wish list

The V-man wrote up his list for Santa last night.

And...

He was kind enough to include a lil sumpin sumpin for dear ol' mom.

You got that Santa!?!






Happy Holidays All!

a season of...

brokenness
emergencies
misgivings

the other pea in the pod
has called it quits
after 20 years
this has shattered any fantasy
of a perfect match
that...i ever had

the artist
has been in & out
of the emergency room
with his new squeeze
for weeks now
she's back there tonight
good energy to you M

this time of year
depresses me deeply
i struggle to keep
my usual schedule
the
emotional roller coaster?
stifled
with every ounce of type A
i can muster

here's to...

a new year
good health
good surf

hiatus

i hadn't surfed for two months

shitty conditions
kid/job/life
obligations

there are days
that i truly hate myself
for always being
responsible

so when i paddled out last monday
after a weekend of domesticity
baking (for the cute boy's birthday)
laundry
& pretty sure i scrubbed a toilet in between hoards of hand washed dishes

wasn't expecting much
wasn't expecting anything

just needed
just wanted

to get wet

below freezing air temp
48 degree water
crystal clear day
4 @ 13

gaz & i paddled out at finicky's
quickly joined by jeff & farmer blake
the lone surfinoregon coveting the left at crab pots
eventually joined us
as link (the other gazza) finally suited up & made his way out

caught a handfull
before the chill set in
blue & shaking
barely able to sit on my board

sun glare
big locals
making their presence known

it felt good to be home

thirteen

once
every blue moon
i see her
passion
a glimmer
untarnished
with life

shroom town

nooner

de fuca

birthday present from the cute boy

de fuca



now gracing my office wall....next to the b&w surfy pics of the cute boy

rookie luck

my first attempt at fishing salmon
ran a kwikfish
hooked the first...a hen...not 20 minutes after putting in the drift
took me almost 20 minutes to land it
i was nervous
24 pounds

hooked the second...a buck...about an hour later
28 pounds

Gaz hooked his...a hen at over 30 pounds...just after I landed the buck

Happy Birthday to ME!

Gaz with my buck..

my hen & buck...

I can fish...

Super bright hen by Gaz...

Uncle John...the patient expert.

fall...

Finished at dusk.
Shapes in the shadows.
Lone coyote.
Me.

Noll

surf contests...are nothing like swim meets

swimming...is not subjective
you race...the clock
no one...judges you

surfing....on the other hand
up against...mother nature
a panel...of judges

the cute boy...

slip kid

The V-man has been busy creating...



Van did all of this on his own. He built all of the lego* sets, moved each piece, etc... Took every individual pic by himself....on his own camera.

My contribution....?....i downloaded the pics from his camera to my computer, added music & uploaded the whole sh'bang here.

He's 9.

Look out George Lucas...

* most of the legos used to build the base belonged to Van's dad & uncle when they were kids.
ie: these legos are 35+ years old

warlock

I was on the phone with the cute boy tonight as I pulled into the parking lot.

It was empty...save for me.

I mentioned that the emptiness...
while generally relished...
had started to creep me out.

I often let my imagination get the better of me.

His advice...don't talk to or go with anyone.
And...keep your fist clenched until you hit bone.

I assured him...
I keep my key grasped between my fingers like a weapon.

With that...I started off on my usual hike.

Wouldn't you know it...not ten minutes in...
I came upon a guy pissing on the trail.

Nice.

For close to twenty years I've been hiking Hoyt.
I have never felt unsafe in these woods.

But every now & then...
I do get spooked.

I see things...


...the warlock that watches over me as I trudge up the hill.

Cursed imagination...

saturday boys

equinox

First day of Fall.

Hot.  Arid.

It didn't surprise me that some woman was yelling at me....asking me if I knew CPR...as I drove up & pulled into the parking lot at Hoyt. I had already pulled over twice on my drive home from work....to let an ambulance and then a firetruck pass.  Lots of sirens tonight....I had noted.

I nodded and parked, quickly running down to the small crowd that had gathered.  Probably a crap shoot on her part...but none of the other bystanders seemed to offer any knowledge.

There on the cement lay a boy in his early 20s barely breathing and a pale shade of grey.

Does he have a pulse?...I asked.

Yes.  Very weak.

Was he working out?

We don't know.

I found him in his car slumped over...offered a gentleman.  We carried him out.

 

Did you call an ambulance?

Yes.

As I was assessing the situation...the fire truck pulled up. I stepped back as the firemen & emt's began asking the same questions...going about their business of reviving the boy. I could see fresh tracks in his right arm.  The firemen also pointed this out...and asked what he had taken.

Nobody knew.

Nobody knew who he was.

I stood there watching them work....mesmerized.  My analytical brain had taken over.  No panic.  Only questions & curiosity.  Analyzing every move they made.  Inching closer....to watch & learn.

And...as quickly as the crisis had started....it was over.  The ambulance arrived as the boy was rousing.  The colour coming back to his cheeks.

So I turned and made my way up the hill.... to 4 miles of empty trail.  Thankful for the solitude.

sketched

she sat quietly at the bar...crayon busily flying over paper

she left this with her tip...

foggy

some days...
the fog
...feels good

birthday boy

The V-man is 9 today.

Yanked from my loins at 2:06 p.m....all 9 pounds, 21 & 1/2 inches of him.

....a keeper.


Here he is at 7 months....

fin-icky fin work

taking advantage of a small day to practice fin first take-offs...



keep the fin down

plant it

spin it

drift

concentrate...

concentrate...!!

voila!

photos courtesy of Gaz