An 80's Wedding

Another batch of negatives scanned, and with some surprise, I notice that styles really haven't changed that much in two decades. Taken from medium format film, the images are crispy-sharp. Check out the originals on your high-res display. Many more after the jumps...

Camp Bisco Seven

Punctuation of this slow, hot summer was provided by Camp Bisco this past weekend. It was an unexpected pleasure to hear Lotus. And an expected pleasure to hear The New Deal. ... The future: Camp Bisco Nine.

Jeff Inverted

My Knee, One Year After

Here I am about a year after at least doubling the number of bone segments that comprise my patella. The funny thing is that although I had very little pain with my telemark fun last winter; I have chronic pain following two or more waterski sets. It is interesting in that the pain seems to lag the activity by two to four hours. Inflammation where the bone is damaged? Maybe, but I'm no doctor. "Everything in Moderation", is my plan - and so only one set for me at times. Still having a blast and skiing well.

Shimmer

I like the way memories of the past shimmer. It is the uncertainty or "noise" which sets them apart and makes them sparkle.

Shawn and Debby, Post Lake, Wisconsin, July 4, 1975

Missing Smith Mountain

Friends called from SML to say "hi" while I cope with juggling kittens. I've always wanted to juggle kittens, like Steve Martin; so I suppose all is well. A few strong t-storms blew through. A weak bolt nailed a unwitting sacrificial while pine fifty feet from the house. Poor Mr. Pine.

Camp Meadowlark

We took the "silver bullet" on a weekend journey up to Camp Meadowlark on Maidstone Lake. Pics and vids are here. Beyond the friends and fun, a little forestry...

Dube's Pond Slalom Festival 2008

It has been three years since I skied DPSF; three years at Bonnaroo will do that. But we had a splendid day today, sunny and warm, and the occasional breeze to keep Dave on his toes. Videos and pics if you click through or go here.

Those aren't Kayaks, They're Turn Balls...

A breezy Memorial Day ski...

Lean, don't Pull

Brooke takes instruction from Dave.

Just Run Some Buoys

Brian is just going to run some buoys. Smile!

On the Water

Dave removes an obstacle from the course.

Eight Bells Folly

Uggh. I hate horse racing. Went out for drinks to watch a the carnage at the Kentucky track. Like-named Mardsen Hartly memorial to Hart Crane below.

Dos de Mayo 2008

A party for Patti's birthday, and the gang comes out to celebrate.

Spring in April

A (water) ski day, a dinner party, and then a warm lazy sunday to embrace the spring vibe.

Dubes 2008

Only nine days after ice-out, and Brian, Brooke, and I took the water.

Stanford

Stanford is a nice school. I've been there a couple of times recently for conferences. I suspect I'll be back.

Shep and Helia

Ice Out 2008

Yesterday's wind led to the demise of the ice cap atop Massabesic. April 10 is about average; so more snowfall doesn't always mean a later ice out. Still some drift remnants on the hill. Must venture up to Dubes soon. New NOAA product looks to be just the thing for forecasting waterski winds.

More Dogs of Spring

Winter hasn't given up yet; but the sun came out and we so took the dogs on culvert survey.

Linus and Liona

Spring on the Calendar

Spring is here and the snow is melting. There remain drifts several feet deep, but there is also evidence of the season cycle turning.

Waterville Appreciation Day

Morning ski at Loon today reminded us how much we appreciate Waterville. Had hoped to hook up with Tina; but it was not to be.

On Guard

Now that she's aware there are deer outside, Leona keeps a vigilant watch over her domain.

Oh Deer

A small heard of about seven deer have been ranging on the hill. We noticed this one with an injured front right leg. It's limping, but otherwise behaving normally. Hoping that with the melting snowpack it will heal. Also hoping for world peace.

Injured Deer (foreground)

Cotton

After some travel for work and play, it feels great to be back home again.

Patti and David

Telluride 2008 Day 6

Six days, 120K feet of vertical. I'm tired. Today I had some kind of personal record for yo-yo-ing chair 9 (13 runs, 26K vertical). I wasn't trying - just skiing. Tonight we limp to 221 for dinner. Tomorrow I fly home.

Hamerheads on Tuas upon Cordaroy at Lift 8

Telluride 2008 Day 5

A little fatigue sets in after five days of tele bliss. Took it a bit easier today. Sunny and cold, with much of the mountain covered with the ungroomed remnants from yesterday's storm.

Telluride 2008 Interlude

Between all the skiing, the twenty thousand vertical feet per day of skiing, there is precious time for food and rest. The gang tries their best to pass this time while conserving precious energy for the day ahead.


Photos by Reed (2008)

Telluride 2008 Day 4

Snow! After three days of near-spring conditions, Telluride returned to winter. We stumbled home from La Marmotte last night around midnight, singing Zappa's "Lucille", while the snow had yet to fall. Woke this morning to four inches in town, more on the mountain. Day 4 was a powder day - plain and simple. My retro 178cm M3 Tua's, although thin in the shovel, served me well.

Almost on 9

Fresh Pow'

Telluride 2008 Day 3

Lots of skiing and little time to blog. Pictures tell the story and some video here.

Telluride 2008 Day 2

I was surprised that two days have gone by so quickly. Probably the excellent snow condtions have something to do with this. Started the day chair 8 to 9. Then Lookout, Plunge, Bushwhacker. Another 21K feet of vertical. Blue and crew arrive and we have drinks at New Sheridan and then dinner at Siam.

Dog in Telluride (2008)

Telluride 2008 Day 1

Telluride received over 300 inches of snow in town so far this year. So that the conditions on the mountain were stellar was no surpirse. I took it easy and cruised 22K vertical - or so Steve says. Tonight we head to the New Sheridan Chop House for dinner.

Mark and Karen at the top of Lift 9

Telluride 2008 Arrival

Steve met me at the airport with his Suburau welcome wagon and we dodged potholes on the way into town.

Enroute DEN/KTEX

B52 Retrospective

I did a quick SFO turnaround to attend a conference in Monterey. Here is something that was a bit of a drag: Getting up at 3AM to catch a 6AM flight out of SFO.

I had my own, private B-52 retrospective running in my mind. In 1978 artists I liked a lot included Talking Heads, Richard Hell, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Nick Lowe, Patti Smith, Graham Parker, Television, and so on. When the first B52 album came out and I heard “Dance This Mess Around”, I was there. That Chris Blackwell minimalist-yet-slick production knocked it out of the park. I discovered the groove. While noodling around at Bearsville, the second album brought “Dirty Back Road”, which reached life-anthem status for me to the degree that later, while living in San Francisco, I’d have the lyrics (entered as UNIX nroff source and then printed) taped on my office door at Ampex. Around `81 David Byrne produced “Mesopotamia” and led off with “Loveland”. Loveland, 60 Central and driving around the city in my stupid 5L Capri with the unbounded optimism of youth is a fond nexus of memories from that great time.

Wayne's World (FPGA2008 Monterey)

Heather and Shep (FPGA2008 Monterey)

Night at the Rover

The original plan dating back to last year was to see moe. at the Orpheum. But when primary and secondary "jam pals" fell through, I began to have second thoughts. By the time I got down to 128, I pulled a move reminiscent of John Belushi from "Continental Divide" and "Animal House", that being the tentative, then committed turnaround. I knew Ron and Faith would be at the `rover, so met up with them and good times were had by all.
The Bushmills Girls

Tina and Friends

Tweaky de la Corduroy

"Rolled Ballroom Flat" is generally the best phrase to describe surface conditions November through May at Waterville Valley. Yesterday morning was no exception. In a second mini-outing seven months since my patella trauma, things were fine on the hill - not so great a few hours later. Manageable pain for sure.

Waterville Corduroy (Jan 2008)

Walking the Dogs

Walking the dogs is one way to combat the cold, short days of January.

Linus and Liona

The Datacube Wiki

Dave published the Datacube Wiki Page. I suspect I'll spend some cycles editing bits and pieces of evidence, er, minutia.

Shep on the Pyramid (ca. 1985)

No Sick Puppy

Liona is all better and so we go for a walk on a nice winter day.

Liona and Linus at Devil's Den (2008)

Randy and Chris

It has been four years without Randy and a decade without Chris. Life goes on. Their spirit strong as ever. Missing them both deeply.

Randy in the Bearsville Mechanical Room (ca. 1980)

Chris with Lori and Susan (ca. 1990)

Ski Day Number "N"

I'm not sure when it started, but there has been a tradition of ski day accounting for as long as I can remember. More is generally better. The excuses for a low score are usually lame. "Work" isn't always a lame excuse. Injury is a good excuse. And 6 months and two weeks following my patella-bashing, I took first turns of the season down Mt. Techumsa. Not so bad. The steeper the terrian, the less pain. That will come in handy out west.

Hot Chocolate Winter 2007 at Schwendi Hutte

Merry New Year

"Merry New Year", says Billy Ray in the classic "Trading Places" "Oh, ho, ho, thank you for correcting my English which stinks"! While there was no gorilla-suit-wearing in our household last night, it was at least relaxing. Today the snow comes yet again to start off 2008.

"Redrocks" West Shokan, NY (ca. 1974)

Predicting the Future

What will 2008 bring? More of the same? Better? Worse? Change is likely. Change is good.

Kelly conjures the Future

The Muted Holiday Sting

It seems that with each year, I need to be increasingly stoic about my pain. This year was exceptional for several reasons. The easy ones are the objective physical pains. "Your patella is fractured, it's becoming arthritic, deal with it". OK, it still f*cking hurts! Suck it up. Then there is the upcoming decade anniversary of Chris' death - something that I still can't process. Good thing my cadre of coping skills are exceptionally well developed. "Look how much better off you are than that". That's lame. Blue has suggested that I should expect (and plan for) excellence. Right on! I just need to motor though life's crud until we find the corduroy.

Good Times at the Pig Pen (ca. 1977)

Too Much Snow for Poker

With over two feet on the ground before "Winter", this is one of the snowiest starts in some time. A noticeable contrast to last year's warmth. In any event, there is no way I'll make it out to Brian's poker game. Drats. How will I pay for fuel?

Snow on Mine Hill

Neil Jung

In the 70s it was "After the Gold Rush" and "Harvest". In the 80s I lost track. And throughout the 90s I was big Teenage Fanclub fan. Clearly, Neil Young was an influence, as well as a track on 1995's Grand Prix. So when Dan made my miracle with four tickets to Neil's Boston show last Sunday; it seemed inevitable that I stir up Lisa and Casto. The show was great. My faves were the start and end of the electric set, "The Loner" and "No Hidden Path".

Briggs, Ian, and Casto (1978)

Adjust your Monitors

I had about 3000 slides scanned; now I have to roll them out with witty titles.

Woody adjusting Y/C delay (ca. 1979, Studio A Control Room, Bearsville)