Summer's Last Stand

Our perpetually too-short waterski season in New England was truncated at the head by a rainy start and my own personal choices; I'm doing my best to make sure it isn't truncated at the tail. It was in the low 70s today, but the water temp was only 61. It takes two or three passes to literally warm-up, without resorting to a wetsuit. The `97 Nautique (not the 2010) is on the lift and with any luck we can get in another half dozen sets before this one is history.


Pond and Lake Moments

Peace in the Rhythm of My Pain

Halfway over the Atlantic, middle of the night, glow of the keyboard like a fire's hearth against my fingertips. There's not a single empty seat and I'd be freaking out if the guy in front of me pushed his seat back again. Is it rude to push back? Keller Williams and String Cheese are jamming happy major chords. I'm optimistic about FPL and Prague. I'll get some sleep in a bit then motor through the international transfers at CDG on autopilot. ... The plane CDG/PRG could not be nicer; an A320 with about a 33% load factor. I have three seats to myself; and so does everyone else. A UniBall pen just blew out its viscous ink in my lab notebook - was able to contain the situation before it got ugly. Trying to decide between the $40 taxi or the the $10 bus/train dance - will try the later if my luggage went missing on the short connect through CDG. Where is my Prague map of bus line 119 to end station Dejvicka, to train line A station Zelivskeho? In my luggage, of course! ... Luggage went missing, needed the cab ride to center myself. Arrive at hotel in Prague. No luggage. Go see the Castle with Vaughn, Steve, and Kati. Dinner with Nachiket. Luggage arrives around midnight. FPL Monday good, FPL Tuesday better. Stay for Peter's keynote on Wednesday then PRG/CDG. Typing again CDG/BOS. Not one, not two, but three screaming kids within four seats of me. Note to self: do not sit one row behind the bulkhead. Alcohol should help. … Prague was nice

Hmmm

Cheat Sheet

Mixed Modes

Old Orchard Beach 2009

OOB has a both the Hampton-like touristo vibe and the hot, sandy beach vibe going for it. Despite the stress and demands of this summer, we managed three nights this year.

Volkswagen Factory

The Maine Drag

Max in Charge

Buried

Hickory 2009

It was so cool to see the group that turned out at The Hickory last night. Driving east on 28, turning into the parking lot of this unfamiliar haunt, I was just a little uneasy. But I saw Karen getting out of her car, and instantly knew this can’t possibly be bad. In a few minutes I’m meeting old friends and making new ones. People I just met are buying me drinks. And a really kind cross-section of our life in the 70s showed up. Way cool. … So the plan is to do this again soon. Lots of little (or not so little) gatherings. Candy is thinking of a 33-1/3 reunion for the class of 1976 lot. Mike and Mary Lou got the group thinking about Memorial Day 2010 event at Davis Park. We had some trouble choosing between showing slides and movies on a big white sheet; or booking Phish for a stealth Bushkill festival. … Thanks so much to Jim Blatter for hooking us up; and to the Hickory staff. Let’s do it again soon.

Shep and Karen

The Trees Grow

My first substantial departure from home was not, as I suspect it was for others, going off to college. Although Rochester and Woodstock are separated by seven hours of Thruway; college never felt, for me anyhow, "away from home". My fledgling event was breaking out of the Bearsville orbit, jettisoned really, and moving to San Francisco. I recall my first visits home and the first thing that felt askew was that the trees looked bigger. The trees near my home. The trees on the village green. It was if my departure had somehow furloughed the arborists of Ulster County. The basal area of my teenage habitat had become swollen with grand oaks and towering pines.

Almost 40 years since I first sat (here) at the bar at Manitou House; and the dominant organic landscape change is the forest. There is something to be learned here, but I'm not precisely sure what it is. Aphorisms like "Leave it alone and it will fix itself" come to mind. But the way things were are not by any decree, the way things are supposed to be.

All of which fuels my excitement about getting together tomorrow night with some who were among the local shrubbery of the 70s.

Andy on Tractor

Mid-Course Crashing

I suppose I'm getting wiser with regard to "course management", but I'm still a frickin' klutz. And it seems to happen a lot with relatively benign 22-off passes, in July or August, and in odd calendar years! Take these facts: back in 2005 out of 3-ball, my forearm incident. back in 2007, same place, fractured patella. 2009, two hours ago, nowhere near as bad, but cut up my toe and banged up my shin after I turned early and ran over 4-ball and went out the front. Hope this heals quick so I can get back on the water Friday.

Blood on the Pylon

Brian and Dave Ski On!

On Somes Sound

Some snappys from our brief getaway down east. More on clicking through to the album.

Sunset at Low Tide

Gypsy

Crab Creek Girls

Pond at Northeast Harbor

Relaxed!

Northeast Harbor

Susan let me tag along to the Crab Creek reunion of sorts up in Northeast Harbor these past few days. It has been great weather, coming to an end today with an eerie, perpetual rain. We're staying at "The Rock", a family compound on the eastern shore of Somes sound. Skip took us out for a sail yesterday in Betsy and Abe's boat, "Endeavor". Elizabeth (the other Betsy) left for Canada-ville today. Haven't uploaded my snappys yet, so I'll post one that is at least from Maine, 100s of miles from here...

The Rangeley Inn (winter 2000)

Summer in Swing

Every year seems to have its moment when you are sure summer is here. This weekend was that extended moment. Even while down in DC last week for some serious business, I was looking forward to getting on the water, as the Dubes Pond Webcam had gone online. So, of course we skied, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

We had M+M over to keep the party going on the home front...

It's Windy, perhaps

Paul makes it look so easy, he can talk about hamburgers. Shep puts in the miles. Dave skis seven (seven) -32 passes without blinking. And the boat crew offers Brian solace by suggesting, "It's Windy"!

Three Baby Phoebes

Three baby Phoebes hatched this morning in a nest on our house. Mom has been bringing them (presumably) tasty worm bits while dad flits about on a tree nearby.

I'm on a Boat Lift!

What a wet, stressed-out June. July feels like a bug in brandy. After a better-than-normal start in April and May, I think I got out to ski maybe three sets in June. Once before Bonnaroo, and twice after. This morning at the pond was just gorgeous. Team Nautique took its place on the shore station: Look at me: I'm on a Boat! (video link)

I'm on a Boat Lift

Dog Days of Summer

The longest day of the year: nice! But it's a different kind of wet here in New England.

Playing on Dock (SML June 2009)

A Duffel Bag Filled With Rocks

Why is it that Summer is Kodachrome; and Fall is Ektachrome? At least in my mind anyhow (writes the color-blind one). I'm digging the return to familiar patterns; except that the center of mass is far enough away from stasis, so as to keep us on edge. Life's arc wouldn't be challenging otherwise. ... Good ego lashing today as I got a letter in the mail, I am not making this up, from a dear friend I haven't heard from in a decade that said, and I'm really not making this up, that I'm a "duffle (sic) bag filled with rocks". Harsh. So I can't help but ask myself how I messed that up so well? People talk about first impressions; this has me thinking that last impressions may also mean something. Or maybe one's view of someone just drifts as the memories fade? Or it may just be spot-on correct; although I hope not an invariant and universal perception.

Kodachrome Summer on Eastern Point

Bonnaroo 2009

Bonnaroo 2009 was "Shasta-rific"! It's cliche, but the Friday night Phish set was my best ever. Best surprise of the show was seeing the Beastie Boys. The Decemberists did "The Hazards of Love" in its entirety (and more). Kaki King, great as always. Much more.

View from the VIP Knoll

Team Shasta

Kaki King at Sonic Stage

wash uffitzi, drive me to Firenze

We left New Hampshire yesterday for the 13 hour drive to SML, VA. I kept reminding myself that hauling a 4 ton trailer means that more stopping distance is required. Yet there was still one incident that got my attention as eyes returned to the road ahead after looking at the GPS. Fortunately, we left Miss Melanie to the on-the-road intertube duties. Serious regression as we looked up the lyrics to Cavern, and debated various YEM interpretations. A surprisingly easy drive, considering the distance and the trailer. ... Arrived SML, drinks and dinner with the Hurt family. Today I have to figure out how I'm going to jump out of this impossibly small birthday cake for Lori.

Onteora Ski Team

Having fun; on and off the ski team bus. Click-through the photos below for the rest of `em.

The Fun

The Girls

The Boys

The Prize

Onteora Candids

I shot several thousand still images on a 35mm Honeywell Spotmatic in the mid-1970s. The vast majority where shot on bulk-loaded Kodak Plus-X that I would usually push a stop or two. Being a teenager at the time, many of those photos were shot around my high school, Onteora Central School, on the days I actually attended. Many of the better shots, not necessarily the ones without gratuitous “birds” and “moons”, went into the `74, `75, and `76 OCS yearbooks. Most just sat in glassine envelopes for decades.
There are more than a few duds, but certainly some kind gems among this first tranche of 700+ “Onteora Candids”. A few of my faves, among many, are below; the rest in Smugmug on clicking through. Enjoy!

Fran and Lacey

Bianca

West Shokan Bus

Jason and Tony

Mr. Fiedler

Marjie

Andy

Barb

Mr. Wesselmann

Mike

Ellie and Sherry

Phish at Phenway

It's been a whirlwind getting the proverbial deck clear for next week's Bonnaroo run. But not so busy to pass up seeing Phish at Fenway park on Sunday - my first show since the 2-night run at Tweezer ahead of Coventry.

Decent Seats

Blinky Lights

The Best Just Ahead

It seems too easy reminisce about the past. We have all these facts, this evidence, that proves how great things once were. Fine: the past is fixed; but the future is not. So while a quantitative measure of ones decrepitude may be trending downward toward a ground state; the upside is limitless insight, wisdom and opportunity. Me thinks it's a good thing.

Shep, Lori, Chris (ca. 1990)

Post Lake

I fondly remember summertime in the early 1970s at Post Lake in Wisconsin. I was in awe that Barb and Judy could easily get up on one ski. At the time, I couldn't manage to get up on two. I think to some degree that "wanting to be same" stuck with me; and maybe that is why skiing remains such a passion of mine.

Post Lake 1972
I'd gone back to Post Lake a few more times in the late-70s and early-80s; it was great, but it wasn't the same vibe.

Post Lake 1975

Prison of the Rhythm

We're getting into the swing of things as Memorial day weekend lies just ahead. Rhythm is a good thing. A great thing , really. Both in the pendulum-like accelerations behind the boat; and in the pattern of simply being at the pond on a regular basis. The good stuff.

Paul Turns at 4-ball

Jack the Judge

Shore Station

The boat lift is in. It turns out you still need a driver, but there is no dispute there is less dock faff when the boat is ready, held just above the water.

Paul Leans Against Air

Skiing to the Handle

The pond warms up quickly. Gone are the chills and the spray burn. Thoughts start to return to technique. Maybe escalate to two sets tomorrow if my patella allows.

Tech Talk

Brooke's New Ski

Brooke was smiling as she got the feel of her new ski.

Early May Set

All Work, No Play

Just back from meeting with a client and their client. Brilliant view, despite the clouds.

Nice View

Work and Play

I managed a quick set yesterday and today. The water and air were chilly, but today the wind was down and out of the south. This made actually getting around all buoys possible. "Work" remains the compliment of "Play"; and thankfully there is some balance. A busy week ahead, and just five weeks until Bonnaroo!