Uwharrie Ride by stuwas at Garmin Connect - Details
A nice ride at Uwharrie. Been a couple of years since I have ridden out there. First time on the new Giant XTC. Came home to a flat and immediately bought some new rubber for the mud.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New Year - Reading review
As the new year begins I am reminded of a number of great reads I finished recently. Below are a list of some authors and/or titles you might think about engaging.
Authors:
Robert Kegan - Ammunity to change
Malcolm Gladwell
William Ryan - board development
Lee Childs - just for fun
Peter Bregman
Titles:
Nickled and Dimed
The Hidden Brain
How we decide
Ran across an interesting new/old assessment survey of values named after Robert Hartman called the Hartman Value Profile. Check it out. It seems this is the survey that e-Harmony uses to match people.
Authors:
Robert Kegan - Ammunity to change
Malcolm Gladwell
William Ryan - board development
Lee Childs - just for fun
Peter Bregman
Titles:
Nickled and Dimed
The Hidden Brain
How we decide
Ran across an interesting new/old assessment survey of values named after Robert Hartman called the Hartman Value Profile. Check it out. It seems this is the survey that e-Harmony uses to match people.
Monday, October 25, 2010
CR Close Out
Another great trip diving the big ocean dives. Highlights were the seahorse, the octos and the swim with the Hawksbill. An amazing experience to be sure. I thankfully captured it on video so I'll be swimming with the turtle many more times... without the O2.
This is video of the Hawksbill was shot at about 50 feet off the Guancaste coast near Playa Ocotal. An amazing encounter.
This is video of the Hawksbill was shot at about 50 feet off the Guancaste coast near Playa Ocotal. An amazing encounter.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Bat Island - Big Scare and Black Rock
The ninety minute boat ride was about my limit as I could feel the ocean catching up to me. We were entertained by a school of dolphins and some Pilot whales. Amazing creatures who seem to enjoy the intrusion and interuption of the wake of the boat. They raced ahead of the boat and played in the wake. I was lucky to catch one of the Pilot whales breaching the surface. We dove at Big Scare and Black Rock.
The Bat Island(s) are what are left from what was surely a connected finger of volcanic rock. Connected to the mainland we were very near the Nicaraguan border. A large out cropping several hundred feet tall maybe 2-3 miles off shore. A string of small islands, one of which is the a national park make up these islands. We did our surface interval at the national park where fishing is protected. We saw some heavily armed officers engaging some local poachers. At that point the divemaster and captain thought it best that we move along.
Diving in the big ocean was/is an experience. You begin to understand how small we all are. The bull sharks were out and we enjoyed from a distance their eerie shadows in the murky, turbulent water. About a dozen of these magnificent creatures made their way across our path. We and they kept our respective distance appreciating from afar. Strangely I thought carefully about where I needed to put my knife last night. I wanted to be sure it was readily available from either hand. In case the digits on one hand became part of a meal I wanted to be able to discourage further dining with the other...
We ran into a number of dark green eels. One of the highlights was the encounter with a smallish octopus. Amazing creatures that seem to absorb the ocean floor as they move. They are able to mimic their surroundings which makes them very difficult to see, except when they get angry or are threatened. Apparently we were threatening with our cameras as the animal suddenly flashed and turned white, puffed up and got as big as it could. An amazing display of nature. We moved on having caught some of the display on film.
The trip back was uneventful and was pretty tired from the dive. Went to 91 feet today, the deepest dive of the trip. I was reminded how fast you burn O2 when you're that deep. Makes for short dives.
The Bat Island(s) are what are left from what was surely a connected finger of volcanic rock. Connected to the mainland we were very near the Nicaraguan border. A large out cropping several hundred feet tall maybe 2-3 miles off shore. A string of small islands, one of which is the a national park make up these islands. We did our surface interval at the national park where fishing is protected. We saw some heavily armed officers engaging some local poachers. At that point the divemaster and captain thought it best that we move along.
Diving in the big ocean was/is an experience. You begin to understand how small we all are. The bull sharks were out and we enjoyed from a distance their eerie shadows in the murky, turbulent water. About a dozen of these magnificent creatures made their way across our path. We and they kept our respective distance appreciating from afar. Strangely I thought carefully about where I needed to put my knife last night. I wanted to be sure it was readily available from either hand. In case the digits on one hand became part of a meal I wanted to be able to discourage further dining with the other...
We ran into a number of dark green eels. One of the highlights was the encounter with a smallish octopus. Amazing creatures that seem to absorb the ocean floor as they move. They are able to mimic their surroundings which makes them very difficult to see, except when they get angry or are threatened. Apparently we were threatening with our cameras as the animal suddenly flashed and turned white, puffed up and got as big as it could. An amazing display of nature. We moved on having caught some of the display on film.
The trip back was uneventful and was pretty tired from the dive. Went to 91 feet today, the deepest dive of the trip. I was reminded how fast you burn O2 when you're that deep. Makes for short dives.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Punto Gordo and Shark Shallow
Up early this morning for a run/swim. The howler monkeys were close to the road roaring at me as I jogged past. Kinda creepy as they sit high in the trees above the road. Not moving just watching. Then one, probably the dominant male, lets out a bone chilling roar. You can hear them all across the valley responding in kind. Then in short order they seem to disappear. The howls are like a roosters crow in the morning only with a a Jurassic Parkish feel.
The trip to Bat Island was postponed so we went to a couple of local dive sites. Punto Gordo and Shark Shallow are shallower dives that sported more color and some small critters. Ran across some thick, greeen scary eels and some more tropical looking fish. Blues and yellows were the dominant colors in the fish today when the fish were not six feet long, slithering eels. We ran into a number of eels in 'cleaning stations'. A place between the rocks where they rest and let the little fish clean/eat. They sit still with their fierce mouths open showing all their teeth while hundreds of little fish bounce around and do their cleaning. It's quite a process. The coastline reminds me of the scenery from the opening shots of Jurassic Park. I understand that some of the movie was shot here. No surprise really.
Will snorkel in the bay in front of the 'villa' this afternoon in search of some more pictures.
The trip to Bat Island was postponed so we went to a couple of local dive sites. Punto Gordo and Shark Shallow are shallower dives that sported more color and some small critters. Ran across some thick, greeen scary eels and some more tropical looking fish. Blues and yellows were the dominant colors in the fish today when the fish were not six feet long, slithering eels. We ran into a number of eels in 'cleaning stations'. A place between the rocks where they rest and let the little fish clean/eat. They sit still with their fierce mouths open showing all their teeth while hundreds of little fish bounce around and do their cleaning. It's quite a process. The coastline reminds me of the scenery from the opening shots of Jurassic Park. I understand that some of the movie was shot here. No surprise really.
Will snorkel in the bay in front of the 'villa' this afternoon in search of some more pictures.
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| Sea Spider(?) |
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| Stone Fish |
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Turning Point, Monkey Island and Turtles
Had a great day with some first-ever wildlife. The day started with sightings of humpbacks far off the coastline but within sight of our dining table. About 7AM, sipping coffee I notice plumbs of water shooting up. It was so odd that it didn't hit me immediately. Then... whales!! AHHHHH.... get the camera, run outside, zoom to 12X and see if I can catch 'em. Success. Far in the distance the humps and plumbs are visible.
We loaded gear and people onto the dive boat and headed for the location of the humpbacks with hopes of catching them. Success! Staying beyond the legal distance from the whale and her pup we saw them surface numerous times. Amazing and the day was just getting started.
The early dive at Turning Point found many rays including the stunning black and white spotted, Eagle ray. The second dive took us to Monkey Island. Strong currents and lots of rocks brought in the wildlife and added challenge to air management and bouyancy controls. Managed to run acrosss many well-hidden stone fish of all sizes, a big green eel at a cleaning station and even found a small white tip sleeping in a crack at 25 feet.
The highlight for me was a 3 minute swim with a Hawksbill turtle. About 3 feet in diameter, he and I drifted along the current and I was able to capture some good shots and video. A very exciting day with several first sightings for me.
We loaded gear and people onto the dive boat and headed for the location of the humpbacks with hopes of catching them. Success! Staying beyond the legal distance from the whale and her pup we saw them surface numerous times. Amazing and the day was just getting started.
The early dive at Turning Point found many rays including the stunning black and white spotted, Eagle ray. The second dive took us to Monkey Island. Strong currents and lots of rocks brought in the wildlife and added challenge to air management and bouyancy controls. Managed to run acrosss many well-hidden stone fish of all sizes, a big green eel at a cleaning station and even found a small white tip sleeping in a crack at 25 feet.
The highlight for me was a 3 minute swim with a Hawksbill turtle. About 3 feet in diameter, he and I drifted along the current and I was able to capture some good shots and video. A very exciting day with several first sightings for me.
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| Humpback whale |
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| Hawksbill Turtle |
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| Spotted Eel |
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| Small Whitetip |
Monday, October 18, 2010
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