tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56908225735988323862024-02-19T15:54:19.877-10:00Jamin JonesWindsurfing, surfing, Maui, The Gorge, and random rants.(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-85056555664339571852012-09-21T11:50:00.000-10:002012-09-21T12:21:44.614-10:00Lost gear and self rescue thoughts<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnBehuaP_fE/T3J-IXImTnI/AAAAAAAAHN8/yId0uG6nS50/s1600/P1010256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnBehuaP_fE/T3J-IXImTnI/AAAAAAAAHN8/yId0uG6nS50/s320/P1010256.JPG" width="320" /></a>Hey - first off, yes I know it's been a long long time that I last posted. But it's not for anything bad. Actually all is pretty great. We're back on Maui and I got a completely healed and good to go report from my doctor and surgeon over the summer. Also some early season decent waves are coming soon. Maybe more on that later.
<br />
<br />
My inspiration for suddenly writing came from a story a friend of ours just posted about her experience losing her windsurfing gear the other day at Kanaha. So first <a href="http://windsurfmaui.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/what-happens-when-your-windsurfing-gear-gets-away-from-you-at-kanaha-uppers">read her whole story here</a>!<br />
<br />
I was going to add a super long comment to Karen's post, but instead of taking up way too much space there, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here instead. So this is that comment, which all about getting back to your gear after a wipe out...<br />
<br />
Hey Karen, great story! And nice to see you came out all good and got your gear back more or less intact. <br />
I've had three long swims myself in the past few years, all on big wave days where I got taken out and my gear was washed far away. The first time a kiter towed me back to my wayward kit. (Thank you very much again!) I'm pretty sure I never would have caught up to it on my own. The 2nd and 3rd times happened last year and Julia found and held onto my gear each time and eventually I did catch up. But it took some hard and very exhausting swimming to get there. Also two days ago, again in no waves, Julia and I found a guy swimming with just his rig at Uppers, pretty far out. His board (actually the euro pin base) had separated. We helped him de-rig and took turns sailing the pieces back while Jasek towed him in. Really not a hard process but if we hadn't found him I think he was in for a bad time.<br />
<br />
More thoughts on this (and BTW this isn't specific to Karen's story, just general advice)...<br />
<br />
1) when possible sail with a friend or partner or at least in close proximity to other folks. Also if you're with someone try to let them know if you decide to head back to shore for some reason (Julia and I use the head pat signal for heading in). If headed to a different location (uppers instead of lowers) we usually get our wing man's attention and point in that direction so they know we're going (and the wing man should follow). It's great knowing that someone is around "just in case".<br />
<br />
2) It's a good idea to carry extra line/ rope. This makes it much easier to tow back gear or do on the water MacGyver repairs, etc. I've been toying with the idea of carrying a <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/bd44/">survival bracelet</a> which allows you to carry 14 ft on your wrist. In theory you can make your own such bracelets - anyone ever tried to do that?<br />
<br />
3) Do not hesitate to signal to people or lifeguards if assistance is required. For instance that time I got towed by a kiter - I was waving pretty frantically and the tow took only a few minutes. If I had waited longer it would have just been a longer tow and I would have been that much more tired. The only time I got a tow from a lifeguard (broken uni on a big wave day) he told me that I should sit on my board and wave my hands continuously. They were already out rescuing people in on this day, and by making yourself obvious it takes some pressure off them deciding if you are in fact in trouble (plus it's easy to get the rescue before you get carried back into the impact zone). But don't signal unless you're in a situation where you know you won't be able to get in by yourself (in my broken uni case I was drifting back out on the tide/channel, the wind was dying, it was late in the day, and the waves were BIG!). Also keep in mind that the lifeguards leave around 4pm and plan accordingly.<br />
<br />
4) I don't like to sail way far out past the surf zone, particularly way past where most folks tend to hang, and most particularly on a big wave day. If something freaky happens, like you blow a duck jibe way outside and your gear sails on without you down a swell (which has happened to me but I was fortunately able to catch up, though it was amazing and scary how far away it had traveled), it's likely you would not be spotted by anyone and could have a long and painful swim to shore. Plus I try to stay closer to the zone because it's easier to spot and catch the incoming swell.<br />
<br />
5) Swimming lessons and/or swimming laps are definitely a good idea. We tend to take it for granted that we can be far from shore when windsurfing. In theory we should be able to swim back from wherever we are just in case. In practice I'm pretty sure most of us would not always be comfortable doing so. If you can swim a mile without getting exhausted you're probably OK. Also when it comes to catching your gear, swimming a quick sprint can make the difference between catching it or waving goodbye. So I would mix sprints with distance. Of course I really never do this (but I really should). Julia was a college competitive swimmer (<a href="http://www.und.com/sports/w-swim/nd-w-swim-body.html">Notre Dame</a>) and I'm always amazed how much faster she is than me when I (rarely) swim in a pool. Also don't make the mistake that if you surf and paddle - even long paddles like at Lowers - that means you can swim OK. It's very different.<br />
<br />
6) And being able to swim fast in particular helps. Consider.. your gear is moving away from you at a certain speed, depending on the current and the wind. Maybe 2 mph. So if you can only swim at 2 mph you will never ever catch your gear, no matter how long you can swim, even if your stuff is only 10 feet away! If you can swim at 2.5 mph and your gear is 1/16 mile (100 yards) away then it's going to take you 7.5 minutes to catch it. If you can swim at 3 mph you reduce this to 3.75 minutes. At 3.5 mph (a fast sprint) you get to it in 150 seconds. So I'm thinking if I can swim fairly fast for 3 minutes or so, I should catch my gear even if it's pretty far away (an entire football field) and moving away at a good clip. Anyway that's the theory, I still need to swim the laps first.<br />
<br />
7) I've been surfing with these <a href="http://www.darkfingloves.com/">swimming/surf gloves</a> and they do make you a faster paddler and you can catch more waves (my surf board is only 8 ft BTW). They should also make you a faster swimmer - though I suggest swimming laps first with these in a pool to get used to them. I'm considering stuffing these down my shorty in case a quick swim to my gear (see above) is needed.<br />
<br />
8) Even better would be some kind of mini flippers that could be carried on your back or attached to the back of a harness. Something that would be out of the way until needed, really easy to put on, and light. Flippers really increase your swimming power and endurance. I've done some searching and found these <a href="http://www.trisports.com/zualswfin.html">that might do the trick.</a> Has anyone tried anything like this before?<br />
<br />
9) One last final thought. Last year on both of my long lost gear swims, I was wearing neoprene shorts (impact protection from loops), board shorts (looks cool, pocket for keys), a rash guard (comfort), a harness (required), a <a href="http://www.gathsports.com/productsingle.php?id=5">Gath surf helmet</a> (concussions are not cool), and at the time an impact vest (still recovering from chest surgery). And it occurs to me that none of that helps you swim faster. Put all that on in a pool and I'm sure you won't be breaking any speed or endurance records. So I decided to ditch much of this in favor of one light weight shorty. That and the harness and helmet, but now I have a smaller, lighter, and <a href="http://www.ion-essentials.com/public/content/products/harnesses/windsurf/ruler_windsurf_waist/">generally more comfortable harness</a>, so that should help. The idea is less is more, as in swim more faster. I hope!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-69243269345512966272012-04-07T11:17:00.000-10:002012-04-07T11:20:59.593-10:00Hookipa (unexpected) Photo Shoot<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TimecgKaIYw/T4CnsznopHI/AAAAAAAAHek/mCaShB60jkc/s200/P1010589.JPG" style="display: none;" />
[ For now just the pictures, story later ]
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20120407-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oJidojCX0uA/T4Ci8LslidI/AAAAAAAAHPM/MicyuFvF0sY/s1600/P1010374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oJidojCX0uA/T4Ci8LslidI/AAAAAAAAHPM/MicyuFvF0sY/s200/P1010374.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-___dvnRbp0o/T4Ci-9qd-0I/AAAAAAAAHPU/BG6efc-u7KM/s1600/P1010628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-___dvnRbp0o/T4Ci-9qd-0I/AAAAAAAAHPU/BG6efc-u7KM/s200/P1010628.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORwX3go3qDs/T4CjCEnWfoI/AAAAAAAAHPc/rpYkQvlKNUg/s1600/P1010339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORwX3go3qDs/T4CjCEnWfoI/AAAAAAAAHPc/rpYkQvlKNUg/s200/P1010339.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kVGVS6e4FIo/T4CjEbZt18I/AAAAAAAAHPo/ZOjjzhTvpsw/s1600/P1010661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kVGVS6e4FIo/T4CjEbZt18I/AAAAAAAAHPo/ZOjjzhTvpsw/s200/P1010661.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4wy69KKO44g/T4CjGoB3jjI/AAAAAAAAHPw/_xfOF5RwP_8/s1600/P1010674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4wy69KKO44g/T4CjGoB3jjI/AAAAAAAAHPw/_xfOF5RwP_8/s200/P1010674.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uD-p7g4DoKA/T4CjJD3OszI/AAAAAAAAHP4/2LrQhsbHKhE/s1600/P1010417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uD-p7g4DoKA/T4CjJD3OszI/AAAAAAAAHP4/2LrQhsbHKhE/s200/P1010417.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mjnQtzJuF4s/T4CjLjLYD8I/AAAAAAAAHQA/0hcB-XN0N-s/s1600/P1010314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mjnQtzJuF4s/T4CjLjLYD8I/AAAAAAAAHQA/0hcB-XN0N-s/s200/P1010314.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cqggf9WGEZU/T4CjNiBPU0I/AAAAAAAAHQI/i4cLh8giL_Y/s1600/P1010315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cqggf9WGEZU/T4CjNiBPU0I/AAAAAAAAHQI/i4cLh8giL_Y/s200/P1010315.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Co_mT_ifdIE/T4CjQI0yUXI/AAAAAAAAHQQ/U5Ty4pZpCxY/s1600/P1010720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Co_mT_ifdIE/T4CjQI0yUXI/AAAAAAAAHQQ/U5Ty4pZpCxY/s200/P1010720.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtqH0OhtucK9acrTgS0TMBnZr1tc1CPCaZo3KCLC_uBy5CwLgvkYHGEcmbHxz6k0tlzvcwk07QkUKISASpOaY5OeGWpDXt7O5aKi1odFWQWqtSgQBbcpZ-QZtYfQIsu9F_SQgKkLSg4M/s1600/P1010300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtqH0OhtucK9acrTgS0TMBnZr1tc1CPCaZo3KCLC_uBy5CwLgvkYHGEcmbHxz6k0tlzvcwk07QkUKISASpOaY5OeGWpDXt7O5aKi1odFWQWqtSgQBbcpZ-QZtYfQIsu9F_SQgKkLSg4M/s200/P1010300.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sezPbXdzB2w/T4CjV75XofI/AAAAAAAAHQg/K2osJpSsT8E/s1600/P1010366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sezPbXdzB2w/T4CjV75XofI/AAAAAAAAHQg/K2osJpSsT8E/s200/P1010366.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oBapTOq8ZEs/T4CjYGWQ4NI/AAAAAAAAHQo/lHqfxvjmffM/s1600/P1010497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oBapTOq8ZEs/T4CjYGWQ4NI/AAAAAAAAHQo/lHqfxvjmffM/s200/P1010497.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DB_eynplXBM/T4CjaVMY3PI/AAAAAAAAHQw/HDP-64uvSUM/s1600/P1010509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DB_eynplXBM/T4CjaVMY3PI/AAAAAAAAHQw/HDP-64uvSUM/s200/P1010509.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rLtyxTSkjU/T4CjcvjCbsI/AAAAAAAAHQ4/K2B3ojAym3Y/s1600/P1010573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rLtyxTSkjU/T4CjcvjCbsI/AAAAAAAAHQ4/K2B3ojAym3Y/s200/P1010573.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Zi-pguXCbE/T4CjfDw1mGI/AAAAAAAAHRA/WWXOy9z_4hg/s1600/P1010303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Zi-pguXCbE/T4CjfDw1mGI/AAAAAAAAHRA/WWXOy9z_4hg/s200/P1010303.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q5NP6MdNzuo/T4CjhfyGRRI/AAAAAAAAHRI/ZJp1dZok2uE/s1600/P1010304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q5NP6MdNzuo/T4CjhfyGRRI/AAAAAAAAHRI/ZJp1dZok2uE/s200/P1010304.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llOhvzfpTxY/T4CjjzfrIBI/AAAAAAAAHRQ/tYEMM6mjnds/s1600/P1010334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llOhvzfpTxY/T4CjjzfrIBI/AAAAAAAAHRQ/tYEMM6mjnds/s200/P1010334.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JA24ISWDR-Q/T4CjmCzK0aI/AAAAAAAAHRY/r4QUk4j3K4Y/s1600/P1010343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JA24ISWDR-Q/T4CjmCzK0aI/AAAAAAAAHRY/r4QUk4j3K4Y/s200/P1010343.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nOx8IXcYB9c/T4CjoiXI_gI/AAAAAAAAHRg/vLy4-urxoLs/s1600/P1010328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nOx8IXcYB9c/T4CjoiXI_gI/AAAAAAAAHRg/vLy4-urxoLs/s200/P1010328.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5io-icLuTvs/T4Cjq7PWHJI/AAAAAAAAHRs/ue1JDSU-i9k/s1600/P1010331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5io-icLuTvs/T4Cjq7PWHJI/AAAAAAAAHRs/ue1JDSU-i9k/s200/P1010331.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim81e6om7n3lF_TBVX6Pl6g42OTdOU02kNJVA1bH8edVNwgImO3eteftETE8sTOQpNJfxHRxSBBauqHEzsD9hH5cpe5shw5I00HknrzLqyPL-lk4Kyaa__ZU4HFtVS4HcawXOaEIQn_uU/s1600/P1010332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim81e6om7n3lF_TBVX6Pl6g42OTdOU02kNJVA1bH8edVNwgImO3eteftETE8sTOQpNJfxHRxSBBauqHEzsD9hH5cpe5shw5I00HknrzLqyPL-lk4Kyaa__ZU4HFtVS4HcawXOaEIQn_uU/s200/P1010332.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Txdq9rS0ahA/T4CjvUtiYzI/AAAAAAAAHR8/Ya5FRio4asc/s1600/P1010359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Txdq9rS0ahA/T4CjvUtiYzI/AAAAAAAAHR8/Ya5FRio4asc/s200/P1010359.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SgMQ9zMb_c/T4Cjx9eth0I/AAAAAAAAHSE/zGF_l1qIsKY/s1600/P1010451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3SgMQ9zMb_c/T4Cjx9eth0I/AAAAAAAAHSE/zGF_l1qIsKY/s200/P1010451.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0EPuyfIJc0/T4Cj0oYAFJI/AAAAAAAAHSM/0drF6P602fA/s1600/P1010508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0EPuyfIJc0/T4Cj0oYAFJI/AAAAAAAAHSM/0drF6P602fA/s200/P1010508.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27Feei6SlOs/T4Cj3nHz7RI/AAAAAAAAHSU/Eows1O89u9U/s1600/P1010495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27Feei6SlOs/T4Cj3nHz7RI/AAAAAAAAHSU/Eows1O89u9U/s200/P1010495.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WiL19zwV-do/T4Cj6UfgljI/AAAAAAAAHSc/QoMy0Kbnp0E/s1600/P1010777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WiL19zwV-do/T4Cj6UfgljI/AAAAAAAAHSc/QoMy0Kbnp0E/s200/P1010777.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y3UXkQoI45o/T4Cj821KteI/AAAAAAAAHSk/XMkPIVHd0FI/s1600/P1010778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y3UXkQoI45o/T4Cj821KteI/AAAAAAAAHSk/XMkPIVHd0FI/s200/P1010778.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ39xbUj3Pw/T4Cj_V6Ih-I/AAAAAAAAHSs/8gZUv377fqI/s1600/P1010780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ39xbUj3Pw/T4Cj_V6Ih-I/AAAAAAAAHSs/8gZUv377fqI/s200/P1010780.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2DujmmZ8QRQ/T4CkCagWmCI/AAAAAAAAHS0/6b56Q-ydZfc/s1600/P1010792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2DujmmZ8QRQ/T4CkCagWmCI/AAAAAAAAHS0/6b56Q-ydZfc/s200/P1010792.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sc_Z7pyWcVc/T4CkFEHj5mI/AAAAAAAAHS8/6jaMX9ZuvKA/s1600/P1010324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sc_Z7pyWcVc/T4CkFEHj5mI/AAAAAAAAHS8/6jaMX9ZuvKA/s200/P1010324.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--1PnSwzm1b4/T4CkIG384uI/AAAAAAAAHTE/ZTBMGuetLqI/s1600/P1010412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--1PnSwzm1b4/T4CkIG384uI/AAAAAAAAHTE/ZTBMGuetLqI/s200/P1010412.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rpacXVsoSQ8/T4CkLPCmgiI/AAAAAAAAHTQ/dR16LumW31Q/s1600/P1010352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rpacXVsoSQ8/T4CkLPCmgiI/AAAAAAAAHTQ/dR16LumW31Q/s200/P1010352.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z0yKZ_A5HRk/T4CkNOTHDbI/AAAAAAAAHTY/Z2UYB4HL4Qg/s1600/P1010349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z0yKZ_A5HRk/T4CkNOTHDbI/AAAAAAAAHTY/Z2UYB4HL4Qg/s200/P1010349.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EzooAp5IziA/T4CkPOoolkI/AAAAAAAAHTg/aoXLo41W7vw/s1600/P1010350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EzooAp5IziA/T4CkPOoolkI/AAAAAAAAHTg/aoXLo41W7vw/s200/P1010350.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RIdj-sF-nt4/T4CkRVIHp1I/AAAAAAAAHTo/VBjr5TC3arI/s1600/P1010526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RIdj-sF-nt4/T4CkRVIHp1I/AAAAAAAAHTo/VBjr5TC3arI/s200/P1010526.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cg9USzsFvxU/T4CkUJN8VbI/AAAAAAAAHTw/wSL3zEZFnoU/s1600/P1010568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cg9USzsFvxU/T4CkUJN8VbI/AAAAAAAAHTw/wSL3zEZFnoU/s200/P1010568.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnhTXpKX4Ig/T4CkWWmvYkI/AAAAAAAAHT4/M_MFstPKeu4/s1600/P1010346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnhTXpKX4Ig/T4CkWWmvYkI/AAAAAAAAHT4/M_MFstPKeu4/s200/P1010346.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0LrkWhGLk0/T4CkZH1x7XI/AAAAAAAAHUA/kf1NFnZBKVs/s1600/P1010579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0LrkWhGLk0/T4CkZH1x7XI/AAAAAAAAHUA/kf1NFnZBKVs/s200/P1010579.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPcnVHuTyRc/T4CkbwOcV8I/AAAAAAAAHUI/3YIeF8cNGuA/s1600/P1010433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPcnVHuTyRc/T4CkbwOcV8I/AAAAAAAAHUI/3YIeF8cNGuA/s200/P1010433.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAOc6hkPkvCbNar38UEeW8DnVl9q2ln32VgLfvObq4bzmIMeKrw3ZBd2jOPAmKO-e3kjtj7URbNnUvarOqhiSbnWXL37hS2xW6pWyIiBa-ImIOVFVltonVibpw-Xt2z2WgZrz1-R_bXA/s1600/P1010459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAOc6hkPkvCbNar38UEeW8DnVl9q2ln32VgLfvObq4bzmIMeKrw3ZBd2jOPAmKO-e3kjtj7URbNnUvarOqhiSbnWXL37hS2xW6pWyIiBa-ImIOVFVltonVibpw-Xt2z2WgZrz1-R_bXA/s200/P1010459.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hkciTFp-kLE/T4CkhVJyM8I/AAAAAAAAHUY/Ln4heD-IkdQ/s1600/P1010471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hkciTFp-kLE/T4CkhVJyM8I/AAAAAAAAHUY/Ln4heD-IkdQ/s200/P1010471.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWcenB2Hy_8/T4Ckj0_OMVI/AAAAAAAAHUg/qEqXVSaLmiY/s1600/P1010472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWcenB2Hy_8/T4Ckj0_OMVI/AAAAAAAAHUg/qEqXVSaLmiY/s200/P1010472.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3uidKDjDyE/T4CkmcariSI/AAAAAAAAHUo/g_HnidchO6I/s1600/P1010519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3uidKDjDyE/T4CkmcariSI/AAAAAAAAHUo/g_HnidchO6I/s200/P1010519.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yqiYdocEjNY/T4Cko7ZeoXI/AAAAAAAAHUw/0qmHQHLil1I/s1600/P1010520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yqiYdocEjNY/T4Cko7ZeoXI/AAAAAAAAHUw/0qmHQHLil1I/s200/P1010520.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hi8gWdn4KM/T4CkrdFxDrI/AAAAAAAAHU4/OOn4VqANObM/s1600/P1010567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hi8gWdn4KM/T4CkrdFxDrI/AAAAAAAAHU4/OOn4VqANObM/s200/P1010567.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQDvvDFsDhA/T4CkuFRwL5I/AAAAAAAAHVI/rMbogPRG_I8/s1600/P1010502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQDvvDFsDhA/T4CkuFRwL5I/AAAAAAAAHVI/rMbogPRG_I8/s200/P1010502.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHZhU_Zecg8/T4Ckxj7bGrI/AAAAAAAAHVQ/9LpzqDafCFE/s1600/P1010544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHZhU_Zecg8/T4Ckxj7bGrI/AAAAAAAAHVQ/9LpzqDafCFE/s200/P1010544.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZU_5VJZ4ek/T4Ck0Rh7V1I/AAAAAAAAHVY/Aj3NyC4VSzo/s1600/P1010588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZU_5VJZ4ek/T4Ck0Rh7V1I/AAAAAAAAHVY/Aj3NyC4VSzo/s200/P1010588.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yz3bIH225dU/T4Ck20NppnI/AAAAAAAAHVg/clgEq9kXINc/s1600/P1010565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yz3bIH225dU/T4Ck20NppnI/AAAAAAAAHVg/clgEq9kXINc/s200/P1010565.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBhbhungHGE/T4Ck5UpAiQI/AAAAAAAAHVo/8QuncRV98Dk/s1600/P1010634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBhbhungHGE/T4Ck5UpAiQI/AAAAAAAAHVo/8QuncRV98Dk/s200/P1010634.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r5rHasedMzc/T4Ck7iE15jI/AAAAAAAAHVw/NZfX-El0xxc/s1600/P1010648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r5rHasedMzc/T4Ck7iE15jI/AAAAAAAAHVw/NZfX-El0xxc/s200/P1010648.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAGkSwuSTIE/T4Ck-ArBxuI/AAAAAAAAHV4/pGo2DCZX9Dk/s1600/P1010703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAGkSwuSTIE/T4Ck-ArBxuI/AAAAAAAAHV4/pGo2DCZX9Dk/s200/P1010703.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nvHCU9nVOQ8/T4ClAhjfEII/AAAAAAAAHWA/-1_FtD_aDO4/s1600/P1010456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nvHCU9nVOQ8/T4ClAhjfEII/AAAAAAAAHWA/-1_FtD_aDO4/s200/P1010456.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEhugNZk30U/T4ClDFsAigI/AAAAAAAAHWI/xicp7yXe2os/s1600/P1010357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEhugNZk30U/T4ClDFsAigI/AAAAAAAAHWI/xicp7yXe2os/s200/P1010357.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GiiVD1InPjw/T4ClGA_UTtI/AAAAAAAAHWQ/6ddACIiP8Aw/s1600/P1010558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GiiVD1InPjw/T4ClGA_UTtI/AAAAAAAAHWQ/6ddACIiP8Aw/s200/P1010558.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-isckjR98xZo/T4ClJIPX5gI/AAAAAAAAHWY/DiY9tZx0aPQ/s1600/P1010562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-isckjR98xZo/T4ClJIPX5gI/AAAAAAAAHWY/DiY9tZx0aPQ/s200/P1010562.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-isW0pqD19Xw/T4ClL7RsFXI/AAAAAAAAHWg/pjXfB-eoP2w/s1600/P1010537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-isW0pqD19Xw/T4ClL7RsFXI/AAAAAAAAHWg/pjXfB-eoP2w/s200/P1010537.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yt7iNsBv8Rs/T4ClO_QS3QI/AAAAAAAAHWo/qAzskPOe5IE/s1600/P1010676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yt7iNsBv8Rs/T4ClO_QS3QI/AAAAAAAAHWo/qAzskPOe5IE/s200/P1010676.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-StfD30b82HA/T4ClR9Af6FI/AAAAAAAAHW0/AKpbbeLpIQM/s1600/P1010662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-StfD30b82HA/T4ClR9Af6FI/AAAAAAAAHW0/AKpbbeLpIQM/s200/P1010662.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YGKgk7q-MYg/T4ClUXP-qtI/AAAAAAAAHW8/FH1XO9tKuRY/s1600/P1010663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YGKgk7q-MYg/T4ClUXP-qtI/AAAAAAAAHW8/FH1XO9tKuRY/s200/P1010663.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6RTM3ggk8g4/T4ClXZTfjqI/AAAAAAAAHXE/-45ocQWlnLQ/s1600/P1010447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6RTM3ggk8g4/T4ClXZTfjqI/AAAAAAAAHXE/-45ocQWlnLQ/s200/P1010447.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYsMYcF2RVU/T4ClamPASDI/AAAAAAAAHXM/dM4LvoZGYXM/s1600/P1010583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYsMYcF2RVU/T4ClamPASDI/AAAAAAAAHXM/dM4LvoZGYXM/s200/P1010583.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oV2Yh7sQklM/T4ClchNr09I/AAAAAAAAHXU/B-WTbzbwIN0/s1600/P1010584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oV2Yh7sQklM/T4ClchNr09I/AAAAAAAAHXU/B-WTbzbwIN0/s200/P1010584.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lh044BYhH-8/T4Cle6x2rSI/AAAAAAAAHXc/Q2ggkJUovDY/s1600/P1010449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lh044BYhH-8/T4Cle6x2rSI/AAAAAAAAHXc/Q2ggkJUovDY/s200/P1010449.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuymWy3oDjcGLjmqwZ57Vzt8qrOsplB13FAxZRu4yUfc98xglCdOeJ8P5P3Otd_sVvmZVAc-iIiFQH_B484bn54NqjZFIVNn_14hfvNEIQKFYqrZRjN6ipj_tQAuz15QqYyGYEnNGYk_k/s1600/P1010363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuymWy3oDjcGLjmqwZ57Vzt8qrOsplB13FAxZRu4yUfc98xglCdOeJ8P5P3Otd_sVvmZVAc-iIiFQH_B484bn54NqjZFIVNn_14hfvNEIQKFYqrZRjN6ipj_tQAuz15QqYyGYEnNGYk_k/s200/P1010363.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61s9dzqeLlQ/T4CljhlL4jI/AAAAAAAAHXs/PdctSJ1fmBQ/s1600/P1010379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61s9dzqeLlQ/T4CljhlL4jI/AAAAAAAAHXs/PdctSJ1fmBQ/s200/P1010379.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyVrgY8bmwg/T4Cll1hwD7I/AAAAAAAAHX0/wLyQaSqMRBk/s1600/P1010380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyVrgY8bmwg/T4Cll1hwD7I/AAAAAAAAHX0/wLyQaSqMRBk/s200/P1010380.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoE-T2VJMdA/T4CloZ2FuNI/AAAAAAAAHX8/Lso7yXaLg-A/s1600/P1010381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoE-T2VJMdA/T4CloZ2FuNI/AAAAAAAAHX8/Lso7yXaLg-A/s200/P1010381.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EIVMzrXFM0o/T4ClqkbINCI/AAAAAAAAHYE/B2_RK5GHHPQ/s1600/P1010425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EIVMzrXFM0o/T4ClqkbINCI/AAAAAAAAHYE/B2_RK5GHHPQ/s200/P1010425.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wtOYlL1mXVQ/T4CltcVl3jI/AAAAAAAAHYM/v2mQtBud5WM/s1600/P1010426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wtOYlL1mXVQ/T4CltcVl3jI/AAAAAAAAHYM/v2mQtBud5WM/s200/P1010426.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZjeY1LsJ_8/T4ClvzogeQI/AAAAAAAAHYU/f3qbew6bjGU/s1600/P1010443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZjeY1LsJ_8/T4ClvzogeQI/AAAAAAAAHYU/f3qbew6bjGU/s200/P1010443.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsUZVEMI8x52hZ75mzaGxTpCbDjl0P_VXUEKXfnvRgn4kg7vQzA6GZnvj80J8zP3GNh7f_T_Y6Huz8unBNVGo0GqjLaaIKc90qI0NFBeoPWV2VZhl5jbf2JpIEiO-CE9rcPndVir4nio/s1600/P1010444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsUZVEMI8x52hZ75mzaGxTpCbDjl0P_VXUEKXfnvRgn4kg7vQzA6GZnvj80J8zP3GNh7f_T_Y6Huz8unBNVGo0GqjLaaIKc90qI0NFBeoPWV2VZhl5jbf2JpIEiO-CE9rcPndVir4nio/s200/P1010444.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rc1mLUwFNUMP_Ws5IRvESS2V9GTqOxGj6NU5u-yQ5RgBPnvmx4cEf6fyl7pxMMS3QOKI9h76Ze2sIhanhzNJSjoN2SGIi5zA3r8d8gjv-D0VQq2zULACNYzTftjbBvFRWN8MxqDax58/s1600/P1010446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rc1mLUwFNUMP_Ws5IRvESS2V9GTqOxGj6NU5u-yQ5RgBPnvmx4cEf6fyl7pxMMS3QOKI9h76Ze2sIhanhzNJSjoN2SGIi5zA3r8d8gjv-D0VQq2zULACNYzTftjbBvFRWN8MxqDax58/s200/P1010446.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8skpHY_fUZE/T4Cl48Ce8KI/AAAAAAAAHYw/Dc23g3fzroQ/s1600/P1010467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8skpHY_fUZE/T4Cl48Ce8KI/AAAAAAAAHYw/Dc23g3fzroQ/s200/P1010467.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rg86xcD_HJpeuwZBPUUpg9SxYKsZDo9CB3r0LumS4-bQ6LkbM6aJdabSHOnkUj8B0zajlV3M3TMwitqMYR427lwErTQxVLLTWbgjtj8rD97GvBdgCEOZpAJKx5cJOtJDq2PB-_GwPE8/s1600/P1010468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rg86xcD_HJpeuwZBPUUpg9SxYKsZDo9CB3r0LumS4-bQ6LkbM6aJdabSHOnkUj8B0zajlV3M3TMwitqMYR427lwErTQxVLLTWbgjtj8rD97GvBdgCEOZpAJKx5cJOtJDq2PB-_GwPE8/s200/P1010468.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwTWNVcVJXs/T4Cl9rDAwHI/AAAAAAAAHZA/NmNmRGy76Tk/s1600/P1010469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwTWNVcVJXs/T4Cl9rDAwHI/AAAAAAAAHZA/NmNmRGy76Tk/s200/P1010469.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x9AERxivUh4/T4Cl_2sI_wI/AAAAAAAAHZI/3Ubzoacd6Mk/s1600/P1010470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x9AERxivUh4/T4Cl_2sI_wI/AAAAAAAAHZI/3Ubzoacd6Mk/s200/P1010470.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufNWmbxt20Q/T4CmCotrhrI/AAAAAAAAHZQ/DeFQB4v_i-A/s1600/P1010474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufNWmbxt20Q/T4CmCotrhrI/AAAAAAAAHZQ/DeFQB4v_i-A/s200/P1010474.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ9klNKEBi4/T4CmFLXjF9I/AAAAAAAAHZY/Vk8F2Mrdmto/s1600/P1010484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ9klNKEBi4/T4CmFLXjF9I/AAAAAAAAHZY/Vk8F2Mrdmto/s200/P1010484.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Vd0kq6BRag/T4CmHQDlrXI/AAAAAAAAHZg/cbrOBFNNn5o/s1600/P1010485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Vd0kq6BRag/T4CmHQDlrXI/AAAAAAAAHZg/cbrOBFNNn5o/s200/P1010485.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8s2Abd9r_o/T4CmKXP77wI/AAAAAAAAHZo/pUdVrvbmfwY/s1600/P1010512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8s2Abd9r_o/T4CmKXP77wI/AAAAAAAAHZo/pUdVrvbmfwY/s200/P1010512.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rb0kM-yeGuW3MdXA486tEgEb4JZ-CnEygcCT8TzZtr_WpRhDKG6BtQNXOoSTszuY0b6J0UitdIqFoOtp8IV8rt3HnjjCjA6XwPHSbuWUcTLKuerQRtOHAhIig2wpIQupUNTmMrhAkqg/s1600/P1010548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rb0kM-yeGuW3MdXA486tEgEb4JZ-CnEygcCT8TzZtr_WpRhDKG6BtQNXOoSTszuY0b6J0UitdIqFoOtp8IV8rt3HnjjCjA6XwPHSbuWUcTLKuerQRtOHAhIig2wpIQupUNTmMrhAkqg/s200/P1010548.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z9QRMlz6DFc/T4CmPycRuMI/AAAAAAAAHZ4/rNguBB49Tyg/s1600/P1010691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z9QRMlz6DFc/T4CmPycRuMI/AAAAAAAAHZ4/rNguBB49Tyg/s200/P1010691.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbKlBPaAth8/T4CmTGBEi-I/AAAAAAAAHaA/gBom2tebCLE/s1600/P1010410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbKlBPaAth8/T4CmTGBEi-I/AAAAAAAAHaA/gBom2tebCLE/s200/P1010410.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--qGq5tOMUBg/T4CmVpT7jGI/AAAAAAAAHaI/D0URcgZzMYE/s1600/P1010596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--qGq5tOMUBg/T4CmVpT7jGI/AAAAAAAAHaI/D0URcgZzMYE/s200/P1010596.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TahE9cM1OWM/T4CmYLq3_CI/AAAAAAAAHaU/GkWcDy9ouB8/s1600/P1010552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TahE9cM1OWM/T4CmYLq3_CI/AAAAAAAAHaU/GkWcDy9ouB8/s200/P1010552.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EB1JAZ-qzyY/T4Cmag8gyhI/AAAAAAAAHac/Rn3QVsjxwds/s1600/P1010598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EB1JAZ-qzyY/T4Cmag8gyhI/AAAAAAAAHac/Rn3QVsjxwds/s200/P1010598.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_xps0NlHEc/T4CmdHIF7dI/AAAAAAAAHak/Phi3XGyY89o/s1600/P1010422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_xps0NlHEc/T4CmdHIF7dI/AAAAAAAAHak/Phi3XGyY89o/s200/P1010422.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iz2BBmrbSmM/T4CmgG07n9I/AAAAAAAAHas/iC_K_Yhj3eE/s1600/P1010595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iz2BBmrbSmM/T4CmgG07n9I/AAAAAAAAHas/iC_K_Yhj3eE/s200/P1010595.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c3lrCVToffo/T4CmiacGMoI/AAAAAAAAHa0/VmM_Z8aPHpA/s1600/P1010462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c3lrCVToffo/T4CmiacGMoI/AAAAAAAAHa0/VmM_Z8aPHpA/s200/P1010462.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLpZ9Gzqt1pgehnWLVUMKAd5Eaw3_EfrvPGsTCMDKgQjk63dewEuSAFzDCxvKwlIBM0aU_0lGps8Y-sZ6aKA9D07ednJEUy6nKeVvizlJk5qwhTmtncL7bVn3IwlPpQrFy8aHVHvwG98/s1600/P1010464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLpZ9Gzqt1pgehnWLVUMKAd5Eaw3_EfrvPGsTCMDKgQjk63dewEuSAFzDCxvKwlIBM0aU_0lGps8Y-sZ6aKA9D07ednJEUy6nKeVvizlJk5qwhTmtncL7bVn3IwlPpQrFy8aHVHvwG98/s200/P1010464.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t7Ei9j-Sy7s/T4CmoEqWL5I/AAAAAAAAHbE/r_WSGsnQSvo/s1600/P1010534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t7Ei9j-Sy7s/T4CmoEqWL5I/AAAAAAAAHbE/r_WSGsnQSvo/s200/P1010534.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4lasixxtSE/T4CmqbEd8II/AAAAAAAAHbM/Uzg8Fbq3KJo/s1600/P1010597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4lasixxtSE/T4CmqbEd8II/AAAAAAAAHbM/Uzg8Fbq3KJo/s200/P1010597.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFG_sxOSW4cLKN06GUMO0DCb3KBKddoxyIbYUsJJxI7PqAVqnOJ55vMkjCG3kqTzH_Q1rpimj2XrvJHdWyeW0RnD7fUFNPQOq5B9oqefyPsfNjEdpANt_bqvwCHLlJG9jWEDtIZaf9aM/s1600/P1010478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFG_sxOSW4cLKN06GUMO0DCb3KBKddoxyIbYUsJJxI7PqAVqnOJ55vMkjCG3kqTzH_Q1rpimj2XrvJHdWyeW0RnD7fUFNPQOq5B9oqefyPsfNjEdpANt_bqvwCHLlJG9jWEDtIZaf9aM/s200/P1010478.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2KoDrjXU06g/T4Cmu0aup3I/AAAAAAAAHbc/Ap-rF1HyxgM/s1600/P1010479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2KoDrjXU06g/T4Cmu0aup3I/AAAAAAAAHbc/Ap-rF1HyxgM/s200/P1010479.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkjyw5Tv1cs_djgvc-5HRCMIT5D-vSF9i3naU8ss_9_jih8gww6QiJau5zq4p-AoXdjvL9gndQrgO-YJlZx-iHFIu_6fT9LNPYUj7SlqdScIRn4sXNitNUoj5q9ErapW5WUBfpVt6H9o/s1600/P1010440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkjyw5Tv1cs_djgvc-5HRCMIT5D-vSF9i3naU8ss_9_jih8gww6QiJau5zq4p-AoXdjvL9gndQrgO-YJlZx-iHFIu_6fT9LNPYUj7SlqdScIRn4sXNitNUoj5q9ErapW5WUBfpVt6H9o/s200/P1010440.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFqFluhzELs/T4Cm0ZXtnfI/AAAAAAAAHbs/voWvlNn6Rt8/s1600/P1010441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFqFluhzELs/T4Cm0ZXtnfI/AAAAAAAAHbs/voWvlNn6Rt8/s200/P1010441.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SY2U_T4Xy8/T4Cm20g5eFI/AAAAAAAAHb0/uzvipnHr-uc/s1600/P1010442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SY2U_T4Xy8/T4Cm20g5eFI/AAAAAAAAHb0/uzvipnHr-uc/s200/P1010442.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zRBZoo7vsT0/T4Cm50ebsWI/AAAAAAAAHb8/k1DXsebmJQU/s1600/P1010636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zRBZoo7vsT0/T4Cm50ebsWI/AAAAAAAAHb8/k1DXsebmJQU/s200/P1010636.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx4ezzlwJCc/T4Cm8ClqRpI/AAAAAAAAHcI/9fQIsPRcFs0/s1600/P1010513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx4ezzlwJCc/T4Cm8ClqRpI/AAAAAAAAHcI/9fQIsPRcFs0/s200/P1010513.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ms6VjBj7BfU/T4Cm-3ktp0I/AAAAAAAAHcQ/84s7-ZY6ado/s1600/P1010538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ms6VjBj7BfU/T4Cm-3ktp0I/AAAAAAAAHcQ/84s7-ZY6ado/s200/P1010538.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vou8htPTf0g/T4CnBaRbblI/AAAAAAAAHcY/cDe6TGCgE5Y/s1600/P1010639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vou8htPTf0g/T4CnBaRbblI/AAAAAAAAHcY/cDe6TGCgE5Y/s200/P1010639.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SthX-2JBpdU/T4CnEmo3IzI/AAAAAAAAHcg/FNy9k_scVYw/s1600/P1010641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SthX-2JBpdU/T4CnEmo3IzI/AAAAAAAAHcg/FNy9k_scVYw/s200/P1010641.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVxkCgKrusg/T4CnG8n5xfI/AAAAAAAAHco/mh_aLYiXQ2Y/s1600/P1010642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVxkCgKrusg/T4CnG8n5xfI/AAAAAAAAHco/mh_aLYiXQ2Y/s200/P1010642.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sUzwY6tsFh8/T4CnJiQEBtI/AAAAAAAAHcw/9_ZPiEsv-rY/s1600/P1010638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sUzwY6tsFh8/T4CnJiQEBtI/AAAAAAAAHcw/9_ZPiEsv-rY/s200/P1010638.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_UJB4L9SHk/T4CnMNV01TI/AAAAAAAAHc4/R1fEfZ9ZGfw/s1600/P1010653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_UJB4L9SHk/T4CnMNV01TI/AAAAAAAAHc4/R1fEfZ9ZGfw/s200/P1010653.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qx8a3Nx6XIk/T4CnO0HUxhI/AAAAAAAAHdA/Ci7OkMwnhFk/s1600/P1010654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qx8a3Nx6XIk/T4CnO0HUxhI/AAAAAAAAHdA/Ci7OkMwnhFk/s200/P1010654.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FMjfegCL3c/T4CnRo8fslI/AAAAAAAAHdI/-ORpKIi6iyc/s1600/P1010514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FMjfegCL3c/T4CnRo8fslI/AAAAAAAAHdI/-ORpKIi6iyc/s200/P1010514.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2R0glxfaIE/T4CnTweNEhI/AAAAAAAAHdQ/kuWULQyC4-Q/s1600/P1010531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2R0glxfaIE/T4CnTweNEhI/AAAAAAAAHdQ/kuWULQyC4-Q/s200/P1010531.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZEBgpZYAlU/T4CnWQpFhrI/AAAAAAAAHdY/Y9Os-4WSbcQ/s1600/P1010500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZEBgpZYAlU/T4CnWQpFhrI/AAAAAAAAHdY/Y9Os-4WSbcQ/s200/P1010500.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4ifMLadbLy1gyk6GwVBOh5wKdTgftTa1a7eKt1PKSK7958LO1MfrgWcryuj0t5-0PngJjKriGlpWZY4GibsZpN4karXBhKe742Ph_CC5ETw5N3S2mr9MpqX2VKHcBY2MQjuKIXx2nQ0/s1600/P1010530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4ifMLadbLy1gyk6GwVBOh5wKdTgftTa1a7eKt1PKSK7958LO1MfrgWcryuj0t5-0PngJjKriGlpWZY4GibsZpN4karXBhKe742Ph_CC5ETw5N3S2mr9MpqX2VKHcBY2MQjuKIXx2nQ0/s200/P1010530.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDuCy2IJhTo/T4CncIZa1kI/AAAAAAAAHdo/KAgAdq-UOX4/s1600/P1010541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDuCy2IJhTo/T4CncIZa1kI/AAAAAAAAHdo/KAgAdq-UOX4/s200/P1010541.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hTyl66-43SY/T4Cne5Gr1II/AAAAAAAAHdw/6uoSqNotA_0/s1600/P1010569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hTyl66-43SY/T4Cne5Gr1II/AAAAAAAAHdw/6uoSqNotA_0/s200/P1010569.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ibbaocW1H8/T4CnhMHfxXI/AAAAAAAAHd8/h6uIHvIB-RI/s1600/P1010748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ibbaocW1H8/T4CnhMHfxXI/AAAAAAAAHd8/h6uIHvIB-RI/s200/P1010748.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuIp9Bpp7WQ/T4Cnjf-XBZI/AAAAAAAAHeE/ngvZyrWq1ic/s1600/P1010570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuIp9Bpp7WQ/T4Cnjf-XBZI/AAAAAAAAHeE/ngvZyrWq1ic/s200/P1010570.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cksOMVBREkI/T4CnlzqD3sI/AAAAAAAAHeM/Drp0j8uZNl8/s1600/P1010614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cksOMVBREkI/T4CnlzqD3sI/AAAAAAAAHeM/Drp0j8uZNl8/s200/P1010614.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pB_xHiTa5po/T4Cnoksa96I/AAAAAAAAHeU/thYdJ8pZrso/s1600/P1010615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pB_xHiTa5po/T4Cnoksa96I/AAAAAAAAHeU/thYdJ8pZrso/s200/P1010615.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BenR7YaQTHY/T4Cnq-6_6MI/AAAAAAAAHec/vvBMU5y7uB4/s1600/P1010798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BenR7YaQTHY/T4Cnq-6_6MI/AAAAAAAAHec/vvBMU5y7uB4/s200/P1010798.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TimecgKaIYw/T4CnsznopHI/AAAAAAAAHek/mCaShB60jkc/s1600/P1010589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TimecgKaIYw/T4CnsznopHI/AAAAAAAAHek/mCaShB60jkc/s200/P1010589.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FT34KtHJhQI/T4CnvW_xSeI/AAAAAAAAHes/eCqYdY9UOro/s1600/P1010590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FT34KtHJhQI/T4CnvW_xSeI/AAAAAAAAHes/eCqYdY9UOro/s200/P1010590.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgQzkcvs8fo/T4Cnxk-MYbI/AAAAAAAAHe0/5K2Ow41nne0/s1600/P1010649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgQzkcvs8fo/T4Cnxk-MYbI/AAAAAAAAHe0/5K2Ow41nne0/s200/P1010649.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lmdyR_WXDCg/T4Cn0lkbJbI/AAAAAAAAHe8/jN6KylLEM20/s1600/P1010658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lmdyR_WXDCg/T4Cn0lkbJbI/AAAAAAAAHe8/jN6KylLEM20/s200/P1010658.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVl-sS28pOI/T4Cn3kQ9L3I/AAAAAAAAHfE/WTsNVB9rymo/s1600/P1010679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVl-sS28pOI/T4Cn3kQ9L3I/AAAAAAAAHfE/WTsNVB9rymo/s200/P1010679.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2eqVdQMf1tE/T4Cn6qSpJvI/AAAAAAAAHfM/ean1iQDHWZQ/s1600/P1010680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2eqVdQMf1tE/T4Cn6qSpJvI/AAAAAAAAHfM/ean1iQDHWZQ/s200/P1010680.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M4IXOaRH_ZY/T4Cn9UilR_I/AAAAAAAAHfU/pdXzpVyUZ8o/s1600/P1010682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M4IXOaRH_ZY/T4Cn9UilR_I/AAAAAAAAHfU/pdXzpVyUZ8o/s200/P1010682.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7QoHbhqIr-8/T4CoAOJuDNI/AAAAAAAAHfg/rtxJ5PeyY3w/s1600/P1010683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7QoHbhqIr-8/T4CoAOJuDNI/AAAAAAAAHfg/rtxJ5PeyY3w/s200/P1010683.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JEoSwr1-rKY/T4CoC9_wBqI/AAAAAAAAHfo/HqXVHARzJDg/s1600/P1010575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JEoSwr1-rKY/T4CoC9_wBqI/AAAAAAAAHfo/HqXVHARzJDg/s200/P1010575.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoRgAW5iQqY/T4CoFB6nkfI/AAAAAAAAHfw/aBeDxlzatAM/s1600/P1010700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoRgAW5iQqY/T4CoFB6nkfI/AAAAAAAAHfw/aBeDxlzatAM/s200/P1010700.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gOTJ0fX1M0/T4CoH22yaII/AAAAAAAAHf4/pws6uF6OIOA/s1600/P1010701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gOTJ0fX1M0/T4CoH22yaII/AAAAAAAAHf4/pws6uF6OIOA/s200/P1010701.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDF9sPBIV5U/T4CoKX2g5YI/AAAAAAAAHgA/I-ljcggyIUc/s1600/P1010664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDF9sPBIV5U/T4CoKX2g5YI/AAAAAAAAHgA/I-ljcggyIUc/s200/P1010664.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OomxCGdF5FY/T4CoMvXFUUI/AAAAAAAAHgI/iwsVzkNtxt0/s1600/P1010665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OomxCGdF5FY/T4CoMvXFUUI/AAAAAAAAHgI/iwsVzkNtxt0/s200/P1010665.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b14P7huVOhE/T4CoPO5TbLI/AAAAAAAAHgQ/MR0PhTUwqkk/s1600/P1010666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b14P7huVOhE/T4CoPO5TbLI/AAAAAAAAHgQ/MR0PhTUwqkk/s200/P1010666.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQN3xjGasis/T4CoRLHNxOI/AAAAAAAAHgY/8c6pvPc3G3U/s1600/P1010685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQN3xjGasis/T4CoRLHNxOI/AAAAAAAAHgY/8c6pvPc3G3U/s200/P1010685.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--GJOmtFmFyA/T4CoT9qj-6I/AAAAAAAAHgg/4OGsWMdbhyM/s1600/P1010687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--GJOmtFmFyA/T4CoT9qj-6I/AAAAAAAAHgg/4OGsWMdbhyM/s200/P1010687.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7QT9ZhQW9Q/T4CoWmDm_dI/AAAAAAAAHgo/XxECeHiQ8Dk/s1600/P1010708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7QT9ZhQW9Q/T4CoWmDm_dI/AAAAAAAAHgo/XxECeHiQ8Dk/s200/P1010708.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGYV_G534cQ/T4CoYng3VxI/AAAAAAAAHgw/QP74WN1r25E/s1600/P1010709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGYV_G534cQ/T4CoYng3VxI/AAAAAAAAHgw/QP74WN1r25E/s200/P1010709.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6mKF26TfcU/T4CobHqcuPI/AAAAAAAAHg4/gXR_gq2sIjY/s1600/P1010784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6mKF26TfcU/T4CobHqcuPI/AAAAAAAAHg4/gXR_gq2sIjY/s200/P1010784.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlX740_smJE/T4CodPiqR1I/AAAAAAAAHhA/CxroGIU0Rkg/s1600/P1010785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlX740_smJE/T4CodPiqR1I/AAAAAAAAHhA/CxroGIU0Rkg/s200/P1010785.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DxUXyhnu46o/T4Cofar1PTI/AAAAAAAAHhI/MFaKFr1IK60/s1600/P1010840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DxUXyhnu46o/T4Cofar1PTI/AAAAAAAAHhI/MFaKFr1IK60/s200/P1010840.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wgk4pI3FU2c/T4CohuE3j6I/AAAAAAAAHhU/67IsMJNdOlg/s1600/P1010799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wgk4pI3FU2c/T4CohuE3j6I/AAAAAAAAHhU/67IsMJNdOlg/s200/P1010799.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNeHIwrctSo/T4CokUKILpI/AAAAAAAAHhc/cmjON_sUxvE/s1600/P1010804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNeHIwrctSo/T4CokUKILpI/AAAAAAAAHhc/cmjON_sUxvE/s200/P1010804.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ap7mVFx12LA/T4ComqKl3vI/AAAAAAAAHhk/rjOWnvP8Xlo/s1600/P1010736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ap7mVFx12LA/T4ComqKl3vI/AAAAAAAAHhk/rjOWnvP8Xlo/s200/P1010736.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yiXxhUgarck/T4Coo7iNtpI/AAAAAAAAHhs/Zyl6FM-AQA0/s1600/P1010732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yiXxhUgarck/T4Coo7iNtpI/AAAAAAAAHhs/Zyl6FM-AQA0/s200/P1010732.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-52203822930352945962012-03-04T22:04:00.001-10:002012-03-04T22:24:44.408-10:00Your Greatest Asset<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms1zoFtTUdieFMTis2kQc59BLGrIJG1xIlAFxNurF0LAiKk2Rt65Of1wUSu0-YCSiSdohXoGjuih4iBc_6FbRJLx9UkPwuXgfsBhxFRjjuKim5tK0QnG22UoMhghjleHOzRVZ5o82H7M/s320/P1000809.JPG" width="320" style="display:none"/>Your house? Your yard, your lawn? Your car(s). Your job, your career? Your toys, your bikes, golf, ski, or windsurfing gear? Your finances, your portfolio, your 401K? Your family, your friends, your kids, your spouse? What is it?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms1zoFtTUdieFMTis2kQc59BLGrIJG1xIlAFxNurF0LAiKk2Rt65Of1wUSu0-YCSiSdohXoGjuih4iBc_6FbRJLx9UkPwuXgfsBhxFRjjuKim5tK0QnG22UoMhghjleHOzRVZ5o82H7M/s1600/P1000809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms1zoFtTUdieFMTis2kQc59BLGrIJG1xIlAFxNurF0LAiKk2Rt65Of1wUSu0-YCSiSdohXoGjuih4iBc_6FbRJLx9UkPwuXgfsBhxFRjjuKim5tK0QnG22UoMhghjleHOzRVZ5o82H7M/s320/P1000809.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the same day but close enough.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week we were windsurfing on another beautiful Maui day with the trade winds blowing and double head high surf breaking on the lower reefs of Kanaha beach park. I was heading out, fully powered with good speed toward an incoming wave. The wave was starting to peal to my right, throwing a cascade of water onto the reef. I turned a bit downwind, looking for the perfect sized ramp on the shoulder ...<br />
<br />
Later that day we stopped by the local big box mart on the way home. Many of our fellow shoppers had their baskets piled high with cases of sodas, potato chips, snacks, and so on. A few were riding carts, not able to walk despite looking barely middle aged and with no obvious disabilities. I see more of these carts every time I shop. Just one of those large sodas contains 240 calories and 65 grams of sugar which mostly comes from high fructose corn syrup - the main ingredient besides water. Drinking one such soda a day over a lifetime is all it takes to push many people into adult diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and/or obesity. All of these are serious diseases which you definitely don't want - ever. Yet this country has a major epidemic of all that going on right now. Which is a huge reason health costs are so high. Each and every one of us pays for this problem one way or another. And the worse thing is this crises is almost entirely self induced and completely avoidable.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0jHZgBXS57s/TouU7MYu1VI/AAAAAAAAGUo/MYe-7LQeyZM/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111004145752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0jHZgBXS57s/TouU7MYu1VI/AAAAAAAAGUo/MYe-7LQeyZM/s320/CameraZOOM-20111004145752.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three weeks after OHS. Just happy to still be here!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been just over five months since I had very serious <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-dont-need-easy-i-just-need-possible.html">open heart surgery</a>. A month after the operation I had no idea if I would ever fully recover. At that time I could barely walk a couple of miles before exhaustion set in. No running, no biking, no windsurfing, no swimming. no paddling, no lifting weights. It was difficult to imagine living this way permanently and it was my "impossible dream" to return to the same activities I had been lucky to enjoy before surgery. I will never ever take being alive and healthy for granted again.<br />
<br />
... I spotted the ramp and headed towards it, pumping my sail to gain speed. In a few seconds I hit the face and launched from the top of the wave, soaring over the clear blue water of the reef below me. As I approached the apex of the jump, I reached further back on the boom, tucked in my back foot, and sheeted in the sail. The West Maui mountains began to turn upside down...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WbCmkFgnMvk/TLPxpArddYI/AAAAAAAACvc/_sWqb6KVC5U/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WbCmkFgnMvk/TLPxpArddYI/AAAAAAAACvc/_sWqb6KVC5U/s320/IMG_0045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the same loop or location or year but close enough.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What I don't understand is why so many people treat their own bodies so poorly. Smoking, drinking sodas, eating junk food, sitting on the couch all day. It all adds up. Like a frog in a slowly heating pot of water, too many are either not aware of the eventual consequences, or just don't care. Or maybe a little bit of both. If only they knew what they were missing. Maybe that's the problem here. Maybe if more people were exposed to fun activities as kids, if they could surf or ski or windsurf or bike, maybe more would be healthy happy adults. Much of our health costs are spent trying to fix the damage caused by diseases that could so easier be avoided. Should activities like windsurfing and yoga be considered "medicine" and somehow encouraged by policy or tax cuts (free bikes for everyone!)? If we can figure out a way to do that I bet we'd have a much healthier society..<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyZmxY-jFaA4S8xXMg6Ecm2fLMUN5RNtuaWPjEuo4fBlv0TkbX_cM2W9sJObpXGK7ex8ZNPAbArNtZOdJ9b_f79Z-hIVYq1qUa9n8G3JvlzPkEfqUF-pmkE8jZDNhMGJI4zqjaZkSXyI/s1600/IMG_3100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyZmxY-jFaA4S8xXMg6Ecm2fLMUN5RNtuaWPjEuo4fBlv0TkbX_cM2W9sJObpXGK7ex8ZNPAbArNtZOdJ9b_f79Z-hIVYq1qUa9n8G3JvlzPkEfqUF-pmkE8jZDNhMGJI4zqjaZkSXyI/s320/IMG_3100.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're in shape you can ski powder all day long on Mt Bailey.<br />
We did that and it's awesome!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
... The world finished rotating and the Maui mountains were back on top. I landed on the water with a splash, my momentum momentarily stopped but still upright. A couple quick pumps of the sail got me over the next wave just before it pitched. On the outside I turned onto an incoming swell, anticipating the wave that would be forming which I would soon be riding. It's such an awesome feeling to be back on the water strong enough to do all this again. I wish everyone could have this feeling, this adrenaline, this rush that can come from surfing a wave, landing a forward, skiing powder up to your nose, clearing a difficult section on your bike, learning a new trick.<br />
<br />
Your most important asset? Your health and life, obviously. Nothing else matters if you don't have that. Don't throw it away. Don't take it for granted. Enjoy your limited time on this planet as much as possible. Get outside. Have fun! Your health is an investment that will return far greater dividends than any other investment you can possibly make. Trust me. Aloha!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3KEru4RuYS7HLZ3bf4zIJendfBTAEMBzbdMiCj5b6jb2PJZ4W-_raCMsRqu_ddBclA8lM1-TGavHWmqEIRrF7dnpbWajQZsACl4zzvR2_ex1a3wlSrQdhqOzOG8g4Jg3AurUt8LolMU/s1600/IMG_1692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3KEru4RuYS7HLZ3bf4zIJendfBTAEMBzbdMiCj5b6jb2PJZ4W-_raCMsRqu_ddBclA8lM1-TGavHWmqEIRrF7dnpbWajQZsACl4zzvR2_ex1a3wlSrQdhqOzOG8g4Jg3AurUt8LolMU/s320/IMG_1692.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosmic parting shot. Cue the organ music...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-55973211668032621982012-02-08T20:50:00.000-10:002012-02-08T21:13:20.960-10:00Josh & Pascal Show<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AroMixwncQU/TzIYViuSTRI/AAAAAAAAHHo/VR38ZZEGWHQ/s200/P1010179.JPG" style="display: none;" />Later in the afternoon Pascal Bronnimann and Josh Stone arrived at Hookipa to contemplate the conditions and what to rig. Josh decided on a 4.3 Goya Banzai with a production Goya quad. Pascal connected a 3.9 Banzai to his custom Quattro. While they rigged it seemed our gusty kona winds were finally calming down and I thought those sails would surely be too small. But what do I know? Despite the sketchy wind inside they had no problem getting out and onto some great wave rides - as you can see below. <br />
<br />
By this time the light was also going down and dark clouds were gathering on the horizon as the afore-mentioned front was bearing down on us. The air was permeated with a fine mist coming off the increasing surf which was tossed far and wide by the off shore winds. In other words the photographic conditions were becoming less then ideal for my point and shooter. I had to laugh when I looked over at Jimmie Hepp's kit (I'm sure everyone has seen his awesome photos by now) and realized my little hand held camera could easily fit inside one of his lenses. So if it looks like a few of these pictures were taken during a blizzard, it's almost like they were - a Maui style blizzard of waves and wind. But hey it is winter after all!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20120208-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-IYS_J77wg/TzIWnTtQdpI/AAAAAAAAHCQ/RWdRzMmfruw/s1600/P1010118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-IYS_J77wg/TzIWnTtQdpI/AAAAAAAAHCQ/RWdRzMmfruw/s200/P1010118.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9fv2fzkaiQE/TzIWqG1EmrI/AAAAAAAAHCY/he7zbdWvglw/s1600/P1010127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9fv2fzkaiQE/TzIWqG1EmrI/AAAAAAAAHCY/he7zbdWvglw/s200/P1010127.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRWu3E9b6knqZenjckTCLcd0QTdfsmOeMGl50wa7D23hjZoqxN2wor_5u_tnIpWUEfx3ntYGNtiJW9gO6KrcpVjFjygv8nxhptPdFWrXG3GQxwBksQg6uWPdfGWCilAp3Hr7shGQAiNg/s1600/P1010130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRWu3E9b6knqZenjckTCLcd0QTdfsmOeMGl50wa7D23hjZoqxN2wor_5u_tnIpWUEfx3ntYGNtiJW9gO6KrcpVjFjygv8nxhptPdFWrXG3GQxwBksQg6uWPdfGWCilAp3Hr7shGQAiNg/s200/P1010130.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gOcUagWU2_8/TzIWvdpZJXI/AAAAAAAAHCo/HfL8EYs_mBk/s1600/P1010131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gOcUagWU2_8/TzIWvdpZJXI/AAAAAAAAHCo/HfL8EYs_mBk/s200/P1010131.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKRJsJUbuic/TzIWyQOUOqI/AAAAAAAAHC0/qJVDubqYX3o/s1600/P1010132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKRJsJUbuic/TzIWyQOUOqI/AAAAAAAAHC0/qJVDubqYX3o/s200/P1010132.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7H4BXT3jFkM/TzIW1x48z8I/AAAAAAAAHC8/bSctJ5f8JX8/s1600/P1010133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7H4BXT3jFkM/TzIW1x48z8I/AAAAAAAAHC8/bSctJ5f8JX8/s200/P1010133.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-wHthFDZHw/TzIW4jy0W2I/AAAAAAAAHDE/8sxEPFyoYM4/s1600/P1010134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-wHthFDZHw/TzIW4jy0W2I/AAAAAAAAHDE/8sxEPFyoYM4/s200/P1010134.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOAARcirgFN68DReZ772EjNJ7FCnn1ZXLO3DG9t57Qwzf-P2mH0S1P8qO6-YfmwysBPVfDpZbGECsTnmwgF7auZxMesjg2VrpV6rYPYuGCt3Hcdqi6Raeec5F3HqpDyvlJlVjdeuAQn0/s1600/P1010136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOAARcirgFN68DReZ772EjNJ7FCnn1ZXLO3DG9t57Qwzf-P2mH0S1P8qO6-YfmwysBPVfDpZbGECsTnmwgF7auZxMesjg2VrpV6rYPYuGCt3Hcdqi6Raeec5F3HqpDyvlJlVjdeuAQn0/s200/P1010136.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NjcyoYkqSZM/TzIW-bCZ9gI/AAAAAAAAHDU/aB4Nex-YZeI/s1600/P1010137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NjcyoYkqSZM/TzIW-bCZ9gI/AAAAAAAAHDU/aB4Nex-YZeI/s200/P1010137.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lU5-mNl0Fq4/TzIXBjmVmlI/AAAAAAAAHDc/iZK446C8Moc/s1600/P1010143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lU5-mNl0Fq4/TzIXBjmVmlI/AAAAAAAAHDc/iZK446C8Moc/s200/P1010143.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DQn6vtXtog/TzIXFhFWpHI/AAAAAAAAHDk/y9Guv-wd-3s/s1600/P1010145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DQn6vtXtog/TzIXFhFWpHI/AAAAAAAAHDk/y9Guv-wd-3s/s200/P1010145.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_8THJrtkfw/TzIXH4pOR_I/AAAAAAAAHDs/uYsMBpwFKNk/s1600/P1010188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_8THJrtkfw/TzIXH4pOR_I/AAAAAAAAHDs/uYsMBpwFKNk/s200/P1010188.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI-IJTFo7Y8f7EXxrNFdwz19xMUpOHWlJWj2lpDJeogoMZ_mwPhDKuC_2n54tRq_QC9AZXA0vhh8JVj-sCI1D7WYf8qToFmsuZ9q83gBoa-yJPmxmQGUczBTyPKp28gzEnoVl2MifJ8U/s1600/P1010189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI-IJTFo7Y8f7EXxrNFdwz19xMUpOHWlJWj2lpDJeogoMZ_mwPhDKuC_2n54tRq_QC9AZXA0vhh8JVj-sCI1D7WYf8qToFmsuZ9q83gBoa-yJPmxmQGUczBTyPKp28gzEnoVl2MifJ8U/s200/P1010189.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wOUlD-WEYo/TzIXMlTriSI/AAAAAAAAHD8/-SMWJg851Zw/s1600/P1010146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wOUlD-WEYo/TzIXMlTriSI/AAAAAAAAHD8/-SMWJg851Zw/s200/P1010146.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwvsS160_SQ/TzIXPrg-qTI/AAAAAAAAHEE/H87VCDwXdz0/s1600/P1010139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwvsS160_SQ/TzIXPrg-qTI/AAAAAAAAHEE/H87VCDwXdz0/s200/P1010139.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGPulvJD4SE/TzIXS1_TrWI/AAAAAAAAHEM/T90v3Jg4nVM/s1600/P1010078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGPulvJD4SE/TzIXS1_TrWI/AAAAAAAAHEM/T90v3Jg4nVM/s200/P1010078.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvbMux1KfXI/TzIXV3sUfhI/AAAAAAAAHEY/NpEl1wzE1yA/s1600/P1010081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvbMux1KfXI/TzIXV3sUfhI/AAAAAAAAHEY/NpEl1wzE1yA/s200/P1010081.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCvOTu9IiLo/TzIXZdPtJuI/AAAAAAAAHEg/249hXvYJy2M/s1600/P1010082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCvOTu9IiLo/TzIXZdPtJuI/AAAAAAAAHEg/249hXvYJy2M/s200/P1010082.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tpSe6vE6-mo/TzIXc5SC2CI/AAAAAAAAHEo/H0y-rII4DZk/s1600/P1010083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tpSe6vE6-mo/TzIXc5SC2CI/AAAAAAAAHEo/H0y-rII4DZk/s200/P1010083.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XsfAu1RxEfY/TzIXfLlbmcI/AAAAAAAAHEw/51LUU2eqez8/s1600/P1010084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XsfAu1RxEfY/TzIXfLlbmcI/AAAAAAAAHEw/51LUU2eqez8/s200/P1010084.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tOqL7o0NKM/TzIXhZz5dbI/AAAAAAAAHE4/uTMnq8xWlgI/s1600/P1010085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tOqL7o0NKM/TzIXhZz5dbI/AAAAAAAAHE4/uTMnq8xWlgI/s200/P1010085.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kk-COBmASg0/TzIXj3vYcTI/AAAAAAAAHFA/YcuLwZ2W230/s1600/P1010108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kk-COBmASg0/TzIXj3vYcTI/AAAAAAAAHFA/YcuLwZ2W230/s200/P1010108.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMkyI-iG38Xc6xB01i732qvfFv1UpeGlk9qXiw3ewPY96KBBHnwULBlZ_TKW2MhVNZZbWChyzeYQXpDE_SV_JMjc7YLNIrdyk0caxUcE1wQ5QKUGICAsqxGBmye0WVO6cUACHcihv9XY/s1600/P1010111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMkyI-iG38Xc6xB01i732qvfFv1UpeGlk9qXiw3ewPY96KBBHnwULBlZ_TKW2MhVNZZbWChyzeYQXpDE_SV_JMjc7YLNIrdyk0caxUcE1wQ5QKUGICAsqxGBmye0WVO6cUACHcihv9XY/s200/P1010111.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GOJ_VPXy4H0/TzIXpcpgwtI/AAAAAAAAHFQ/ttjVb07pOCg/s1600/P1010112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GOJ_VPXy4H0/TzIXpcpgwtI/AAAAAAAAHFQ/ttjVb07pOCg/s200/P1010112.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6gtlweQuns/TzIXsX6hRhI/AAAAAAAAHFY/OWSR-3nCi5A/s1600/P1010113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6gtlweQuns/TzIXsX6hRhI/AAAAAAAAHFY/OWSR-3nCi5A/s200/P1010113.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iT_5Ow90ksw/TzIXu4uEv8I/AAAAAAAAHFg/kiC2E_jcHz4/s1600/P1010114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iT_5Ow90ksw/TzIXu4uEv8I/AAAAAAAAHFg/kiC2E_jcHz4/s200/P1010114.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CKKZH21XB2c/TzIXxf1LlBI/AAAAAAAAHFo/JC8jrToZzow/s1600/P1010115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CKKZH21XB2c/TzIXxf1LlBI/AAAAAAAAHFo/JC8jrToZzow/s200/P1010115.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hejfVH6upuI/TzIXz4SabXI/AAAAAAAAHFw/e30mOf8rtk4/s1600/P1010116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hejfVH6upuI/TzIXz4SabXI/AAAAAAAAHFw/e30mOf8rtk4/s200/P1010116.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MykiRKpGXQ8/TzIX2DnY1kI/AAAAAAAAHF4/zwJrIVWUZUk/s1600/P1010140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MykiRKpGXQ8/TzIX2DnY1kI/AAAAAAAAHF4/zwJrIVWUZUk/s200/P1010140.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABM5TwKRxT4/TzIX5UfWI6I/AAAAAAAAHGE/HcBEuQiplOI/s1600/P1010153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABM5TwKRxT4/TzIX5UfWI6I/AAAAAAAAHGE/HcBEuQiplOI/s200/P1010153.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5y3EL3kaQCA/TzIX8PQXenI/AAAAAAAAHGM/M3AvQ6gE9p4/s1600/P1010155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5y3EL3kaQCA/TzIX8PQXenI/AAAAAAAAHGM/M3AvQ6gE9p4/s200/P1010155.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lJXV17kxfzU/TzIX-soi1WI/AAAAAAAAHGU/izJAWZzy9gA/s1600/P1010159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lJXV17kxfzU/TzIX-soi1WI/AAAAAAAAHGU/izJAWZzy9gA/s200/P1010159.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pyzTxCkQY4/TzIYBA1UqDI/AAAAAAAAHGc/N0BJGPnSqe0/s1600/P1010160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pyzTxCkQY4/TzIYBA1UqDI/AAAAAAAAHGc/N0BJGPnSqe0/s200/P1010160.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5shQvcQX-jk/TzIYDtW4JHI/AAAAAAAAHGk/bzDUNCnpGiI/s1600/P1010161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5shQvcQX-jk/TzIYDtW4JHI/AAAAAAAAHGk/bzDUNCnpGiI/s200/P1010161.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJVvqzqA5xI/TzIYF1kKRSI/AAAAAAAAHGs/gi2MzMzb3Ng/s1600/P1010162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJVvqzqA5xI/TzIYF1kKRSI/AAAAAAAAHGs/gi2MzMzb3Ng/s200/P1010162.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yrxf7BSX3jo/TzIYIZkj-oI/AAAAAAAAHG0/whHKZkjcqJU/s1600/P1010168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yrxf7BSX3jo/TzIYIZkj-oI/AAAAAAAAHG0/whHKZkjcqJU/s200/P1010168.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-fFHF_CnOY/TzIYKtaOl3I/AAAAAAAAHG8/kpRH06XBxeg/s1600/P1010169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-fFHF_CnOY/TzIYKtaOl3I/AAAAAAAAHG8/kpRH06XBxeg/s200/P1010169.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdrBQ5ydpwU/TzIYM2qnNNI/AAAAAAAAHHE/EDS6woQOYXo/s1600/P1010172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdrBQ5ydpwU/TzIYM2qnNNI/AAAAAAAAHHE/EDS6woQOYXo/s200/P1010172.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkhO2MBMkJYhS9M0IHNYiHYC-x2l8LXajisfcTbhXyEWmMnt3eQUQ6CwYeD4-ug68htfzRmFEYIsABLqlaSjGPytihplHcKzAKzIU9kziqMil79wnWiH3FnLdqctj-lcSVXLJwydcHLc/s1600/P1010173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkhO2MBMkJYhS9M0IHNYiHYC-x2l8LXajisfcTbhXyEWmMnt3eQUQ6CwYeD4-ug68htfzRmFEYIsABLqlaSjGPytihplHcKzAKzIU9kziqMil79wnWiH3FnLdqctj-lcSVXLJwydcHLc/s200/P1010173.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4-jwIHcIfY0/TzIYRER8vSI/AAAAAAAAHHU/3yIGT65LSjM/s1600/P1010174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4-jwIHcIfY0/TzIYRER8vSI/AAAAAAAAHHU/3yIGT65LSjM/s200/P1010174.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sbCtjmbtGo/TzIYTQBqBII/AAAAAAAAHHc/WAS_JWEr1Xg/s1600/P1010175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sbCtjmbtGo/TzIYTQBqBII/AAAAAAAAHHc/WAS_JWEr1Xg/s200/P1010175.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AroMixwncQU/TzIYViuSTRI/AAAAAAAAHHo/VR38ZZEGWHQ/s1600/P1010179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AroMixwncQU/TzIYViuSTRI/AAAAAAAAHHo/VR38ZZEGWHQ/s200/P1010179.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBt7DZEfvrI/TzIYXioQHpI/AAAAAAAAHHw/dsFjL0bfH1k/s1600/P1010182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBt7DZEfvrI/TzIYXioQHpI/AAAAAAAAHHw/dsFjL0bfH1k/s200/P1010182.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUnLgl9fz8O_DbbTH2yy6cNOFD0H8gQYDssR9xCRmKSi1S7q66zt3F9wEvtECQjGV70N2g8QLIS8bAqzHTnRjKGGzXhemVg1I8a9R5KbiIj2Ci8vXdDIqc1S6_7tqin8__HfMWp4YKRo/s1600/P1010183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUnLgl9fz8O_DbbTH2yy6cNOFD0H8gQYDssR9xCRmKSi1S7q66zt3F9wEvtECQjGV70N2g8QLIS8bAqzHTnRjKGGzXhemVg1I8a9R5KbiIj2Ci8vXdDIqc1S6_7tqin8__HfMWp4YKRo/s200/P1010183.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb88qe8z1jY/TzIYb4OgP7I/AAAAAAAAHIA/MplGL_bcONg/s1600/P1010185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb88qe8z1jY/TzIYb4OgP7I/AAAAAAAAHIA/MplGL_bcONg/s200/P1010185.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2EX_g23Uf7k/TzIYeGjRE2I/AAAAAAAAHII/S6SGvn5ls74/s1600/P1010186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2EX_g23Uf7k/TzIYeGjRE2I/AAAAAAAAHII/S6SGvn5ls74/s200/P1010186.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dpt5XipK47Y/TzIYgdtqPpI/AAAAAAAAHIQ/zpHjvwi9QdA/s1600/P1010187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dpt5XipK47Y/TzIYgdtqPpI/AAAAAAAAHIQ/zpHjvwi9QdA/s200/P1010187.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lR0L3dB3HRw/TzIYidB0cfI/AAAAAAAAHIY/IIooHaSuONo/s1600/P1010197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lR0L3dB3HRw/TzIYidB0cfI/AAAAAAAAHIY/IIooHaSuONo/s200/P1010197.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknSZBLvYkabH75Fxwu1qXn7LL0-X8qoQVqCBj0j8W6BwQDkwyO9qhXzuL2EZQeUwWhKsTEEoEeomyG1OXkXFvEjsjikWd-srcM2SWNJYEBEHb-i8QBfGxVRXjDMPpKE_aeLtD1Gt3mRg/s1600/P1010198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknSZBLvYkabH75Fxwu1qXn7LL0-X8qoQVqCBj0j8W6BwQDkwyO9qhXzuL2EZQeUwWhKsTEEoEeomyG1OXkXFvEjsjikWd-srcM2SWNJYEBEHb-i8QBfGxVRXjDMPpKE_aeLtD1Gt3mRg/s200/P1010198.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GThXPD5YEz8/TzIYnakTynI/AAAAAAAAHIo/GNLi9Z9PKls/s1600/P1010199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GThXPD5YEz8/TzIYnakTynI/AAAAAAAAHIo/GNLi9Z9PKls/s200/P1010199.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F_KGxfmhm2Q/TzIYpqKs0dI/AAAAAAAAHIw/aOtqiSqvvhw/s1600/P1010201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F_KGxfmhm2Q/TzIYpqKs0dI/AAAAAAAAHIw/aOtqiSqvvhw/s200/P1010201.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-41789403576755695532012-02-07T22:37:00.000-10:002012-02-08T19:50:03.496-10:00Winter Brings More Kona<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o03XpL5aZf8/TzIVzJ3isoI/AAAAAAAAG_k/uNrgZfqpp5Q/s200/P1010055.JPG" style="display: none;" />It's officially winter on Maui. What makes it official is the presence of an active cold front slicing through the islands. And by active I mean strong and gusty south west winds were cranking a day before the front came through, followed by the front itself which was accompanied by intense showers, in turn trailed by strong NW winds pushing behind it. This is common weather for the east coast in the spring (like Hatteras in May) but happens only once or twice a year on Maui, and only during the winter months. And with this front we're also getting the coldest temps of the year with a high of only 75 forecast for tomorrow. 75F! Yikes!! Might have to wear my hoody at the beach. How horrible.<br />
<br />
Our passing front is the trailing edge of a large winter storm system in the N Pacific that generated huge 25-35 ft surf which is just now showing up on the north shore. So if you boil all this down to the essential nugget, you end up with a big kona day at Hookipa today. And by bigI mean not just giant waves but tons of wind as well. The last <a href="http://www.jaminjones.blogspot.com/2012/01/kona-daze.html">kona day that I blogged about</a> was all about the light wind. Not so this time.<br />
<br />
So we had a choice for our Maui activities today. We could drive down to Kihei and sail super windy but fun bump and jump gorge like conditions. Or we could make the shorter drive to Hookipa and watch some of the best windsurfers ripping up some of the most intense conditions this planet has to offer. It's sort of like a choice between playing in a pick-up game or watching the super bowl from the 50 yard line. And as much as I like playing, and I really really do, I didn't want to miss the big game. So we headed to Hookipa to see the show. And we were not disappointed!<br />
<br />
When we first arrived we saw only one windsurfer out (Ricardo Rochebois, who quickly came in) and a handful of kiters. No surfers out due to the blown out conditions (a few ventured out later, but didn't stay long). As you can see from the the next photos, the waves were <i>gnarl</i>(!) as in who could possibly sail in this crazy stuff?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20120207-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vqzTkmaYcpU/TzIUlqHiZ7I/AAAAAAAAG7Q/RnQGbqLHy3E/s1600/P1000986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vqzTkmaYcpU/TzIUlqHiZ7I/AAAAAAAAG7Q/RnQGbqLHy3E/s200/P1000986.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtInOi2bkTk/TzIUnWFAnEI/AAAAAAAAG7Y/y8fube2mK1o/s1600/P1010049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtInOi2bkTk/TzIUnWFAnEI/AAAAAAAAG7Y/y8fube2mK1o/s200/P1010049.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCOyqOkxR00/TzIUpmhRBiI/AAAAAAAAG7g/Q0JMuq-af58/s1600/P1010051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCOyqOkxR00/TzIUpmhRBiI/AAAAAAAAG7g/Q0JMuq-af58/s200/P1010051.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kmFFTHDPajg/TzIUruZAUCI/AAAAAAAAG7o/BL6PdWf4NuE/s1600/P1010003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kmFFTHDPajg/TzIUruZAUCI/AAAAAAAAG7o/BL6PdWf4NuE/s200/P1010003.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dcUTp-wNV0k/TzIUtuTEC5I/AAAAAAAAG7w/pGKmaKAVj4w/s1600/P1000993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dcUTp-wNV0k/TzIUtuTEC5I/AAAAAAAAG7w/pGKmaKAVj4w/s200/P1000993.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjyKzzleQriNcaS4j01f3WY_y0tgemmBrEHUnQ0qIrAa6OSj-SApDwWF1aZJOzhVt89AUVZzY7_orieScSR6UgsWVwTIDRzHU3x27qHeYRJccbw5c2YnJjxDruZDGetfzZ3dajLPXTPo/s1600/P1000995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjyKzzleQriNcaS4j01f3WY_y0tgemmBrEHUnQ0qIrAa6OSj-SApDwWF1aZJOzhVt89AUVZzY7_orieScSR6UgsWVwTIDRzHU3x27qHeYRJccbw5c2YnJjxDruZDGetfzZ3dajLPXTPo/s200/P1000995.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uajh_jLQiuo/TzIUx8hvioI/AAAAAAAAG8E/4Oep9zeHGwg/s1600/P1000997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uajh_jLQiuo/TzIUx8hvioI/AAAAAAAAG8E/4Oep9zeHGwg/s200/P1000997.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVhR_34Hwf8/TzIUz_NUJ1I/AAAAAAAAG8M/amP92-uU35E/s1600/P1010011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVhR_34Hwf8/TzIUz_NUJ1I/AAAAAAAAG8M/amP92-uU35E/s200/P1010011.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VIv6cTskTRE/TzIU1_HmI0I/AAAAAAAAG8U/ha6iAllHMF8/s1600/P1010002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VIv6cTskTRE/TzIU1_HmI0I/AAAAAAAAG8U/ha6iAllHMF8/s200/P1010002.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zx-5YvP5z0s/TzIU38S-bGI/AAAAAAAAG8c/d2kxbHKX8Dc/s1600/P1010038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zx-5YvP5z0s/TzIU38S-bGI/AAAAAAAAG8c/d2kxbHKX8Dc/s200/P1010038.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tPtlWaWM4Js/TzIU6iWMceI/AAAAAAAAG8k/vQkGhwYgAZ0/s1600/P1010099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tPtlWaWM4Js/TzIU6iWMceI/AAAAAAAAG8k/vQkGhwYgAZ0/s200/P1010099.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rAo-Lw1Hh6o/TzIU9NlQqbI/AAAAAAAAG8s/lqHDLvLhRh8/s1600/P1010100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rAo-Lw1Hh6o/TzIU9NlQqbI/AAAAAAAAG8s/lqHDLvLhRh8/s200/P1010100.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cAL9Sh3JB0M/TzIU_KmthfI/AAAAAAAAG80/Xqenjepui94/s1600/P1000992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cAL9Sh3JB0M/TzIU_KmthfI/AAAAAAAAG80/Xqenjepui94/s200/P1000992.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
And then we spotted Jason Polakow and Kevin Prtchard rigging up. So we settled in to watch the action...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20120207-2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvmpMJMOngM/TzIVBiuIACI/AAAAAAAAG88/UX2W7pBlGA0/s1600/P1010035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OvmpMJMOngM/TzIVBiuIACI/AAAAAAAAG88/UX2W7pBlGA0/s200/P1010035.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yNGMgGaAZpo/TzIVDlyTiII/AAAAAAAAG9E/uUnGbLEMttI/s1600/P1000991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yNGMgGaAZpo/TzIVDlyTiII/AAAAAAAAG9E/uUnGbLEMttI/s200/P1000991.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gM6bUPAOGDk/TzIVGrb4MAI/AAAAAAAAG9M/o0QDy2VLG6c/s1600/P1010008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gM6bUPAOGDk/TzIVGrb4MAI/AAAAAAAAG9M/o0QDy2VLG6c/s200/P1010008.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrjhwsNxNlPO-63eZFanTcwGMJM5qssdYG6AFiszAqD3wGfCJ5EYoZ30pPQSt0fbOqTprHgy11Q8eN9-zDPGBTcBT0r6NAAFyuRuU0hrC9vvA-Aq5YMS8gO63iClHQSwp47bnIDX9fMA/s1600/P1010005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrjhwsNxNlPO-63eZFanTcwGMJM5qssdYG6AFiszAqD3wGfCJ5EYoZ30pPQSt0fbOqTprHgy11Q8eN9-zDPGBTcBT0r6NAAFyuRuU0hrC9vvA-Aq5YMS8gO63iClHQSwp47bnIDX9fMA/s200/P1010005.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx85wasgCDY/TzIVKz958sI/AAAAAAAAG9c/qbxVXhbpPqs/s1600/P1010006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx85wasgCDY/TzIVKz958sI/AAAAAAAAG9c/qbxVXhbpPqs/s200/P1010006.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZp88WPcuVU/TzIVNeLMY2I/AAAAAAAAG9k/FEJ663KX16I/s1600/P1010013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZp88WPcuVU/TzIVNeLMY2I/AAAAAAAAG9k/FEJ663KX16I/s200/P1010013.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVf_lqRTIJ5o5dgMcgHSVJAjHNFJ-DBGQiFGFTfSaa51DD_iTzAjQz9tlft3vO3gw9Xj-LAOcS9J9RDKVpksqFmWH1IO6OLKLWaAOVZDv8lV18eHYvSLuAkcZNYz4XERRkCmP9ypl5KFo/s1600/P1000989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVf_lqRTIJ5o5dgMcgHSVJAjHNFJ-DBGQiFGFTfSaa51DD_iTzAjQz9tlft3vO3gw9Xj-LAOcS9J9RDKVpksqFmWH1IO6OLKLWaAOVZDv8lV18eHYvSLuAkcZNYz4XERRkCmP9ypl5KFo/s200/P1000989.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vniK75J-ov4/TzIVS8JG1DI/AAAAAAAAG94/FEs43FFnfro/s1600/P1010004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vniK75J-ov4/TzIVS8JG1DI/AAAAAAAAG94/FEs43FFnfro/s200/P1010004.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZayQDZw9wbo/TzIVVWZgDOI/AAAAAAAAG-A/3u74WOAgHEI/s1600/P1010030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZayQDZw9wbo/TzIVVWZgDOI/AAAAAAAAG-A/3u74WOAgHEI/s200/P1010030.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoQ-RU73tGXsjEaJX_zq2AU-v5fbxdqAnTiXiFOVkvdiuhKy6OusU4iCsUWacqtWOQ6bhdPmy7XpsqusXjPsV4Uf993wSD1-8Oiq3dEoLa6tnbWvdFIwZR4Y-9koAZAXor9K5fg3Gx2Q/s1600/P1010031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoQ-RU73tGXsjEaJX_zq2AU-v5fbxdqAnTiXiFOVkvdiuhKy6OusU4iCsUWacqtWOQ6bhdPmy7XpsqusXjPsV4Uf993wSD1-8Oiq3dEoLa6tnbWvdFIwZR4Y-9koAZAXor9K5fg3Gx2Q/s200/P1010031.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1hwiZsAB6w/TzIVa4dBa_I/AAAAAAAAG-Q/_eiCKYHE278/s1600/P1010014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1hwiZsAB6w/TzIVa4dBa_I/AAAAAAAAG-Q/_eiCKYHE278/s200/P1010014.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4KC7d6MKxA/TzIVdtu1ddI/AAAAAAAAG-Y/BbOcL1WLHpA/s1600/P1010052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4KC7d6MKxA/TzIVdtu1ddI/AAAAAAAAG-Y/BbOcL1WLHpA/s200/P1010052.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gejFuJ3r1xg/TzIVfs6kZII/AAAAAAAAG-g/01Djr-qWl9Y/s1600/P1010027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gejFuJ3r1xg/TzIVfs6kZII/AAAAAAAAG-g/01Djr-qWl9Y/s200/P1010027.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmw4Lxy5W3guIgSSiLdlZznIFbg3FCWdr9REr7Kz0pWydQszSX4TiCcxeXEC_oRF8ey1XtvIWXFPJkRu8v_DoB4abAz2M1Q8wgxIr_M5v9UlaNqZ7CPny0ltfDoFyVo861qVb07iusnI/s1600/P1000998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmw4Lxy5W3guIgSSiLdlZznIFbg3FCWdr9REr7Kz0pWydQszSX4TiCcxeXEC_oRF8ey1XtvIWXFPJkRu8v_DoB4abAz2M1Q8wgxIr_M5v9UlaNqZ7CPny0ltfDoFyVo861qVb07iusnI/s200/P1000998.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHe_wiYH-d8/TzIVjy2Ll4I/AAAAAAAAG-w/VI3s9x-YeEg/s1600/P1000999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHe_wiYH-d8/TzIVjy2Ll4I/AAAAAAAAG-w/VI3s9x-YeEg/s200/P1000999.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g0Tk_bjW9Pg/TzIVmHXHzhI/AAAAAAAAG-4/n7udUMIiFXY/s1600/P1010001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g0Tk_bjW9Pg/TzIVmHXHzhI/AAAAAAAAG-4/n7udUMIiFXY/s200/P1010001.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hzmrBpn1xSY/TzIVpOIuVjI/AAAAAAAAG_A/hKRtEkO3zm8/s1600/P1010022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hzmrBpn1xSY/TzIVpOIuVjI/AAAAAAAAG_A/hKRtEkO3zm8/s200/P1010022.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nMrso60y4Nw/TzIVrftx3MI/AAAAAAAAG_I/bSvwghe8TAY/s1600/P1010026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nMrso60y4Nw/TzIVrftx3MI/AAAAAAAAG_I/bSvwghe8TAY/s200/P1010026.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZotXODf0yAc/TzIVtlGn_YI/AAAAAAAAG_Q/d6LyzHGYFLA/s1600/P1010041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZotXODf0yAc/TzIVtlGn_YI/AAAAAAAAG_Q/d6LyzHGYFLA/s200/P1010041.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
That was worth the price of admission right there. But after a little break in the action, we spotted Robby Swift and Ross Williams heading out...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20120208-3" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aA9_CX2hA8I/TzIVwD7zY9I/AAAAAAAAG_Y/YHeliHNXL64/s1600/P1010054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aA9_CX2hA8I/TzIVwD7zY9I/AAAAAAAAG_Y/YHeliHNXL64/s200/P1010054.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o03XpL5aZf8/TzIVzJ3isoI/AAAAAAAAG_k/uNrgZfqpp5Q/s1600/P1010055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o03XpL5aZf8/TzIVzJ3isoI/AAAAAAAAG_k/uNrgZfqpp5Q/s200/P1010055.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbsMA-6dlsb43IE4EOYncTrndEkocJuMqTDcqKaMfzk42Atp-JDxP7dgGnHTYC18JqxxVHJIa_AHaxRqi4Qaq9_-oSDZ3af1ZJtiEDc8BTrcGxm7gSwgTpX5ZMCm7iMEAV0OwldBu1cc/s1600/P1010066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbsMA-6dlsb43IE4EOYncTrndEkocJuMqTDcqKaMfzk42Atp-JDxP7dgGnHTYC18JqxxVHJIa_AHaxRqi4Qaq9_-oSDZ3af1ZJtiEDc8BTrcGxm7gSwgTpX5ZMCm7iMEAV0OwldBu1cc/s200/P1010066.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9GE06r2O8A/TzIV5H-WvNI/AAAAAAAAG_0/bXturo_v5wA/s1600/P1010067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9GE06r2O8A/TzIV5H-WvNI/AAAAAAAAG_0/bXturo_v5wA/s200/P1010067.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCApZXXUhQ_nRu5V3jV9GuXDN0ptDcwG1xxmPLRtMnkCS_09d1kylpbL1nihWc67CJiEOU_CzSg0HM-YhRwdzCqBsHNMlkXTc6j5jeaiq7g2qP4W-S2kIcwNIQzkD5aZKFXqG9MldSrks/s1600/P1010070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCApZXXUhQ_nRu5V3jV9GuXDN0ptDcwG1xxmPLRtMnkCS_09d1kylpbL1nihWc67CJiEOU_CzSg0HM-YhRwdzCqBsHNMlkXTc6j5jeaiq7g2qP4W-S2kIcwNIQzkD5aZKFXqG9MldSrks/s200/P1010070.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nWbGMw89AEI/TzIV-RkqQOI/AAAAAAAAHAE/oDP9uY3f6pU/s1600/P1010072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nWbGMw89AEI/TzIV-RkqQOI/AAAAAAAAHAE/oDP9uY3f6pU/s200/P1010072.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E2-i6y_Yahs/TzIWAkn1LNI/AAAAAAAAHAM/9HevISEZr5c/s1600/P1010073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E2-i6y_Yahs/TzIWAkn1LNI/AAAAAAAAHAM/9HevISEZr5c/s200/P1010073.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PvGXbE4XDxs/TzIWCzn9vwI/AAAAAAAAHAU/FUk2I_mseTE/s1600/P1010075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PvGXbE4XDxs/TzIWCzn9vwI/AAAAAAAAHAU/FUk2I_mseTE/s200/P1010075.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KM0q0w-AGN4/TzIWFfGLhcI/AAAAAAAAHAc/wX3kaDtdk6A/s1600/P1010102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KM0q0w-AGN4/TzIWFfGLhcI/AAAAAAAAHAc/wX3kaDtdk6A/s200/P1010102.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-S7-nEpVMY/TzIWHmRosjI/AAAAAAAAHAk/MRE3gSn04Rc/s1600/P1010103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-S7-nEpVMY/TzIWHmRosjI/AAAAAAAAHAk/MRE3gSn04Rc/s200/P1010103.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qbIUiLHRKJU/TzIWJzaxCaI/AAAAAAAAHAs/xW_jscqtnRk/s1600/P1010156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qbIUiLHRKJU/TzIWJzaxCaI/AAAAAAAAHAs/xW_jscqtnRk/s200/P1010156.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QPBRhutC0Eg/TzIWMpeS53I/AAAAAAAAHA0/baDkjZCXai0/s1600/P1010105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QPBRhutC0Eg/TzIWMpeS53I/AAAAAAAAHA0/baDkjZCXai0/s200/P1010105.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQuKxWA75Uk/TzIWO75bp3I/AAAAAAAAHA8/nfNZq5xPyro/s1600/P1010106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQuKxWA75Uk/TzIWO75bp3I/AAAAAAAAHA8/nfNZq5xPyro/s200/P1010106.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXNGu8MMl3I/TzIWRpi-5rI/AAAAAAAAHBE/hhhD9MUXHL8/s1600/P1010120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXNGu8MMl3I/TzIWRpi-5rI/AAAAAAAAHBE/hhhD9MUXHL8/s200/P1010120.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nShn4g1pFfY/TzIWUgozMcI/AAAAAAAAHBQ/Fge9o02IlbU/s1600/P1010087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nShn4g1pFfY/TzIWUgozMcI/AAAAAAAAHBQ/Fge9o02IlbU/s200/P1010087.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVl432Ob1HY/TzIWXEOpkmI/AAAAAAAAHBY/KT1m_yUYkng/s1600/P1010088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVl432Ob1HY/TzIWXEOpkmI/AAAAAAAAHBY/KT1m_yUYkng/s200/P1010088.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JycYuTAEWRk/TzIWZoYzH3I/AAAAAAAAHBg/Obb3Hp7L1Dw/s1600/P1010090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JycYuTAEWRk/TzIWZoYzH3I/AAAAAAAAHBg/Obb3Hp7L1Dw/s200/P1010090.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_qERDB1IYM/TzIWb0GgvAI/AAAAAAAAHBo/6ILYXyLzKDQ/s1600/P1010096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_qERDB1IYM/TzIWb0GgvAI/AAAAAAAAHBo/6ILYXyLzKDQ/s200/P1010096.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8vNOKEKWTA8/TzIWeXnIe0I/AAAAAAAAHBw/Pf-1K6-TOmc/s1600/P1010097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8vNOKEKWTA8/TzIWeXnIe0I/AAAAAAAAHBw/Pf-1K6-TOmc/s200/P1010097.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Txdy1OyRTSA/TzIWgdRvfkI/AAAAAAAAHB4/Fqbk7u1yt8Y/s1600/P1010098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Txdy1OyRTSA/TzIWgdRvfkI/AAAAAAAAHB4/Fqbk7u1yt8Y/s200/P1010098.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkN7tRVirJo/TzIWiVoOZoI/AAAAAAAAHCA/jbdZ7_30aJE/s1600/P1010176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkN7tRVirJo/TzIWiVoOZoI/AAAAAAAAHCA/jbdZ7_30aJE/s200/P1010176.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JrBfsj5BfJE/TzIWkjKf2zI/AAAAAAAAHCI/DGxPdHBrUU0/s1600/P1010152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JrBfsj5BfJE/TzIWkjKf2zI/AAAAAAAAHCI/DGxPdHBrUU0/s200/P1010152.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
You might notice in the last photo that Robby is checking out Josh Stone's turn on the wave behind him. Josh and Pascal Bronnimann were the last but certainly not the least sailors to hit the water. I got lots of pictures, but this post is pretty full already and those guys deserve their own space. So I'm going to show their photos in part II of this blog tomorrow. Aloha!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-81814914719194400842012-01-24T20:56:00.000-10:002012-01-25T19:21:50.512-10:00Kona DazeMaui had an endless stretch of trade winds that lasted through the Fall up until a few weeks ago. Since then we've been in a more typical winter pattern, where the trades come and go, followed by periods of light or kona wind (south to west, the opposite of the usual trade direction). Not un-coincidentally the N.Pacific storm track moved south and winter storms finally arrived on the west coast. In fact our friends in Hood River were just hammered by a snow/ice storm but also got some great powder on the mountain. Yeah it's all related - the storm track moves south, the sub tropical high gets shoved over the islands, we get waves and kona winds, and the mainland gets it's snow. Also Baja gets El Norte winds making all our La Ventana friends happy as well. The trick is to be in the right place to get whatever kind of weather you want.<br />
<br />
I'll definitely take Maui on that deal. But kona winds are tricky. It means the usual wave sailing direction is reversed. Down the line means going left with the wave on the left or port side of the board. Some call this port side wave sailing. I just call it kona waves. Also kona winds are off shore as well, so anything bad happens and you got the chance of being blown out to sea. On top of that, conditions can be extremely light to nada in the inside, while very gusty out past the break.<br />
<br />
I'm still in the "take it sort of easy" phase of my recovery, now just past four months. I'm willing to take on the "usual" conditions, but no kona for me. Not yet anyway. But I did get the chance to catch some amazing kona sailing at Lanes by some of the best kona sailors on the planet. By that I mean Robby Naish, Pascal Bronnimann, and Kai Lenny. And soon after launching, these big three were joined by Bernd Roediger (who recently joined the Goya team), Ascanio D'Ascanio (who we've known from many years of summer Gorge sailing), and Morgan Noireaux. <br />
<br />
Notice in the pictures below how light it was, probably 0-10 on the inside and no more than 10-15 on the outside. Pascal was riding a 90 lt custom Quattro with a 4.3 Banzai. Bernd was testing a four batten Guru prototype. Check out how casually Robby up hauls his sail on the inside near the rocks. It's almost like his board was sitting on the reef. Despite the minimal wind these guys managed some great rides and huge jumps. So impressive!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20120124-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnxTK0euQug/TxfNn4HKJbI/AAAAAAAAGyE/zVOJpo5cMTg/s1600/P1000875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnxTK0euQug/TxfNn4HKJbI/AAAAAAAAGyE/zVOJpo5cMTg/s200/P1000875.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBKpcDC98-I/TxfNpiW1s2I/AAAAAAAAGyI/6G7yADrVHTc/s1600/P1000898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBKpcDC98-I/TxfNpiW1s2I/AAAAAAAAGyI/6G7yADrVHTc/s200/P1000898.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8AVsTrHa5ASb29TA4_X92mQ6E7RQHBIkQueGBHz9jS6vXifMdnO_bKyp9toxCWqMkhoMOOPnKHZ_Y48guuMrCjdrcA0uOSTElfLoyVQ7c2-XmSsDBcm_flbN9PWXo10ggtH4ojjUY1I/s1600/P1000879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8AVsTrHa5ASb29TA4_X92mQ6E7RQHBIkQueGBHz9jS6vXifMdnO_bKyp9toxCWqMkhoMOOPnKHZ_Y48guuMrCjdrcA0uOSTElfLoyVQ7c2-XmSsDBcm_flbN9PWXo10ggtH4ojjUY1I/s200/P1000879.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOp0OT03xyk/TxfNuQh6_sI/AAAAAAAAGyQ/-VL5MttvELE/s1600/P1000921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOp0OT03xyk/TxfNuQh6_sI/AAAAAAAAGyQ/-VL5MttvELE/s200/P1000921.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KKAp_1l4D5I/TxfNw7htmUI/AAAAAAAAGyU/xQONer8uamI/s1600/P1000922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KKAp_1l4D5I/TxfNw7htmUI/AAAAAAAAGyU/xQONer8uamI/s200/P1000922.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMdQk7jueBw/TxfNy3sBmWI/AAAAAAAAGyY/JbjUbu3U8ZA/s1600/P1000923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMdQk7jueBw/TxfNy3sBmWI/AAAAAAAAGyY/JbjUbu3U8ZA/s200/P1000923.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QmmMprzJF-I/TxfN19xLk6I/AAAAAAAAGyc/cMG_R6mufKQ/s1600/P1000925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QmmMprzJF-I/TxfN19xLk6I/AAAAAAAAGyc/cMG_R6mufKQ/s200/P1000925.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2QJ45fcpq4/TxfN4ne5bcI/AAAAAAAAGyg/7iSrUKKporI/s1600/P1000891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2QJ45fcpq4/TxfN4ne5bcI/AAAAAAAAGyg/7iSrUKKporI/s200/P1000891.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-m-FmFAeiw/TxfN64TNxaI/AAAAAAAAGyo/7xCivsZnjE8/s1600/P1000901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-m-FmFAeiw/TxfN64TNxaI/AAAAAAAAGyo/7xCivsZnjE8/s200/P1000901.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2JXN_r5XSA/TxfN9QR7TCI/AAAAAAAAGys/M6V_iTa0jaI/s1600/P1000904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2JXN_r5XSA/TxfN9QR7TCI/AAAAAAAAGys/M6V_iTa0jaI/s200/P1000904.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6YiT8J9urzs/TxfN_6cbl1I/AAAAAAAAGyw/vpyvvk-04hA/s1600/P1000905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6YiT8J9urzs/TxfN_6cbl1I/AAAAAAAAGyw/vpyvvk-04hA/s200/P1000905.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SDnd1jW_OOU/TxfOB7SgiYI/AAAAAAAAGy0/e31MLpYkLb4/s1600/P1000917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SDnd1jW_OOU/TxfOB7SgiYI/AAAAAAAAGy0/e31MLpYkLb4/s200/P1000917.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPhWmMhJbz0/TxfOEcuwd-I/AAAAAAAAGy4/XPT9lG94tPI/s1600/P1000918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPhWmMhJbz0/TxfOEcuwd-I/AAAAAAAAGy4/XPT9lG94tPI/s200/P1000918.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BX1ye5iJSOg/TxfOGWi88II/AAAAAAAAGy8/9dBLXVcfQXc/s1600/P1000952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BX1ye5iJSOg/TxfOGWi88II/AAAAAAAAGy8/9dBLXVcfQXc/s200/P1000952.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzayUvAsqsE/TxfOI0cjhXI/AAAAAAAAGzA/52Oh_ILOlMw/s1600/P1000953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzayUvAsqsE/TxfOI0cjhXI/AAAAAAAAGzA/52Oh_ILOlMw/s200/P1000953.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T9vrcEQ0orA/TxfOKy_A8-I/AAAAAAAAGzE/C1KwmObvdxQ/s1600/P1000955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T9vrcEQ0orA/TxfOKy_A8-I/AAAAAAAAGzE/C1KwmObvdxQ/s200/P1000955.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CW_rM_oDVkU/TxfONNJrT3I/AAAAAAAAGzI/JWI8ZQBJjH4/s1600/P1000956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CW_rM_oDVkU/TxfONNJrT3I/AAAAAAAAGzI/JWI8ZQBJjH4/s200/P1000956.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1w1gbMvdu7c/TxfOPW5GnxI/AAAAAAAAGzM/dK69Ii-Y-do/s1600/P1000971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1w1gbMvdu7c/TxfOPW5GnxI/AAAAAAAAGzM/dK69Ii-Y-do/s200/P1000971.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-b5p6VFBUw/TxfORQeCMvI/AAAAAAAAGzQ/VE6hndJHVmc/s1600/P1000972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-b5p6VFBUw/TxfORQeCMvI/AAAAAAAAGzQ/VE6hndJHVmc/s200/P1000972.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5frI0cOf9A/TxfOTwRPyWI/AAAAAAAAGzU/AY1qbasRB3s/s1600/P1000946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5frI0cOf9A/TxfOTwRPyWI/AAAAAAAAGzU/AY1qbasRB3s/s200/P1000946.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EI9K_2S3UZE/TxfOWu2Yx7I/AAAAAAAAGzY/wxiuFWHzMNg/s1600/P1000920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EI9K_2S3UZE/TxfOWu2Yx7I/AAAAAAAAGzY/wxiuFWHzMNg/s200/P1000920.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8gpqU5GRlDs/TxfOYuA71yI/AAAAAAAAGzc/-mIRtmHmOCs/s1600/P1000927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8gpqU5GRlDs/TxfOYuA71yI/AAAAAAAAGzc/-mIRtmHmOCs/s200/P1000927.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2tM2hzCWCAw/TxfObQloCiI/AAAAAAAAGzg/Y1P50FN7_aw/s1600/P1000930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2tM2hzCWCAw/TxfObQloCiI/AAAAAAAAGzg/Y1P50FN7_aw/s200/P1000930.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZW7dCfVW40/TxfOdmDpoTI/AAAAAAAAGzo/82E0KqJstjw/s1600/P1000944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZW7dCfVW40/TxfOdmDpoTI/AAAAAAAAGzo/82E0KqJstjw/s200/P1000944.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RcTV5BmJ1Mw/TxfOgBHKDZI/AAAAAAAAGzs/XgLSeX7yAT8/s1600/P1000978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RcTV5BmJ1Mw/TxfOgBHKDZI/AAAAAAAAGzs/XgLSeX7yAT8/s200/P1000978.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HxmwjKRQpCo/TxfOigbJ3OI/AAAAAAAAGzw/Sgjdsde8KHs/s1600/P1000968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HxmwjKRQpCo/TxfOigbJ3OI/AAAAAAAAGzw/Sgjdsde8KHs/s200/P1000968.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RFzokbroEZGq4xuqLBsiUR0y_WrahWpekD7CT6lCgm1Z5x4pKiAs1rJb9um6pjIPaEtSF6QklgPPdJMzw1H-4ryoyZP-3BKo_x3m420O1V0ktkg8vMR1AMoJ0FvfMMQxUzrp42eZqJc/s1600/P1000949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RFzokbroEZGq4xuqLBsiUR0y_WrahWpekD7CT6lCgm1Z5x4pKiAs1rJb9um6pjIPaEtSF6QklgPPdJMzw1H-4ryoyZP-3BKo_x3m420O1V0ktkg8vMR1AMoJ0FvfMMQxUzrp42eZqJc/s200/P1000949.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R910hE9mLwI/TxfOnfBjntI/AAAAAAAAGz4/qY2qou6mlWk/s1600/P1000912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R910hE9mLwI/TxfOnfBjntI/AAAAAAAAGz4/qY2qou6mlWk/s200/P1000912.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aYlv1OCK3Ko/TxfOpmZk35I/AAAAAAAAGz8/WLHMHSH34eg/s1600/P1000916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aYlv1OCK3Ko/TxfOpmZk35I/AAAAAAAAGz8/WLHMHSH34eg/s200/P1000916.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-So1gwD4rySk/TxfOsS8R9VI/AAAAAAAAG0A/dI0qOKY78K4/s1600/P1000933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-So1gwD4rySk/TxfOsS8R9VI/AAAAAAAAG0A/dI0qOKY78K4/s200/P1000933.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xLtk14VhDR0/TxfOvCGHaII/AAAAAAAAG0E/70HreCl3eAg/s1600/P1000958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xLtk14VhDR0/TxfOvCGHaII/AAAAAAAAG0E/70HreCl3eAg/s200/P1000958.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0481GRryMM/TxfOxgaZaaI/AAAAAAAAG0I/VHK7BZQArOw/s1600/P1000959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0481GRryMM/TxfOxgaZaaI/AAAAAAAAG0I/VHK7BZQArOw/s200/P1000959.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W507pW-JlmE/TxfOz0HF0SI/AAAAAAAAG0M/_9KsEgGWXPw/s1600/P1000960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W507pW-JlmE/TxfOz0HF0SI/AAAAAAAAG0M/_9KsEgGWXPw/s200/P1000960.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YD3G75Ne7K4/TxfO2GmiupI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/YbGIBOZQ4Pg/s1600/P1000958-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YD3G75Ne7K4/TxfO2GmiupI/AAAAAAAAG0Q/YbGIBOZQ4Pg/s200/P1000958-1.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fpWPdTUuU2M/TxfO4d61fKI/AAAAAAAAG0U/Zekgl0wMW1c/s1600/P1000959-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fpWPdTUuU2M/TxfO4d61fKI/AAAAAAAAG0U/Zekgl0wMW1c/s200/P1000959-1.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhH88rL9-gk/TxfO6lrWZOI/AAAAAAAAG0Y/RLllQlkwayQ/s1600/P1000961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhH88rL9-gk/TxfO6lrWZOI/AAAAAAAAG0Y/RLllQlkwayQ/s200/P1000961.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6aCmMref01xxI80x8gQL6rr9gwtEIkNs86Rv6u6vIROSBhEiMTbdLChawzaK4wVlLneXiaSVHC_wlDGfdUGemxxMp3pAJYnvBHkwvMYtWN4jkhufu1OSZmH88elhwg3N7GKz7CvrriQ/s1600/P1000926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6aCmMref01xxI80x8gQL6rr9gwtEIkNs86Rv6u6vIROSBhEiMTbdLChawzaK4wVlLneXiaSVHC_wlDGfdUGemxxMp3pAJYnvBHkwvMYtWN4jkhufu1OSZmH88elhwg3N7GKz7CvrriQ/s200/P1000926.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GOz8bqOYS54/TxfO_YNIM1I/AAAAAAAAG0g/srGNBggPMsU/s1600/P1000965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GOz8bqOYS54/TxfO_YNIM1I/AAAAAAAAG0g/srGNBggPMsU/s200/P1000965.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uyk86RBbi6Q/TxfPBnkhERI/AAAAAAAAG0o/US7rxRX4b10/s1600/P1000966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uyk86RBbi6Q/TxfPBnkhERI/AAAAAAAAG0o/US7rxRX4b10/s200/P1000966.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3iTLIWQilI/TxfPDRi234I/AAAAAAAAG0s/lbBl8x-n3zk/s1600/P1000964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3iTLIWQilI/TxfPDRi234I/AAAAAAAAG0s/lbBl8x-n3zk/s200/P1000964.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dTyLdn99zoQ/TxfPFTfYXNI/AAAAAAAAG0w/w6t1ncH0oMI/s1600/P1000942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dTyLdn99zoQ/TxfPFTfYXNI/AAAAAAAAG0w/w6t1ncH0oMI/s200/P1000942.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhFu7nHqICQ/TxfPHvnDQhI/AAAAAAAAG00/pTF8GKVjEZE/s1600/P1000975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhFu7nHqICQ/TxfPHvnDQhI/AAAAAAAAG00/pTF8GKVjEZE/s200/P1000975.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqbh7KjYQyo/TxfPJ-wUbtI/AAAAAAAAG04/6XHjSr8zaAk/s1600/P1000976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqbh7KjYQyo/TxfPJ-wUbtI/AAAAAAAAG04/6XHjSr8zaAk/s200/P1000976.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQZD1NmT7tAyi1_puFtIK1KGpLS9oF0JZAeb5mBgl_qOBITE8PshXgRa-JtUztYeIaIYZ2YnOkqFlQY_XtpQosHYHHHV-E7Iv3KfnIba1IP7Htx5VY5Q3LNqCCf_zfbcPZ43-_rv5mzU/s1600/P1000980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQZD1NmT7tAyi1_puFtIK1KGpLS9oF0JZAeb5mBgl_qOBITE8PshXgRa-JtUztYeIaIYZ2YnOkqFlQY_XtpQosHYHHHV-E7Iv3KfnIba1IP7Htx5VY5Q3LNqCCf_zfbcPZ43-_rv5mzU/s200/P1000980.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vLNZtFGY_Wc/TxfPO8-OkMI/AAAAAAAAG1A/Rfe-vDK4yyw/s1600/P1000983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vLNZtFGY_Wc/TxfPO8-OkMI/AAAAAAAAG1A/Rfe-vDK4yyw/s200/P1000983.JPG" /></a></div>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-44448505576155039722012-01-08T21:52:00.000-10:002012-01-08T22:37:10.431-10:00Just Like That<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DB6QC4tMvgU/TwqR1i1ietI/AAAAAAAAGw4/6Uqda36SgXc/s1600/P1000793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DB6QC4tMvgU/TwqR1i1ietI/AAAAAAAAGw4/6Uqda36SgXc/s200/P1000793.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
It's 2012. Another year spinning around an average G2V star. What's this year going to bring? No way to know. But I've learned to not take any new year or extra day on this planet for granted. No one should. Sounds like a good resolution.<br />
<br />
Just like that the first giant winter swells arrived. Jaws had it's season opener on Jan 4th. The lineup at Peahi is now thick with surfers paddling in, along with the usual tow-ins, SUPs, kiters, amd windsurfers. In fact it's starting to look a lot like Pipeline on a big day. But that doesn't bother Kai Lenny, who does every water sport and probably has more fun than anyone. And Brawzinho showed up on his new Goya gear (welcome to Goya!), sharing a ride with Levi. Francisco decided to take one of the biggest and scariest off the lip wipe outs ever. Check out the video courtesy of Epic Sessions.<br />
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wlPz2v5cLBQ?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
Just like that we're past the solstice and fully into winter. And it's been a very different winter compared to last year. A year ago the trades left us in early December and we had a two month period of light wind with long stretches of kona. We had humid days and all night thunderstorms. We surfed a lot. Our few windsurfing sessions were usually light wind with lots of slogging but there were often great waves as a reward. I was very happy to be in possession of a 92 Goya quad last year, which made those days so much more fun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM17Di3MeSJ_TtHVBvU44noh1broeXCfk2E05fzPGjxtzka23aw7kuGCRa1NIHf0L0nWg30O1Q4QBAmWkL4NjO6YrB0SvZPdBznei76NNiKhMAquWGQ2MCmbQ1cJBzFS34U97KApGcDM/s1600/P1000836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM17Di3MeSJ_TtHVBvU44noh1broeXCfk2E05fzPGjxtzka23aw7kuGCRa1NIHf0L0nWg30O1Q4QBAmWkL4NjO6YrB0SvZPdBznei76NNiKhMAquWGQ2MCmbQ1cJBzFS34U97KApGcDM/s320/P1000836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This year the trades have yet to leave, except during the <a href="http://americanwindsurfingtour.com/venues/maui/">Makani Hookipa Classic</a> (of course), and the windsurfing action has otherwise been pretty much non-stop. The weather has been awesome, at least here in Pukalani. Haiku and more windward locations were stuck in a trade shower pattern for a long time so they might have felt a bit wet. And finally, a bit late perhaps, the winter surf showed up and seems to be sticking around for awhile. Surfers might be a bit bummed with all the wind, though anyone who can get out early enough and fight the SUP crowds (or SUP with them) should still be happy.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWI30IQAfbc/TwqSAeLOmfI/AAAAAAAAGxI/7VAJCq06k4E/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111206084856866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWI30IQAfbc/TwqSAeLOmfI/AAAAAAAAGxI/7VAJCq06k4E/s200/CameraZOOM-20111206084856866.jpg" width="149" /></a>Just like that it's been more than 2 months since my last post. I've had a writer's block, or perhaps I should call it a computer block. Once I recovered from my "big O" to the point where I could play outside longer and harder, but also work a more regular schedule, I found it difficult if not impossible to sit in front of a PC for any extra time and blog away. So now I take long breaks outside every morning, drinking my coffee, reading books, enjoying the nice weather and the warm sunshine on my face. This is very addicting, maybe more so when I consider how easily I could be missing all this. So easily. But I'm trying to overcome this blocking pattern - I really enjoy writing and I've had some nice comments, so I promise to try harder in 2012.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMqHX9sVRr4Y4ObEoYhc84Lddxt6amRK1WPDzD5NjNSARrbC8HAEKP73FMLWH3-mw2WB_ffCigGfbVZU7QGYHPp4J8RzYdsYf-7WBzxj8_GJNgcoPJI_xk7kqMaN1yV3w6d6Bg7Ng94E/s1600/Goya-quad-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMqHX9sVRr4Y4ObEoYhc84Lddxt6amRK1WPDzD5NjNSARrbC8HAEKP73FMLWH3-mw2WB_ffCigGfbVZU7QGYHPp4J8RzYdsYf-7WBzxj8_GJNgcoPJI_xk7kqMaN1yV3w6d6Bg7Ng94E/s320/Goya-quad-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a>Just like that I started windsurfing again on Dec 22. I've managed to get out about 8 days since, each time feeling a bit stronger and more relaxed on the water. The past few sessions I started catching some waves, easing back into it carefully, trying to avoid any big take downs or long swims. This also means I finally got to ride our new 2012 Goya gear. A very quick review - the new 78 quad is just like last year's (awesome) but with perhaps cooler graphics (IMO) and a bit more carbon to strengthen certain areas (our 2011 board is still going great in the gorge after 140+ days on the water, so it's amazing the 2012 is even stronger). And the 2012 sails are lighter than last year's, but with the same quality, performance and durability. Rock on!<br />
<br />
Here's a video from Matt showing some of the super fun conditions we've been seeing much of this winter at Kanaha. <br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34729113?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/34729113">Kanaha Fun</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5257116">Pritchard Windsurfing</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</center><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXMbF5rJAw/TqiDlxqr09I/AAAAAAAAGRs/zEkIzwTBybw/s1600/P1000068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXMbF5rJAw/TqiDlxqr09I/AAAAAAAAGRs/zEkIzwTBybw/s320/P1000068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I can't begin to describe how good it feels to be back on the water. I'm still not 100%, I don't know exactly when if ever I'll be fully healed, and there's no guarantee against future issues, but so far so good. Things could easily have turned out otherwise. Many people never get a second chance. Some never get a first chance. Before going into surgery my best hope was that I might recover to the point where someday I could be back on Maui, and perhaps be strong enough to go windsurfing. In my dream I'm able to catch a wave, and I look up the line and see Julia close by on the same wave. She looks at me and says something. I can't quite hear her so I get closer. And finally I understand - "hey, my wave!!". Oops, wrong dream. Instead I smile and give her a nod, and we cross each other going down the line taking turns hitting the lip. Miraculously, there are no kiters coming over the top trying to snake us. When we get back to the beach we get high fives from our friends, and we sit on the warm sand drinking cold beverages as the sun slowly sinks beyond the West Maui mountains.<br />
<br />
This dream has already come true. Just like that!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-21919469921085271252011-11-10T19:03:00.001-10:002011-11-10T23:53:04.318-10:00Lahaina Halloween 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7rz65OnW4U/TrhVjwF-KoI/AAAAAAAAGhI/s9RLjYSc0sw/s1600/P1000623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7rz65OnW4U/TrhVjwF-KoI/AAAAAAAAGhI/s9RLjYSc0sw/s200/P1000623.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
This year Lahaina's Front Street was once again closed to traffic on Halloween night. This allowed us and a few other thousand or so revelers to parade without fear of being run over by distracted (or drunk) drivers. Good times! Closing Front Street had become a tradition that helped Lahaina Halloween grow until it had become, by 2003 or so, the so called "Mardis Gras" of the Pacific. But this festiveness didn't sit well with a few locals, so despite the obvious hit to business, tourism, and safety, Lahaina kept the traffic flowing from 2006 until this year. Which might have worked a little too well because business on Halloween definitely took a big hit. And on Maui tourism is the real king, and thus the streets were closed again this year and the tourists (mostly) came back.<br />
<br />
I had an entirely different post already written where I described in great detail the history of Lahaina back to the invasion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_I">Kamehameha</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kepaniwai">great and bloody battles</a> fought, the intrigue involving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nu%27uanu">Kamehameha's use of foreign cannons</a> to wipe out the defenders of the other islands to become the ruler of all, the harsh impact of missionaries on local culture, and so on. With this historical context I was going to review the recent controversy involving closing Front Street on Halloween. But it wasn't to be - the gods of blogger decided not to auto save my draft when I rebooted after installing the latest security whatever, and it was no more. So I'll leave that as an educational moment and instead just state that I wish Front Street was more or less permanently closed to traffic all the time (other than to residents of course). In fact, wouldn't it be cool if a few open trolleys roamed the streets instead? These could provide free rides to cheeseburger in paradise or whatever overpriced food or drink any tourist would ever need. That would do a much better job of returning Lahaina to a historically and culturally respectful place IMO. After all, why are cars so damn important they need to be everywhere all the time, especially on Halloween? And if Front Street was always closed there would be no such Halloween controversy anymore. Right?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqgxRSCpjI8D-UsMJC-W1iPWyYo4MRjOnDhwwGv5u_iKYKtaaRucxUqeGH3YUY8h0oDgATZ2xPX-le9NkkB6x1lRaCq2BTg8PHWn6Y8c0WTvDeZmkbRDSzUVhcLOAED6MwvEiatE6RZY/s1600/121_2170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqgxRSCpjI8D-UsMJC-W1iPWyYo4MRjOnDhwwGv5u_iKYKtaaRucxUqeGH3YUY8h0oDgATZ2xPX-le9NkkB6x1lRaCq2BTg8PHWn6Y8c0WTvDeZmkbRDSzUVhcLOAED6MwvEiatE6RZY/s320/121_2170.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The last Lahaina Halloween we attended was in 2003, and in comparison this year seemed somewhat toned down - though still fun! In 2003 folks actually erected full scale performance stages, multiple DJ's were rocking out in the street to large groups of partiers (see photo to right), live bands were playing, and, yes, there might have been a bit more flesh exposed. It was a great time without any troubles that I recall, but the current festiveness is probably a good compromise for everyone involved. It's interesting to note that in the intervening years, Las Vegas has started their own <a href="http://www.thelasvegashalloweenparade.com/">Halloween parade</a>, and some claim this is now the <i>real </i>Halloween Mardis Gras. And knowing Vegas there won't be any complaints. I'm sure a good percent of the former Lahaina visitors might in fact be headed to Vegas instead. Also of note - LV is the #1 vacation destination for Hawaii residents, so it's ironic that some locals who claim offense at the comparatively mild Halloween costumes might at some point vacation in Vegas where every casino girl bares more flesh every day of the week. But if it happens in Las Vegas...<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, enough with all that. The main thing is we had a great time this year and I got some decent photos to share with ya. Also our friend Rick Zolcinski, visiting from Melbourne Australia, was very kind to share some great shots that he took as well. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
First from my camera (note they opened the street promptly at 11:30 complete with flashing cop cars and a fleet of street washers - very dramatic!)...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111111-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PL7Wj1j5DUA/TrhVruRhmmI/AAAAAAAAGhM/tzXd1s2yMn4/s1600/P1000629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PL7Wj1j5DUA/TrhVruRhmmI/AAAAAAAAGhM/tzXd1s2yMn4/s200/P1000629.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pq1Zv8kOeo0/TrhV3YB245I/AAAAAAAAGhQ/mBLayswfAcA/s1600/P1000630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pq1Zv8kOeo0/TrhV3YB245I/AAAAAAAAGhQ/mBLayswfAcA/s200/P1000630.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFiXIUe-LO4EcmUOCond-UvzP-ZOOmua-38oaGHFzw6z_tDgSstF1Hr7_9gDS35Hpje2luX1V_5knm7H3zyTNubWFRikIP-1aL1F9bMPyBupsw6HLT6enRio9CauBm4CvRDbTkBsAwXw/s1600/P1000690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFiXIUe-LO4EcmUOCond-UvzP-ZOOmua-38oaGHFzw6z_tDgSstF1Hr7_9gDS35Hpje2luX1V_5knm7H3zyTNubWFRikIP-1aL1F9bMPyBupsw6HLT6enRio9CauBm4CvRDbTkBsAwXw/s200/P1000690.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5p7ypbZxt4U/TrhWIzbhC0I/AAAAAAAAGhY/IFHHFMHaBjs/s1600/P1000691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5p7ypbZxt4U/TrhWIzbhC0I/AAAAAAAAGhY/IFHHFMHaBjs/s200/P1000691.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Gzh18bNzbg/TrhWSnGowYI/AAAAAAAAGhc/jiEudi3Jl-Y/s1600/P1000692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Gzh18bNzbg/TrhWSnGowYI/AAAAAAAAGhc/jiEudi3Jl-Y/s200/P1000692.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RscMcWhDASc/TrhWfuqKq4I/AAAAAAAAGhk/_1S5d0QcSZc/s1600/P1000664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RscMcWhDASc/TrhWfuqKq4I/AAAAAAAAGhk/_1S5d0QcSZc/s200/P1000664.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZTQcHNbHZC1Q3fZX8sMgIJCtaSOZMmSEICh2A8ikfwLBL7ZlAJfwmacGTTBbKTuVg2xm-WmDzNk1fZDW-lkEDLUhsTXnnkHtd8RP6P3jZoq6FQI_IwFJCGvjsEBvBrLxEpX3z5dMLMg/s1600/P1000634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZTQcHNbHZC1Q3fZX8sMgIJCtaSOZMmSEICh2A8ikfwLBL7ZlAJfwmacGTTBbKTuVg2xm-WmDzNk1fZDW-lkEDLUhsTXnnkHtd8RP6P3jZoq6FQI_IwFJCGvjsEBvBrLxEpX3z5dMLMg/s200/P1000634.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FGJ1dUoVgo/TrhW8p4g_iI/AAAAAAAAGh0/T2XSxrSizls/s1600/P1000676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FGJ1dUoVgo/TrhW8p4g_iI/AAAAAAAAGh0/T2XSxrSizls/s200/P1000676.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dqS1XMrtLI/TrhXRKxLAAI/AAAAAAAAGh8/9APZf_L88tk/s1600/P1000708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dqS1XMrtLI/TrhXRKxLAAI/AAAAAAAAGh8/9APZf_L88tk/s200/P1000708.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_CV9-mrwQBA/TrhXao9-7AI/AAAAAAAAGiA/XWjvsL00NUY/s1600/P1000669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_CV9-mrwQBA/TrhXao9-7AI/AAAAAAAAGiA/XWjvsL00NUY/s200/P1000669.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qUnfQSortOQ/TrhXjiUh1SI/AAAAAAAAGiE/Lq9zgiIas3g/s1600/P1000670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qUnfQSortOQ/TrhXjiUh1SI/AAAAAAAAGiE/Lq9zgiIas3g/s200/P1000670.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4p3t3dxU0UE/TrhXsuCkY3I/AAAAAAAAGiI/TeGtMviLC8w/s1600/P1000724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4p3t3dxU0UE/TrhXsuCkY3I/AAAAAAAAGiI/TeGtMviLC8w/s200/P1000724.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf4qSmFCSuU/TrhX1DXllTI/AAAAAAAAGiM/goFwOLkqpc8/s1600/P1000709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf4qSmFCSuU/TrhX1DXllTI/AAAAAAAAGiM/goFwOLkqpc8/s200/P1000709.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj0azNMXiJgif_HhpL4i7lcLy6EqLiqzICBKAtiK67ylUI1XKCNHFDzbEwWh6xyxIdRBg_Kx7Blpvn_UHP-kTJWrc4tG5nYpCYD9Hg3_-aTnI9XDSovQwPFa9O_A73jMrLOkICNLgJK0/s1600/P1000693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj0azNMXiJgif_HhpL4i7lcLy6EqLiqzICBKAtiK67ylUI1XKCNHFDzbEwWh6xyxIdRBg_Kx7Blpvn_UHP-kTJWrc4tG5nYpCYD9Hg3_-aTnI9XDSovQwPFa9O_A73jMrLOkICNLgJK0/s200/P1000693.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PK30h_IhDhs/TrhYGHclGLI/AAAAAAAAGiU/-3hfLzppZxI/s1600/P1000635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PK30h_IhDhs/TrhYGHclGLI/AAAAAAAAGiU/-3hfLzppZxI/s200/P1000635.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfD4GxU1vD_4YYdYTGX-WtMN9RQfVJPoElz9fdGN994EHmmGa56axGPq2SO55hjcAKcYcGEELz9Jp7eVZEO25ci8toetyeP_vEvVPlg5JLp7oBOmIA6z5Pi0dEzOQpWCavCqcCQF-zEM/s1600/P1000638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfD4GxU1vD_4YYdYTGX-WtMN9RQfVJPoElz9fdGN994EHmmGa56axGPq2SO55hjcAKcYcGEELz9Jp7eVZEO25ci8toetyeP_vEvVPlg5JLp7oBOmIA6z5Pi0dEzOQpWCavCqcCQF-zEM/s200/P1000638.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vt3OdVB-0wM/TrhYS_I8ToI/AAAAAAAAGic/nLTQyuJrCbU/s1600/P1000640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vt3OdVB-0wM/TrhYS_I8ToI/AAAAAAAAGic/nLTQyuJrCbU/s200/P1000640.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Jn1q-oKLKY/TrhYdrpz3dI/AAAAAAAAGig/01Q0vlluX3U/s1600/P1000641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Jn1q-oKLKY/TrhYdrpz3dI/AAAAAAAAGig/01Q0vlluX3U/s200/P1000641.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3c9WXIxVKso/TrhYmFyI5fI/AAAAAAAAGio/zGe4P7UeG_Y/s1600/P1000643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3c9WXIxVKso/TrhYmFyI5fI/AAAAAAAAGio/zGe4P7UeG_Y/s200/P1000643.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dEoK6oT8FGY/TrhYvlLtJ0I/AAAAAAAAGis/oJBKMWLl4PA/s1600/P1000646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dEoK6oT8FGY/TrhYvlLtJ0I/AAAAAAAAGis/oJBKMWLl4PA/s200/P1000646.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vX6vhdZ6d58/TrhY7Z6gIII/AAAAAAAAGiw/qrAX-Z6fcQk/s1600/P1000648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vX6vhdZ6d58/TrhY7Z6gIII/AAAAAAAAGiw/qrAX-Z6fcQk/s200/P1000648.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRO_-norHRg/TrhZEbS8H5I/AAAAAAAAGi0/z0gC-H2rpHk/s1600/P1000651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRO_-norHRg/TrhZEbS8H5I/AAAAAAAAGi0/z0gC-H2rpHk/s200/P1000651.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMH7O5iKrG4/TrhZMCS3eCI/AAAAAAAAGi4/ggYtSnB7ZWc/s1600/P1000655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AMH7O5iKrG4/TrhZMCS3eCI/AAAAAAAAGi4/ggYtSnB7ZWc/s200/P1000655.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69cnm863JMM/TrhZXuImduI/AAAAAAAAGi8/9EffbacZNKw/s1600/P1000659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69cnm863JMM/TrhZXuImduI/AAAAAAAAGi8/9EffbacZNKw/s200/P1000659.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UD6ScCZXZ5U/TrhZfPwJHYI/AAAAAAAAGjA/Xma6EmF6oO4/s1600/P1000667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UD6ScCZXZ5U/TrhZfPwJHYI/AAAAAAAAGjA/Xma6EmF6oO4/s200/P1000667.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFQ1G3sJ7r4/TrhZm8QN-GI/AAAAAAAAGjE/CS29XRiiDPM/s1600/P1000668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFQ1G3sJ7r4/TrhZm8QN-GI/AAAAAAAAGjE/CS29XRiiDPM/s200/P1000668.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hu1Gh2E0AW8/TrhZv7Rx3TI/AAAAAAAAGjI/MlpZ1O19OLI/s1600/P1000671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hu1Gh2E0AW8/TrhZv7Rx3TI/AAAAAAAAGjI/MlpZ1O19OLI/s200/P1000671.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6D4KI6grQjY/TrhZ7FM8R1I/AAAAAAAAGjM/hSfd1e3AVLU/s1600/P1000672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6D4KI6grQjY/TrhZ7FM8R1I/AAAAAAAAGjM/hSfd1e3AVLU/s200/P1000672.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BFT8FYStCE/TrhaFyIGjJI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/JLqj5soDhXs/s1600/P1000674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BFT8FYStCE/TrhaFyIGjJI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/JLqj5soDhXs/s200/P1000674.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-grwGMUfBRHA/TrhaMI0bkfI/AAAAAAAAGjU/7kgFzpAOKds/s1600/P1000681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-grwGMUfBRHA/TrhaMI0bkfI/AAAAAAAAGjU/7kgFzpAOKds/s200/P1000681.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyX3uCh5tZQ/TrhaTEMbq3I/AAAAAAAAGjY/M296XwGpI1s/s1600/P1000682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyX3uCh5tZQ/TrhaTEMbq3I/AAAAAAAAGjY/M296XwGpI1s/s200/P1000682.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhIb5u5Kcww/TrhafPX1p0I/AAAAAAAAGjg/UkKQi0Rla84/s1600/P1000685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhIb5u5Kcww/TrhafPX1p0I/AAAAAAAAGjg/UkKQi0Rla84/s200/P1000685.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwkLFoeYknw/TrhalSOsCRI/AAAAAAAAGjk/2Zj1xtDgkXw/s1600/P1000703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwkLFoeYknw/TrhalSOsCRI/AAAAAAAAGjk/2Zj1xtDgkXw/s200/P1000703.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPmJ1eNrEg0/TrhaoOL6LbI/AAAAAAAAGjo/6idwcQCx82g/s1600/P1000706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPmJ1eNrEg0/TrhaoOL6LbI/AAAAAAAAGjo/6idwcQCx82g/s200/P1000706.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jboFsXZdM7c/TrhaqpjLn_I/AAAAAAAAGjs/om-tFI0lv0U/s1600/P1000707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jboFsXZdM7c/TrhaqpjLn_I/AAAAAAAAGjs/om-tFI0lv0U/s200/P1000707.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k2avvpB4ArE/TrhatB-evOI/AAAAAAAAGjw/daPmHRsiuQc/s1600/P1000711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k2avvpB4ArE/TrhatB-evOI/AAAAAAAAGjw/daPmHRsiuQc/s200/P1000711.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7bINvXEekM/TrhawK4Z44I/AAAAAAAAGj0/4mUHMhANI5o/s1600/P1000712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7bINvXEekM/TrhawK4Z44I/AAAAAAAAGj0/4mUHMhANI5o/s200/P1000712.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HlaFBI7lCIA/TrhazObs4SI/AAAAAAAAGj4/291mxBEb04k/s1600/P1000713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HlaFBI7lCIA/TrhazObs4SI/AAAAAAAAGj4/291mxBEb04k/s200/P1000713.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8uBirGNUv_I/Trha2MI3gHI/AAAAAAAAGj8/0WdlXl_NdeY/s1600/P1000720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8uBirGNUv_I/Trha2MI3gHI/AAAAAAAAGj8/0WdlXl_NdeY/s200/P1000720.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IyNdlMO_YXU/Trha5Oab1zI/AAAAAAAAGkA/a3Y_p8wSoAc/s1600/P1000717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IyNdlMO_YXU/Trha5Oab1zI/AAAAAAAAGkA/a3Y_p8wSoAc/s200/P1000717.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-07PRJWMU-7o/Trha8qLoIXI/AAAAAAAAGkE/QyextD2Z8Wk/s1600/P1000716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-07PRJWMU-7o/Trha8qLoIXI/AAAAAAAAGkE/QyextD2Z8Wk/s200/P1000716.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
All of the rest are pictures Rick took...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111111-2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfD2LinjY38/TrhHLueAnCI/AAAAAAAAGdQ/7JB7n32g-h8/s1600/Halloween13sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfD2LinjY38/TrhHLueAnCI/AAAAAAAAGdQ/7JB7n32g-h8/s200/Halloween13sml.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAP1wfKmTPlQ8WVsAyE2aUKBjHq-zXaJ_BmEFrHEuk3SFcx8VKthOQDcIlf0yGHRdtFiP-bYPtM3Rb_PMC-LzBIMAXjeTu-l0O_z4OKx2N7U8_lp6ogQgxC1PSEb5VMC_vDuccx5xq3E/s1600/Halloween01sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAP1wfKmTPlQ8WVsAyE2aUKBjHq-zXaJ_BmEFrHEuk3SFcx8VKthOQDcIlf0yGHRdtFiP-bYPtM3Rb_PMC-LzBIMAXjeTu-l0O_z4OKx2N7U8_lp6ogQgxC1PSEb5VMC_vDuccx5xq3E/s200/Halloween01sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mSEGmVrw-zc/TrhHO7MAIXI/AAAAAAAAGdY/Ggyw-vlGlhc/s1600/Halloween11sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mSEGmVrw-zc/TrhHO7MAIXI/AAAAAAAAGdY/Ggyw-vlGlhc/s200/Halloween11sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kD__g0_gOQk/TrhHP2HjthI/AAAAAAAAGdc/pA7dgSxr6Rg/s1600/Halloween10sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kD__g0_gOQk/TrhHP2HjthI/AAAAAAAAGdc/pA7dgSxr6Rg/s200/Halloween10sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ClifRQWHAyk/TrhHQ5J5fJI/AAAAAAAAGdg/A0xry0z63p4/s1600/Halloween04sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ClifRQWHAyk/TrhHQ5J5fJI/AAAAAAAAGdg/A0xry0z63p4/s200/Halloween04sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHbcMKfliPU/TrhHSKY1ziI/AAAAAAAAGdk/hL716f5aPoc/s1600/Halloween05sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHbcMKfliPU/TrhHSKY1ziI/AAAAAAAAGdk/hL716f5aPoc/s200/Halloween05sml.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4moFGj9RpDUyBvlnhLTH6Olb7cRWcQyzkuZ-xKQjpNo7a2lb7SvQB_jX2zdiqw7VbE-Yb40C1sRMXp_sMt67P6ukXkvuZKombpBFODOe3NesjvqKGIkYBlsYetujTukglUQvCoiwLkzI/s1600/Halloween06sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4moFGj9RpDUyBvlnhLTH6Olb7cRWcQyzkuZ-xKQjpNo7a2lb7SvQB_jX2zdiqw7VbE-Yb40C1sRMXp_sMt67P6ukXkvuZKombpBFODOe3NesjvqKGIkYBlsYetujTukglUQvCoiwLkzI/s200/Halloween06sml.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KcFCI2VZj9RkfT4K-3vseuxVNKc7cxlS00KASEFAPXd1XUVI7SYwiL1q7qDn8MObnL4Ll_XfWWf1rFAZQDnL1w2XU3iOuOoZL8HrbFApoFYBXNPqCwtMHSy9yG4fCXb7dDp9PFvcvBQ/s1600/Halloween09sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KcFCI2VZj9RkfT4K-3vseuxVNKc7cxlS00KASEFAPXd1XUVI7SYwiL1q7qDn8MObnL4Ll_XfWWf1rFAZQDnL1w2XU3iOuOoZL8HrbFApoFYBXNPqCwtMHSy9yG4fCXb7dDp9PFvcvBQ/s200/Halloween09sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CfZxztNBlSw/TrhHWG1jvSI/AAAAAAAAGdw/oR3vCI1q2jM/s1600/Halloween08sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CfZxztNBlSw/TrhHWG1jvSI/AAAAAAAAGdw/oR3vCI1q2jM/s200/Halloween08sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFiDtg1QcZA/TrhHXVZ__jI/AAAAAAAAGbE/4IlQShhuqrA/s1600/Halloween03sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFiDtg1QcZA/TrhHXVZ__jI/AAAAAAAAGbE/4IlQShhuqrA/s200/Halloween03sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OE_C-9A9Ab4/TrhHYzgxpOI/AAAAAAAAGd0/mgSs_baEpx4/s1600/Halloween07sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OE_C-9A9Ab4/TrhHYzgxpOI/AAAAAAAAGd0/mgSs_baEpx4/s200/Halloween07sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGOrMHHCd-M/TrhHaOa8cDI/AAAAAAAAGd4/TjLxVxWWd94/s1600/Halloween02sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGOrMHHCd-M/TrhHaOa8cDI/AAAAAAAAGd4/TjLxVxWWd94/s200/Halloween02sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jPiwTJpYFB0/TrhUBVB-zSI/AAAAAAAAGtU/Klvd3c3dEe4/s1600/Halloween19sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jPiwTJpYFB0/TrhUBVB-zSI/AAAAAAAAGtU/Klvd3c3dEe4/s200/Halloween19sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2jWWwFfjQlI/TrhUCdK_SUI/AAAAAAAAGtU/TjM37JOmeSk/s1600/Halloween20sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2jWWwFfjQlI/TrhUCdK_SUI/AAAAAAAAGtU/TjM37JOmeSk/s200/Halloween20sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkFxem4vMb0/TrhUDMDjWUI/AAAAAAAAGtU/NBQW41-oJdU/s1600/Halloween22sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kkFxem4vMb0/TrhUDMDjWUI/AAAAAAAAGtU/NBQW41-oJdU/s200/Halloween22sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9BA_5fDc6Gg/TrhUD2AiJXI/AAAAAAAAGtU/-ucIcHrm7YA/s1600/Halloween002sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9BA_5fDc6Gg/TrhUD2AiJXI/AAAAAAAAGtU/-ucIcHrm7YA/s200/Halloween002sml.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_FoZ0ecEC4/TrhUEQ4SVmI/AAAAAAAAGtU/piUcdqNBSbw/s1600/Halloween001sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_FoZ0ecEC4/TrhUEQ4SVmI/AAAAAAAAGtU/piUcdqNBSbw/s200/Halloween001sml.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr3HVR3kWJc/TrhUF5uwNoI/AAAAAAAAGtU/NAGyLOSs7-g/s1600/Halloween35sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr3HVR3kWJc/TrhUF5uwNoI/AAAAAAAAGtU/NAGyLOSs7-g/s200/Halloween35sml.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDrd3bvHjqMa7ZvUtORxhF4ocPsTnEDaZpHVb5cmkYkawJn9rSkIOpS0r7jNZ7bYwfDagGFzMDyOUln-IMLgwTS6rNX-Ymqj3nrOzYYBXh8N8q28Rsvp9fKwbbq0_VxjAcppjSpwDz1E/s1600/Halloween39sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDrd3bvHjqMa7ZvUtORxhF4ocPsTnEDaZpHVb5cmkYkawJn9rSkIOpS0r7jNZ7bYwfDagGFzMDyOUln-IMLgwTS6rNX-Ymqj3nrOzYYBXh8N8q28Rsvp9fKwbbq0_VxjAcppjSpwDz1E/s200/Halloween39sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h29ToJ-ok4Q/TrhUIm-PjQI/AAAAAAAAGtU/ah7w6RRtKU8/s1600/Halloween40sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h29ToJ-ok4Q/TrhUIm-PjQI/AAAAAAAAGtU/ah7w6RRtKU8/s200/Halloween40sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynOGWI7-t_U/TrhUJy3Ro6I/AAAAAAAAGtU/MW8ALiqXFbM/s1600/Halloween49sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynOGWI7-t_U/TrhUJy3Ro6I/AAAAAAAAGtU/MW8ALiqXFbM/s200/Halloween49sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mbzz96Yo4Ug/TrhULl9vY5I/AAAAAAAAGtU/zZSmvyt3y_Y/s1600/Halloween51sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mbzz96Yo4Ug/TrhULl9vY5I/AAAAAAAAGtU/zZSmvyt3y_Y/s200/Halloween51sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mNeBq-IGsWc/TrhUM1AyZcI/AAAAAAAAGtU/j8hu1PK0Isk/s1600/Halloween56sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mNeBq-IGsWc/TrhUM1AyZcI/AAAAAAAAGtU/j8hu1PK0Isk/s200/Halloween56sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikWinPrn3tg/TrhUOi3S0gI/AAAAAAAAGtU/91Kawk1_uhc/s1600/Halloween57sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikWinPrn3tg/TrhUOi3S0gI/AAAAAAAAGtU/91Kawk1_uhc/s200/Halloween57sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E2vdTiIh2Bs/TrhUPQOgE4I/AAAAAAAAGtU/PQfU77wFeZ8/s1600/Halloween007sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E2vdTiIh2Bs/TrhUPQOgE4I/AAAAAAAAGtU/PQfU77wFeZ8/s200/Halloween007sml.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l4nac4ypnrc/TrhUQQpPJdI/AAAAAAAAGtU/O71518p92Sc/s1600/Halloween61sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l4nac4ypnrc/TrhUQQpPJdI/AAAAAAAAGtU/O71518p92Sc/s200/Halloween61sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aqqR0Z9uPt0/TrhURhCcxtI/AAAAAAAAGtU/wunr4J0j3h4/s1600/Halloween65sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aqqR0Z9uPt0/TrhURhCcxtI/AAAAAAAAGtU/wunr4J0j3h4/s200/Halloween65sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVhqtx9kynY/TrhUSioiGtI/AAAAAAAAGtU/pRlciuMZnog/s1600/Halloween68sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVhqtx9kynY/TrhUSioiGtI/AAAAAAAAGtU/pRlciuMZnog/s200/Halloween68sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6_7ABK1ocnc/TrhUT-uxdfI/AAAAAAAAGtU/oeA4mgttKZA/s1600/Halloween69sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6_7ABK1ocnc/TrhUT-uxdfI/AAAAAAAAGtU/oeA4mgttKZA/s200/Halloween69sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0gPp3B3Bg6o/TrhUUpsHARI/AAAAAAAAGtU/jGdAizFtFNk/s1600/Halloween70sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0gPp3B3Bg6o/TrhUUpsHARI/AAAAAAAAGtU/jGdAizFtFNk/s200/Halloween70sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZkHMTDzkSI/TrhUXNp9c0I/AAAAAAAAGtU/4pOFny6sWlQ/s1600/Halloween76sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZkHMTDzkSI/TrhUXNp9c0I/AAAAAAAAGtU/4pOFny6sWlQ/s200/Halloween76sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zveWYdyxMto/TrhUYnY3kDI/AAAAAAAAGtU/eGmR-Q0uL-w/s1600/Halloween77sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zveWYdyxMto/TrhUYnY3kDI/AAAAAAAAGtU/eGmR-Q0uL-w/s200/Halloween77sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeqbrrSuW8Y/TrhUZUn8pCI/AAAAAAAAGtU/m_yw_wp0ZBE/s1600/Halloween89sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeqbrrSuW8Y/TrhUZUn8pCI/AAAAAAAAGtU/m_yw_wp0ZBE/s200/Halloween89sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFJXbiT45S8/TrhUa8jc-_I/AAAAAAAAGtU/_Q-vcaRQbYA/s1600/Halloween97sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFJXbiT45S8/TrhUa8jc-_I/AAAAAAAAGtU/_Q-vcaRQbYA/s200/Halloween97sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hf4DIER5wkk/TrhUcElYZDI/AAAAAAAAGtU/tadlkg7Tr8U/s1600/Halloween100sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hf4DIER5wkk/TrhUcElYZDI/AAAAAAAAGtU/tadlkg7Tr8U/s200/Halloween100sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1dFJxRBpcy0/TrhUd5MaWTI/AAAAAAAAGtU/WOqQhmQ0vQg/s1600/Halloween103sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1dFJxRBpcy0/TrhUd5MaWTI/AAAAAAAAGtU/WOqQhmQ0vQg/s200/Halloween103sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FXjFXE5wxwI/TrhUeqOdu4I/AAAAAAAAGtU/86DxqybHx4o/s1600/Halloween109sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FXjFXE5wxwI/TrhUeqOdu4I/AAAAAAAAGtU/86DxqybHx4o/s200/Halloween109sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1sdf_TmBRUg/TrhUhNTHXCI/AAAAAAAAGtU/v3sg6A9SFNc/s1600/Halloween114sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1sdf_TmBRUg/TrhUhNTHXCI/AAAAAAAAGtU/v3sg6A9SFNc/s200/Halloween114sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_Z7zLZm2b4/TrhTaNFk3DI/AAAAAAAAGtY/HtBZtslIXcc/s1600/Halloween30sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_Z7zLZm2b4/TrhTaNFk3DI/AAAAAAAAGtY/HtBZtslIXcc/s200/Halloween30sml.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9feurWgMioaGaZEIMTUoSWLB81RRP0VlzZoMjCOa7KIHNL8JTgdoaJ-pDFwlMn1vZUZJhgxIqtGXeO-uFTdKM6_Z8KiNh8i8Q8ItQY1HkN9Rp3UyGXKUYqogsukwZfzdoYj8t8Ok28I/s1600/Halloween52sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9feurWgMioaGaZEIMTUoSWLB81RRP0VlzZoMjCOa7KIHNL8JTgdoaJ-pDFwlMn1vZUZJhgxIqtGXeO-uFTdKM6_Z8KiNh8i8Q8ItQY1HkN9Rp3UyGXKUYqogsukwZfzdoYj8t8Ok28I/s200/Halloween52sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ga2uvuMvLHM/TrhTdG7qu5I/AAAAAAAAGtY/pi0Sy4a2Zyk/s1600/Halloween55sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ga2uvuMvLHM/TrhTdG7qu5I/AAAAAAAAGtY/pi0Sy4a2Zyk/s200/Halloween55sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vrR4Mzj_Gao/TrhTeiTax6I/AAAAAAAAGtY/dmIXPhZUwv8/s1600/Halloween66sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vrR4Mzj_Gao/TrhTeiTax6I/AAAAAAAAGtY/dmIXPhZUwv8/s200/Halloween66sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-L8p5k7e6k/TrhTfsLwIpI/AAAAAAAAGtY/cFeRu8vDt5w/s1600/Halloween82sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-L8p5k7e6k/TrhTfsLwIpI/AAAAAAAAGtY/cFeRu8vDt5w/s200/Halloween82sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXLB3e555Qs/TrhThE4BtyI/AAAAAAAAGtY/tXTMf-Ols1o/s1600/Halloween85sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXLB3e555Qs/TrhThE4BtyI/AAAAAAAAGtY/tXTMf-Ols1o/s200/Halloween85sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDCMGyComUg/TrhTiykNfeI/AAAAAAAAGtY/9A1jCUUgaa4/s1600/Halloween93sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDCMGyComUg/TrhTiykNfeI/AAAAAAAAGtY/9A1jCUUgaa4/s200/Halloween93sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--er0hsa0aIU/TrhTkfCF2FI/AAAAAAAAGtY/pm5EYf1Y15g/s1600/Halloween99sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--er0hsa0aIU/TrhTkfCF2FI/AAAAAAAAGtY/pm5EYf1Y15g/s200/Halloween99sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mEwopDMUY8E/TrhTm-WLIcI/AAAAAAAAGtY/hLYNukNQVvE/s1600/Halloween104sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mEwopDMUY8E/TrhTm-WLIcI/AAAAAAAAGtY/hLYNukNQVvE/s200/Halloween104sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aAMCOYT3nBQ/TrhTn9A0kOI/AAAAAAAAGtY/HQrONNzxw5E/s1600/Halloween106sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aAMCOYT3nBQ/TrhTn9A0kOI/AAAAAAAAGtY/HQrONNzxw5E/s200/Halloween106sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cwi17jJQ5o/TrhTpijTBRI/AAAAAAAAGtY/Ft2WO2wN6s8/s1600/Halloween107sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9cwi17jJQ5o/TrhTpijTBRI/AAAAAAAAGtY/Ft2WO2wN6s8/s200/Halloween107sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2tJUDq0vmuY/TrhTq6gxeJI/AAAAAAAAGtY/aL5yOTHB9kc/s1600/Halloween112sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2tJUDq0vmuY/TrhTq6gxeJI/AAAAAAAAGtY/aL5yOTHB9kc/s200/Halloween112sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wP0JhSpaQfE/TrhTryFPeSI/AAAAAAAAGtY/4X3Wx4zYhh8/s1600/Halloween116sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wP0JhSpaQfE/TrhTryFPeSI/AAAAAAAAGtY/4X3Wx4zYhh8/s200/Halloween116sml.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-colktesGHSc/TrhTluvZ7QI/AAAAAAAAGtY/6kPHIeFEFIk/s1600/Halloween101sml.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-colktesGHSc/TrhTluvZ7QI/AAAAAAAAGtY/6kPHIeFEFIk/s200/Halloween101sml.JPG" /></a></div>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-86458849678974404262011-10-27T14:21:00.001-10:002011-10-29T23:13:27.697-10:00Looking at Lowers and AWT registration fun.<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXMbF5rJAw/TqiDlxqr09I/AAAAAAAAGRs/zEkIzwTBybw/s1600/P1000068.JPG" style="display: none;" />After spending one day hanging at Uppers, we decided to really shake things up, so we moved our butts down to Lowers for the next day's action. The weekend swell was still with us along with the Windsurfing Magazine test crew, giving the new crop of 2012 wave boards a good shake out (preview - almost all are very nice, and most are now officially tri or quad fin shapes). Julia was out riding the 2012 Goya quad 78 which has been working very well for her. It was my duty to take some pictures with my new super zoom and this is what I got...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111027-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Rt9ZpxhCw0/TqiDbJGWSPI/AAAAAAAAGRc/u8P1EoJHp00/s1600/P1000054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Rt9ZpxhCw0/TqiDbJGWSPI/AAAAAAAAGRc/u8P1EoJHp00/s200/P1000054.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXMbF5rJAw/TqiDlxqr09I/AAAAAAAAGRs/zEkIzwTBybw/s1600/P1000068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXMbF5rJAw/TqiDlxqr09I/AAAAAAAAGRs/zEkIzwTBybw/s200/P1000068.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KdTstIHdgmo/TqiDgS37b4I/AAAAAAAAGRk/_jVC0xt68ms/s1600/P1000058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KdTstIHdgmo/TqiDgS37b4I/AAAAAAAAGRk/_jVC0xt68ms/s200/P1000058.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAp83UDNa7E5WFwXATOrlPTLMLFJw8Yo6FpIm_l9UCk0mF7Lw1NONpxGd0XMyD8gZrWUeu_Nu8S7Y6_XErKRbTGyxlOmas7ildvMbgO70ck8w1A6KtMoAwOseuUTel81VDaZAmztM4Ic/s1600/P1000069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAp83UDNa7E5WFwXATOrlPTLMLFJw8Yo6FpIm_l9UCk0mF7Lw1NONpxGd0XMyD8gZrWUeu_Nu8S7Y6_XErKRbTGyxlOmas7ildvMbgO70ck8w1A6KtMoAwOseuUTel81VDaZAmztM4Ic/s200/P1000069.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dCHvaWY02yQ/TqiDqQvhVNI/AAAAAAAAGR0/SoW_ms6pYd0/s1600/P1000070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dCHvaWY02yQ/TqiDqQvhVNI/AAAAAAAAGR0/SoW_ms6pYd0/s200/P1000070.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Besides Julia we had some other friends getting in on the fun. Such as Royn Bartholdi...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDK7YEmlrjc/TqiDs6qR_vI/AAAAAAAAGR4/mNLL0CREjro/s1600/P1000066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDK7YEmlrjc/TqiDs6qR_vI/AAAAAAAAGR4/mNLL0CREjro/s320/P1000066.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The next three shots are a guy we recently met at a party and I just can't remember his name, and I'm also not sure about the last two, but they're all getting some nice turns. Anybody got names for me, please speak up!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111027-2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o7XI5Stv2vE/TqiDveJcDkI/AAAAAAAAGR8/dnX0XgkIoA4/s1600/P1000061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o7XI5Stv2vE/TqiDveJcDkI/AAAAAAAAGR8/dnX0XgkIoA4/s200/P1000061.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIt597GXNZI/TqiDx_u5RvI/AAAAAAAAGSA/4ZqotP3VzaY/s1600/P1000062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIt597GXNZI/TqiDx_u5RvI/AAAAAAAAGSA/4ZqotP3VzaY/s200/P1000062.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjzUFwtyrIM/TqiD0p8smcI/AAAAAAAAGSI/8EsnJ4buzlI/s1600/P1000063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjzUFwtyrIM/TqiD0p8smcI/AAAAAAAAGSI/8EsnJ4buzlI/s200/P1000063.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUMHMnsTCqg/TqiD3DXN4tI/AAAAAAAAGSM/xNfF0xwcPHU/s1600/P1000071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUMHMnsTCqg/TqiD3DXN4tI/AAAAAAAAGSM/xNfF0xwcPHU/s200/P1000071.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dXsPg4i7Do/TqiD5svqxLI/AAAAAAAAGSQ/iaigvVrjrt4/s1600/P1000075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dXsPg4i7Do/TqiD5svqxLI/AAAAAAAAGSQ/iaigvVrjrt4/s200/P1000075.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Besides all the on the water action, I could't help but turn my camera to the left and get a quick pic of Maddy, one of the very lovely gals with the windsurfing test crew. As you can see, this turned into a bit of a self portrait. And speaking of lovely, I also caught Rebecca returning from her session on a new Simmer board and showing nothing but smiles. Nice! PS - Rebecca has not one but two blog's, <a href="http://windorwithout.blogspot.com/">here </a>and <a href="http://windsurfingmag.com/windsurfing-blogs/2011/10/04/opening-day-on-maui/">here</a>, that you should really check out. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111027-3" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uHxPfwfXag/TqiD8J4i3II/AAAAAAAAGSU/w0Qv9Bjd1Ho/s1600/P1000060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uHxPfwfXag/TqiD8J4i3II/AAAAAAAAGSU/w0Qv9Bjd1Ho/s200/P1000060.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--74C-OxEakE/TqiD-Js47eI/AAAAAAAAGSY/IwlF-XGdJwQ/s1600/P1000060-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--74C-OxEakE/TqiD-Js47eI/AAAAAAAAGSY/IwlF-XGdJwQ/s200/P1000060-1.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSkeM8c9ksk/TqiEAuxh4HI/AAAAAAAAGSc/nasz5gaQelA/s1600/P1000064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QSkeM8c9ksk/TqiEAuxh4HI/AAAAAAAAGSc/nasz5gaQelA/s200/P1000064.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lCUhqCuwNRU/TqnNSqzxgjI/AAAAAAAAGTw/DTJfL3BTSXE/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026191713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lCUhqCuwNRU/TqnNSqzxgjI/AAAAAAAAGTw/DTJfL3BTSXE/s320/CameraZOOM-20111026191713.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Now as every windsurfing paying attention to current events is no doubt aware, the <a href="http://americanwindsurfingtour.com/">American Windsurfing Tour</a>'s premier event, The Makani Classic at Hookipa, is here, starting today Oct 27th. Right now we're looking at light but sail-able wind for the next four or five days. Unfortunately the north shore is dead flat at the moment but a medium sized bump (3-6') feet is due for Friday, and a much larger swell (up to 15') is predicted for Monday. Sam and the AWT crew have the interesting challenge of picking the best three of the next six days (from Oct 27 - Nov 2) to run the show. Word is today (Thurs) is officially on hold. No waves so no big surprise there. I'm guessing they will get some action tomorrow with the medium swell that's forecast, and probably Saturday as well. After that, hopefully we'll have better wind and wave info to make the call for Sun, Mon, Tues. It would be sweet if heats could be run in the significant waves that are predicted for Monday. Anyway, some action is guaranteed and we'll all see it soon enough.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, AWT has put together an amazing week of parties with something fun going on every night. I feel it is my sacred duty to participate in these as much as possible (as I can't compete otherwise) and try to bring some of the fun to you. Last night was the opening registration at the Kahalui Ale house. Julia, Rebecca, and Debbie were handing out the swag to all the competitors. I assisted them, mostly by taking pictures with a few select participants (Brawzinho, Boujmaa, me!, and a really large T-shirt with a three headed monster. Also there was this scary dude at the front door to greet everyone.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111027-4" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWV0IkLYSmRpLeAJe_1E2XT43FAhWFVazcA_JeizFbjTWtNwKvLBUtYblP-163sGANInzVwGkeFP8qApXei0BLk-WIRZSeR7_uPUfqdc319Cd2UqRGpy_uz-GcZ5k4TJZKpnRk6QIt_U/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026180210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWV0IkLYSmRpLeAJe_1E2XT43FAhWFVazcA_JeizFbjTWtNwKvLBUtYblP-163sGANInzVwGkeFP8qApXei0BLk-WIRZSeR7_uPUfqdc319Cd2UqRGpy_uz-GcZ5k4TJZKpnRk6QIt_U/s200/CameraZOOM-20111026180210.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EdDwQjZWKig/TqnNXfiN5QI/AAAAAAAAGUA/Ep1mSjNRZok/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026182115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EdDwQjZWKig/TqnNXfiN5QI/AAAAAAAAGUA/Ep1mSjNRZok/s200/CameraZOOM-20111026182115.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2tcU1b-zzzk/TqnNZbnflWI/AAAAAAAAGUE/sWvvz87Uzwk/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026184226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2tcU1b-zzzk/TqnNZbnflWI/AAAAAAAAGUE/sWvvz87Uzwk/s200/CameraZOOM-20111026184226.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MLpzFUmOpXs/TqnNar_6XtI/AAAAAAAAGUI/uKiaqUG0Ook/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026185200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MLpzFUmOpXs/TqnNar_6XtI/AAAAAAAAGUI/uKiaqUG0Ook/s200/CameraZOOM-20111026185200.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YcRGgAncDaE/TqnNV_ybviI/AAAAAAAAGT8/iihH37_G_D8/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026191215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YcRGgAncDaE/TqnNV_ybviI/AAAAAAAAGT8/iihH37_G_D8/s200/CameraZOOM-20111026191215.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1EukLPHgfQngrNwFAPGYS2Zmb2P2gp5sT4idsLNyyCXu4eucT1kgZLwSOr36RdT-s_IVR2XVoAK4qi1PPgmQs7bLqvz2ZVc6KFmuonftsHBaZlMvQ5HKvICIVGri1f4K5GxK_9CvPL8/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111026192717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1EukLPHgfQngrNwFAPGYS2Zmb2P2gp5sT4idsLNyyCXu4eucT1kgZLwSOr36RdT-s_IVR2XVoAK4qi1PPgmQs7bLqvz2ZVc6KFmuonftsHBaZlMvQ5HKvICIVGri1f4K5GxK_9CvPL8/s200/CameraZOOM-20111026192717.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Tonight is the Goya/Quattro party, tomorrow 4th Friday in Paia, Saturday is the Maui Ultra Fin lounge party at Neil Pryde, and Monday night is Halloween. Whoa! - going to be a challenge keeping up with all that but I think I can do it. And hopefully get some competition action shots from Hookipa as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNn49Ijp6Yo/TqnNjIZHTQI/AAAAAAAAGUc/G4kMQ0mVz8U/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111025153443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNn49Ijp6Yo/TqnNjIZHTQI/AAAAAAAAGUc/G4kMQ0mVz8U/s200/CameraZOOM-20111025153443.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
One last thing- just a medical update. Most of you know I had a <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/10/details.html">little procedure </a>about six weeks ago that basically involved ripping my chest open and replacing a big chunk of my aorta along with some extensive repair work in the heart valve region. Ouch! Well I'm felling much better now and very recently I started riding my mountain bike for exercise, which included a ride from Kanaha to Hookipa, something like a 15 mile round trip. And let me tell you, it was crowded at Hookipa! Not much more to report other then the recovery seems to be going as well as possible and, unless I hear otherwise from medical professionals, I plan on adding easy hills to the biking, light jogging, and some mellow swimming/paddling over the next few weeks. I've been asked when I might be able to windsurf again. My best guess is six months after the surgery, which would mean roughly mid March. Maybe a touch sooner for good behavior. Sometime before that I'll talk with a cardiologist and I'm sure I'll get better advice. Anyway, for now it's all good!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-23775914318227413242011-10-24T00:00:00.000-10:002011-10-24T10:27:26.557-10:00Uppers Zoomed InAs mentioned in my most recent post, I've been hanging at Kanaha while everyone else is playing on the water. I'm trying to make myself a bit more useful to society so I brought my latest fairly cheap super zoom point & shoot camera to the beach. In this case it's a Panasonic DMC-FZ40, available on Amazon for a mere $280. The thing about this camera is it offers a really long zoom for an inexpensive price. To get the equivalent on a DSLR would probably cost a few grand just for the lens. Of course you are giving up some important features with the cheaper camera, especially lens speed and low light performance. But if your main goal is to sit on the beach and take hand held pictures of your buddies way way out on the waves while sitting in your Tommy Bahama beach chair, it's not a bad trade off.<br />
<br />
Those of you who windsurf and do so at Kanaha and occasionally are in the upper / windward reef (cleverly known as "Uppers") know that the break up there is a long distance - maybe a mile or so - from the beach. Unfortunately this distance rules out easy viewing or getting good photos of the action up there, unlike Hookipa where everything is right in front of the spectators looking down from a perfect viewing bluff. Yes Hookipa is awesome for action photos - yet another reason for pros and photographers to be there (besides the awesome conditions of course). Uppers is the quiet place to do your own thing out of public sight. Which can be a bummer on the bigger days when Uppers has very nice conditions along with some very skilled riders. One such rider often up there ripping it up in all conditions is Nick Warmuth, who I've pointed out in some prior posts. Anyhoo, this new camera does a very decent job of bringing the far away action in close. It's not perfect, but for now it seems a whole lot better then anything I used before. So without further ado, below are today's shots from Uppers.<br />
<br />
The first photo shows Nick cutting back and throwing some big spray off a wave. Riley Coon is the second shot throwing a sweet goiter (if there can be such a thing). The third is my buddy Sven Zedlick making a nice top turn. Garth Pond is doing the same in photo five. Larry (?) is in number nine. I'm looking for names on the others (so if anyone knows send me a comment),<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111023-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JyQb1szzQ-0/TqUAmQA0WGI/AAAAAAAAGQg/dnh3hEOKjQA/s1600/P1000027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JyQb1szzQ-0/TqUAmQA0WGI/AAAAAAAAGQg/dnh3hEOKjQA/s200/P1000027.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mvCkyyEnMZo/TqUAq_YY71I/AAAAAAAAGQo/c-oKgc6lfpE/s1600/P1000029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mvCkyyEnMZo/TqUAq_YY71I/AAAAAAAAGQo/c-oKgc6lfpE/s200/P1000029.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCarclXy35c/TqUAtKL355I/AAAAAAAAGQs/QyMeE4NCZVc/s1600/P1000031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCarclXy35c/TqUAtKL355I/AAAAAAAAGQs/QyMeE4NCZVc/s200/P1000031.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-revH4PncV-w/TqUAvjH4A6I/AAAAAAAAGQw/nGqXDcwbHj4/s1600/P1000036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-revH4PncV-w/TqUAvjH4A6I/AAAAAAAAGQw/nGqXDcwbHj4/s200/P1000036.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5dpjl0Nmzo/TqUAyG5eWSI/AAAAAAAAGQ0/TOquCstVYfw/s1600/P1000037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5dpjl0Nmzo/TqUAyG5eWSI/AAAAAAAAGQ0/TOquCstVYfw/s200/P1000037.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xNCf4W3iZpI/TqUA0qKJ9KI/AAAAAAAAGQ4/vKRvz3ybHR8/s1600/P1000040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xNCf4W3iZpI/TqUA0qKJ9KI/AAAAAAAAGQ4/vKRvz3ybHR8/s200/P1000040.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSwkQRJD7kw/TqUA28cVZbI/AAAAAAAAGQ8/H6B_SuzvoZA/s1600/P1000041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSwkQRJD7kw/TqUA28cVZbI/AAAAAAAAGQ8/H6B_SuzvoZA/s200/P1000041.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CUhRN2PltTI/TqUA5Vvoq4I/AAAAAAAAGRA/lERX4dRVq5c/s1600/P1000042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CUhRN2PltTI/TqUA5Vvoq4I/AAAAAAAAGRA/lERX4dRVq5c/s200/P1000042.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eU2m5YNm_SY/TqUA7pWV0QI/AAAAAAAAGRE/JJNFqsC6e38/s1600/P1000044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eU2m5YNm_SY/TqUA7pWV0QI/AAAAAAAAGRE/JJNFqsC6e38/s200/P1000044.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNt2XALDSD0/TqUA-Patl1I/AAAAAAAAGRM/7A4oOyJIZrw/s1600/P1000045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNt2XALDSD0/TqUA-Patl1I/AAAAAAAAGRM/7A4oOyJIZrw/s200/P1000045.JPG" /></a></div>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-42410113964267775762011-10-23T11:05:00.000-10:002011-10-23T11:22:08.905-10:00On Da Rock (It's a good thing)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m20Nv_jwCNc/TdgZnNyP3KI/AAAAAAAAFcg/mQt0_nfoFZw/s1600/P1020702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m20Nv_jwCNc/TdgZnNyP3KI/AAAAAAAAFcg/mQt0_nfoFZw/s200/P1020702.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm writing this from our little Ohana up country Maui. We've been on island about ten days. The sun is rising into a clear blue sky, the birds are doing their usual morning song and dance (and fortunately without any roosters involved in the process) and there is a new 15 ft swell arriving on our north shores today. The <a href="http://americanwindsurfingtour.com/">American Windsurfing Tour</a> is also gearing up for an exciting week of windsurfing competition and parties. I can't do any competing but I can do parties, so I got that going for me (which is nice).<br />
<br />
It's been 5 1/2 weeks since my <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/possible-part-iii.html">little medical procedure</a>. The whole experience already feels like a dream, or some story I read on someone else's blog. Did it really happen? I have to look down at my already fading scar to remind myself that yes, it really did. I've also seen some medical bills going back and forth to further remind me. Want to know what open heart surgery in the US might cost? Hint, around $150K. Nice to have health insurance even though we have a high deductible so we're not getting off entirely free. But what would have happened if we were without - like so many others? I find it hard to imagine (good bye life savings). I'm also guessing I might have entered that special place called "uninsurable", meaning past medical procedures or illnesses rule out future private health insurance, if I ever need any. The funny thing is I'm probably much less likely to have any medical issues now, but whatever. Such is life on the US health insurance wheel of fortune - I'll avoid further rants and just be happy that we are good for now.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zens2mnsLIk/TqRYTRjhZ1I/AAAAAAAAGPk/i12ljUKeQvs/s1600/P1000015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zens2mnsLIk/TqRYTRjhZ1I/AAAAAAAAGPk/i12ljUKeQvs/s200/P1000015.JPG" width="200" /></a>
Speaking of good, I really feel it. I'll admit the the packing and travel totally wore me out, and the first day or so here I mostly napped. But lately I've been hanging at Kanaha while Julia's board testing for <a href="http://windsurfingmag.com/">Windsurfing Magazine's</a> annual review, and I've been riding my beater Maui trail bike back and forth between Kanaha and Paia - about a ten mile round trip with some heavy head wind to make it interesting. I'm not feeling any pain and all the bike riding so far has been problem free. My plan is to slowly step up the effort and soon add yoga, light jogging and light swimming to the mix. The basic info I have on the recovery process is it takes 6-8 weeks for the sternum to heal sufficiently to allow more vigorous exercise - I'm counting on being good in 6 (just a few days away). I've also been told to wait at least 6 months before any activities that could involve sudden impact - which is why I'm thinking no (except maybe extremely light) windsurfing until then. But perhaps a little surfing before might be possible? I'm in unknown waters here, but I'm pretty confident that I'm healing about as quickly as possible. If any of my readers are cardiologists or have medical expertise in this area, please feel free to leave me some comments about my expectations! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSpui5_GYyyZ-dPXplVRzArtvkOGMY2tdU56hfNUKsvaQLdFzdBrjhUwBhQChdhvfwrXgKUPTEs__oDPJWNAByAFAr8ejR-JVzAyO0E_al4Cw7XjdKtVyWDyLhjotrSq9wx5Y3liu1Qk/s1600/caddyshack_bill_murray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSpui5_GYyyZ-dPXplVRzArtvkOGMY2tdU56hfNUKsvaQLdFzdBrjhUwBhQChdhvfwrXgKUPTEs__oDPJWNAByAFAr8ejR-JVzAyO0E_al4Cw7XjdKtVyWDyLhjotrSq9wx5Y3liu1Qk/s200/caddyshack_bill_murray.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Quick rant. Why couldn't they extend the bike path from Kanaha by the private Maui golf course / country club (which resembles a retirement home in terms of the clientele) to the Baldwin beach trail which runs to Paia? Did the golf course and private McMansions along the side of it have to take up all the space between the ocean and the highway? Really? We need Bill Muarry to blow up some golfers, I mean gophers, and clear us some space for our bike path. Who's with me! One good thing about the country club though - it has one really huge kick ass Banyan tree (actually several trees all connected) right in the middle of their parking lot. Possible the biggest on the north shore. Standing under it, staring at the vines swaying down 100 ft from the canopy reminds me of a something out of Avatar. Check it out...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6SX0FGyo6A/TqRYgeiizvI/AAAAAAAAGP8/7YLTDRZbI1M/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111022145841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6SX0FGyo6A/TqRYgeiizvI/AAAAAAAAGP8/7YLTDRZbI1M/s320/CameraZOOM-20111022145841.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Back to the AWT and parties. Last night was the kick off at <a href="http://www.kanahakai.com/">Kanaha Kai</a> (Hot Sails). Jeff Henderson and co had a nice little throw down and it was great seeing the windsurfing tribe mostly gathered in one space. If conditions can rally later this week it's going to be an epic competition and I promise to be there with camera in hand for all the action. I might not be able to sail at the moment, but I sure can click, click, click!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xuPn0qWWK9M/TqRYUTfKyuI/AAAAAAAAGPo/LYSuN_FFoF0/s1600/P1000019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xuPn0qWWK9M/TqRYUTfKyuI/AAAAAAAAGPo/LYSuN_FFoF0/s320/P1000019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
One last thing.... when this whole heart surgery - I might die or be hugely damaged - thing was going down, I couldn't help but think about our upcoming trip to Maui and our plan to pick up some shiny new windsurfing gear to play in the waves. At that time the whole trip - if not my life - seemed potentially on the rocks. So I am very pleased to report that not only are we here, but we got all our new gear! Below is the new <a href="http://goyawindsurfing.com/boards/items/y2012/custom/">2012 Goya 78</a> quad that we picked up along with a quiver of <a href="http://goyawindsurfing.com/sails/items/y2012/guru/">2012 Guru sails</a>. Suffice to say this is the most awesome-ness windsurfing kit on the planet. For now Julia gets to play on it, but I'm pretty sure my time will come soon enough...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFw7FRieP5s/TqRYQzbD50I/AAAAAAAAGPc/0cUfvrJK6Hs/s1600/P1000010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFw7FRieP5s/TqRYQzbD50I/AAAAAAAAGPc/0cUfvrJK6Hs/s320/P1000010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-17366848315441863482011-10-09T09:50:00.001-10:002011-10-12T10:13:14.817-10:00Living With Less (and Loving It!)[ Edit - embedded a video at the end about living with less. ]<br />
This is a bit of a philosophical post that's been swirling around my head for awhile and which recent events have brought to the surface. Forgive me for this little detour and I swear I will return to bikinis real soon!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGydD94iEV-rKSwZ-0LON4eBMBEsw3QLSqxmWce84vcPMLva5uOvsPWmep6lLD3AszbzGsmyvp_m_P9fYCnw2WQM2F2gizYxv4lkjheXCu1Lp8wb3lglqAFqDq63Gf6BfLWaS1h9qzrCs/s1600/unbroken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGydD94iEV-rKSwZ-0LON4eBMBEsw3QLSqxmWce84vcPMLva5uOvsPWmep6lLD3AszbzGsmyvp_m_P9fYCnw2WQM2F2gizYxv4lkjheXCu1Lp8wb3lglqAFqDq63Gf6BfLWaS1h9qzrCs/s200/unbroken.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I just finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400064163/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=13236259547&ref=pd_sl_iic7d6yce_e">Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption</a> . It's an amazing story about a man whose dreams of winning an Olympic medal where crushed by WWII and years of living in the hellish conditions of a concentration camp. Returning home he fought depression and... OK I'm not going to spoil the book, just read it. But here's the thing, all this happened about 70 years ago - very little time in the scale of human history. Imagine being transplanted back to that time - no TV, no modern music, no rock, no rap, no hip hop, no electric guitars, no DJ's, no dance music, no raves, no jets flying across country and the world in a matter of hours, no iPhones or iPads, no computers or internet, no video games, no nationally televised sporting events, no super bowl (or ads), no burning man or anything close. Surfing and skiing barely existed with extremely difficult and limited gear, no windsufing or kiting or mtn. biking - and so on and so on. Antibiotics were just being discovered and people still routinely died from tuberculous and ordinary infections. Polio raged. There were few diseases that medicine could cure - anything serious was a death sentence. Child birth was extremely dangerous. Infant and mother mortality was much higher. Wars were terrible, being drafted was routine and expected, and depending on your deployment you could face a 70% or greater chance of dying or losing major body parts. <br />
<br />
Now return yourself to the present. Things seem pretty good in comparison. And yet many people are so very unhappy. Sure, there are serious inequities and jobs are scarce and so on. Would you prefer to be taken back to the good times of say 1941? Maybe jump on a military transport ship about to invade <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Iwo-Jima-Richard-F-Newcomb/dp/0805070710/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318179802&sr=1-1">Iwo Jima?</a> How willing are you to die extremely horribly right now to defend your lifestyle? Personally I think we are living in the good days. My recent life saving surgery was not possible just twenty years ago and repairing a heart valve only become reality in the past few. I'm happy to be alive today!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6eqOML4uFnhGyGJl5r30-rSzyZ2D_qAXx09xVo4owk79wJZvYeUkBdHiNhktZP5fP5B7cMsLtL6e6eXt8L_fr-Cb3loVzbe8cBRvcQNuD10PL32rNF00pmKjPpWhNs925cNO0Ddi9_s/s1600/mcmansion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6eqOML4uFnhGyGJl5r30-rSzyZ2D_qAXx09xVo4owk79wJZvYeUkBdHiNhktZP5fP5B7cMsLtL6e6eXt8L_fr-Cb3loVzbe8cBRvcQNuD10PL32rNF00pmKjPpWhNs925cNO0Ddi9_s/s200/mcmansion.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It's been said that happiness is relative and people judge themselves on the scale of their neighbor's and friend's happiness and accomplishments. We live in a culture where everyone wants more, despite having so much. Bigger houses, bigger stock portfolios, bigger and newer cars. This is what motivates many, and the perception of having less or not having one's fair share makes people very unhappy. There are stories of people buying $360K homes on a $30K income. Or owing $80K on a used pick up truck after years of trading up and rolling over the debt. Did they really need that? Is it worth owing so much of your life to the man? I know it's easy to say this in retrospect and for sure there was predatory lending and so on going on. But the fundamental principal of greed by everyone from the top to the bottom seems to have brought us to this precipice. I understand what the Wall Street protesters are feeling, but where were they five years ago when all this was <i>really</i> going down? I believe everyone was too caught up in the frenzy to take notice of the sins of the moment. Yet if people were happy living simply and within their means, would there ever have been a real estate bubble in the first place?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCBs1DpEhyI/TpHqS3bc9NI/AAAAAAAAGK8/6saRAy1F3HE/s1600/P1010658-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCBs1DpEhyI/TpHqS3bc9NI/AAAAAAAAGK8/6saRAy1F3HE/s200/P1010658-1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Personally, I try to find happiness in the little things. Such as surfing a beautiful wave, especially with friends (who don't snake it!). Windsurfing is a joy that's hard to describe unless you experience it. Jumping over a wave and landing a clean forward loop - amazing! Or powder skiing in arm pit high dry snow, making fresh tracks top to bottom on an untouched slope under bluebird skis. I've seen grins on people's faces from end to end that last all day. Just waking up in the morning to a beautiful sunrise, knowing that the day has so many potential joys and adventures. There are other joys for sure. Some folks would dance all night, others live to perform making great music and/or art. These are the things we should prioritize. Everything else is noise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ICiSwWLFppQ/TpHuR6vyrNI/AAAAAAAAGLg/udGJiDY8PLs/s1600/ft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ICiSwWLFppQ/TpHuR6vyrNI/AAAAAAAAGLg/udGJiDY8PLs/s200/ft.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
A few years ago Julia and I decided to live with much less and enjoy life more. Around 2006 I had the sure feeling that real estate was going to tank and the economy would soon follow. How did an ordinary dude realize this when so many experts claimed it was unpredictable, a black swan? (I say these experts buried their heads in the sand) Actually it's a mystery, but I did understand that bubbles can burst and real estate can fall, having painfully experienced both first hand in Boston in the late 80's and the tech bust of the 00's. We decided to sell our modest ranch house in Portland and move into a much smaller cottage in Hood River (which we bought very cheap very long ago). Our ranch had almost doubled in price in less then ten years and I remember telling our realtor that <i>surely</i> this craze could not continue. We had put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into our little home, but it took less then one weekend to sell it (and it happened while we were skiing).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zOtMjbzFQb8/TpHtUIlgjwI/AAAAAAAAGLY/yCs_yoYxJ4g/s1600/IMG_0785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zOtMjbzFQb8/TpHtUIlgjwI/AAAAAAAAGLY/yCs_yoYxJ4g/s200/IMG_0785.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
We settled into our 700 sq ft 1/1 cottage in Hood River. Hood River is a town where people live to have fun - it's the main reason to be here. So if you ask someone in town what they do, you're most likely going to hear something like windsurfing, kiting, biking, skiing, kayaking and so forth. Work and career becomes secondary to the life style. We love it here. All our cars are old (97 Honda CRV, 2001 Ford Van) and long ago paid off and since we walk or bike as much as possible we hardly put any miles on them (the van only has 44K). We have not had a car payment this millennium and I'm not tempted to acquire one anytime soon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJrElBw5YvM/TLPxPtCqjEI/AAAAAAAACuU/_RXBmLTn3_I/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJrElBw5YvM/TLPxPtCqjEI/AAAAAAAACuU/_RXBmLTn3_I/s200/IMG_0001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
We built a garage with a tiny apartment where we did as much of the finish work as possible (tiling, painting, and so on). We ended up with a very comfy 700sq ft efficiency (in essence one big room with a separate bath) and an amazing view of the river and Mt Adams. We rented the cottage to a friend which covers a big chunk of our tiny mortgage. Meaning that we now basically live for free - and that has some advantages!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mIeuae1WiAc/TpHvfHMttwI/AAAAAAAAGLo/jwfyUnSj7L4/s1600/P1000207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mIeuae1WiAc/TpHvfHMttwI/AAAAAAAAGLo/jwfyUnSj7L4/s200/P1000207.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
One huge advantage is we could afford to travel to Maui and continue to pursue our passions. It's only been in the last three years that we've learned to surf - and I still have a long ways to go. But I already find it difficult to believe there could be life without surfing. How is that possible? We rent a small ohana - basically an in-law cottage on the same property as the main house. It's about 650sq ft with 1 bed 1 bath, very modestly furnished with a shared yard and driveway. The two cats are super friendly. We own no furniture, no TV, no stereo (except my old laptop). We bought an old Dodge Caravan on the cheap as a surf mobile. I have about ten t-shirts, eight board shorts, and a few sandals for clothes. Our biggest extravaganza is our surf and windsurf gear. But for the most part, it occurs to me that we live with less than the average college freshman. And I love this life! What more do you need?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NrOwj8jVM2c/TpHv74AW2xI/AAAAAAAAGL0/GP-FlvNpqyw/s1600/IMG_1690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NrOwj8jVM2c/TpHv74AW2xI/AAAAAAAAGL0/GP-FlvNpqyw/s200/IMG_1690.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I guess my point is this - look around and decide what makes you happy. Do you need a new car or a bigger house. Really? Does it make sense to blame others for past decisions right or wrong, or would it be best to forget the past, take some responsibility, and move on with the future. I've had some bad luck myself, which includes an early divorce (too young!), being laid off (several times), just missing once in a life time chances to get rich (twice company stock tanked just before my options matured and then I was laid off), family and future dreams dashed by harsh reality, and just recently life threatening totally unexpected open heart surgery. But I've always believed in trying to turn lemons into lemonade. Life is what you make of it. Look for happiness in the little things. Try not to blame others - it will only make you less happy. Find peace. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<center>
<object width="526" height="374">
<param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/>
<param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param>
<param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param>
<param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011U/Blank/GrahamHill_2011U-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/GrahamHill_2011U-embed.jpg&vw=512&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1238&lang=eng&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness;year=2011;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=what_makes_us_happy;theme=a_taste_of_ted2011;event=TED2011;tag=Culture;tag=Design;tag=happiness;tag=media;tag=shopping;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" />
<embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="526" height="374" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2011U/Blank/GrahamHill_2011U-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/GrahamHill_2011U-embed.jpg&vw=512&vh=288&ap=0&ti=1238&lang=eng&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness;year=2011;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=what_makes_us_happy;theme=a_taste_of_ted2011;event=TED2011;tag=Culture;tag=Design;tag=happiness;tag=media;tag=shopping;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;"></embed>
</object></center>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-19591860251795704212011-10-05T07:05:00.000-10:002011-10-05T12:03:28.963-10:00Details<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0jHZgBXS57s/TouU7MYu1VI/AAAAAAAAGJk/PujCF4s9rUc/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111004145752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0jHZgBXS57s/TouU7MYu1VI/AAAAAAAAGJk/PujCF4s9rUc/s200/CameraZOOM-20111004145752.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
Exactly three weeks ago from today, as I'm writing this, I was just coming out of exceptionally complex heart surgery that essentially saved my life. (The <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-dont-need-easy-i-just-need-possible.html">full story starts here</a>, in case you haven't seen it) Right now my recovery is still going great. Hopefully in the not too distant future (months anyway) I'll be able to jump on a surf board and/or windsurf again. That's the possibility that I really wanted. We also got the green light to return to Maui in about a week. I'm thinking warm water and tropical skies should really help the rehab progress. Yes!<br />
<br />
For now I'm concentrating on gradually getting my strength back and following the rehab schedule. One thing I was warned about on my discharge was a potential lack of appetite. Which seems funny because I've had the exact opposite situation - I'm hungry all the time! Which makes sense as I'm told the body can consume up to 3000 extra calories daily while repairing itself from such major surgery. I've been eating the equivalent of five meals a day (I've been drinking high protein <a href="http://ensure.com/products/ensure-high-protein">Ensure</a>, but not as a meal replacement, as an addition). The strategy seems to be working as my weight loss stopped around week two (low point 166.6) and has steadily inched up since (morning weight now 171.5). Another thing that really helped is cutting way back on pain meds around week two. I had been taking <a href="http://www.drugs.com/percocet.html">Percocet</a>, but no more. I'm all ibuprofen now, about 4-6 (200mg each) a day.<br />
<br />
The other warning concerned depression that supposedly hits around the first or second week after leaving the hospital. I believe the cause is due to hormonal imbalances from the intensive repair process, plus perhaps being suddenly very physically limited. And maybe the ongoing pain and lack of sleep. Anyway, I seem to have side stepped much of that so far. Actually sleep isn't perfect yet - I can't rest on my stomach which has always been my preferred snoozing position. But anyways, I feel nothing but encouragement to be recovering so quickly - and nada depression!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JjSKSZzkvVA/Tok2ju1z1RI/AAAAAAAAGJc/Lo3-VWa0ZLU/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111001171650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JjSKSZzkvVA/Tok2ju1z1RI/AAAAAAAAGJc/Lo3-VWa0ZLU/s200/CameraZOOM-20111001171650.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I hit a major rehab milestone by walking downtown to attend the <a href="http://www.hood-river-hops.com/">Hood River Hop Fest</a> last weekend. There were over <a href="http://hoodriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Beer-List.pdf">fifty taps on hand</a>, many were unique fresh hop versions of old staples, such as <a href="http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/mirror-pond-pale-ale">Mirror Pond Pale Ale</a>. I sampled about seven or eight beers, consumed two <a href="http://www.solsticewoodfirecafe.com/">Solstice </a>pizza slices and a pulled BBQ chicken, told my story about twenty times to various friends over the course of a few hours, then did the long uphill walk home. And felt pretty good (especially after the beers). It was almost worth staying in HR a few extra weeks just to attend this.<br />
<br />
We've also been taking progressively harder hikes, such as last weekend to <a href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2011/05/catherine_creek_star_hiking_de.html">Catherine Creek Arch</a>. This is a pretty awesome hike just a few miles east of us on the Washington side, near Lyle. Here the heavily wooded western gorge gives way to the very dry and desert like eastern gorge. So it's got both trees and tumble weeds. Also the occasional rattler though we didn't see any. The coolest part of this hike is the famous arch, which you can hike right through if you're so inclined. We hiked to the top of it and dangled our feet down toward the opening. There are many other spectacular hikes around the Gorge, and if you need a guide book I highly recommend our friend Scott Cook's <a href="http://www.pokinround.com/other.htm">Curious Gorge</a> (and Pokin Round the Gorge) offerings. Great photos, historically educational, and highly entertaining!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20111005-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0QJsKN83pQ/Toya4xobR_I/AAAAAAAAGJs/4YfJkgTM2B8/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111002143153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0QJsKN83pQ/Toya4xobR_I/AAAAAAAAGJs/4YfJkgTM2B8/s200/CameraZOOM-20111002143153.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6-BJsPpwXo/Toya5zyJZ_I/AAAAAAAAGJw/9BVzmCHaPN8/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111002144338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6-BJsPpwXo/Toya5zyJZ_I/AAAAAAAAGJw/9BVzmCHaPN8/s200/CameraZOOM-20111002144338.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OAg2odLiM7k/Toya8KNXEeI/AAAAAAAAGJ0/R8FFvYqTYK0/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111002150525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OAg2odLiM7k/Toya8KNXEeI/AAAAAAAAGJ0/R8FFvYqTYK0/s200/CameraZOOM-20111002150525.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_6Pa1oezVU/Toya_viGw3I/AAAAAAAAGJ8/RC0hV_XueGE/s1600/CameraZOOM-20111002150836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_6Pa1oezVU/Toya_viGw3I/AAAAAAAAGJ8/RC0hV_XueGE/s200/CameraZOOM-20111002150836.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
One interesting tidbit I learned about my esteemed surgeon Dr Eric Kirker is that he is one of only five in North America capable of repairing a heart valve as he did for me. And I'm not sure how many in the entire planet could do this as the technique is so new and very advanced. Again it seems amazing that I was in just the right place and time to have this done. Fate? <br />
<br />
I already mentioned that the company I work for, <a href="http://www.kryptiq.com/">Kryptiq Corp</a>, provides an <a href="http://www.kryptiq.com/solutions/patient-engagement/patient-portal/">application </a>that allows doctors to send lab and medical information directly to patients via secure email. In fact I'm one of the engineers developing this app. The really cool part is that I've been able to use this to get otherwise difficult to obtain information regarding my surgery. Such as the complete operation report. Now I might have said earlier that I didn't want to know the dirty details, but honestly it's pretty amazing to see what was actually done. So in the spirit of sharing all this (some folks really wanted to see this) I'm including all below. Skip this if you don't want the details. Otherwise enjoy....<br />
<br />
<div id="tabs">
<ul>
<li><a href="#p-0">ER Report</a></li>
<li><a href="#p-1">Operation Report</a></li>
<li><a href="#p-2">Post OP (recovery)</a></li>
</ul>
<div id="p-0">
<b>DATE OF ADMISSION:</b> 09/12/2011.<br />
<br />
<b>CHIEF COMPLAINT</b>: This is a 53-year-old white male seen at the request
of Dr. Ali Rahimtoola for evaluation and treatment of aortic aneurysm
with potential dissection.<br />
<br />
<b>HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS</b>: This is a 53-year-old physically active
white male who presents with an essentially asymptomatic type 1 aortic
dissection. The patient begins history by noting a typhus infection in
Maui in 12/2010. From that time, the patient had intermittent episodes
of palpitations and he noted increased pulsations of the abdominal area
since that time. The patient denies inanition, abdominal pain, chest
pain, shortness of breath at any time. He has not had syncope, headache
or any physical disruption from his very active physical activities
including ultimate frisbee, surface boarding, windsurfing and vigorous
mountain biking. The patient biked to the emergency room for a
followup echocardiogram on 09/12/2011 at which time the patient's aortic
insufficiency and aortic aneurysm were noted. The patient on exam
denies any neurologic symptoms, chest pain or shortness of breath. He
has been very active up to the present time. He notes no previous
episodes of chest pain. The patient has had no previous cardiac
history.
PAST<br />
<br />
<b>MEDICAL HISTORY</b>: Significant for the absence of diabetes, stroke
or hypertension. He has had previous ACL surgery and has had a duodenal
hematoma from active trauma from an injury at ultimate Frisbee. He did
not require operation.<br />
<br />
<b>PHYSICAL EXAMINATION</b>:<br />
GENERAL: This is a tanned and healthy-appearing 53-year-old gentleman
in no distress at rest.<br />
VITAL SIGNS: BP 120/80, heart rate 64, respirations 14, O2 saturation
100 percent on room air.<br />
CHEST: Well-developed.<br />
HEART: Regular rate and rhythm. A brisk systolic and soft diastolic
murmur heard in the aortic position. He has no heaves or lifts.<br />
ABDOMEN: Soft and nontender. Soft palpation is noted at midpoint. He
is definitely without surgical findings of the abdomen.<br />
SKIN: Warm and dry, no lesions seen.<br />
EXTREMITIES: No cyanosis or clubbing. He has equal pulses at the
radial and posterior tibial bilaterally with the Corrigan's pulse.<br />
NEUROLOGIC: Cranial nerves 2-12 grossly intact.<br />
LABORATORY DATA: Echocardiogram from Hood River indicates preserved
left ventricular function, dilated aortic root consistent with aneurysm
and significant aortic insufficiency. A suggestion of dissection is
also present. CT scan carried out at Providence Portland reveals type 1
aortic dissection with greater than 6.5 cm dilatation of the aortic
root. The tear extends all the way down the descending aorta. Both
kidneys have inflow with contrast filling the parenchyma of each kidney.<br />
<br />
<b>IMPRESSION AND PLAN</b>: A 53-year-old gentleman with likely chronic aortic
dissection. The extent of the dissection with aneurysmal dilatation
mandates urgent reparative surgery. The patient is a candidate for
aortic replacement with or without aortic root sparing. In addition,
the patient may require a period of circulatory arrest for arch
replacement, stent placement or elephant trunk type repair. The risks
of surgery are high and include paraplegia, stroke, infection, MI,
recurrent dissection and death. This has been discussed with the
patient and his family. They are agreeable to proceed. PARQ was
carried out by myself and also Dr. Eric Kirker who will attend his
surgery. The patient is at extraordinary risk for both medical and
surgical management. It is unusual in that he is largely asymptomatic
from this extensive aortic pathology. Plans for the patient were
discussed with Dr. Cynthia Ferrier who is covering for Dr. Malcolm
Mcaninch today.<br />
<br /></div>
<div id="p-1">
<b>POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS</b>: Severe aortic insufficiency, type A
dissection, type 1, aortic root arch aneurysm, bicuspid aortic valve.<br />
<br />
<b>PROCEDURE</b>: Intravascular ultrasound, thoracic endovascular stent with a
Gore Tag 31 x 15 cm graft for frozen elephant trunk valve-sparing aortic
root replacement (TD5), ascending arch and proximal descending
replacement, also right axillary cannulation and transesophageal
echocardiogram.<br />
<br />
<b>ANESTHESIA</b>: General endotracheal anesthesia plus deep hypothermic
circulatory arrest 27 minutes and cardiopulmonary bypass.<br />
<br />
<b>SURGEON</b>: Eric Kirker, MD.<br />
<br />
<b>ASSISTANT</b>: Kristy Khoury, PA.<br />
<br />
<b>INTRAVENOUS FLUID</b>: Not applicable.<br />
<br />
<b>ESTIMATED BLOOD LOSS</b>: Not applicable.<br />
<br />
<b>SPECIMENS</b>: Ascending and root of aorta were sent.<br />
<br />
<b>DRAINS</b>: Blake drain times 2.<br />
<br />
<b>COMPLICATIONS</b>: None.<br />
<br />
<b>CONDITION</b>: Stable.<br />
<br />
<b>DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE</b>: The patient taken the operating room and
placed on the table in the supine position. Placed under general
endotracheal anesthesia, at which time a right internal jugular
Swan-Ganz catheter and a left radial arterial line were placed.
Transesophageal echocardiography was performed, revealing severe AI,
moderate mitral regurgitation and severe dilatation of the aortic root
with dissection flaps.<br />
<br />
At this time, the patient was prepped and draped
in the usual sterile fashion. A needlestick was performed in the right
common femoral artery followed by a guidewire placed up this and, via
Seldinger technique, changed out to an 8-French sheath. A Bentson wire
was placed up through the aorta under fluoroscopy and intravascular
ultrasound was used to visualize the wire. Clearly, the wire was in the
false lumen. After some manipulation, we were unable to go into the
true lumen and we did at that time turn our attention to the left leg.
A needlestick was performed and this was switched over with Seldinger to
an 8-French sheath followed by a Bentson wire and again intravascular
ultrasound was performed, revealing we were, indeed, in the true lumen.<br />
<br />
At this time, that being in place, we did secure the extra stiff
Amplatzer wire in the true lumen and turned our attention back to the
patient's chest. An incision was made in the infraclavicular fossa on
the right-hand side. Dissection made with electrocautery down through
layers of the chest, splitting the pectoralis major muscles and, indeed,
opening the infraclavicular fossa and exposing the axillary artery. The
axillary artery was looped proximal and distally with Vesseloops.<br />
<br />
A
midline sternotomy was then performed. Dissection made with
electrocautery down through the layers of the chest, exposing the
sternum, which was divided with a sternal saw, treated with Gelfoam, and
the pericardium was cleaned off of its fat. The patient was fully
heparinized. After the heparin had a chance to circulate, the axillary
artery was clamped proximal and distally, opened with an 11 blade,
extended with scissors, and matched to the proximal end of a 10
Hemashield graft, which was sewn with 5-0 Prolene. After this was
accomplished, Bioglue was placed on it. It was cannulated with a 7
Sarns Soft-Flow cannula, hooked up to the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit
without air. It is important to mention that even though we were
heparinized now, prior to heparinization, 2 whole units of the patient's
blood were drawn off to be given back to the patient at the end of the
case.<br />
<br />
The pericardium was opened and there was an inflammatory aneurysm
in the ascending aorta, at least 8 cm in diameter, going down into the
root. Extensive dissection was performed around the aorta. A
pursestring was placed into the right atrium. This was cannulated with
a 3-stage venous cannula, hooked up to the cardiopulmonary bypass
circuit without air. Another pursestring was placed in the right
atrium, which was cannulated with a retrograde cardioplegia circuit.
Another pursestring was placed in the right superior pulmonary vein,
which was cannulated with an LV vent.<br />
<br />
At this time, we did proceed with
cardiopulmonary bypass and began cooling the patient intensely. The
patient was cooled all the way down to 18 degrees centigrade as a goal.
At this time, we did turn our attention to the ascending aorta. With
the great size of the ascending aorta, a large cross-clamp was placed
around the aorta as well as the pulmonary artery and clamped and we did
arrest with retrograde cold blood cardioplegia. The ascending aorta was
opened widely and we could clearly visualize very large destroyed
dissection flaps. Hand-held cardioplegia was used to give antegrade
cold blood cardioplegia down the right coronary ostia. However, a total
of 1200 was given at the beginning. For the remainder of the case, an
additional 300 mL was given retrograde every 20-25 minutes. This was
done with the patient having clear blood coming back from the right and
left coronary ostia. Extensive dissection was performed, dissecting out
the entire root and the ascending aorta below the clamp. The root was
dissected down to the annulus exteriorly.<br />
<br />
The valve appeared to have
good valvular tissue, but be a bicuspid valve. Therefore, I chose to
spare it at this time. Fourteen interrupted subvalvular sutures were
placed with pledgets. After this was accomplished, a 34 graft was
brought onto the field. The outflow tract was sized to a 25.
Therefore, a 34 graft was chosen. The 14 sutures were brought up
through the bottom of the graft, the graft was dropped into position.
The Hagar dilator was placed down the left outflow tract again and all
the sutures were tied, starting with the commissures and then running
around.<br />
<br />
At this time, the patient reached 18 degrees centigrade. We
did tip in steep Trendelenburg position and proceeded with deep
hypothermic circulatory arrest. It is important to mention the patient
had already received a gram of Solu-Medrol and high dose of propofol to
provide burst suppression. Once on deep hypothermic circulatory arrest,
the ascending aorta was completely resected as well as the lesser
curvature of the arch and the ascending aorta was resected all the way
up to the innominate artery. The proximal transverse arch was also
removed completely. The true lumen clearly had the guidewire in, which
I had left. The true and false lumen were reapproximated with Teflon
felt provided as a neomedia. Running Vicryl was used to reapproximate
those 2 layers. Bioglue was placed on the 2 layers. After that was
accomplished, the guidewire was pulled forth. A 15 cm x 31 mm Gore Tag
graft was placed over the guidewire and put down the descending aorta in
an antegrade fashion. After this was accomplished, it was found to be
past the subclavian. It was deployed. After it was deployed, multiple
tacking sutures were used to secure it to the aorta so that it would not
slide or "bird's beak." After this was accomplished, the 28 sidearm
Hemashield graft was cut to size, brought onto the field and sewn to the
arch. After that was accomplished, the graft on the axillary artery was
clamped and the cannula was removed, cannulated into the side arm and
secured of the ascending graft. We had to de-air the patient at that
time, replace the crossclamp and proceed with cardiopulmonary bypass and
rewarming. The total deep hypothermic circulatory arrest time from
18 degrees centigrade was 27 minutes and the patient's cranial
saturations never dropped below 57 percent.<br />
<br />
That being the case, I did
turn my attention back to the root. The commissures were secured to the
graft with pledgeted RB Prolenes. The valve was truly bicuspidized.
Trussler stitches were placed in the edges of the fused right and left
cusps to shorten it and make it the same length as the noncoronary cusp.
There was good approximation at this time and the valve was tested for
competency with cold saline and was found to be competent. At this
time, I did proceed to take a stitch and run it along the inside of the
graft, securing the edges of the aorta with the valve back to the
Hemashield graft. After this was accomplished, 2 coronary ostia holes
were cut in the Hemashield graft and the coronary buttons were cut out
circumferentially and sewn to the graft with 5-0 Prolene. This was all
reinforced with Bioglue. After that was accomplished, the 34 graft was
cut off at the level of the sinotubular junction, just above the
commissures, the distal graft was cut to length and the distal and
proximal grafts were anastomosed with running 4-0 Prolene. After this
was accomplished, ophthalmic cautery was used to make a small hole in
the ascending graft and an ascending vent was placed.<br />
<br />
After this was
accomplished, we did give the patient warm blood cardioplegia. During 2
minutes of warm blood cardioplegia, 2 right ventricular and 2 right
atrial pacing wires were placed. The patient began beating. Once the
patient began beating, the patient was put into steep Trendelenburg
position again. The vents were turned on high, the cross-clamp was
removed in a low flow state and the flow state was brought back up.
After this was accomplished, we began ventilating. After ventilating
some time, we did load the patient's ventricle and check the function of
the aortic valve. The aortic valve was completely competent with no
evidence of regurgitation or stenosis. At this time, also the mitral
valve improved greatly with its very trivial mitral regurgitation. At
this time, we did remove the LV vent, tie down its pursestring, and
again view the valves, finding them in good condition, just as described
earlier. With the patient completely de-aired, we removed the ascending
vent, tied down its hole with a pursestring and another pledgeted
Prolene. With the vent out, the patient ventilating, warm and in normal
sinus rhythm, we were able to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass.<br />
<br />
At this
time, we weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass, removed the retrograde
cardioplegic cannula, tied down its pursestring, removed the venous
cannula, tied down its pursestring. The patient still hemodynamically
stable, we reversed the patient's heparinization with protamine. At
this time, we gave the patient back all his blood from the pump. The
patient still hemodynamically stable, we did tie off the sidearm grafts
and then cut them off. After this was accomplished, with the patient
hemodynamically stable, we did use multiple topical hemostatic agents,
including Gelfoam thrombin and Arista. With good surgical hemostasis
and the patient hemodynamically stable, we also gave DDAVP. That being
completed, with a good thromboelastogram, we gave the patient back his
own blood. The patient was hemostatic and hemodynamically stable.<br />
<br />
We
did proceed with closure. Two Blake drains were placed, one behind the
heart and one in front of the heart. The pericardium was closed with
running Vicryl. Four interrupted figure-of-eight Pioneer cables were
placed across the sternum. The underside of the sternum was reinspected
and found to be hemostatic. The sternum was treated with vancomycin,
Gelfoam, and thrombin paste. The sternum was reapproximated. The
cables were tightened, clipped, and cut. The patient was washed out
with antibiotic saline. We did at that time close the fascia with
running Vicryl. We washed him out again. The subcutaneous tissue was
closed with running Vicryl. Skin was closed with running Vicryl
subcuticular stitch followed by LiquiBand. Attention turned to the
axilla. The graft was tied off and cut low. With good surgical
hemostasis, the pectoralis was reapproximated with running Vicryl.
Subcutaneous tissue was reapproximated with running Vicryl. Skin was
closed with running Vicryl subcuticular stitch followed by LiquiBand.
The right groin line was removed. Pressure was held for 15 minutes and
the groin was stable with good pulses in the feet. At this time, we did
have instrument, sponge, and needle counts correct, did return the
patient to the CCU, intubated, in stable condition, on no drips and
having received no blood products.<br />
<br /></div>
<div id="p-2">
<b>HOSPITAL COURSE</b>: Mr. Jones is a 53-year-old gentleman with likely
chronic aortic dissection. The extent of the dissection with aneurysmal
dilatation was determined to mandate urgent reparative surgery. The
patient underwent the aforementioned procedure without complication on
09/13/2011.<br />
<br />
By postoperative day #1, the patient was doing very well.
Tubes and wires were discontinued, and he is looking great and
transferred to 2G.<br />
<br />
By postoperative day #2, he had no major issues.
Pain was controlled. Insulin drip was discontinued. He was started on
sliding scale insulin, and clonidine as needed was added for elevated
blood pressures.<br />
<br />
By postoperative day #3, the patient had no
complaints. JP and pacing wires were discontinued. Lasix was initiated
for weight being up and for volume overload. <br />
<br />
By postoperative day 4,
the patient did have an episode of atrial fibrillation the prior day and
was started on the amiodarone protocol and quickly converted back into
normal sinus rhythm. The patient was asymptomatic throughout the
episode. He will be discharged on prophylactic amiodarone and
metoprolol.<br />
<br />
The patient feels very well. He has no major complaints.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<style>
a.mover { background: #6196C0; padding: 2px 12px; position: absolute;
color: white; text-decoration: none; }
.next-tab { bottom: 0; right: 0; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 10px; -webkit-border-top-left-radius: 10px; }
.prev-tab { bottom: 0; left: 0; -moz-border-radius-topright: 10px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius: 10px; }
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
$(function() { $('#tabs').tabs().tabs('option', 'fx', { opacity: 'toggle' }); });
$(function() {
var $tabs = $('#tabs').tabs();
$(".ui-tabs-panel").each(function(i){
var totalSize = $(".ui-tabs-panel").size() - 1;
if (i != totalSize) {
next = i + 1;
$(this).append("<a href='#' class='next-tab mover' rel='" + next + "'>Next »</a>");
}
if (i != 0) {
prev = i - 1;
$(this).append("<a href='#' class='prev-tab mover' rel='" + prev + "'>« Prev</a>");
}
});
$('.next-tab, .prev-tab').click(function() {
$tabs.tabs('select', $(this).attr("rel"));
return false;
});
});
</script>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-2165753105135102522011-09-26T15:19:00.000-10:002011-10-07T17:05:23.020-10:00Possible (part III)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7HRNzqVACk/Tn_Jca1BFbI/AAAAAAAAGJU/Urt24aZ5Sfk/s1600/CameraZOOM-20110917092017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7HRNzqVACk/Tn_Jca1BFbI/AAAAAAAAGJU/Urt24aZ5Sfk/s200/CameraZOOM-20110917092017.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
This is the final chapter (for now) concerning my recent scary and unexpected adventures in the medical world. If you haven't read the first part <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-dont-need-easy-i-just-need-possible.html">please start there</a>.
<br />
<br />
It took the surgeons approximately 90 minutes to scrub me down, stick in all the various catheters, extra IV's, central lines, get me under full anesthesia, and set up the respirator before the actual incisions began at 2:45pm. Julia was given a pager for updates and she wandered down to the main lobby to wait out the long hours. I'm not going to disclose the full details of the operation itself because I was in la-la land and have no idea. I kind of like it that way. [ update - actually I got the exceptionally complex full op report and it's kind of cool to see exactly what was done. <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/10/details.html">See it all here</a>) Suffice it to say a lot of messy and uncomfortable things were happening to my body over the next 6-7 hours. However Julia has two brothers on the east coast who are doctors and she kept them updated via text messages over the next 14 hours as I went from surgery to recovery:
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2:48 PM [ Julia was paged that the surgery was underway ]</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3:56 PM (family) Is ben's aortic valve bicuspid? </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3:57 PM (Julia) Yep. Rick says that often causes an aneurysm. </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3:58 PM (family) Oh. I was wondering why he would develop an aneurysm because he has always seemed so healthy and interested in diet and exercise </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4:00 PM (Julia) He was born with it. Over time the pressure of the flow causes the tear.</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4:11 PM (family) Yes. I was thinking it was like getting struck by lightning. At least there is an explanation. </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4:14 PM (family) Do u have an idea of how long the surgery will take? </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4:14 PM (Julia) 4 to six hours. Started 2:48 </span>
<br />
<br />
By 8:08pm, the procedure itself was complete and I was taken off the bypass so they could restart my heart and check for any leaks (just like any good plumber should do). Julia was paged accordingly and she returned to the CICU lounge to wait for Dr Kirker and his update.
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8:08 PM (Julia) Off bypass. Should hear soon from md </span><br />
<br />
About an hour later Dr Kirker came out of OR and spoke to Julia about the operation. Which in a nut shell was a huge success - most especially because he was able to repair my valve (it's still a bicuspid, but now a working one, yeah!). Julia asked him how he did that and he responded that it was too complex to explain. He also told her that I didn't need any extra blood during the entire operation, which is highly unusual for such a long and complex open heart procedure.
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9:31 PM - (Julia) Out of or. Md saved his valve, replaced ascending and placed stent into descending. Next step: check for bleeding. Get him to wake up. I'll see him soon.</span><br />
<br />
About an hour after this Boyd, the CICU nurse, brought Julia to see me in my room. I was still on a ventilator and occasionally shivering from the after effects of the anesthesia. Julia spoke in my ear and gave me a million kisses. Boyd pointed out that I had lots of movements, such as in my arms and legs and once I tried to get something out of my eye (there was antibiotic gel in them) and these were very encouraging cognitive signs for a good recovery. My catheter was constantly dripping which meant my kidney's were going good. Everything was as positive as it could be at this point.
<br />
<br />
Julia then returned to the CICU lounge and tried to sleep while Boyd continued to bring me slowly out of anesthesia and back into the real world. This process continued into the morning. Around 5:30am Boyd spotted Julia in the hall and gave her a signal to come into the CICU. He was smiling.
<br />
<br />
My first memories occurred around this time. There must have been a period where I was semi-conscious and that time frame seems like a vague dream. But I clearly recall seeing Julia come into my room. I smiled and said "Hi Baby!". I was so happy to see her! I then remember asking if they saved my valve and she told me yes. This is like waking up on Christmas morning and immediately finding the two most important gifts that you wanted so bad right in your hands. Julia said I was almost euphoric. And hungry. So very hungry!
<br />
<br />
By this time, around 6:30am, I was propped up in my chair and Julia fed me two bowls of jello and a sorbet, constantly warning me not to eat too fast. But they were so good! I joked that there must be a secret ingredient in the jello that makes you want more - a line from the movie "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108174/">So I married an Axe Murderer</a>" that Julia and I often quote. After this I started to feel some pain so the new nurse, Marie, gave me a shot so I could sleep. Julia gave her family an update.
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8:25 AM - (Julia) Tubes coming out! He's eating jello and loving it </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8:26 AM - (family) Amazing!! Great news </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8:27 AM - Some pain when he transferred from chair to bed, so he got meds </span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8:29 AM - (family) Of course that is hard. But out of bed, eatng, breathing on his own, hungry, all good signs! </span>
<br />
<br />
Julia also sent an email to my sibs with similar news: <i>Breathing tube out! He's up in a chair! Hungry! Amazing! Thank God"</i>
<br />
<br />
At this point my recovery began in earnest. Various tubes were pulled out starting with the catheter. I ate soup. Later Dr Kirker visited and said I was doing great and that he was impressed. By the afternoon I was able to transfer out of CICU and walked on my own to the new room. Turkey and gravy for dinner. I remember thinking that could have been my last meal ever and was so glad it wasn't.
<br />
<br />
On Thursday Dr Kirker visited again and thought that, due to the 40% leakage which I had before, it was entirely possible I might feel stronger once I was fully healed. He also suggested that I might be discharged as early as Friday which would be some kind of record, but I preferred Saturday because my pain meds were still pretty heavy. He thought that made better sense and was still plenty fast for any open heart recovery. He had another interesting comment for me. I wasn't the youngest patient who had had this surgery, but I was definitely the fittest. Before leaving he told me he was soon headed east for vacation and would out for a few weeks. I recall thinking how lucky I was that all this occurred while he was still in Oregon. Just a few days can make such a difference in your life. I don't believe in fate, but....
<br />
<br />
On Friday Julia's brother - the cardiologist in New England - told her that I had officially become a boring cardiac case. I was able to walk up and down stairs without much difficulty. In fact one of Dr Kirker's partners, Dr Ott, had to catch me in the stairwell and joked that he was now tired. He warned me that my greatest challenge was not to push myself too hard in the next few weeks. My sternum was still split in half and required 6-8 weeks to fully heal. I had to be very careful not to lift anything over 8 pounds. And he had one further warning. Many patients experience major depression after returning home from heart surgery as they deal with new physical limitations and their bodies cope with the stress of such a large healing process. Hormones are reduced and protein is redirected from the exoskeleton to areas that are healing. He wasn't the first person to tell me this and I was willing to believe this could very well happen. Though as of right now every day has only been better, sometimes way better, than the last. And I intend to keep it that way!
<br />
<br />
I had one minor set back Friday afternoon, though looking back it was kind of funny how it went down. All cardiac surgery patients are wired to heart monitors and there's a room with technicians who keep an eye around the clock for any funky heart business. Our first visitors had just left and I was munching on a sandwich while our nurse was in the room chatting with us. I swallowed a bite and was talking when I felt my heart take a few noticeably harder beats, but it didn't seem too concerning. At that moment the nurse got a page - "is room 42 OK?" That was my room! The nurse replied she was there and everything seemed fine. She walked over and listened to my chest and said "hey your heart is beating a bit fast". Her pager beeped a second time "room 42 is in A-fib!!". Julia and I looked at each other in shock and surprise. I suddenly felt very tense and now I really did feel my heart pounding! At nearly the same time we heard steps running down the hall and approaching our room. I half expected a team of doctors to rush in with large needles and a defibrillator charging up ready to give me the big shock. Instead a lady pushing a food cart flew by our room - running a little late on the lunch delivery I guess?
<br />
<br />
Meanwhile our nurse didn't seem too concerned. An A-fib (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_fibrillation">Atrial fibrillation</a>) is a paricular type of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_dysrhythmia">cardiac arrhythmia</a> that is very common after open heart surgery or whenever the heart has been cut or traumatized. In fact they always have anti-A-fib medication (protocol) ready to go in these cases as it's practically standard procedure to occur once ot twice during post-op. So I moved to my bed and took some calming breaths while she hooked up a bag of anti-A-fib juice into my IV drip. My heart already seemed slower and about ten minutes later our nurse was paged that I was out of A-fib. Whew! I was worried that this might impact our Saturday discharge but everything was good from there on.
<br />
<br />
Early Saturday afternoon I walked out of the hospital and into Julia's waiting arms. We high-fived and hugged each other. I could not believe that only four days ago I was facing such an uncertain and scary future. We drove back to Hood River and once there I recalled riding my bike up to HRM last Monday so certain I would be back in just an hour. In our waiting mail was the Netflix rental "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596346/">Soul Surfer</a>". Funny - that has been in our queue all summer and it just shows up now. Weird coincidence (cue <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Zone">Twilight Zone</a> theme). Every surfer probably knows the story - <a href="http://bethanyhamilton.com/">Bethany Hamilton</a> has her arm bitten off by a shark while surfing her home waters in Kauai. Later in the movie she tells her dad she wants to not just surf again but also compete. He tells her "honey, it's not going to be easy". And she replies, "Dad, I don't want easy, I just want possible." Possible is all I can ask for as well.(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-72195907733689895562011-09-25T07:57:00.003-10:002011-10-26T09:12:33.112-10:00Possible (part II)If you haven't read part I <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-dont-need-easy-i-just-need-possible.html">please start there</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBQeJBRVrx0/Tn9hWLPbrWI/AAAAAAAAGJM/GwHjsRIpltU/s1600/IMG_0177-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBQeJBRVrx0/Tn9hWLPbrWI/AAAAAAAAGJM/GwHjsRIpltU/s200/IMG_0177-1.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
It was just before being wheeled toward the ambulance that I heard the name of the surgeon who would soon be operating on me - <a href="http://www.orclinic.com/provider/EricKirker">Dr Eric Kirker</a> of <a href="http://www.orclinic.com/">The Oregon Clinic</a>. I quickly brought up his bio on my trusty Samsung Charge. I was surprised by how young Dr Kirker was - not that that's a bad thing. Younger surgeons are often trained in newer techniques so this didn't bother me at all. If I had searched a bit further I might have <a href="http://www.oregonclinic.com/documents/pr/pr_030509.pdf">seen this story on Eric</a>. But even if I had seen the article, I couldn't have known the significance and the how it would soon directly impact me. Eric is one of the very few cardiac surgeons anywhere capable of repairing, instead of simply replacing, a damaged aortic valve. That he practices close enough at the Oregon Clinic and was available to operate on me was a very lucky break. He left for vacation just a few days after my surgery.<br />
<br />
On the ride in I was imagining that I had a simple bubble or weakening in a small part of the aorta vessel, which could be fixed with the equivalent of a tire patch. That didn't seem so bad to me. I joked with the EMR guys about how much I really wanted that helicopter ride. The said the slow way was always the best way. I must have been a boring ride for them as I only had a single IV line delivering a blood pressure reducer, and otherwise was pretty good. I brought up a navigator app on my droid (I'm such a geek) so I could follow our progress into <a href="http://oregon.providence.org/patients/facilities/providence-portland-medical-center/Pages/default.aspx">Providence Portland Medical Center</a> where the surgery was to take place. I also tried to read some mindless (Stephanie Plum) ebook using the Kindle reader so I didn't have to think much. Meanwhile Julia had to run around HRM hospital and grab my abandoned bike and then drive home and pack clothes and everything else for both of us for an unknown length of time in Portland, and then chase the ambulance into the big city. That she managed all that, and did so extremely well with such emotional pressure is incredible. I'm sure I would rather be in my shoes facing the surgery then in her's not knowing what was going to happen. OK I need to take a deep breath now...<br />
<br />
We arrived at Providence and I was rolled into the ER reception area. Everyone looked extremely calm, almost bored. I joked that this was not at all what I was expecting. I wanted to see doctors running around screaming "Stat, stat!", IV lines flying, blood dripping, and bodies being shocked back to life. This was clearly not happening. Everyone laughed. After a few minutes I saw a group of men approaching and immediately recognized Dr Kirker. He introduced himself and I told him I had already seen his bio. He thought that was funny. The next stop was the cat-scan (CT). This wasn't so funny. The CT itself is no big deal. I already had an IV line into which they could easily inject a solution to make my blood show better on the images. I noticed this on the final pass when my body felt like it was being heated from the inside. Kind of like being slowly cooked in a microwave I uncomfortably imagined, but the sensation only lasted a minute or so. I was wheeled out to meet Dr Kirker and the un-fun part really started.<br />
<br />
To be easier I'll go with first names. Eric had a serious look and his eyes were a touch tired. Later I found out he had been up most of the previous night performing a similar operation to what I was to undergo. So this is what Eric told me. I had a 7.6cm dissecting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aortic_aneurysm">aortic aneurysm</a>. Dissecting means the internal layers of the aorta are starting to pull apart - in surfing terms it means my aorta was de-laminating (which is usually when you throw away that old board). The aorta is typically between 3-4 cm as it leaves the heart. Anything over 4cm is a concern. 6cm is a medical emergency requiring immediate surgery to repair. Many people suffer a rupture and unfortunate sudden death before they get to that point. Mine was 7.6cm (during the later surgery they actually measured it at 8cm).<br />
<br />
It got worse.<br />
<br />
The aneurysm had torn open my aortic valve which was subsequently damaged. The damage caused 40% of the blood pumped by my heart to escape back through the damaged valve and into the left ventricle. Meaning my heart had to pump 40% harder to deliver the equivalent blood. Well that at least nicely explains being a touch tired on some of those long uphill rides!<br />
<br />
And it got worse.<br />
<br />
The dissection of the aorta continued through the ascending curve and into the descending aorta. And all the way past my kidneys and to the leg branch. The only good news was my kidneys appeared to be somehow undamaged despite all of this. The aneurysm resulted from a fairly common birth defect: I was born with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicuspid_aortic_valve">bicuspid valve</a>, which has only two flaps instead of the usual and preferred three. Two flaps put more pressure on the aorta and subsequently can lead to an aneurysm such as this. (so at least it wasn't my bacchanalian lifestyle that caused all my problems).<br />
<br />
Whoa!<br />
<br />
Eric was looking me straight in the eye and continued. "This is very serious, as serious as it gets. The survival rate from an operation like this is typically around 50%, but in your case being so fit and stable, which is a very good sign, I'm thinking only a 5% chance of death. And a 2% chance of a stroke. I'm going to try and repair your valve. You're young and very active so this is important. But if I can't repair the valve, it has to be replaced it with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_heart_valve">artificial valve</a> and you need to make a decision. I can use a bio-mechanical valve which usually needs to be replaced every ten years or so, and that requires another significant surgery. Or I can use a mechanical valve which should last your lifetime. However mechanical valves require you to stay on blood thinners for the rest of your life, and this can impact your active lifestyle.<br />
<br />
Whoa again!<br />
<br />
It's difficult for me to recall at this moment exactly what I was thinking just then, or if I was thinking at all. I wanted to ask if I still had a tiny chance of returning to my former active lifestyle but that seemed like far too much to hope for. It seemed increasingly likely that simply being alive might be my most optimistic scenario. Things had happened so fast that reality hadn't fully sunk in. The idea of having a surgery every ten years did not appeal to me. I told Eric I would choose the mechanical valve. He agreed with that and told me the surgery would happen tomorrow (Tuesday 9/13) at 1pm. This would give him a chance to get a good rest and have all the necessary materials on hand, such as the mechanical valve and sufficient blood. Again I seemed stable so he didn't see this as a big risk and it improved my outcome. I was happy to hear that, so we shook hands and Eric left.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-dont-need-easy-i-just-need-possible.html">In part I</a>, I mentioned that I was lucky the aneurysm wasn't discovered on Maui even though it's typically best to catch any disease as early as possible. It now seems likely that the typhus infection had put more stress on my heart and hastened the dissection process, but by itself did not cause the aneurysm. So when I had the typhus its possible I already had a significant aneurysm. And the problem with that is you cannot fly with such a condition. Emergency surgery would typically be performed by a non-specialist who would use only the safest and most expedient techniques. Meaning I would not have had a surgeon as skilled as Eric and replacing my valve would be the only option. Of course in the meantime I could have easily died so many different times as we surfed and windsurfed all winter and spring on the north shore of Maui. Not too mention the summer of mountain biking and windsurfing the gorge. Somehow it seems that my body compensated for everything and allowed me to continue these intense activities as if little was going on. Everyone is still scratching their heads over that.<br />
<br />
I also mentioned that riding the ambulance was a positive sign. A life flight would have meant the surgery needed to be performed immediately and with less preparation. And I'm not sure if Eric was available to perform such an immediate critical operation that day, and so again repairing the valve might not have been possible. Andy, the echo tech, had directly contacted Aly Rahimtoola, a Cardiologist at Providence, who evaluated the images and then went out of his way to personally contact Eric, knowing he was the only surgeon capable of providing the best outcome for me. Aly had also contacted Karen O'Neil the ER doc at HRM and between them decided I was likely to survive an ambulance ride - being very stable - and therefore the surgery could be performed at a more optimal time. (Later I found out that patients with such an extreme aneurysm are often dead within the hour, but again my vitals were all good). All these decisions turned out to be the best for me, but I understand how often the easiest and safest route is taken. It's always a tough call whether to choose safety or a more aggressive though risky procedure that might provide a better long term outlook. I do know that right now as I write this I am forever grateful that the riskier path was taken.<br />
<br />
But all that had already occurred in the background, and all I knew at the moment was that I was being taken to CICU to wait for surgery. Around 4pm Julia got to my room. We hugged and she joined me on my bed. I must have put my mind into some kind of zen state because details are a bit fuzzy. I recall ordering my "last meal" of turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy (wasn't bad, this became "the usual" for dinner). We watched some MNFB and I remember thinking how as a boy football was everything to me. Now not so much (of course windsurfing and surfing had really stepped up). I took one of the first sleeping pills of my life. The nurses changed, I got a little suppository to clean me out before surgery (fun!), and Julia stayed with me until they kicked her out at 2:30am (the nurses let her stay until I fell asleep).<br />
<br />
Julia spent the night on the couches of the CICU lounge and was right back with me by 8am. My nurse (one nurse per patient in CICU) came over and explained to me what was going to happen post surgery. Right now I had one IV delivering saline and the blood pressure reducer (my goal was under 120 and I was pretty close). In a nutshell she told me I was going to have a lot more tubes going in and out. A <b>lot more</b>. Julia and I stayed together on the bed until the anesthesiologist came into my room at 1:15 and said they were ready to begin. I turned to Julia and told her to please not worry, that I was going to be fine, and that I loved her. I did believe that my physical shape was going to help so I had some faith. I told her I would see her soon and they rolled me toward OR. I remember seeing the surgeons scrubbing and they gave me the injection to put me to sleep. I was feeling warm and comfy as everything faded to black...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/possible-part-iii.html">Go to part III.</a>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-21966441227771722792011-09-18T22:17:00.000-10:002011-10-05T08:18:00.678-10:00I don't need easy, I just need possible (part I)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn_XVqx0_fIVXO-udyCSBNF5OwcZuQfQqRMSX4cfDewU6ii9gkAlYqiNLhJE3QZfhsY1buV9ZsBckESHyxXiwh9mnDUXQJI1Ja_gVdXzjuD0KWtI2Y0uDg_eBo9ZXoOdyg4pvoNMBW8k/s1600/j%2526b-ymca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn_XVqx0_fIVXO-udyCSBNF5OwcZuQfQqRMSX4cfDewU6ii9gkAlYqiNLhJE3QZfhsY1buV9ZsBckESHyxXiwh9mnDUXQJI1Ja_gVdXzjuD0KWtI2Y0uDg_eBo9ZXoOdyg4pvoNMBW8k/s200/j%2526b-ymca.jpg" width="184" /></a></div>
A lot of stuff has happened to me since my last post. Stuff of the "Oh Shit!!" major life changing kind. The fact is, I probably should be dead right now. That I'm not, and I'm writing this, and in fact feeling pretty decent while doing so is a freaking miracle. I'm going to tell the whole story here (in parts), though it might be somewhat long and occasionally filled with arcane medical details. But hopefully this might also be mildly entertaining and maybe a touch informative for some of my <strike>two</strike> three readers. And after these posts are finished I hope to return to my usual topics such as windsurfing and girls in bikinis. Looking forward to that!<br />
<br />
Now the <strike>two</strike> three of you who have been reading along might recall that I had <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2010/12/get-busy-living-or.html">typhus last December on Maui</a>. I was very sick at the time, but when treated promptly and correctly - as I was - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murine_typhus">Maui variety endemic typhus</a> is not necessarily a big deal. However the way my symptoms came on so abruptly was very strange in and of itself, and maybe that should have been a clue that something more was going down. I first noticed things were not quite right while out surfing one fine tropical morning at Hookipa. I paddled out, caught a wave, and then returned to the line up. Almost as soon as I sat back on my board I felt a very sudden and hard pounding pulse in my chest and neck that did not let up even after sitting for a few minutes. I also felt some pain in my gut and was a bit light headed. I seriously thought I was having a heart attack right there on my board! I didn't want to freak Julia out, so I told her I was feeling a touch of heartburn and promptly paddled back through the reef and to the beach. While sitting there, trying to relax and hopefully feel better, all kinds of scary thoughts went through my mind. Heart attack? Stroke? Aneurysm? While these dire scenarios bounced around, my logical side tried to rule each out as improbable and ridiculous for someone of my age and good health. Meanwhile my pounding pulse had somewhat subsided though I continued to feel very weak.<br />
<br />
That night the pain in my gut only increased, and my heart rate went up as did my temperature. I basically laid on the couch sweating. After an uncomfortable night of fever nightmares, I went to the <a href="http://www.kiheiwaileamedicalcenter.com/">Kihei medical center</a> where they did an EKG which was totally normal. Everything else was also normal except that my WBC and temperature were both raised. They correctly diagnosed that I had some weird infection of unknown origins. The sudden onset of symptoms seemed strange but not necessarily alarming. They advised me to go home and see if things ease up - basically take two aspirins and call them in the morning. Which I did - very encouraged that at least I wasn't having a heart attack. But by that evening my temperature had spiked to 103 and I felt like shit (otherwise known as "malaise"). We called the clinic and they prescribed a ten day course of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxycycline">doxycycline</a>, which was about $1 at Costco. I was very skeptical that this cheap old antibiotic would do anything useful. But over the next two weeks my symptoms gradually eased, though the uncomfortable feeling that my heart was beating harder than before never went completely away. This "bounding pulse" was very noticeable in my abdomen, where I could actually see each beat rise and fall.<br />
<br />
After my treatment was completed I returned to the clinic and, despite feeling pretty well overall, was concerned by this strong pulse that was still going on. The attending physician again wisely decided to run additional tests for various strange and exotic tropical diseases. She also suggested that I get a cat-scan (CT) to see what was up with my bouncing abdomen. This would rule out unlikely conditions such as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aortic_aneurysm">aortic aneurysm</a> (AA) for one thing. But I didn't do the CT for a couple reasons. One was that I was clearly getting better at this point and I was also convinced there was no way someone as awesome as me could have anything as dire as an AA. An AA is an extremely dangerous condition that usually causes crippling pain in the back and abdomen. Patients with AA are typically much older with several additional serious health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, life long heavy smokers, etc. And they often can barely get out of bed, let alone windsurf and dance the Macarena all night long. So this was clearly not me! I also didn't like getting hit with any extra radiation (though most modern CT's have greatly reduced the amount, but still). Additionally I consulted with my brother-in-law who is a cardiologist at <a href="http://www.dhmc.org/">Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center</a> and he thought my symptoms were way too mild and my overall health much too good to have an AA. His thought was that a skinny fit guy like me coming off a serious infection might show an increased pulse for a while (and all those who directly examined me later thought the exact same thing) . And maybe I always had this big pulse but only noticed it now because I was paying such close attention? Anyway I decided to bail on the CT. As it turned out this arbitrary decision eventually worked out very much in my favor but it could have easily turned into an epic disaster - such is life and blind luck.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D-97PNivRCw/Sw4pNDX_dBI/AAAAAAAAAkU/8Vg03q9uIaQ/s1600/IMG_1631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D-97PNivRCw/Sw4pNDX_dBI/AAAAAAAAAkU/8Vg03q9uIaQ/s200/IMG_1631.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
About a week after my final visit to the clinic I was still feeling a bit off, but otherwise OK so we returned to our fairly rigorous but oh so fun lifestyle of surfing and windsurfing every possible day. I then got a message from the clinic that my blood test came back with a "very interesting result". Immediately I knew I must have had typhus which was the only test that was going to take more then a couple days, as it's only done in Oahu. Maui usually gets about 50 or so cases of typhus a year - it's rare but definitely not unheard of. Yet no one I knew, including many who had spent their entire lives on Maui, had ever caught it. Guess I'm just the lucky one! It's usually spread by flea bites and typically infects cane field workers (working hard everyday for your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_'N'_Stormy">dark & stormy</a>). However cats can also spread it, and we lived very close to both cane fields and a couple of friendly felines that roamed the property and were irresistibly cute - ignoring them was not an option. Besides that hundreds of feral cats also rule over Kanaha (they are the true residents) and I would often walk through their poo domain while carrying my kit barefoot. The truth is I'll never know where I caught it, but the good news is the magic bullet for typhus just so happens to be doxycycline, which I had already taken. Yeah (and I now had life long immunity to boot)! The Kihei clinic doctor had this suspicion right off the bat so I got to give her big credit for making the right diagnoses with not much info. Now I was already well cured at this point and to me this very neatly explained all my weird symptoms. Well almost....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m20Nv_jwCNc/TdgZnNyP3KI/AAAAAAAAFcg/mQt0_nfoFZw/s1600/P1020702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m20Nv_jwCNc/TdgZnNyP3KI/AAAAAAAAFcg/mQt0_nfoFZw/s200/P1020702.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
We spent the rest of the spring on Maui playing in the surf, windsurfing, riding our bikes, hiking and basically enjoying the spoils of living in paradise (and I continued to work my full time gig as a software engineer but that's not so bad). Everything was great except for a few minor issues. One was I caught pneumonia in March. Probably not a big deal, but I'd never caught pneumonia in my life and this kicked my ass like it's never been kicked for a few weeks. The other was that I never quite regained all of my strength, and the feeling that my heart was beating harder then normal was still with me. One example of this is when I needed a <a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/02/giant-waves-and-universal-karma.html">rescue at the end of a giant winter swell day</a> at Kanaha (which had been awesome fun right up to that point). My universal broke so I had to swim under some gnarly 20 ft plus waves while trying to hold onto my precious gear and breathe at the same time. After <a href="http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/">Giampaolo </a>very kindly helped me back to the beach I was so completely and totally exhausted that I felt like a total wus. My heart was pounding a mad beat and just resting on the beach like a ship wreck survivor was all I could manage at that point. But beyond these minor incidents we continued what seemed like a charmed life of awesome surfing and windsurfing right up to our return to Hood River and the gorge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-giCTbFV15CY/TneBR5UKdXI/AAAAAAAAGIY/HrUIIRdm3RM/s1600/P1030460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-giCTbFV15CY/TneBR5UKdXI/AAAAAAAAGIY/HrUIIRdm3RM/s200/P1030460.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pcrGyhHoZU/TneCkwfdKMI/AAAAAAAAGIo/x_5XNUAmkK4/s1600/2011-08-13+22.57.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pcrGyhHoZU/TneCkwfdKMI/AAAAAAAAGIo/x_5XNUAmkK4/s200/2011-08-13+22.57.34.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
And all in all, this summer at the gorge - once it finally started that is - was good times as well. Yes we had the coolest spring/early summer ever, and the first few times I launched from the dark Hatchery rocks into the cold and turbulent Columbia felt pretty damn harsh. But the swell was unbelievably huge which made it equally unbelievably fun. Definitely a far cry from the tropical conditions we had just left on Maui but hey - variety is nice! I still felt a bit weaker then normal, but a huge hatch day in "june-uary" can be rough on anyone. Also my first few mountain bike rides of the summer were super challenging. I remember huffing and puffing up post canyon convinced I would never make it to family man (only half way up). I got there but sucked so bad! But generally the rides got easier and I was certain it was just a matter of pushing myself harder and getting back into shape. And there was that awesome long stretch of 3.7 days in early August which were among the most fun I ever. I'm not sure if gorge conditions ever get sweeter than that! And about this time I finally got around to scheduling my physical with my primary doctor, <a href="http://www.greenfieldhealth.com/portal/I+want+to+learn+more/Meet+Our+Physicians/MalcolmMcAninch/default.aspx">Dr Malcolm McAninch</a> at <a href="http://securemail.greenfieldhealth.com/portal/">Greenfield Health</a> (GFH) in Portland. Mal is a super friendly and very personable PCP, the kind that you actually look forward to seeing for a checkup.<br />
<br />
And now for an important public service announcement. I happen to work for a small software company in Portland called <a href="http://www.kryptiq.com/">Kryptiq</a> that provides, among many other useful products, a secure messaging service that allows patients to send a message directly to their doctor and receive back a response typically within a few hours - and often in just a few minutes. Imagine being able to text your provider any medical question and set up all your appointments this way - it's super convenient! And so it has been a super cool experience to use the very product that I help to develop (for the past eight years) in the real world as I've gone down this twisting path. Once you get used to this you will most definitely wish that every doctor and clinic used this instead of the phone tag system of insanity. Or even worse - sending all labs and appointments by the ancient dead tree scroll method. Which might as well be smoke signals from my perspective. Here's a real example of how this helped me - I first setup all my appointments by email (probably while hanging out at the hatch). Then I had all my required lab work done right here in HR and Mal at GFH (in Portland) emailed back my (mostly excellent) results in less time than it took me to ride home. I was able to view my labs right on my phone so I immediately knew that all was well in the blood dept. This is how it should always be!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I had my checkup and we talked about my mild feeling that I never quite returned to tip-top shape after the typhus. He listened to my heart for a long time and was concerned that I might have a slight murmur (leaky valve). To be safe, he did an EKG right there, which again was normal. However he wanted me to follow up with a cardiologist and make sure nothing else major was screwed up. I agreed and this happened a week later (two weeks ago). The cardiologist, Dr David Shreoder (Providence), could also hear a murmur and the pulse in my abdomen was indeed somewhat harder then normal. However it still didn't seem that big of a deal. I was lean & fit, fairly young, <strike>very good looking</strike> very active and not experiencing any pain or other symptoms that usually indicate a major problem. We discussed getting an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echocardiogram">echocardiogram </a>(or echo - basically an ultrasound of the heart) but it didn't seem absolutely necessary so I left with the feeling that all was well. However David called me back a couple of days later after researching typhus (it's mostly unknown in Oregon so few docs here know much about it) and realized that it could potentially damage the heart and/or cause other bad mojo. In truth he also had an instinct that something wasn't right when I left his office and so he wanted to convince me to really do the echo. And good thing that he did! We set up the echo for last Monday 9/12 - a week before we were to fly to Maui. My feeling was they would likely discover a small murmur which would not require any special treatment, meaning it would basically amount to nothing. Still just getting it out of the way and out of my mind would be nice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCJZg55ezL_i8WgnEFOF8-B3D_3lLJRZgZ3bZcB_JTcZpTwExoI8ae-1tdL_M5XeTrTGw9mZ1ZF0YtofJq1DXruJ6RKU9TJZLW5gri9rf5uWISXCJsMXmdAJvHUOYVo6vlJHG__HWkno/s1600/CameraZOOM-20110910144321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCJZg55ezL_i8WgnEFOF8-B3D_3lLJRZgZ3bZcB_JTcZpTwExoI8ae-1tdL_M5XeTrTGw9mZ1ZF0YtofJq1DXruJ6RKU9TJZLW5gri9rf5uWISXCJsMXmdAJvHUOYVo6vlJHG__HWkno/s200/CameraZOOM-20110910144321.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Last weekend Julia was out of town and it was also the hottest weekend of the entire summer by far here (which already seems long ago). I decided to spend my free time playing as hard as possible - after all <a href="http://thegorgeismygym.com/">the Gorge is my gym</a>! On Friday I rode my bike down to the water front and rented a SUP which I paddled around Wells Island, stopping on the way to pick some huge and juicy blackberries. I returned to the beach and jumped on my bike, riding over to the marina park which I ran around 8 times (guessing this to be three miles or so). Then I hopped back on the bike and rode up Indian Creek trail to the heights and took a round about path back through downtown HR and eventually home. I called this my gorge mini triathlon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAD9bG1IkDJXHZsgj-wdVmi_HB89sqWiRFGu5zCzEjuPQBWMBQ6TryGV8SFbQubhlB4qcnMvLkhMHcZMaASCU19FFTigr01AXxPO2ISOpVQJetGrCvAOawJ2sGwlXsJK8Oc2lNbVi8w_o/s1600/mosier_wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAD9bG1IkDJXHZsgj-wdVmi_HB89sqWiRFGu5zCzEjuPQBWMBQ6TryGV8SFbQubhlB4qcnMvLkhMHcZMaASCU19FFTigr01AXxPO2ISOpVQJetGrCvAOawJ2sGwlXsJK8Oc2lNbVi8w_o/s200/mosier_wedding.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
On Saturday I rode from my house to the historic Old Columbia Highway and through the very beautiful Mosier tunnels and into Mosier itself. From there I rode the Mosier pioneer cemetery trail which I had only briefly hiked before. Taking advantage of my track standing skills, which I just learned in the past year (had never even tried before and you know what - it was so easy! Kind of like throwing loops). I cleaned the initial steep switch backs which led on to a very scenic and unexpected waterfall hidden in a narrow cleft in the Umatilla lava flows of long ago. It was about 97 or so this afternoon and cliff diving into the pool was very tempting. But several folks were already in it so I simply returned home the same way. Up the trail I passed a wedding party performing their ceremony right in the opening of the tunnels. I really wish I had a camera with me as the view from inside the tunnel of the silhouetted wedding party was so cool! (the above equivalent photo courtesey of <a href="http://tylerroemerphoto.com/blog/">Tyler Roemer Photography</a>). Despite the intense heat I thought it was a pretty easy ride - about 16 miles round trip.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ifj-uNmwmRU/TDK28ksz4oI/AAAAAAAACZk/qT6pOuCUo34/s1600/IMG_1133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ifj-uNmwmRU/TDK28ksz4oI/AAAAAAAACZk/qT6pOuCUo34/s200/IMG_1133.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
On Sunday I was determined to go even harder. My plan was to do the complete "<a href="http://www.mbronline.com/destinations/archive/960311.htm">Hospital Hill</a>" ride on the Washington side of the gorge. This climbs about 2k straight up from the town of White Salmon and reaches it's highest point near the top of Bowdoin Mountain. This rewards the big grunt up with one of the best views in the gorge - looking directly west about 20 miles down the Columbia along with a clear view of Mt Hood. It's also a very popular spot for para gliders as the summit "bench" is about 3K feet directly above the river below and the Hood River water front. Ironically this trail has some extremly steep and technical sections with the appropriate names of "Cardiac Arrest" and "Triple Bypass". And on this particular day I did them all! I did screw up by leaving much later on the ride than I should have. Being on the hotter side of the gorge, certain exposed sections of the trail can be ten degrees hotter then downtown HR, and on this Sunday the HR high temperature was 97. Yikes again! What might have saved me literally is that I had to leave before completing the entire loop (though I had done the hardest sections by this point) to drive to PDX and pick up Julia. And again I felt pretty beat up by this ride but it was only my second HH ride of the summer and also one of the hottest. So all in all I thought I did pretty well during the entire gorge marathon weekend. I picked up Julia and the next day woke up feeling nice and refreshed for my morning echo at <a href="http://oregon.providence.org/patients/facilities/providence-hood-river-memorial-hospital/Pages/default.aspx">Hood River Memorial</a>.<br />
<br />
I was anticipating this to be a fairly routine exam and HRM being close, though straight up a very steep hill from our house, I decided to take the leg powered vehicle and headed up. I was shocked that there were no bike racks in front of the hospital - I mean what, patients can't ride bikes to their exams? In Hood River of all places?? That seemed very odd to me for some reason. Anyhoo, I got there a half hour early as directed and was handed five sheets of forms to fill out. But I did all this on my last visit?<br />
<br />
OK I have another pet peeve and again one which my company's products help to solve. Medical records should be electronically stored and always available to the patient via a secure online application. And the patient can then allow these records to be automatically sent to other providers and for referrals, so every time I step into a different doctor's office I don't have to fill out my entire medical history in triplicate by memory with a barely functional leaking bic pen. And then have all those forms stuffed into some random drawer or sent to China for all I know. I mean come on... what if I was very sick, and/or I can't remember everything that ever happened to me anymore (especially now) or if I make a serious mistake - like oops, forgot about that one antibiotic allergy. It's crazy that so much of our otherwise fine medical system rests on this antiquated system of record keeping (again dead tree scrolls). How many people get screwed up because some paper was lost, or misplaced or critical fact forgotttem on the tenth re-recording? Well fortunately for me Greenfield Health uses our very nice software so all my info was in fact already available to HRM. Yes!<br />
<br />
Now I didn't have to fill out five dreary forms and instead spent my extra 30 minutes of life browsing last years issue of Obscure Professional Technical Review. The echo cardiogram procedure seemed unremarkable to me. I chatted with the technician (Andy Filer) who was very cool and calm, talking mostly about life in San Diego and surfing La Jolla. Occasionally I would hear a swish swish sound and get a glance of what looked like a very pissed off jelly fish. When we were all done and I was ready to jump back on the bike to ride home Andy suddenly became very serious. "I need you to stay here. Please don't go anywhere. And I need the name of the doctor who referred you." Who is actually on vacation right at this moment, but he said never mind all that - just whatever I did I was not to leave that room.<br />
<br />
Now this was more then a little bit worrisome. Like maybe my murmur was bigger than I thought? But the situation got way more tense when he came back in a few minutes and calmly but very seriously said "I don't want you to get too concerned. But I need to take you to ER right now". I walked down with him more or less in silence. I knew there was nothing more that he could tell me and I was totally stunned. In the ER I knew some of the staff - this being Hood River we all windsurf together of course. It didn't help to see the very worried looks on their faces. I texted Julia the following:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Me: After the echo they brought me to the ER! 12:22 PM</span><br />
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Me: Not sure what's up but it can't be good 12:23 PM</span><br />
<br />
She texted right back that she was on the way. Now they brought in an ER doctor, Karen O'Neil, who started asking questions. "Did I have any pain? Was I sure I didn't have any pain? Was I really really sure I didn't have any pain, like in my back or legs?" "No, No, No! I feel fine" was all I could respond. They listened to my heart and asked me what caused me to get an echo done that day. I gave them a brief recap, being sure to mention the typhus incident on Maui. One nurse, Ruthie Cleary (who was so very sweet and calming), had lived much of her life on the Big Island and never knew anyone who had typhus. Weird! By this time Julia showed up and I told her that I didn't know what was up yet. We were both very scared. The brought in an X-ray machine and zapped my chest. A couple minutes later they repeated the process. Then Julia heard that they were sending me to Portland Providence for emergency aortic aneurysm surgery!<br />
<br />
This was basically my worse fear coming true. Thankfully I couldn't recall all the finer details and basic shit that an AA involved, but I knew it was very very deep. I was still scared - very - but at this point I realized that my past life was potentially over. I no longer had any control over the ensuing events that were quickly engulfing me. I could only hope that a life spent living healthy and well up to that point would somehow offer me some protection, like a token from a witch doctor that I could hold over my head in the hope that it might part a raging storm. I didn't cry, I didn't beg to any particular deity to spare me now. I figured whoever or whatever tugged the strings had already rolled the dice. The deal was done and at this point it was simply a matter of showing our hands. I hoped someone was bluffing but I doubted it. In fact the news was only going to get a lot worse.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile the current debate in the ER was whether to life flight me or take the ambulance. They soon decided on the ambulance. I didn't know the significance at the time, but this was the first tiny hint that something might possibly be tilting in my favor. As they wheeled me away on the stretcher I told Julia not to worry. Actually I was very worried about her. In a lot of ways it's easier to simply die than to be on the other side and deal with all the emotions, and a lifetime of sadness and regret. The other thought going through my mind right then was that we probably weren't going to be on that flight back to Maui in one week. And picking up all our shiny new <a href="http://goyawindsurfing.com/sails/items/y2012/">Goya sails</a>. Damn!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jaminjones.blogspot.com/2011/09/possible-part-ii.html">Go to part II</a>.(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-74608614559967170692011-07-12T20:46:00.001-10:002011-07-13T05:54:35.167-10:00Summer (sort of)Same old story here. It's summertime and we're back in the gorge. Also back to a very busy schedule so of course not much spare time for the old blog. Anyway, let me summarize the summer so far in the NW... it's been cool. And by cool I mean not much like summer. Those of you sweltering in other parts of the country need to come here right now. Today's high was something like 68. It should be 85 or higher. Also the Columbia's current has been running at max (about twice the usual summer flow). Good news is on windy days we have giant swells at the Hatch. Bad news is it's been very choppy at Dougs and unsailable so far at the Wall. And the water is cold - only about 63 in the middle of July. Should be closer to 68 by now. Hey but you can get some nice skiing if you want - plenty of snow still on the high peaks. Check out the view of Mt Adams from our deck:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110712-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2JPEW3IxJvs/Th0zZVzfYgI/AAAAAAAAF6I/GozuNq2uDNI/s1600/P1030273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2JPEW3IxJvs/Th0zZVzfYgI/AAAAAAAAF6I/GozuNq2uDNI/s200/P1030273.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9H9XWPQWfVc/Th0zb8zGllI/AAAAAAAAF6Q/VosBxwL54KI/s1600/P1030404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9H9XWPQWfVc/Th0zb8zGllI/AAAAAAAAF6Q/VosBxwL54KI/s200/P1030404.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Never get tired of seeing that. Also I never get tired of seeing Sean Aiken riding and jumping swell at the Hatch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110712-2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7KJfexFQW24/Th0z7Ns0GxI/AAAAAAAAF6c/H2ggchPlNf0/s1600/P1030217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7KJfexFQW24/Th0z7Ns0GxI/AAAAAAAAF6c/H2ggchPlNf0/s200/P1030217.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IeLIwj4CELc/Th0z95Ys2tI/AAAAAAAAF6k/6cYaDWajsMw/s1600/P1030220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IeLIwj4CELc/Th0z95Ys2tI/AAAAAAAAF6k/6cYaDWajsMw/s200/P1030220.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Some of the best sailing has been way out east in the desert, such as Roosevelt/Arlington. We were camping there a couple days in June had two great back to back days on a 4.2/3.7. We brought the Goya 78 quad wave here from Maui so that's what I've been on. The Goya quad is great for riding giant swell BTW. I might pull out the side fins and try it as a twinzer some day. Anyway it's a damn versatile board and has held up great. While camping we were treated to a fine desert sunset.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110712-3" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfJZLI4O7AA/TgFy3EovtMI/AAAAAAAAFtc/CXPFH1i9Vc4/s1600/P1030226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfJZLI4O7AA/TgFy3EovtMI/AAAAAAAAFtc/CXPFH1i9Vc4/s200/P1030226.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3veESnscd0/TgFy5O8R7UI/AAAAAAAAFtk/SdAS2Ff49E4/s1600/P1030224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3veESnscd0/TgFy5O8R7UI/AAAAAAAAFtk/SdAS2Ff49E4/s200/P1030224.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pAEjPVfZxnA/TgFy6_TDOYI/AAAAAAAAFts/MM8vPJDV05E/s1600/P1030228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pAEjPVfZxnA/TgFy6_TDOYI/AAAAAAAAFts/MM8vPJDV05E/s200/P1030228.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Such cool colors, don't you think? It was raining at that moment back in HR, but totally dry in the desert as usual. But June showers bring July flowers right? I guess so cause we got lots of flowers in the yard. Also check out the fence of old windsurfing boards. I picked these up a few years back at a swap meet - sort of a miniature of the famous Haiku windsurfing fence.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110712-4" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UolBfsG2Yo/Th06Winp7kI/AAAAAAAAF7g/Q_-My9SzpEY/s1600/P1030255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UolBfsG2Yo/Th06Winp7kI/AAAAAAAAF7g/Q_-My9SzpEY/s200/P1030255.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86fRRMeFD1_4Nq7t2upGLnNyZT_Uc6h0f9uoqSyB1H9hGSwenKZbwa8Z2TwYht7sluYrJiAC6suBNxTESUeIUFuGtSUbsp-v2JOOZh0jioi8hiQkHcIF1P1rY1QhP1hnI4J5BMErGwnA/s1600/P1030256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86fRRMeFD1_4Nq7t2upGLnNyZT_Uc6h0f9uoqSyB1H9hGSwenKZbwa8Z2TwYht7sluYrJiAC6suBNxTESUeIUFuGtSUbsp-v2JOOZh0jioi8hiQkHcIF1P1rY1QhP1hnI4J5BMErGwnA/s200/P1030256.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xo8x964icI/Th06d19du3I/AAAAAAAAF7w/e5HpDTIMglU/s1600/P1030257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xo8x964icI/Th06d19du3I/AAAAAAAAF7w/e5HpDTIMglU/s200/P1030257.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
And what else... well it was recently 4th of July here, meaning fireworks. And I got some pretty decent shots of them, taken from a friend's "really big deck". But it's late at the moment so those will have to wait until the next post. Soon, very soon I promise!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-65946153159836551032011-05-29T23:29:00.002-10:002011-05-30T00:01:18.464-10:00Butterfly Effect 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aVmTdt1BTNgVxWhv2MvmoFtfe3T7brjdlKZv3JGaUP67SdouotZbeak6fnxYJ5DHa36orEd7RX12RJeo8cAzluq5kVfWIgAExW9xkqWefwfibQDl7HmFzzkKJ6NRF6PJ4KnZ6J5Yawo/s1600/P1020832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aVmTdt1BTNgVxWhv2MvmoFtfe3T7brjdlKZv3JGaUP67SdouotZbeak6fnxYJ5DHa36orEd7RX12RJeo8cAzluq5kVfWIgAExW9xkqWefwfibQDl7HmFzzkKJ6NRF6PJ4KnZ6J5Yawo/s320/P1020832.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A few weeks back I was sitting in my car as a hard rain fell, watching a group of women pulling weeds from the side of the Hookipa parking lot. Mud was starting to run down the pavement and everybody was soaking wet. At that moment I had a difficult time envisioning how the fifth edition of the Maui <a href="http://betheeffect.com/home/">Butterfly Effect</a> would become yet another shining success. However, within a few minutes the tropical showers ended and a bright sun came out. The girls were soon gathered on the beach in a large circle practicing yoga in warm sunshine and all was well. Well mostly. The showers eventually returned along with an inconsistent wind, and the Hookipa lifeguards recommended that the down winder be moved to the sunnier and drier Specks location.<br />
<br />
Which in the scope of things is no big deal. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You might ask just what is this Butterfly Effect. In a nutshell, its a noncompetitive ocean sport gathering for women that takes place in various water sport locals across the globe. It started on Maui in 2007and since has spread to diverse locations around the planet, such as Hood River OR, Cabarete DR, Fiji, Italy, and so on. <a href="http://www.tatianahoward.com/blog/">Tatianna Howard</a> has been the main organizer behind the Butterfly Effect and she's done an awesome job keeping these running as smoothly as possible while growing the effect. This year's Maui edition started with the a fore mentioned Hookipa weed removal and native planting. After that came group yoga on the beach, a blessing for the participants, and the big down winder to Kanaha (which would have been from Hookipa if the wind had cooperated) for about 50 paddle boarders (SUPs), 25 windsurfers and 25 kiters. The kiters actually did launch from Hookipa along with a few windsurfers (Nori and Junko) .<br />
<br />
Julia was a group leader for the windsurfers, and I was an unofficial photographer, rigging caddy, cheer leader, and car driver. After the girls launched from Sprecks, we all met again at Kanaha for a picnic catered by Flatbread Pizza, and then a beach cleanup under the guidance of the <a href="http://ww2.surfrider.org/maui/">Maui Surfrider</a> foundation. If that sounds like a lot of activities, well it was, or at least I was tired by the end. But that wasn't all! That evening there was a fashion show at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thee-Salon/110938105600561">Thee Salon in Paia</a> (and I was the unofficial fashion show photographer as well), followed by dancing at Moana Cafe. Whew! Quite a day, but with smiles all around. OK, here's my unofficial photos. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
These weeds are going down, rain or shine!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pJfqofV1iKo/TeNKrFnKM-I/AAAAAAAAFek/OwapwEpRLOg/s1600/P1020812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pJfqofV1iKo/TeNKrFnKM-I/AAAAAAAAFek/OwapwEpRLOg/s320/P1020812.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FjM_PSXiOmU/TeNKtvrqwNI/AAAAAAAAFes/_REMPlimGiA/s1600/P1020814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FjM_PSXiOmU/TeNKtvrqwNI/AAAAAAAAFes/_REMPlimGiA/s320/P1020814.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Julia rigged up for the Hookpia - soon to be moved to Sprecks - launch. But she was ready!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yT41XIpP9CI/TeNKwyAtm2I/AAAAAAAAFe0/fPsX04rb6EE/s1600/P1020818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yT41XIpP9CI/TeNKwyAtm2I/AAAAAAAAFe0/fPsX04rb6EE/s400/P1020818.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The always popular (for both photographers and participants) beach yoga...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-3" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DzcCrC2-Qlo/TeNK7SLEblI/AAAAAAAAFfg/sXMyJkXfqw0/s1600/P1020837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DzcCrC2-Qlo/TeNK7SLEblI/AAAAAAAAFfg/sXMyJkXfqw0/s200/P1020837.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIsSTbHdE9I/TeNK4z-KsXI/AAAAAAAAFfU/OC5rS0o4mHs/s1600/P1020830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIsSTbHdE9I/TeNK4z-KsXI/AAAAAAAAFfU/OC5rS0o4mHs/s200/P1020830.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qlxxRJw6zI/TeNK2LVq48I/AAAAAAAAFfE/yc8FQ6dcjzg/s1600/P1020828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qlxxRJw6zI/TeNK2LVq48I/AAAAAAAAFfE/yc8FQ6dcjzg/s200/P1020828.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uEv8ln8x1qE/TeNLSH1j-7I/AAAAAAAAFg0/uatpbJ32mEI/s1600/P1020853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uEv8ln8x1qE/TeNLSH1j-7I/AAAAAAAAFg0/uatpbJ32mEI/s200/P1020853.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwy_N1aJe3E/TeNKzjtxaWI/AAAAAAAAFe8/4_jHnLVYts8/s1600/P1020819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwy_N1aJe3E/TeNKzjtxaWI/AAAAAAAAFe8/4_jHnLVYts8/s200/P1020819.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6bc0ZHFuxo/TeNK-JwlmAI/AAAAAAAAFfo/KJLawc0fs_g/s1600/P1020833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6bc0ZHFuxo/TeNK-JwlmAI/AAAAAAAAFfo/KJLawc0fs_g/s200/P1020833.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gnOkpm6LD9I/TeNLFSUiCYI/AAAAAAAAFgE/yA6h1K4GUoc/s1600/P1020844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gnOkpm6LD9I/TeNLFSUiCYI/AAAAAAAAFgE/yA6h1K4GUoc/s200/P1020844.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q13r7oZJUi0/TeNLINl3z1I/AAAAAAAAFgM/j7Wwky28wjc/s1600/P1020846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q13r7oZJUi0/TeNLINl3z1I/AAAAAAAAFgM/j7Wwky28wjc/s200/P1020846.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSz-Pa6TfA8/TeNLKrkAi8I/AAAAAAAAFgY/auIvwYHQtYc/s1600/P1020848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSz-Pa6TfA8/TeNLKrkAi8I/AAAAAAAAFgY/auIvwYHQtYc/s200/P1020848.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qIiJ80QkkMA/TeNLNCLDRzI/AAAAAAAAFgg/e1JnPbysH3o/s1600/P1020850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qIiJ80QkkMA/TeNLNCLDRzI/AAAAAAAAFgg/e1JnPbysH3o/s200/P1020850.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-utzaKgCyy6A/TeNLPpVj8hI/AAAAAAAAFgo/0VAnEMw3zVE/s1600/P1020851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-utzaKgCyy6A/TeNLPpVj8hI/AAAAAAAAFgo/0VAnEMw3zVE/s200/P1020851.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Next stop Specks and some group photos.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-4" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJ1JIZ40iNY/TeNLbcQfJEI/AAAAAAAAFhQ/LG0U1PmBS9I/s1600/P1020859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJ1JIZ40iNY/TeNLbcQfJEI/AAAAAAAAFhQ/LG0U1PmBS9I/s200/P1020859.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypf4Xl5vvJ8/TeNLYNUSucI/AAAAAAAAFhE/4qrCZW9dLNM/s1600/P1020858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypf4Xl5vvJ8/TeNLYNUSucI/AAAAAAAAFhE/4qrCZW9dLNM/s200/P1020858.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5_8mr1nQ_c/TeNLiB_RufI/AAAAAAAAFhk/Fnx_81x4SeI/s1600/P1020862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o5_8mr1nQ_c/TeNLiB_RufI/AAAAAAAAFhk/Fnx_81x4SeI/s200/P1020862.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The oh so lovely windsurfers were getting ready to launch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-5" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WDnOUAPcIuk/TeNLU_2OuiI/AAAAAAAAFg8/UJfjaiWy8nk/s1600/P1020856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WDnOUAPcIuk/TeNLU_2OuiI/AAAAAAAAFg8/UJfjaiWy8nk/s320/P1020856.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyjhqJVDn-iFfjWycugfRNRgbSmbkD1z7rHoVqKL8Ss5wSIQssiIp46o-qPlcrRc6KcJgV27b0z6TA4mlapI0YDB7LAJIWIpIB6UayRtBHtTl7qXMX9qNfclgYoBPHxKZ-l2Oi_cIDCA/s1600/P1020863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyjhqJVDn-iFfjWycugfRNRgbSmbkD1z7rHoVqKL8Ss5wSIQssiIp46o-qPlcrRc6KcJgV27b0z6TA4mlapI0YDB7LAJIWIpIB6UayRtBHtTl7qXMX9qNfclgYoBPHxKZ-l2Oi_cIDCA/s320/P1020863.JPG" /></a></div><br />
As fifty paddle boarders headed toward Camp One and Kanaha.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-6" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EKOQ3wz2Rek/TeNLnhPoZMI/AAAAAAAAFh4/JVsQ3Ar6qKM/s1600/P1020868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EKOQ3wz2Rek/TeNLnhPoZMI/AAAAAAAAFh4/JVsQ3Ar6qKM/s200/P1020868.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMB-wuWosa2hgHwX88B7qm6AAF2wQwXCDJsTVT8EyLIHElN6IvrJzxzQGITfrUCwnELNZ8vAtfENaE_kM2sB0JVWUfv5ZWSVP-1ZZMflYtJicT9YNQgUwQp9Lh6aAw6kwCjegQboCFIg/s1600/P1020869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMB-wuWosa2hgHwX88B7qm6AAF2wQwXCDJsTVT8EyLIHElN6IvrJzxzQGITfrUCwnELNZ8vAtfENaE_kM2sB0JVWUfv5ZWSVP-1ZZMflYtJicT9YNQgUwQp9Lh6aAw6kwCjegQboCFIg/s200/P1020869.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoDG733n4-I99f-Jq8y9MiePOALkJMW2FUFvM8smyr7ldXar8Z5uH2pEASmXYc2PoHlkYxYh26ZJLDSOjf4TWbibDpBuR-FiDHJPxQ_7j3Z5QO8x_6vsd1L0JfU314CixbZouMFM6hxs/s1600/P1020872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoDG733n4-I99f-Jq8y9MiePOALkJMW2FUFvM8smyr7ldXar8Z5uH2pEASmXYc2PoHlkYxYh26ZJLDSOjf4TWbibDpBuR-FiDHJPxQ_7j3Z5QO8x_6vsd1L0JfU314CixbZouMFM6hxs/s200/P1020872.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DUjZC26D6pc/TeNLvdRz8BI/AAAAAAAAFiU/vkdSqH8u_SU/s1600/P1020874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DUjZC26D6pc/TeNLvdRz8BI/AAAAAAAAFiU/vkdSqH8u_SU/s200/P1020874.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ytkWQ6Irkw/TeNLyAchjBI/AAAAAAAAFic/fOn7gsZpt30/s1600/P1020891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ytkWQ6Irkw/TeNLyAchjBI/AAAAAAAAFic/fOn7gsZpt30/s200/P1020891.JPG" /></a></div><br />
A quick group hug and pre launch flight check for the windsurfers. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-7" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HUnk58aO2A/TeNL1cKG2dI/AAAAAAAAFik/LmSF63k748c/s1600/P1020882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HUnk58aO2A/TeNL1cKG2dI/AAAAAAAAFik/LmSF63k748c/s200/P1020882.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkVeVc6HPXs/TeNL35wDqOI/AAAAAAAAFiw/lAzuW4PrIHw/s1600/P1020877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkVeVc6HPXs/TeNL35wDqOI/AAAAAAAAFiw/lAzuW4PrIHw/s200/P1020877.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jvBB1EbqABQ/TeNL6Q-RDqI/AAAAAAAAFi4/Z2rT9O0V2s0/s1600/P1020880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jvBB1EbqABQ/TeNL6Q-RDqI/AAAAAAAAFi4/Z2rT9O0V2s0/s200/P1020880.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And then it was off to the horizon for the butterflies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110530-8" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F1UUyiJwhE0/TeNL9Gbo9vI/AAAAAAAAFjA/cI9pSxaYz7c/s1600/P1020886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F1UUyiJwhE0/TeNL9Gbo9vI/AAAAAAAAFjA/cI9pSxaYz7c/s320/P1020886.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMkYgLOqbfA/TeNMAMRo3qI/AAAAAAAAFjQ/8dAMnYadnVA/s1600/P1020890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMkYgLOqbfA/TeNMAMRo3qI/AAAAAAAAFjQ/8dAMnYadnVA/s320/P1020890.JPG" /></a></div><br />
At the picnic site (near kite beach Kanaha) I was mesmerized by this amazingly detailed (and somewhat anatomically correct) carved stump.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110530-9"><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QYD3T24_SlU/TeNiCtzK5FI/AAAAAAAAFjs/MkfbrhhzBJE/s1600/P1020892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QYD3T24_SlU/TeNiCtzK5FI/AAAAAAAAFjs/MkfbrhhzBJE/s200/P1020892.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RLQ1Q-n_3ao/TeNiTenBzfI/AAAAAAAAFkk/LzlIq9VR3ro/s1600/P1020898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RLQ1Q-n_3ao/TeNiTenBzfI/AAAAAAAAFkk/LzlIq9VR3ro/s200/P1020898.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkNGhL-7IAQ/TeNiQqkLwUI/AAAAAAAAFkc/cAjyOsdy3tQ/s1600/P1020897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkNGhL-7IAQ/TeNiQqkLwUI/AAAAAAAAFkc/cAjyOsdy3tQ/s200/P1020897.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCvYNcxBK3E/TeNiK0Uu7uI/AAAAAAAAFkE/FEi6Nqktgl0/s1600/P1020895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCvYNcxBK3E/TeNiK0Uu7uI/AAAAAAAAFkE/FEi6Nqktgl0/s200/P1020895.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1qoxf_S4Hg/TeNiIWtXGRI/AAAAAAAAFj8/dG2NPzAC0No/s1600/P1020894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1qoxf_S4Hg/TeNiIWtXGRI/AAAAAAAAFj8/dG2NPzAC0No/s200/P1020894.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QU0pl-lQqDI/TeNiN12pDMI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/JAQx2NppUXw/s1600/P1020896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QU0pl-lQqDI/TeNiN12pDMI/AAAAAAAAFkQ/JAQx2NppUXw/s200/P1020896.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Finally, as mentioned earlier, there was a fashion show in the evening. I got lots of pictures. Next post...(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-15432432248128219772011-05-23T22:21:00.004-10:002011-05-23T22:46:08.284-10:00It's Lahaina Noon !!Since the world decided to keep on living, we made it to a very important astronomical milestone. That magical time that occurs just twice a year in the tropics - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahaina_Noon">Lahaina noon</a>. It's when the sun at high noon (according to the sun, not a clock) is exactly 90 deg over head. It's when poles and tall buildings (assuming they're straight) cast no shadow. So Wooh-Hooh! Here's to Lahaina noon, which unofficially occurred at Kanaha at 12:32pm on May 23, according to my precise coconut water can measuring system. Here you can see the results...<br />
<br />
Not quite there at 12:31pm - still a wee shadow...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110524-1"><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tqNi0zd5OE/Tdtji1-BJHI/AAAAAAAAFdM/BtlJH_3Y92s/s1600/P1030084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tqNi0zd5OE/Tdtji1-BJHI/AAAAAAAAFdM/BtlJH_3Y92s/s200/P1030084.JPG" /></a></div><br />
But at 12:32 - look Ma, no shadow!! These pictures are taken from three different angles just to prove the point. (PS - you can't take a picture from straight above, otherwise the camera shadow covers the can. Duh!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110524-2"><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RId55xNFqYc/Tdtjj6aJh-I/AAAAAAAAFdY/bbVgENqq3g8/s1600/P1030086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RId55xNFqYc/Tdtjj6aJh-I/AAAAAAAAFdY/bbVgENqq3g8/s200/P1030086.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8WLcYzox3E/TdtjkzTiQGI/AAAAAAAAFdg/YrvrLz1LAIw/s1600/P1030088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8WLcYzox3E/TdtjkzTiQGI/AAAAAAAAFdg/YrvrLz1LAIw/s200/P1030088.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p52S0PSJdiY/Tdtjl0YbQ5I/AAAAAAAAFdk/D2MtHpQSano/s1600/P1030089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p52S0PSJdiY/Tdtjl0YbQ5I/AAAAAAAAFdk/D2MtHpQSano/s200/P1030089.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Well that's certainly exciting. Personally I think Lahaina noon should be celebrated as much as all the other silly astronomical dates, such as winter solstice (shortest day, sun reaches lowest point in sky), spring and fall equinox (length of day and night are equal, sun is 90 deg over the equator), and summer solstice (longest day, and for those outside the tropics the sun reaches the highest point). The cool thing about Lahaina noon is 1) in the US it only occurs in the state of Hawaii which of course is the only state situated between the tropics. So you got to be here to dig it. (why isn't the HI tourism dept promoting this big time?) 2) anyone with a can of soda can determine when it occurs. Since most school kids drink like 20 sodas a day they should have no problem with this experiment. It's not so easy to figure the other solstice dates unless you have one of those Egyptian pyramids where a tiny beam of light on exactly the right moment lights a magnifying mirror which ignites a flame which burns a rope and unleashes a giant boulder which chases Indiana down a steep path and so on. 3) Hey, you got no freaking shadow! That should be cool enough.<br />
<br />
So for the next two months the sun heads a bit north of us here on Maui, and the north side of buildings become the sunny side and all that moss starts to wilt. Like there is any moss here (hint: NOT!). But speaking of moss, we will be back in Hood River in eight days. The weather there this week calls for lots of rain, high temps around 59, river temp is only 54 and it's flooding as we speak. Nice. I'm sending some of my Lahaina noon sun vibes up there - hope that helps.<br />
<br />
As for windsurfing, it's been spanking windy for the last three days or so and looks to continue all week and perhaps the rest of the summer. We had what may be the last decent swell last Friday when sets of perhaps 10-12 ft showed up on the north shore. I sailed lowers and I'm sure I won't see anything like that until our return to Maui in the fall. Missing it already! Meanwhile a potentially decent sized (head high) SW swell is just showing up on the leeward shores. You never know on Maui what will sneak past all the islands from that direction, but a few days of surfing sure would be nice.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Lahaina noon - enjoy it!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-89692182625928625892011-05-21T11:05:00.002-10:002011-05-21T11:15:14.736-10:00It's the End of the World ...... and I think you know the punch line. So it's another freaking beautiful day here on Maui and I guess the world isn't ending so soon. Fortunately not, as we have some late May moderate NW swell aiming at the north shore right now with some medium to high level south swell on tap for next week. Wouldn't want to miss that! Speaking of next week - it's our last full week on Maui, and then we take - what is effectively now a summer break - back to Hood River and the Gorge. We're looking forward to HR and all the fun a summer in the Gorge entails. And yet we will be missing our friends and the island life in general. Maui is an addicting place I must admit. If you get used to the lifestyle here and it's a life you enjoy, then it may become difficult to live anywhere else. Let that be a warning for those who visit too frequently.<br />
<br />
Some of the three people still following have asked me "what's up with the two month gap in posts"? Well not much has happened in two months. Actually not true! In fact just the opposite - simply put, I've been very very busy. The thing is I have this regular job. I'll spare the details but it is in the area of developing software for a west coast startup. Which periodically has major releases and we've just been - in fact are still going - through that process now. I wake up most days around 5:45 and put in a regular work day, which ends around 1-2-ish. Then it's usually off to the beach for a few hours of sailing, surfing or whatever. I work from a home office which can in theory be anywhere, though in practice is best to be either on pacific time or, as it turns out even better, Maui time. Anyway it can be fairly challenging work when deadlines approach. So after working a full day and then a few hours of playing in the surf, when I get home I have about zero desire to fire up the PC and sit next to a desk. The couch or bed is a much better option! (Maui midnight = 8:30 for me). Unless there's something really dramatic to report (like the end of the world or lack thereof). I know, it's a tough life. Let me show you how tough - here's a typical morning view from my office after my "commute"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110521-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m20Nv_jwCNc/TdgZnNyP3KI/AAAAAAAAFcg/mQt0_nfoFZw/s1600/P1020702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m20Nv_jwCNc/TdgZnNyP3KI/AAAAAAAAFcg/mQt0_nfoFZw/s400/P1020702.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The sunsets from here aren't too bad either...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110521-2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--h7iz4ECTC8/TWqwTxea2pI/AAAAAAAAE4U/Mu9q9elH4tg/s1600/P1020036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--h7iz4ECTC8/TWqwTxea2pI/AAAAAAAAE4U/Mu9q9elH4tg/s200/P1020036.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xtrBgNFCUVM/TdgX0rxQTPI/AAAAAAAAFZw/fAZ9q34vv44/s1600/P1020043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xtrBgNFCUVM/TdgX0rxQTPI/AAAAAAAAFZw/fAZ9q34vv44/s200/P1020043.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Whenever I step outside my office the local cats attack..<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110521-3" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsDxnFH8m6HLqLykfm4ZCZBBefqeL2EhMgQhhnMYQne00WK48c9xvgUkGHK0n0bd1bdFpVshYcszPtEr4XzHTAYsNsE6la14iIQsE7N45o9jxI6A-65gqAXXJ-ZVsb2WRgxP9cB743J0/s1600/P1020459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsDxnFH8m6HLqLykfm4ZCZBBefqeL2EhMgQhhnMYQne00WK48c9xvgUkGHK0n0bd1bdFpVshYcszPtEr4XzHTAYsNsE6la14iIQsE7N45o9jxI6A-65gqAXXJ-ZVsb2WRgxP9cB743J0/s200/P1020459.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ccBycdpDL0/TdgYfisqY1I/AAAAAAAAFas/ddwo6hRJNqA/s1600/P1020460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ccBycdpDL0/TdgYfisqY1I/AAAAAAAAFas/ddwo6hRJNqA/s200/P1020460.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2KodP_g0gAc/TdgYbQ0bgZI/AAAAAAAAFak/2FMIFohvBf8/s1600/P1020463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2KodP_g0gAc/TdgYbQ0bgZI/AAAAAAAAFak/2FMIFohvBf8/s200/P1020463.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Back when winter was still "raging" we had an all night lightening storm that took out our power for a bit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110521-4"><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8GFOQ4l4qsni1Z4zUxKWOkhdidv-hUqblF1QuUduUmOaxhv2jMYY_Ebqehyphenhyphen_jftA_tEntU9pir4_G38N65kq_gjYDFV4_JByWrDJuWDSSRJJbMnANhsICwMWTnYpjkGnEBnUVqnkDS8/s1600/P1020017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8GFOQ4l4qsni1Z4zUxKWOkhdidv-hUqblF1QuUduUmOaxhv2jMYY_Ebqehyphenhyphen_jftA_tEntU9pir4_G38N65kq_gjYDFV4_JByWrDJuWDSSRJJbMnANhsICwMWTnYpjkGnEBnUVqnkDS8/s200/P1020017.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lYZNvb1Th4E/TWYaokCVR4I/AAAAAAAAE3M/QguWXxB8Wyg/s1600/P1020016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lYZNvb1Th4E/TWYaokCVR4I/AAAAAAAAE3M/QguWXxB8Wyg/s200/P1020016.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So now that my work load has lightened slightly I'm going to try to push out a few more posts sooner than every two months.<br />
Such as...<br />
- The epic sessions "Reach for the Sky" didn't quite happen but I got some nice practice photos<br />
- Our Goya gear and why we love it so<br />
- 2011 Butterfly Effect<br />
- Another Paia fashion show<br />
- What's it like to spend an entire winter on Maui (hint, not too shabby)<br />
- Fins, fins, fins<br />
- Videos - I've seen some cool ones, maybe I'll do another myself some day<br />
- Helmets - I wear one, maybe you should too?<br />
<br />
TTYL!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-46044144701731520872011-03-16T22:36:00.002-10:002011-03-17T08:42:16.261-10:00Jaws 3/15/2011 Photos & Video<img style="display:none"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dY54h5GpesA/TYG5Avmi28I/AAAAAAAAFQU/VXxGChCrICU/s200/jaws1-1.jpg" />Folks around here definitely cannot complain about the quality and frequency of the big surf we've had this winter. We had our first big Jaws day way back on Nov 2, which seems like an eternity ago from here. And yesterday Jaws was breaking again for the nth time this winter. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately I couldn't make the morning drive to watch the action, but our friend and Hood River neighbor (and awesome gorge sailor) Sven Esslinger got down there and took some kick ass photos which he shared with me. So all the awesome photos below are Sven's, with a tiny bit of editing on my side.<br />
<br />
I edited the photos to provide both a long view and a close up of the action. Jaws is so huge I think you need both to get the entire picture. Sailors include Levi, Jason Polakow (with a jet ski being hurtled over his head), Kai Lenny, Brawzhino, Robby Naish (who has a rare wipe-out in last photo), and Michi Schweiger. Check them out...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110315-1"><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lZSnEpaUi-8SJ1SrR41vEBljaSsKXSVUoVFDZCuHbORRkwOBqXn-4yyAkP9asIIyHixKg3LVZjCkBmah6AR-rrBXNtNrnj-iSwMoiWGmLIREy47Nh2repUXJzF3Az_Mi1NXA7U4wpU0/s1600/jaws1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lZSnEpaUi-8SJ1SrR41vEBljaSsKXSVUoVFDZCuHbORRkwOBqXn-4yyAkP9asIIyHixKg3LVZjCkBmah6AR-rrBXNtNrnj-iSwMoiWGmLIREy47Nh2repUXJzF3Az_Mi1NXA7U4wpU0/s200/jaws1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dY54h5GpesA/TYG5Avmi28I/AAAAAAAAFQU/VXxGChCrICU/s1600/jaws1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dY54h5GpesA/TYG5Avmi28I/AAAAAAAAFQU/VXxGChCrICU/s200/jaws1-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0tE8MDZcZ2o/TYG5BKI_TkI/AAAAAAAAFQc/RJQ7NF7l8Uk/s1600/jaws_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0tE8MDZcZ2o/TYG5BKI_TkI/AAAAAAAAFQc/RJQ7NF7l8Uk/s200/jaws_02.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cQKeTXw1SyI/TYG5B52DthI/AAAAAAAAFQk/lRHxZMr4HQ4/s1600/jaws_02-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cQKeTXw1SyI/TYG5B52DthI/AAAAAAAAFQk/lRHxZMr4HQ4/s200/jaws_02-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AOzRbwCvTtU/TYG5CiwtcwI/AAAAAAAAFQs/0ptk5oDWyzQ/s1600/jaws_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AOzRbwCvTtU/TYG5CiwtcwI/AAAAAAAAFQs/0ptk5oDWyzQ/s200/jaws_03.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsxBayS80gMVqIMVmJSFo9yfrlez92aRrU6IUWdGZElSrg_xguQx-HU9njXsJc99O0eQDI5dPXJjWfCFhJ6qXpc81xc58SLZC4BgiQEB7wKUzCsh8-oqXqT212heejwUpME2OpMLwbdQ/s1600/jaws_03-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsxBayS80gMVqIMVmJSFo9yfrlez92aRrU6IUWdGZElSrg_xguQx-HU9njXsJc99O0eQDI5dPXJjWfCFhJ6qXpc81xc58SLZC4BgiQEB7wKUzCsh8-oqXqT212heejwUpME2OpMLwbdQ/s200/jaws_03-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DaP0-S5InyA/TYG5Ek7tE5I/AAAAAAAAFRA/rOfOp_A2xpA/s1600/jaws_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DaP0-S5InyA/TYG5Ek7tE5I/AAAAAAAAFRA/rOfOp_A2xpA/s200/jaws_04.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p0KNGSwt-IA/TYG5Fa4jcFI/AAAAAAAAFRI/s3zWOvM9mVo/s1600/jaws_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p0KNGSwt-IA/TYG5Fa4jcFI/AAAAAAAAFRI/s3zWOvM9mVo/s200/jaws_05.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lr0RCoSBe1Y/TYG5F-_GA7I/AAAAAAAAFRQ/quwsD1JwMxM/s1600/jaws_05-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lr0RCoSBe1Y/TYG5F-_GA7I/AAAAAAAAFRQ/quwsD1JwMxM/s200/jaws_05-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QOxyuT9Iqic/TYG5Gm--hmI/AAAAAAAAFRY/I_JLVya5rrY/s1600/jaws_06-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QOxyuT9Iqic/TYG5Gm--hmI/AAAAAAAAFRY/I_JLVya5rrY/s200/jaws_06-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MlDTroPGOjI/TYG5HQ3vbAI/AAAAAAAAFRg/4mA0C6YPjFo/s1600/jaws_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MlDTroPGOjI/TYG5HQ3vbAI/AAAAAAAAFRg/4mA0C6YPjFo/s200/jaws_07.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RduWkwa6iHc/TYG5II6hFDI/AAAAAAAAFRo/ewjeDWneJ6M/s1600/jaws_07-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RduWkwa6iHc/TYG5II6hFDI/AAAAAAAAFRo/ewjeDWneJ6M/s200/jaws_07-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bdSOxq9FMp8/TYG5JL3fx7I/AAAAAAAAFRw/ni4amCoLDQQ/s1600/jaws_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bdSOxq9FMp8/TYG5JL3fx7I/AAAAAAAAFRw/ni4amCoLDQQ/s200/jaws_08.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-egrgiSxPHqU/TYG5J-dzSpI/AAAAAAAAFR4/iiNFnTUg9uA/s1600/jaws_08-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-egrgiSxPHqU/TYG5J-dzSpI/AAAAAAAAFR4/iiNFnTUg9uA/s200/jaws_08-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cK_qZGINDAU/TYG5KhzaSZI/AAAAAAAAFSA/Kkg4LDDVYIQ/s1600/jaws_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cK_qZGINDAU/TYG5KhzaSZI/AAAAAAAAFSA/Kkg4LDDVYIQ/s200/jaws_09.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HBSxwhLe4L0/TYG5LvDGJuI/AAAAAAAAFSM/1aT6OgbILm0/s1600/jaws_09-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HBSxwhLe4L0/TYG5LvDGJuI/AAAAAAAAFSM/1aT6OgbILm0/s200/jaws_09-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JLe1tdcddTM/TYG5MRDZMwI/AAAAAAAAFSc/guUOpeCKevM/s1600/jaws_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JLe1tdcddTM/TYG5MRDZMwI/AAAAAAAAFSc/guUOpeCKevM/s200/jaws_10.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O9nLgbjLTXU/TYG5NCENfxI/AAAAAAAAFSk/2PpfX1-3lZw/s1600/jaws_10-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O9nLgbjLTXU/TYG5NCENfxI/AAAAAAAAFSk/2PpfX1-3lZw/s200/jaws_10-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SN69e4knXcI/TYG5N3GAv4I/AAAAAAAAFSs/-oD8dMaedyU/s1600/jaws_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SN69e4knXcI/TYG5N3GAv4I/AAAAAAAAFSs/-oD8dMaedyU/s200/jaws_11.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0jkZS-sV5Uk/TYG5Oji_TjI/AAAAAAAAFS0/rUIZWcwN500/s1600/jaws_11-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0jkZS-sV5Uk/TYG5Oji_TjI/AAAAAAAAFS0/rUIZWcwN500/s200/jaws_11-1.jpg" /></a><a
href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o0q6gTZmdYE/TYG5QQNpY0I/AAAAAAAAFS8/JV2eqzSziCM/s1600/DSC_0300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o0q6gTZmdYE/TYG5QQNpY0I/AAAAAAAAFS8/JV2eqzSziCM/s200/DSC_0300.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Ew37L_z4oGE/TYG5ReV5FFI/AAAAAAAAFTE/eUdNoiPrNgY/s1600/DSC_0300-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Ew37L_z4oGE/TYG5ReV5FFI/AAAAAAAAFTE/eUdNoiPrNgY/s200/DSC_0300-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Also Ridge Lenny (Kai's brother) put together this very nice video of the action. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<center><div style="background-color: black; border: 1px solid rgb(85, 102, 119); height: 402px; padding-top: 10px; width: 650px;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qc7PGCTF6UQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></center><br />
<br />
Also here's a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=189609987743340">link to Jimmie Hepp's video</a> showing the jet ski getting sucked over the falls above Jason Polakow's head. Yikes!!!(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com1Peahi, HI 96708, USA20.9166667 -156.283333320.8966232 -156.3125158 20.9367102 -156.25415080000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-76084200215779781822011-03-14T13:43:00.000-10:002011-03-14T13:43:59.107-10:00After Tsunami Hookipa Photo Shoot<img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OODFmYnQSUU/TX3Rwlft0PI/AAAAAAAAFOc/7OPhdRVkdd8/s200/P1020387.JPG" style="display:none" />The damage on Maui from the tsunami is pretty minimal, though Kanaha was flooded and is still closed. Big bummer for us Kanaha regulars, but given what's going on elsewhere we're very happy and thankful that's all we have to worry about. All other beaches on the north shore are open for business, and we spent the afternoon at Hookipa trying to capture some of the action. There's been a steady dose of both wind and waves lately, in fact this week looks to feature some big combinations of the two, so from a windsurfing perspective we're having excellent early spring conditions. There's even a forecast of a decent south swell coming later this week.<br />
<br />
In order of appearance:<br />
Kauli Seadi, GP, Heike, Conner Baxter, Ingrid, Mark Angulo, Ricardo Campello, Dean Christner, Morgan Noireaux, Patrick Bergeron, Levi Siver, Keith Teboul, Kevin Pritchard, Ralf, Claudio Lassala, Sven Esslinger, and the rest unknown for now (send comments and I will add names, Mahalo)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110314-1"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zBlahllrH4g/TX3NxhnwYUI/AAAAAAAAFA8/e3zW_D_qR9A/s1600/P1020471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zBlahllrH4g/TX3NxhnwYUI/AAAAAAAAFA8/e3zW_D_qR9A/s200/P1020471.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AeEKoUh7CA0/TX3N04ip3oI/AAAAAAAAFBE/gLNnzMoi0n4/s1600/P1020505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AeEKoUh7CA0/TX3N04ip3oI/AAAAAAAAFBE/gLNnzMoi0n4/s200/P1020505.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--XJ3S612_oA/TX3N3tuO4II/AAAAAAAAFBM/mxcHHgwF2pQ/s1600/P1020506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--XJ3S612_oA/TX3N3tuO4II/AAAAAAAAFBM/mxcHHgwF2pQ/s200/P1020506.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UVY00jShPIo/TX3N6gqiUOI/AAAAAAAAFBU/i0zu1d4XQIY/s1600/P1020532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UVY00jShPIo/TX3N6gqiUOI/AAAAAAAAFBU/i0zu1d4XQIY/s200/P1020532.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZyErwVDXo-s/TX3N916T4LI/AAAAAAAAFBg/f6wASv7csDY/s1600/P1020533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZyErwVDXo-s/TX3N916T4LI/AAAAAAAAFBg/f6wASv7csDY/s200/P1020533.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TU_-tWW6yC8/TX3OBKTD0MI/AAAAAAAAFBo/I4UR15lSy-w/s1600/P1020576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TU_-tWW6yC8/TX3OBKTD0MI/AAAAAAAAFBo/I4UR15lSy-w/s200/P1020576.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SECDRlGis8E/TX3OD1kcUxI/AAAAAAAAFBw/ZSSVvVYSE4c/s1600/P1020584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SECDRlGis8E/TX3OD1kcUxI/AAAAAAAAFBw/ZSSVvVYSE4c/s200/P1020584.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8uEMDYwWQIs/TX3OGftUMDI/AAAAAAAAFB8/jNiyfo2ve3w/s1600/P1020585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8uEMDYwWQIs/TX3OGftUMDI/AAAAAAAAFB8/jNiyfo2ve3w/s200/P1020585.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BLg6oDXkG3w/TX3OJIod1sI/AAAAAAAAFCM/MDwpLhDKx_8/s1600/P1020586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BLg6oDXkG3w/TX3OJIod1sI/AAAAAAAAFCM/MDwpLhDKx_8/s200/P1020586.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6IyUxYqEjtY/TX3OLyyP_1I/AAAAAAAAFCU/RyVlfe7ueRE/s1600/P1020616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6IyUxYqEjtY/TX3OLyyP_1I/AAAAAAAAFCU/RyVlfe7ueRE/s200/P1020616.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aLc1nQVO4zU/TX3OO49-yMI/AAAAAAAAFCg/MHO8BCsBsT8/s1600/P1020617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aLc1nQVO4zU/TX3OO49-yMI/AAAAAAAAFCg/MHO8BCsBsT8/s200/P1020617.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S259-tk1vbc/TX3OSVBVBgI/AAAAAAAAFCo/YmMosb58BEI/s1600/P1020394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S259-tk1vbc/TX3OSVBVBgI/AAAAAAAAFCo/YmMosb58BEI/s200/P1020394.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9024jKrnmb8/TX3OVmCfU7I/AAAAAAAAFCw/3Oq5kn5nalE/s1600/P1020395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9024jKrnmb8/TX3OVmCfU7I/AAAAAAAAFCw/3Oq5kn5nalE/s200/P1020395.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vo62y_ZUu3U/TX3OY0vW_0I/AAAAAAAAFC8/4w9mikYPVuY/s1600/P1020388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vo62y_ZUu3U/TX3OY0vW_0I/AAAAAAAAFC8/4w9mikYPVuY/s200/P1020388.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4AZYchCAx8nZyaUMM4pHgPIyU1dBWBn_1oT32Tet5wlkUbSgskDBMTAmDqpJh8L2Snw6B9MAs_pdEwl02A0iblEkY10AmYspyt4CbHO0XX9JAONgv1D2RDbKirYdBf9hmTLiqsb6wCY/s1600/P1020546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4AZYchCAx8nZyaUMM4pHgPIyU1dBWBn_1oT32Tet5wlkUbSgskDBMTAmDqpJh8L2Snw6B9MAs_pdEwl02A0iblEkY10AmYspyt4CbHO0XX9JAONgv1D2RDbKirYdBf9hmTLiqsb6wCY/s200/P1020546.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GBbx5a1Sv5I/TX3OeACVZAI/AAAAAAAAFDM/qEydG6KfQgM/s1600/P1020567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GBbx5a1Sv5I/TX3OeACVZAI/AAAAAAAAFDM/qEydG6KfQgM/s200/P1020567.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C48gm5bf1Dk/TX3OhaVkI0I/AAAAAAAAFDY/545IMS2IJeA/s1600/P1020568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C48gm5bf1Dk/TX3OhaVkI0I/AAAAAAAAFDY/545IMS2IJeA/s200/P1020568.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-t91i47onb-M/TX3Okk1ChDI/AAAAAAAAFDg/uaGvngw1VgM/s1600/P1020569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-t91i47onb-M/TX3Okk1ChDI/AAAAAAAAFDg/uaGvngw1VgM/s200/P1020569.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-32f9sRbWzVE/TX3OnDM5ErI/AAAAAAAAFDo/zjAxJt-8jmA/s1600/P1020575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-32f9sRbWzVE/TX3OnDM5ErI/AAAAAAAAFDo/zjAxJt-8jmA/s200/P1020575.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1jLu5rZFOW4/TX3Oqhd_eFI/AAAAAAAAFD0/CjoJMsdy9p0/s1600/P1020606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1jLu5rZFOW4/TX3Oqhd_eFI/AAAAAAAAFD0/CjoJMsdy9p0/s200/P1020606.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9tYRGvIldfQ/TX3Ot4vYfmI/AAAAAAAAFEA/JxGbA_9ni4o/s1600/P1020607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9tYRGvIldfQ/TX3Ot4vYfmI/AAAAAAAAFEA/JxGbA_9ni4o/s200/P1020607.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEeEe2RKyJw0Zow4puSyTe75XJDoih3RgCBQLFPg33rB1Kb-Cyx-YRsjl1s2HzSQz0V4byNYz_wGe9HgxUSzwgal8WYj6a6ppJzVEBKsU3o86_Ngg47JLoFzp8tANhTjsIPBOLphWv0U/s1600/P1020619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEeEe2RKyJw0Zow4puSyTe75XJDoih3RgCBQLFPg33rB1Kb-Cyx-YRsjl1s2HzSQz0V4byNYz_wGe9HgxUSzwgal8WYj6a6ppJzVEBKsU3o86_Ngg47JLoFzp8tANhTjsIPBOLphWv0U/s200/P1020619.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RioMrSwm7VPF6a1k1A6YQuqJ1xAOEKC4YOQc68FaLutes2nJu-vkzdKgL1_AusejBvJX56VyOf5VSsc5X1elKToL72F64S0qj2QcBT07WQ-torlhHVqF02OaXIZE3ZkBuTEy_N2btjY/s1600/P1020620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RioMrSwm7VPF6a1k1A6YQuqJ1xAOEKC4YOQc68FaLutes2nJu-vkzdKgL1_AusejBvJX56VyOf5VSsc5X1elKToL72F64S0qj2QcBT07WQ-torlhHVqF02OaXIZE3ZkBuTEy_N2btjY/s200/P1020620.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NXAs0DMSlSg/TX3O2RlfzPI/AAAAAAAAFEc/gvvPq2FBqTQ/s1600/P1020621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NXAs0DMSlSg/TX3O2RlfzPI/AAAAAAAAFEc/gvvPq2FBqTQ/s200/P1020621.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xdmOsqbzW9k/TX3O6lXBPMI/AAAAAAAAFEk/awOeG-jKi5g/s1600/P1020642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xdmOsqbzW9k/TX3O6lXBPMI/AAAAAAAAFEk/awOeG-jKi5g/s200/P1020642.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nbZvVKpZMXc/TX3O-uvBXfI/AAAAAAAAFEw/v0xuol7-52w/s1600/P1020661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nbZvVKpZMXc/TX3O-uvBXfI/AAAAAAAAFEw/v0xuol7-52w/s200/P1020661.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LUeS5iYpwxk/TX3PBiCAFoI/AAAAAAAAFE4/wgZBaBnyDRg/s1600/P1020480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LUeS5iYpwxk/TX3PBiCAFoI/AAAAAAAAFE4/wgZBaBnyDRg/s200/P1020480.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ScA6Bgf4NTk/TX3PFRvcTiI/AAAAAAAAFFA/zg6k_iOQF_4/s1600/P1020483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ScA6Bgf4NTk/TX3PFRvcTiI/AAAAAAAAFFA/zg6k_iOQF_4/s200/P1020483.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZB8-45i8HJc/TX3PILrSODI/AAAAAAAAFFI/f9I27Uw2kbY/s1600/P1020507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZB8-45i8HJc/TX3PILrSODI/AAAAAAAAFFI/f9I27Uw2kbY/s200/P1020507.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAEIZK_NhefbOd2zplYJjfOOYazQe2XhTWrgMeFjVSeuth6U2YtCeK3EmAQWBMUoC8Bo5sHhcktzscxHnq_Pf2uzNso9RSb4EFjiv5S0cDNsO-MgU4l7N3JZmnsWL3e0IkSXV_7k3ZKg/s1600/P1020622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAEIZK_NhefbOd2zplYJjfOOYazQe2XhTWrgMeFjVSeuth6U2YtCeK3EmAQWBMUoC8Bo5sHhcktzscxHnq_Pf2uzNso9RSb4EFjiv5S0cDNsO-MgU4l7N3JZmnsWL3e0IkSXV_7k3ZKg/s200/P1020622.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8Gic8pzJ6DA/TX3PNsUaWOI/AAAAAAAAFFc/Ia9Fly0NRag/s1600/P1020624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8Gic8pzJ6DA/TX3PNsUaWOI/AAAAAAAAFFc/Ia9Fly0NRag/s200/P1020624.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h3BI-qt1CWE/TX3PQpxkNEI/AAAAAAAAFFk/FVvaa_B-TpQ/s1600/P1020383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h3BI-qt1CWE/TX3PQpxkNEI/AAAAAAAAFFk/FVvaa_B-TpQ/s200/P1020383.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6aeLhMWUPKo/TX3PTpZhotI/AAAAAAAAFFw/tzumLhCBo3E/s1600/P1020398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6aeLhMWUPKo/TX3PTpZhotI/AAAAAAAAFFw/tzumLhCBo3E/s200/P1020398.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R69i1V5DGFE/TX3PW3jnyhI/AAAAAAAAFF8/UKvKv1oTZIo/s1600/P1020402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R69i1V5DGFE/TX3PW3jnyhI/AAAAAAAAFF8/UKvKv1oTZIo/s200/P1020402.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LZCsMDG2DB0/TX3PZ2A-aSI/AAAAAAAAFGE/Hy-c3gTwUpQ/s1600/P1020489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LZCsMDG2DB0/TX3PZ2A-aSI/AAAAAAAAFGE/Hy-c3gTwUpQ/s200/P1020489.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mpoiYOxPVUs/TX3PdD0QasI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/SNwXtaE4Pqo/s1600/P1020490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mpoiYOxPVUs/TX3PdD0QasI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/SNwXtaE4Pqo/s200/P1020490.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZScK9ePxTJQ/TX3PfgFf4YI/AAAAAAAAFGY/HfLSi1lOVig/s1600/P1020491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZScK9ePxTJQ/TX3PfgFf4YI/AAAAAAAAFGY/HfLSi1lOVig/s200/P1020491.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NRMqayJlyO8/TX3PiVh4vFI/AAAAAAAAFGg/WcPrlRVKoBQ/s1600/P1020492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NRMqayJlyO8/TX3PiVh4vFI/AAAAAAAAFGg/WcPrlRVKoBQ/s200/P1020492.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g9aXRhPO6Nw/TX3PlTLjUkI/AAAAAAAAFGs/prJMJUgkIFY/s1600/P1020493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g9aXRhPO6Nw/TX3PlTLjUkI/AAAAAAAAFGs/prJMJUgkIFY/s200/P1020493.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--DlTFnluat8/TX3PoV9ZSXI/AAAAAAAAFG0/gRqajqaeBiA/s1600/P1020494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--DlTFnluat8/TX3PoV9ZSXI/AAAAAAAAFG0/gRqajqaeBiA/s200/P1020494.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9Z0oljJnHHs/TX3PrV_z2OI/AAAAAAAAFG8/Iy2I8ub25cQ/s1600/P1020550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9Z0oljJnHHs/TX3PrV_z2OI/AAAAAAAAFG8/Iy2I8ub25cQ/s200/P1020550.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BI9mS4MFZkI/TX3PtmKIb_I/AAAAAAAAFHE/ioH7CmA0vQ8/s1600/P1020581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BI9mS4MFZkI/TX3PtmKIb_I/AAAAAAAAFHE/ioH7CmA0vQ8/s200/P1020581.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXmKoe02ZsoWoP1RRNxhwlWrM1roL5C45hPJ2Me2MYoYqb_rj2JtNNDiXYeYlGjqCRbJzvU8_SEozpnGAEbZtTTMMCbsxqyzZ0jkgFzTu-MVhDOuqt1vpE6HQfUvH_ANPuGDywhPSRuU/s1600/P1020587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXmKoe02ZsoWoP1RRNxhwlWrM1roL5C45hPJ2Me2MYoYqb_rj2JtNNDiXYeYlGjqCRbJzvU8_SEozpnGAEbZtTTMMCbsxqyzZ0jkgFzTu-MVhDOuqt1vpE6HQfUvH_ANPuGDywhPSRuU/s200/P1020587.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NZXCzd_bWyE/TX3PzL0Gq1I/AAAAAAAAFHY/k4J3lnwal0Q/s1600/P1020588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NZXCzd_bWyE/TX3PzL0Gq1I/AAAAAAAAFHY/k4J3lnwal0Q/s200/P1020588.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hJ_dj9vXxp4/TX3P1maJvWI/AAAAAAAAFHg/8j3aI6yITiY/s1600/P1020589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hJ_dj9vXxp4/TX3P1maJvWI/AAAAAAAAFHg/8j3aI6yITiY/s200/P1020589.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2D_DDkHKK9A/TX3P4BO9zDI/AAAAAAAAFHs/BiRvxFtZNns/s1600/P1020564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2D_DDkHKK9A/TX3P4BO9zDI/AAAAAAAAFHs/BiRvxFtZNns/s200/P1020564.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ARmdASlBJjk/TX3P6sHUuNI/AAAAAAAAFH4/WfihoRYCK8o/s1600/P1020597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ARmdASlBJjk/TX3P6sHUuNI/AAAAAAAAFH4/WfihoRYCK8o/s200/P1020597.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hw_AiDLf-T0/TX3P9U4suuI/AAAAAAAAFIA/tqOpIdBgGlg/s1600/P1020602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Hw_AiDLf-T0/TX3P9U4suuI/AAAAAAAAFIA/tqOpIdBgGlg/s200/P1020602.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7xHLY7rPQ_U/TX3QAK3nk-I/AAAAAAAAFIM/i8m0Kl1Uqfw/s1600/P1020603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7xHLY7rPQ_U/TX3QAK3nk-I/AAAAAAAAFIM/i8m0Kl1Uqfw/s200/P1020603.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OXZoAxeiVEc/TX3QCml8YfI/AAAAAAAAFIU/xUtSmD6BjOc/s1600/P1020604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OXZoAxeiVEc/TX3QCml8YfI/AAAAAAAAFIU/xUtSmD6BjOc/s200/P1020604.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7frd828mCBY/TX3QFUNUNwI/AAAAAAAAFIc/hO3g99YB-X0/s1600/P1020635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7frd828mCBY/TX3QFUNUNwI/AAAAAAAAFIc/hO3g99YB-X0/s200/P1020635.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U9I2TqHqlgk/TX3QIKsJ-DI/AAAAAAAAFIo/G00VoHvzngs/s1600/P1020599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U9I2TqHqlgk/TX3QIKsJ-DI/AAAAAAAAFIo/G00VoHvzngs/s200/P1020599.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wf11O805HGI/TX3QK9yBRrI/AAAAAAAAFIw/uelRP0Tm7ME/s1600/P1020611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wf11O805HGI/TX3QK9yBRrI/AAAAAAAAFIw/uelRP0Tm7ME/s200/P1020611.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eMOq8wD7n2M/TX3QNoxhtUI/AAAAAAAAFI4/_Qaenijf-Pw/s1600/P1020639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eMOq8wD7n2M/TX3QNoxhtUI/AAAAAAAAFI4/_Qaenijf-Pw/s200/P1020639.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2198duI6MoA/TX3QQjsD4tI/AAAAAAAAFJE/MggGhR2CC3o/s1600/P1020540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2198duI6MoA/TX3QQjsD4tI/AAAAAAAAFJE/MggGhR2CC3o/s200/P1020540.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sLVWhcPxAQ4/TX3QTakiiAI/AAAAAAAAFJM/ZMCAFM9Zr14/s1600/P1020543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sLVWhcPxAQ4/TX3QTakiiAI/AAAAAAAAFJM/ZMCAFM9Zr14/s200/P1020543.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcOT_weUhCS8_orZscYfusFj0F8FbngGAkR9YTiTQYxwrOadYXfVxEZ63TvQlBooshZJRQhFcGLBK1thKWZKyqjKALzI92_l8XBwX3Rm6jp9pPBjuwI0VIE0xcj677yRIaGm1Uzr4X0M/s1600/P1020380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcOT_weUhCS8_orZscYfusFj0F8FbngGAkR9YTiTQYxwrOadYXfVxEZ63TvQlBooshZJRQhFcGLBK1thKWZKyqjKALzI92_l8XBwX3Rm6jp9pPBjuwI0VIE0xcj677yRIaGm1Uzr4X0M/s200/P1020380.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1HgwKiYS6LQ/TX3QZpfLicI/AAAAAAAAFJo/POGy7Aq3THs/s1600/P1020400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1HgwKiYS6LQ/TX3QZpfLicI/AAAAAAAAFJo/POGy7Aq3THs/s200/P1020400.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYD2niuK-qv4q6JFgr76GqNuozPD92KwGMrdFuDgNKCc8mdLKut_Zx0Dn5UdjCMX9Ix7FjjqMFybYUVdC7NcrvrVexkxg_2guKamZoGGsTXamdG5xXWPSLJ8EzHgqTSBAPZk-RC0UxujM/s1600/P1020399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYD2niuK-qv4q6JFgr76GqNuozPD92KwGMrdFuDgNKCc8mdLKut_Zx0Dn5UdjCMX9Ix7FjjqMFybYUVdC7NcrvrVexkxg_2guKamZoGGsTXamdG5xXWPSLJ8EzHgqTSBAPZk-RC0UxujM/s200/P1020399.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12eaelp2YjAyuaOM4C0ol-BARYtkSrKxw9v6Jn8o9krQjiy5s-eGZrMhjcESPXCCNG7TzbJIluVBIsSzxzNgDp85chqbVfIVsz8dSdVcFw4ELjlOqReAOK9tqBXHcRRrAsiivUXgwDEY/s1600/P1020518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12eaelp2YjAyuaOM4C0ol-BARYtkSrKxw9v6Jn8o9krQjiy5s-eGZrMhjcESPXCCNG7TzbJIluVBIsSzxzNgDp85chqbVfIVsz8dSdVcFw4ELjlOqReAOK9tqBXHcRRrAsiivUXgwDEY/s200/P1020518.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O8-ZBfn4jXo/TX3QiF5DJMI/AAAAAAAAFKE/poCbYk_VxTY/s1600/P1020590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O8-ZBfn4jXo/TX3QiF5DJMI/AAAAAAAAFKE/poCbYk_VxTY/s200/P1020590.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0CRv1mbPhNI/TX3Qk8MGO6I/AAAAAAAAFKM/8zeoxdTOQWw/s1600/P1020628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0CRv1mbPhNI/TX3Qk8MGO6I/AAAAAAAAFKM/8zeoxdTOQWw/s200/P1020628.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s1TiV-tNmpY/TX3QoNkKczI/AAAAAAAAFKU/ICux5QwxOCM/s1600/P1020390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s1TiV-tNmpY/TX3QoNkKczI/AAAAAAAAFKU/ICux5QwxOCM/s200/P1020390.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LFJf0zy_wow/TX3Qq27i00I/AAAAAAAAFKg/P74pyQ3BGHk/s1600/P1020487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LFJf0zy_wow/TX3Qq27i00I/AAAAAAAAFKg/P74pyQ3BGHk/s200/P1020487.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RN7R-ZX9kDU/TX3QtvUFHLI/AAAAAAAAFKo/kQ8pCkFD9-k/s1600/P1020488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RN7R-ZX9kDU/TX3QtvUFHLI/AAAAAAAAFKo/kQ8pCkFD9-k/s200/P1020488.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gm6BcVc_6nw/TX3Qv3C6LgI/AAAAAAAAFKw/_9ShzHe1jpA/s1600/P1020495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gm6BcVc_6nw/TX3Qv3C6LgI/AAAAAAAAFKw/_9ShzHe1jpA/s200/P1020495.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rdZa6zcjFvA/TX3QybnlDLI/AAAAAAAAFK8/GWNOebLA9iA/s1600/P1020496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rdZa6zcjFvA/TX3QybnlDLI/AAAAAAAAFK8/GWNOebLA9iA/s200/P1020496.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FYIvMr9SKOw/TX3Q0cg-S2I/AAAAAAAAFLE/QDHUvpObrcE/s1600/P1020497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FYIvMr9SKOw/TX3Q0cg-S2I/AAAAAAAAFLE/QDHUvpObrcE/s200/P1020497.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yiE8gyau05M/TX3Q2wJSaTI/AAAAAAAAFLM/W0WZRtefols/s1600/P1020537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yiE8gyau05M/TX3Q2wJSaTI/AAAAAAAAFLM/W0WZRtefols/s200/P1020537.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Psv2x2XTvLA/TX3Q5y_9N7I/AAAAAAAAFLc/xO5OFvQPD3E/s1600/P1020522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Psv2x2XTvLA/TX3Q5y_9N7I/AAAAAAAAFLc/xO5OFvQPD3E/s200/P1020522.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-H5mPDnvkfOM/TX3Q9K-u4ZI/AAAAAAAAFLo/tqaS0MLo7AA/s1600/P1020523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-H5mPDnvkfOM/TX3Q9K-u4ZI/AAAAAAAAFLo/tqaS0MLo7AA/s200/P1020523.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyt3VrKakvOCFJxJVzWRBkyTZ87IanmCA-q9PTguH83Lt6beXOLkS27N7HX2rx_6AZYCK5e3fBzhDoS4PSVuMrLTXOLMiw6EcjjQ8iTL1hF4Sd0E0Y8prSiDUw89QPVFRV9d_UccdFGI/s1600/P1020474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyt3VrKakvOCFJxJVzWRBkyTZ87IanmCA-q9PTguH83Lt6beXOLkS27N7HX2rx_6AZYCK5e3fBzhDoS4PSVuMrLTXOLMiw6EcjjQ8iTL1hF4Sd0E0Y8prSiDUw89QPVFRV9d_UccdFGI/s200/P1020474.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rLndQgGEWkE/TX3RCgo3IvI/AAAAAAAAFL8/MbVIbhTwrQA/s1600/P1020527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rLndQgGEWkE/TX3RCgo3IvI/AAAAAAAAFL8/MbVIbhTwrQA/s200/P1020527.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FBzy4kWVT5o/TX3RFElMqKI/AAAAAAAAFME/Cvp44xqeKNk/s1600/P1020572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FBzy4kWVT5o/TX3RFElMqKI/AAAAAAAAFME/Cvp44xqeKNk/s200/P1020572.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rVxN8U8ZMyM/TX3RH_VyVFI/AAAAAAAAFMM/OqDe_hr44Kc/s1600/P1020632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rVxN8U8ZMyM/TX3RH_VyVFI/AAAAAAAAFMM/OqDe_hr44Kc/s200/P1020632.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FG7P8OS9Luw/TX3RKiSwNGI/AAAAAAAAFMY/ogwUcEMOCLI/s1600/P1020633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FG7P8OS9Luw/TX3RKiSwNGI/AAAAAAAAFMY/ogwUcEMOCLI/s200/P1020633.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pT1wBwgR6fI/TX3RNpztKGI/AAAAAAAAFMg/nJg-krRlGaE/s1600/P1020578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pT1wBwgR6fI/TX3RNpztKGI/AAAAAAAAFMg/nJg-krRlGaE/s200/P1020578.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aad8poFQ5hM/TX3RQBMWOSI/AAAAAAAAFMo/RKGCd_h-5Yc/s1600/P1020658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aad8poFQ5hM/TX3RQBMWOSI/AAAAAAAAFMo/RKGCd_h-5Yc/s200/P1020658.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KtzBDK1lVM0/TX3RShxnA_I/AAAAAAAAFM0/3D9jYBCHc_w/s1600/P1020660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KtzBDK1lVM0/TX3RShxnA_I/AAAAAAAAFM0/3D9jYBCHc_w/s200/P1020660.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-s-eQ-1m3FW4/TX3RVE6grMI/AAAAAAAAFM8/PHq6zxB2jcc/s1600/P1020593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-s-eQ-1m3FW4/TX3RVE6grMI/AAAAAAAAFM8/PHq6zxB2jcc/s200/P1020593.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Kk_558GPmZE/TX3RXqEieLI/AAAAAAAAFNE/gLnU1QEbdsI/s1600/P1020594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Kk_558GPmZE/TX3RXqEieLI/AAAAAAAAFNE/gLnU1QEbdsI/s200/P1020594.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJjqK7uCjfiEsRxQ2rS96va-AaCjqXw-04PDjjyyYI3XEUkoA3DHOn2hosl_EKnPfRHPGPsrY2hAfB60ucCLlZLi2rv3fnnjpGyV4lgL3VieoXeQsaVKHeioqs7SDWMEGrc5f3OKbyfc/s1600/P1020612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJjqK7uCjfiEsRxQ2rS96va-AaCjqXw-04PDjjyyYI3XEUkoA3DHOn2hosl_EKnPfRHPGPsrY2hAfB60ucCLlZLi2rv3fnnjpGyV4lgL3VieoXeQsaVKHeioqs7SDWMEGrc5f3OKbyfc/s200/P1020612.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2v2u0oc7pNg/TX3Rci0QJwI/AAAAAAAAFNc/Tkln4YKxcR4/s1600/P1020613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2v2u0oc7pNg/TX3Rci0QJwI/AAAAAAAAFNc/Tkln4YKxcR4/s200/P1020613.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BSM2rneVg2g/TX3RfzByqiI/AAAAAAAAFNk/Slqd8OAocZ8/s1600/P1020645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BSM2rneVg2g/TX3RfzByqiI/AAAAAAAAFNk/Slqd8OAocZ8/s200/P1020645.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rFhKHzWLWXQ/TX3RigCl8FI/AAAAAAAAFNs/xbnEAU4SlT8/s1600/P1020393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rFhKHzWLWXQ/TX3RigCl8FI/AAAAAAAAFNs/xbnEAU4SlT8/s200/P1020393.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RgDY4_eJuo4/TX3RlFhK3eI/AAAAAAAAFN4/h_p_PMf5H4s/s1600/P1020465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RgDY4_eJuo4/TX3RlFhK3eI/AAAAAAAAFN4/h_p_PMf5H4s/s200/P1020465.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7A6xl5mHdGA/TX3RnplSajI/AAAAAAAAFOA/IlNIRvYANZ8/s1600/P1020636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7A6xl5mHdGA/TX3RnplSajI/AAAAAAAAFOA/IlNIRvYANZ8/s200/P1020636.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yg4Guh1i1Go/TX3RqskeYCI/AAAAAAAAFOI/oTNHwgAk-2E/s1600/P1020637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yg4Guh1i1Go/TX3RqskeYCI/AAAAAAAAFOI/oTNHwgAk-2E/s200/P1020637.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p6U6c0eMOhY/TX3RtSg0ABI/AAAAAAAAFOU/wecDTA71mL8/s1600/P1020648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p6U6c0eMOhY/TX3RtSg0ABI/AAAAAAAAFOU/wecDTA71mL8/s200/P1020648.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OODFmYnQSUU/TX3Rwlft0PI/AAAAAAAAFOc/7OPhdRVkdd8/s1600/P1020387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OODFmYnQSUU/TX3Rwlft0PI/AAAAAAAAFOc/7OPhdRVkdd8/s200/P1020387.JPG" /></a></div>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-16775580769069897212011-03-11T09:50:00.000-10:002011-03-11T09:59:42.420-10:00Hookipa Quickie Photo Shoot<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7AaQ_4HpNWc/TXSMCl0QLiI/AAAAAAAAE5g/fMsDEh66UfI/s200/P1020187.JPG" style="display: none;" />[ updated 3/11 with new facts gleamed from comments ] The trades are back, and for the first time in something like three months, they are both strong and forecast to stick around for at least a week. So just like that, winter gets the boot. And only yesterday we had an all day rain with a cold front slowly crossing the islands. Everything is as emerald green as it gets here, just in time for St Patties day. Another sign of the times... waves are small right now with a moderate to perhaps high episode forecast for Wednesday. After that, not sure but might be back to small. [ actually now it looks like a new swell arrives every 2-3 days or so. Nice! ]<br />
<br />
I was going to commiserate more on the passing of winter here, but I'll save that for my next post. After sailing Kanaha overpowered on my 4.7 with dis-organized waist to rare head high waves, Julia and I headed to Hookipa for the post drink on the bluff and watch the pro dudes session. Seems like we haven't done that in forever either. We only caught the last hour or so of action, but enough for some nice shots of Robby, Patrick Bergeron, Russ Faurot, Skyler Haywood, and a few others (and who is on the red Ezzy, yellow Quattro? Answer: Aurelien Nicoul. Very nice sailing ). Anyway, hope you enjoy this quickie photo shoot...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" ssg="20110306-1" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7AaQ_4HpNWc/TXSMCl0QLiI/AAAAAAAAE5g/fMsDEh66UfI/s1600/P1020187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7AaQ_4HpNWc/TXSMCl0QLiI/AAAAAAAAE5g/fMsDEh66UfI/s200/P1020187.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SX9L9Nnz3TU/TXSMFRAEoHI/AAAAAAAAE5o/ZfThAACABpI/s1600/P1020188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SX9L9Nnz3TU/TXSMFRAEoHI/AAAAAAAAE5o/ZfThAACABpI/s200/P1020188.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TIshZy9v_ok/TXSMIeTyZoI/AAAAAAAAE5w/_QDgOBQ-oYE/s1600/P1020056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TIshZy9v_ok/TXSMIeTyZoI/AAAAAAAAE5w/_QDgOBQ-oYE/s200/P1020056.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JMIGDZqjuqA/TXSMLfTuD6I/AAAAAAAAE54/VrKCJz3YxGU/s1600/P1020136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JMIGDZqjuqA/TXSMLfTuD6I/AAAAAAAAE54/VrKCJz3YxGU/s200/P1020136.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1UyUujK-SsFKJWz_OVF1rPsubfSzJlEErbKJrkQbR2aVHpJQFmCXtJBQlp18rSlif60J53FFA3O8KbVYGV8q2E0K_1kHrAu1AZM7osji7FszqEADvxFOlYlC5ONVI8eR4CyvsHZiskA/s1600/P1020157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1UyUujK-SsFKJWz_OVF1rPsubfSzJlEErbKJrkQbR2aVHpJQFmCXtJBQlp18rSlif60J53FFA3O8KbVYGV8q2E0K_1kHrAu1AZM7osji7FszqEADvxFOlYlC5ONVI8eR4CyvsHZiskA/s200/P1020157.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyIX5dHAXYbi4UBGgdrCCTBTWJKe44vu8w6Fi98FqAWH1K4aEZ9IADx3LbvyWvG5Y-whvWPcA8IRgSrDR-MNNRn-3MxE9Eno4Y4X1i2Nti6kSQokbvM3rYwoS7u2KzQR1c8gzDpefb7U/s1600/P1020063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyIX5dHAXYbi4UBGgdrCCTBTWJKe44vu8w6Fi98FqAWH1K4aEZ9IADx3LbvyWvG5Y-whvWPcA8IRgSrDR-MNNRn-3MxE9Eno4Y4X1i2Nti6kSQokbvM3rYwoS7u2KzQR1c8gzDpefb7U/s200/P1020063.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n0K9cthqVCY/TXSMS6iNQsI/AAAAAAAAE6Q/TJQqZu7BoAk/s1600/P1020063-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n0K9cthqVCY/TXSMS6iNQsI/AAAAAAAAE6Q/TJQqZu7BoAk/s200/P1020063-1.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r1jBycs6TcU/TXSMVX3sydI/AAAAAAAAE6c/rCwLqU582cI/s1600/P1020064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r1jBycs6TcU/TXSMVX3sydI/AAAAAAAAE6c/rCwLqU582cI/s200/P1020064.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dGrPJnXVMyk/TXSMY971-KI/AAAAAAAAE68/4ibKHiN0zhw/s1600/P1020072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dGrPJnXVMyk/TXSMY971-KI/AAAAAAAAE68/4ibKHiN0zhw/s200/P1020072.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c4DOUJMZbIQ/TXSMcUwzrwI/AAAAAAAAE7E/cYCnCtZdtAA/s1600/P1020073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c4DOUJMZbIQ/TXSMcUwzrwI/AAAAAAAAE7E/cYCnCtZdtAA/s200/P1020073.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7XlS0YEdoos/TXSMfY-_p1I/AAAAAAAAE7M/cmTE-eTwARE/s1600/P1020122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7XlS0YEdoos/TXSMfY-_p1I/AAAAAAAAE7M/cmTE-eTwARE/s200/P1020122.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DnukvaWLnkc/TXSMh_cIPyI/AAAAAAAAE7Y/VAfmsIy-2r4/s1600/P1020150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DnukvaWLnkc/TXSMh_cIPyI/AAAAAAAAE7Y/VAfmsIy-2r4/s200/P1020150.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pBNQ5wfyuL0/TXSMkmrEfaI/AAAAAAAAE7g/PAxoo1GO9bU/s1600/P1020151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pBNQ5wfyuL0/TXSMkmrEfaI/AAAAAAAAE7g/PAxoo1GO9bU/s200/P1020151.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nWbsFAwEY2fOFHue_alw-IKZI_PSTqZ9LMCp8cEtOSntgIz17g31S8O_FbhKCkj_jkZzS5jw1EtCx-dmXpuU6SGS0_UX6Q2uanWgJP4vtR_E8xc4yqcREGSKTAkNBtoOPTSmvMr0vNM/s1600/P1020062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nWbsFAwEY2fOFHue_alw-IKZI_PSTqZ9LMCp8cEtOSntgIz17g31S8O_FbhKCkj_jkZzS5jw1EtCx-dmXpuU6SGS0_UX6Q2uanWgJP4vtR_E8xc4yqcREGSKTAkNBtoOPTSmvMr0vNM/s200/P1020062.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f5hYEuYWpi4/TXSMq5tnJwI/AAAAAAAAE7w/3jtAgvDl6VA/s1600/P1020140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f5hYEuYWpi4/TXSMq5tnJwI/AAAAAAAAE7w/3jtAgvDl6VA/s200/P1020140.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0R1CgHcq7wXvU9br_qhl3W-9pXvGuXNgr3ET8HSkU-hNEthP1Tpa_-CWmDUP-PSXmnfVTZhagXVsNylOwHbq_T9vTZJNopgYwTD70flI3l1ArY2WsCGuw-4WNRFAzVFiCE8XfY25aGo/s1600/P1020179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0R1CgHcq7wXvU9br_qhl3W-9pXvGuXNgr3ET8HSkU-hNEthP1Tpa_-CWmDUP-PSXmnfVTZhagXVsNylOwHbq_T9vTZJNopgYwTD70flI3l1ArY2WsCGuw-4WNRFAzVFiCE8XfY25aGo/s200/P1020179.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w3NB5uEhq4s/TXSM4p2lqhI/AAAAAAAAE8Y/zsffA0X9JcM/s1600/P1020066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w3NB5uEhq4s/TXSM4p2lqhI/AAAAAAAAE8Y/zsffA0X9JcM/s200/P1020066.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MlxBJD4D4Dk/TXSM7SC-SKI/AAAAAAAAE8w/GTSl0P52jXM/s1600/P1020079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MlxBJD4D4Dk/TXSM7SC-SKI/AAAAAAAAE8w/GTSl0P52jXM/s200/P1020079.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sY4hA1ENlQg/TXSM9iteAII/AAAAAAAAE84/PduXHoArvXk/s1600/P1020082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sY4hA1ENlQg/TXSM9iteAII/AAAAAAAAE84/PduXHoArvXk/s200/P1020082.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yMapFjS2-J0/TXSNAXrkwlI/AAAAAAAAE9A/t0grkgT0alU/s1600/P1020083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yMapFjS2-J0/TXSNAXrkwlI/AAAAAAAAE9A/t0grkgT0alU/s200/P1020083.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aZmubBcjz0w/TXSNEGTRnVI/AAAAAAAAE9U/WOaiiT-IPgo/s1600/P1020084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aZmubBcjz0w/TXSNEGTRnVI/AAAAAAAAE9U/WOaiiT-IPgo/s200/P1020084.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZArinyh65ls/TXSNHr9j6xI/AAAAAAAAE9c/BV_4SEjVmI0/s1600/P1020085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZArinyh65ls/TXSNHr9j6xI/AAAAAAAAE9c/BV_4SEjVmI0/s200/P1020085.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Qgc-poOdnjE/TXSNKP0RndI/AAAAAAAAE9k/V6lvVa6gVfU/s1600/P1020125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Qgc-poOdnjE/TXSNKP0RndI/AAAAAAAAE9k/V6lvVa6gVfU/s200/P1020125.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rRK9qVJx5kA/TXSNMX_sx7I/AAAAAAAAE9w/g_k3VY1QAnM/s1600/P1020126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rRK9qVJx5kA/TXSNMX_sx7I/AAAAAAAAE9w/g_k3VY1QAnM/s200/P1020126.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FRy1AO7_cK8/TXSNO4nBlxI/AAAAAAAAE98/MZYmjj3pBnE/s1600/P1020144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FRy1AO7_cK8/TXSNO4nBlxI/AAAAAAAAE98/MZYmjj3pBnE/s200/P1020144.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N9LnfRfDfU4/TXSNRiEjMwI/AAAAAAAAE-M/7nrP3grnELg/s1600/P1020145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N9LnfRfDfU4/TXSNRiEjMwI/AAAAAAAAE-M/7nrP3grnELg/s200/P1020145.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-j1-F_bSiZFA/TXSNUuqyiuI/AAAAAAAAE-c/A7tyz-FG2pc/s1600/P1020147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-j1-F_bSiZFA/TXSNUuqyiuI/AAAAAAAAE-c/A7tyz-FG2pc/s200/P1020147.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9mVKQPYbbOI/TXSNX8LMfEI/AAAAAAAAE-k/NrH9hXuRn70/s1600/P1020148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9mVKQPYbbOI/TXSNX8LMfEI/AAAAAAAAE-k/NrH9hXuRn70/s200/P1020148.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2btE7NNjUIQ/TXSNaRddH-I/AAAAAAAAE-s/ApyuO5HTmRk/s1600/P1020186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2btE7NNjUIQ/TXSNaRddH-I/AAAAAAAAE-s/ApyuO5HTmRk/s200/P1020186.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8MbeiugschE/TXSNdW1uMTI/AAAAAAAAE-4/G9U5OizVmGk/s1600/P1020170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8MbeiugschE/TXSNdW1uMTI/AAAAAAAAE-4/G9U5OizVmGk/s200/P1020170.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-34RhGB5SMvY/TXSNgKjYgKI/AAAAAAAAE_E/Cm4OhMTshYM/s1600/P1020171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-34RhGB5SMvY/TXSNgKjYgKI/AAAAAAAAE_E/Cm4OhMTshYM/s200/P1020171.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gvwy1AlRNT4/TXSNiwvYXII/AAAAAAAAE_U/a1kkJetmlco/s1600/P1020059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gvwy1AlRNT4/TXSNiwvYXII/AAAAAAAAE_U/a1kkJetmlco/s200/P1020059.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RnCvHJK3nKY/TXSNlUIa9gI/AAAAAAAAE_o/xZD9vNAbq0k/s1600/P1020161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RnCvHJK3nKY/TXSNlUIa9gI/AAAAAAAAE_o/xZD9vNAbq0k/s200/P1020161.JPG" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dQ3bTueulMg/TXSNn54ZeQI/AAAAAAAAE_0/eYPSJ-VfmxA/s1600/P1020185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dQ3bTueulMg/TXSNn54ZeQI/AAAAAAAAE_0/eYPSJ-VfmxA/s200/P1020185.JPG" /></a></div>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com8Hookipa Lookout, Paia, HI 96779, USA20.9345991 -156.354992120.9145581 -156.3841746 20.9546401 -156.3258096tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-83572400890840293682011-02-18T22:46:00.002-10:002011-02-18T23:08:24.170-10:00A Night At The Crater<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_-35YUZPSw/TV9dZ6v1tYI/AAAAAAAAEwY/aSVVdieMlIA/s200/P1010937.JPG" style="display:none" />The crater of Haleakala, the large volcano that dominates Maui, is an amazing wonder of the world. It's definitely a "no place else like it" kind of place. Haleakala is a massive peak reaching over 10,000 feet into the Maui sky. The crater within is not exactly a crater in the classic volcanic sense. Many thousands of years ago the mountain developed a deep erosional rift that essentially split it from north to south. More thousands of years later a new eruptive phase occurred which partly filled this rift with fresh lava. This lava, flowing from hundreds of smaller vents, spilled into the gaps created by the rift, extending into the Keanae valley to the north, and the Kaupo gap to the south, eventually reaching the sea.<br />
<br />
The lava created a fairly level floor between 7000 and 8000ft that slopes gently into the gaps. This floor, comprising of the lava flows, their parent vents, and the unique plants and animals that exist in this harsh sub-alpine environment, is what we consider the crater. The total area of this crater is about the same size as Manhattan, though from an environmental perspective it is almost the exact opposite of that urban island. It is essentially an island within the island of Maui.<br />
<br />
The entire crater is situated within the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nps.gov%2Fhale%2F&ei=LW1fTYWfNI-msQPpwOTDCA&usg=AFQjCNEjWFnXdmtElbczwc1GhS0nhWDntw">Haleakala National Park</a>, which manages three small cabins where hikers can overnight. These cabins must be <a href="https://fhnp.org/wcr/">reserved well in advance</a> and only hold a small number of guests. Julia and I were lucky to be invited by Marge and Rob to join them on an overnight trip to the Holua cabin, a very rugged 3.9 mile hike from the nearest parking lot. We were extra lucky to be there on a brilliant full moon night.<br />
<br />
If you are overnighting, you must bring all your food and sleeping bags, plus extra clothes and water for the hike. The trail we took is called "Switch Backs" (there are 15 of them) and it is rough, with plenty of loose rocks and large drops offs to keep you on your toes. You descend 2000 knee pounding feet in the first three miles before rising 500 feet in the last mile to the cabin. My pack weighed about 20 lbs and though I am generally in decent shape, I was feeling it by the time we reached our destination. There is water at the cabin but you must bring a filtration or sanitizing system. The cabin has heat, bunk beds for 12, cooking utensils, and a stove. <br />
<br />
The following pictures were taken on the hike to the cabin. The descent to the crater floor is steep and the viewing is spectacular. Note the almost perfect pyramid that pokes through the middle of the crater. Once in the crater we passed several lava tubes and caves - one of the tubes spat out an ancient flow that somehow still looked fresh, almost like it could have formed just last week. At the cabin we spotted a nearby cave in the hill above that must have served as a shelter for early explorers and native Hawaiians.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110218-01"><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBl8P2EEDbw/TV9ZzoWHZFI/AAAAAAAAEq4/MSO28jeQW5I/s1600/P1010847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBl8P2EEDbw/TV9ZzoWHZFI/AAAAAAAAEq4/MSO28jeQW5I/s200/P1010847.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LK1px2thvZI/TV9Z3VQka_I/AAAAAAAAErA/FBFeGSyDzrk/s1600/P1010848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LK1px2thvZI/TV9Z3VQka_I/AAAAAAAAErA/FBFeGSyDzrk/s200/P1010848.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zBlv7c0eUQ/TV9Z7FD6WeI/AAAAAAAAErI/cR6qhN5beMI/s1600/P1010849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zBlv7c0eUQ/TV9Z7FD6WeI/AAAAAAAAErI/cR6qhN5beMI/s200/P1010849.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JERqxDDJtlM/TV9Z_N0KZDI/AAAAAAAAErU/4dMQ2IkI0M0/s1600/P1010853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JERqxDDJtlM/TV9Z_N0KZDI/AAAAAAAAErU/4dMQ2IkI0M0/s200/P1010853.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcnCjcGF2f8/TV9aC9ST5LI/AAAAAAAAErc/xOhQzwtpJuw/s1600/P1010854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NcnCjcGF2f8/TV9aC9ST5LI/AAAAAAAAErc/xOhQzwtpJuw/s200/P1010854.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_lHMMvIwFk/TV9aGBippuI/AAAAAAAAErk/i1cGKM8ktKw/s1600/P1010855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_lHMMvIwFk/TV9aGBippuI/AAAAAAAAErk/i1cGKM8ktKw/s200/P1010855.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XVBaeHpk2pY/TV9aItU1NGI/AAAAAAAAEr0/lnZyzaEggNM/s1600/P1010856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XVBaeHpk2pY/TV9aItU1NGI/AAAAAAAAEr0/lnZyzaEggNM/s200/P1010856.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0HxhCoyF7Uk/TV9aMI0YeRI/AAAAAAAAEr8/LortVn8QOhA/s1600/P1010857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0HxhCoyF7Uk/TV9aMI0YeRI/AAAAAAAAEr8/LortVn8QOhA/s200/P1010857.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Dd8b5db38k/TV9aQZUb-BI/AAAAAAAAEsI/5W6YNkAg6rg/s1600/P1010859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Dd8b5db38k/TV9aQZUb-BI/AAAAAAAAEsI/5W6YNkAg6rg/s200/P1010859.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2MmiOFCHXw/TV9aUuUi0bI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/C4GAA_sJShQ/s1600/P1010861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2MmiOFCHXw/TV9aUuUi0bI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/C4GAA_sJShQ/s200/P1010861.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uS8f6DaFtB8/TV9aYAqichI/AAAAAAAAEsc/ZzXqLfU7WkQ/s1600/P1010950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uS8f6DaFtB8/TV9aYAqichI/AAAAAAAAEsc/ZzXqLfU7WkQ/s200/P1010950.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AOvT12w5GEY/TV9aavjFytI/AAAAAAAAEsk/OQCwuR_cHLw/s1600/P1010872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AOvT12w5GEY/TV9aavjFytI/AAAAAAAAEsk/OQCwuR_cHLw/s200/P1010872.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOYA0rfmT-M/TV9adQD6-sI/AAAAAAAAEss/kxmvFWRTZKE/s1600/P1010953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOYA0rfmT-M/TV9adQD6-sI/AAAAAAAAEss/kxmvFWRTZKE/s200/P1010953.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjpUyQyWokY/TV9agfggY0I/AAAAAAAAEs4/S0LHDdOgzgU/s1600/P1010954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjpUyQyWokY/TV9agfggY0I/AAAAAAAAEs4/S0LHDdOgzgU/s200/P1010954.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ad8w84Ckr_c/TV9ajOzHlfI/AAAAAAAAEtA/hxE0g8sn58A/s1600/P1010874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ad8w84Ckr_c/TV9ajOzHlfI/AAAAAAAAEtA/hxE0g8sn58A/s200/P1010874.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lLe_Ca4lxgM/TV9al_r5q8I/AAAAAAAAEtI/FlggZxJ4rCw/s1600/P1010963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lLe_Ca4lxgM/TV9al_r5q8I/AAAAAAAAEtI/FlggZxJ4rCw/s200/P1010963.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UFHmtSzvciU/TV9apxDN8eI/AAAAAAAAEtU/a0q3-rCpcx8/s1600/P1010965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UFHmtSzvciU/TV9apxDN8eI/AAAAAAAAEtU/a0q3-rCpcx8/s200/P1010965.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhevJnI5MCM/TV9at7JH7LI/AAAAAAAAEtg/E5l-JtWK8lk/s1600/P1010955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhevJnI5MCM/TV9at7JH7LI/AAAAAAAAEtg/E5l-JtWK8lk/s200/P1010955.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01RfcrkoXGoXmlDjmO0fbaD-JL9UnVnw_S8T2RDVL7-YIbEg96RUfjE2OJQYlZGEjbTjXh-4mSV5TVrGcE1Nto7NpeY12O887_OAmmZUeUzyK0qakglfXO16QAc71ZE9_v6Ib5aLSfT8/s1600/P1010956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01RfcrkoXGoXmlDjmO0fbaD-JL9UnVnw_S8T2RDVL7-YIbEg96RUfjE2OJQYlZGEjbTjXh-4mSV5TVrGcE1Nto7NpeY12O887_OAmmZUeUzyK0qakglfXO16QAc71ZE9_v6Ib5aLSfT8/s200/P1010956.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ramAE2txRb4/TV9a02ap8bI/AAAAAAAAEt0/Gk2gPfajm0Q/s1600/P1010960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ramAE2txRb4/TV9a02ap8bI/AAAAAAAAEt0/Gk2gPfajm0Q/s200/P1010960.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F8Jsx1PK6uY/TV9a3XTs65I/AAAAAAAAEt8/86B9TZ91K9g/s1600/P1010869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F8Jsx1PK6uY/TV9a3XTs65I/AAAAAAAAEt8/86B9TZ91K9g/s200/P1010869.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Once at the cabin we were visited by a pair of <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Goose">Nenes, the Hawaiian goose</a>. The Nene is related to the Canadian geese - about 500K years ago a pair of lost or perhaps storm blown geese must have landed on the islands and started a colony, which gradual evolved into the Nene. These are the rarest geese on the planet and were almost extinct just fifty years ago when only 30 birds were left. Now there are about 800. It's very important that the remaining population breeds well and often as their survival is still at risk.<br />
<br />
Perhaps inspired by seeing other joyful couples around them, our Nenes started dancing before us, and soon were busy making more Nenes! Afterwards they were crooning and I half expected to see them lighting up some smokes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110218-02"><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXQdB2YH-Jo/TV9bdj4dSoI/AAAAAAAAEuQ/7G_SKM1XwHM/s1600/P1010862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXQdB2YH-Jo/TV9bdj4dSoI/AAAAAAAAEuQ/7G_SKM1XwHM/s200/P1010862.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xLsDcn9b7Ls/TV9bg3N9UuI/AAAAAAAAEuY/KTBjOaGQEAQ/s1600/P1010867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xLsDcn9b7Ls/TV9bg3N9UuI/AAAAAAAAEuY/KTBjOaGQEAQ/s200/P1010867.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjM_nrRY5wU/TV9bkvzpeYI/AAAAAAAAEug/Jd14dXmgzsc/s1600/P1010879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjM_nrRY5wU/TV9bkvzpeYI/AAAAAAAAEug/Jd14dXmgzsc/s200/P1010879.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KVe0uZxdYnc/TV9bpE4izQI/AAAAAAAAEuo/2rdWx30P6E0/s1600/P1010880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KVe0uZxdYnc/TV9bpE4izQI/AAAAAAAAEuo/2rdWx30P6E0/s200/P1010880.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-REAX055lZDo/TV9btqQLolI/AAAAAAAAEu4/ukPQYfvJ63A/s1600/P1010881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-REAX055lZDo/TV9btqQLolI/AAAAAAAAEu4/ukPQYfvJ63A/s200/P1010881.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8FNtPAr9ek/TV9byWbeX6I/AAAAAAAAEvI/aW15T-RWWaw/s1600/P1010882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8FNtPAr9ek/TV9byWbeX6I/AAAAAAAAEvI/aW15T-RWWaw/s200/P1010882.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scne737mn6Y/TV9b2jTmo8I/AAAAAAAAEvU/u2AgNT-7clU/s1600/P1010883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scne737mn6Y/TV9b2jTmo8I/AAAAAAAAEvU/u2AgNT-7clU/s200/P1010883.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8v0F9c2U1E/TV9b6tMxlZI/AAAAAAAAEvc/tDAjFm-Jcos/s1600/P1010884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8v0F9c2U1E/TV9b6tMxlZI/AAAAAAAAEvc/tDAjFm-Jcos/s200/P1010884.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6wz_8lbLX0/TV9b-1rspUI/AAAAAAAAEvo/0t-SXehWMPk/s1600/P1010886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6wz_8lbLX0/TV9b-1rspUI/AAAAAAAAEvo/0t-SXehWMPk/s200/P1010886.JPG" /></a></div><br />
That night the moon came up in full glory. I took about fifty pictures trying to capture the amazing light. I must admit that I'm still learning the nuts and bolts of my little Panasonic P&S. Plus I have no tripod so I was balancing the camera on a wet table using my hands and a cold Frisbee as a mount. Probably not professional standard. However I finally managed a decent shot (note to myself, ISO 400, F5.6 @ 1/25). Seeing this makes me want to howl...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5c_bT6OQlU/TV9dSDDrLTI/AAAAAAAAEwI/pUmQ6-W-UYA/s1600/P1010913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5c_bT6OQlU/TV9dSDDrLTI/AAAAAAAAEwI/pUmQ6-W-UYA/s480/P1010913.JPG" /></a></div><br />
After this we took off for a moon lit hike to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakala_Silversword">Silverswords </a>of Haleakala. This rare and beautiful plant exists only on the crater floor here. It lives up to fifty years, then sends up a tall spike with flowers that resemble its very distant cousin, the sunflower. This is pollinated by flying insects also unique to Haleakala. And then, having shot it's proverbial once in a lifetime load, the Silversword is done, and new ones soon take it place on the dry cinder stones. We hiked the "Silversword Loop", where under the bright full moon hundreds of these plants were practically glowing. It was a surreal scene that I can best describe as "very trippy". And cool!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera because I hadn't yet figured out that the long exposure trick you will see below (next time I promise) so I am including shots from a hike taken several years ago, which includes a view of the upper crater, a new Silversword plant, and a spent one.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110218-03"><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXRb8qNP4sU/TV90QxYl8yI/AAAAAAAAE1o/DeybG33glUY/s1600/102-0263_STG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXRb8qNP4sU/TV90QxYl8yI/AAAAAAAAE1o/DeybG33glUY/s200/102-0263_STG.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5TB425Rmwpg/TV91TpAI6dI/AAAAAAAAE2M/BncHn5qTcJs/s1600/102-0292_IMG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5TB425Rmwpg/TV91TpAI6dI/AAAAAAAAE2M/BncHn5qTcJs/s200/102-0292_IMG.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeNfApiamcy9Sk82RKFrU2AReEH7yv82UvGDx_mVpDbdzTIKfZLFMHbu7eYXyDqkeX9MtHXv3mRFNXFklJNKwFnxhG6szJJSBR5xFWuQsPCTpG-sSq_5njoxWoOENeEJuOJtsma50ozo/s1600/102-0287_STB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeNfApiamcy9Sk82RKFrU2AReEH7yv82UvGDx_mVpDbdzTIKfZLFMHbu7eYXyDqkeX9MtHXv3mRFNXFklJNKwFnxhG6szJJSBR5xFWuQsPCTpG-sSq_5njoxWoOENeEJuOJtsma50ozo/s200/102-0287_STB.JPG" /></a></div><br />
After that I started experimenting with long exposures of the landscape and the sky. All the following pictures were taken with either 30 or 60 second exposures with only the full moon as a light. Note the stars in the sky (in the first picture the Big Dipper points to Polaris). You will see most of Orion including the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula">Orion Nebula</a> (the middle "star" in the sword of Orion). I'm amazed how clear and bright the landscape appears in these pictures - keep in mind these were taken well after the sun set. In one you can see a horizontal streak from a distant jet. I used rocks as my tripod for most of these shots...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110218-04"><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cPQ4ylxTzs0/TV9dVUcdujI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/BnMvyaL8VzE/s1600/P1010936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cPQ4ylxTzs0/TV9dVUcdujI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/BnMvyaL8VzE/s200/P1010936.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_-35YUZPSw/TV9dZ6v1tYI/AAAAAAAAEwY/aSVVdieMlIA/s1600/P1010937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_-35YUZPSw/TV9dZ6v1tYI/AAAAAAAAEwY/aSVVdieMlIA/s200/P1010937.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ah6NQGyu9jM/TV9ddXvjKXI/AAAAAAAAEwg/6xrXqxZL9VI/s1600/P1010938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ah6NQGyu9jM/TV9ddXvjKXI/AAAAAAAAEwg/6xrXqxZL9VI/s200/P1010938.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdJS747SzmY/TV9dhcj-5TI/AAAAAAAAEwo/QRGpbPQaX_U/s1600/P1010939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdJS747SzmY/TV9dhcj-5TI/AAAAAAAAEwo/QRGpbPQaX_U/s200/P1010939.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rgft_OMhbLM/TV9djiWqrNI/AAAAAAAAEw0/lkl390dt9BU/s1600/P1010940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rgft_OMhbLM/TV9djiWqrNI/AAAAAAAAEw0/lkl390dt9BU/s200/P1010940.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuLJ34w8cZvaRURszSrHPfCRsZcsapcHvxqBprTJtn9EvQhjiY5f_vx4nOh9ZmL1kxpDDGZRsCJ0ANZ5gJQF71M4fMh6pmIiMeAw-qGtml3JxLBwWQaYpsqPOTG6N1NbPbv75fiOxs4M/s1600/P1010943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuLJ34w8cZvaRURszSrHPfCRsZcsapcHvxqBprTJtn9EvQhjiY5f_vx4nOh9ZmL1kxpDDGZRsCJ0ANZ5gJQF71M4fMh6pmIiMeAw-qGtml3JxLBwWQaYpsqPOTG6N1NbPbv75fiOxs4M/s200/P1010943.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMNQjUX8Q0k/TV9dqKv8m3I/AAAAAAAAExM/usr7oxoOGjE/s1600/P1010944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMNQjUX8Q0k/TV9dqKv8m3I/AAAAAAAAExM/usr7oxoOGjE/s200/P1010944.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rH6gSLRGwpQ/TV9dt_VXluI/AAAAAAAAExY/0_hmcejyywU/s1600/P1010945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rH6gSLRGwpQ/TV9dt_VXluI/AAAAAAAAExY/0_hmcejyywU/s200/P1010945.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The next morning we lingered over coffee and scones while I took more shots of the surrounding crater rim. We returned by the same trail. The view was equally amazing. We stopped at one switchback to gaze back at the Holua cabin in the distance. Looking up at the ridge Julia and I thought we saw a lighter rock out cropping which resembled a grazing cow (2nd picture from last, can you see it?). At the top a colorful pheasant checked us out. By the time we got to the car, my legs were well beat, but it was so worth it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" ssg="20110218-05"><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47O-lWqvKl0JhjRHbV0pfyqLrjhBfZzfX5-oG00inpBSYt6UiiB3K8gmXyWX_KtPsTAap2_ZDzql3lyICrIIQWgeShlqawuHV_2nbm0HsrC5m3K6e8ncje-QgGYCJm-yWmGyUHHzI9cU/s1600/P1010875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47O-lWqvKl0JhjRHbV0pfyqLrjhBfZzfX5-oG00inpBSYt6UiiB3K8gmXyWX_KtPsTAap2_ZDzql3lyICrIIQWgeShlqawuHV_2nbm0HsrC5m3K6e8ncje-QgGYCJm-yWmGyUHHzI9cU/s200/P1010875.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qrhNJ9iXvmWuLZJ7OUUUXJ4LeO6CeMkpspgTVCzca_OLUuhEob0njEPPJrxFu5iAIGbmkl4BuYf68mBPXLp_g6yI2lq8N2FBS6epPxkGR0a6g8XAS2vi1TaY0WF_WjyuXaxiW44VbV4/s1600/P1010876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qrhNJ9iXvmWuLZJ7OUUUXJ4LeO6CeMkpspgTVCzca_OLUuhEob0njEPPJrxFu5iAIGbmkl4BuYf68mBPXLp_g6yI2lq8N2FBS6epPxkGR0a6g8XAS2vi1TaY0WF_WjyuXaxiW44VbV4/s200/P1010876.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-1A_-puX8UF_sssh0SQyBoaGoaTHlLuhJxbkWH9bodyIhNsbBiaTeiTxxBBtXgMbUro3WDN_7V3VCnuLXgg7T8GaSHuBsi9GCX2yTiJEATGMuAiShB5C0sl0GT0N0i3VtXqFouW-YBI/s1600/P1010870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-1A_-puX8UF_sssh0SQyBoaGoaTHlLuhJxbkWH9bodyIhNsbBiaTeiTxxBBtXgMbUro3WDN_7V3VCnuLXgg7T8GaSHuBsi9GCX2yTiJEATGMuAiShB5C0sl0GT0N0i3VtXqFouW-YBI/s200/P1010870.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-elTUnvm0FNA/TV9ej6z6kkI/AAAAAAAAEyA/sfduQuT-htk/s1600/P1010888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-elTUnvm0FNA/TV9ej6z6kkI/AAAAAAAAEyA/sfduQuT-htk/s200/P1010888.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZHauDL7Gb8/TV9emSLxsVI/AAAAAAAAEyM/siP6hO2cQk0/s1600/P1010946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZHauDL7Gb8/TV9emSLxsVI/AAAAAAAAEyM/siP6hO2cQk0/s200/P1010946.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CcqjWSqRD_0/TV9epuodsQI/AAAAAAAAEyU/4U35K9nvRaA/s1600/P1010948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CcqjWSqRD_0/TV9epuodsQI/AAAAAAAAEyU/4U35K9nvRaA/s200/P1010948.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87fnWmvjqAw/TV9etjlQinI/AAAAAAAAEyk/LvIO7a5cAyc/s1600/P1010967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87fnWmvjqAw/TV9etjlQinI/AAAAAAAAEyk/LvIO7a5cAyc/s200/P1010967.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNXE_bLQq10/TV9evzooM9I/AAAAAAAAEys/WYO419wpNJM/s1600/P1010968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNXE_bLQq10/TV9evzooM9I/AAAAAAAAEys/WYO419wpNJM/s200/P1010968.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VAZQWW_fEmw/TV9ezVMtIeI/AAAAAAAAEy0/q6msDpsmpzQ/s1600/P1010971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VAZQWW_fEmw/TV9ezVMtIeI/AAAAAAAAEy0/q6msDpsmpzQ/s200/P1010971.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TIKv5f8KzGg/TV9e26manBI/AAAAAAAAEzE/9Smd5u76zPU/s1600/P1010972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TIKv5f8KzGg/TV9e26manBI/AAAAAAAAEzE/9Smd5u76zPU/s200/P1010972.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zpLj87yqp5k/TV9e5-ADJjI/AAAAAAAAEzM/Nkou1YxRLso/s1600/P1010973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zpLj87yqp5k/TV9e5-ADJjI/AAAAAAAAEzM/Nkou1YxRLso/s200/P1010973.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L0LxFY7zcp4/TV9e8nVlnZI/AAAAAAAAEzU/vzfdrafRzpo/s1600/P1010978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L0LxFY7zcp4/TV9e8nVlnZI/AAAAAAAAEzU/vzfdrafRzpo/s200/P1010978.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnptA3LEBTM/TV9fA_2MMuI/AAAAAAAAEzg/UZxPK04TcBM/s1600/P1010979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnptA3LEBTM/TV9fA_2MMuI/AAAAAAAAEzg/UZxPK04TcBM/s200/P1010979.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb9raYiVu6U/TV9fE0gSCrI/AAAAAAAAEzo/4MfY0r2SxuE/s1600/P1010980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb9raYiVu6U/TV9fE0gSCrI/AAAAAAAAEzo/4MfY0r2SxuE/s200/P1010980.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d7uCXIdndWw/TV9fH7fZgnI/AAAAAAAAEz0/4VLECJx_hWA/s1600/P1010981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d7uCXIdndWw/TV9fH7fZgnI/AAAAAAAAEz0/4VLECJx_hWA/s200/P1010981.JPG" /></a><a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF5crTyqtHDoQ1n72iznuLI2RWQ5DpvBTvQL8LrYt829EanHGqoexupqFEfbcHRIp0Zs9Yr4HCIJF0WlNBZkmHwpvCtv9lWjCr4xFt6SaH1Enef035aF14pYptowItoAEl-QO6s96u5M/s1600/P1010982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF5crTyqtHDoQ1n72iznuLI2RWQ5DpvBTvQL8LrYt829EanHGqoexupqFEfbcHRIp0Zs9Yr4HCIJF0WlNBZkmHwpvCtv9lWjCr4xFt6SaH1Enef035aF14pYptowItoAEl-QO6s96u5M/s200/P1010982.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVuKq3Ly6Kc/TV9fNn2rlNI/AAAAAAAAE0E/rrZC4VGOysg/s1600/P1010983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVuKq3Ly6Kc/TV9fNn2rlNI/AAAAAAAAE0E/rrZC4VGOysg/s200/P1010983.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ivxUj9zFeo/TV9fRDSIjaI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/4p7J6buVX0o/s1600/P1010984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ivxUj9zFeo/TV9fRDSIjaI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/4p7J6buVX0o/s200/P1010984.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_w81X0bWSs/TV9fUV6chBI/AAAAAAAAE0Y/T3Rotmh1eAI/s1600/P1010985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_w81X0bWSs/TV9fUV6chBI/AAAAAAAAE0Y/T3Rotmh1eAI/s200/P1010985.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fb4Ss5D4Ieg/TV9fX_BiEOI/AAAAAAAAE0g/5z8jlNuK0jk/s1600/P1010986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fb4Ss5D4Ieg/TV9fX_BiEOI/AAAAAAAAE0g/5z8jlNuK0jk/s200/P1010986.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pg8MAIstK1E/TV9fbu_VPvI/AAAAAAAAE0w/XFtSyQ58xcc/s1600/P1010988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pg8MAIstK1E/TV9fbu_VPvI/AAAAAAAAE0w/XFtSyQ58xcc/s200/P1010988.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJblwEscxQ0/TV9ffm5JvJI/AAAAAAAAE04/DCPh0zsxjT4/s1600/P1010989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJblwEscxQ0/TV9ffm5JvJI/AAAAAAAAE04/DCPh0zsxjT4/s200/P1010989.JPG" /></a><a
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0DomxTcK1hY/TV9fj6p-GVI/AAAAAAAAE1I/DowvpzR5RIA/s1600/P1010992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0"
src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0DomxTcK1hY/TV9fj6p-GVI/AAAAAAAAE1I/DowvpzR5RIA/s200/P1010992.JPG" /></a></div>(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5690822573598832386.post-40057101482815107962011-02-15T23:00:00.003-10:002011-02-16T08:46:43.674-10:00A Univeral Solution<div style="text-align: center;">I just noticed that <a href="http://windorwithout.blogspot.com/">Rebecca </a>found the perfect use for a broken universal. Love it!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dA_Y8abXnds/TVoKtJf5MDI/AAAAAAAADh8/cxggbxDobZo/s1600/happy+valentine%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dA_Y8abXnds/TVoKtJf5MDI/AAAAAAAADh8/cxggbxDobZo/s320/happy+valentine%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
OK, so after breaking my Chinook tendon on "Big Tuesday", I decided to search for a better system. Below are some options I researched. On the right is my "all broke up" tendon. On the bottom is a new Streamlined tendon with some mods (as explained later), on the left an hourglass with a separate two bolt plate, and on top is the remaining not quite broken but suspiciously crooked Chinook tendon.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A bunch of universals...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pSX2eOMytDs/TVb47Br9HMI/AAAAAAAAEng/sD0u2i1Bri4/s1600/P1010829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pSX2eOMytDs/TVb47Br9HMI/AAAAAAAAEng/sD0u2i1Bri4/s400/P1010829.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
These all use the US cup which has a large metal clip with two buttons that protrude from the cup and connect to the extension. The alternative system is the single pin "euro pin" base. The euro pin base provides a more solid feeling connection and is much easier attaching and so on. But I have some reservations about the euro (and not just the economy).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqHQWn7hmXd_u46d-20ZahSRSYdpEPDSnvMwkqe0DZUhesBMrsNHk3kiLl61jGvoaCJT4t-t6YHpxJ-sw0f56X87hGZ6kKgkYoh2utS7nAmdDnEJ1Kjvit8JOPVzwsOIITBEON9WnpVQ/s1600/EuroCup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqHQWn7hmXd_u46d-20ZahSRSYdpEPDSnvMwkqe0DZUhesBMrsNHk3kiLl61jGvoaCJT4t-t6YHpxJ-sw0f56X87hGZ6kKgkYoh2utS7nAmdDnEJ1Kjvit8JOPVzwsOIITBEON9WnpVQ/s1600/EuroCup.jpg" /></a></div>Over the past years I have witnessed some unintentional on the water disconnects involving the euro base (see picture of the Chinook euro base to the right). If you look inside the euro extension you find a small metal clip. This clip has a slot which is pushed against the groove in the pin by a spring hidden inside the extension. All that really holds your rig onto the universal and therefore your board is a fairly small area of this thin clip - just the part that fits into about half of the groove in the pin. I say half because in all the systems I've seen the metal clip is sprung from one side and therefore takes up only half of the groove in the pin. I imagine it's just a few square millimeters of metal keeping your very expensive rig from Davey Jones's locker (my great uncle). So a bit of wear and tear in this area and sudden disconnect syndrome can occur.<br />
<br />
There are other potential failure points. Should the internal spring ever break, lose its tension or get jammed then there is nothing keeping the clip attached to the pin. This spring is contained inside the extension and on my admittedly quick examination I did not notice an easy means to access (to check it out) or replace this spring (not saying it's impossible, just hard to see). Of course you could always purchase a new extension fairly often to ensure the spring and clip are all good, but these extensions are not cheap. Also exposing your extension to sand or dirt could potentially jam either the clip or the spring. And I believe this leads to the most common cause of premature euro pin ejection, at least in Maui. You think you have a solid base connection, but a bit of grit keeps the clip from fully extending into the pin, so one big crash later and you are no longer at one with your board. The scary thing is the connection probably feels solid right up to that point.<br />
<br />
There's also a slight oops factor - the euro extension has a large easily accessible button which you push to quickly and efficiently disconnect the extension from the plate. This is normally a good thing. But I heard a rumor that some guy hit this by mistake while grabbing his rig after a wave take down. New sails should cover the button but he had an older sail. Possible? Maybe. OTOH - if you want to disconnect your rig on the water this makes it so much easier.<br />
<br />
Having said all that I know many sailors who totally love the euro base and have used it for many years with no problems. If you race then the euro system is the only respectable choice due to the solid and efficient connection. But for sailing waves and rigging near sandy beaches it might not be the best option, especially if you don't replace your extensions very often (what, you're not sponsored?).<br />
<br />
Hey, let's take a quick break and visit Little Beach courtesy of <a href="http://mauimoonnews.com/hawaiinews/maui-experience-videos/">Moon Over Haleakala</a><br />
<br />
<center><div style="background-color: black; border: 1px solid #556677; height: 350px; padding-top: 10px; width: 500px;"><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/ht5JgpuuXwI%2Em4v" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="340" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></div></center><br />
<br />
Yet another very interesting little part of Maui...<br />
<br />
So is the US base a perfect system? No way Jose! It's more like an old reliable car that somehow never breaks down even though it feels like it could at any moment. I'm not aware of any disconnects that involved just the buttons and the cup itself, assuming both buttons were engaged all the way to begin with. The most common pilot error with these is not fully attaching the extension to the base such that one or both buttons don't totally pop out. You don't get the same solid "click" as with the euro pin, instead you must inspect both buttons and make sure they are really and truly sticking out, and do this every damn time you attach the rig. But if they are out there then you should be good. And it's very easy to inspect everything as nothing is hidden.<br />
<br />
The main complaint with the US system is the looser extension to base connection. It's never as solid as the euro system, even when everything is brand spanking new. And over time this play will gradually increase. But again disconnects from the US base seem rare, perhaps because most people reasonably take any increased looseness as an obvious sign that it's time to replace all or part of the universal, which by itself isn't very expensive. And you can easily replace either the internal clips or the cup itself if you want. The extension is a passive player in the US connection game, so you can keep it forever or until it breaks (hopefully not). Usually I replace the whole universal once the cup feels too loose, and I see this as perhaps an unintentional advantage. The euro universal is rock solid until the moment it completely fails, while the US universal just gradually becomes looser until it becomes obvious it needs replacing. <br />
<br />
I've been using the US system since at least the early 90's (how long has this system been around anyway?). Some of our extensions are at least ten years old (since we went skinny), and plan to keep using them forever. Which is of course another reason not to switch - the "it ain't broken" rule plus replacing them all would be a huge pain. And very expensive (where's that sponsorship anyway?). BTW - I'm not the only person who came to this conclusion. GP mentioned his preference for the two button US system in <a href="http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/2009/05/mast-feet-or-foots-that-one-turn.html">this post from almost two years ago</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d6vcg8SHlEY/TVt5n7UiyBI/AAAAAAAAEqI/alSD3rF2C70/s1600/P1010829-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d6vcg8SHlEY/TVt5n7UiyBI/AAAAAAAAEqI/alSD3rF2C70/s320/P1010829-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>But we did make a change which more or less led to our universal failure (which sounds so bad). The picture to the left shows a Chinook hourglass with a two bolt plate. We used this in the Gorge for years without problems. I replaced these whenever the unis seemed loose and almost never replaced the plates. But when we got our shiny new and oh so great Goya boards this fall, many folks suggested going with a single screw plate because: 1) cheaper (no need to buy a plate per board) 2) the two bolt plate to uni connection becomes loose over time, so the single bolt system should be stronger and tighter 3) the single bolt takes up less space in the mast track so more adjustments are possible. 4) Chinook tendons often only come with a single bolt plate around here for some reason.<br />
<br />
The only disadvantage is the single bolt might not hold as strong as two bolts, and the single bolt puts more force in one spot on the mast track. But since most of the pro sailors seem to be using the single bolt system I assume that modern mast tracks and construction are strong enough to handle the load. There's also a slight inconvenience with screwing on a base instead if clicking into the two bolt plate, but NBD IMO.<br />
<br />
The other change was going with a tendon over the hour glass. Again many opinions on that. I've never personally had an hourglass uni break before I proactively replaced it, but I know many folks who have experienced such frequent failures with hourglasses that they refuse to use them. A lot of these guys sail here so I assumed that wave sailing puts more force on the uni and therefore exposes a flaw in the hourglasses design. Therefore I switched to the Chinook temdon with a single bolt . Now if I had read <a href="http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.com/2009/05/mast-feet-or-foots-that-one-turn.html">GP's earlier post</a> a bit sooner I might have gone with the Streamlined base right away. But I have been using various Chinook products for so long with no problems I had no reason to doubt the performance of the Chinook tendon. <br />
<br />
What's odd about Chinook's US tendon base is the construction is so different from their euro pin version. I know the US base must have been designed earlier, so I'm guessing when the euro base came along they decided to improve a few things - such as the euro tendon has metal caps instead of plastic and uses line for the safety instead if nylon straps. If they went back and updated the US version all would be well but so far they haven't. I guess they prefer to leave the older base as is, perhaps assuming most folks would go with the better designed (and more expensive) euro version instead.<br />
<br />
There's also the problem that their tendon broke so soon - we only had it about three months, and the other unbroken tendon now has an obvious tilt such that I assume its days are well numbered. Now in reality it's not so bad if a tendon or hourglass breaks, assuming this was the result of a large wave landing on the rig. It's much better to break a base than something way more expensive like an extension. Plus you can sail back with a broken base, assuming - and this is important - that the safety lines hold. And as you can see from my broken base, instead of safety lines it has have nylon straps and one immediately sheared off. It was because only one marginal looking strap was left on my base that I ended up swimming (until GP came along that is).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l6RSo4Jso_U/TVdXlZNRglI/AAAAAAAAEn8/8ZAfEJraELI/s1600/P1010831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l6RSo4Jso_U/TVdXlZNRglI/AAAAAAAAEn8/8ZAfEJraELI/s320/P1010831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So what's the solution? Take a look at the Streamlined universal. It's a US cup with a single bolt base, has metal caps over the tendon with strong bolts, and most importantly it uses lines for the safety. Also GP showed me a trick if you get this universal. Replace the line it comes with with a stronger spectra line (down haul line). I also added some extra knots to this line as you can see in the picture. I'm not sure if this line is likely to break as is, but without the extra knots a cut in any section would have taken the entire line out. So I added the knots as an extra safety - think of it as redundancy. The knots mean each section of rope by itself can hold the base together. And the cost and time to do this is trivial, especially when compared to the cost of your rig. Also, because I had them, I replaced the internal clip/buttons with the Chinook version as this will be connecting to Chinook extensions and their clip looked a bit stronger. <br />
<br />
Before finishing this dissertation, since the subject is on things that might have broken, I thought it appropriate to link to our friend Olaf's story about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Folafrockerwaves%2Fwhy-i-can-t-meet-you-in-baja&h=ecb5a">one of his more interesting trips to Baja</a><br />
<br />
So be safe out there everyone. And get yourself a universal solution if you don't already have one.(Ben) Jamin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07837329435564826327noreply@blogger.com4