photo galleria

Castle Gate Devil's Lake Florida Keys 1 Florida Keys 2 Shipwreck's Beach Family Smoke

Since I've switched to Windows Vista with the new computer I've decided to update the website for Firefox and consolidate the photos on smokewriter.com. The above links (other than the Castle Gate & Shipwreck's Beach) will take you to various photo groups where you will be able to open the individual photos in a new window for each...in this format (in most cases) there is an information 'button' in each window that will pop up a caption about the photo when you pass your mouse pointer over it. If there is an info button simply click it to close the window...

April 27, 2008

From this date forward as I add new photos, the format will be as demonstrated below thanks in large part to some excellent javascript libraries (i.e. Highslide) written by Torstein Honsi...

On a warm, sunny September day my son Charles borrowed my digital camera, rode the Metra train into Chicago and took some pictures.

A few years back over a long Labor Day weekend I got to make a 'quickie' trip to California to rescue my son Charles who had broken his leg while rock climbing at Yosemite National Park. A fast flight through San Francisco and back to Modesto (the closest hospital to Yosemite), then a leisurely drive back to Illinois ( he had his Jeep with him when he was injured) passing through Vegas, Bryce Canyon, Zion, The Rocky Mountains etc. -- the scenic route with Chaz elevating his casted broken leg as I drove -- not a bad trip -- will post pics shortly...

And now that my son Charles and moi have moved to Hawaii and taken up surfing and body boarding I've got more pictures of beautiful scenery to post. Here's one of me body boarding on a very small (wave) day at Intersections, a popular surf spot on the west side of Kauai. The only wave that was 'working' (allowing surfers to 'get barreled') was the inside right that was breaking right onshore. Usually we surf a bit further out. Here are four photos of Charles surfing one wave on that same small inside right break:

The trouble with photos and surfing however, is that there is no one to take the pics when the waves are good, because you and your friends are all surfing *smile* What with traveling back and forth to the mainland, writing my second novel, and surfing I've fallen far behind with my web updating...

Why Hawaii you wonder? Well, I lived on Oahu when I was in my early-twenties, and I fell in love with The People and The Islands. Here in Waimea is where I learned to body surf...of course, I learned in the summer where I merely got bashed by the wicked shore break. As opposed to winter where I would have certainly drowned... The Islands are world renowned for their surfers and their waves. Three time world surfing champion Andy Irons and his brother Bruce are Kauai born and raised. Charles and I were there when Andy (AI) towed-in to that unnamed spot on the west side. (YouTube link) On that day if you didn't have a jet ski teammate to pull you out of the water, the rip current dragged you half a mile down the beach before you could paddle ashore to go back and try again.

I don't know who took this pic, but I do recognize the wave, and there are only a few surfers who ride Jaws. There is a good possibility that the wave rider is Laird Hamilton or one of the Strapt Crew. Laird is a North Shore Oahu local and possibly the greatest big wave surfer ever.

May 1, 2008

Just a quick note - At Pakala's yesterday my son Charles caught the wave of the day, the longest barrel of his life, and when he emerged, the locals who saw it cheered. So you know the ride was primo because the Hawaiians are great surfers, and it takes a lot to impress them. Unfortunately (for photos), everyone was surfing, and no cameras were rolling...

Castle Gate Study Library Ogre's Den Me Me Me Observatory



 
 

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