the back of the Jeep and the air just felt chilly. I watched many walled-off sets roll through and decided to pass. I`ll go down later as the tide comes up and maybe get some tthen. My daughters want to go to breakfast this morning, Charlie`s or the Shack, and that`s more important than my surf time right now.

old surf pics

Found some old surf trip pics from the early 70`s. K55 from about 1971, I think. Check my surf rod with the racing stripes. I was able to scan them in and make a slideshow with 36 yr old prints. Technology is cool!
Didn`t surf today as the south wind was up early and I had way too much work to do. The swell was up but a bit walled. Hoping for better tomorrow

Aqua Therapy

I guess I`m a day late. Yesterdays swell was gone but there were still plenty of people in the water. I checked things at Blackies before running up to "El Rio". I only stayed out 45 minutes but that was enough to soothe the mind and set the right attitude. It was a great warm morning and the waves were clean and glassy. Take it when you can get it!

Golden Afternoon

 


I couldn`t get out there today. I had a load of colored concrete that demanded my attention, and concrete waits on no one. My phone rang 3 times with surf reports from friends telling me what I was missing. I`ll just have to catch it tomorrow.

50th post

Zihuat` with Nebcon 2005

Well here I am at my 50th posting. I started this effort in an attempt to stay only mildly behind the tech curve and to maybe have something to say on occasion. I enjoy trying to create something and like hauling a camera around to capture images that I like. My wife and kids kind of roll their eyes at my efforts and are patronizing at best. Still, I`m having fun and don`t mind that my little blogosphere can be counted on one hand. I`ll just continue to take it 50 posts at a time.

Veterans Day

I don`t deserve the easy life I live. By the Grace of God, I was born in So.Cal, USA and very little has been asked of me by my country. My work is fairly easy, I have a nice house and family, and I get to surf on weekdays.

But even as I sit at this computer, there are Americans stationed around the world in service of this country. As I walk through town I pass or interact with others who are veterans of military service to this country, people who felt the commitment to leave their friends and families to serve this country.
Today is the day to give thanks to those who defend us and pray for people whe are willing to support this country and the ideals it was founded on. God bless them.

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislature that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.'" As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.
In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress -- at the urging of the veterans service organizations -- amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Sunrise scrapbook

It was cold this morning, the first time this fall. 48 degrees as I loaded the board and headed towards H.B. The usual southside suspects eyed me as I pulled in to look at it , weak and high tide. I decided to pass on surfing and headed to Blackies for coffee and to watch the Saturday morning show.
I tend to take the whole scene for granted sometimes, but it is really kind of fascinating. You`ve got the dory fleet that still makes their living from the sea, 3 thriving bars with patrons at 6 am, guys surfing out of Hummers and Range rovers mixed in with homeless souls who spent the night in the alley nearby. There is no other place like it and I always enjoy a morning walk here. I`m part of the circus too,I suppose.

Johnny Winter Incident

One idiot can ruin a good time in a hurry.....

"He who changes one person...."

This man is Norman Conard and he taught high school in Uniontown, Kansas until he retired recently . He is a hero and inspiration to me even though I knew nothing of him till a few days ago.
He taught social studies and assigned projects to his students that encouraged respect for all races and creeds. His classroom motto was " He who changes one person, changes the entire world" and taught a Hebrew phrase "tikkun olan" which means "to repair the world".
A group of 4 young Kansas high school girls undertook his assignment and began to research a Polish woman named Irena Sendlerowa, who was on a list of "the other Shindlers" and was responsible for saving thousands of Jewish children from the Holocaust. The project, begun in 1999, has since resulted in a Nobel peace prize for Irena Sendler, and worldwide recognition for the 4 girls who found her story. ( Keyword "Life in a jar" or go to "irenasendler.org" for the whole amazing story)
The story that resulted was amazing to me as I read it. The one thing that really struck me though was the quiet Kansas school teacher who beleived he could change the world through his students and be part of a process to repair the world"

surfing solitude

With the local beaches closed out and crowded, with a strong drift besides, I decided to try another spot.
I headed just a little bit south to a reef that works at the right tide. When I was checking it there were 2 guys out and it looked fun. By the time I got my stuff together, they had gotten out and were heading down the beach.
So there I was with no one out and glassy waves rolling in .I paddled out and got a few fun ones and was enjoying the clear water and change of scenery.
I was a little uneasy being alone out there. The sets were a bit overhead and some closed quickly, a nice drop and bottom turn before picking my way through the boils of submerged rocks. I couldn`t stop thinking "what if I got tossed into the rocks? " I`ve often thought it`d be great to get some place all to yourself ( and I would love to get Swami`s, Rincon, or 56th all alone) but alone today surfing through the rocks kinda creeped me.
I had a few good waves but would have liked a little company

South swell`s in

I tried to surf today but work got in the way. I was waiting on the tide to drop and then the west wind got it. I was down at dawn to start my day and the swell was obviously up, but so was a fat tide. H.B. was overhead but walled and the river looked like the call but I couldn`t get away from the job. My camera battery was dead so no shots of it. These photo`s are from some pre-dawn shots from last month

Mexico memories

On a cold, gray day like today it`s nice to pull out some warm memories. These shots are from a trip last fall to the Zihuatenejo area. I was there just 3 days but the swell was on the whole time.