Impressions

A typical Australian garden is a lot like the country itself. Unkept, wild, yet still beautiful. At first it seems so chaotic, but once you look a little deeper, there’s so much more to see.

Wipe Out

The blog is back...

This episode: surfing 101

Finding # 1 - gravity sucks.


We went on our first surfing expedition this weekend. The waves were really high, which may not have been a good idea for a first timer. So needless to say, I also had my first crash. My very first time on the board, I was going along really well...then BAM!!! Hello shore. And the waves were a kind called "dumpers" which means they throw you to the shore and you get to feel what it's like to be socks in the washing machine.

I landed on the shore, blind from all the salt in my eyes, but knowing that the I was still attached to the board by the safety cord. I was wondering where the board was, but figured that out quickly when it hit me in the face. My friend Laura was nearby and I could hear her voice as she came to help. Unfortunately for Laura, she was the next victim of the errant board, as it knocked her over like a bowling pin. Apparently it was quite a scene, as once Laura's husband knew I was OK, he was like, "You should have see the board take her out." Anyhow, I won for most dramatic crash of the day.

I did learn that I like using the body board and it may be awhile before I lash myself to a fiberglass projectile.

Another interesting interlude of the day was when a pair of Aussie bikers who had been drinking spiked sodas all morning gave us the advice to "go where the water was" - we were like... but we're at the beach... we fail to see the profoundness of this insight.