flew the coop

After almost two weeks of being house-bound with snow days
we made it out of town & south bound.
Sun.
Surf.
Grumpiness gone.

Happy New Year.

the beginning of the end...

December 31, 2007...

Started the year here....ending it here as well.
Full circle.

Here's to holding swells & warmer water.
Happy Holidays.

big dig

before...

couple hours later...

dug out
thawed out
chained up

no shovel
no help
no problem

freeloader

This...
is Freeloader.

Lou...for short.



I adopted him (about this time) 3 years ago.
We had snow, freezing rain & sub-twenty temps.
His (original) owner left him outside.

Me...being Me....couldn't stand it, so I started letting him in.
He got along well with Tug & Harley.
In fact...he made himself right at home.

Then...about a year & a half ago...he started spraying/peeing in the v-man's room.
Big mistake.
I won't tolerate that nonsense....so out he went.
Don't worry though...another neighbor started caring for him.

Imagine my surprise...when I found him scratching on my door at 6:00 a.m. the other morning.
It was freezing out...and snowing!
(fucking part-time pet owners)

So...
I let him in.
Been here since Saturday morning...
...making himself right at home.

icy

Freezing rain atop 10 inches of snow....



...make some tea & pull out the crossword.
Welcome the winter solstice.

syncro...

...in a ditch?

On a straight-away?

At least 10 inches of snow today. Prime...driving conditions.



Tow to the rescue...

oops...

beauty in the blizzard

snowing
blustery
twenty-four degrees

this spring bloomer....showed up in the fall

poppy

sometimes...

...I surf.



pic courtesy of Gaz

The Great Battle...

A little known fact in the history books...

Norse Gods fought...

for passage rights across...

The Sea of Harley.

See?....this one walks on water.
A true God.

A hard fought battle on the raging Sea of Harley...

The Sea of Harley is about to devour one of the ships...

Yeah....ok...I haven't been getting much surf lately.

four oh.....

made me dinner...

let me sleep in....'til 8

tea...

surf check...

watched the cute boy fish...and read



mushroom hunting...




afternoon nap...

a loverly birthday.


...and my world didn't implode.

Happy Hallowe'en!

phoresia

You can find me here.....

Hee!

decisions...

Is it just me.....or is the sliver of moon leaning...left?

beach bunnies

rusted

Ch-ch-ch-changes

lost boy
new office
mid-life

lions
tigers
bears

oh my....

nonsense

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.
Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't.
And contrary-wise;
what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would.
You see?

~Alice~

Oh (so) positive...

"Wow! ...you've got great veins!"

Ahh shucks....


*donate blood*

shop talk

Stories tend to fly....



...while waiting for a board to dry.

school me

I often find myself in the midst of the boys' club...when it comes to the line up.

So when I paddled out Tuesday morning I figured it would be another same ol' same ol' session with all the usual suspects.

Four men....and me. (not that I'm complaining....mind you)

All the niceties ensued...."Hey how's it going..." "Good morning" ....and the ubiquitous nod.

And then it began....advice being thrown at me from all sides.

Normally....I will smile & nod. (in one ear...out the other)

Tuesday's teachers though.....required attention.

How often do you get a two hour seminar from 3 very good surfers and.... a legend.

A South African, two Half Moon Bay boys and.... Mr. Pipeline.

I consider myself lucky....not everyone gets this kind of education.

I listened.

I tried to remember (& execute) everything they were telling me.

I was on the twinfin (one day board). Should've taken out the genius....but I wanted more practice with the new shorty.

I was slow to my feet. And... having ridden Sonja the day before....kept stepping off the back or not widening my stance enough.

I kept at it though.

And then....

Bearhunter said "go"...

I spun & went...

Backside...pig-dogging it into a barrel....only to stand up too soon & get taken out by the lip.

Sir Lancelot watching (& hooting) on his paddle back out.

May not be legit by most standards....

I think I got an A for effort.

getting wet

V-man & I are on vacation....last week of summer before school starts.
The small summer waves (and a steady hand) lured him out to the line up...



Out of the kiddy pool & into the pacific pond...

A solid set to finish off the session...

good sam

random kook: (paddling toward me...) Hey girl!

me: (watching the incoming set & thinking wtf?...I haven't been called "girl" for close to 25 years)

random kook: Hey girl! ....I'm not supposed to be out here. I have seizures....and I'm supposed to wait another month...but I couldn't wait that long....so if you see me face down in the water could you make sure I make it to shore?

me: (looking directly at Mr. Kook) I'm off duty. No lifesaving for me this week. (turn....catch wave)

random kook: (dumbstruck look on face = priceless)


*for those of you that don't know....in my former life I was a lifeguard/swim instructor....and I've had my fair share of mouth-to-mouth/cpr/saving-some-idiot's-ass. That training is ingrained in me. Any time I'm in the water....the eyes in the back of my head are very much aware of who's around me & what's going. I can't escape it. So....Mr. I'm going to go against my doctor's orders & not only put myself at risk but put everyone else around me at risk as well....eff off. I'm no longer licensed to save your ass. Oh....and on the off chance that "that" was your pick up line? ....get better material.

dogwood

nemesis

Four miles.

Four waves.

Streak broken.

red me

Ever been asked that question?

The one that generally stumps you...

"Who would play you in the movies?"

...you give it serious thought...

Anyone? I can pick anyone...?

Without hesitation...

...I have one answer...


Marlene Dietrich

Why?

I don't know.

She looks nothing like me.

I certainly don't have her glamour.

Maybe it's the dress...