Bigger still

This tuna, we believe, at 165 pounds, weighs more than Hai. . . unless he ate too much meat and potatoes and snacks in the onboard cafe. It came with a fight, oh my, the stories to tell. He caught three, gave up two. Will eat one, with help from friends.
The fun is in the catching, not the eating.

It's over 100 pounds. . .

Hai caught his first tuna weighing over 100 pounds. Is he excited? Yes. We didn't say how much Hai weighs.

An overcast afternoon in a still garden

Perfect conditions today for some flower shots. The overcast skies and the stillness make shooting specimens simple and enjoyable.

Storm clouds to the East

Cooler today, high of 63. Sun back tomorrow.

Air conditioner surround

After a break for Thanksgiving, we got back to work on the air conditioner surround, a project to hide and soften an unattractive and noisy, yet functional appliance. A coat of paint works wonders to change mungo (leftovers and scraps) into a clean look. The backside will be covered with acoustic tiles to deaden more sound. Then the final coat of paint. Plants will be added on the top shelf.

Back lit

Backlighting from the sun makes these grasses pop.

Sun shy

Shade lovers all, these species stay away from the sun, unlike their brethren in the background. They're kept permanently under the patio roof, away from the light. They like it there. They've all been nursed from clippings.

Lobster Leftovers

Plenty of lobster leftovers from Thanksgiving lobster dinner. What to do? Sandwiches?  Nah.

Morning sun brings out dew drops

Dewy-fresh drops on succulent garden this morning here at Hotel California.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Day One

Scraps of wood from previous projects have different paint schemes but will be unified with a
 fresh coat of white when done

Sound absorbers (plants and ceiling tile) will be added,
as well as a thematic design.

An air conditioner (yes, it is still coming on) creates an eyesore and a noise nuisance. A shroud made of leftovers (mungo) would be just the thing. Stan spent the day yesterday getting started while Hai went to fetch his Mom and got stuck in LA traffic. Stan had a nice day assembling the shroud, Hai not  so much. We'll take a break for Thanksgiving, then finish the therapy, er, shroud. Hand work is becoming easier and easier with less fatigue. Something to be grateful for this day.

Today's fishing report

Two men gaffed a fish in the foreground while Hai had one on-line in the background.

Hai brought home some relatively small fish yesterday, orange Lincoln fish, not too popular, but his Mom loves 'em. So he cleaned a couple and she'll get them when he picks her up for our lobster tail Thanksgiving.

Lobster tales

Six wriggling lobsters made it home with Hai this morning after he and a friend set and then
emptied his traps in San Diego bay. Now what?

Today's hike

You can't see Big Bear from below, it's hiding behind the range in front. One of the rewards of the hike.

It’s not much of a mountain as mountains go; more like a big hill. But this is what it looks like from the top, along with the obligatory selfie of the climber. After days of four mile hikes on flat land, it seemed like today was the day to try it — because it was there. Rough path was good for balance. Felt great to get on top, nice view of the golf course and school below as well as Big Bear. Now that’s a mountain.

Close counts when it comes to the pope

Laurie, our reporter in Vatican City, sends along this photo of the Holy Father. We'd have to say this is pretty good, probably as close an audience she'll get for making a plea on our behalf. Thank you Laurie.

Good Morning!

The Coliseum

Laurie Hartmann, my former business manager, is in Rome today and is out taking pictures of all the places. Says she has an audience with the pope tomorrow. She says, given the chance, she will ask the Holy Father to pray for me. Hmm.

One more fish story. . .

Deckhands prepare the day's catch.

Shark absorber

A 50-pound short-fin Mako shark got too close to the boat and ended up on the plates of hungry fishermen, myself included. Deckhands had spotted the creature circling the boat and attempted to reach it with long gaffs, but to no avail. Then Hai, my partner, tossed a baited hook in the shark's path and he took it, tugged towards the boat in the process. Now reachable, deckhands ably and eagerly dispatched him. They butchered and divvied the prize to all hands, it's a favorite. Soaked in milk overnight, one slab was grilled today, after a proper marinade. Tender and pure, it had a pleasant, neutral taste as the white meat fell with ease before a butterknife. No bones, of course, sharks don’t have any. They do, however, have very sharp teeth, so it didn't live long once hauled on the deck. A short-fin Mako is the world's fastest shark, capable of speeds exceeding 40 mph. (Wikipedia)

A milk bath and a marinade.

One to go. . .

We installed the first of two outdoor tropical fans today. Two hours. Hai actually did most of the ladder work; Stan read instructions and assembled parts. We don't need a fan today in Hotel California (70 and sunny means chilly nights) but it will be nice some days. Hard part was figuring out the wiring. It was pre-wired a few years ago and we couldn't figure out the electrician's work. Finally got it.

Photo by Stan Rolfsrud

Today's lunch

While he was grilling sesame blue fin outside last night, Hai had tomato sauce bubbling on the stove inside, reducing some vine ripened tomatoes into a complex sauce. He eventually added Bonitos ( I think) and today they made a wonderful lunch spooned from a pot (Ca Chien Sot Chua Ngot?) that tasted like a thick-cut tender pork chop. No fish taste -- just firm filets swimming in a lovely red base. Sorry about the paper plate, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. There's a yellowtail steak in the fridge to grill tonight. We'll use a proper dinner plate.

Dinner last night

Hai may not care to eat fish, but he sure knows how to cook them.
Last night we chose the finest cut from Sunday's catch, a bluefin tuna. Hai found a new recipe involving sesame seeds, olive oil, mustard, sauce and such and created a heavenly result, not unlike a filet mignon, textured but so much more tender.
Stan was his willing guinea pig and retired to his Hotel California last night with a very satisfied, contented sensation.
Today? Yellowtail.

Fish not immediately eaten are preserved for freezing in an airtight vacuum bag.
Once the air is removed by this device, it seals the bag.

Victory at sea

Ryan and Hai display the yellow-fin moments after taking it from the mouth of a sea lion. See the tooth marks
on the tail? A deckhand adds his jubilation from the bow.

Fish On! Hai had the biggest and most fish on the boat yesterday. We're
fishing off the coast of Mexico. Hai is my longtime friend and fishing host
who still calls me "boss" after working together for 20 years.

Hai, with a little help from a deckhand, won a tussle with a sea lion yesterday, to land this 25 lb yellowtail tuna. At $15 a pound in the fresh-caught case at Costco, Hai didn’t want to lose. He fought the yellowtail to the edge of the boat, when a massive sea lion snatched the prize. Zing! Hai’s reel spun madly as the giant dove to the depths, contesting Hai for the fish. No matter. Ryan, a deckhand who knows just how to deal with this the sort of thing, sprang into action, taking Hai’s rod, mounting the bow, and waiting for the sea lion to surface and take a breath. The sea lion, a mammal, eventually did. At just the right moment, Ryan yanked the line hard and the fish flew from the mouth. Moments later, the fish was gaffed and on board, bearing tooth marks from the struggle.
Hai and Stan also caught two nice blue-fins, some bonitos and another yellowtail.

Two nice bluefin tuna. Too heavy to lift. Good to eat.

By Dawn's Early Light. . .

Full of anticipation of a big day of ocean fishing, boats moved out of San Diego harbor early this morning. Stan joined Hai on the "Liberty" for a day of adventure and high spirits.

Signs of the Season

They de-iced our plane this morning.
Our boarding was delayed momentarily when an LA lad refused to pay $65 extra for his oversized luggage. He had no money. He attempted to solve the problem by bolting for the jetway. They slammed the door and police were called. It was actually kind of humorous and also sad. What was his plan if he made it on to the plane? Fly it himself?
Sanity was restored for the time being. Once we got on board and the door sealed, a family discovered that not all members were present. Two were still in an MSP lavatory, a telephone contact revealed. The captain didn't want to unseal the door, of course. So the remaining family members were put on a later flight.
Going to LaLa land. Uff Da.
It's sunny and warm at Hotel California though.

Snow fall today

Snowflakes this afternoon, California sunshine tomorrow. Just in time for his November get-a-way, snow fell out our window off Stewart Avenue in St. Paul. Flight out is tomorrow morning at 5:15 a.m. for a deep sea fishing trip off the Baja coast. Hai is arranging everything and promises to take care of Stan for as long as it takes to catch something big; Andrew is dropping Stan off at MSP at 4 a.m. (How long is this stroke excuse going to be milked? It's being squeezed dry.)