Growing Up, from the Rogue's notebook.

     Tide and conditions have an effect on my 'tude. And consequently on the surf sesh. Waves were thigh to waist high or so last week. Crashing pretty damn close to shore though. High tide made it worse. Had to catch 'em just outside the point. Angled to the front or backside. Managed a couple. At best. But, I was there with my surf buddy, and my Wife. Enjoyed a nice post surf meal after. Fuel the machine and all. 

Pretty sure the fins were leaving a trace across the sandy bottom.
Skidding outta the foam, 47th street Break, 7/22/2021.

The following week- joined by TR. Surf compadre come back up from his alligator farm in South Carolina. Well, not really, he raises chickens, but corrals alligators that eat his chickens. Or tries to. Not really, he shoots 'em. Rather at 'em. Actually not TR. His wife. Emptied a whole clip into one. Actually, at one. Never hit it. Ended up paying someone to come out, corral it, and take it away. Busy farm. No wonder he came up to get some surf in. Unfortunately, shorebreak again. This time pretty damn small and petty. We knew how to treat these conditions. Beer. And food. Starting to realize that it is not the surf conditions I face, the place I live, the job I'm in, or the money in my account. It is the people. Wife. Family. Friends. They are all Family. Damn! Think I'm growing up. 

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family:
whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." -J. Howard
Throwin' back a few brews with the Crew tribe at Macky's. 7/29/2021.

     Some adult beverages. Lot of summer IPAs. Or, IPAs this summer. Whatever. These brews made for some serious chill summer sippin.'

New Belgium's 30th Anniversary

brew. Wild Ride. Clear, golden

amber pour. 2-finger foamy,

off-white head. Mild citrus and

berries in the nose. Juicy hops provided

a citrus-pine taste. Nice malt backbone.

Somewhat balanced the bitter aftertaste.

7% ABV. 44 IBUs. Rated a B. 

The Public, DC Brau's flagship Pale

Ale. Poured a burnt orange with a slight

haze. Finger and a half, fizzy eggshell

 head. Tight lacing. Some pine and grape-

fruit aromas, with more of the same in

each taste. 60% ABV. 40 IBUs. Very 

smooth. Nice bitter bite. Rated a B+/A-.

Cult Classic Brewery, the one Eastern

Sho' local of the group. Stevensville, MD.

Equals Beer- a Blood Orange IPA. Not

sure of the difference in blood oranges

vs. oranges. Smelled and tasted of

citrus and orange. Amber-orange pour.

Thin, off-white cap with plenty of lace.

6.3% ABV. 60 IBUs. Had this on the Big

Owl's bayside deck. Not the most

bracing hop finish, but refreshing.

Rated a B/B-.

The Jackalope's favorite. Tropical Diabolical

IPA. Poured a very cloudy orange with a near

white finger thick head. Thin lacing. Loads of

passionfruit, guava, mango, tangerine, and

pineapple in the smells that waft up from the

 cap. More mango, pineapple, tangerine, and

the tell-tale grapefruit with each sip. This

beer put me right back in the lineup with the

sun on my face. 6.66% alcohol, 66.6 IBUs. Great

brew. Been to North Peak Brewing in Traverse

City, MI. Betcha this is badass on tap. 

Rated an A.

Rhythm & Stoke, from the Rogue's notebook.

"Once you you have ridden those waves, they are gone. All that remains is a trace of salt on your skin, a feeling of contentment in your soul, and a story or two." -Shaun Tomson
Zoning into polished combers...smooth thigh-hi that would stay in my head. 47th Street Break, 7/15/2021.

      Warm, breezy night. Consequently, a crowded beachfront. Water around 69F-ish. Clean front-sides. About a half dozen, on and off, in the lineup. Finally, a surf session to get me into a rhythm. One that I could reap the stoke from. Surfed the 47th street break. Right handed peelers where the rocks of the old jetty disappeared into the sand years ago. They still played their magic. Knee. Thigh. A waisty here and there. Little tear-assin' lines all evening. Squeezin' juice outta every other set. Getting wet always puts a smile on my face. To hold it for the entire session, releasing the week's stress, sittin' in the lineup, watching others catch rides, lettin' the ocean wash away life's worries...even for the short term...pure salt intoxication. Carved until the purples and dark blues overcame the orange and reddish-pinks of a vanishing sunset. Surf buzz at it's best. And I didn't need chest to head high waves to get it. Just the rhythm and stoke of the ride.

   Oberon, Bell's Brewery's classic summer Wheat Ale. Amp it up with mango, guava, and passionfruit, and ya got the epic ride called Tropical Oberon. Yeah, ok, a little dramatic. But the hazy, opaque orange pour was blowing up with aromas of mango, papaya, and tart oranges. 2-finger, foamy, off-white head. Taste was loaded with more of the tropical fruits, accompanied by creamy oats and black pepper in the background. At 25 IBUs, there was also a surprising level of dankness in the bitter, but refreshing finish. Very silky smooth going down and the 5.8% alcohol level made it sessionable enough to have a couple or three. Like snagging those juicy waves. Rated an A.

Watertime - Learning To Be Still, from the Rogue's notebook.

Though  the world is torn and shaken...

It's waiting for you to awaken

Someday you will

Learn to be still.

-Eagles, D. Henley

The trail from Widow's Watch canal. St. Martin River, Ocean Pines. 7/13/2021

     July in the blood. Warm weather. Warm water. Work has been stressful. Comin' home during the week, got the Ocean Pines canals. Grab the SUP, go for a paddle. Take advantage of the weekends, need an outlet. The Point fronts the St. Martin River. My neighbor, Big D- always looking for a partner to put some time on the jet skis. Drop the jetboat in, hit the back bays with friends. Fishing to clear the head. Using the watertime. Learning to be still. The stress...lettin' it go.

Literally did a little fishin,'
7/10/2021.

Jimmy Styks SUP of choice...the only choice I have.

Chasin' the St. Martin, 7/11/2021.

Big D's Waverunner awaits.

   Chillin'? Laid back? On the water all week? Need to clear the sinuses of salt water? Had the perfect brew. A brown ale, no less. Imperial Brown Ale actually. Founders Underground Mountain Brown, part of their Barrel-Aged Series. A brown ale I could drink several of...at 11.9% ABV, just not at once. Pours a rich, dark, caramel brown capped by a finger-plus, foamy, tan head. The aroma is full of roasted malts, strong coffee, and chocolate. And for sure, there is no hiding the bourbon notes. With the first swig, the flavors of toffee, chocolate malt, and coffee just explode. Oaky, light tobacco, and pepper tastes in the back. Plenty of boozy bourbon permeated from one swig to the next. But, it was very smooth. 30 IBUs made for a rather clean bitter hop finish. Strong. Robust. If all Browns were like this, I'd change my outlook on 'em. Wanted another. Rated an A.

"I like whiskey, and I like vodka
too. And beer."  -Morgan Wallen

Fun Junk, from the Rogue's notebook.

Sometimes the sludge forces ya into the shallow end. Cutting away from shore. Holidays, 7/7/2021. 

    First hurricane of any potency came up the coast this past week. Churned up the Atlantic a bit, but not much more than thigh (maybe a waist high here and there), semi-clean to chopped chunks to chew on. Hurricane Elsa, or was she Tropical Storm Elsa. Seemed to have a hard time deciding herself as she crossed Florida from the Gulf into the Atlantic and then waddled up the coast like a lost child. Waves broke closer to shore than I liked. Called for quick exits. Water slipped back into the upper 60's. Rubber top back on...if your feel good you play good as Tony DeLuca always said. Couldn't help but get wrapped in the fast closing mush, yet managed to dice up a few rights. Felt like I was shaking some of that pandemic oxidation off. Nuthin' epic, just fun junk.

   Couple of summer 'tweeners from a couple of Great Lakes states. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin's Topsy Turvy brews the mellow Lake Path Blonde Ale. Golden pour with a finger or less foamy white head. Light grassy, smell, some lemon. Tasted of grains, more citrus, and a hoppier bite in the finish (25 IBUs) than most blondes. Good warm weather beer at 4.7%. Nothing fancy, but refreshing. Rated a B-/B.

Big Lake Brewing out of Holland, MI pumps tons of citra and mosaic hops and a boat load of blood oranges into their Blood Orange Haze, a juicy New England IPA. 6% ABV keeps it from being too over the top, with plenty of tropical mango, blood orange rind, and light resin in the aroma. Flavors of more orange, more mango, grapefruit, pine resin, and a trace of bubblegum. Pours a hazy reddish-orange with a thick, foamy, 2-finger khaki head. Bitter, but smooth finish at 20 IBUs. Rated a B+.

"Hurricane Tip- Don't forget that  

your washer can be converted into a

 beer cooler. You're welcome!"

-Diaz

Skimmin', from the Rogue's notebook.

Skatin' and skimmin', makin' a little out of a little. Holiday's on 66th, 6/30/2021.

    South-southwest, near off-shore winds allowed for some level of the Atlantic's face to be shown. Water now kissin' 70F. Air was in the low 80's but with a wicked, sand-blowin' wind. Seemed like the weather  was working obscurely to deter my surf sesh. The current continued to show off a strong drift, in this case to the north. Lotta driftin'. Lotta skimmin'.

    Summertime. Clearly need a summertime brew. Drink local. Berlin's Burley Oak takes pride in it's Sours. Jelly Not Jam, a conditioned tropical sour. Aroma's of mango and yeast, smoothed out with the citrus of lime and pineapple in the flavor. Poured a pale orange with a thin, fizzy head. Got a 4-pack of 16's. Not heavy at all at 4.0 IBUs; very crisp. 4.4% ABV made for a very sessionable beer and so refreshing. Rated a B/B+.

"Ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix."

-Thomas Rhett