Chapter IV — Field Notes

From the road.

Photographs, observations, and pieces that earned a second look. Travels, water, snow, machines, cars, watches — different rooms, same eye.

01 — Notes

Things worth pulling over for.

Most of these were taken on a phone, a few on a real camera, a couple from a drone. None are staged. Each section is a chapter; scroll for the long version, or jump in below.

I — Travels

Places worth the detour.

A hiker on a ridge above Morskie Oko lake in the Tatra Mountains — Morskie Oko · Tatra Mountains, Poland

An alpine lake at the foot of Rysy. The trail is busy at dawn and quiet at dusk.

An underground cathedral carved entirely from rock salt at the Wieliczka Salt Mine — Wieliczka Salt Mine · Kraków, Poland

An underground cathedral — chandeliers, altars, and floor tiles all carved from rock salt by miners over centuries.

The Long Room at Trinity College Library in Dublin, with the Earth installation suspended in the central aisle — The Long Room · Trinity College, Dublin

200,000 books and a suspended Earth. The smell of old paper carries for the length of the hall.

A figure overlooking a vast lake at sunset from a forested high vantage point — The View · Northern Ontario

Some hikes give back more than they take. The lake stretched to the horizon and the sun was right where it needed to be.

The Hopewell Rocks at sunrise on the Bay of Fundy, sun rays flaring through a sea-stack — Hopewell Rocks · Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick

Sea-stacks shaped by the highest tides on Earth. Worth the early alarm to catch them at low tide and golden hour.

A winter sunset along the Trans-Canada Highway in the Canadian Rockies — Trans-Canada · Banff National Park, Alberta

The drive west out of Calgary in winter, when the light comes in low through the pines.

II — Underwater

Below the surface.

Silhouette of a diver in a green-lit cenote, with sunken trees in the foreground — Blue Hole · Bahamas

An underwater sinkhole. The light shifts as you descend through the halocline — green at the top, electric blue below.

Black and white photograph of a dive team kneeling on the sand below — Dive Team · Bahamas

The crew at the safety stop. Black and white because some moments don't need colour.

A diver releasing a bubble ring near a descent line — Bubble Ring · Bahamas

A perfect ring of air drifting toward the surface. Harder to make than it looks.

A diver hovering above a school of blue tang on a coral reef — Coral Reef · Bahamas

Blue tang move as one body. Hover quietly and they'll pass right under you.

The deck of Blackbeards Cruises sailboat with the dive crew preparing tanks — Blackbeards Cruises · Bahamas

Tanks racked, sails up, lunch on. A working morning aboard.

A sailboat under full sail in the Bahamas with the pirate flag flying — Under Sail · Bahamas

The Jolly Roger is a tradition, not a threat. Mostly.

III — Winters

What we do up here.

A snowboarder at a mountain summit with the Rockies behind — Summit · Canadian Rockies

An "AVALANCHE DANGER" sign at the top of the run. Standard warning, taken seriously.

A snowboard standing alone in the snow at a high alpine ridge — Marmot Basin · Jasper, Alberta

A board, a ridge, and the front range of the Rockies. Sometimes the photo doesn't need a person in it.

A winter sunset over a snowy road through the Rockies — Highway 1 · Banff, Alberta

A sunset framed by the side mirror, somewhere between Lake Louise and Canmore.

A group of snowmobilers waving in front of a snow-covered mountain — Backcountry · British Columbia

A Ski-Doo Expedition 900 ACE, a ridge of trees, and a crew that knows where the good lines are.

A kayak paddle skimming dark water at sunset, with mountains in the distance — Off-Season Paddle · British Columbia

Late autumn paddle, water like glass. The kind of evening you remember in February.

IV — Builds & Machines

Things that move and do something.

A 3D printer mid-print on a hardwood floor — FDM Printer · Workshop

Mid-print. Watching layer 1 go down is the closest thing to meditation I've found.

A custom-fabricated perforated steel grille with chrome hooks — Custom Grille · Edmonton

Designed, water-jet cut, welded, and finished. The chrome hooks were the detail that took the longest to dial in.

A walking dragline at the Diplomat Mine at night, lit by floodlights — Walking Dragline · Diplomat Mine, Alberta

A retired strip-mining giant. Each shoe is the size of a transport truck. Standing under it is a humbling exercise in scale.

The completed Tiny House Master Plan build — a black-clad gooseneck trailer with cedar accents — The Tiny House Master Plan · NAIT Capstone, 2021

Design, project management, procurement, build. The capstone became a working tiny home and now lives on with sponsor Kenton Zerbin. See it →

V — Cars & Shows

From the show floor.

A wide-body Toyota Supra in metallic green with bronze wheels, on a transport trailer — Toyota Supra MK4 · Wide-body, BN Sports kit

Loading day. Bronze wheels, fender flares, the kind of build that takes years.

Three RAUH-Welt Begriff Porsche 964s in red, black, and dark green — RWB 964 Trio · Toronto

RAUH-Welt Begriff. The lineup at a private showing — three different colourways, same DNA.

A yellow Mazda RX-7 and red Honda NSX on a rooftop with the Absolute Towers behind them at dusk — Rooftop, Dusk · Mississauga, ON

RX-7 and NSX on a parkade roof. The Absolute Towers in the background — the locals call them the Marilyn Monroe Towers.

A wide-body Maserati GranTurismo MC with bronze wheels at a car show — Maserati GT · Liberty Walk Wide-body

Matte navy paint, bronze forged wheels. The trident grille earns the angry look.

A matte black 2nd-generation Ford GT with carbon-fibre dihedral doors open — Ford GT · Mk II, Matte Carbon

Lift the doors. Stand back. Take it in.

Three Ferraris in a private showroom — a 488 Pista, a yellow FXX-K, and a white Porsche GT2 RS — Private Showroom · Calgary, Alberta

A 488 Pista, an FXX-K Evo (yellow), a Porsche GT2 RS in the back. The kind of room you hear before you enter.

A spotless tuned Subaru engine bay with red and black piping — Engine Bay · Tuned Subaru, East Coast

A bay this clean is a portrait of the owner more than the car.

A row of show cars on display at an outdoor event — Show Day · Driven Aftermarket Car Show

Helping run shows means seeing the load-in, the line-up, and the cars before the crowds arrive.

VI — Watches

Pieces that hold their character.

Tudor Black Shield chronograph with red accents on a leather strap, three-quarter view — Tudor Black Shield · Ref. 42000CR

Matte black ceramic case, red lume, contrast stitching on the strap. Loud watch, quiet brand.

Tudor Black Shield chronograph dial close-up showing the grey sub-dials — Tudor Black Shield · Dial detail

Same reference, second angle. The grey sub-dials change character depending on the light.

Omega Seamaster Professional with blue wave dial and gold accents — Omega Seamaster · Ref. 2352.80.00 · 18K Two-Tone

The wave dial. A modern classic that traces back to the original 300m Diver.

Breitling Chronomat with diamond bezel and gold accents — Breitling Chronomat · A13352 · Diamond Bezel

Pavé bezel, gold pushers. A Chronomat that doesn't whisper.

Breitling Chronomat second angle, showing the bracelet and lugs — Breitling Chronomat · Bracelet detail

The Pilot bracelet — a lot of metal, distinctively Breitling.

Bell & Ross BR03-94 R.S.18 chronograph with carbon-fibre dial — Bell & Ross BR03-94 · R.S.18 · 428 of 999

Aviation case, carbon-fibre dial, F1 inspiration. A limited piece in the Renault Sport partnership.

Bell & Ross BR03 · Case profile

The square pilot case. Lifted directly from instrument panel design.

Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time titanium clasp on a rubber strap — Ulysse Nardin Executive Dual Time · T-243-00 · Titanium

Titanium folding clasp on a rubber strap. The clasp itself is a small mechanical satisfaction.

Ulysse Nardin Executive in its presentation box with documents and warranty card — Ulysse Nardin · Full Set

Box, papers, warranty, registration. A full set is worth more than the watch alone — proof of provenance.

— End of Notes —

More to come.

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