THURSDAY MORNING: THE PIANO, SURFERS AND SEA LIFE

By Debbie Bulloch



You ask for it, you get it! From Buccaneer Braveheart comes this video clip from the movie THE PIANO. The music is lovely - the piano by the beach is just perfect!



Last Friday, Mary "Mondos" Monks quietly passed away in a nursinghome in Santa Paula, California. So, who is Mary "Mondos" Monks and why do we care?

Before there was Gidget or the Beach Boys, there was Mandos Mary.

Short in stature but big in local surfing folklore, Mary Monks was among the first female surfers to charge Ventura County waves back in the days of wooden boards and wool sweaters. Her love of the waves and outsized personality earned her an honor bestowed to a very few — her favorite surf break was named after her.

June 24, 2009. Ventura County Star

Where I live, surfing is a big-time pursuit. Every day, winter, spring, summer and fall, men, women, boys and girls of every age take to the water, looking for that perfect wave to ride all the way home. Things, however, were not always that way. Back in the "old days" surfing was a sport dominated by mostly young males; young women were often left to sit on the sand, cheering the men on as they tried to outdo each other riding the waves. Mary "Mondos" Monks was among the first female surfers in a sport that had been male-dominated.

For more about Mary, the awesome pioneer surfer, click here: Mary Mondos Monks

MAHALO & ALOHA MARY!

Incidentally, many of the beach and surf photos that I have previously posted here were taken on, or around Mondos Beach.

That's me with my SL surfboards and SL mountain bike!



Finally, here are some pictures from recent afternoon bike rides.

A family of dolphins having fun, including "body surfing."











This poor little guy looks like he was lost and did nto want to go basck into the cold water withoout his mommy - eventually he did return to the water. By the way, this is a California "sea lion" andnot a "seal." For a complete description of "seal lions," and what makes them different from seals, click here: Sea Lion.







Sailing off the Ventura Pier.



And, finally, with the 4th of July coming up, a salute to "Old Glory."



Enjoy!