Long time friend and dive buddy, John, shares this photo of himself taken while visiting the pyramids in Egypt. I’ll bet you thought they were bigger…

Instead of military aircraft in this week’s fly-by, we’re featuring my friend and dive buddy, Mike, and his Socata TB20 Trinidad. (Wife Michele refers to it as “his beloved”.)

I’ve traveled with Mike and Michele to many of the most exotic dive destinations in the world and, besides a love of world class underwater adventure, we share an affinity for general aviation. Michele shares this photo and cockpit video of Mike and the TB20 in flight.

Suggestion: If you have the bandwidth, move your cursor to the triangle at bottom right and select HQ (high quality) viewing.

“Lights please…

‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’

That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” - Linus Van Pelt

I’d deliver this shameless solicitation in a plain brown wrapper if I knew enough code to wrap it. I don’t, so…

Weakly Web Wit is a free email subscription “researched and produced, then dragged kicking & screaming to your in-box each week” by my good friend, Michael, who adds, “Material may sometimes be deemed questionable at best. Viewer discretion and a modicum of adult acceptance are advised. Not meant to offend any particular group; we try to offend everyone equally!”

Michael scours the ‘Net, grabs what he considers the “good stuff” (informative and/or witty), then compiles and emails it once a week to his growing list of undiscerning readers. Want to be one of them? Did I mention it’s free? Here’s how to get on “the list”: Send a postage-paid email to wwebwit@gmail.com and tell Michael you’re cautiously willing to give it a try. It’s that easy. And did I mention it’s free?

If you like it, your eternal gratitude, and Michael’s, will be my reward. If you don’t, blame him! (I’ll swear I never heard of it!)

Patty sent four images she and Steve took while visiting Oahu over the summer. Click on the thumbnails to display the full size versions…

    

From the top and left to right: Waikiki Beach, Waimea Falls Arboretum, surfboards racked on the beach and Bishop Museum.

This photo from friends John & Deb Phair of their dog “Sophie” made me chuckle. Sophie is a beautiful Coton de Tuléar, usually meticulously groomed. I fell in love with her the moment I first saw her. Well, who knew? She’s not only a little princess; she can rough it in the wild with the big dogs, too!

“You sorta get dirty fishing but it gives me some quiet time.”

We lost our dear friend, Dave Robinson, Wednesday and we’re dealing with it, as friends do, by struggling to understand and accept, and then sharing fond memories. Last night some of us gathered to celebrate a life well lived and to remember all the delightful, whimsical, beautiful ways he touched and enriched our lives. We shared anecdotes and remembered his quiet modesty, his intelligence, his deep sensitivity, his humor and his gentile kindness. And in the process, we stepped a little closer toward acceptance and, slowly, let the healing begin.

I’m reminded of something Jack Foley said a few years ago about Kevin Reilly’s last poem, Coupled Again Across the Yearling Skies. In the poem, Reilly seems to be facing — and facing up to — the possibility of his own death. The poem plays the idea of the “yearling” — something new, only a year old — against “the age of fear” which, like a feeble old person, “trembles and dies.” The age of fear is also perhaps the fear of age or the age at which fear begins, with death a “mocking adieu.”

      ”…Come softly again behind angel eyes,
      Rest warm drift, dream, the light day bows to you,
      Coupled again across the yearling skies,
      See how the age of fear trembles and dies.”

Now, whenever I read the poem, I’ll picture Davey, a rubber band looped on his finger in the special way he challenged me to duplicate, making me an origami elephant from a crisp new dollar bill. Godspeed, my friend. We’ll miss you. You were an inspiration in more ways than you ever knew.

I know Michael won’t mind if I share something he wrote yesterday. He knew Dave better than any of us and his words express our shared sorrow.

William David Robinson - July 29th, 1930 - August 20th, 2008

This morning the air is a little thicker, the noise a little more noticeable and the minutes a little less tolerable. There’s a little less “magic” in the world today.

It’s been said that you can pick your friends, but not your family. Dave Robinson proved that to be incorrect. Through the years, he has been a source of wisdom, joy, support and unwavering friendship to our entire family. He has been our family’s adviser, teacher, counselor, prophet, patriarch and most assuredly, trusted and loved friend.

Through holidays, family events, quiet evenings of reflection, trials and tribulations and more sushi restaurants than we’ll ever be able to remember, our friend was there for every one of us. He was a source of comfort and advice and support to both of us as we raised our kids, as well as a sounding board and advice for our kids as they grew up. There was an endless source of “tests” to see if we were paying attention to him, hours in the air flying his beloved “Cosmic Trigger” and witness to constant challenges to all around him to see if they could see his “magic.”

Those that did were rewarded with a smile that could light up a room, a child-like innocence that captured and carried you along with him, touches of deep wisdom brought on by a wealth of lifetime experiences and his own unique perspective on life. And then inevitably, a little origami gift left to remember him by if he felt you worthy.

As he grew older, he reached out to his peers as a counselor to help guide them along the path to aging, constantly challenging them to reach beyond their expectations and see that life is still worth living. Through the years, he has touched countless lives, hearts and souls and changed them for the better.

No one that ever met Dave Robinson forgot him. Even as his own body aged and began to fail, he remained a singular source of support for all that were around him, defiant to the end that his life would be on his terms and that he would never be a burden to his family or his friends. He never was.

He was the sad happy clown in any situation, forever trying to make you “see him, so that he could entertain you, enthrall you and touch your mind and soul. He was a master of his trade.

The gifts Dave Robinson leaves us are an appreciation of what unselfish love and friendship can mean. We are left with a memory of wonderful irreverence and joy that placed an indelible mark on those he touched through the years and a strange sense of emptiness and loss, unable to be filled by any other.

Our dear friend, William David Robinson.

Goodbye Magic Man, thanks for the show. We’ll miss you.

A couple weekends ago, Dawn and I attended a “going away” BBQ at friends Jerry and Cheryl Glance’s home. Jerry is what I casually call a “bomb tech”; his job is associated with disarming explosive devises. It’s dangerous work and, while I often kid him about it (see my April ‘07 post), I’m well aware of just how serious it really is.

Jerry’s also a Reservist where he does essentially the same thing and, as luck would have it, he was recently called for EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) duty in Afghanistan. He left a week ago Monday for Begram Air Base, a militarized airport located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province where he’ll do what he does best — disarm and deactivate IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). If my geography is correct, Begram is about 27 miles from Kabul which puts him right smack in harm’s way.

So the going away party was for Jerry, and many of the guys in his unit and their wives were there to give him a fitting send-off. And it was a grand get-together with wonderful friends and neighbors. Yet despite all the food, laughter and camaraderie, the seriousness of the occasion was also present and weighed heavily on everyone, especially Cheryl.

So we promised to help watch over her until his safe return. We’ll keep Jerry in our prayers and ask that you keep him in yours as well. While he’s in Afghanistan, he’s agreed to send me photos of what he sees — the local people, guys he works with, whatever he finds of interest — and I’ll post them on this site. And when he returns, I’m sure he’ll have lots of stories to share as well!

Be safe, Jerry. And remember: Pray (hard).

Sometimes knowing what’s going to happen and not letting on is almost impossible. I’m sure Noah can attest to that; he’d planned to propose to long-time girl friend, Jamie, when they reached the top of Yosemite’s Half Dome and shared his plan with Michael and me over back yard cigars a few weeks ago. I thought, “How perfectly romantic!”

So when they began the hike earlier this week, I was anxious to learn how it had gone. Of course, she said, “Yes”. And cool guy that he is, Noah captured the moment on video! So world, I give you the just engaged couple, Jamie and Noah!

Congratulations to you both! You’re a wonderful couple and Dawn and I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

…and keep reading Cosmo, buddy! You’ll figure her out eventually!

Friends Noah and Jamie will be hiking Yosemite’s famous Half Dome in a few days and I want to wish them a successful trip. Jamie’s posted a good deal of information about their planned 17-mile trek on her blog and it looks as though they’re well prepared for a memorable adventure!

I’ve been teasing Jamie to watch out for Yosemite bears, so this ‘toon won’t be lost on her. Good luck, guys! We can’t wait to hear all about your trip! And Noah: Maybe a few pics I can post?

An old friend of mine sent me this Calvin comic and reminded me, well, of me back in our high school “Honors English” days too many years ago to even think about. Yes, that was me, all right - long, complex sentences, exaggerated vocabulary, confusing twists and odd angles - yet my writing style, if you can call it that, impressed my teachers, winning me frequent accolades and a dependable stream of “A”s in written communication.

But my aspiring novelist bubble was about to burst. Fast forward to my first college English class. Focusing on literature and writing, it carried steep prerequisites. I foolishly thought it would be four easy credits given my stellar academic credentials, especially with two years of high school debate team experience tossed in for good measure. So I wasn’t worried when our first assignment, intended to ensure that enrollees possessed the necessary skills to succeed in the class, was to write a short essay on a favorite novel.

I decided on a comparison of Melvile’s Moby Dick and Conrad’s Billy Budd, contrasting the authors’ writing styles. I’d read and discussed both in high school and believed I was sufficiently well versed to dazzle my professor. So confident was I in my writing skills that I hastily cranked out five double spaced pages late Tuesday night for my Wednesday morning class.

The essays were returned Friday morning as the professor began her verbal assessment. All were interesting, she told us, some even quite good. I was certain mine had impressed. Continuing, she explained her cryptic notations at the top of each paper. A “check” mark indicated you were in the right class and she looked forward to helping improve your writing skills. An “X”, however, meant the class would likely prove too challenging and you should immediately transfer to a lower English. The latter group, about a quarter of the class, quietly gathered their materials and left the classroom as the professor returned to her desk. I sat in stunned silence. There was no mark on my paper.

Had she forgotten to mark it? Had she even read it? Finally, I mustered the courage to raise my hand and asked what the lack of any notation meant. “Ah, Mr. Arrington,” she replied with a blank expression I later learned to recognize as a smile. “That’s to let you know it’s harder to bullshit a college English professor than a high school teacher!”

There it was. I’d been put on notice, outed, called out. My days of skating through writing assignments had come to an abrupt conclusion. For the remainder of the semester she challenged, blue penciled and embarrassed me into producing some of my best written work. I was glad when the semester ended, but I’ll remain forever grateful to her for showing me a better way to weave the written word.

I should mention something else my high school friend, Alex, noted in his email after reading my blog: “I see you haven’t changed.”

I know, Alex. Thanks for remembering.

Proving that photographers will do just about anything (and, apparently, assume any position) to “get the shot,” here’s one taken by Dawn during our long weekend with friends in Stinson Beach. On the left is our friend, Rob, grabbing some shots of a beautiful sunset. In order to steady his camera, he assumed this, uh, “unusual” stance and Dawn couldn’t resist capturing it for posterity.

A follow-up photo album of 44 images taken during our getaway to Stinson Beach with friends Michael & Sisko and Candy & Rob. All were taken with the Nikon D2Xs and Canon Digital Elph pocket cameras. Although Dawn was a little under the weather, this was one of the most relaxing getaways we’ve enjoyed. Heartfelt thanks to Sisko and Michael for making it possible.    (See also Part 2 and Part 1).

Today’s post is a photo album of more images taken during our getaway to Stinson Beach (see Friday’s post). I haven’t processed all the images Dawn and I made - I’ll post another album this week.

Thanks to all of you that commented about Friday’s images. I hope you enjoy these as well.