Oops; me, slightly before the Salish Sea Event. Portrait by CHIMACUM TIM(acum). Love the cropping; no visible baldness.

REGGIE SMART’S display. It’s not like Reggie disappeared into the crowd. He did have an RV (for sale) parked out on the street. Private tours, perhaps.

STEPHEN R. DAVIS’S wife, SIERRA, in the foreground, her husband’s painting on the back wall, with TUGBOAT BILL (red shirt, next to clam wood and, damn, I have some photos- I’ll put them in on Wednesday). ADAM ‘WIPEOUT’ JAMES is in the middle of the frame, talking story with JEFFRY VAUGHN. A couple of paintings by JESSE JOSHUA (I substitute Merle for his middle name, after the bluegrass musician, so I can remember it) WATSON are visible on the wall to the right. I didn’t take any photos, so I’m using shots by others. Oh, and the young VIOLINIST (REBECCA, I think) who played her heart out and was, mostly ignored. Good job, hope she was compensated. She is, incidentally, also involved in a young musician’s workshop that is connected with the OLYMPIC MUSIC FESTIVAL, which, coincidentally, my daughter, DRUCILLA, works for.

CHRISTIAN COXEN in the very foreground, NAM SIU beyond him, and one of my illustrations projected onto the screen. My daughter, DRU (Drucilla- I only have one daughter), set up my presentation, for which I thanked her almost enough times, and also set up slide shows from thumb drives for REGGIE, photographer DOUGLAS FIR (name de art, from his middle name, Christopher- forgot his last name), and did a little assist for the presentation for TIM NOLAN.

DRU and I (I’m in the Hawaiian shirt I wore to the other two events, probably was wearing for the Zoom event during Covid, and never otherwise wear) semi-hiding out next to NAM SIU’S display when I was supposed to be speaking. Too many people. I did speak later when a woman from Port Townsend, who I don’t know, but who knew so many people I have worked for, semi-shamed me (and semi-complimented me, saying I am [somewhat] famous for talking, talking, talking) into speaking to a smaller crowd.

TIM NOLAN speaking after I did. The crowd is all squeezed into this half of the big room, and, according to ADAM, paying rapt attention to two elder dudes. Yes, well received.

THE FOUR people who claim some stake in the board (bottom shown here, top equally fantastic)-Librarian/ripper KEITH DARROCK (who put the board back together and did some refining of the shape after he SHORTBOARD AARON, CHRIS EARDLY, and maybe JOEL CARBON tried to ride it); realtor/ripper JOEL CARBON (who was given the board with the thought being to sacrifice it on the Summer solstice, last and then this year), me (I finished the sanding, stained and painted and varnished it with what Keith now calls ‘leftover paint,’ all in what he now calls ‘spare time.’) and ADAM JAMES, who cut down the cedar tree, took the slam (and maybe other slabs- it was originally going to be a coffee table) to Seattle to be milled, spent time (spare?) shaping the board, attaching fins.

Unseen in the photo; our lawyers. SO, during the EVENT, a woman came up to Adam and asked what the board might be sold for (she may have offered $250- accounts vary). Adam told her she’d have to ask ERWIN. I said, quickly (and my imagined value on the board went up with every coat of varnish and/or paint, and even more with every compliment), “three thousand dollars.” She said, “Oh, but I’m a local.” Okay. “Actually, I’m from Washington… DC.” “Thirty-five hundred.” She didn’t write a check.

There has been discussion on what to do with the board. Keith said, “If she’d offered a thousand, you would have take it.” Yes. Probably, and then sort out who owns what percentage. But she didn’t. The board will be at the PORT TOWNSEND PUBLIC LIBRARY for a while. IF IT COULD BE auctioned off for a decent amount of money for some charity, I am pretty sure the stakeholders would be pleased. Sort of.

MEANWHILE, if you absolutely need It, and are willing to pay the three grand, contact Keith at the library. I sort of trust him, though I once gave him a board (5’9″ BIC) he was supposed to pass on to MIKE NORMAN as partial payment for finishing the shaping on and glassing a board for me; short version, Mike never got around to shaping the board, CHRIS BAUER would have (if he didn’t put his name on it), I shaped and glassed and painted the board, and when I asked Keith what happened to the Bic, he said he sold it. “WHAT?” “Well, a guy wanted it, and I did give you some plywood.” “Oh.” Jeez, it was leftover plywood Keith gave me in his spare time.

HEY, check out realsurfers on Wednesday. I’ll have some photos on the specialty wood TUGBOAT BILL brought to the Event. And more. To all those who attended the EVENT, mucho thanks. Great fun, no backpaddling.