DIM DAYLIGHT AT THE EDGE

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In the dim daylight at the edge of darkest Mordor, a journey seasoned Frodo
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and his ever faithful companion Samwise
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press forth into the lawless land of the All Seeing Eye,
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and unruly Prone Orcs...
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Battle weary, yet not given up, Frodo is forced to leave his trusty Samwise behind and chance his fate that the cunning Gollum
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will help him sneak through
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the tight, overlooked, murky crags to the heart of hearts where he must forever rid this world of its precious.
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GEMOLOGIST UPDATE

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I happened to cross paths with The Gemologist today as I was suited up and walking from my car to the beach. I asked him about the rattler (as pictured in last week's photo above).
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Dr. Robert's haunch was correct... Gem said he was taming and keeping it as a pet. Believe it, or not, he also said he was starting to be able to casually handle the rattler without a tight hold on it's head.
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Unfortunately, a few days ago Gem spent five minutes too long scavenging (scavenging was his word) on some discarded food left at a table outside of a Starbucks. A cop showed up and gave him the shake down. Animal Control was called to the scene when the cop discovered the rattler. According to Gem, the A.C. officer killed the snake right then and there.
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Whether Gem was right or wrong in trying to tame and keep a rattler captive, one thing was for certain while rapping with him today— he was bummed about the unnecessary killing of it.
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Though bummed he still expressed optimism in his personality, and the last thing he said to me was, "Don't get burned brother, I can see you've got a lot of sunblock on."
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Keep on Truckin' Gem!
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DARK ARTS II

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MICROSCOPIC BLACK HULL FEARED TO GROW AND DEVOUR EARTH!!!!
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Illustrated:
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Segment 1 of 4 part interview with Physicist Walter L. Wagner:
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Click here for wormhole to news story.
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SPARKLING INDICATIONS

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My young daughter's pin-wheel strategically propped interior of westward window. She loves it for the sparkles. I love it as a wind indicator.
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Dawn: Go
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Noon: Maybe
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Afternoon: No
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Evening: Go
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Have to admit, I'm a sucker for the sparkles too.
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DARK ARTS

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This morning's pre-dawn alchemy and "The Black Hull".
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5'8" • 18.1/4" • 21.1/4" • 16.1/4" • 2.5/8" (PU). Shaped September 2007 in collaboration with Jeff Beck (outline & rocker drawn up by the two of us, rocker planed by Jeff, then foiled by me), and glassed at Line Up Glassin'.
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Over the year it has proven to be a lot of fun in grindy, little, low tide waves. Ridden this morn with the modified 10"N GL-Flex fin.
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MAN OF RICHES (So.Cal Hunter/Gatherer)

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While checking the waves this morning... Had the pleasure of hanging out with this dude that was camped out on the beach with his bike rig and board. In his usual circles he's known as "The Gemologist". He was easy to talk to and had an air of confidence and comfort for his lifestyle on the periphery.
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He rides an average of 50-60 miles a day (his longest in a day being 170 miles) and hunts/gathers things along the way. He was happy to take the time to show me the spoils of yesterday's ride:
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Dead crow and caged live tarantula hanging from his rig.
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The large crow feathers will be plucked and affixed to a strip of leather that he'll wear as a mohawk-like headdress.
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Didn't catch what his plans were for the dead humming bird he found.
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He pulled out a t-shirt tied shut at both ends and asked if I'd like to see the live rattlesnake he captured on a 2:30am hunt in Carbon Canyon yesterday.
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The Gemologist admitted to having more gums than teeth behind his mustache, but that he still had plenty of luck with the ladies— lady charmin' abs!
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A quick pack up and ready to start the new day's ride, he said, "As long as I keep moving, I'm usually always 5 minutes ahead of the cops."
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Keep on Truckin' Gem!
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PATIENCE IS A CORNER

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A lot of closed out walls at this spot this morn...
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...But with only a few people in the water there were enough corners to go around. "Back to school" delivers, as the two sequences below show:
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BINGE & PURGE

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