Nightglow Window

A Day In Three Acts

Scene One: The Turf War.
We live in a peaceful neighborhood, so when a raucous turf war erupts between two rival gangs this morning, I have to get involved.

A pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks have taken up residence in a eucalyptus tree just up the slope from my house. This morning a flock of about twenty ravens is buzzing this tree, flashing their gang signs, showing their colors, cawing most obnoxiously.

No clue what they're after. I don't think it's nesting season.

Ravens are common here in the fall, but with the sky all sunny blue, their sudden appearance is creepy. The hawks think so too, as they ceeeek! ceeek! ceeeeek! back at the interlopers in their most agitated voices.

This shouting match continues for twenty minutes as I watch from the backyard. Finally I pick up two large river rocks and slam them together. The raven flock erupts in flight. The hawks remain on their branch, the neighborhood suddenly silent.

Score one for the man.

(But not for long, apparently. The ravens are back as I write this, out of sight, but present in their cawing.)


Scene Two: A Plague Of Cigarette Butts!
Today is the California Coastal Cleanup Day, a gigantic enormous volunteer effort that includes 700 sites and a whopping 50,000 volunteers -- good enough for an entry into the Guinness World Records I'm told, right up next to Al Gliniecki who tied into knots 39 cherry stems in three minutes using his tongue.

Most wonderous.

San Diego Girl Scout Troop 1400 does its part down at Frazee Beach, and I pull on ye olde protective latex glove and pitch in.

The beach here is in pretty good shape, but there are pockets of rubbish in the bamboo and lots and lots of cigarette butts if you look close enough. In fact, the closer you look, the more you find. A plague of butts upon your houses!

Vote yes on Prop 84 in November and hopefully days like this will be less necessary.


Troop 1400 represents!


The surf was good in Carlsbad this morning during the cleanup.



In 60 minutes I had about a 100 handfuls like this.

Scene Three: Live From Trestles
The Association Of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour came to Trestles this week, its only Mainland U.S.A. stop, and I made the long trek down to the contest site today.

What a show! Here's an important bit about me: I'm fascinated by the story behind the story. The contest is sponsored by Boost Mobile and Hurley and they've pulled out all the stops: huge TV production truck, TV cameras galore, big-dish truck beaming the contest via satellite, multi-level scaffoldings where guests scarf on salmon and shrimp while huge flat-screen TVs display the action.

The view is great up in the media center, where I hang with Casey Koteen while Ben Marcus, Joel Patterson, and others slog away on laptops, documenting the action. Luke Wilson is lurking behind us. "Hey, don't I know you?"

The surf is pretty good too, with an increasing wind making the conditions a bit dodgy by day's end. Darkhorse Bede Durbidge upset seven-time world champ Kelly Slater in the finals -- a shocker! But what Boost was willing to spend on this event was the real head turner for me.


Slater (in white hat and blue jersey) survives the media blizzard after the quarterfinals. There's Joel in the dark grey shirt poaching the interview.


The Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Hurley contest site.


Seven-time world champ Kelly Slater ruled the early rounds, but ended up second in the contest. He's still atop the rankings however.