Take The Bump, from the Rogue's notebook.

Eying to cut into the wall, plaining across the shallows. 47th Street break, 8/26/2021.

     Labor Day weekend comin' up. 2nd season on it's way. Small summer swell still plaquing the OC coast. Fact was, most of the week was calling out near-flat surf. The past Wednesday called for a small bump in wave action with some knee-hi's rollin' in. Did not complain. Water continued to be around 75...76F. Low tide, with little to no current. Gettin' wet, and gettin' rides. I'll take the bump in surf.

     Jupiter, Florida...a true surf mecca near Palm Beach. A newbie brewery...Civil Society Brewing Company. Beachfront Property IPA. Supremely hazy golden orange pour. Near 2-finger, dense, white head. Aromas of citrus and apricots. More apricots, mango, and grapefruit in the taste. Juicy hops, light pine. Maybe 50-ish IBUs. Really liked this one. Refreshing brew after a refreshing, albeit mini surf. At 7.3% ABV, the first gave the right amount of bump. Rated an A. I'll take the bump.

"The hard part about being a bartender

is figuring out who is drunk and who is

just stupid."  -Richard Braunstein

Time to wrap the leash, 8/26/2021.

Eye On The Sand, from the Rogue's notebook.

And you know its only right cause it feels like paradise

I know nothing is for free cause your disease is killing me  -Saliva

Shorebreak, the OC's summer surf disease. Holidays and 65th, 8/19/2021

                                            Water's plenty warm; mid-70sF. Waves about thigh-hi. Pounding the 

shore. Spent most of the time with one eye on the incoming, and the other on the sand. Tough sesh, but always good getting immersed in the salted.

     Speaking of salted, a Blueberry Lemonade Gose was on tap for this post. Witches Hat Brewing came up with this tasty salted sour ale. Poured a hazy reddish-purple with a thin off-white head. Aromas of lemon zest, blueberries, malty wheat, and salt. Fruited tang in the flavors, plenty more of the blueberry-citrus. Light hop bitterness balanced with a crackery, peppery, sea salt brine finish. Rated this one a B/B+. Solid, refreshing beer.

"You're like a cold beer, darling,

on long hot summer night." 

-Rod Stewart

Don't Blink, from the Rogue's notebook.

View from below...Chesy in all her glory. Chesapeake Bay Bridge, 8/13/2021.

So I've been trying to slow it down
I've been trying to take it in
In this 'here today, gone tomorrow' world we're living in
-Kenny Chesney

    No one lets it go. Ya turn Six-oh and it is constantly in your face. My brothers decided to do a camp-out. Eatin'. Drinkin'. Boatin'. A get together. Made camp at Duck Neck in Chestertown. Cruised the Chester River in search of Brits. Didn't find any Brits, but did make refueling stops along the way (for marine petrol too). Been through a lot growing up together. Life changes, good and bad. Family ties and celebrations. Divorces. Marriages. Over the past weekend, over excellent food and drink, we reminisced, discussed, obsessed, argued, advised, annoyed, and overall enjoyed hangin' out. Four brothers, lookin' back while lookin' forward. Each slippin' into the 2nd half of his Journey. Separate, but together. The first half had flown by. Don't blink.

Home base.

Milford, DE's Mispillion River

Brewing brought Not Today

Satan IPA. Cloudy amber pour

with a thin, beige head. Strong

malt backbone behind a piney,

citrus, spicy hop pop in the

mouth. Birthday dinner with

 the Wife. 7.3% ABV, 55 IBUs. 

Rated a B+.

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all
Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of them dream, most of them dream...
Schooner Sultana in Chestertown Harbor.

…Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late

The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder

I'm an over-fifty victim of fate

Arriving too late, arriving too late. -J. Buffett

Pirates of the Chester...sorta.

Rockin' the Chesapeake!

                                         

Sunset on the Chester.

Last day cruisin.' Chester River, 8/14/2021.

Fisherman's Inn, Kent Narrows, MD.

A new brewery on the list.

Lancaster Brewing outta PA.

Blood Orange Tart Ale. A tart

Wheat Ale brewed with blood

oranges, and Pink Himalayan

Salt. Lite orange pour. Finger

thick fizzy, white head. Aromas

of oranges and brine. Tart, 

orange-citrus flavor, some

lime, a hint of salt. Gift from

my Daughter. 4.9% ABV,

6 IBUs. Refreshing warm

weather brew. Rated a B. 

The Sandbar at Rolph's Marina, Chestertown, MD.

Well give your ID card to the border guard

Yeah, your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Of the United Federation of Planets

'Cause he won't speak English anyway

-Banditos, The Refreshments

Don't blink...

Hittin' Sixty, from the Rogue's notebook.

Prepping for the 48th Annual White Marlin Open. Sunset Marina, 8/1/2021.

"As it jumped up," he remembers, "I looked at it and thought,

'that's a winner.' I had crazy thoughts that no one would

believe this- me hooking the winner in the last hour of the

last day of fishing." And then he had an even crazier thought.

"I thought, 'White marlin, you've been good to me,'" Jim

Motsko says. "And I let him go. In my heart, I knew it was a

big fish, probably a winner. But I wasn't going to kill the fish.

White marlin have been too good to me." -the Baltimore Sun

     I had told the wife, "no surprises, no party." Did she listen? F#*k no! Never wanna lose her, lemme tell ya! Had the WMO goin' on. She brought in just about all the family...kids, grandkids, Corcoran's. Weather was back and forth during the week, between rain and sun. But still put in water time. Tubin'. Boatin'. Surfin'. And plenty of eatin' out and at home. Chicken, brats, burgers, beer, and yes...steamed crabs! Not a bad start to hittin' sixty.

At 561lbs.,2nd place...first
Blue Marlin caught.

Once in a lifetime!

White Marlin Open Grand Prize Winners
Last hour of the last day, 8/6/2021 - $3.2mil

DuClaw Brewing's PastryArchy

Root Beer Float. An imperial Brown.

Bro In-Law brought this one in.

Ruby-brown pour with a big,

2-finger, tan head. Aromas of

vanilla and nuts. Some sassafrass.

Definite root beer. Tasted sweet, 

with some cocoa and pepper. No

root beer taste. Finish reflected more

bitterness than the 39 IBUs shown.

8.7% ABV made for slow sippin. 

Rated a B-.

Lazy Lizard dinner, 8/6/2021.

Maryland's finest Blues.

Birthday Crab Feast - all family, all day. 8/7/2021

An IPA brewed with Salt Water

Taffy. Dolle's Salt Water Taffy at

that. OC Summer in a bottle. 

Thin white head capped a

hazy, gold pour. Lemon, vanilla,

 and grass in the scent. Grassy 

flavors with a malt backbone. 

Juicy hops -mild bitterness at 

30 IBUs. 7.6% ABV made it robust.

Solid brew. Rated a B. 

Holiday's, 8/8/2021.

Stoked gift- In-Law surf, 8/8/2021.