Before I start ranting a bunch of hippie crap about the Present (the movie and this current moment in time) let me say how absolutely thrilled I am that it's spring. I don't care if the winds suck, everything is green and beautiful and it just takes a bit of creativity to find some surf. I've been lucky. I've had three great sessions in the last week (and only one lousy one). One at a spot I haven't been to in ages. Surf was blown out everywhere and on a whim I suggested checking it. We pulled up and it was longboard perfection with only three people out.
The Present was awesome. After reading a bunch of reviews, both good and bad, I was super excited to see it. I'll agree with whoever said the editing was a little choppy and disorganized at times, but for me I thought it was a lot like Thomas Cambell's paintings, loose and expressive, and full of weird characters and sarcastic humor. I'm a fan of any movie that mixes the grateful beauty of surfing and nature with enough comic relief to not take ourselves as seriously as we do sometimes. It was heavy on the tube riding, which definitely got a little old, but for the most part, it felt like pure visual surf porn at it's best. Made me wanna travel, get in some warm water and shoot in perfect light. I'm already stoked on the inspiration it gave me. It was so great to see so many people I recognize from the water get out and support our surf community.
Now in the meantime, I have a list as long as my longboard of things to get done. The Plastiki project is keeping me happily busy, the website is in need of a major update, the IRS is knocking at my door (not really), and I have a ton of new photos I need to print, and the weather is providing a wonderful distraction from the above indoor activities.

Thank god for Santa Cruz

Springtime has arrived. I'll start by saying all of the things I love about la primavera. It's breathtaking, the clouds get thick and white and look like cotton balls against a painted blue backdrop, the air smells fresh, the temperature is crisp and pleasant and even warm sometimes, the sun sets at like 7pm, the flowers come out, and everything is green and dewy and all quintessential Northern-California-like, and if we are lucky, it rains only once or twice a week which is a nice balance of weather for the bay area. I know, I know we need more.
But the wind sucks. It makes the surf awful, and for that, I kind of loath the spring. I'm looking for alternative activities for rainy day and windy weather. Thinking about taking a rock climbing class. Kite surfing has always peaked my interest. I've also learned to lower my standards for surf these months and just get in the water anyways.
Or do the drive. The last few surfs I've had have been down south in Santa Cruz. One in town at the Point, and one north of town at Scott's creek. I feel lucky to have access to this stretch of coast and thrilled that there is a place that manages to stay protected from the chaos (the environmental kind, that is).
Yesterday was revitalizing, like a mini vacation. I've been working like a mad woman the last week, and even doing the drive down was relaxing. My brains been on kind of a roller coaster lately, I don't know if it's just been the season, the current economic climate or just general emotional stress, but the coming of spring has definitely seemed to give me the calm state of mind I'm after. I can usually tell something is awry with me when my surf sessions fail to mellow me out and yesterday did just that--give me the calm I'm usually after. Yoga seems to help too.

I got nothing.

I fear to report that the springtime winds are here. Surf sessions have been feeling few and far between. It rained cats and dogs last week so I didn't get in the water until Saturday. The waves at OB that day sent a sad reminder it's now spring and the days of consistent offshore winds and WNW groundswell will be distant soon. Fingers crossed this week will deliver something surfable.

In the meantime there isn't much else to report. I start a Nat Geo week this Saturday and other than that I am wrestling with the procrastination beast. Need to do a website update, and maybe get started on some new prints for my book. Thinking of taking a repeat trip through Death Valley and up 395 in April. Last year I did that drive and vowed to come back to it as a photo trip. April or early May seems like the best time.

I've been running in the cemetery near my house at sunset lately. Maybe it's morbid, but I find the presence of death a little comforting and beautiful as of late.