Treading the boards

With the threat of swine 'flu rearing its ugly head once more as officials eye the official season for influenza in a short while, the deja vu made me wistful for the peaceful sanctuary of Punta de Mita, a little less than an hour from Puerta Vallarta. Sylvie and I slipped away from the chaos of a shuttered city during the height of the hype in the first week of May and were reveled in the calm and beauty of the little town.

They have some good surfing beaches there and so we headed out with a couple of local board riders for some lessons. It was a reintroduction for me, a totally new adventure for Sylvie. In a short time, she was riding the nose while I sat on my long board and watched, thrilled for Sylvie but lamenting that a worn rotator cuff and screwy elbow kept me from riding.

When we returned by boat from our surfing expedition I noticed the rental boards stacked and just loved the colors and verticals so had to grab the shot. It's a favorite, not least because of the feeling of escape it imparts whenever I see it on my wall.

Canon 40D, 40mm on a 24-105mm at 1/13 sec, f/4 and ISO400.