no, I didn't go out

waiting on the tide

getting ready in the failing light

essay distraction

LILAC's alter ego over on facebook just inadvertantly introduced me to this band, and I can't stop:



thanks Scott.

hide and seek

It's hard to be inconspicuous when you've a bright green board (that you fall off a lot), bright blond hair and...

boobs. Sisters, where you at?

Sunday 17th October 2010 1pm

Grrrrrrrrr.

new home

not exactly the westside but I'm looking forward to giving it a go...

wanna see wanna see

For Whip:



I got a treat... it's making me feel better about my temporary move to Brighton.

Fish n pud

Yorkshire Pud from Roger Sharp on Vimeo.

I've been watching this video a lot in the last couple of days. We've had some swell too and the boys have been hopping with joy as their favourite reef breaks went off. I mostly watched and did some epic paddles around a smaller wave that I managed to catch ooh umm once. Still once is better than not at all. Then Chris came home and the swell disappeared... we had high hopes for Igor this weekend, but so far no dice.

This is good:
Ceann cropaig (a fishy haggis):
Fresh fish livers (Ling is best)
Oatmeal
Chopped onions
Butter for softening onions
Salt and pepper
A medium sized fish head (Cod is best, but Ling or another round white fish will do).
Clean the fish head well and take out all the gills and associated gunk. Soften the onions in a little butter, chop the livers and mix both with oatmeal, season generously and stuff into the head. Wrap in foil and bake in a hot oven for about half an hour. Serve with boiled tatties. Delicious.

More fishes

I've become a little obsessed with the idea of owning one of these:

I've been dreaming about them, seriously. I'm not sure what tint I want as I think if I decide on that I'll get my credit card out, and I really can't afford it. I dunno if I could even ride the thing. But oh how I want to try.

Last week I was mostly...

catching my tea


going for long walks across the moor, getting eaten my midges, taking cover in ancient beehive houses

and enjoying the apres surf

magic.

Connect four

I had a frustrating evening in the water last week, whilst Chris and lars were catching peaches, bombing down the line, I was stuck, never in the right place and utterly knackered. It knocked my cofindence some, though I tried to be philosphical about it, we all have shite days... Then the swell went and I didn't get out again for a week, til last Thursday. It was smallish and perfect at a particular reef break I've never surfed before and it was total magic. I dunno what changed but I was on it and having a brilliant time as the sun set over the Atlantic, it was busy too, most waves were party waves, but this didn't bother me, I just joined in. So I went back the next day and the next.. and today I surfed a heavy beach break, one I'd never gotten out back at before. It was tricky and rocky and closing out but I got a few and then... I turned, I did an actual turn from going left into the peak, turning and surfing right down the line. Oh. My. God. I am utterly delighted. It seems 4 days in a row have paid off, though doubtless I'll have another shite day soon enough. I'd like 4 weeks of swell now please.

Munro: bagged.

The mainland is good for a few things...



The summit of Ben Wevis, overlooking the bonnie Black Isle, Chris had never climbed the mountain he spent his youth looking at, and it was my first Munro.

Night fishing

Wacky Races

My neighbour...braaaaaawp

First fish

Out in the wee boat we caught some lovely Mackerel and served it up raw...

It's the first time I've caught anything more than a cuddy sea fishing and we were chucking them back as soon as catching them, brilliant.

Sunday swim

Today I went for a (wetsuited) swim.

Not bad eh?

I look at this Island everyday from my kitchen window and have always rather fancied swimming to it, and by the wonder of google maps, lo! tis less distance:

Woohoo! That be my next goal, the currents are wee bit fiestier though, so I'll ask Chris to putt along beside me in the tinker, it should be fun!

Machaired

45 quadrats down, 45 to go.

The joys of being a crap surfer

Learning to surf in your 30s is a humbling experience, but when it's big, banking, steep as fuck and onshore, you can belly in and go back out for more. It may not be surfing but it got me stoked today.

Illicit pleasures?

I'm sat here watching a show on the tellybox whilst trying to ID grasses... BBC4 are doing a wild swimming night and the show I just watched was about Roger Deakin and his book "Waterlog". I read it over christmas and it's become a favourite, I took ages to read it, savouring each chapter, willing it not to end. I was inspired, like the presenter of the programme, to wild swim more often and in more adventurous places, but, like with so many things I mean to do, I haven't been swimming so much. But when I do go, I like to go naked, it just feels better. I'm either in 5mm of neoprene or nothing at all.

Animals

I was reminded earlier that I have never yet seen a Binturong:


But I did see a Pine Marten crossing the road

and this makes me happy.

Indo boarding

Who needs to spend 95quids when you can cobble together a bit of old pipe and some ply...



I made Chris one for his birthday last year:


and this one's for me:


cottage industry? Hmmm maybe not.

Last Saturday

Waves 1(ish):Eagles 3

183

Half a year plus one. 35mph gusting 45mph. July. Really?

So I've strated a new blog, I wasn't very good at keeping up the old one and I feel moved on from where I was when I started that. A fresh new start, thats whats needed here and a blog about different things, a blog about a lazy girl trying to be active.

And so to begin.