A GAME OF LOVE--SHARING THE BIG BLUE and BAN FOOTBALL?

STRANGENESS ON THE COURT

   Cambria Tennis Club play cancelled Monday because of strangeness on the courts. Locals haven't seen this substance for quite a while. Measurable rain in September! Remnants of a tropical storm delivering a small gift and we hope a signal of the rainy season which begins next month.

    Glad to give up play for rain and oh how we hope some of this rain gets to the tragic fires burning upstate.

     A Game of Love

   In case you missed it, a real life fairy tail played out at the US Open Tennis Championship this weekend. Flavia Pennetta, ranked 26th defeated her life long friend and unranked player Roberta Vinci. That's the stat. As Chrissie Evert said, she's never seen such a happy scene after a match. Vinci came out of nowhere to upset the famed number 1, Serena Williams to get to the finals.

    The charismatic and charming Italian women, roommates when they were young, wowed the tennis world with enthusiasm and delight. Upon being presented the US Open Trophy, Flavia announced that a month ago she had decided to retire at age 34.  

     It was her first major championship and she is the oldest US Open Winner. You can't make up a better story line. Hope you can get a chance to see video of Vinci and Penetta in the trophy presentation. Their smiles and antics will make you smile.

     On the men's side the #1 Novak Djokovic beat #2 Roger Federer. I'm a fan of both men, but had hoped the 34 year old Fed could manage another win. He's won 5 but still plays with a grace and elegance that is unmatched.  Even Djokovic said he's the greatest player of all time.

HEADS UP

    We victims of traumatic brain injury pay close attention to the latest research on details of legacy affects. In the last couple of years we all have duly begun to pay attention the tragedy being inflicted on football players after years of serial concussions.

     A good friend and one of the more studied and wise people I know says as "anti-American" as it may seem, it is time to outlaw football, until and unless it can be proved that new helmets and rules can prevent what is now common place-serial concussions and the damage they extract. 

    A couple of high profile NFL suicides has further opened the door on what is one of those obvious issues hiding in plain view. By the time a kid has played junior league, high school and college football, he has rattled his brain thousands of times. 
     Will Smith stars in an upcoming film the NFL would like to see go away. We are told the story line has been tweaked a bit to soften the blow, but Concussion is on path to create a new public awareness-long overdue.

SUMMER COVE

sharing the water

   One of the many Humpback Whales that have summered near the shore from Cambria to San Simeon.

         Sea Otters have become cohabitants as well.

     Tourists have taken to the San Simeon Cove too, sans wet suits.  More evidence of the warmer than normal currents.

   See you down the trail.

SCREAMIN' DEACON

EYES THAT SCREAM

   Begin with a highly functioning, multi tasking adrenaline junkie and retire him. In that is an opportunity to create a "vacuuming zealot."
    In earlier times one might say he is afflicted with a "work ethic," a need to fill time with productive effort. In this case turning into a dirt warrior, a "vacuuming zealot." 
    Such a zealot is apt to find personality in the attachments employed in what is nothing less than a wholesale war on dirt, dust, pollen and that unidentified sifting, cosmic "pre-nano matter." So serious is the zealot he employs  what is called "The Animal." 
    One of the weapon systems on the Animal is the "Screamin' Deacon."  The Deacon is the business end of an attachment that moves the eradication work from the Animal's battle wagon ground game to a mobile and remote light infantry strike.
    Behold the array that gives the Animal a robot cat look.

   Here's the battle zone. 15 steps.

   Each of the 15 platforms has two faces. It's a highly trafficked area and requires a warrior like the Screamin' Deacon in a series of strokes applied on two planes.

Tough bristles as eyelashes. Well honed eyeballs, strongly mounted. 

  When it is engaged, it screams in a mechanical wail that may frighten the demon dirt before it grabs and brushes it out in a jet speed whirl backed by a major vacuum action. 
  The eyes of the Screamin' Deacon are those of a true zealot machine in high speed pursuit.

LABOR

   And so, hats off to all of you.  Whether still laboring in profession, career, job or school or a graduate of the work-a-day world now filling days in other pursuits, here's to you! Effort, industry, creativity, volunteering, recovering, healing, dreaming, mentoring or even cleaning your house is a noble human gesture. That's my philosophy and I'm sticking with it.  Cheers.

   PS-keep your fingers well away from the Screamin' Deacon!

    See you down the trail.

AMERICANA

HOME TOWN SPECIAL

Cambria's Pinedorado Parade

   The 67th Cambria Pinedorado parade is led off, as always, by the Calliope. 

    Tucked between the Pacific and the Santa Lucia mountains Cambria's main street from East Village to West Village  takes its place as a stage for homegrown Americana. 

     Looking north, the parade leaves the East Village and heads toward West village.

   Above the Slabtown Rollers, a crowd favorite, pause to serenade the viewers, led by Greg Stone and watched carefully by one of the youngest spectators.

  The young spectator is also taken with the Model A's.

  Those of us who are more senior were impressed with what could be one of the earliest versions of the California Woody.

 A couple of pals, John Angel and Reggie Perkins join other WW II vets.

 It's the kind of parade where one of the favorite local bands  takes a spot.

 And where a local councilwoman becomes a cat lady to sing for the homeless animal rescue shelter (HART)

  The high school football team and cheerleaders take a position

  The Dancersize class was a crowd favorite.

  Even the Farmer's Market grew a float.

  And as always the last position is the Calliope. 

   See you down the trail.

A MIRACLE and FREAKY NATURE

BIG BLUE

    A scientist who has studied Monterey Bay for 50 years says he doesn't know if he should be more worried than fascinated.  He was on KQED and the BBC's extraordinary live series Big Blue and was referring to the absolutely freaky and unprecedented events in the bay this summer.

    Birds that have never been this far north are roosting, Orcas and Humpbacks defining who's in control of a part of the bay, Dolphin behaving in skittish ways, great white sharks in unprecedented number, anomalies in harbor seal behavior, more otters being attacked by great whites and ocean water that is at least 5 degrees warmer than normal.

     The scientists are a bit stunned. It's a laboratory full of new behavior and experiences, but the down side is what it all means. Some of those options do not bode well.

     In addition to the warmer water there is also the Blob, a mass of even warmer water. Combine that with the predictions of an historic El Nino, the west coast is entering new territory. Mother Nature always has the last word.

MIRACLE IN KINGS CANYON

   It's being called a "miracle rescue."  62 year old Miyuki Harwood spent nine days clinging to life in the massive and rough Kings Canyon wilderness.

   King's Canyon is one of our favorite spots in the Sierra, but it gives me chills to think of Harwood's ordeal.  She separated from her hiking party. In attempting to get back she fractured her leg.  

  She spent two days crawling to a stream where she stayed, drinking water she filtered in her bottle. She survived the cold nights, avoided bears, mountain lions, coyote and snakes. The area is treacherous, rocky and dense and the idea of dragging yourself with a shattered leg to nestle near a creek bed is staggering.

   Harwood is not a big woman. A computer specialist she is an experienced hiker and clearly had a survival instinct. Teams of rescuers were hampered by a fire that was burning nearby limiting access and visibility. After nine days she heard rescuers and blew a whistle she carried, as all hikers should. She was rescued just in time. She is reported to be in stable condition and recovering.

   It maybe the 21st century, but it is still the wild west out here. Wilder than we understand, and maybe on the verge of getting even more so.

   See you down the trail.