Rolf Devinci

With the onset of winter here in the great white North I find myself increasing my tea consumption. I`m not sure why my enjoyment of teas seem to be linked to the Canadian winter but there seems to be a seasonal element.There is just something comforting and hearthy about tea on a cold day that coffee does not possess. That desire is not limited to the typical black teas but spans the whole range of beverages; greens, whites, Rooibos and, now, chai teas. Having spent a few days in Las Vegas I stumbled upon a Teavana kiosk while doing a walkabout upon the strip(Authors note - I know. Who goes to LV to drink tea?). They were doing a sample testing in the Venetian canal shops and invited me to try a variety of their offerings. Included was a selection of chai teas - those hearty spicy offerings that claim to have several health giving attributes. New to chai teas I have to admit that two of them were quite delicious possessing the peppery flavor inherent in such brews along ...

Age, athletics and injury have all taken a toll on my left shoulder, neck and upper back.There is not a day that passes without some kind of residual pain and stiffness. I could probably cease playing the sports I love that aggravate my condition but that would definitely be a case of the "cure being worse than the disease".So I continue to cycle, play ball hockey and practice traditional archery on a regular basis despite the discomfort. To take away my "play" would be akin to placing me in the bone yard. I believe the roots of my shoulder and neck issues date back to 2005 when I crashed hard on my left side crossing wet railway tracks during a spirited paceline on my road bike. I impacted the pavement with the hip and shoulder taking the brunt of the fall when my front wheel slid out from under me after making contact with the wet iron of the train track. The resulting hematoma on my hip pays homage to the severity of the impact. In 2011 I again crashed on...

Another lovely Fall morning in the woods hunting the elusive box target. Bow of choice was my Mongolian horse bow - a sweet little shooter.

Fall is the best time for loosing some arrows in the woods. The foliage is beginning to turn Autumn colors and the bugs are essentially gone. The days are crisper and there is that particular smell that defines the woods in September.

Jan 2014- Added a chain mail aventail to the helmet and used a blizzard for a photo op. After almost two years in the making I finally completed my historical re-creation of a 9th century dark age Saxon warrior.

After almost two decades away from the sport I have managed to find a spot on the roster of a local fun competitive softball team. Having filled in late last season as a call up player I assumed the roll of pitcher which has carried over to this season. Pitching in slow pitch softball does present some challenges. My role is to put the ball in play but that does  not mean I need to serve up the ball on a silver platter to the batters. Quite the contrary in that alternating speed and height of the pitch along with a variety of spins means you can mess with the batter's timing and try and force them to swing at pitches they may not like. Many folks do not feel comfortable pitching due to the proximity to the home plate and the vulnerable position it (can) place one in regarding the chances of "comebacks" after the ball has been hit. As a ball hockey goalie used to having things shot at me it does not bother me too much. After each pitch I position myself like a sho...

``There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, - no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, - my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space, - all mean egotism vanishes.``   R. W. Emerson