Last weekend I joined friends in the pearl community for good times and pearl-related activities in LA.  The party was hosted by a good friend and retail pearl genius Jeremy Shepherd of Pearl Paradise.  I flew to the Bay Area then met up with another great friend Sarah Canizzaro of Kojima Pearl.  Sarah did a brilliant job of blogging about the weekend which can be found here on her website.

After the party, I had the opportunity to get in the water just north of Malibu and was pleasantly surprised to find some excellent spearfishing.  On the flight from LAX to Oakland I packed some fish into my carry-on and I couldn't believe it when the TSA agents didn't notice them in the x-rays.  I spent the rest of the week visiting with family and friends in Marin County.  Highlights were seeing old friends and getting some good surfing in with my soon-to-be brother-in-law.
The photo above is of the solar panels that provide our farm with the energy we need for our operation.  On the horizon you can just make out the far side of the atoll so it's easy to see how such "big sky country" is ideal for solar energy.