I guess I owe the state of Vermont and the other states and businesses that got messed up pretty badly last weekend an apology. I poked fun at Hurricane IRENE last weekend. Well actually, I was poking fun at the coverage, not the storm itself.

I'm not that clueless. In fact, the last thing I said to my wife before IRENE hit up here was..."I think Vermont is going to get hammered." And well, I was right of course. Not because I'm anything of a weather forecaster, mostly because Irene's track was taking it right to them. But I had written my column on Saturday night, well in advance of the storm hitting Northern New England. In hindsight, seeing the damage in Vermont from the remnants of a Tropical Storm/hurricane was wild.

You just don't think of Vermont as being the victim of Tropical Storms.

It was all rain damage. The rivers and lakes rose too quickly, and well, the flooding was the main issue. We (on the seacoast) never got hit the way they were predicting. I mean, we had rain and wind but we've had stronger winds and precipitation with our annual Nor'easters. And I guess, my caustic remarks, were
in large part, due to the over hype of the news media, who were just echoing the potential damage we could all expect. "Could" not would.

And I admit, it's better to err in the side of caution, than to downplay it.

The Katrina affects are still out there, and the last thing anyone wants to see is another region caught off guard. And really, I was just having some fun at the ridiculous and never ending scenes of reporters standing outside in the wind and rain reporting back to us. Because let's face it. It was ridiculous.

When I heard one Weather Channel female reporter actually say to a veteran weatherman..."John we've never really quite seen anything like this have we?" I
was screaming in my chair. "What??? Are you freaking kidding me?" I was relieved when I heard the veteran weatherman say..."Well that's not true, we've had several storms that were similar to this.." And then he named a bunch of storms, from Gloria to Bob. And I stood there nodding my head. "Damn straight Johnny, you tell her...educate that fool..."

There were just too many clueless reporters predicting the end of the world scenarios. I mean come on...yes there was damage. Yes people died, and yes there were power outages, but there was nothing of the likes of what they were predicting. It was just hyped to death.

Including the surf reports. I knew of some people who were predicting the swell to be so big that they were going to" tow "into the outside bombs. Now look, I'm not complaining about the size of the surf. I was OK with the head high conditions up here. Besides, I knew there would be overhead conditions, and I do mean
overhead as in, double overhead and then some, at all the south facing beaches.
In this digital age it's easy to see where and when the surf will hit.

What was a complete surprise, that really did catch many of us off guard, was just how unbelievable freaking cold the water was up here. I mean, it was FREAKING FREEZING! I'm talking boots, gloves, 4/3's, and even some hoodies. I'm not kidding. This was totally unexpected. Water that cold from a Tropical Storm? Say what??? It was entertaining to see people jump in the water in their summer/spring suits and then leap out just as fast.

I saw one guy try to trunk it. NO WETSUIT? I shot video of him.

It was funny watching him catch his breath as the reality of the cold water hit him and his family jewels. Suffice it to say...He didn't last long. Not sure if he will ever have children, but it was funny to watch (and video tape) as it all went down.

But again, I'm not complaining. I shot some decent footage and stills in the morning, and then later in the day, I got to share a fun session with an old friend. Gary Ritchie and I shared waves for about 2 hours. Just he and I, in waist to shoulder high, with semi glassy conditions. There are moments in our lives, when we look back on certain surf sessions that stand out. Usually, it's the big days. But there are others that seem to have more meaning, and last a little longer in our subconscious. This was one of those sessions. Sharing waves with an old friend. Classic.

But this swell was not without it's share of sadness. There were two losses.

The first being from the Northern Surf crew. Rene Mallen the beloved wife of Surfer Ed Mallen passed away recently and the crew that surfed up there are still not over her loss. She was a surf photographer, who took photos of Ed and his longtime friend Mark Henschke. It's hard to understand how someone could be so full of life one day, and then be gone the next. Faith comes to play here as they try and deal with their loss. May Rene rest in peace.

The other loss happened on the day the swell arrived in NH. Kevin Grondin's
mother Virginia passed away on Monday morning, August 29, 2011. But she was very sick for a long time. A very long time. Still, losing a loved one, no matter how sick they are is still hard. I've known Kevin's mother for as long as I've known Kevin. She was a wonderful woman, and she will be missed by all who knew and loved
her. And our heartfelt condolences go out to the whole Grondin family as they mourn the loss of Virginia. She was truly, a loving, wonderful woman.

The IRENE swell had just filled in when she passed at 4:30AM on August 29th, 2011. Kevin, Leah, and Kody did the one thing, that could cleanse their souls and make them feel a little better. They went surfing. You know... "Surfing Heals All Wounds..." And I saw it first hand, work again. The salt from the ocean, that mixed with the salt of their tears, made life seem OK again. Albeit for that short time. But they all left the water that morning, feeling better.

And finally on Saturday...we all celebrated the 20th anniversary of our annual beach party that a bunch of us surfers had come up with 20 years ago. SURF FAMILY ROBINSON. Back in 1992, a group of local surf families got together, and thought it would be so much fun to gather our families and friends, and just spend the day at the beach. My family along with the Grondins, the Evans, The Goulds, and the Haffenreffers, started a tradition that is still going strong today.

Twenty years of surfing, boogie boarding, crab races, treasure hunts, and the big PIRATE FIGHT, has not lost it's magic on all the NEW young surfer families. It was
a melancholy feeling for me and my wife Cory, as we watched the new kids enjoy the magic of Surf Family Robinson, and just let their imaginations run wild. Life is short. We all know that. One day our children are young toddlers, and the next thing you know, they are off in the work world, or college, or the military, or for some, the next world. So it's important that we keep these little local traditions that we have
started, and nurture them, for the next generation.

Because as Albert Einstein once said..."Imagination is more important than Knowledge. " And who are we to argue with that statement? Not me. Einstein the math wizard said that? I love it. Because it's true. Watching all the children this weekend use their imaginations was wonderful. I love to see them light up.

It was a fun filled Summer weekend, and it looks like there's more fun (surf ) coming. So get ready, things are starting to get interesting again with Hurricane Katia.

And on a more serious note, next Sunday is the 10th anniversary of September 11th. It is hard to fathom, that 10 years have passed since that terrible day. Our world changed forever that day,. All of us who were old enough to remember, will NEVER FORGET. The irony of yet another storm off the coast has not been lost on me. I did hear some encouraging news a couple of weeks ago. Bob Hayes who was onboard Flight 11 that morning, left behind a wife, and two young sons.

Those kids were 2 years old, and 4 mos old. They never got to surf with their dad.

They have however, recently taken up surfing. When Dave Cropper told me this, I almost cried with tears of joy. For the very last time I spoke with Bob, was two months earlier on the beach. His then young son , was there throwing rocks. I had just another week to go to finish my first surf marathon, my "Catch a Wave For Gus" where I surfed everyday for a year in honor and memory of my late father who died of Diabetes. I was telling Bob how great surfing with your own kids was.

He was so stoked to hear my surf stores of surfing with my kids. I even told him about Surf Family Robinson. He was so stoked to be invited to that as well. He never got to experience Surf Family Robinson, or to share waves with his kids. Watching all the parents with their kids this weekend really hit home with me. We are so lucky and fortunate to have what we have.

I'm happy to hear that Bob's sons are now surfing. But I'm still very much aware that the threat of evil is still out there. And that there are many parents, who are far from home and their children, serving in the military, fighting the same Terrorists, who brought the world to screeching halt, 10 years ago next Sunday.

I know that those of you who remember, will never forget. I won't.