This is a photo I shot on Christmas Eve. The very next day we had about 8-10" of snow. But the surf was going off! And yet, we still had to deal with the blessed day of Christmas. So we did the traditional Christmas gatherings and gift openings. Not to mention the stuffing of all kinds of food and pastry into our bodies. This January 1st, I am going on a diet. No matter what. I can do it.

I'm sure the holidays are the same for most of you. Makes no difference which one you celebrate, it's all about the children. Christmas and children. That's what we all look forward to. And with two beautiful granddaughters, we are filled with joy and happiness on the holidays.



This is my "Sweet Pea". She is a joy to be around. It's so much fun having little children in our home on the holidays. Listening to her logic is precious. The one thing I've learned about children is you need to talk with them as if they were adults. Baby talk is for babies. These kids know more than you think.

And look, I'm not saying that we don't goof around and have fun. We have fun in spades in our home. It's always fun for them to visit Gramps and Mimi. Heck there's music and adventure. Plus we have two kitty's and a dog.



Look at Patch all dressed up for the Holidays. He's such a good dog around the kids. It's always fun here. But when we speak to them, we speak to them as young human beings. Not infants.



This is my"Peanut". She's two years younger than her big sister, and let me tell you, she has a mind of her own, and she's as bold as they come. When Santa came to my sister's home, she was the first one to walk right up to the big guy. Talk about brave and bold.



She cracks me up every time I see her. And apparently she cracked up *Santa as well. *My brother did a great job this year. It's the first time any of the grandkids had the big guy come to my sister's home. It was great. Hopefully, it's the start of a new tradition.



On the drive home "Sweet Pea" asked me if I was "joking her". She asked me if I was Santa. I had to remind her that I was standing next to her taking photos. She remembered and gave me a smile. Whew! Like I said, she might be four, but she's no dummy.



It's not just about the kids. It's family. It's Grandma and Grandpa coming down from Maine. We all share in the laughter and food. Did I mention the food? Oh right, I did. My wife Cory is an amazing cook. And we ate like Kings and Queens for days on end.



This is my Aunt Anna. She's the only living relative on my father's side of the family. In fact, she's the only living Aunt period. She's going to be 97 next month. And she is still as sharp as a cookie. A Christmas Cookie. She's holding a photo that I took of one of my late father's home movies. It's her daughter Maria standing in front of our grandmother's home.

When I look into her eyes I wonder if she's thinking of the old days. When we all gathered at my grandmother's house. Her husband, my father and mother. All the other uncles and aunts and cousins. Seems so long ago now. They have all since passed on. Such is life. But life is good.

As long as there are children laughing.

"Christmas Memories Heals All Wounds"

So why did I pick this particular photo by Ed this week you ask yourselves? Well, the surf on Christmas day was very much like this photo. He shot this in December of 2013. And this photo proves my never ending theory that all waves are timeless. This pic could have very well been shot this week. Or, shot 30 years ago. Waves are timeless. Photo courtesy of Ed O'Connell
*Click the photo above to see a larger version of Ed's Pic.


Now for Some Local, National and International News
For those of you who live in tropical or perfect weather conditions, you would have no idea, what it's like for us here in the Northeast during the winter months. But here, take a look at this pic. Ya see that temperature gauge? It's not a digital typo. That's how cold it was this week. And I DO MEAN this week!

Single digits baby all week long.



Just try and imagine what it must be like. Try as you might, you will NEVER understand this kind of cold unless you experience it in person. You can all sit there on your decks overlooking some water water beach, and you can tell each other "it must be so cold for them" well, you'll never know.

Because it's the kind of cold that can kill your stupid ass.

I know this, because I got frost bite this week taking photos out there when it was BELOW ZERO. Plus throw in the wind-chill factor, and it's double digits below zero. DOUBLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO. Sorry I wrote that in all CAPS, but I'm just trying to drive home the basic facts about extreme cold weather.



I'm sure you've heard of Sea Smoke. But unless you see it firsthand, it's hard to describe it to you. Lucky for you, I shot a short 3 minute video of the Sea Smoke we have down the street from here. It's down in the video section. You should watch it. But be forewarned, you might want to bundle up when you do, because just watching this video will cause you to feel the cold.



I have been very low key this year when it comes to local New England sports, and especially the New England Patriots. Why? Well as hard as this may seem to be untrue, I am fine with JUST having Five Super Bowl Championships. If they never win another Super Bowl in my lifetime, I will be OK with it. And so should every other Patriots fan. Look the haters hate us. If we win another Super Bowl? We better build Trump like walls around New England, because the haters will come, and try to burn us down.

And who the hell can blame them? Not me.



Shit, we just pissed off all of Pittsburgh this week by signing their favorite Linebacker. James Harrison has left Steel City for the Red, White, and Blue Patriots. Oh what the hell. GO PATRIOTS!!

KSM Photoshop of the Week
There will be NO Kathy Griffin this year in Times Square. I'm afraid Anderson Cooper will be holding court with Andy Cohen instead. Kathy tried to get KSM to stand in for her, but the network wouldn't go for it. KSM is like the Charlie Tuna character in those old Sunkist tuna commercials. Nobody wants him. And nobody wants her. I hope she is forgiven in 2018, so she can get on with her life and career. She is funny. She just wasn't funny in her last joke. That kind of back fired on her.



So my friends, please take advantage of this weekly photo shop of the mastermind who planned 9-11 and resulted in the deaths
of 3,000 innocent civilians by KSM (Khalid Sheik Mohammed).

*Note to self -must pick up a case of lip gloss and make-up at Home Depot this week.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

THE GRANITE GIRLS has been pushed back to a later date.
MORE INFO TO FOLLOW.



Sending positive thoughts and prayers to Jo Ellen Bunton in Idaho. GET BETTER and GET STRONGER with each day JE! You look great and it sounds like you have not missed a beat when it comes to preparing a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner! Oh I can just smell the turkey from here. Our love and respect to you.

Please Support ALL The photographers who contribute to
Ralph's Pic Of The Week every week for the last 13 years.
** BUY a HIGH RES Photo from any of the weeks on RPOTW.

Remember my friends... Surfing Heals All Wounds.
Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surf For Fun.

Ralph

(Above) This is insane. Kai Nichols on a rail and a prayer.
Christmas, December 25th, 2017 Photo by Max Fatello
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Kai Nichols has to be one of the Top 3 barrel riders up here.
Christmas, December 25th, 2017 Photo by Max Fatello
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Today- The NH SEASMOKE Day. December 28th, 2017
Photos by RALPH



(Above) It is breathtaking, and it is, one of the most photographed winter scenes every single year. December 28th, 2017
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Miles of ice on a sandy beach. December 28th, 2017
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) It is not a aerial view of Iceland. It is what it is. December 28th, 2017
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Thank you Brian for inviting me into this special place.
Next time I'll dress the part. December 28th, 2017
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON on each clip to view videos

CHRISTMAS DAY 12-25-17 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas! We had a white Christmas on December 25th, 2017 and a really fun swell. There was a handful of local NH surfers who scored on this most blessed day. And if they were going to surf, I was going to shoot. Not gonna lie folks, it was as cold as it gets around here. Not complaining...wait yes I am. It was cold! Any way the surfers in this web edit are Lars Hamilton, Matt Colby, Becca Speak, and Harrison Speak.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

When The Sea Breathes 12-28-17 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

My first ever footage with my new SONY 4K camcorder. The Sea-smoke we get every winter was the perfect setting for my first time out. Bundle up, it's pretty cold watching this clip. Hope you like it.

The Little Drummer Boy by Ralph G. Fatello from Memory Lane Movies on Vimeo.

34 years ago tonight, I met Cory Bunton at a show I was playing at. The club was called "SPIT" in Boston. The First Annual WBCN Christmas party on December 23rd, 1983. It was a pivotal point in my life and musical career. Although, the new VINNY LP was recorded in 1983 and released in 1984, my writing and music, was transitioning into something completely different than VINNY. My Vietnam experience was bubbling to the surface, and basically I had this epiphany of what I should be writing and singing about. Love and war was my new direction. Cory went to this show, because of rumors of me playing "The Little Drummer Boy" dressed in my combat fatigues. She was curious to say the least. However, that was just a rumor. I dressed nicely for the show.

But this version of this famous Christmas song? I played all about my experience in Vietnam with the 9th Marines. The Vietnam footage is actual footage of my unit in Vietnam. I played it in a Hendrix style. And I improvised by adding new words and chords at the end. I met Cory after my show and I asked her for her phone number. Before we parted that night, I kissed her.

I lost and found her number in late January of 1984. We were meant for each other. On December 23rd, 1986 I asked her to marry me at 33,000 feet, while flying over our nation's capital. We were married the next year on October 10th, 1987. But this day, the 23rd of December would remain a special day in our lives. And this song would become "our song".

Big thanks to Beth Harrington, Barry Marshall, and Scott Mclean (who introduced us). I love you baby Merry Christmas! And to all my friends and family Happy Holidays! And have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

FIRST SNOW 12-10-17 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

The first snow of December 2017. We had a strange fall with temperatures reaching 80 degrees in October, and November was not that far behind. Getting snow this significant in early December caught a lot of us off guard. However, there was surf. Not great surf mind you, but surf none the less. All this footage was shot on one day. December 10th, 2017. Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow! Enjoy.

GRANITE GIRLS Trailer II 10-19-17 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

This is the second trailer for the upcoming GRANITE GIRLS and The River Women movie. These are all new clips. I have over 25 women appearing in the final cut. The trailers are too short to have them all in. So, having said that, the music for this trailer is by QWILL. I had to push back the release to get some additional footage. We're now looking at anywhere from the last week in November to the week before Hannakuh and Christmas. And what a lovely Holiday present this DVD will make. I've been having fun putting this together. And I think most of the women are really looking forward to the release. *There will be a Premiere screening prior to the movie going to DVD. I'll keep you all posted on that date and location.