Calm Before The Storm?, session notes from the Rogue.

"In the ocean, a year dissolves like a streak of foam." Thad Ziolkowski, On A Wave.
August half baked. Knee-hi fly-bys fronting Holidays, 8/16/2018.

Rodeways break served up low power, close to shore thigh-hi's.
8/23/2018

 











   Summer past it's peak. Always considered July 4th the beginning of the end of summer. Make the most between then and mid-August, cause it goes serious after that. Football camp openin' up (remember them days). Hurricane season (which begins in July) starts to churn.  Always felt the difference then. Still feel it now. As of late, we've had a real heat spell goin' on. Determined humidity. That take your breath away kinda $hit. Surf's been near horizontal thanks to the low pressure system. But, regardless of the calm, it's comin'. I can still feel the change.

Ol' surf pal TR joined me mid-month at Holidays. Even back surgery
couldn't keep this true Iron-man outta the water. 8/16/2018.

   Parsonsburg's Tall Tales Brewing. Ain't been there for a while, but my recent visit yielded favorable results as I found they have shown much improvement in both selection and quality. They've even dabbled in sours. Mango Fett. A Passion Fruit-Mango Sour Ale. Part  of their "Liquid Denial" series. Picked up a sixer for the wife...and me. Poured a pale, straw yellow with a thin, fast dissipating head. Light lacing that merged with the fizzy carbonation. Heavy scent of the passion fruit. The puckering mango really came out in the flavor. Nice, sour, tartness on the back-end tang. My wife is more the lover of sours than I am, but I actually liked this one better than her. Rated a B.

"We'll have to try something
more subtle this time."

-Jango Fett

Alex Smith...hope of the 'Skins despite an uneventful preseason camp.

The Big Blue, session notes from the Rogue.

The Lineup - post Day 1 sesh. 8/6/2018

   Busy couple of weeks. Fishing tournaments, daytrips, surf, beer, and whatnot. Summer has been melting into peak island time...literally. Humidity, surprise thunderstorms, so so wave action...the heat tends to mitigate and/or chop-up the conditions. And hurricane season has been quiet so far. However, there are some big varmints that still roam the Right Coast. It's been a few years since I've seen a good size Blue Marlin brought in during the White Marlin Open. Day 1, this year...881 pounds. A big bitch. This...this fish, was humongoleous. And considering that this tournament had a total payout of $5.45 million, the nominal $925K payout for the apt named Auspicious was prototypical of this contest that touts the White Marlin as the true heavyweight when it comes to the ultimate prize. Consider the winning White brought in by Weldor's Ark at 83 lbs., won the record payout of almost $2.6 mil! Regardless, the big Blue was one impressive billfish. Did Registration Day and Day 1. Great time. Excellent "off the boat" tuna steaks. Cold beer. Good people. Everyone in good spirits, with good spirits in 'em. Always look forward to the WMO.

Auspicious weigh-in. At 881 lbs., the one and only Big Blue of the
 tournament was lookin' like a winner.

WAHooo!

Big Bull Mahi.

Whitey! What it's all about.

Winning White Marlin

Fin City's session IPA...

Weedline had a golden

pour, aromas of grass

and citrus. Tasted of

grapefruit and peach.

4.2% ABV, 42 IBUs. 

B- rating.

   Surf during this time has been slow. Weak swell. No push. Harder to get in position. More work to pump out every last drop of any ride. Waves seem to be in "lazy summer" mode. Heat gets to everyone. Even big blue Mother Ocean gets a little green. Still find time to get wet. Never enough, but always appreciated.

Summertime in the flats. Knee-high skimmers northside of Rodeways and 30th, 8/8/2018.

Gray Wolf Distilling 

produces one of the

 best craft vodkas out

 there. Poured clean. 

Light malty sweetness.

Added a twist of lime. 

80 Proof, 40 % ABV. 

Rated an A.

   Wife and I did a day-trip on my birthday. A Lewes (DE) brew tour. Checked out the town as my Wife had never been, and both of us were itchin' to check out the breweries. In fact, first stop was Big Oyster Brewery off Kings Highway.

Sour and IPA flights. My favorite...

Shakalaka. DIPA that weighed in

at 8.4% ABV.  Poured a cloudy

amber-orange. Approx. 80+ IBU

Big grapefruit flavor. Aromas of

pineapple and pine Rated an A-.

   This brewery actually started as the brewing segment of Fins Ale House in Rehoboth and finally evolved into it's own entity about a year ago. In a barnhouse style building, sat at the bar with an open glass view of the brew works and near 20 of their own brews on tap. The selection of brews were only surpassed by the menu. Any menu with wings, oysters, and beer usually finds its way to the A-lister. Finished lunch, perused through town, checked out the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, and scouted out the back roads of Lewes.

Cape May-Lewes Ferry coming to port.

Lewes intercoastal, the Broadkill. 8/11/2018

Seahawk on guard. 

Coastal Osprey 
stare down.

   Town was founded 'round about 1631. Quiet even ba ck then. Raised a little hell during the War of 1812 as the town folk refused entry to the British. British got pissed, bombarded the town. Town fired back. British left. The Big Blue has an extensive hold on this region as well. Watermen and the seafood industry make up a big part of the lifestyle.

Above/right: 1812 survivor...
Lewes Cannonball House.

   Final stop as we left town was Crooked Hammock Brewery. Like a backyard cookout with perfectly crooked brews. Everyday. Liked it. Did the bar again. Had a husband-wife biker duo playin' music. Actually pretty good. About ten brews on tap. Food was less seafood, more bar food/grill (i.e. BBQ) food. Didn't really do the menu as much.Very casual. See a return trip in our future. Enjoyed the day. It's been a good summer. For that, we are thankful.

Crooked Hammock's

Actively Fishing Pilsner. 

Hazy gold pour. Bready 

aroma. Rich malt balanced

with herbal spice and

lemon-lime citrus. 

5.5% ABV. 22 IBUs.

Rated a B-.

Let Go, session notes from the Rogue.

"I will always paddle back out." -Shaun Tomson
Rough night, but the perseverance paid off. Fast, thigh-high juicer. Castles on 38th, 8/2/2018.

   Not the greatest week in surf conditions. Knee highs. Some thigh highs. Very few waist highs. Lost power fast. Tide coming in fast. Evening was a jagged one. Semi-chop to a shit stir, with a strong northern current. Didn't care. Long work week, and nothing helps dissipate that stress as much as a good surf. Water still a comfortable 76F. Nice relief from the humid conditions as of late. Grateful for the Atlantic. Thankful for the number of anti-anxiety trips the fickle swell provided. Able to just let go.

Early on anxiety. 

Reaching in for any 

relief available.

   When I think of summer brews Alaskan Brewing Company does not often come to mind, but in the spirit of adventure this Double IPA came to pass. Adventure into the far north to check out the Aurora Borealis, or at the very least the Alaskan Brewing taproom. Adventure into the ocean, catch a ride and let go. Adventure into the fridge and grab a SMaSH. Cloudy deep orange pour with a finger and a half, off-white head. Thin, sticky lacing. Aromas of pine, tangerine, and melon. Slightly malt forward in taste. Sweet, juicy grapefruit and resinous, bitter hops followed. Copious amounts of hops that really smashed ya in the mouth. Come on! Throw me another! Rated it an A.         

No Borealis, but we got our unbeatable sunsets. Lookout Point, Ocean Pines.