# Hobbies



## alton (Dec 28, 2009)

Well, I would not call "dieting" or "lifestyle changes" necessarily hobbies, but outside of these issues we all share, what else are you interested in?

I like to do some genealogical digging.

I have become more interested in history since my son has been getting older.

As a family, we have enjoyed going out and exploring our home state. You never know when you may have to relocate and wonder "I wish I had done that while I lived there".

I also like to scrapbook. I am a bit behind but I still have my things organized and ready to pick up where I left off.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Whoa ... this thread is dated 2009 ... no hobbies, pastimes? interests? 

Retired May 2012 and liking it :encouragement: Just taking it easy, spent the summer pretty much in the 1000 islands, spent the fall doing not that much, enjoy pool and beer the occasional evening, bar/beer/band a few nights a week, PC games over the winter e.g. Skyrim and a few oldies ...

Decided in January or so that I was losing interest in trading as a hobby, time to retire from that, then thought well maybe I'll just dabble, use my TFSA and at least make an effort to pick up a few $$s towards the yearly income tax ... set aside $20K for that ... was doing ok until RPL ... oops, being trampled by the big guys I think ... may still be ok but I'm obliged to set a stop loss at $1.47 in order to preserve that $20K ... if it stops out then that's it for me ... really.

Looking for hobbies, pastimes, interests ideas ... my own are currently few ... fitness .. treadmill, weights, etc. for an hour or so a day; PC gaming; weight loss ... on a more or less protein/fibre/vegetable diet with 10 lbs to go and feeling really good without the carbs ... sugar highs/lows have been a problem for me in the past ...

But enough about me ... what do you guys do in the way of hobbies, pastimes, interests ... thanks


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

By day I write reports and proposals, monitor schedules and costs, and keep a staff of 4 others clicking along.

By night most days I don't want to look at the computer. 

I waste my time goofing with old time film photography and darkroom work, and buying restoring, using and swapping cameras 
. So that is my biggest hobby.

I also spend at least 20 days a year after work doing some sort of production job related to community productions and see at least 12 live theatre shows of one sort or other per year other than the ones I have worked on. With that sort of a time commitment I would call that a hobby too.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

For me, knitting and riding my bike are the top two. I'm almost finished a sweater I started back in the fall, just in time for the warm weather.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Cameras, photography ... reminds me, I bought the digital camera mainly to take pics to later use for drawings, paintings ... when I retire. Hmmm ... that would be now wouldn't it ... time to start retrieving ... and that reminds me, I've got a few boxes of family photos going back over 100 years ... which also reminds me, my grandmother was an amateur photographer (I heard), black pin hole camera (?), she developed her own photos as well ... that camera is still in one of the boxes in the basement ... another project for me ... sort through all those photos. And bring out some of my grandfathers paintings that are also stored ... more things I was gonna do when I retired ... thanks for reminding me :joyous:

Biking ... have a bike, haven't used it in a few years, then it was mainly bike paths by the Rivers (Ottawa, Rideau), Rideau canal, made for a nice day out ... there's still about 6" snow on the ground here in Ottawa so it'll be awhile for me ... something to remember to do this year though for sure. A sweater can be ok on a cooler summer evening too :encouragement:


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

^Congrats Rikk on the retirement. Expect to make it there in about 15 months- determined to hold out to delay withdrawals...

Hobbies are few- need to engage more socially to occupy myself and stay satisfied- in a tiny village even more important with much less available activities. 

Right now do some strength training 3x/wk, run 4 days a week, joined hiking club last year and will continue doing some of that. Fiddle around with cars, maintenance, detailing etc some. Maintain a large 3 acre property, wood sided house, grassed and many plantings that takes a lot of maintenance.

Planning to join a local volunteer organization, start a vegetable garden, may get back into ATVing and/or motorcycling. Also plan to purchase kayaks for my wife and I and learn the sport -can do from my property. Have 1 bike and plan to get another for my spouse. Good trails about 3km from my house. Want to travel regionally for short term trips, with longer / further trip annually. 

Considering a small business seasonal business as well.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

RBull ... sounds like you too are content with where you are ... really helps with retirement is my experience. I designed my home for comfort ... so far very comfortable ... hmm, maybe too comfortable? I read a few books on retiring before I retired ... forget that ... they tend to preach you've gotta do this, gotta do that ... not necessarily ... :encouragement: 

Kayaks ... nice. Used to sail/canoe a fair bit ... have some back problems, contusions, that are catching up with me ... part of the daily workout is to keep that under control ... so now it's the 24' pontoon ... step on, away you go, step off, done for the day. And talk about lazy ... buddy puts the boat away for me in winter, gets it out in spring.

Motorcycle ... was thinking a couple of dirt bikes, also thinking (knowing) the back would likely not tolerate that ... had a few bikes when younger ... that was then for me. A neighbor still rides ... traded his BMW for a sport bike, used it for a couple of weeks, went back to his BMW ... smart move.

Small business ... sometimes hobbies, pastimes turn into businesses ... what sort of business are you considering? And others out there ... have you turned hobbies, pastimes into businesses? When I did retire ... 2 weeks notice was me ... I ended up with a pocketful of cards, invites to do contracting come the winter ... no thanks ... really enjoyed the work, had a great time but no thanks. But making a few dollars from something different, a hobby ... maybe. Have an artist friend ... painting was fun ... then she took on consignment work ... not so much fun anymore ... so I guess could go either way.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

Yeah Rikk, fairly comfortable where we are now- wife is retired for about 18 months and I've been P/T 3 days/wk for about the same time - "transitioning". I've read a fair bit on retirement myself and expect to be able to focus enough on my "to do" things and social activities to keep alive and happy. 

It's got to be great to be asked to do some side work and then be able to say no and do as you please, as you have.

We just purchased this place a year and half ago- gutted it and added on. Spent WAY too much but it's a great spot to retire to for the foreseeable future. Coming from a larger, newer house in the city. 

I hear you on the back problems. I've suffered on and off for years and also with tendonitis in several places of my body, which ultimately ended my marathoning days. My wife and I make our own beer and wine, and we both read quite a bit too.

Sounds great on the pontoon boat. Nice to have neighbours like that. One of my neighbours has a small sailboat (14') that I'm out on periodically. 

As to the business it's an existing one and I can't disclose at this stage. Not a hobby. It's just something very small that operates a few months of the year. We'll soon know if it works out. If not maybe we'll come up with something else. I've been an entrepreneur before and sold the business about 4 years ago when the time was right.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Knitting, watching our stocks rise and fall, card making (expensive hobby imho, cheaper to buy the cards!), gardening, camping (at our seasonal lot), dreaming of international retirement locals. Some days I get the urge to bake up a storm, so perhaps that is an impulse hobby  Oh, and listening to audiobooks. Flavia De Luce series is wonderful to listen to while doing housework or relaxing.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Addy said:


> Knitting, watching our stocks rise and fall, card making (expensive hobby imho, cheaper to buy the cards!), gardening, camping (at our seasonal lot), dreaming of international retirement locals. Some days I get the urge to bake up a storm, so perhaps that is an impulse hobby  Oh, and listening to audiobooks. Flavia De Luce series is wonderful to listen to while doing housework or relaxing.


My wife plans to work for another 5 years ... then if I'm still around we (else she ) plan on a few tours ... I'd visit the UK on business now and then, take the coach through the countryside, realized with the hedges you can't see much from a car, therefore a tour. Really like Paris ... there's a tour boat pay for the day, get on, get off, see the sites of interest ... we'll go for a stay in Paris for sure. Was with a buddy from Sweden one spring, business, was the first day of spring custom to drink spiced vodka (or so I was told) which we did in the field of mars by the Eiffel Tower ... until the sprinklers came on. I don't mind driving in Australia in that there's no worries just pulling over to stop and see the sites, or just stop ... nice. I am looking forward to a few tours ... when you're doing the driving you miss a lot. We're thinking of doing a few 3 month stays ... Melbourne, somewhere in southern france are on the short list ... 

Audio books ... where do you get yours ... something else I've been meaning to do ... currently I use the laptop for reading. Did so much work related reading over the years I've gotten out of the habit.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

I really couldn't list all of my hobbies and interests here - just too many. Most of them are healthy, outdoorsy, and cheap, thank goodness.

Somebody previously mentioned kayaking - that is probably my greatest passion - I love to explore the inlets and coves of the southwest B.C. coast (mostly southern Gulf Islands, my home base) in my 19ft kevlar touring kayak. I will never scratch the surface of the wonders that this area holds - but once I ER (next year, with luck) I am going to give it a try. 

A few years ago I bought a portable hydrophone (underwater microphone) so that I can drop it into the water and actually hear a pod of orcas as they pass by. Seeing these creatures up close and in nature is thrilling - but to hear them as well - I cannot do justice as to how mindblowing this is. This year I am going to figure out how to record these sounds so that I can post them online - maybe I can even make them accessible to my fellow CMF'ers. The various Orca families of the B.C. have distinct vocalizations, and I soon hope to be able to recognize them from one another.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> The various Orca families of the B.C. have distinct vocalizations, and I soon hope to be able to recognize them from one another.


Maybe you'll make some new friends? 

Seriously - that sounds pretty neat.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> I love to explore the inlets and coves of the southwest B.C. coast (mostly southern Gulf Islands, my home base) in my 19ft kevlar touring kayak ...
> 
> A few years ago I bought a portable hydrophone (underwater microphone) so that I can drop it into the water and actually hear a pod of orcas as they pass by. Seeing these creatures up close and in nature is thrilling - but to hear them as well - I cannot do justice as to how mindblowing this is. This year I am going to figure out how to record these sounds so that I can post them online - maybe I can even make them accessible to my fellow CMF'ers. The various Orca families of the B.C. have distinct vocalizations, and I soon hope to be able to recognize them from one another.



how i would love to hear something like this

do you think u are seeing the beginning of a super-nifty retirement nano-industry? You are undoubtedly kayaking to places others will never see in their lifetimes, so photos, text, video & audio would be appreciated by many ...


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> how i would love to hear something like this
> 
> do you think u are seeing the beginning of a super-nifty retirement nano-industry? You are undoubtedly kayaking to places others will never see in their lifetimes, so photos, text, video & audio would be appreciated by many ...


Morning ... not intending to commercialize the experience ... question comes to mind, do little people make $$s with e.g. blog sites? Interest sites as humble_pie described above? If so, how? Always curious ...


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

salut rikk - what i found striking about jon snow's post is the sincerity of his passion for these sea adventures. A by-product is that he's venturing into coves, inlets & ocean currents which others will never see ... but everyone can clearly see how much he loves the action.

i don't think any such "business" would be significantly profitable. Like, this is not going to be jacques cousteau III. My passing thought was that the adventure is so exceptional, interesting & creative, while requiring fairly expensive equipment, that it might be nice to work gradually towards some type of marketing.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

ps recently i've learned from another source that body-worn video cameras - usually attached on top of safety helmets - can be set to auto-photograph at intervals ranging from a few seconds to several minutes.

the product is thousands of frames that have to be edited in order to select the few best. But the arty result is that the final sequence of photos will be eerily closer to what the human eye actually sees than can ever be achieved by traditional stop-pose-frame-the-subject.

it's an interesting approach to live-action adventure photography. I haven't heard of it being used in a kayak or other small boat, but i'd imagine the results would be intriguing. Heavy seas, huge waves, kayak tossing like a cork, seals on rocks, orcas crying to each other? oh, wow ...


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

humble_pie said:


> ps recently i've learned from another source that body-worn video cameras - usually attached on top of safety helmets - can be set to auto-photograph at intervals ranging from a few seconds to several minutes.
> 
> the product is thousands of frames that have to be edited in order to select the few best. But the arty result is that the final sequence of photos will be eerily closer to what the human eye actually sees than can ever be achieved by traditional stop-pose-frame-the-subject.
> 
> it's an interesting approach to live-action adventure photography. I haven't heard of it being used in a kayak or other small boat, but i'd imagine the results would be intriguing. Heavy seas, huge waves, kayak tossing like a cork, seals on rocks, orcas crying to each other? oh, wow ...


Aha ... so the pastime would be photography/video ... I've seen e.g. GoPro advertised for such (or was that for DIY porn ... okokok ... :hopelessness. I'll look into that, reason being I fish for fun (something to do when out on the boat), removed the barbs so bringing in a fish can be a challenge (but makes release easy) ... and taking a pic when alone on the boat even more of a challenge. These cameras are rugged, waterproof ... hmmm.

If you watch the fishing channel, the guys that fish from kayaks ... hmmm, kayak, sounds familiar ... use such cameras.

Link fwiw ... http://gopro.com/


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Wow guys, I hadn't even considered some of these aspects. Got me thinking now.

As we get into Summer, I'll try to get some media posted so those who are interested can see/hear my orca "friends".


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Jon_Snow said:


> Wow guys, I hadn't even considered some of these aspects. Got me thinking now.
> 
> As we get into Summer, I'll try to get some media posted so those who are interested can see/hear my orca "friends".


Just uploaded some pics to Flickr (a bit fuzzy but hey, what the heck) ... new for me ... let's see if this'll work.

Short story ... Last summer with all the houses being taken down, and trees, the crow family we were used to seeing I thought were gone ... until 3 young crows showed up ... so I feed them, in this case some leftovers. One day a young hawk appears ... tries it's best to make a meal of them ... no luck ... pretty funny to watch ... it's a standoff. The hawk is unfortunately still in the neighborhood making it difficult for other birds ... I have house finches I've built nests for around the front porch ... just flower pots nailed up but they're perfectly happy with that.

Wildlife, help them out I figure.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

Jon, why not operate a small eco-tour business. Bring your passion for yakking and marine mammals to full time? Its competitive, but I know many people on the Island who have done exactly that, some run tours off their sail boats, others partner with rental shops.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

hey Jon don't let us push you too hard ... but the future is aglow with beautiful possibilities


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Great ideas all around.

No wonder I hang around here so much.

The weather is going to be gorgeous here on the west coast this long weekend... Might just have to get the kayaks into the water.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

rikk said:


> My wife plans to work for another 5 years ... then if I'm still around we (else she ) plan on a few tours ... I'd visit the UK on business now and then, take the coach through the countryside, realized with the hedges you can't see much from a car, therefore a tour. Really like Paris ... there's a tour boat pay for the day, get on, get off, see the sites of interest ... we'll go for a stay in Paris for sure. Was with a buddy from Sweden one spring, business, was the first day of spring custom to drink spiced vodka (or so I was told) which we did in the field of mars by the Eiffel Tower ... until the sprinklers came on. I don't mind driving in Australia in that there's no worries just pulling over to stop and see the sites, or just stop ... nice. I am looking forward to a few tours ... when you're doing the driving you miss a lot. We're thinking of doing a few 3 month stays ... Melbourne, somewhere in southern france are on the short list ...


Enabler!  We don't have a lot of money for travel - well we do but it's for retirement so don't want to blow it quite yet  But still, a trip every few years is nice. We are both 40-ish so have a few years until we plan to retire in our mid-50's.



rikk said:


> Audio books ... where do you get yours ... something else I've been meaning to do ... currently I use the laptop for reading. Did so much work related reading over the years I've gotten out of the habit.


Most public libraries allow you to download audiobooks via an online service simply by entering your library card and password from your home computer. It's so convenient, I use an older ipod nano to listen to them simply because there's no internet connection so I can keep the books on there forever if I wish without them being cancelled after the 3 week loan period. I believe you can backdate the date in your settings though if that became an issue (so it thinks the books have not expired yet). You can download books from torrent sites like piratebay.org but I've never been comfortable doing that, I prefer the library.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Addy said:


> Most public libraries allow you to download audiobooks ... You can download books from torrent sites like piratebay.org but I've never been comfortable doing that, I prefer the library.


A few years ago I tried the download from the library, just checked again (thanks for reminding me), but it's as it was then ... " 0 available, 6 patrons on the waiting list" ... which is ok in that the service is certainly being used ... patience? ... I'm not very good at that. Piratebay, yeah, I too have downloaded from there ... but then the conscience kicks in ... which too is ok :angel: :encouragement:


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Bus/coach type tours e.g., Europe, Asia, the southern US ... has anyone any experience with tours? I think a bus tour with stays in a number of cities might be a great way to get a good idea of what a place is like, what there is to see, for the purpose of returning for a longer stay in future. Sounds good in theory, maybe not so great in practice? From what I've seen of groups on tours, they look like they're having a good time ...


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Well, here is a bit of video I took last summer. Unfortunately I didn't have time to launch my kayak and gather up my underwater listening equipment - as you can tell from the heavy breathing at the start of the video I had just finished sprinting down the beach and up to a rocky bluff so I could get a good filming spot. Enjoy. And watch for J49, the newest addtion to the pod near the end of the video.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFME7Vjm-UU


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> Well, here is a bit of video i took last summer


that is really fascinating. What surprised me is how noisy they are when they leap out of the water. I mean, they were swimming a fair distance from yourself as you filmed from the rocky shore, yet one could hear each one blowing as it surfaced & then the water splashing loudly.


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> Well, here is a bit of video I took last summer. Enjoy.


Wow. Thanks for sharing!


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Jon_Snow said:


> Well, here is a bit of video I ...
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFME7Vjm-UU


Hello ... nice ... this link works easiest for me ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFME7Vjm-UU


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

Very nice Jon_Snow


Me too Rikk, thanks for that.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> Well, here is a bit of video I took last summer.


Holy crap they're close!! In a kayak must be just amazing! How do you know it's the "J Pod"? How many "pods" can you identify? We saw a few orcas and some right whales while fishing in Alaska, but it took a telezoom lens just to get that 1 sweet pic (rocky shore in the background and all)

The latest GoPro cam would work perfect on a kayak for this. The new one takes far better pictures than the previous and has a lot of great new features, but don't rush to buy it as my firmware/display is still a bit glitchy. It can even go underwater and there's an orange floating accessory as well. The battery only lasts 2 hrs max but you can set it up for 1 button on-filming/photo bursts/time lapse etc

Imagine you could even sync up the sound file with the HD video or pics afterward.. The auto quality on the new one is astounding, especially for such a small little rugged cam. You could potentially be the next youtube sensation! (and yes, youtube can be quite a profitable endeavour.. or at least inspire some kids to get off the darn couch!)


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

I've been doing some research into this lately -- anyone have some more hobby ideas they are passionate about and would like to share? I am looking for some inspiration for some new things to do. I've found quite a few courses I could take and clubs I could join but still collecting ideas.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> Well, here is a bit of video I took last summer.http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GFME7Vjm-UU


Just watched this now - amazing video. Loved it.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

Try Metal Detecting I own the canadianmetaldetecting.com forum .

You never know what you will find in the ground, cruising around with headphones on is like meditating.
The hobby is growing.

It involves research and history.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

I've booked about 10 days holidays in the first half of July and I am hoping to pick up the latest and greatest version of the GoPro camera this week, along the the appropriate mounting accesories - I am thinking a head mount and one for the deck of the kayak. I intend to post some more videos of west coast splendor for my fellow CMF'ers - I can't guarantee I'll get more orcas on film - they have their own mysterious schedule as to when they choose to pass by my particular island - but there are other wonders to be seen in these vibrant waters between Vancouver and Victoria. 

Stay tuned.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> I've booked about 10 days holidays in the first half of July and I am hoping to pick up the latest and greatest version of the GoPro camera this week, along the the appropriate mounting accesories - I am thinking a head mount and one for the deck of the kayak.


A chest strap would be another good option for kayaking. You could even mount it to the paddle and stick it underwater. :encouragement... (can't have 4 photos and a smilie?) The top model comes with a WiFi remote, but it kills the battery and it's not worth the hassle if you can reach it. I have the Black, but doing it again I would just take one of the cheaper versions. The battery lasted longer on the Hero 2 and my Hero 3 still freezes and sometimes even with the latest firmware (have to hard reset to unfreeze) But the 3 does take noticeably better photos, although once they're uploaded online there's not as much difference


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Appreciate the advice, m3s... I was looking at the Hero 3, but I have seen comments online about certain annoying glitches... I haven't ordered mine yet, so maybe these issues may be addressed by the time mine arrives - wishful thinking I'm sure.

Sticking the camera on the paddle is something I never even considered - but there are always seals and sea lions checking me out so maybe if I can dunk the camera underneath my kayak, I could get some underwater shots of these submarine acrobatic clowns. The possibilities are incredible with this type of camera technology... my holidays can't come quick enough!


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> I haven't ordered mine yet, so maybe these issues may be addressed by the time mine arrives - wishful thinking I'm sure.


They could be, although I would hope mine is the same with the latest firmware. The glitches are not that bad and it seems to happen from pushing the wrong button at the wrong time (kind of like windows you learn what crashes it lol). It's just nice to know about before you pay... If you keep it simple it works fine

I'm working with a developer to trigger/sync the GoPro video using the iPhone's position and later overlay all the speed/location/acceleration/sound and even picture-in-picture etc etc to the video effortlessly using only the iPhone and wifi. I was thinking he could even rework this app to sync your underwater mic and any useful data via a smartphone in your pocket. Actually it could probably trigger to the sound of whales

But I think you best keep it simple at first  Having battery power and the cam on at the right moment is key :encouragement:


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

Look forward to meeting you in the Baja Jon_ Snow.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Daniel A. said:


> Look forward to meeting you in the Baja Jon_ Snow.


I will be there in Oct-Nov this year. Would be great to say hello. :encouragement:


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

My hobby or sport I guess. Kite boarding or kite surfing. This happened to be in Bora Bora in May but mostly in LaVentana, Baja for the winter and Southern Vancouver Island in the summer. An addiction of sorts! see you in Baja as well.


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

Wonder why the pic was so small? If I click on it, it does improve somewhat.
Oh well, must be windows 8!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

martinv said:


> Wonder why the pic was so small? If I click on it, it does improve somewhat.
> Oh well, must be windows 8!


can you pass your photos by way of a photo site like flickr or picasa? then you could load em here in any size you want.

i'd love to know more about this sport. It's like having a sail up in the air instead of fixed to the craft? i see you're inshore from the surf line, which looks good ... because the sport must be dangerous for those who sail too far out in open water ...


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

humble_pie said:


> It's like having a sail up in the air instead of fixed to the craft?


Exactly. The kite is really just like a sail but horizontal rather than vertical. It is usually controlled by 4 very thin lines made of "spectra" each about 100 feet long. We wear a harness, either seat or waist which is attached to the kite. Most of the power in the kite is taken through the harness and your hands and arms simply control the amount of power and steering. The kite has the ability to produce lots of power hence the ability to jump fairly high off the water! The board is similar to a wakeboard although many of us use skimboards or surfboards as well.
It can be a safe sport if you respect the wind and weather. I came to it from sailboats, windsurfing, and finally to kiting. 10 years have seen a lot of changes in this relatively new sport. It is now much safer and the equipment keeps getting better.
I will try to upload a better photo.


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

I'm on a fitness craze, full body circuit training and some weights, and I compose instrumental music with guitars, synthesizers and computers. I still work full time but being as I'm separated and my daughter just finished college and moved out of town I have lots of time. I'm planning on putting a CD's worth of music on itunes soon, a halloween theme of spooky erie tunes.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Okay, got the GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition with almost every conceivable accessory you can get for it. Between June 28 and July 10 I'll try to post some kayaking/nature videos here - it should give you some idea of what feeds this particular CMF'ers soul.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> Okay, got the GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition with almost every conceivable accessory you can get for it.


:encouragement:

Have you seen GoPro's Facebook cover photo lately? You can take photos and video simultaneously. I like to just pick the best photos of the bunch but I have a bunch of video I'm learning to edit


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Been playing around with the Hero 3 for a couple of days... Trying to decide where to mount it on my kayak for the best footage. What a sexy little piece of tech this thing is.

Gorgeous out here on the west coast. Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

Jim9guitars said:


> I'm on a fitness craze, full body circuit training and some weights, and I compose instrumental music with guitars, synthesizers and computers. I still work full time but being as I'm separated and my daughter just finished college and moved out of town I have lots of time. I'm planning on putting a CD's worth of music on itunes soon, a halloween theme of spooky erie tunes.


As threatened, "Halloween, I'm Afraid" is now live at itunes(Search Dulcet Jones, my AKA Halloween music name), eight Spooky Creepy, sort of prog rock instrumental songs.


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## hystat (Jun 18, 2010)

sounds interesting, Jim. I like the ambiance in Silicon Dirge. definitely pro-level recording. Do you use pro-tools or similar? 

I've been picking up my guitar a little more this year, even bought myself a new Agile. Talking to some local guys about getting a cover band started. It's hard when everyone has lives going on. 
I'm trying to learn to play while standing at a mic. The mic stand makes it so I can't see the fretboard.... and that's a problem. That's the level I'm at.
a pseudo audition thing I did for one thing...lol.. I need to get bifocals now to read lyrics while I play


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon.. better stay in your kayak if you don't like to clean wet suits!


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

My hobby/addiction was put to a bit of a test on Saturday. 8 kiters did a 42km downwinder from our house in Sooke to the Dallas road waterfront in Victoria. Royal Vic Yacht Club was kind enough to provide a safety/rescue boat.
Started out with a wind of 25kts and it increased from there to gusts of 35kts around Race Rocks. We all finished which is a good thing! My legs turned were burning near the end but considering I probably
























had 25 years on the next oldest, it was a very satisfying experience.


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

That post didn't quite work as well as hoped for. Oh well, computers (especially windows 8 ) are like investments. The learning never ends.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

I've done a 10 hour unsupported solo paddle around the Gulf Islands in some pretty nasty currents and winds... but MartinV, that's just plain crazy. How old are you again?


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

That is nuts Martinv. Wow. You're lucky me thinks...


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

64, yikes, how did that happen? It just snuck up and there it was. Wasn't paying attention I guess. Sorry Beatles, don't do gardening, especially weeds!


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## hystat (Jun 18, 2010)

Two band practices under our belts and we have 6 songs nearly ready to roll out. Joining my first rock band at 48 is cool.
The drummer and bass player (experienced players) gave me and our singer a bit of a wakeup call though.... they say to play a proper gig we need 30 to 40 songs. eek.
I know 30 seconds of 1000 songs, but only 10 or so all the way through... and I know no popular music so this is going to be equal parts fun and hard work. 

Pretty cool hearing our vocals coming back through a PA, and playing together with other musicians is really cool. Getting my amp past 3 is neat too.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Some gorgeous weather in the last few days has me itching to get my kayak out on the water again - now armed with a GoPro camera, I hope to produce some videos such as this. Pretty much sums up the kind of stuff my retirement will be made of - this is what makes me tick.


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## 30seconds (Jan 11, 2014)

The guys at work think I have no "hobbies" because they all have things with a motor which to them constitute as hobbies. 

1. I love playing music and jamming with my friends. I play the drums and attempt to play the guitar. Used to be in a few bands and i miss those days. 
2. Just purchased my first rifle. Ruger 10/22.. Went the range and in two days went through 500 round which costed 25$! Made for a fun mothers day  Thought it would be a cheap hobbie...buy one gun and that will be good. I don't think that'll be the case though. Got two more in my sites thennnn I should be good. Plus scopes, cases, locks gets surprisingly expensive but I been saving for them for a while and needed a new hobbie.
3. Camping/canoeing/fishing. Love being out side and exploring. Thinking of a seven day trip with minimal food this year and just live off the land.. kinda like survivor man! Well see how it goes.
4. Snowboarding. My boards lasted 3 years so far and still going strong. Try to make it to the rockies a couple times a year. Hostels provide awesome fun, cheap and can usual get a ticket deal with them
5. Photography. Bough a cannon t3i for christmas. Going to get a new 50mm 1.8 lens for it soon. Really enjoying it so far but taking my time to not get consumed in purchasing upgradable parts. 
6. Concerts... Love music, love the atmosphere.. cant believe some people havnt been to a show before!
7. Working out/diet. Work out 6 times a week for the most part strength training and keep my diet in check.
8. CMF 

With my hobbies I try to choose things that dont lose there value/things I can keep for a long time. Forget about it for a year then pick it up and start where you left off. 

Sweet thread! really inspiring!!!


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

m3s said:


> Jon.. better stay in your kayak if you don't like to clean wet suits!


Awesome. I am quite fascinated by whales, love watching them whenever have a chance but was never this close ;-)


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