Weblog
Friday, 16 October 2009
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At Last ~ Autumn's Arrival ~ Time to Surf!
Friday, Autumn arrived! Lovely, restorative day in the sun. Weekend, high of 70 with full yellow sun! ☼ Ready to get in the water in my new WETSUIT! Everyone's talking about "big" surf in south Tx, but alas, no surf here due to north winds. Should have waves Sunday through Tuesday. I'm so ready! Will be good to restore equanimity ...
Meanwhile, I'm hitting the beach for shelling & to look at beach homes. Sudden oversupply of newly renovated beach-homes (bc of Ike) available for monthy winter rentals, at unbelievably low rates -- too tempting to pass up the good deals, so think I'll hang out for a couple of months on the beach this winter, when the semester ends. Would provide plenty of solitary beach time and plenty of opportunities to surf!
~~~ ☼☼☼ ~~~ ☼☼☼ ~~~ ☼☼☼ ~~~
Not much luck on the waves that crumbled as soon as they formed, but it was a beautiful bluesky day at the beach.
Bonus ~ I found my 2nd hamburger sea bean! Also in the picture, a Lightning Whelk, left-handed. Viewed many v cool beachhomes for this winter ...
enchanting white lines of grace roll in ...
... entranced ...
On a crisp, cool day, sun shines on the beautiful sea,
yet the beach remains empty,
a lonely, lonely sea . . .
Haven't heard this long-term fav song in quite a while.
Heard it today while driving in the pouring rain alongside the bay ...
... perfect setting for "I'm Your Captain ... Closer to Home" ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8MYsii4DZY
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It's true -- we have no surf in Texas! ; -)
This was last Friday ... 10/23/09 (from gtownsurf)
However, according to the news, not all were so lucky when surfing the swell. In Surfside, a 61-year-old who's been surfing for 40 years was swept 14 miles out to sea on his surfboard by strong currents. He was in the water 14 hours and was able to save himself when he spotted, swam miles toward, and climbed on an occupied oil rig. His only regret -- being forced to leave his board in the water when he climbed on the rig. Incredible!
Sunday Surf Session ~~~ Best Surf Day Yet! 10/25/09
Stoked about fun day in the wild water.
Strong surf pretty much beat me up, but I had the time of my life!
feeling the rhythm of the waves ....
Launching into flight from each wave ridden ...
If only, if only ... away to thee I'd fly ...
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Music ~ Winwood & Clapton ~ the poignant, "Can't Find My Way Home"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT-SFgkVlno
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~ Wednesday, 10/2809 ~
Found 15 miles of Beach Paradise today, in an area I've not visited in many, many years. Just another 'work' day for son, so I joined him. Along the beach road from San Luis Pass to Surfside, found mile after mile of natural beach; 99% of the shoreline remains empty of homes or anything else man-made. Better surf conditions, too.
Welcoming open beach, no people, no rules!
As the sea glimmers, Paradise awaits . . .
Blackbird singing in the dead of night ...
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Enjoying the fresh air under a wide sky on this Friday night,
as mighty Orion rises.
A night of beauty, inviting dreams of unwritten pages . . .
Alluring Beauty of the Night …
On a night such as this,
with cool air that envelops,
primal scent of wood fires that embraces,
moon and stars shining in celebration,
one must ask …
Can nature usher in sweet-imagined possibilities?
Oh, to share the beauty of this night …
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Dreams of the sunset dance ...
the dance to come ...
the poem waiting to be written ... ♥
Sending well wishes & thoughts of concern eastward ~ down the shore where Ida is headed ...
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BAD NEWS DAY - 11/10/09
Bad news day but at least heard terrific music on the satellite and radio afterwards. Went to doc who said I must go straight to darn ER—looks like I have a systemic staph infection, complete with head-to-toe red rash. So I went to the house instead. Just not ready to face the possibility of having to check in to hospital to get IV antibiotics - am allergic to every oral antibiotic normally used. Hate hospitals, esp when I’m the patient. So I’ll go in a bit, later. Maybe it’ll be less crowded later.
Meantime, gonna listen to more of the same music I heard today - not one but two of favorite Doors’ songs. Plus another new fav. ♪♫♪♫
"Riders on the Storm" ... Surfers? J(yesterday, I saw videos of ALA & FL surfers riding Ida's huge waves)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbPUzhWeeI
"Love Me Two Times" – oh that music, that MUSIC! { {
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhhOmc2EtCA&feature=related
And a newer one … my FAV Kings of Leon song ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCZfJ5ai07U
UPDATE: Ugh ... hours & hours in the ER, but at least they decided not to check me into the hospital. Not staph--it's systemic strep, which is better for me, since I'm not allergic to as many meds for strep. Still fever, bright rash everywhere, etc. but am hopeful that I'll recover soon. Can return to school soon, but no getting in the Gulf for a while. Boo.
Sunday, 06 September 2009
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Currently
Draw the Line (Deluxe Edition)
By David Gray
Fugitive
see relatedSurfing ~ Following A Dream
Surf, Surf, and Surf!
~~~ ☼☼☼ ~~~ ☼☼☼ ~~~ ☼☼☼ ~~~
Surfing ~ a dream held tight since childhood as I grew up watching my brother and friends surf. After a lifetime of observing from the shore, I've finally been able to give my dream of surfing a chance. Opportunities keep surfacing. I'm learning to surf!
Life being life, interruptions threaten to disrupt the flow of this endeavor, but I shan't allow it. I won't give up. Shoulder problems returning to haunt me, long periods of no waves; nonetheless, I will prevail. I have determination and patience on my side.
For instance, no waves again this weekend. But, I can make progress (and build strength) by practicing paddling in a pool. Actually, it's been fun to hang out with a surfboard in the pool.
For now, I'm borrowing boards because everyone I ask offers conflicting advice on the best"first" board for me. This also gives me the chance to try out different types. All I know for sure is that I am absolutely NOT getting a soft-top board, even though my ribs hurt when paddling on the boards I've been using.
Cherishing every moment. Having a blast as I'm watching this adventure turn into an obsession. And most importantly, at last, following my dream.
. . . smiling all the way
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New poems, finished before they began, appeared amidst the falling rain. One is about tender moments that arrive suddenly when soft rain or a cool breeze conjures images from tapestries of yesterdays ~ "The wind suddenly shifts / a wisp of cool air caresses my skin / springing to life images / . . . "
Another, "Unopened Gifts" . . . "sun begins to bleed colors / emptying its contents / . . . "
Music ... RE Keen's witty song about a road trip (not just any road trip!), "Floppy Shoes?" (song #6) http://www.rhapsody.com/robert-earl-keen/farm-fresh-onions
NEW MUSIC ~~ Happy that David Gray is back with more great music. Fav new song on cd ~~ "Fugitive"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP3uTuL-Obc&feature=related
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~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~September 27, 2009 ~ The Ride
To the Sea
Pure magic . . . turquoise sea . . . CLEAR, sparkling water, in Galveston!
A kindred spirit, "born before the wind," was with me in spirit as I paddled out and rode a wave.
Cherishing the feelings and experience of the pure happiness
. . . of these special moments in time and space . . .
~ ~ ~ Let your soul and spirit fly . . .
into the mystic . . .
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October 10, 2009
. . . first real Autumn cold front . . .
Colors of the sky landing on the shore, sparking poetry
. . . Falling into a Sunset Serenade
again, the sea comes through, offering me a smile . . .
~ ~ ~ into the mystic . . .
{a place to escape when I'm missing my friend so 'terribly' that I fear I'll disappear}
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
New music find ~ an absolute treasure ... Alexi Murdoch
... Beautiful, gentle, poignant songs ... A Dream Beneath an "Orange Sky," Blue Mind, Song for You, All My Days
... lyrics a must! ... songs of flight, time, waiting, dreams, "time to sink way into the blue"
... amazing, amazing
(every song is wonderfully worthwhile) http://www.myspace.com/aleximurdoch
[on his myspace, he's "friends" with TS Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Jack Kerouac .. a good sign : -) ]
Monday, 24 August 2009
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Rocky Mountain High
Escape to Mountain Landscapes ~ 14,000 feet of peace, fly-fishing the mountain streams, hiking the trails, exploring the mountains, searching for wildlife, and, thankfully, finding solace in an elegant log cabin deep in the woods, where often the only sounds were the singing winds that would rise up and swirl around to embrace ponderosa pines and the crackle of the campfire as the flames reached higher, higher.
Nature's show began ... bison crossing the Platte River, stately elks bounding across meadows, mule deer scrambling up mountains, adorable chipmunks scampering among stacked firewood, and ground squirrels and marmots popping up in the grassy fields. Colorado has a rich abundance of birds, from the lovely, fragile bluebirds to the whooshing, monk-chant sound of hummingbirds to powerful hawks gracefully soaring in the highest blue.
And the absence. The frightening absence of a bear after seeing fresh tracks of his distinctive paws in the mud bordering a mountain river in which I'd been flyfishing for hours.
The annual Perseid Meteor Shower arrived in a sky already crowded with sparkles of white, blue, yellow, and red. One shooting star chased the next in a virtual danse en l'air above the mountaintops.
After a cool, rainy August afternoon, the yellow sun shone clear as the mist lifted, leaving a double rainbow arcing over the perfect scene of a mountain lake landscape, with the bottom of the rainbows skirting the ground.
. . . bit of gambling in a tiny mountain town.
The cool green landscapes of Colorado stood in stark contrast to the fierce, jagged scenes of Wyoming. The pronged antelopes raced across the autumn-shaded grassy rolling hills of the High Sierras and the Red Desert. These graceful creatures, fastest mammals in North America, are not truly antelopes; instead, they are the last of their species, which makes them seem to fit perfectly in this land of isolation. Wyoming, the land that development forgot. Lovely, yet my heart sensed the loneliness of the rare house or cabin seen after driving hundreds of miles.
From the South Platte River in Colorado to the North Platte in Wyoming, and everything in between, my eyes were kept busy, following the dizzying scenes of grandeur. Indeed, too grand for everyday life. One can only take in so much.
Serendipitiously, in the cabin, I found a set of John Muir books; an immediate connection with his words resulted in his books quickly replacing the writing textbooks I had been reviewing for the upcoming semester.
I found that Muir's grasses (and pines) continue to thrive just as he found them: "I met a magnificent grass. Its home is in sunny meadows and along the wet borders of slow streams. It seems to be fully aware of its high rank, and waves with the grace and solemn majesty of a mountain pine (Muir)."Until the next time, the photographs, sketches, paintings, writings, and memories will serve to remind me of the miles and miles of soul-embracing beauty.
. . . and peace.
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Will be adding Colorado & Wyoming pics to ... http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/Tex-Sis/
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~Moving on ... time for a new semester . . .
and time to surf . . . (if the waves will cooperate ... lol !!!)
. . . Sunday I went to the beach (but alas, zero waves were waving on the glassy LAKE spread out before me) and definitely noted the very first hint of autumn: a subtle scent in the air, barely a touch of coolness in the breeze, and the slightest hint of reddish-brown hues in the sun's rays as they landed on the palms. Aahhh, reflective autumn is nearly upon us on the coast.
Besides the surprise in the air, as the light just started to fade, when strolling in barely ankle-deep water (I know to avoid the water at feeding time), a baby shark, not more than 6" long, swam within an inch or two from my foot! So tiny and adorable! What really should've frightened me (even the thought!) instead somehow strangely seemed like a personal welcome to the sea. An invitation ... come on in, the water's fine!
Young Sea
by Carl Sandburg
The sea is never still.
It pounds on the shore
Restless as a young heart,
Hunting.
The sea speaks
And only the stormy hearts
Know what it says:
It is the face
of a rough mother speaking.
The sea is young.
One storm cleans all the hoar
And loosens the age of it.
I hear it laughing, reckless.
They love the sea,
Men who ride on it
And know they will die
Under the salt of it
Let only the young come,
Says the sea.
Let them kiss my face
And hear me.
I am the last word
And I tell
Where storms and stars come from.This poem of the sea is enjoyable to read, and since the human heart retains the potential of youthful zest, fervor, and passion, I suggest by "young" he means "young at heart," for indeed, it is the young of heart who go to the sea, seeking answers. And they come; answers arrive when kissing the mystic sea.
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Neil Young & The Band & Joni, singing"Helpless"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzReSBaben8. . . Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes,
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Baby can you hear me now?
The chains are locked and tied across the door,
Baby, sing with me somehow . . .
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Sunset Lullaby
Savor the taste
of nature's poem,
a sunset, seen only once . . .
at once forever and a mere moment in time . . .
Cherish the color of love
Linger in the colorful grace,
a Sunset Lullaby
'neath the crescent moon
Listen
in the blue,
to the twilight song.the invitation . . .
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Nick Drake ~ Cello Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1YsFgDaEeoCello Song
by Nick Drake
Strange face, with your eyes
so pale and sincere.
Underneath you know well
you have nothing to fear.
For the dreams that came to you when so young
told of a life
where spring is sprung.
You would seem so frail
in the cold of the night
when the armies of emotion
go out to fight.
But while the earth sinks to its grave,
you sail to the sky
on the crest of a wave.
So forget this cruel world
where I belong.
I'll just sit and wait
and sing my song.
And if one day you should see me in the crowd
Lend a hand and lift me
to your place in the cloud.~~~ ~~~ ~~~
"Those who contemplate the beauty and mysteries of earth, sea, and sky are never alone and weary of life. We find reserves of strength that will endure..." ~~~ Rachel Carson
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/large-hadron-collider/3314456/Surfer-dude-stuns-physicists-with-theory-of-everything.html
Completely unrelated, but fascinating article (for right-brain, left-brain balance!),
"Surfer Dude Stuns Physicists with Theory of Everything" ~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Richie Havens ~ Here Comes the Sun. Pure magic . . .
David Gray ~~~ Shine (repeating link bc it's a must hear!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8HBHWYd6ug&feature=PlayList&p=114305B3BA3D18AF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAIcMg8zz6k&feature=related~~~ ~~~ ~~~
All songs of beauty.
After the exploding, colorful poem of the sunset,
when the still blue twilight settles,
filling you with quiet beauty,
what song do you hear? . . .
Monday, 13 July 2009
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Endeavor in the Twilight
Endeavor in the Twilight
Avenues of understanding the wondrous . . .
Dragonfly edges into a landscape,
dancing along the path of a song
sheltered in the scent of ancient pines,
whispering the sweet secrets of time.
Pelican's lonesome flight across the blue;
stilled primal longing pulls him seaward,
Soaring o'er waves dancing to birth music,
gentle sounds lull the weary to rest.Lone rose blossoms in pink velvet fullness,
exploding wonderment, pure and true:
Petal'd pirouettes, but a wind turning
toward shore of home nested in the sky.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~
Cool lyrics from Fox Derby's song, "Backward Sunrise""She's trapped in a box of sunlightin a backward sunrise.You walk out that doorYou see that southern shoreAnd you grin at the worldyou've been missing ... "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nick Drake's "Northern Sky"~Truly exquisite beauty - felt in the very marrow~ at once stills the soul & sends it soaring~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~June 19, 2009Peaceful Riverside
Summer's sun and shadows
Turtles summering on a log ...
Twilight Full Moon Turns the Tide
. . . Leaving the twilight for fun in the sun
Time to hit the Beach with colleagues for our next private group Surfing lesson!
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(update: having a blast with this exciting endeavor! Summer school is nearly over, so soon I'll have time to write about these thrilling yet peaceful moments in the sea . . . )
Fav dance on SYTYCD ~ "Falling Slowly" ~ beautiful! (updated link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhjFJw3nb6w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
you must have seen her ... dancing in the sandoh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly
Hold me closer Tiny Dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
Had a busy day today ...
Tiny Dancer, by Elton John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtrYdqtubjY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/Tex-Sis/
TexSis
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- Name: TexSis
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 8/1/2008
Weblog Archives
About Me
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Wherever you go, go with all your heart ~ Confucius
Subscriptions
Pulse
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"Given to Fly" - the great Eddie Vedder ~ http://tinyurl.com/csrgj4 ~ or live ~ http://tinyurl.com/derceq ~ lyrics a must ...
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Stones' Angie ~ http://tinyurl.com/bukpvf ~ More tenderness in this break-up song than many experience in a lifetime of 'togetherness'
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Everlast - "What It's Like" ~~ http://tinyurl.com/99x7ym ~~ OR LIVE version: http://tinyurl.com/djy54q ~ Do you know what it's like?
Recommended
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weblog entry from RaaChenn
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weblog entry from AlterEgo909
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photo from pedrothepoet
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photo from pedrothepoet
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