"MABEL" surf camp #3 2008

photo's coming soon.....bill

My Grandmother left me a roll of silver dollars. One of them was worth $400.00. So I turned this 1894 coin into a 10'7" cruiser longboard. This was its first time out. It has nice graphics and has "MABEL" on the front deck. I'm down here early again thurs. morn., tides are moderate, but lots of Sargasso seaweed, i set up close to the waters edge since the moon is in apogee. Real close to the water, the guests will walk out of the tent 50 feet to the high tide. Fun outside peaks to ride for me this morning, nothing to brag about, but lots of rides. Weather looks to be stable for 4 to 5 days. What a relief for Tide Guide. Camped next to me is a troop of Boy Scouts, Troop 352 from Justin, Texas 14 of them. I spoke to one of the leaders and it was decided that tomorrow after a field trip they are going on to an Air Force Base, they will then come over to my camp, and I'll talk with them about surfing, and I couldn't help it, I am going to get help waxing MABEL. I was going to have my customers do it, but eagle scouts, America doesn't produce anything better. So next day around noon they stop by. This board is really gorgeous and big. I went over to Ted's Boardhouse and bought wax this morning. So the scouts get to earn another merit badge and it is a lot of work for one person, but with a whole troop, no problem. First goes on one bar of base wax. Followed by a whole other bar of "sticky bumps". We have fun talking and the wax looks good. MABEL should be one of the favorite boards in my camp. The scouts leave but a few of them go fishing, FOR SEAGULLS, they tie a Cheetos on the line, throw it into the air, and after a while they have a seagull, i asked them if they used a hook and they said no.
Start getting phone calls from guests in early eve. Trouble finding their way. But here comes, Katy and her Mom Alice, they are tired of being in the car, and after they get settled in surf camp, they walk down the beach to the pier for dinner. Then come Tyler and her Mom Scottie. Later in the evening after the sun went down Katy and Tyler where playing with the sand crabs and Tyler got a good pinch and bloody foot, Her mother was afraid the sharks would get her darling daughter next morning, I said, she should be o.k. but well check her foot again in the morning. Joan arrives and this is her second surf camp and she is glad to be on the beach in surf camp again. Clint arrives, and this is his first surf camp, but not his last as he really got with it. Russel and Bandy arrive, this is Bandy's birthday present, turns out that on Sunday July 13 is her birthday and her surfing instructor ME. I am 56, she is maybe 26. So all is well friday nite great weather for everyone to sit in the beach chairs and look at the stars, Amanda called and she cant make it and has rescheduled for another surf camp later. Sleeping is exceptional, cool really, no bugs.
Well surf camp is on. Sat. Morn. after a great breakfast and lounging in the chairs, we do the safety march and surf talk and seaweed has drifted out, so looks like a good session. MABEL is given to Alice and Katy to share, We found some flowers up in the dunes, Katy has one in her pretty blonde hair, and I take one and wedge it onto a spot on MABEL. Off they go and boy i was right, this board is a winner, Alice is up about on the first try!!!!!! And Katy she is sixteen and light as a feather and no problem she is up!!!!!!! Thanks for the Silver Dollar MABEL. It is not easy out in the line up, we have 3 - 4 foot wind waves with a period of maybe 5 seconds, so you are getting beat up out there, although the water is so warm and enviting and it is a sunny day and it is a sand bottom, every one is having a great time. Russel and Bandy are doing well and getting some rides. Scottie and Tyler haven't had any shark attacks. Clint is a real athlete and he is getting some long rides on the outside break already. Joan is doing o.k. I fear her knees are going to be getting bruised, most women get knobby knees, until they learn to stand.
Some of them do 3 sessions, and as a group we walk down to the Pier for ice cream and out all the way to end of the deck for the view, we saw a tame pelican whom fisherman would toss bait minnows, and to watch this prehistoric thing open its crazy mouth up close was weird. All surfers are starving, I have been feeding them surfer food all day long, coconut, jicama and lime, pineapple, peanuts, papaya, oranges. One of my strategies in this operation is to get them hungy then what ever I feed them for dinner they think I am such a good cook. Because tonite we have Shiskabobs. Sun is getting lower in the sky no one wears a watch generally in surf camp. I begin getting dinner out, and this is a surf camp help out. I spot Tyler and her mother because most everyone else is up at the showers. I say Tyler (she just turned 13) UUUUHHHH, Tyler do you think you could help me shuck some corn. WWWWHHHaaaattttt, shuck this corn, you know peel off the husks. She looks at Scottie like I have rocks in my head. Scottie says, yes, help him. So we shuck 16 ears of corn. Tyler did not like the spoiled kernels on the top of the ear, I explained that if the farmer hadn't sprayed his field with DDT that there would be a worm on the top, instead of a few spoiled kernels. We get it shucked and into a bucket and I says, grab ahold. And I guide us over to the waters edge. She says wWWWWWWHHHHAAAATTTT are we doing, OH, lets fill this up with water, she says thats not water, yes it is, well I am not going in there I just took my shower and I cant get wet. Now I have a 8 year old daughter so this is practice for me. I says, well can we just go out a little ways, your legs wont get wet half way up to your knees. She says no, I says, OH, my shoulder hurts and i cant carry it alone. She says O.K.. But when we got back to the camp she told me she was really in a BBBAAAAADDDDD mood. WWWWWWHHHHHEEEEWWWW, this being a professional surfer has its hazards. We boiled sweet corn on the cob and new potatoes in saltwater and try it, it is excellent.!!!!! You dont need butter or salt, although some said they needed butter. Next build your own Shiskabobs. My friend up in town my butcher over the years now decided i needed in addition to beef sirloin tip, he says, you need chicken and pork tenderloin, i says, O.K. Bandy does not eat pork or beef so my butcher helped out on that one. Plenty of food even though Alice had to take Katy down to the Pier again since she was starved and bought her a hamburger, doesn't look like there is enough room in her tiny waistline for a burger and Surf camp Shiskabobs.

While Kabobobs are grilling us adults get to a little politics and education and health care and it was serious but fun. This is one thing about surf camp, these beach chairs in the shade with the sound of the surf, we get to talk and visit probably one of the better perks of camp. My idea of government education is the three RRR readin rightin rithmatic, anything more than that let em get it in the private sector. For president Jesse Ventura, he is a bonefide surfer, and for health care, preventative maintenance, like how bout universal surf camp.

Excellent meal nice sunset and beach chairs again. While lounging I reclaim my standing with Tyler, she and her mom will be going to Hawaii next year, so I teach her some Hawaiian. This is a fishs name, HUMU HUMU NUKU UKU AU PU AAPA. Then Merry Christmas, MELE KALIKIMAKA.

Next morning Clint and i get a session way outside and Katy made it out also, I give Clint my personal board and he stays out for a long surf. Joan has really gotten some swelling on her knees and has to be careful. Russel is to sunburned to go out this morning. I think he is just happy to have gotten Bandy out on her birthday. So all is well and it was a very fine surf camp..........