Steel Waves – The Tao Of Surfing

When we were young we thought heaven was dropping-in on the face of a beautiful wave…

At 60 my friend exhibits the same form of his youth: intent, patient, deliberate, aggressive engagement with one of nature’s wonders — the perfect wave. For him it could be a smooth 8 ft right-break in Costa Rica or a rough 2 ft point-break at Pirates Beach on Galveston Island. He engages both with the same devotion to perfection, the same quest for heaven.

Surfing enables us to see beyond through intense physical contact with nature — washing over us, carrying us forward, slapping us silly. It changes how we see.

JBM catching a wave

JBM dropped in

JBM bailing

JBM seagulls

Pirates Beach on Galveston Island – June 2013

Seal Wheels

In 2001 he spent two and a half months in Antarctica on a National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Program grant, returning nine times over the years to work as a research diver. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his Encounters At The End Of The World. In “Seal Pup Goes For A Swim” you’ll experience his virtuosity on the guitar plugged-in to a variety of effects pedals.

Henry Kaiser is a musician, composer, and collaborator with Nels Cline (Wilco), along with many others over a 40 year career in experimental music. An American master of the arts.

Read Henry’s piece on effects pedals in the current issue of Premier Guitar — HERE.

The Price Of Rice

Rice farmers south of here have contracts entitling them to water from Lake Travis. Combine that with a 7yr drought and a whole new world became available for exploration (this  lake-bed is near Spicewood). The water contracts have finally buckled under severe pressure from people who live around the lake. So the view may look very different next year. In the meantime you can hike, camp, … and motorcycle through one of nature’s hidden gems that comes and goes with changes in climate and the evolving business of feeding the human race.

Lake Travis drybed grain

The Dark Knight on drybed of Lake Travis

Motorcycling On the Floor of Lake Travis – May 2013