Washington DC - One last time

I grew up in the suburbs next to Washington DC. My father, who passed away recently, had always stayed in the old homestead.

So as we returned to attend the funeral services we, as a family, took two days to revisit the national mall and some of the many National Museums and the Capital Building. It was fast and a Whirlwind race to see just the highlights of some of our favorites and some newer places. You will be able to tell from the photos.

Herding two families and offspring on an outing like this is sorta like herding cats. But no-one was lost for long. Many saw the items that they where looking to see.

On Sunday December 28th we saw:
~ The Jefferson Memorial
~ National Museum of Natural History
~ National Museum of Art (West and a little of the East building)
~ National Museum of The American Indian (New to us)

On Monday December 29th we saw:
~ The US Capital Building
~ The Library of Congress ( Wow! )
~ The World War II Memorial

The Family Photos of...
Dec. 28/29 2008 - Tour of Washington DC

If you have not seen your Nation's Capital yet... Do so. Book some time. It can be very cool. Very exhilarating. Very moving. And one heck of a lot of healthy walking. Do not miss the Jefferson and the new Roosevelt memorials.

Happy Holidays to all!

Hi All,
We had a nice Home for the Holidays Christmas. Santa treated the boys OK with one hot new game console. Then we went and joined family at Grandma's new place in Santa Monica.

She cooked up the best traditional dinner and all raved about how delicious it was. No need to tell you we all ate our fill and got a big dose of family love on Christmas 2008.

Hoping you all did the same.

Keith L. <"><

Ready for Santa?

Well most all the shopping is done. Just a few more items to be wrapped. I even went out and washed the Dog at the Dogromat today.

Bring on Christmas. We are ready. Ho Ho Ho.

Sitting back with a Margarita and a few computer tasks and here it is Tuesday the 23rd. Feeling a might bit merry.

Maybe if we get some Christmas cash as gifts I'll drop in on Action Water Sports on Lincoln Blvd in Marina Del Rey to spend that cash. A new Kayak paddle for Dad. New skateboard for Ryan. A new Boogie board for Thomas. But for Mom?

Lots to do, Pa rmpa pum pum

The little drummer boy is on the radio and I’m getting a little holiday cheer going. Hoping you are too. I’m busy and have my full share of stuff to do.

Thinking about the lucky mega lotto winners back in Piqua OH with new stuffed stockings full of millions of extra shopping bucks in there hands… Sweet golden days… (new song on radio) and there may be one of those new millionaires who likes to fish. If I were to have a winning ticket and money no object I would have to set myself a very worthy goal like “to fish every major body of water around the world.” Now that would be fun and inject a lot of that money back into the small economies when fishing charter captains and guides need good paying customers and the same for the hotels in all those very out of the way places. Win - Win - Win - if you ask me.

So I look at the boat for sale page at www.Nordlund68.com where a very fine custom sport fishing yacht is for sale. Just looking for that adventurous big game fisherman who likes boating.

And all those out of the way resort hotels that treat you right at places like Avalon or East Cape in Cabo MX. For example Avalon Hotel and the Aurora (see www.TheAvalonHotels.com) or down in Mexico at Punta Colorada ( see www.VanWormerResorts.com). Now if you know the best places in New Zealand or Australia to visit please tell me in the Comments section.

Da Boat

The MV Ramblin' is sporting a bit of holly and a wreath. Not getting out much this last few days. But did get down to the docks for the Holiday Boat Parade and some partying with friends.

And BTW did do a bit of on the water traveling to San Diego on the Non-Taxing last Sunday. It was a one way boat ride. We experienced a bit of rough water and such but OK when going down hill on his bigger boat. Nice that it has stabilizers. We were lucky to hook up a couple of nice (very big) Bonita. ( a type of tuna ) One was just under 8 pounds and one approx 6 1/2 pounds. We used a spring scale on the boat while underway. Can never get very accurate with that. But was a lot of fun.

So the MV Non-Taxing is in a temporary spot in SD for now. Waiting for Tuna Time to come to Southern California waters. She is one fine fishing vessel.

What did you do for Thanksgiving? Take a Trip? We Did.

Thanksgiving 2008 - Trip to Florida

"Use Me to Travel 4 Less" says my Sister-in-Law Karen. We did. We extended the Holiday and had a fun adventure.

You can Go with Karen Too. Karen Walton enabled our family of four to have a great vacation to Daytona Beach and Orlando and Kennedy Space Center and an Airboat Ride in the Everglades.

Her web site at Travel4Less.me is a portal to some very cool vacation packages.
We had a great Thanksgiving trip. Thanks to Karen.

Now what about skiing this February?

http://www.Travel4less.me
208-573-2583

Sat. Nov. 22nd on the water. Flat and smooth.

We did have a nice day out on Santa Monica Bay. Just some fun time out with some friends. Out early, but not too early. Fished Malibu, BKR and then Short Banks for some rock fish. We then got together with the wives at a local eatery and got the cook to fix up some of our fresh fish. Wow.



Nice eats to finish a good day. My compliments to the chef at Alejo's!

Put photos on Facebook Page.

Really good avice in the LA Times today - Let it be

Nice article in the LA Times on page A 27
" How to Fix the Economy - Let it Be " by Jonah Goldberg.

Link to the story on LA Times site

I liked the part where the analogies to Lincoln's and FDR's presidencies are in today's paper. History can be useful. Not in the glaze of the wishful remembrances of just the whitewashed history headlines but when looked at under the glare of the light of real review of all the issues and results.

I think that if John Kennedy was not assassinated his presidency would not be remembered as "Camelot" and the beautiful time of splendor, that is the view via the gauze of wishful thinking, but more like any other mortal president remembered for his follies and his triumphs. Follies like the Bay of Pigs failure and the other peccadillos of the times.

And yet... My heart goes to Arlington National Cemetery as we prepare to place my fathers remains there come December. More on that later.

Good luck to Obama. May he learn to say NO to some of the "Do Gooders" who do not really need to meddle in the events that are unfolding around us today.

Just LET IT BE for a while.

IMHO Keith

News and reviews

Politics is like Sex in that one side is always disappointed. - Jay Lenno

So Obama is the Winner. Not to disappointing. Or very surprising. John McCain put up a good fight.

I was hoping that the bonds that were on the ballot would not pass. It must be a reflection of the Youth out there that the majority of the spending items passed.

Odd that prop 8 the anti gay marriage measure passed. Yesterday the protesters hit the streets and messed with traffic and marched from the Federal building to the Mormon temple on Santa Monica Blvd. Wild people yelling and waiving signs etc. Good thing I did not need to get to that side of town.

I'm quite the Disappointed person today. Having a Monday on a Friday today.

A bit pissed off at the way things are going.

Just need to get back to work then.

Keith <"><

PS Carl is down in Mexico getting lots of marlin. He sent this photo from down near Tosca, south of Mag Bay.

Halloween 2008 - The Joker had some fun

Friday night I had a lot of kids trick or treating. Most took the Hot Dogs I was serving as the treat. I went though approx 130 of them. And 4 gallons of juice. Two kids did not want the hot dogs so I gave them a “trick” and squirted them with silly string. I sat out front for most of the night with Joker face on. Winzer, the pirate dog, was a bit of a big barker so he had to spend a lot of the night in the back yard.

Saturday night I took Thomas out to a Malibu High School Dance where Kristen’s mom, Anne, was putting together a scary clown themed haunted house that the kids had to walk through to get into the dance. The Klown Fun House was a success.

Again I played Joker and this time had a real chain saw. (no chain) Noise and vibration and look did give a few the chills. Lots of fun. And Anne even paid Thomas for his time. Double the reward. I was very proud of how Thomas did his act as a scary clown marionette.


The DJ for the dance posted a few shots on his blog.

http://losangelesdjsamhouse.blogspot.com/

I got better at playing Joker the second night. Or was it the Chain saw? Or was it the squeals of the girls that made it all come together.

My niece Kristen was the student body person who was doing the dance decorations etc. She was just out of the hospital from having her appendix removed. Ouch. What a Trooper she is. I was proud of her fortitude too.

Political - my 2 cents worth

So here we are about to elect one of two US Senators to the White House. Whoever wins gets to inherit a mess on the financial market and 2 war fronts riddled with the worst of entrenched gorilla warfare (very Vietnam like). Historically Senators do not make successful Presidents.

Then there are the conspiracy theorists… Some bashing Obama as a sleeper radical Muslim. But there is the issue of McCain having been in internment camps for years. So who is more likely to be a “Manchurian Candidate”? It easily could be Obama or McCain. Maybe it is both and we are totally screwed!

Have fun voting next Tuesday. Regardless of who you vote for in the top office, please vote NO on the many state and local bond measures. There will be very little money in the next few years to pay for them. State and local tax revenues are going to be way down for the next 3 to 5 years.

IMHO Keith

Sunday fishing trip

Hi all

Yep I do use the boat to go fishing. And last Sunday the Ramblin' was out and did some successful fishing. It was a very nice day and I had some nice guys along. Even my son Ryan had a good time.

We started to go south and seeing no one was fishing for Bonita south off of Manhatton and Redondo Beach we turned and headed for my favorite spot out near Short Banks. The Betty O was out there too. After a few sorta seccessful drops Ryan got into it and landed the Big Fish of the Day.

We then headed out to fish for Bonita and near shore fishing in Malibu. We ran across a very large pod of dolphin and trolled some. No luck. Then continued on to Big Rock. Fished from 15 feet to 45 feet. No luck. So we headed to Santa Monica canyon and trolled and soaked bait off and on.

Near Twin towers we got a hit on a broken back rapala type lure (green) by a big Bonita. He must have been alone. We worked that area hard and not another bite came from it.

We stopped at Burton Chase park and used the fish cleaning shed there. Joshua checked up on the health of the MDRAnglers White Seabass pens and did his Pen Pal cleaning thing. We even pumped the head. The new holding tank TankWatch system works just dandy.

It was a good day. Even some good ball the TV at the clubhouse to finish off the day. Dinner that night was good. Joshua used his fryer and had fish sticks for his kids and family. Yummy stuff.

Good day on the water. Fish Wish Granted.

Keith <"><

In Remembrance of Carl R. Lambert, my Dad.

With deep sorrow the Lambert family announces that Carl R. Lambert has passed away on Wednesday Oct. 1 just 1 month shy of his 84th birthday. He passed away at home at after a long illness.

He and his family have been Lake Barcroft residents since 1965 on Stoneybrae Drive. His wife Grace and dear friends were with him at the time of passing. Sons Carl Jay Lambert and Keith Lambert returned to the family home to be with him.

A retired Navy aviator and officer. A businessman. An accomplished photographer. An artist. A loving father/grandfather. A devoted and loving husband. His laughter and mirth will be missed. Also as a photographer he has chronicled much of Lake Barcroft’s and Washington DC's history.

He is survived by his wife, Grace N. Lambert his sons Carl Jay and Keith and their wife’s and grandchildren. Burial services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery. It is calendared for 9am on December 30th.



Carl R. Lambert Life Story

Photo link … http://community.webshots.com/album/567599600wyxHiu

Some younger Lake Barcroft neighbors may recall his trick or treats being passed out while he was wearing a Conehead or other fun mask. Dad had a fun side that I will treasure.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

Boater view of investing in this market...

In honor of the travails of the Wall Street debacle of 2008... A fellow boater figured this out.

If you had purchased $1,000.00 of AIG stock one year ago you would have $44.34 left.

With Wachovia, you would have had $54.74 left of the original $1,000.00.

With Lehman, you would have had $0.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago & drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214.00 cash

Sept 27th - Lobster opener

We did try our hand on the Opening day for Lobster. Did the Hoop Net thing. We got some good sized legals out near the Santa Monica pier breakwater. We did a easy method of dropping the anchor and letting the hoop nets down from the back of the boat. It worked. Not very easy to put down a lot of nets this way but I only had four nets. So it worked.

Having a bigger boat this is a better way to go I think. Not a likely to pick up a rope on the prop. The many boats I saw out there working the nets were smaller boats and skiffs (and Kayakers) with outboards mostly. They have more room between the prop and the line coming over the side I think.

We used chicken for bait. Zip tied the bait into the nets with an extra weight to help the center hoop with the bait to land strait. Worked OK. Got one crab, several fish and 5 lobsters. 3 shorts were returned to the sea. The two big legal lobsters were really nice sized.

Thomas was out there with us. Hunter C. and I did a lot of the pulling. It went OK. Even though the current and waves were kinda funny and hard on me. We called it early.

KL.

I ate my lobster with dinner the next night.

Labor Day weekend Cruise

Forgot to post about the family cruise to Catalina - Cat Harbor - for the Commodore's Cruise the weekend between the successful and the not as successful marlin trip. I. E. Labor Day Weekend 2008

We loaded up the family and towed the JetSki over to the Island. Nice weekend. Good fun.

I wanted to troll some marlin lures out near the west end but the prospect of dealing with the jetski as you fight a marlin off the stern was way out there. Not a pretty picture. Had the makings for all sorts of disastrous outcomes. So logic won out.

Trish and the boys had a good weekend. We made some new friends and the boys did more snorkeling than usual. We even got more time in on the dance floor over at the Two Harbors bar and Reef rest.

Boat did well. Was able to make good headway even with the tow.

Team Ramblin’ in KHMT

King Harbor marlin Tournament. We searched far and wide but no marlin for team Ramblin. Did get a very nice Tuna. And had a interesting close encounter when an Orca charged in our lure pattern out at the Mackerel Bank! Was he chasing the EAL (beeper) lure or was he chasing the fish that was about to hit our lure?

Trip Review… Team of Keith, Gary D., Steve L., Derral P.

Thursday: Traveled to San Pedro and picked up 4th team member Steve. Topped off with fuel and headed to Catalina West End and hoping to maybe do a little explore northwest of the island. After a bit of running into the head swell and head on to the wind it become apparent that the day would be over before reaching the fish grounds so we headed to Cat Harbor for a god nights rest. At Cat we decided to go in to Two Harbors for dinner. After messing around with the mooring and inflating the dinghy etc. we just made it. They almost closed.

Friday: Day one of the tournament… Fished north and west of the island looking for the warm water that was holding fish (marlin) just a week or two before. No luck on the 172 and kept going all the way up to the 175 above and inside SBI. Then started coming back down towards Catalina and the inside warmer water. We looked at a lot of paddies but found no life. So we were convinced that the fish were way south. And the chatter on the radio indicated that was the case. We held a team meeting and decided to make a big run that would need a little extra fuel and a big shift in fishing grounds. The vote was to do it. We picked up our lures and ran for Avalon and took on an extra 50 gallons of diesel fuel (we shared the cost equally) then ran south of the island to the hot area in the vicinity of The Mackerel Bank.

Once there we found life and paddies holding bait and tuna and Really Really Really big seas. Big rough water was a little bit of a problem. But we managed to hold on and really batten down the hatches etc. and pull it off. Gary Downie did land a beautiful yellowfin tuna.

And we saw whales. And we had a very interesting experience of a Orca following the boat. Right in the lures! I was calling for the beeper lure to be reeled in so that he would not bite that expensive one. He may have been up to see that lure or to eat the fish that were about to eat our lures. Wow that was an exciting moment. It was big and right behind the boat. Shortly as we neared the end of the fishing day we headed to safe harbor down at San Clemente Island at a anchorage called Pyramid Cove. It was a sweet anchorage and flat water. We chow’ed down on a very nice dinner (lasagna) and rested up for another day of hard fishing. The sky was clear with lots of stars and the milky way showing clearly. Out that far from land the sky was simply amazing.

Saturday: Day two of the tournament… As we came out of the lee of San Clemente we again experienced some rough water and returned to trolling speeds. We worked out into good fishy grounds. Eventually we were with other big sportboats that were playing the ‘Run and Gun` with a big pod of porpoise that feeding. A sport boat out of Dana Point that was able to toss lots of live bait. And even then they were having a very hard time to get the tuna to rise up and bite. Another large private boat was there working the same school called the Gamb ler. They too could throw more bait than we could and were also not having good luck. We trolled our lures in front of the porpoise and holed that the tuna would bite. Eventually we gave up and went back to marlin hunting. Shortly we found ourselves at the 277. We found the boat “Exta Sea” from the King Harbor Marlin Club (who was the top boat in the tournament) so we were confident that we had covered the marlin areas thoroughly. Unfortunately we did not cross paths with a marlin. We searched hard with Binoculars and fished up to the last minute.
Back in Avalon we took up a nice mooring in the Descanso Beach area outside Avalon. Inflating the dinghy went much better and we were able to go shower on shore then return to ch ange and relax. Then we went in to the awards party at The Landing with the rest of the KHMT teams.

Darrel and Gary were lucky in the raffles so we did not come away empty handed.


Sunday: We were fishing again by 8 something and worked close in for bait with no luck. Then when moving on to the Avalon Bank we found lots of bait under kelp paddies. Saw more fins but only of sharks and mola-mola. We trolled for marlin and eventually turned for San Pedro to refuel and head home.

We did everything we could but the marlin were found by the other guys. All in all it was a great trip as we had a lot of fun. Next time we will get a fish or two and take home a trophy.

Photo at San Pedro...
Keith, Steven, Darrel, Gary

Keith L. -<”><
MV Ramblin’

~~~~~~~~ -<”>< ~~~~~~~~~

Local Marlin Fishing. 3 Marlin in 3 days fishing!

I was just out the boat Non-Taxing. Great Weekend. The water conditions were terrific for fishing.

On Friday David Fine got a Marlin. It was a long and hard fight and there were some tough moments as it came to gaff. He needed to weigh in for his fish as a “Button Fish” as a new Tuna Club member. But we got it. It was very late in the day by then… So after a quiet and peaceful sleep in Cat Harbor we got up early and on Saturday morning ran down to Avalon to weigh it in on the Green Pier. By that time it weighed in at just 123 lbs.

We ran back up on the inside to return to the fishing grounds near the 152 spot. That afternoon Carl got one in to release on Saturday afternoon in 12 minutes on 20# Dacron line. We spent the night at Santa Barbara Island. We had a dinner of Braised Chicken. David did the prep. work, I did the tending on the built in BBQ. Soy burns very well. Chicken fat burns well. I had to resort to swim mask to take the smoke. LOL.

Sunday we returned to the fishing grounds. We had even better weather. Another guest on board, Bret, got a Marlin on Sunday in just 9 minutes on 20# Dacron line.

That is three fish in just three days out. I'm happy to be able to say I was part of the team. When I was the man in the cockpit and on the spot the fish just did not strike for me.

A hot tip... Zucchini color for the lures. There are Dorado under the paddies and the bait of fresh live mackerel did not get the hot hits we had hoped for. Not on the drop back and not on the tail'ers we tossed too. And I had several marlin that I tossed fresh live bait too. No joy. All three fish were on lures.

Non-Taxing may have earned the First Marlin Flag for MDRA. But not biggest Marlin. Not Last Marlin.

Hopefully I can get one on Ramblin’ in the near future.

Keith L. -<"><

Cat and Avalon Harbors Aug 8-12th

Fishing and Boating report.

We were out for a magical weekend of boating to Catalina this weekend. Started with a fishing tournament at Cat Harbor on the West End of Catalina and then a Sunday night Kenny Loggins concert on the East End in the Casino Ballroom at Avalon Harbor.

On the fishing side... The Ramblin' team of Keith, Tim, Gary and Ryan were part of the Calico Tournament produced by DRYC and for the benefit of the kids of the Two Harbors Little Red School House. Captains dinner was Friday night in Cat Harbor. Fishing event was Saturday Aug 8th, 2008.

We fished hard from the start of 7 am to 4 pm weigh-in. (easy time to start fishing) We fished from Cat Harbor to West Cove. We even tried the Farnsworth bank for a few fun but not big enough Lingcod. Then came over to Ben Westen Pt area. Anchored up on the outside of the Kelp for more hard scratch. Turned out the winning fish was one cove over in that area at 2:30 pm. A 4 pound something Calico. In the end my son Ryan came in 2nd in the youth division with a nice Calico Bass. Hard fishing for other three adults on board what fish we did catch were all throw-backs.
BTW it turned out that the side bet jackpot was a big Ling from Farnsworth earlier in the day. Other MDRA boats were on hand. Big Momma, Balianne, Three Flags etc

Ryan came in 2nd in the youth division in the Cat Harbor Calico Bass Tournament.

Sunday we moved to Avalon and Ryan got a lift home on Balianne. Tim's wife Rosalie and my wife Trisha caught up with us via the Catalina Express. We picked them up and then got a nice mooring. #103 with great views. Tim and Rosalie snorkeled and we relaxed and prepped for the concert. It was a really fun event and a fantastic venue of the Casino Ballroom. Even Carl and Francyne came over to attend the concert. Trish really liked the show and danced most of the second half.

We did troll down to the 277 on Monday and found more than one kelp paddy with lots of life but they would not take the MDR Sardines we had. We did see Dorado and yellowtail. No marlin sighted.

Boat and passengers are all home safe. Two days in Cat Harbor and Two in Avalon Harbor.

Here is a photo of the boat “ Ramblin’ “ in front of the Avalon Casino.

On the ride home we saw a whale that raised it's tail fluke for a nice wave before going down as we passed. Really a nice sight.

Fish Wish Granted. We all had a good time.

Keith <"><

Ramblin’ team did well in CYC Tournament. We won!

Long time MDRA member Randy Sprout put on a little fishing tournament last weekend. Many of the fishermen were old friends from my fishing club Marina Del Rey Anglers. Last Sunday the event was a yacht club challenge. MDR Anglers is not a Yacht Club… I am proud that it was MDRA fishermen that caught many of the fish. The MDRA Boats included were Fortuna, Big Momma and Ramblin’.

We on the Ramblin' did a long and hard day of fishing Sunday. Left the dock at 5 ish and headed for Big Rock and points north. No luck and then kept fishing north. Then at Point Dume we decided to keep going. Went up to Deep Hole. No luck. Fished in tight near the kelp with no luck. Fished out to 80 and 100 feet with no luck.

We even gave some bait to a Kayaker near County Line. We started back down and fished again near a friend on the tip of Point Dume. Good Vibrations was setting up on the Point with the anchor in 50 feet of water. We tucked in near him in 45 feet. We all casted baits to the rocks for just one rock fish and a bunch of snags.

So we gave up on Malibu and headed to Short Banks for a last chance before the 3-4 pm weigh-in deadline. We were happy to see our buddy Michael on the Betty O out there on the anchor. We found some very good looking spots not far from him and put some good fish on board. Salmon Groupers were the fish on the chew. We moved the boat repeatedly to stop and drop on the spot once we found the fish. With 12 and 16 ounce weights we were hard pressed to hold the bottom. Unlike the Betty O we could hot anchor in 270+ feet of water. In moments after stopping we were drifting at 1.4 knots.

With moments to spare we hooked the biggest one of the day. And we did one more quick try before racing in to the weigh-in. We got there just in time. Our friend on Good Vibrations raced around us at the dock to tie up ahead of us at the last moment. LOL. All to no avail. We still had the Biggest Fish of the Day.

Jeff Morris and Tim Sheridan had fish but they were out of the running. Al Varnum had a 2.25 lb fish that got 6th place. He selected a good bait net as his prise and gave it to Tim for use on his boat Reel Lucky. Luckily the big fish was my 3.5 pound fish. A testament that there were not a lot of fish caught. But also we worked it hard all day and fished every spot we could until success.

One thought shared at the party is that after observing the bay full of bait fish and all the wonderful dolphin action we theorized that the bay just has fish that are full and not hungry. We sure did see a lot of sea life. Especially off Zuma Beach and Trancus area.

So to complete the day of observing dolphin playing on the water. My prize was a nice artful trophy of a dolphin swimming over a coral reef. My thanks to CYC and our host/master of ceremonies/event chairman Randy Sprout.

Nice to be in First Place. Fish Wish Granted.

Sincerely,

Keith Lambert
Ramblin'

Results…

CYC Annual Fishing Tournament , Randy Sprout Chairman, Sunday, July 27, 2008

** = MDRA member

1. Keith Lambert** Ramblin’ 3 lb. 5 oz. Salmon Grouper DRYC

2. Bob McLatcher Woprld Headquarters 3 lb. 1 oz. Salmon Grouper DRYC

3. Jorge Carvajal** Fortuna 2 lb. 15 oz. Sand Bass CYC

4. Randy Sprout** Fortuna………2 lb. 14 oz. Calico Bass CYC

5. Susan England Lucky Dog 2 lb. 13 oz. Calico Bass PMYC

6. Al Varnum** Ramblin’ 2 lb. 12 oz. Salmon Grouper DRYC

MDR fun stuff

We cleaned up the boat. Moved it to Burton chase park. Invited friends to come down and enjoy the concert in the park and have a little Pot Luck thing on the boat. Wow. Fun. What a success.

It was just a little hectic to get the spot. At noon I got the last spot. On the inside near the pump-out. (Special Thank You to the park department staff for letting us stay there.)

We had some views of the Melissa Manchester concert and stage from the bridge deck. And even though we had cool spots for chairs and blankets on the hill... Many stayed on the boat for the fun food and conversation. I can not believe how many folks were on the boat!

It was so much fun. Looking forward to another inside MDR adventure.

Photo is Trish and I. Trish on the helm. She is a good boat pilot for around the harbor and on voyages but still she wants me to do the docking.

Happy fun times. <">< Fish wish granted.

Thanks to Caroleen, Jeff, Lucy, Reinhold, Richie and others fro all the food and fun.

Keith

Gotta' love it

Boat repairs are something you just Gatta' Love. Like the wife likes making the house wonderful in her own way the guy (me) gets to play with the engineering of the boat.

Lately we did a new antenna on the tall pike that was part of the old main antenna. So I have a new high end and powerful antenna on top of the 18 foot long pike. Way up there for better range. Used it while on the last trip to talk to a boat in MDR from the west end of Catalina. Very long ways away. No matter what radio you have you must have a good radio antenna to get the most out of it. (so says some of my boat savvy friends)

And lately to get rid of a pesky toilet oder problem I have been down in the hole. And while there I redid the fwd bilge pump out hose. The old hard (but very light) hose was weeping and when under way and getting water up there it was letting water in. Not Acceptable to me. New tough hose. Heat gun and large amount of personal Umph and now I'm happy. And my family is safer.

More to do. With luck it will not end soon. You know what happens when you are done fixing your boat. You Sell It. I hope not to be "done" for a long time.

Trish has a party and music inthe park potluck event set up. so I gotta' finish up and get extra fishing gear off the boat. The group of ladies and guests on Saturday will be a fun and interesting mix. Looking forward to it. It may render a nice set of photos too.

We are lucky to have music options at MDR's Burton Chase Park and at the Santa Monica Pier.

My fish wish is for a good spot to dock for the show Saturday.

Keith <"><

Happy 4th of July - Family Cruise

The Ramblin' Lambert's

All of us loaded up the boat cruised to Catalina Island for the holiday. It was a long way around the island trip. One night in Avalon and 3 nights in Catalina Harbor on the back side of Two Harbors. Really nice to be on the inside for one night in Avalon Harbor.

We came around the back side past the fishing grounds and were rewarded with sights of lots of life. Mola Mola. Dolphin. Etc.

Mooring in Cat Harbor was position "A" so we had short dinghy rides to shore for ice showers and meals. Very fun with the new addition of a jet ski to the toys for the boys. Ryan was very happy to get our there and go. Thomas had a great time. Trish and her sister Karen, down from Boise, had a lot of fun too. They screamed happy screams of fun and laughed hard.

The fireworks were on the 5th on the Isthmus side. We were out on the pier and got a great view. Well done. A little dancing at the Reef and the weekend was well rounded.

Hoping your holiday was fun an festive as well.

Keith <"><

Catalina Fishing Report – Weds. June 18th

Was out yesterday on the El Dorado with the bunch from Purfields Pro Tackle. We had some of the absolute best weather and water you could imagine. Supper sweet float of squid for bait too. I landed numerous Calico’s and even released a really nice “keeper” Calico near Hen Rock near White’s landing. This was the spot where the youngest angler on the trip landed a very respectable Yellowtail. And they got him to eat the heart! Lots of fun. The lucky kid, Eddie, works as a deck hand on the New Del Mar and was not in the Jackpot.

Turned out that the Jackpot competition was between two halibut as the Seabass and Yellowtail eluded our hooks. With a full moon and big squid float they may have been stuffed full and not needing our tasty presentations.

Next time…

PS see the www.PurfieldsProTackle.com fish reports.

http://www.purfieldsprotackle.com/reports/

Official Purging of the Old Boat Name

The Story goes...

According to legend, each and every vessel is recorded by name in the Ledger of the Deep and is known personally to Poseidon, or Neptune, the god of the sea. It is logical therefore, if we wish to change the name of our boat, the first thing we must do is to purge its name from the Ledger of the Deep and from Poseidon’s memory.

This is an involved process beginning with the removal or obliteration of every trace of the boat’s current identity. This is essential and must be done thoroughly. … In purging your boat… You will also need a bottle of reasonably good Champagne. Plain old sparkling wine won’t cut it. (and a few friends to share it with )

Since this is an auspicious occasion, it is a good time to invite your friends to witness and to party.

Purge Party at 7pm Friday 6/6/2008

Began by invoking the name of the ruler of the deep as follows:

Oh mighty and great ruler of the seas and oceans, to whom all ships and we who venture upon your vast domain are required to pay homage, implore you in your graciousness to expunge for all time from your records and recollection the name “It’ll Do” which has ceased to be an entity in your kingdom. As proof thereof, we submit this ingot bearing her name to be corrupted through your powers and forever be purged from the sea.

(At this point, the prepared metal tag (4 in my case) were dropped from the bow of the boat into the sea.)

In grateful acknowledgment of your munificence and dispensation, we offer these libations to your majesty and your court.

(Dutifully poured at over half of the bottle of Champagne into the sea from East to West. The remainder shared by captain, Keith, and co-captain, Trish, and then among our guests.) Cordon Negro Brut that I enjoy.

So you see why we needed the Sun near sunset to be sure we find West. We did the full ceremony and shared the bubbly...

Betty O and Kids Fishing

Fishing with the MDRA fishing club guys who are the "mentors" on the MDR Youth Fishing trips.

We gathered for a "educational' review on safety and procedures and review of the summer to come. Many fishing trips are planned. New groups are getting a chance to participate too.

You all know about the Marina Del Rey Anglers and the Halibut Derby and how this funds the fish grow out pens and the youth fishing programs right?!? If you are part of my circle of friends and associates you likely know how dedicated I am to that stuff. If not ... Where have you been?
Go at once to www.HalibutDerby.com and www.MDRAnglers.com and read about it.

Oh yeah the fishing trip followed the Safety presentation. So we (The adult Mentors) got to have a little good time out fishing on the Betty O just like the kids do all summer long. I even got a good sculpin to show off.

Special Thanks to Ken Feldman for the photo and Even bigger a special Pat on the Back for running the Youth Fishing Program. Way to Go Ken.

Memorial Day trip to Catalina.

Update for the family and friends who track our outings...

We had a nice Memorial Day Trip out to Catalina. It was waylaid by bad weather and we delayed the beginning a hole day to allow the water and weather to calm down. This was a very good thing. As there were several boats that got part way and turned back after fighting a headwind and rough seas for hour or two and seeing much more before them.

Family and vacation trips need to be "fair weather' events to be worth it. A few nasty and seasick crossings will take the joy out of it. By the time we did go we had a nice crossing. With only a few gray clouds. As we neared the island the sad event of the helicopter crash at two harbors took place. We were about 10 miles from the west end when there was a radio call from another boater to Coast Guard to report the helicopter down. Odd part was that the Coast Guard could not get hold of the fact that the event was on shore and then tell the lady to stop broadcasting. So finally got the lady to use her cell phone to call in and clear up the communications problem.

Would have been much better if she had called on Channel 9 to Harbor Patrol. But they were already Johny on the Spot with the local volunteer firemen and the sheriff. Thankfully a retired airline stewardess was close by and ran to the scene and helped to pull the survivors out and away from the fire. Tragic loss of life. Well covered in the news I hear. Three killed on impact. 3 survived and med-evac'ed out before we made it to Cat Harbor.

The Weather got better and better as the weekend progressed. We played ball on the dirt field and goofed around the boat on the Kayak and with the new Dinghy. Ryan was out with the older boys and the high speed toys. Thomas and his guest Hunter did all the fun kid stuff. Swim, play, play baseball, skip stones, eat candy and sodas. Good Stuff.

We tried out the new Dinghy. New design from West Marine was very stable. It has an Inflatable floor. Very cool. And fully deflates for take down and storage. Cool.

Mom and Dad did a good job of having a nice time. While Trisha went for a mountain bike ride I did manage to get out and fish a little. Thanks to Uncle Carl giving me a bucket of bait I was able to get us hooked up to a very lovely 22 inch Calico Bass. Fish Wish Granted.

And latter that night we all went over to the Reef for some dancing under the stars. Hoot! Really fun. Thomas (11) was braggin' to Hunter that he danced with an 18 year old. Memories of Catalina are like that.

The ride home seemed to have the best seas of all my crossings. So I ran at a nice speed of 16 to 17 knots. That reduced the rock and roll a little for Trish as we were faster than the corner swells that push up on the stern and give the boat an annoying off centerline push. Trisha does not like the roll when it gets to be that big.

But all and all a very nice Family vacation.

Keith <"><

Neighborhood Associations and Community/Neighborhood Councils

I believe that Community starts at the most local level.

• Caring about the neighbors;
• taking care of a Cat or Dog while they are away.
• helping out in some small way like rolling in the trash cans.
• About all the folks on your street;
• becoming a Block Captain.
• going out front to look when a car or house alarm goes off.
• participating in (or running) a Block Party
• Blocks around your home;
• joining in to better a local elementary school.
• joining in a Neighborhood Association. (ie Ven-MarNA)
• Helping your community at large;
• participating in the local city government agencies...
• local councils for Venice or Mar Vista.
• helping in the homeless programs.
• City wide;
• CD 11 - Bill Rosendahl's office
  and the upcoming city elections or re-election campaigns etc.
• or with party politics on a County or State level.

PURPOSE OF NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS
by the CITY CHARTER voted into Law 1999 by the City Council:
"To promote more citizen participation in government and make government more responsive to local needs, a citywide system of neighborhood councils, and a Department of Neighborhood Empowerment is created. Neighborhood councils shall include representatives of the many diverse interests in communities and shall have an advisory role on issues of concern to the neighborhood."

I have filed for re-election as the Zone 6 Director of Mar Vista Community Council. I have diligently attended the board meetings and been a participant of many of the committee meetings of the board. This does not leave a lot of time left over to be a leader in the Ven-Mar NA organization but I will continue to be a big booster for the group. I have set up the web sites and started (its') message board. I have been the editor for the last two newsletters.

I urge all of you to participate as you can at all of the local levels you can. That is what makes a community like ours extra special and a rewarding part of living here in Mar Vista. Most of you are Stakeholders in Venice or Mar Vista. Please come out and vote when that election comes up.

Sincerely, Your Neighbor,

Keith Lambert
Zone 6 Director for MVCC

As posted on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VenMar/

Boat is ready for 2008

Keith and Trish are ready to ramble about on the boat Ramblin'

Fish Wish granted... The boat is "done"
That is finished being painted for now.

A boat is never finished. Always some things on the list of the fixes or fix up or something in need of service. But the paint job is looking great!

We are so looking forward to Memorial Day weekend and a nice family boating trip.

Peace and Calm seas to all of you.

Calamari on the dinner table.

Giant Squid. AKA Humboldt Squid AKA the Scourge of the West Coast.
“If you don’t eat them now, they may be the only coastal fishery left.”

If you go out on some of the California sport boats and get into these big guys... No Release. Bring home Calamari Steaks for all your friends and neighbors!



http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/774

Hit the Link to watch the video full size. Listen for the conclusion line.

KL. <”><

PS comment and share your recipe.

boating joke

Late one foggy night two boaters collide head on while trying to
navigate a narrow inlet channel. Both their boats were damaged,
disabled and slowly sinking.

As they each watched their boats slowly slip away beneath them, the
first boater said " You know, this is a sign that we should never take
life for granted and that we should live it to the fullest".

"You are right," said the other boater as he opened a cooler and
pulled out a bottle of bourbon whisky. Let's drink to living well for
the rest of our lives.

The first boater took the bottle and, after a big swig, handed it back
to the other boater who in turn quickly threw it into the river.

More than a little surprised the first boater exclaimed " You didn't
take a drink!?"

"Naw", said the other boater "I think I'll just wait for the Coast
Guard to show up."




There are more jokes on the MDRAnglers.com web site. I added a few Navy ones near the bottom.

MLPA's coming to So Cal. Does that mean closing our Fishing Grounds?

To all Southern California Fishermen,

If you do not know what MLPA stands for then please look at
http://www.cafisheriescoalition.org/overview.htm

We are potentially to be regulated to the point of loosing most of the fishing areas that we have. It is possibly a bait and switch play years in the making. 1999 law that is being implemented in an overly strict way by groups ideologically opposed to the taking of fish. IE the hidden goal is actually stopping your fishing.

That is why you and I can not sit idly by and let this happen. It is a political process and you must not be silent. It is the "conservation" side we need to voice. Keeping the use of the natural resource open for all of us Outdoors Types to use and enjoy in a sustainable way. Do not fold your hands and let the "preservationists" hold the sway of the legal system to say no one may enter or use the natural environment. Whether they be liberal extremists like PETA or other "no kill" groups, who wear many different cloaks to hide their agenda.

The government web sites states... "There are three types of MPAs: state
marine reserve, state marine park, and state marine conservation area,
each with different rules about what activities can or cannot be done
within each. In general, marine reserves do not allow any type of
extractive activities (including fishing or kelp harvesting), with the
exception of scientific collecting under a permit, marine parks do not
allow any commercial extraction, and marine conservation areas do not
allow some combination of commercial and/or recreational extraction."

from http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/

If you and I do not take heed and work to show the interests of the
fishing public in Southern California we may be stuck with many of the
most restrictive type zones. Then you will not be able to sport fish.

What do you think we can do?

How many "No Kill" type groups can you name?

Fished hard in the MDR Halibut Derby

We had fun. We fished a lot of places all up and down the Santa Monica Bay. On Saturday from Malibu near the Malibu Pier to Twin Towers. We caught some fish but not the right type. Jeff and Dennis and I got some bites on Bass but no halibut. Thomas fished a little but mostly slept off his bonine (sea-sickness medication).

We did Ok and the Bait was good but the Halibut were not cooperating with us or with many of the other fishermen. The radio had lots of talk and little bragging. Mostly bemoaning the lack of halibut or any fish bite.

Our more productive area was near Dukes in Malibu and along Big Rock.

Sunday we went south. And caught Zilch!

Those who did weigh in fish weighed in some great fish. 3 of them over 35 pounds!

See www.mdranglers.com/HD2008/ for all the details.

Maybe next time.

Keith <"><

Fish Wish for this weekend... In the Halibut Derby

Here we are again... Halibut Derby Time!

So we set out to find a big halibut. The Halibut have been very scarce up until now. So I have this for my "Fish Wish" - Please oh' fish of the sea, Please grant us just enough Fish for us to have a pleasant weekend and a trip to the podium.

One quality fish is all it takes to be in the top 5 and win a great trip. 2nd 3rd or 4th sends someone to Mazatlan etc. That is enough for me.

I will be driving the boat so I will have less time with a hook in the water. So I need all the good luck I can get. Fingers crossed. Knock on wood. Kiss my wife.

All the good luck items. And a remembrance to be happy with the outcome no matter what as I am blessed to have the golden opportunity of just going out there and participating.

Thinking of the Golden Fish story.

Off we go fishing this weekend.

Keith <"><

Saturday Fishing & Jackpot Winning Anglers

On Saturday we went out and got a few rock fish. The best fish of the day was for Ryan’s guest Adam. It was a good thing. We had a small MDRAnglers jackpot tournament and Adam took first place with a good sized fish. Another guest on our boat took third place, Jeff. Now we are ready to Win more stuff in the MDR Halibut Derby. Which would be very Cool.

Weather was nice for the most part. Some "Lumpy" waves though. A little unpleasant and hard to go faster than 8 knots.
Keith <"><

Dinghy weekend

We floated the dinghy and puttered around the MDR Harbor this weekend. It was a nice sunny weekend. No fishing but we did get on the water. Just for the fun of it.

Hope you all had a nice Easter. <"><

Party on Sat. 3-15-08

In honor of George and Lillie both turning 80 this year
we had a big family gathering. A double B-day party.

Opening Day

Here in MDR most yacht clubs had their opening day ceremonies Saturday and Sunday. It was windy this weekend. Very high winds. Slightly cold. Made it an interesting weekend. Good views of flying flags on the boats. Punctuated by the booms of the various clubs shooting their ceremonial cannons.

Several family members were in for a family party as well. Saturday was a family lunch and a harbor cruise on my brothers boat. Nice outing. Nice time was had by all.

Trish and I had some friends over on Sunday for our own opening day event. We even had a little champagne on the boat. Now the season is officially open. And once the current boat upgrade is complete we will be ready to go too.

Sunny blue sky and white puffy clouds. A little blustery and breezy.

But a great opening weekend. Keith <"><

Sunny Sunday on the Bay

Did a nice little fishing run. The fish cooperated.

Thanks to good company of Jeff (middle) and Reinhold (right) I had a blast. Jeff bagged some very large fish. And I learned a new spot. We were out at the short bank approximately 6 miles strait out from MDR. It was a little breezy and a bit of a swell but all in all... Nice Sunny Day on the bay.

Later that night we cooked fresh fish. Same day into the pan is the best!

Fish Wish Granted. Keith <"><

Canadians - Go figgure

As a Dad you know that there are moments when a teen will "Task" you.
Try your patience. And ...

Then these Canadians and their ideas on health care filter through. These bus bench Ads are up in Toronto Canada.

So what Do I Do?

Do I have to drive up and sneak these back across the boarder?

This stuff would be as popular as Viagra for those wanting to get a little sanity back in the home life.

he he he Keith <"><

Chicken soup

Well the chicken soup must have helped I feel human again.

A little more productivity on the marketing stuff... Marketing for the MDR Halibut Derby is well underway. Reported to the Halibut Derby Committee tonight that the adverts in two newspapers and 3 magazines are in and complete. Even got good Press release placement. Some stories have color photos. Only one smaller advert still left to do just before the derby. Just after the Fred Hall Show.
www.HalibutDerby.com

One gift to the MDR Halibut Derby is a 14 ft fishing Kayak... It was selected as the top prize in the Youth Division for 2008. Nice. Now we need to find better ways to get Kayakers out on the water and catching big halibut in the derby.

I'm going to troll the web forums for more info on this.

Keith <"><

Feeling icky on a rainy day today.

Darn if I did not come down with the Ick. Sorta Flu like.

Was it from yelling when Thomas made a few baskets at the basketball game on Weds night? Well on Thursday I started to become horse. By Friday I was Sick.

Resting, no going out to a concert tonight. Reinhold will have to give the tickets to someone else. Blicky feeling. Hope it goes away by Monday.


Maybe I should put up a post about the 10 year old basket ball team at Penmar. Thomas and his buddies have been doing great. Thomas is tallest and plays Defense well. He is now given the job of saying under the basket to grab rebounds and quickly get it back up for a shot. He had 3 of those last game. Score was 39 to 29 I think. Another in the Win.

I'm very proud of Ryan

Ryan works at Virtual Snow. He helps with the clients on the ski simulators and is great with the kids. I have noticed that he can be really understanding to younger kids. ( Except for his brother who he teases relentlessly. )

Today I got a call from Bob Salerno the owner of Virtual Snow of Los Angeles who told me that Ryan was doing great. And that he appreciated him being there for him and for the customers. He just wanted to share the Ryan was doing exceptionally good.

Ryan could not have a better first boss than this kind and happy man.

www.VirtualSnowLA.com if you want to see what it is about.

I'm proud of him.

Keith <"><

Nice Boat Ride on Saturday

After so much bad winter weather and rains for weeks we have had just enough time to let it blow over and the trash to sink out. So on Sunday the winds did finally let up. The sun was shining and we decided to go out.

Nice boat ride. Just me the the boys. Thomas brought along a young friend from his basketball team (Max). After a quick stop at Subway for some sandwiches, off we went. Down to the docks at the early hour of 11 am. Definitely not a fishing day!

She started up like a champ and I showed Ryan how it started. He even did a bit of driving and station keeping. I look forward to his getting more time on the helm.

Thomas was all wiggles and enjoying having his friend along.

Nice day on the water. Went up near Gladstones and back. Those people in the expensive restaurants need something to gaze out upon when they get the window seats. May as well be US!

I'm starting to get boat wash down process better under control too. I sure want it to be quicker. So does Ryan... That is for sure.

Good boat run. Fun.

Hope to do a lot of fishing this year.

Keith <"><

MDRA - annual party

On Sat. (Feb 9th) the Marina Del Rey Anglers (my fishing club) had it's annual Awards Dinner. It was held at DRYC (my boating club) clubhouse. It was a chance for me to invite a few friends from MDRA down to my boat for a drink and give them a little tour of the boat. (she thought he was so cute he should be in movies) Dinner went very well.

A good surprise was a fishing friend form the past. Glenn. He was the one who took Ryan for his first boat ride when Ryan was just a few weeks old. And he was with Richard who took my family out fishing when Thomas was just weeks old.

Trish was out of town, so my buddy for the night was Thomas. He and I dressed and attended the soirée in similar attire with black button down shorts left open over white T's and black slacks and dark ties. The kick was fun shoes. He was the hit of the party for Greg Belda's date. It was a fun dinner and good to see everyone at a happy event.

I am proud to say I my brother Carl received the spoils for having submitted the weight slips over a successful fishing year. First Tuna Flag. First Albacore Flag. Plaque for this and another for that... Then Angler Of The Year!

My February weight slip was recognized for Catch of the Month and received a commemorative plaque for a Released Marlin on 12 # test line.

The many volunteers received certificates of appreciation for various deeds and efforts. My two were for volunteering to the Youth Fishing Program (being a mentor on youth trips) and in services to the MDR Halibut Derby. They have a spot on the wall for now.

Now if the fishing would just pick up. Jeffrey and I have to get our halibut fishing skills up before the derby. He and I have our new 2008 fishing licenses and just need to go out on the water and use them.

Happy Fishing Dad... Keith <"><

Working for the Fishing Club

Spent a few extra hours working some advertising for the MDRAnglers fishing club recently. Some adverts for Pacific Coast Sportfishing magazine and Fish Taco Chronicles and Western Outdoor News...

So if you are a Fisherman or Fisherwoman you need to get fresh line on your reel and get signed up for the MDR Halibut Derby. The event is April 5 & 6 of 2008. Just weeks away.

Keith <"><

Doggie good times

An furry addition to our family a few months back... A big German Shepherd doggie.

Trish named him Winzer. She had large dogs back when she was young and knows all the right things to do. Training and stuff is going along.

He even goes boating with us. I put him in a life jacket when on the docks or in the boat. Mostly I want the handle for retrieving the big wet beast should he go in (again).

Many of you had seen the Xmas photo of us with the dog.

Here is Trish with Winzer at the Santa Monica Airport Dog Park. It is a fun and clean place full of happy poochies running and playing. He loves to fetch and does retrieve the balls. Sometimes he outruns the other dogs to steal the ball that their owners throw. He he he.

Photo from my Q phone so quality is not the best. Sorry.

I also took a Video and am trying to learn how to use YouTube. Post a Comment requesting a link if you want to see it.

Keith ^ ^


PS I now have a mascot for my computer consulting business.
www.Web-Coyote.com - I'll update my company photo.

In Loving Memory of Kato our cat

Just a small family note... Our cat of many years has passed away Friday Jan 18th.

Old age and his time had come. Kato was at times a trouble maker but mostly, over the years we had him, his influences around the house have been to bring love and tenderness and a purr.

I will miss his morning conversation while I make coffee and he tells me to feed him or rubs my leg. He was talkative.

Ryan may not miss the little battles with cat hair on his clothing. But he will miss his "kitten" as he had taken to calling him over the last several years. Thomas frequently snuck Kato into his bed and was always a tender pet lover. Kato and Thomas had a very special relationship.

The loss has hit Trish very hard. We all miss him. Trish will miss the hugging of her kitty the most. Tears and sadness mark his passing. We did not have him euthanized but kept him home and administered to him as best we could. Kato passed away quietly on Friday night. He purred for us up until the end.

Back when OJ was in the middle of his word renowned murder trial... This cat showed up in our back yard and started to sponge off of us. So of course I named him after Kato Kaitlen the permanent house guest OJ had in his back yard. Kato had his 15 minutes of fame. Kato our cat had approx. 15 years of our love.


He used to nap in my home office and keep me company. He roamed the neighborhood like a tiger.

Even the day before he passed he traveled to a neighbors house and came back hours later when called. Trish hugged him up when she found him sitting at the front door waiting to come in.