My Saturday Morning

I love Saturday morning.  It isn't because I don't have to work.  It is because I have a tradition I have been practicing for literally decades now.  It starts at 6:00 am.  I have 30 minutes to prepare and a 20 minute drive.  I start with keys, wallet and sunglasses... might be a Netflix dvd to mail on the way too.

I feed the cat who is the only one awake here on a Saturday morning at 6am.

Then I stumble into the garage and pick out rubber underwear of the appropriate thickness...












Next I select what I think will be the correct tool for the job I will face when the sun comes up enough to see.

... and I stow it in the mini van with a few other essentials like fresh water, towel, a leash, rubber booties and a plastic bin for wet attire.















When I arrive at my destination it may still be kinda dark.  And the tradition starts.... my surf crew gathers for the Horizon Surf Fellowship "pray and surf" session at Tourmaline Canyon Surfing Park in Pacific Beach.

Here, Kelley Lowe and Larry Gordon chat while the boys gather at the picnic area at the east end of the parking lot. 

We circle up and listen to Dave Mills and Chuck Manion offer brief scripture readings from a theme we have been paying attention to.  The rest is simple.  We pray untill we are done praying....  (pictures of prayer omitted in respect)....

Then we surf until we're done surfing.  Eric Stevens suits up here.  I met Eric in seventh grade band.

Mike Wasenar (already suited) encourages Pete Savage to "hit it".  This is NOT difficult.  Mike was in my second grade class at Alcott Elementary next door to where I grew up.

Tourmaline Canyon is a pretty friendly surf spot.  Where else do they GIVE DOUGHNUTS AWAY?!?!?!  Booties are a must these days.  Water is 53-54 degrees. 

When we get cold, we paddle in and "rack em" for the trip home to a warm shower and maybe.... POWER NAPPING !!! 

Men bond by doing something together, then we talk about it, and sometimes exaggerate  LIE about the details. Here Kelley pontificates about his G&S 50th anniversary classic longboard with some of the Tourmaline regulars.

After the stories we laugh at each other and with each other.  Kelley and Pat Patton pose at the Tourmaline surfer's memorial.  This was recently dedicated to the spirit of surfing comraderie at the first designated surfing park in the United States in 1963!!  Many of us have an engraved brick in the foreground.

My surf crew has the added dimension of praying for each other.  We have plenty of problems to go around.  Through divorce, job loss, heart attack, herniated spine, and just plain getting old, my buddies have not ceased to pray for my recovery and well being, and yes, salvation. They are my friends because they are like minded.  They believe as I believe.  The surfer on the plaque is Skip Frye, also in our little "club".

Not infrequently my surfing buddies make me laugh at myself and inspire me to count my blessings..... on Saturday morning.