July 2016 Image Backup

July has brought us a flat spell for the books. But the hot weather, 70° water temps, and epic Summer evening thunderstorms all mean that life is good around these parts. I'm in the water every day - friends, do yourselves a major and pick up some swim fins, you'll see, they're a gas.

Here are some pics - oh yeah - my house is being ripped up inside & out, new retaining walls (out with the RR ties, in with local granite -- yay!) and cedar shingles. Stoked that I'm finally getting to this, it was overdue, and I'll be even more stoked when this is all done and paid for.

Roof rack antics

I have nightmares about this happening to me, but this always cracks me up :)

Fly Away: the Necessity and Tragedy of Surf Racks from ENCYCLOPEDIA of SURFING videos on Vimeo.

Meet Marianne

A French girl you may know.
Marianne is a national symbol of the French Republic, an allegory of liberty and reason, and a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty.

Marianne is displayed in many places in France she symbolizes the "Triumph of the Republic". Marianne is one of the most prominent symbols of the French Republic, and is officially used on most government documents.

Marianne is

1. Opposed to monarchy
2. Opposed to tyranny
3. 100% for freedom and democracy
4. A big supporter Liberté, Égalité, as well as Fraternité.

Leave it to the French to use a woman to represent the Republic. Maybe a feminine allegory was also a manner to symbolise the breaking with the old monarchy headed by kings, and promote modern republican ideology. Furthermore, France and the Republic themselves are, in French, feminine nouns (la France, la République), as are the French nouns for liberty (fr:Liberté) and reason (fr:Raison).

France has had a very rough go of it since last November, so keep the faith Marianne, you are bigger than all this evil that's come your way, I hope you know that.

June Closes With Fun Waves, Healed Ribs

Musclecar Monday - Italian Style: Alfa Romeo 164 Pro-Car

In 1988, Alfa Romeo produced the 164 Pro-Car featuring a mid-engine layout and powered by a 3.5-litre V10 engine. This unusual powerplant was originally planned to be used by the Ligier F1 team and produced 620 hp. Weighing only 1,653 lbs., the 164 Pro-Car was good for 211 mph and went quarter of a mile in only 9.7 seconds. It was planned to race in a special racing series, as a support event to Formula One Grands Prix. With Alfa Romeo being the only manufacturer to produce a car for this series, the project was ultimately cancelled.

Sewage Disks - Still Everywhere Over Five Years later

Monday evening's take - along the Parker River, miles upstream from the ocean.

New Hampshire officials estimate that 8 million disks, which are used to clean potentially harmful bacteria from waste water, were released from a Hookset NH plant due to a malfunction after heavy rainstorms on March 6, 2011. Over 5 years later these can be foud as far north as Bar harbor, Maine and as far south as Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

The 2-inch plastic disks themselves are not harmful. They are stored in the waste water treatment plant’s tanks, and within the disks are “good’’ bacteria that breaks down the E. coli and other harmful bacteria found in the waste water. The disk system is new in New Hampshire, and Hooksett is the first community in the Granite State to use them.

According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the Hooksett plant held more than 39 million disks, and as many as 20 percent were released.

Supposedly Hooksett has assumed financial responsibility for the disks, and communities can bill the town directly for cleanup efforts.

June '16 Image Backup

What happens when you bail off your board and land on a submerged rock

Doing much better now, though, for what it's worth.

Local Surf and Saturday Essex Scene

Paddle Race on the Essex River - Water-craft rigs of every shape and size, and the occasional Harley

Essex Cat: "Aw who cares..."

Rabbit Kekai 1920-2016

Mahalo

Rabbit Kekai from ENCYCLOPEDIA of SURFING videos on Vimeo.

Sunday fun day despite the 3 broken ribs

I'll take the bruised rib as a payment for bad karma I've released in the past, and as a reminder to pick up by feet. I'll take fun waves and warm, if stiff, offshores any 'ole time.

Half-frame Hump Day

Still shootin' film, still shooting half-frames, replete with light leaks, overexposed and underexposed frames, and some which didn't come out at all. Oh Canon Demi, don't ever change.

Garage Saturday: The Chocolate Watch Band in Riot on Sunset Strip

Last Week's Ride out to Plum Island

not blown out, just a super-strong river-mouth current over shallow water and shifty sand bars, not really a surf spot in any case, at least not on that day

Spring: gettin' there

I live just over that hill, 5 minutes by SUP, 50 min by car - look at a map and you'll understand!

cool trails, wildlife

from the lookout tower

from the lookout tower II

picking through the rocks 

more cool trails