Gerry Lopez paddling the Deschutes River

Ever since I heard about Gerry Lopez moving inland, away from the waves, to Oregon, I wondered if he had just completely lost it. How he could surf for so long, and give it up for  mountains and snowboarding? On the other hand, if he did it so could I, move away from the beach, and try other things. I gave up surfing when I lived in upstate NY...but it's not something I plan to do again! If I had only known about Stand Up paddleboarding, I might have put the Hudson River to better use! Now I see that he never gave up watersports completely. He stand up paddles, and shapes boards, out in the mountains, and wilderness. Not many people I know who surf would move this far from the ocean, but I don't know many Gerry Lopez's either, a truly unique, and daring surfing pioneer...

Doheny Beach

In the summertime in Orange County the waves are blown out, sloppy, and flat sometimes...

Doheny seems to be the go to spot to get away fromt he pesky south winds. Doheny was not always the way it is today, with it's various breaks, one being boneyards. There once was a wave named Killer Dana, hence the surf shop being named after it that broke from the foot of the headlands of Dana Point, and onward through what is now a harbor, all the way to the beach called Doheny, or Doho for short. What Doho lacks in size it makes up for in an abundance of peaks. An easy soft wave, but a fun wave still. Surf camps also frequent this beach in the summer, which means you should stay clear of softops, brightly colored "Roxy" or "Girl in the Curl" rashguard wearing kids, and anyone else. There will probably be very few adept surfers out at midday. This means you have a better chance of getting that set wave. It also means you have just as good a chance of getting smacked with a flying board. People new to the sport of surfing can rarely hold onto or control their boards, let alone stand up. When they do stand, they rarely look where they are going, so surf at your own risk, unless you want to get hit with a stray board, as was the case today with me. Have fun out there in the summertime surf, but remember,  your best chance to avoid collisions is to surf near the "awesome" surfers. You may get less waves from them, but they will not kick out their boards at your head. They will share the waves, if you don't drop in on everyone. The surfers without the leashes are usually the ones who know what they are doing, and rarely lose a board. There has been all kinds of swell this week. One day this week, Monday was the big one. When it was double overhead at Trestles, the sets were breaking way outside near the docked sailboats in front of Doheny. I caught an amazing set wave, maybe fifty feet outside where everyone was sitting. I waited awhile for it, but it came, and connected to the inside, all the way past the jetty. It's a wave with many faces, and on really big days, you might even see a trace of the famous...Killer Dana!

Art Walks in Orange County

Art walks are free, and make a cheap date, plus they can be fun for all ages!


1st week of month


First Thursdays art walks in Laguna Beach


Fullerton First Friday artwalks downtown


First Saturday art walks in Santa Ana


3rd week of the month


Third Wednesday artwalks in Huntington Beach


Santa Ana Art lofts - 3rd Saturdays


Last week of the month


San Clemente - Last Thursdays

Take a Stand at the Stand in Laguna Beach - Try the Tamales!

I stopped by the Stand in Laguna Beach, since it looks too cute to pass up. There was more than sandwiches, and I would definately come back. The vegan tamale was good, for my tastes, with a generous side of salsa covering half the plate. Good thing I like tamales with my salsa. At $4.95, it did not break the bank to stop by, and refuel. I will be coming back there again, and possibly splurge on a combo meal, which would have run me about $9. I love the wooden booths outside, it's a perfect spot to read a morning paper.

Go Rescue a Dog!

Today is a big event, try to get over to it if you can to find your perfect furry friend, in Mission Viejo, at the 16th Annual DAWG Walk, Pet Faire and Dog Adoption Event along the Village Green at the Norman P. Murray Center! I'm so glad I decided to rescue my dog Fara this year from Coastal German Shepard Rescue of Southern California...who will be at
Petsmart today in Aliso Viejo at 26761 Aliso Creek Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Store Phone number: (949) 643-2285

Less nasty cleaning chemicals down the drain equals a nice cleaner ocean and surf beach!

Before you run out to the store to buy another plastic bottle of harsh chemicals with poisons in them, if ingested, would kill you, try a green alternative...

By the way, all you need to clean is a strong acid. There are many kinds of strong acids. The kinds in harsh cleansers are just cheaper to manufacture than lemons, and you can't patent lemon/vinegar mix, which is why the grocery shelves are filled with harsh cleansers. If you happen to own an ionizer, which runs about $1000, you can change you tap water to a strong acid, to clean your whole house, with just water, no kidding!

Recipe for a cleaner greener house (without spending $1000 on an ionizer, though they are really great if you can afford one)

You already may have an empty spray bottle, or shampoo bottle, or dish detergent bottle sitting around about to be recycled (hopefully you recycle and if you don't where have you been?). You don't really need a spray bottle per say, so long as you spread whatever cleaning solution around a surface you are cleaning, the spray just distributes it evenly for you, and is not all that important, but if you have one by all means use it..

So you are about to reuse an old spray bottle and fill it with nontoxic homemade cleanser for the whole home, like your great grandma might have used...

You need the big four: baking soda, borax, vinegar, and citrus peel (lemon or orange). You don't need them all at the same time either. Lavender, and tea tree are other variations. Use what is local to you first, such as peels from your lemons, or lavender from your yard before rushing out to buy an expensive bottle of tea tree oil. You can wash lemons in baking soda and water to remove pesticides (good to know!).

"Lemons are high in vitamin C, have an anti-bacterial effect and are thought to posess antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. The juice consists of about 5% acid, which also makes them useful for a variety of household purposes." What did I just mention, they are an acid, which is why they clean stuff really good, and they smell wonderful!

You can clean everything in the house with these: Countertops, stove, faucet heads, toilet bowls, sinks, tubs, floors, you name it...and there are many formulas for doing so, all with four simple ingredients, and a used plastic bottle, being reused, which for those in the know is far greener than recycling it.

Recipe 1: Vinegar Cleaner

Take lemons peels, and put them in a glass jar with a wide lid you saved from something you bought at the store and ate such as jelly, with a lid, mason jars are the best ones in my opinion.

Cover the peels in cheap white vinegar, or fancy vinegar, but vinegar. Shake and soak for four weeks. Dilute it half and half with water, and fill your plastic reused bottle with it for cleaning. That's it.

Recipe 2: All-Purpose Cleaner - Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water.

References:

http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

http://tipnut.com/homemade-citrus-vinegar-cleaner/

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/136/1/24-handy-lemon-tips.html

http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm

http://family.go.com/hot-topics/pkg-go-green/article-gg-184094-our-top-green-cleaners-already-in-your-pantry-t/

This sounds interesting...

Orange Oil: Great for pests, cleaning, and furniture. Cover the peel with water in a jar, then strain off the oil after they sit for a few days. It's a super easy and cheap alternative to expensive orange oil based products.

http://www.examiner.com/x-7160-Sacramento-Nutrition-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Make-your-own-orange--lemon-oil-cleaners-or-flea-repellents-from-the-fruit-peels

Knitting to inifinitum...

Some cool southwest travel photos

Tomasitas...

This door is carved by artist Russell Moore of Santa Fe, Nm

Happy Ocean Day! Go green and blue!

It is time to Go Green by using re-usable, preferrably non-plastic containers such as

Kleen Kanteen water Bottles

Filter your tap water, and avoid bottled Spring water

Try a nifty Stainless Lunch Box or a handy Stainless Food Jar for Kids

Go Blue! Eat sustainable seafood only! 75 percent of seafood species are maxed out or overexploited and catches of nearly a third of these species are less than 10 percent of what they once were. Ninety percent of the big fish -- sharks, tuna, swordfish -- are already gone

Be aware of what is happening in our ocean! The chemistry of the oceans is changing as they absorb 11 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, acidifying waters will making it impossible for coral reefs, the nurseries of the sea, to grow. At the current rate of acidification, corals, sea snails and other calcium-carbonate-requiring life forms could begin to dissolve by the middle of the century, with potentially catastrophic results. Shellfish and fish will be in deep trouble as well.

May your spirit live on in the waves David...

David you were a wonderful person, full of smiles with a genuine Aloha spirit, sharing the waves, and the love with your positive attitude. You are missed...with your red fish...which you rode so well...so many days out there at Blackies...

From OC Register

Memorial Paddleout video

Sunday, April 5, 2009

2 paddle outs, 2 ocean lovers remembered

David Kitagawa and Lucas Campanaro were eulogized in 2 memorials.

By LAYLAN CONNELLY

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

NEWPORT BEACH - Seconds after Ron Kitagawa finished thanking the surfers who gathered in the ocean to remember his brother David, a baby sea lion popped up out of the water in the center of the circle.

It hovered around David's red surfboard, which was covered in colorful flowers.

The surfers hooted, and splashed the water. Tears flowed.

"It was something really magical, everyone felt it," said longtime friend Dino Caderao. "We could not believe it. It was a sign. Dave was out there."

The pup then decided to stay a while, hopping on surfer Barry Mycorn's board for the remainder of the memorial service, even coming to shore with the rest.

The remembrance was the first of two held in Newport Beach Sunday, where loved ones came together to say goodbye during an ocean ritual called a paddle out, where a circle is formed around the lost loved ones' board, and memories are shared.

It's unclear how long this ritual, called a paddle-out, has existed, but many believe it's a Hawaiian tradition that came to the mainland with the introduction of surfing here. Surfing is often thought of as a spiritual activity because of its connection to nature, and paddle-outs let loved ones say goodbye in a place close to the late surfers' hearts.

One was for David Kitagawa, the other for Lucas Campanaro – separated in age by a quarter century, but joined by a love of the surf.

SELFLESS SURFER

About 100 surfers paddled out on the north side of Newport Pier on Sunday morning to say goodbye to David Kitagawa, who made many friends at his local surf spot "Blackies" through the years. Kitagawa died from alcohol-related health issues on March 26. He was 43.

"He really loved this lifestyle," said his mother, Keiko Kitagawa. "I had no idea it was going to be this big. This is a wonderful tribute."

Kitagawa, of Huntington Beach, was described by many as a selfless surfer who would give up waves to others, always smiling while out in the water.

Dick McCoy had surfed alongside Kitagawa for about six years. For years, they knew each other just by the nickname "bro."

It was only last year – after having a great surf session together – that they found out each other's names.

"That's all it takes – a few magical waves to bond," McCoy said.

As friend Michael Long came back to shore from the paddle out, a nice left-hand wave came in.

"Thanks, Dave," he said he thought as he caught the wave. "This one's for you."

'BEST GUY'

Later in the day, friends and family of Lucas Campanaro gathered near the Balboa Pier, a favorite beach spot where the former Newport Harbor High student and surf team member could be found on any given day summer day.

Campanaro died on March 24, his 18th birthday, after his second bout with cancer.

Lucas was a water lover who grew up in Costa Mesa and spent summer days bodyboarding on the Balboa Peninsula.

His best friend Evric Aragon, 17, said he was the life of the party wherever he went.

"He was the best guy in the world," he said. "It's not going to be the same without him."

About 50 people on surfboards and bodyboards formed a circle around Campanaro's bodyboard, cheering and splashing in his memory. Another 100 lined the pier, with more watching from the sand.

His Spanish teacher Kelly Mitchell remembered him as an "old soul" who kept the mood light in class.

"He truly had an energy to him," she said.

Friends and family said that despite his struggles with cancer, he always kept positive and never let go of his sense of humor. Longtime friend Anthony Sanchez, 17, said Campanaro was blessed to have so many friends who showed up on the sand.

"This is exactly what he would have wanted," he said.

Through the years, Campanaro, had strong support from the community and high school, with donations that helped Lucas live his last days doing things he enjoyed. He grew up in Costa Mesa, but was living in Maui when he died.

"They had their hand out for us to grab at a second's moment," said his older brother, JJ. "It was unbelievable. I don't know what my brother did, but he did something. He affected them so much."

The Blue Man Group

.

June 3rd

I enjoy seeing artists at work in studios, and how they have it all set up
Hanks Mc Cordy - some weaved piece reminiscent of tangled fishing lines

Milwa's recycled wonders made with heat guns and soldering irons and PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is natural, \made from oil, cis highly recyclable, can be re-transformed again, and again in many ways.

"Compelling design can move millions and transcendent art can inspire a generation." - anonymous

We all need to have something that we do, that keeps us growing in our philosophies, evolving, and living life, art is one of those things. Hobbies are important. I guess I named my blog surftopia, because for some, surf obsessed individuals, that would be their utopia, a surftopia, a nod to idealism, and the absurd pursuit of recreational sport. Forget a box of chocolates, how about a chocolate city...Should I surf some sloppy crowded beachbreaks, or some supercrowded pointbreak perfection, in surftopia, you don't make those decisions, it's all right there, glassy, 80 degrees, and offshore, like Costa Rica twenty years ago. Not everyone surfs, but surfing is a metaphor for so many things you could be doing in life. Surfing and art go hand in hand since there is so much creativity involved in both. You have to have style, and grace. You have your own personal space, your own world, in the water, and in your head. Your surfing together, but your really surfing with yourself. Blogging could be a lot of things to alot of people, a good read, nice pictures, links, and ideas, sharing what is important to ourselves to find other people who are too.Maybe this blog can be a list of things I find groovy, intermingled with waves, life, and world news

Cool things of the day

HB - Where Bath toys and Oceans Collide - What's wrong with this picture, and people?

What is wrong with people?