Thoughts from
San Diego on Law, Politics, and Culture

 
San Diego surf culture
By Tom Smith

Here's a link to a new surfing and climbing blog from San Diego. One of my students is a co-owner. Another surfer, Doug, long time purveyor of superior caffeinated products here at the law school, tells me I should learn to surf. I want to give it a try this summer, though I am doubtful that I will get it. I'm a good skier, but apparently surfing is its own thing, totally. Worth a try, however. In the unlikely event I do pick it up, I may have found a new lifestyle home.
UPDATE: My student is too modest. He's Ross Garrett, expedition surfing pioneer (reg req'd) and former editor of Surfer magazine. None of which he told me, but beware the Google. I'm not going to get my exploits in Outside, unless they do a feature on middle-aged wannabes.

Scroll down to the pic of the big red rattler on theacorn blog. It's a nice shot of the rarer sort of rusty colored rattlesnake we have in the hills around here, including those by my house. A few years back, I was hiking and came across a true monster of this variety. It was easily more than 5 feet long and as thick as my forearm. That year was a good year for snakes. They are out again now, but their numbers have been greatly diminished for several years, based on casual observation. I don't know why--perhaps the ongoing drought, which probably reduces their prey populations, mainly small rodents and rabbits. Out in my neighborhood, some people give their dogs snake aversion training. You take a rattlesnake, tie its mouth shut, put an electronic collar on your dog, and when the dog goes to investigate the snake, you electrocute the cannine. It works. Dog sees snake and runs away, probably thinking it has evil, magical powers. I haven't bothered and so far my dogs have had enough sense to leave snakes alone. I do find partially eaten lizards occasionally, however.
posted by thomas at 4/30/2004 08:39:00 AM