The Other Dawn Patrol

cobwebs inside the helmet

crows feet on the face

caffeine on the teeth

surf on the mind

The other dawn patrol

Spray

"finshackcomp

One of my entries in the latest #finshackcomp on #Instagram run by The Fin Shack surfshop in Cornwall UK.
According to their wwwBlurb they stock everything from George Greenough (see above) to TCSS, FCS, Nine Plus, True Ames, Beyond, Futures, Gul, Rainbow Fin Company, Captain Fin Company, Skip Frye, Almond, Salty Merchants and full range of Accessories.

More Wood

More info here.

F stop

Analogue nights avoiding 

spider bites 

in a home made dark room 

trying to sight 

some briney delights 

stopped at F8 

or smaller.

This one's for Fstopper. Keep the verses flowin, buddy.

the road not taken

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." 

from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Today's post is for #everydayleis and everybody else who gets out of their warm comfy beds on dark, cold mornings to go to work, feed their kids or do the dawn patrol or some other exercise. 

You are my heroes.

Blinded by the Light

"Mama always told me 

not to look into the eye's of the sun
But mama, 

that's where the fun is"

from Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Today's post is for my brine brother Mick who is having an eye operation tomorrow. 

Bust out the old time music and sit in the sun buddy.

Solstice

Some things don't change.

The winter solstice is poking bit of slanty sub-tropical light further back into the Brinecave than usual and I notice my work shoes need a lot of spit and polish. Well, a lot of polish and buff. 

The smell of the boot polish reminded me of the shoe shine boys in Marrakech, sleeping on the streets at night and plying their trade by day.

I was reminded of my own boyhood, where we all had to polish our own school shoes and the teacher would give us a whack if they weren't shiny enough.

And I thought, some things are beyond technology and apps and downloads. The shoe shine smell is the same as it was when I was a kid. And Mondays still seem like they always did.

At least the solstice has passed. 

The days are slowly getting longer.

And the sun is shining.

Fabric inlay fin from Classic Malibu. Thanks for the free wax.

Tax Deductible Donation

PKL on a wooden board he made himself

I'm riding my Electra cruiser bicycle 200kms over two days as part of the 2014 Riotinto  Ride to Conquer Cancer It's a fund raising ride to raise money for cancer research so  consider yourselves "hit up". I'm aiming at raising $2500 AU. 

My niece is now a widow in her 30s and has organised a family team in memory of her hubby who passed away earlier this year from brain cancer. I lost a 22 year old niece last year as well. So I know first hand  the impact on family.

If you want to make a tax deductible donation please follow this  basic formula

a  go to the site, click Donate in left hand column

http://br14.conquercancer.org.au/site/PageServer?pagename=br14_homepage


b  type in my name


c  donate and organise your tax receipt

Ta and many thanks

So long ago

This 35mm film shot was taken so long ago that I can't remember. The camera was a Nikonos V, which I used in the mid to late 80's. Interestingly, those old Kodak transparencies still hold their colour. Not sure that I will be able to say the same about digital in 30 years time, with all the format and constant compatability upgrading required every other year - USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt, Lightning Bolt . . .

Throwback Mick

A throwback three months to the Noosa Festival of Surf when days were longer, tales were taller and the air way way warmer. King of the charcoal BBQ, Mick Hendersen setting some trim on a 10' McTavish Redline while sporting one of his famous thrift shop caps. (Deus are you listening?)

Below, an African thumb piano from the now defunct Noosa African Shoppe - the perfect instrument for those wanting a break from texting. Amp it up to a loop box and voila, instant beatz.

Back

Been unwell, so here's a quick throw back to four years ago and a film camera designed by a Frenchman who didn't surf but who changed our understanding of underwater - Jaques Costeau.

Borrowed

I had a fun surf late yesterday at this spot using a battered old board my brother found under a pub when they were demolishing it.
Like a classic old Strat, this board can still glide and is a dream to paddle (especially after punching through the shories on the open beaches on a shortboard the day before.)
Pic below of Caloundra photog Darryl Meredith riding a Hayden quad which now has a a five fin setup.

#Selfie

GoPro selfie care of Matt Lingard. A long time ago, he creaed the cartoon below. Keep charging kid.

Technical Hitch

The brinecave is swimming in wires as I grapple with finding the cause of our internet and email demise.

Turns out it was the modem which probably got bashed when my clumsy foot tripped over one of the numerous cables dangling out of various devices designed to give me more "leisure time".

A week without internet and email starts to get liberating after you get used to a new routine. Suddenly there are all these extra hours in the day.

Go on, turn the computer off and put the phone in the drawer.

How long can you last?

Monochrome Monday (Hello Winter)

Hello winter

rubber suits

and crisp offshores

"Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again."

Bill Morgan, Jr.