Surf until you see Venus

After a hiatus from the estate I return refreshed, recharged and more appreciative of being able to work here. The pay i$ less than my other job but it is much less demanding. Today I topped up the leaky pool while practicing yoga and tai chi in the yoga studio. Then it is time to start making my way thru the check list: charging up lanterns, turning the compost toilet around, placing dear guest letters on the beds which has all the rules that no one ever reads (when you tell them the rule they look at you with a blank face, grovel or make some lame excuse), tighten the rope which acts as a hand rail down the the canyon cottage, take a drive in Bill's slate blue volvo into town to get 440 pounds of salt and 48 rolls of toilet paper. Later in the afternoon: take off all the plastic windows on the porch, the amrita yurt and the vista yurt, run an extension cord thru some beams for the outside lights. Somehow this all takes over 6 hours.

Yesterday I was doing the carpentry gig with Highlove and guy. Running the grinder all morning and then patching dry wall, pushing a broom and putting away all the tools. In comparison, working here is much easier. The one thing is the pay difference. Carpentry pays more. It is nice to work for different folks. Erica is the bookkeepper for both the jobs I am working. She says I am an independent contractor and am basically a company. This comes in handy during tax time she says.

The one thing nagging at me all day was: "Gotta surf, gotta surf, gotta surf..." Sunday was my last surf sesh and man, I was jonesing for some salty water. Finally, at 5:25 PM, I manage to escape the estate in Skip's mellow yellow creamy Toyota pick up with the twisted bumpers and broken lights with my 8 foot fun board sticking out of the rear of the camper in its silver case. There is more traffic in the other direction and I am at the beach in no time. There are several open spaces in the first parking lot so I know that the waves will not be charging. Sure enough, it looks all junky out there. Crazy wind swell waves, disorganized, knee high. Surprisingly, there are surfers out there; couple boogies too. No hesitation, I don my rash guard,wetsuit and booties and then I am out there. They are a little bigger out here then I expected, the sun has about an hour before the horizon will get in the way of its light - at least from our perspective.

The ocean wave dealer deals me a wave immediately, it is a 4 of clubs, I paddle for it, a short boarder paddles in front of me, lets out a groan of fear, I ignore him, dodge him, catch it, stand up and enjoy a quick ride before turning, laying back on the board and paddling back to the zone. I end up caching around 5 waves, surfing until we spin away from the sunshine, into darkness, sliver of moon can be seen with the white spec of Venus above it. Catch a wave and paddle in.

Highlove calls while I put on some clothes in the darkening parking lot. I meet him for dinner at Nature's Grill.