TEE HARBOR SURFING

Here is my neighbor Noah Jenkins surfing in my front yard... his
also. The Williwaws beach is in the background. It was a cold day
with a souteasterly blowing that diffracted around Stephens Point and
created enough surf for him to hang ten. It was Christmas 2003.

RARE MOMENT WITH NATURE

We've seen about a million photos of sunsets, but the one above, taken by Wayne Wilson and Susan Leader of the Ladysmith, British Columbia-based Selestra 50 Daydream, is unique. If you haven't been able to guess what was going on, we'll let them explain:

"We ended up spending several days at this alternate anchorage at Suwarrow while the wind blew from the south and southwest. While there, it was our good fortune to witness a near total eclipse of the sun. The end of the eclipse coincided with sunset, so we had the unique experience of watching the sun — which looked like a crescent moon on its back — descend into the sea. We were even able to snap a startling photograph of the two tips of the sun's 'crescent' setting simultaneously."

CALCULATING FOR THE DOCK

After we clear the point and enter the harbor, we can finally see the Williwaws dock.... its pilings standing tall with perhaps other sailboats on its railings. The challenge is to gauge the wind and sail up to a smooth landing without the engine.... this requires a careful calculation in the mind. The calculating starts with this view under the sheets from the cockpit when the wind is from the South.

FERN GLOW

At the end of a long day spreading crushed rock and making trails, the
setting sun found a path through the trees and struck this fern from
behind. This common woodland fern burst into a glowing marker along
the new trail.... but only for an instant. Soon the sun set and all
the understory plants resumed their shadowed lives.

A NATURAL PROFUSION

Columbines, primulas and poppies in the front garden.... and perhaps

a few weeds also.

NEW STONE ON THE STUDIO PATH

A little stone on the path might not seem like a big deal, but here it
is. For some reason the original approach to the door of my studio
was like a trekking to a mountain monastery... a narrow path along a
rocky ledge. It was safe enough in summer, but in the winter it was
treacherous. I cannot count the number of times I slipped into the
hole to the left the doorway in the dark. With fresh crushed rock
delivered for the pond work, I just had to take a load down to the
studio and build up its path. I even chucked the old anvil base into
the hole. Now perhaps I can be spared an "adventure" on a dark and
snowy night.

MEN AT WORK

Here I am working hard; that's not me with the shovel, but rather the
brains behind the wheel of the tractor. Cedar and Jeremiah handle the
shovels moving stone for the pond lining. I just move the stone to
the site and direct its placement. If I do my job well, their job is
kept to a minimum... and we get more done. As I always tell them,
"better brains than brawn".