Jan 1 Polar Bear Swim at Cabrillo Beach

A running log of some of our activities of this year. 2008

Jan
1 Polar Bear Swim at Cabrillo Beach (53 degree water temp)
2-31 Cold month, over 1.5 foot snow, three day loss of power, (generator works fine).
Poor diving conditions.

Feb
8 Dive, Palos Verdes, first lobster of the year (... and only lobster of the year.)

9 King and I @ Performance Riverside, w/Jane and Celeste. Good production.
10 UCLA. Navy Seal Fitness Challenge w/Jane, Erick and Dave Bunch
(500 yard swim, sit ups, push ups, pull ups, 1.5 mile run) We All met the Challenge and earned Shirts.

Bob, Eric, Dave

CEDU show and tell of Rebreather and Night Vision equipment.


A toast to a well earned Shirt... Manning the bow gun.

12 Funeral, Ralph White
14 Peter Pan @ California Theater, w/ Jane
17 Dive, Palos Verdes, w/Jane

March
1   Jane's flower class: Spring Basket
2   Dive cancelled at Palos Verdes, poor conditions w/Jane, Erick, Karen
13 AdvClub w/Jim Kreter, Col. Carrie Hill, Battlefield Surgery
15 Joan Rivers @Geffen Playhouse, UCLA, Happy Birthday from Jane.

     (We were greeted back home to snow in the mountains.)

April
11 Diving Unlimited International (DUI) factory tour with Dick Long, Jane and Bob
Border Field State Park, US-Mexico border at ocean
12 Debbie Fils 50th Birthday, Jane/Bob
13 Sensational Showtunes II, Performance Riverside, (On Stage w/Celeste, Jane, Bob)
19 Death Valley, Death Valley Ranch (Scotty's Castle)

May
1-4 CDA Convention, bob
8     AdvClub, Dick DeMarco, Moray Attack Submarine/China Lake
17   Mountain Warfare Training Challenge. 10K High Altitude Run, w/Erick
             @USMC MWTC, Tolyabe National Forest

                                Camp in Sonora Picnic Area & Swim in Convict Lake

18 Celest Birthday, w/Jane
26 ROCKhounding, Acton & Rosamond CA w/Jane
30 Boating, Overnight on Prime Time, John Walker, Keigh and me
31 Boating/Diving on Prime Time, Sheepshead/Scallops w/ John & Keigh
31 Out with the Girls/Jane/Celeste/Ginna/Bee

June
1 ROCKhounding, Victorville Black Jade/Verd Marble/Hematite w/Jane
14 Put Electric Motor on Scuba Dive Compressor (230 V, 15 A)
19 AdvClub, Don Walsh/Bathyscaphe Trieste. w/Jane,Erick,Karen,Mat
20-22 Catalina, Scuba, Spearfishing, Swimming, Jane & I guests of Keith & Elizabeth
(Thanks for the tanks Dave)
29 Boating, Alamitos Bay, Inflatable w/ Jane (engine died, never got to dive)

July
11 Tear down Quail Coop, Heaps Peak Run
12 Tear down Quail Coop, more Heaps Peak Runs.
13 Boating/Diving, Alamitos Bay, Inflatable w/Jane
        (Long Beach Break Wall, Pile Perch, Rubberlip Perch & 7 Scallops)
        (engine worked fine after replacing the Ignition Control Unit for $100)

14 VACATION, Jane to Florida to visit Celeste
      Quail coop clean up about complete with a little help from Francisco
19 Quail coop clean up Complete. Too many trips to the dump
20 Boating/Diving, Long Beach Breakwall. Scallops Bob (bad vis, engine worked OK)
22 Jane return from Florida
25 San Diego Boat Show, met Howard and Zach, w/Jane
27 Boating/Diving, Long Beach Breakwall. Scallops, Lingcod, Sheepshead, KelpBass, +3 Anchors

29,30 Worked the Catalina Scuba & Snorkel Tours, Snorkel & Scuba Dive -Intro Scuba Dive
           (Jeff,Guermo,Erick,Bunch,Steve,Dan,Megan,Patti,Leiberman,Me)
            Lodging w/ Keith. Jane toured Island and "Sub" tour
            "Wreck" dive with the group.

August
1 House Paint
2 Dump concrete
8,9,10 Catalina on Prime Time w/John and Keith
    "Boys weekend on the boat."
     Sailing/Scuba/Freedive/Spearfishing/Wreck Diving/Rum/Cigars,
       and over 1000 feet of Anchoring under John's tutelage. (Thank you, we needed that.)

15 Redlands Bowl, Swan Lake Ballet w/Orchestra. w/Jane, Celeste, and Karen.
17 Scuba at Dog Beach. Bad visibility, poor conditions, good aerobic surface swim in surf zone.
19 Redlands Bowl, Men of Worth, Maureen Brennan and Kevin Carr. w/Jane and Celeste.
22 Redlands Bowl, "Symphonic Fireworks" Frank Fetta/Zlata Grekov, w/Jane and Celeste.
30 Hard Hat Dive w/California Classic Equipment Divers, Maritime Museum, San Pedro. w/Erick, Karen

September
1   Dive #1 on Star of Scotland. Solo dive for photo and spearfishing. Thank you Patrick Smith.

(Female Sheepshead, and yes that was one of three Black Sea Bass swimming by. Great Dive.)

3 My Aunt Madeline passed away this day.

                    Madeline Perrone      7 June 1916 - 3 September 2008

                                                Thank you for all you have done for me. Miss you, Love Robert.

7 Dive #2 on Star of Scotland. w/Jane (purchased depthsounder to find wreck.)
                                                       WE FOUND WRECK

Inspection bow port bollard on Star of Scotland. Our anchor dropped right on it !
Much game was seen, even the three Giant Black Sea Bass, even though visibility was poor.
13 Bowers Museum/Terra Cotta Warriors w/Jane
14 Dive #3 on Star of Scotland, Found with GPS and Depthsounder
      Came down on the three Black Sea Bass, my three dive buddies.. Poor visibility, good scallops
      Second Dive at MDR Breakwall, seen many fish and bugs.

(Star of Scotland as seen on Hummingbird)
14 Steve Bein Open House
19 Performance Riverside/South Pacific, w/Jane, Celeste, Jeff, Robin, John's Mom
25 AdvClub, Major Tom Griffin, B-25 Pilot, Doolittle Raider, w/Jane, Erick
27 Lobster dive cancelled, truck tire blowout, a second tire blew out 12 hours later
28 Boating/Diving Long Beach break wall. w/Jane.
      Now with 4 new tires we arrived. The outboard spark plugs needed changing, but a beautiful dive was eventually had and delicious scallops were enjoyed.

Champaign Scallops, Jane as the dinghy's figurehead, (pardon water spot), and Scallops in Basil Cream Sauce.
      [Note: We had our first negative experience with Cal Fish and Game of the season. They were arrogant, insulting, tried to put words into our mouths (attempted entrapment), and just plain rude. Or was that their normal "expressing-of-their-authority" behavior. Next time we take names and write letters!]

October
2 Long Beach Boat Show, w/Keith
4 Del Mar, Crossroads of the West, w/Jane, Erick
5 Crestline Home Tour, Jane w/Celeste, Ginna
18 Dive #4 on Star of Scotland, found wreck again, solo dive.
   After a week of Santa Ana winds, great visibility, 50 foot plus! Nikonos dusted off. (ASA 400 print)

(Lots of game fish, over a dozen of Black Sea Bass checking me out, & some scallops for dinner. Yumm!)
19 AdvClub, Night of High Adventure

                Jane & Yours Truly.                               Jane & John Goddard

Robert Silver (nice uniform Marine!)         & with Michele and Robert Williscroft

November
6   Dive/Santa Monica Reef w/Erick. Great dive, good vis, good scallops.
7   Dive #5 on Star of Scotland w/Erick. Vis about 30 feet, dropped hook on Bow, got scallops..
     Pretty Corynactus Anemone, did not see Sea Bass, but did see a large Sheepshead.
     Nice dive.

         Erick at the Cutting Edge (bow),                 Bob at the Port bow Bollard.

California Golden Gorgonian (Muricea californica), Giant (Knobby) Sea Star (Pisaster giganteus)

8 USMC Ball, 3rd Marine Air Wing     see 2008 Ball

15 Bill Handle/KFI, Platinum Cookware Demo/Show
27 Thanksgiving, with all its splendor. Read Treasure Island, put up Christmas Tree
         (cancelled trip north due to weather)
Dec
4   Huntington Library / 15th Anniversary / new ID card for Jane
13 Wicked-Pantages Theater
       Gran Torino - Arclight Cinema
15 Big Snow Fall, more than 3 feet this week, Carpool to work
23 Office Christmas Party/Mission Inn
31 New Years Eve at the Avalon Casino w/ Karen, Erick

                                             Dining and Dancing at the Avalon Casino

      We also had a nice hike on the Island, and a nice New Years Day Swim
      Stayed with Karen/Maggie/Mat

HAPPY NEW YEAR .... 2009

Happy New Year

A New Years Day "Polar Bear" swim at Lovers Cove, Avalon, California.

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