difficulty

why are some of the simplest things the ones that get complicated so much?

at least that is the story of my life.

even composing this blog is difficult...what to put, what is too much to put. constantly second-guessing myself... and yet the thing that brings me back to simplicity is a nice tune that gets me introspective, course it takes the mood, the want...but the tune definitely helps.

still, peace eludes me. the constant war within that only gets shoved farther, never really being addressed.

sometimes i wonder if it will take an army to keep me on track. but an army always begins with one right?

travels

just so you know, i am back in texas...specifically tyler this week. i have left my home and great friends in kentucky and arrived early tuesday mornin. still kinda getting settled...be waiting for pics and stuff.


hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving

most of things

the challenge, the fight, maybe that is what entices me so much. to have someone push you, encourage you, challenge, uplift, test, soothe, spice, and laugh.

friends

the more time i spend by myself, the more i continue to reaffirm that i am definitely a group type person. one who feed off energy, but also need the group at times to drive and to get me to think of what i like and miss and want.

...but i say that on this side of it, and yet with corky and family movin in it is nice to have someone on property to joke with and chat with after patrick left.

still wonder if i am there yet...i mean i know i am not, but i wonder if i am far enough along...cause somethings got to happen one way or another.

game day

well, it has been a good weekend with good groups and a new little toy which i'll post pictures sometime.

just watchin some of the games on today...finished watchin the record-breaking tennessee-texas game. most 4th quarter points scored in franchise history, most field goals by a kicker in NFL history...with a game winning field goal by tennessee.

saw elizabeth: the golden age with jordan smith the other day...it was a good one. went to paducah, ate at steak and shake, watched the movie, and came out to pouring rain...fun

doin good here in KY, specially after that storm that came through on thursday.

not much goin on

hero

"The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else."
-Umberto Eco

but it is the hero who rises to the occasion in which he finds himself.


deep anonymity doesnt hold much for me. who doesnt crave attention...joy in seeing others recognize you...and smile.

those that crave anonymity are those that already have someone or something that they consider themselves fulfilled. what they do from there on out is strictly for the joy of it...not because they need to, not because they crave the attention, but because they can.

what is it so much that i crave, that i miss, that i am missing, that i reminisce about, and yet i still hold out for something else.

kickin it here in KY

aww, it is truly nice to have a friend along on the journey.

anyways, patrick and i went to paducah today. it was a pretty cool time...asides from spending more money than i have in the past month. it was fun just hangin out, gettin some new clothes, etc. after the mall and sams, we went to downtown and walked around for a bit.

we noticed a big wall and water beyond, so we thought we would go exploring a bit. well, the water turned out to be the ohio river, and across it was the great state of illinois. the wall, as much as we can figure, is a retaining wall for when the river might flood. anyways, i touched the ohio river.

after sitting for a few, it came to me that since we were so close to illinois (and after looking at a map earlier, i saw that metropolis wasnt that far over the border) i told patrick to punch it into his GPS and see how far it was. turned out it was going to be a 4hr trip...by foot. so after making the correct adjustments, we got into the car and drove the 15 minutes across a pretty blue bridge into illinois.

got to metropolis, took pictures, shopped and goofed off. after that we stopped by and looked at some bikes. liked the look, called, and met up later but we had to wait for an hour. patrick and i went down to some state park and hung out, took pics and i waded in the ohio...water felt real nice

headed out, tested, then headed to paducah and ate at rafferty's. good, like charleston's or cheddars...sept better and more expensive.

then headed home

just sittin here thinkin...

passion

pursuit

love

these are not associated with a romantic interest.

to find something that i love doing...and to do it regardless of what i have to do. i miss videoing, putting dvd's together, coding...being a nerd. but i also miss impacting the lives of youth. spending time with them, challenging them, and in a sense, challenging myself. to produce something that drives from within, to think, and pursue what is right, and makes me happy. to smile at the little things. God, as the creator, you have fashioned so much...and yet, so much is missed. and what do i desire is to try that again, to pursue something new...or in a new way

life with patwick

yeah, you heard it. patrick is in town for a few days. not much happening, just chillin. we went camping the other night on lake barkley...great spot. we kayaked out to an island and camped on the beach behind some brush. excellent spot. the island itself was totally infested with ticks/chiggers, and maybe a couple of deer, but it was fun none the less. and i happened to get more ticks than on my last camping trip a week ago. we also got woken up by a barge at about 2 in the mornin, and a few times after that as well. it was totally fun though, and great time getting to hang out with patrick.

the mini-trip

dude!!! i had a great time on my vacation. thank you guys...all that were involved in the vacation that i had. for those of yall that didnt know, i went on vacation. here are the juicy details...for the most part

left on thursday night and went to mammoth cave national park and camped.

woke up and headed to williamsburg, KY and hung out with Brent, John, Stu, Josh, Chelsea, and Beth. thanks guys...i really did have a great time at OFTD and the football game.

crashed in John's room and then headed out south to Knoxville and up to DC

...note to self...be fully aware of times next time. i thought it was going to be a 10hr trip total, and spent 5 of that to the 'burg, but from there it was another 8...guess that is what i get for poor planning...but that was part of the fun to...and i am a robot at driving.

met up with Carl and ate at a nice bistro and then watched the TCU game, and then went and hung out with some of his friends.

the next day we went to church and then into DC. that was a bit of fun too. headed out and went to darryn's. the next day we went to U of MD and hung out and then we ate at a decent mexican restaurant. crashed and then woke up at 4.30 to leave by 5 to beat traffic on the beltway.

drove and went to shenandoah national park. saw a few sights, left and then got to a rest area and took a 15 min nap, then headed out. hit a good bit of rain until mid TN.

got to nashvegas and met up with rutheo and had dinner, then headed down to murfreesboro (murf-eez-boro) saw the leemus, went to his coffeehouse bonhoffer's then headed out (bout 10) and got here bout 12.30.


so...that is the overview

couple details if you care
had great bbq gyro at OFTD...and Ale8...heck yeah (i wont even mention the fried pie)
got a bit of chiggers/ticks camping at MCNP
got pics of DC
got probable bruised heels from walking around in sandals all day long twice.
and i really enjoyed it...i think that it will tide me over for awhile...at least while i have to stay.


look for pictures sometime soon

the error of my ways

it is amazing how someone can show you just what you need when you need it. just when you thing you are upset at something that happened to you...it eats at both of you

God is good, and He manages to show you the error of your ways as long as you are listening. so where do you go from there...acknowledge that it happened, but move on and try to correct it next time.

mitza, mitza, taipan pizza

or, how to plunge a toilet.


yeah, it happened. i had to plunge a toilet this weekend...not much fun, nor much to show for it, 'cept a blister on each palm. it was definitely a messy, unfulfilling, and long event.

anyway...other than that, it was a pretty uneventful weekend.

wonder why i havnt written in awhile? cause there isnt much to write about. however, it was nice to see andrew and ruth here on saturday.

oo, almost forgot...i went to murray on thursday, and went to their bcm worship service. it was pretty cool, saw some old friends (lindsey t., beth, heather, karen), and met some new ones (buster, becky, clay). but one of the other fun things of the night was the coffee house they had afterwards. it was where someone would come play and we would sit, and eat...free cookies and have free beverages. guess who played....andy davis!!

anyways, for those that dont know, andy is acoustic...and good. might be just a midwest sound...but give him a try if you havnt. talked to him a lil, and seems pretty cool.

life

ever feel like you have just signed your life away? that feeling might have occurred to you if...

1. you have recently purchased a new car
2. you have bought books for your first semester at college
3. gotten married (j/k all my fellas who already are...and for those of us still straggling...)
4. purchased your first house
5. face-planted down the side of a mountain
6. just consolidated all your student loans


yeah, it just happened. no, no...check #6. paperwork...numbers...more numbers...and the signature. thanks to this new age that we are in...the electronic age...my signature was a couple of '*' but its all the same, right? makes one feel old...but it needs to happen sometime.


anyways...on another note. just listening to some podcasts, specifically the catalyst podcast, and just to hear the mind of people who have it somewhat together. of people who are real with others, who arnt afraid to take it in and to go about living. people dont want fake, our world is made up of fake, of masks. to hear of someone in tune with themselves, with their character, and with the character of God is like a fresh breath. o, to inhale of the scent of freedom...of smiles, of truth and certainty.


still here in kentucky, hangin out at the creek. much love to those that read...miss yall

church

easier to give birth to a baby than to resurrect the dead

--quote about church

Perry Noble: Catalyst Podcast

hmm

Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Susan Ertz, Anger in the Sky


thoughts to come...

ah, sadness

had a good week and weekend with some of the staffers that returned. it is sad to see them leave, but alas, they go to do their thing...some back to school, others to brand new jobs...but everyone has their place and their memories of J-Creek Summer 07.

i was admiring a web page about the top 10 of life's greatest inventions

if you notice, all of these things are part of God's magnificent plan, part of His creation. if you wanted to (and by all means incorrectly) one could look to other explanations.

waka, waka, waka

hey guys...long time no post huh...

well, kids camp went well. bible study was a bit different with 3-4th graders. but thank goodness my good ole buddy josh was there to entertain them with great team building efforts.

last week josh, troy, john, lee, and myself (along with kevin) were cleaning camp up. we took the water toys out of the lake (the blob, iceberg, and trampolines). we just had fun doing things.

this weekend i went to tyree's house and then we went to steely's house in the 'burg. i had lots of fun hanging out at both places and down to eagle falls too.

this week we have a group coming and we are going to be facilitating activities for them...no bible study.

as a side note...for those that have not heard, and really read this stuff...which would be you because you have come thus far...i am going to be staying in kentucky for a few more months. i will be here helping out around campus and facilitating groups that come in on the weekends. a step up. it is going to be different than this summer...but it will be fun. i was asked if i wanted to stay right before kids camp. God has a way of answering questions for you even if you are not looking for an answer. i will be here until november at least. i would love to hear from you. ill be staying on campus...so no worries about sleeping in my car.

gimme a call or message me sometime

summer behind, kids camp ahead

man, just in a few weeks you can say i have arrived at this point. not too long ago things seemed a bit difficult. fears were abounding, friendship was still flighty. but i write to you having come through that. this summer has been a good one, and i will not say that it hadnt had its difficult points...but through it all God has been faithful. He has shown me a little more about myself and about others. i have seen some of my same qualities and characteristics come out here, and i have gotten to work with a great group of people, and see how God has worked in their lives and is continuing to work in their lives.

we have kids coming a little later today for our final stretch as a semi-full staff (some left on thursday morning, but just 5 people). some are anxious...but it should be promising. after that, everyone leaves on monday.

note to those that care.

a crew of 4-5 guys are going to be staying here for one week to help the camp go into non-summer mode...and i am one of them. the week after that there is a church group coming to use our facilities...and not for our bible study, which means they need some people to stay to help out there...guess who is going to do that too? i figured since i dont have anything i have to do...why not.

best wishes to you all here from kentucky. i would love to hear from you, so call, write, or send me a message.

j-creek last week

hey guys, for those that read...it has been awhile since i last updated.

run down of happenings

we have completed the last week of youth camp and childrens camp begins on friday for 3 days. it has been a wonderful summer getting to meet great folks and seeing God move in so many different ways...especially in my life. things were difficult at first, but you know me...they dont stay that way for long. God truly has had a hand with the staff this summer.

keep smiling...for it is a great gift God has given us

whew...summer

man, this has been a great summer so far. few quick updates while i have a sec.

we are about to begin our 8th week of camp after finishing 7 weeks already. i will have two more weeks after this, but they are not going to be in the same capacity that i currently am...maintenance one week and facilitator another.

last weekend went to texas and had a blast. it was great seeing all the folks and hanging out with them.

lots to say but so little time to say it in.

blessings to yall from kentucky, keep in touch

week 5

hey guys, i know that it has been awhile since i have posted. just letting all that read know that i am safe. i have now been here in kentucky for about 6 weeks. man, a lot has happened in those weeks...but i shall just say a bit from week 5 at camp. had high schoolers this week, and it was pretty good. my team builder really connected with this group of kids.

this weekend we played capture the flag on friday and softball on saturday. guys won ctf but the team builders won softball

gearing up for week 6. this week is also the week of brett's wedding...bout a day in traveling...but it shall be good.

so much to say, but not a lot written

hope yall are having a good one...love to hear from you sometime


oh, and happy belated birthday Tripp

watchin dead poets society

ya know, this is just a good movie. one of the quotes that came up during the movie was from Thoreau.

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them"

guys, man up and do some work.

myself included...how many times does one sit back and let things happen. oh so often i do. how does one seek the will of God and feel so good about it.

the things that we do to fit in, and yet all we need to do is to be confident in who we are and what we do...if only one were to find that.

guys, just let you know that you are usually not alone. all that is needed is someone who is willing to step up and voice that opinion. be confident...and to be confident, you must try, and be willing to fail...for in failure, one learns more than success most times.

unrestrained passion, unfettered feeling

thanks for the thoughts and prayers...keep them up.

2nd week of camp

well, finished the second week of camp. not the easiest one to go through...but it was kinda humbling. i got my first night off during the camp week this past week. matt, will, xander and myself went to the house of man in murray and ate some nice kabobs. had a great time just hanging out with the guys.

i think about a bunch of yall and i hope things are going well. not much different here...just working...but i am trying to find what exactly that means, and to work with something in mind. and if you know me well, you know i like to focus on the thing at hand...which so often leads to losing sight of the big picture.

still trying to figure out who i am...and what God is calling me to be. funny how some people can see that in themselves so easily, and they can see it in others. and no matter how much or how effectively they tell you, it is not really something that can happen until you find it or you believe it for yourself.

thanks for the prayers, the calls, and the texts...keep em up

i feel out of the loop

yeah, i notice all this new stuff coming online and reading about news that i didnt even know was happening... anyways it is my continual state of unawares.

just letting yall know that the first week of camp went well, and i am gearing up for my second week...studying the bible study outline a little bit more, relaxing, catching up on sleep...ya know all the necessities.

anyways, had a great group of kids this week, and had some fun. i need to solidify the curriculum a little bit...ok maybe a lot...but other than that i had a good week.

last weekend we went to murray and hung out, which means we went to eat and shop for things that we forgot. (cracker barrel and walmart). we went after we finished training week which went well too.

this weekend we went up to paducah and ate at outback and now i am currently catching up. i would appreciate all your prayers so that i might continue to focus on God during this time and that the truth shall be taught to these students. i also pray for safe travels and broken hearts.

training week...

man, it has been a pretty good week, taxing at times, but all worth it. spent the first few days getting to know people, but i just had to jump into the training...missed the team building...but it is coming together. we have a pretty good crew out here, and the weather is beautiful.

today it is a bit cloudy, but it is still nice.

today is the day before students arrive, and we had a specific time to pray for the students. after we broke up into groups, we met back together to think of some of the issues that students might bring to camp...and so we drew them on the pavement, in chalk. we then began to pray for some of these issues, and pretty soon after we were finished praying the rain began. the only one who could take care of those issues, and to wash them away...did.

havin a good time. we have the rest of today off, and will head into town and eat (and i need to pick up a bath towel)

please continue your thoughts and prayers

in kentucky

after the few weeks of workin at the church, and the wonderful wedding of michael and rachael, i am now in kentucky.

i got here safe...but unsure of how sound..

left from fort worth about 8.30 and headed on and on. i head the arkansas border bout midnight and felt that it was time to take a nap or so, about 1.25 hr nap; enough to get movin for about another hour or so....where i found another gas station and camped (in my car) for about 2 hrs this time. i then got up (for it was now close to 5 or 6) and headed out again. later on down the road, i crashed for about 30 minutes and then headed on out again.

i arrived at the camp at about 1 pm on monday...later than i expected...but not bad.

today is my first day, and pretty cool

yesterday, i met lots of people which equals lots of names, but that is cool

learned tower and some bible study stuff, ate, and some other stuff

today got certified on the tower and more bible study stuff.

havin a pretty good time. still tryin to catch up on sleep...but all is well.

keep me and the camp in your prayers...lots to look forward to.

ramblings of the past week

for those that dont know, i am back in texas and have been back and forth from tyler and fort worth a couple of times.

last weekend i went to tyler to get certified for camp. the time getting certed was alright. i enjoyed it. chuck is the man.

chalk it up to age and experience, but this time around, things just felt smoother, like i was in control...well being the oldest one there by far (for everyone else was in high school or fresh out) i felt that things just flowed...and i dont mean the warmness in the pool. it was nice catching up with chuck.

one more step towards heading to camp.

i am stoked about it. coming up quickly. everyone will be there the 24th, but i will come on the 28th. so dont expect me to blog much during the summer, for i do not know when i will have that chance.

i would love to hear from you sometime...so feel free to call or email. Also, keep me and camp in your prayers...for camp is a time where the spirit impacts many people.

home at last

well, i have arrived back in the place called home. i definitely have not missed this thing called tv. amazing how it manages to suck you in and not let you go until anything of use has already passed by....at least that is the way i feel.

its nice to see the folks, and i can say that i eat more now than i have these past couple of months...not that it is exactly healthy for me. i am a lazy eater, if i dont have something to keep me busy i eat...weird, huh...can you see me as an obese individual cruising down the street?

anyways, i am trying to catch up on practically everything. on emails, contacts with camp, everything i have put off for so long.

...alas, soon i must decide if i am going to so school this may. i dont feel an overwhelming urge to go back...does that say something? now that doesnt mean that i dont like learning, nor would i completely shun going back to school...but i dont know about this one, nor what i was going for. i keep telling myself that this summer will tell me more, but i dont know what is in store.

fuhn

yeah, i chilled on this monday. got my oil changed and chilled mostly.

this night steph, jason, lindsey, and me met up with some other peeps for basketball at their church. it was pretty fun.

lots of energy and a face full of basketball, but i had a great time

the trek home: day 8 lubbock

i get up to a nice sunrise and head out.

this morning i decide to head to four corners and check it out.

rating: nice to visit once

had to pay $3 to get in because it wasnt a national monument, but was on native american land. the scenery wasnt the best, but it was pretty cool to check out the whole four state thing.

so i decide to head through new mexico today. i figure i might stop outside santa fe and camp at the national forest there...

well, you know me and plans...i ended up calling steph and jason's and so i headed to lubbock that night and camped at their house, in a real bed. that meant no camping in new mexico on this trip. i have stayed in new mexico last summer for summer camp...so i have been there an extended amount of time, not just traveling through in one day.

man it was nice to get a shower and to see friends once again.

the trek home: day 7 kaibab national forest

hey, i wake up this mornin, and its not raining, pretty nice.

i decide to take my time today, i waiver between staying another night or heading out. i ended up heading out.

i make a few stops, nice sights, and on one i hike down to the lake with my grapes.

i head out and go to the hoover dam. wow. what a dam. i got out and walked all across it and then went back. after the dam i headed towards the grand canyon. not much between the dam and the canyon...lots of desert.

dadgum. talk about a ditch. the canyon was absolutely gynormous and humungo. i walked around here for a bit and then headed out...for it was also pretty touristy, and i felt like i was one of the few americans there.

on the east side of the canyon, actually in the forest area, i managed to find a spot to plop. if it would have rained this time, it would have been interesting getting out. so i set up shop. the ground was hard in two of the corners, so i ended up only putting three stakes in. it was a beautiful day so i didnt think anything of it.

after milling around i went to sleep only to awaken at about 23.30 by some stinking awful sound. it really sounded like a cyote but i dont know if it was injured or in heat...but it was weird. luckily the sound seemed to be going away. well, all by yourself, in the middle of the forest, not a nice place for a rabid wolf...but luckily it didnt come to any of that.

however, at about 0.30 the wind started picking up. now i didnt think much of it, only that my tent was plowing up and in around me. one corner of my fly had come off (and for those that dont know a fly is the extra covering that straps on top of the tent). so i get up and fix this. meanwhile, without much weight anchoring the tent down it started to float, but due to my cat like reflexes, i managed to squeeze back in and position my sleeping bag on one corner (although anchored it had come up, and the other unanchored corner. this wind kept on persisting, and went so far as to start pulling the other corners off of the stakes. well, i got fed up with almost blowing away, so rather than being anchor in the tent, i decided to pack up and sleep in the car again...first time in both the tent and car in one night.

the trek home: day 6 lake mead

so i wake up to rain once again. its not bad, just a slight drizzle, but enough to make the tent nice and wet. i pack up and get going for the day. i head towards kings canyon and sequoia national park. i start hitting snow not to far along on my way up. i am gonna make it to sequoia national forest, even though there is one set of tracks through the snow and my car isnt exactly winterized. so i keep following these tracks...but i get to a place where they turn off and do not continue going. by now i am about 8-9000 feet up with a thicker snow. i turn off and go to the lodge and wait for a bit. i clean the car, eat breakfast and go and check, and there are still no tracks, so i go back and talk to someone at the lodge (for it is now open) and they say that you need a 4-wheel drive with snow tires or snow chains, neither of which i have. she also tells me that the fine would be hefty if i got stuck or pulled over. so i head back to where i came from and end up going a little north to at least see what a sequoia looks like.

i continue heading south after getting out of the national park. i head south on these wonderful roads...reminiscent of highway 1 north of san fran, sept there wasnt any ocean in the middle of cali. no speed limit, but the car could only handle about 35-40 on some of these switchbacks.

i finally get out into straight road country (for the most part) and head south to bakersfield and on up to las vegas.

ok time for creepy story...well, it was creepy to me at the time.
advert your eyes if you must

so i stop at a rest stop in cali on my way to vegas. i get out and it is fairly busy and so i go to the restroom and i nod to some dude sitting on one of the benches outside. who knows what he was waiting for...but anyways...so much for being polite. i head into the restroom and i do my duty standing up. well, this same dude comes in (and i only notice this from my peripheral vision because i didnt want to acknowledge him). so he comes in and stands next to me...not doing much, but i think he checks me out (or tries to anyways). i make sure to finish up quickly, zip, and turn the way he was not facing and i left without lingering...almost a beeline to my car...i dont care if people were around, not something i really care to wait on.

ugh...with slight shivers

anyways, i head out and call the lake mead area a couple of times and try and get a free spot, and i do on the second time. i stop to get a map of the area at a visitor center, and then head into las vegas.

wow.

i just drove the strip, and saw all of it from my car, but it was still an interesting place. i dont know that i would call it my annual vacation spot, but some of the illusionists and other shows might be pretty sweet to see...about a weekend's worth is all i would care to visit. but regardless, it seemed like an interesting place.

after crusin the strip for about an hour (cause it was the beginning of the weekend and about rush hour) and then i head towards lake mead.

i managed to get there in time to see a little and pick a spot. i picked one, and then went to another. so i set up my tent, let it air out, and then set it up for sure...on a nice rocky surface.

stars were nice during the night

pics

yeah, i am doing so much...except what i should be doing. here is a start on some of the pics. by no means is this comprehensive, just some of the highlights.

Da Trip

i hope you enjoy (p.s. click on the pic for more)

the trek home: day 5 sequoia national forest

i get up early in the mornin, and haul my tent and stuff up the hill and then begin packing so as to not wake the roomies.

i head out and go across the famous golden gate bridge and on into the city of san francisco. nice little town...need to head back and see it someday. yeah, i mainly just cruised through town...nothing like heading through downtown during rush hour. that, and the long day of travel ahead, i didnt do much sight seeing.

i make my way towards yosemite national park.

nice country on the way to the park

nice park.

cant even explain the beautiful views of the waterfalls, of el capitan...

it was a bit touristy in the valley, and i bet would have been better in the backcountry...but i didnt take that chance, for as i was milling round, the rain started to come in. up in the higher elevations it started to snow...so i decide to head on to kings canyon and sequoia national park. i end up calling and they dont have any free campsites, but i could camp anywhere on the side of the road in the national forest.

needless to say, i got a prime spot to camp.

as i passed it, i saw a potential spot and figured that i would cruise a bit more and check if i found something closer to the park...but as i got to thinking about it was a prime spot for me to camp, and luckily i didnt go far before i decided to head back. well the sandy road that i thought were just two drive ways not going far back ended up being driveways to a nice bit of free camping.

after changing and setting the tent up, i read for a bit. nice chillin by myself, and i head to bed.

the trek home: day 4 san fran

the night was beautiful...not to windy where i was positioned.

today is the day that i accomplish some business.

i check back into the office to let them know that i will be staying a second night. i scout around and check out the lighthouse and the point overlooking the beach and on out into the ocean.

i decide to head into town to check stuff out and get me some internet to figure out the next part of the journey. i head into sausalito and try and find some hotspots, unsuccessfully at one cafe but the whole town has wifi, but you have to log in on a web page. so i hook up in the car and try and find one floating around, cheenchy i know but i have learned from some of the best.

after sending a bit of communication, i begin to head back, but stop at a nice little grocery store, buy an apple, ask for directions to the nearest electronic store because i tell myself that my phone and taking videos does not do any of this justice. i eat my apple on the boardwalk and then head to marin city to a best buy there and check them out. i had great service and settled on a panasonic lumix 7.2 mpx (DMC-LS70S). man, it was nice to finally have a camera to take pictures with. so, i go back and take pics...i went picture crazy having been so long without a camera and having so much to take a picture of.

i met a couple that was gonna be roomin in the campsite with me (they end up sharing more of it than you would imagine). so i sit back and enjoy the beautiful day reading...some of it anyways...cant ignore the great sights.

later that evening i end up meeting four peeps from tahoe (2 that are flying out and two dropping them off). well, i end up watching a nice sunset and they come and join up. i hung out a bit afterwards and just chilled and chatted...seemed like social people, easier to socialize with.

so i crash and expect to head out in the mornin.

the trek home: day 3 san fran

alas, i rouse to the sound of a nice rain on the tent. so i figure that i might try and catch a little bit more sleep while it is still raining...no sense of getting soaked while packing up the tent. so the time finally came...but barely. i managed to get stuff packed and then grab everything and head to the car... well, the bike in mud isnt the best form of transportation. i get to the car and put everything in just in time for the rain to start picking up.

my journey continues to the south...i run into a bit of rain, nothing heavy...but constant. the view was cool. to see the fine mist in the redwoods was pretty sweet. anyways, i finally make it out of the rain, stop at a big foot shop...nothing of the sort, but they had lots of chainsaw chiseled statues...not much to write home about.

so, i drive and drive, and hit the coast where i can, but i then decided to head inland for a bit to go to a bigger city and stop at a grocery store for food and gas... you know me and plans, i didnt see a store, but i did get gas. the plan from there was to head to point reyes national seashore. that also didnt work out quite well. i head to the coast and end up going north instead of south...so much for explicit directions. well, i am glad that i ended up going the wrong way cause the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

i get turned around and head back south...and you would figure that this road would head south...but there was no normal method to these roads, and not much like i could navigate while driving. anyways, i get to a town called petaluma, get directions and then head back to where i am supposed to be. still, i run into roads that go anywhere...but i do manage to stop at a nice cheese place adn get some samples. i think it was called something like a french shop or something....

i get to point reyes and ask for the usual free camping, but they didnt have any...but they had a phone, and after a long conversation with someone, i managed to get set up at golden gate national rec area with a free site...only an hour away...only because of the windy (or shall i say curvy road). i would definitely suggest a nice drive on it, as long as you dont have a vehicle that is prone to tipping.

beautiful

so i finally get to the place, and get my tent airing out from this morning's rain. chicago, you have one mean rival. the wind was insane...so i set my tent up in an ivy enclosed base of a tree...it was pretty nice. i met some people up from spring break, visited the nice view of the gate.

much distracted...try to write further...better...

nice view

the trek home: day 2 redwood

after awaking early in the morning, i sat and watched the sunrise...well, there was the part of the joke i forgot to tell you...i watched the sunset the night before...facing west, and that is where i parked for the night. so you can imagine the irony when one says they watched the sun rise while facing west. anyways, i waited until the light grew enough for me to do something.

having some time to kill, because of the anticipated meeting for the camera in coos bay, i decided to take a walk on the sand dunes down below, the same dunes that i had witnessed many-a-light go across in the night. these dunes were often visited by four-wheelers and/or dirtbikes. i walked the dunes for a bit, and then visited the forest surrounding the lake of umpqua state park. after doing the stroll through the woods, i, while still having plenty of time left, decided to take my bike out for a stroll. i would go in reverse of the way i had come, back through the forest onto the dunes. well, the forest was a pretty cool place to go dirt biking, nice hills and lots of mulch on the trails.

the hill leading down to the dunes was pretty cool too. only when i got out to the dunes, my mountain bike was not much fun. seeing how the propulsion was man made power, turning wheels that did not grip so much as spin, the end of playtime was quickly in sight...however, i did have a couple of runs down the dune...more like skiing my bike down the sand...but none-the-less it was fun.

after getting back and putting my bike back on my car, i headed to coos bay to pick up the camera.

so i arrive in coos bay, and after visiting the visitor center, i make it to a safeway...that i plan to buy an apple and kill some time waiting on the person who has the camera. needless to say that this safeway was not the selection king like central market is. so i read a bit, make a couple of calls to the person...and after no response i decide to start heading out of town. i stop at a gas station, and then make another call and reach a boy, who promptly hangs up the phone, upon which i then call back and leave a message saying that i am just passing through and will not pick up the camera. she said call after 9, which i called at 9.30 and waited for an hour, so i figure that i waited long enough.

after that i head down to cali, where i am stopped and asked if i have any produce in the car...nope just stinky socks.

so i get to crescent city to the park headquarters and ask where the best place is to visit, and where some free camping is. i got the hookup and headed out. i visited the national park down this long dirt road. these trees were so huge. if i were a giant, these trees would be my toothpicks. after eating lunch in the park, and enjoying the trees, i get back on some paved roads and head to the campsite. this campsite was at a place called nickel creek (yeah, like the band). after gearing up and meeting some people from philly, i go back and get my bike and head down the trail, figuring it would be better if it rained.

well, i fall asleep to the beautiful sound of the waves rushing up to the beach...

the trek home: day 1 umpqua

after doin a load of laundry, and a few good bye's, i headed towards the coast once again...this time during the daylight. one cannot forget the great shopping i did at win-co...great prices, lots of selection, but probably less good for you than the co-op. anyways, i went back to newport and got to go see the lighthouse that i couldnt see because it closed due to being dark on my way to barbara's. while there, i received a call from mom. it was a great talk, thanks. from there i headed down the coast.

ever since the early start of this trip, i have said that i want to make this camping thing as free as i could...and so with this motivation in mind, i tried to head down on oregon's coast somewhere it would have been free to camp. this being one road in oregon's national dune area. however, this road turned out to be a dirt road, frequented by trucks and usually trucks with dirt bikes or four wheelers. needless to say this was not a nice road for a car to go down...especially when it was expecting rain the next day. so the plan changed and i figured i would try and head further down the coast to see what i could find. the plan was to not head to far down the coast because i needed to be in coos bay to try and pick up a digital camera (since mine had broken).

after driving down the road a little bit, i managed to find a state park and check that out for campsites. well, the campsites were all pay...but you know me, my mind was at work to try and find a way to circumvent the whole...paying thing. well, not much one can do in the way of worming out of paying where parking is limited and usually regulated. but good thing about umpqua lighthouse state park, was that up by the lighthouse there was an overlook. this overlook did not have any specific signs that said one could not park there overnight...so i took them up on their absence of said legal binding signs.

wasnt the best night's sleep...nor the worst...but i did sleep.

bever fever

wednesday, after leaving brett's place, i headed out to olympia (for those that dont know is the capital of washington) and then i went towards the coast. i went to cape disappointment and saw the lighthouse and a nice full view of the pacific from there (i believe this was my first true view of the horizon-stretching pacific). from there i went down to oregon and further headed down the coast from there. it rained pretty much all day, but was sporadic. i called up barbara and decided to head to her place because of the constant rain. so i drove into newport and then took 20 east (highway 20 not interstate 20).

so i drive into town...and from newport on it was dark...and so you dont get to see quite as much...but i headed into town anyways and met up with barbara. i met her roomies and then we sat back and caught up.

thursday barbara and i went up to campus and we ate at a wonderful place called american dream. it is a great pizza place...way better than mellow mushroom, but that is ok. after lunch, and an unsuccessful spotting of her friend, we toured campus for a bit and then i went to the library where i started 'wide sargasso sea'. i met back up with barbara where we went to the store to checked out cameras. after that we bought stuff for mexican and we made tacos, queso, and watched amalie. afterwards i got to hang out with sarah for a bit and chat about stuff.

friday i had a nice day chillin round the log cabin in the woods as well as across the creek. i had a pretty good time enjoying the beautiful day in a nice hammock chair. that night barbara and i went to mcmanamins for food. this is a great place for burgers and stuff...but i chose a nice thai dish of chicken, rice, and red curry with coconut milk. after dinner i chatted a bit with danie.

saturday i chilled...as usual. i spent it reading, planning some more of the trip, posted, and went on bike ride to overlook rd. that night we went to pickup dinner at the co-op (a small place of organic and exotic food...pretty cool place. this was the north one not south one which i hear is much better). we came back and cooked and ate spaghetti, bread, cheese, and asparagus. i watched ray, a pretty good movie, and then watched wallace and gromit, both the curse of the were-rabbit and the wrong trousers.

das boot

tuesday night, i show up at his front door, and he is wearing sunglasses. its alright...still great to see him. he had eye surgery earlier this week. we went off and ate at a nice little restaurant (if i remember correctly it was called steilacoom diner). we caught up a bit and hung out...man it was nice.

wednesday we just hung. went over to the coffee shop and got a bit of internet. that night we went out to eat at famous daves with mike and katie.

thursday we went to burs, which was a nice and greasy old diner, shared by the lion's club of lakewood. we also went up towards tacoma to half-price books and picked up a couple of good buys. after that we went back and chilled till we went to bible study. after bible study we headed to the sea-tac airport to go pick up abigail. we waited FOREVER...not really, just figured i might get a response from abigail if she actually reads this...

friday i chilled and then hung out with brett and abigail later that day...fuzzy details...jack in the box, apartment...panera...

sunday went to chapel and then over to brett's bible study leader's place (wes and josephene [sp]). we had easter dinner over there. it was pretty sweet...meeting up with the folks i met on thursday...lamb, ham, +++...and strawberry goodness. monday morning abigail went back to nac, and we chilled until the afternoon, then we decided to head to seattle. we went round pike's market...a market that had fresh fish and all sorts of food and goodies. we actually got to see them chunk some fish...as well as the original starbucks, and some sweet, homemade cheese place. we went and ate at red robin's (nice little hamburger joint). we then headed home, but not before stopping at denny park and checking out the seattle space needle too.

tuesday i chilled while brett was at work, and then we and ate dinner at his place...once again, great hangin out with him...but alas i headed out on wednesday

back in the states

last time we left our beloved traveler he was stuck in line trying to cross the border into the united states...and now the rest of the story...

i finally crossed the border a whole lot easier than crossing into canada.

after i got into the states i traveled to the nearest and largest town...bellingham. i got there and went to the nearest information center to ask for the nearest camera shop (since my camera went out in canada) and where there was free wifi. i end up going to karl's cameras in the mall and they said that it would be 170 to send it off and fix it, and a couple of weeks...new plan...i head to best buy. i get there to check out camera's to see if there were any inexpensive ones i might get...no such luck. so i end up heading downtown to the bookstore to get wifi to check out my next leg of the journey...and camera's.

i end up getting there and figure that i might call my good friend brett and see if i end up heading his way that night or if another night would be better. turns out it was cool for me to head that way that day. so ... i say sweet...get to see the old roomie.

so i ride the bike a bit, the combination of downtown and the beautiful day just did it for me. so after the quick ride, i put er up and head towards lakewood. i decided to head down on highway 11 cause it was right at the bay, and i hadnt seen much of the west coast...so i figure that it would be a great thing for me to do.

well, i head down that way...absolutely beautiful. i ended up stopping again and pulling the bike off and riding down some hills, dirt biking and checkin out the bay. it was cool, and i would have done it a bit longer...but i was anxious to see the good friend brett. so i head down the rest of 11 (which was half by the bay and foresty and half plains and straight).

i drive 5 all the way down to lakewood. 5 goes through seattle and tacoma, and on to lakewood.

welcome home

ta-da. i have made it back to tyler safely. it was amazing! i hope to inform yall of the rest of the trip and hopefully show yall pics. i look forward to seeing some old friends when i get the chance.


...stay tuned

when in roam...

do as the roamins do...right.

well, just a little update. i am now a showered human being, after being on the road for a week, i come back to meet some friends, take a shower, and sleep in a bed...hard to believe huh.


just a quick recap on what i did while i was gone

newport, lighthouse night, state park and dunes
redwood, nickel creek
golden gate national rec area, sausailito
yoesmite, national forest
kings canyon, sequoia national park, las vegas, lake mead
hoover dam, grand canyon, kaibab national forest
four corners, trek across new mexico, lubbock

you know the drill...i explain as i get time

sausalito

currently here. north of san fancisco bridge. pretty sweet. come sometime if you got a chance. staying another nigt at the goldengate national rec area.

and cue more traveling

well...the great adventures with brett and the great abigail (sound any better?) shall have to wait until another day...nothing like being behind on a good story.

hanging out with barbara, dannie, and sarah have been pretty fun.

short story...after traveling (wed i think) and raining all day...got to the house, caught up...b. thursday went to the campus of oregon state, ate at american dream pizza (great!) went to the library, started 'wide sargasso sea', met up with barbara, went to the store, checked out cameras, bought stuff for tacos, made tacos, queso, and watched amalie... hung out...s

fri chilled, went across the creek, hung in the hammock chair, went to mcmanamins (also great) came back, hung out...d
sat chilled, posted, went on bike ride to overlook rd. went to pickup dinner at the co-op (north one not south one which i hear is much better) came back, ate spaghetti bread cheese asparagus, watched ray...then wallace and gromit

and now i am prepping to head to oregon sand dunes, redwood...

summin up canada

mr. fox, this is for you...the continuation of the story.

well, after leaving my swank little half-driveway, i headed towards the great city of vancouver. man...this was a fairly nice city. i went through a part of downtown that wasnt quite so nice...but i bet that almost every big city has one of those. when i started heading for the west side...i started to see really nice houses, stores and stuff. anyways, i went to the college over on the west side, saw the nice bay or straight or whatever...not necessarily the pacific because of victoria island across the way.

wow...green wonderfulness. nice blue of the water...trees in bloom...it was schway.

after piddlin round the college area for about 5 minutes, i tried to find a better view of the water which entailed wandering unsuccessfully around the neighborhood. so with half the day already being gone, i decided to head back to the states.

(a part of me wanted to go to victoria island, but i would surely do it an injustice by not staying long and not being able to view the oh so tauted gardens when they are not in full bloom...so i didnt....for another day right?)

well, i did head towards a ferry, cause i thought about it...but then i stopped at a shopping center, ate a huge cinnamon roll at a cafe, and then headed towards the boarder.

so i get to the line of entering the states...took almost an hour to cross the border...sittin in my car...listening to music...not the best hour i have spent anywhere, but the day was absolutely beautiful, so i didnt complain too much.

another day of travel

so i head out early in the mornin and make towards kamloops and figured i would make my decision as to where i would go from there. i figured i would have enough gas to make it to revelstoke from golden...so i head out.

you would not believe the snow that i drove through. the road was pretty covered, and it was coming down. the highway was mostly 1 lane each way with occasional passing lanes. this road wound through the mountains and through two national parks, glacier national park and mount revelstoke national park. pretty, but for the most part my eyes were on the road.

so i stop at revelstoke, fill up the tank, and eat some more of my hard bread and then head out. travel was pretty smooth from there on out, roads were pretty clear anyways.

so i make it to kamloops and head into town and my phone rings. i received a call from jonathan creek about my application that i did last week, and the phone interview. she said that i had a position if i wanted it, and i said yes. score...gonna work at a summer camp in kentucky this summer!

stayed in kamloops a bit but then i bugged out. i headed out and decided to take trans-canadian (which i made the mistake of calling trans continental once) to hope.

i made a stop about the savona area, nice lake, mountains and golf course. also around this area, i stopped at a roadside place, ate, hiked, and took pictures, and found out that my camera was having some difficulties. anyways, i continued on the road towards hope.

b-e-a-utiful drive, absolutely gorgeous, and as a side note, the thompson river would be a good one to go rafting down. the scenery was spectacular, and i didnt get many pictures cause my camera was broke, but i did get some on the phone camera...gotta love it.

i eventually made it to hope about dusk and sunset. seemed like a nice little town, and i figured that i would stop and see about camping. well places were closed (and this whole winter thing hardly anybody is open...and they want to charge you money...psssh). so i figured that i would take 7 and see if there were any sweet places to pull of and sleep. no such luck. so i ended up heading to chilliwack, driving into the sunset.

as i got to chilliwack i noticed signs for camping and figured i would follow them...turned out it was like an rv park and wanted to charge...so i drove a bit further and found a nice little dead end driveway that i backed in and chilled for a bit. eventually i went to sleep. i woke up insanely early (primarily cause it was so stinkin cold...well my feet were) so i woke up and plotted some of the day's travels. as i was mapping and stuff i noticed a dude pull up on the other side of the fence (the driving range) and kinda check the car out. so i figured it was a good time to start heading out, things were starting to open up...

banff to golden

so i leave the house...after many thanks...and head towards banff national park. as i approach the gate i see that passing through doesnt cost any money...and so i just pass through, which is really what i did with a few stops for sighseeing.

i shall have to try and get some pictures up, cause it was pretty sweet. the town of banff was kinda resorty and had a castle and all.

lake louise was pretty cool, but from the pictures i have seen, it is also pretty sweet (if not sweeter) in the summer time.

from there i headed out to golden.

i stop at the information center (because i have crossed into another state, british columbia) there and talk a little about camping and stuff. she actually mentioned a nice little hostel she visited the other day and said that it was fabulous...so i decided to check it out for myself. she said that it would only be 30 bucks (which aint bad compared to hotels that are not less than 50).

well, i check it out and decide to stay. this place was like a log cabin with a bunch of rooms and beds. it also had a cafe and a lounge area with a big screen tv, and it had a kitchen.

i go get some food at the grocery store (iga) and then bring it back to the place....note to self, even though you think the bread is going to be good...it is usually better when it is soft. so i get back, put my meat and cheese in the fridge, eat a lil, watch tv, and go to bed.

just so you know...there were 8 beds in my room...and only 1 was full...mine. so i didnt have any roommates, but it was still fun.

calgary

after randomly driving around and finally finding a decent place to stop i get gas and then head to a parking lot. i have decided to bite it and pay for a hotel, cause i dont want to do the car thing, nor do i want to keep driving...so i wanted to see a little more of town, and figured i would enjoy the little splurge.

so i call up burly and get her parent's number and give them a shout (since they live in calgary) and i try and find what is cool to do there and where some good, relative inexpensive hotels are. So mrs. burly tells me of some attractions and then asks if i wanted to stay the night...i was...slackjawed...and said that i would be willing to if they were offering...a true blessing there, thanks guys!

so i was actually across the street from the chinook shopping center (which i didnt know at the time) and i saw a bank across the way and figured i would get the lowdown from an actual banker...but turns out they were closed, so i decide to go across the footbridge to this shopping center and see what it was all about...

GINORMOUS is what it was. i walked and walked and walked and that was about it...well i looked too. anyways as i was leaving i managed to see a little bank in the mall and decided to stop and ask questions. turns out i could use visa or master card, and all the calculations would occur automatically...sweet.

so i head downtown (or to the city centre as they say). pretty nice downtown. i walked and saw the calgary needle and the plus 15 (which is a second story mall in these buildings that are connected). i eventually ate at a place called earls. nice little place, and great food. i had the turkey gouda sandwich (with great sauce) and a little salad...superb.

after dinner i went to the island park and to some movie place/mall over there and then through the chinese cultural center.

i then headed to burly's place. i passed the ramps that they held olympic stuff on, it was pretty sweet. so i get there and we catch up and chat. it was a great time getting to talk to them.

in the morning they cooked me breakfast, which was great! and it made me feel extra special.

i then headed out to banff national park

o canada

just a little side note

i dont know why, but 'official looking people with a mean grimace' intimidate me...

so, as i pull up to the gates to enter canada, the man pops his head out and asks me a barrage of questions, and much to my stuttering problem, i looked as guilty as all get out...nothing like a male traveling by himself into another country, not going to visit anyone in particular...yeah you get the idea.

well, after the meager attempt of my traveling explanation, he tells me to go park my car under the awning and go see the man inside and up the stairs. well, i go see him and the grimace continues. he takes a look at me, asks a couple more questions...which i felt more confident about answering this time...and takes my license and passport in the next room. my assumption is that he ran a background check cause of the little paper he gave me after he came out and said i could go after i gave it to the man downstairs. i happily left, and as i was leaving, the dude from upstairs came downstairs...without the paper i just handed the other dude...probably to laugh at my inability to communicate clearly...all because of the....something. i know i laughed, and would have laughed much more if i were them.

so i have officially made it to canada.

i drive up to fort macleod and go to a gas station there. i thought about filling up...but i didnt. i went in to ask how the whole money thing worked, with me having credit cards and stuff. well, they told me that i had to use visa at the pump (which wasnt all i could use) and so i left. as i was leaving, i felt hungry and where would i get some food...but i thought about the free advice i had just received and thought i would be nice and purchase something from them...not gas even though they said it would be more expensive in calgary.

mmm...orange cranberry muffin...

that and i was rockin it cause the american dollar is worth more than the canadian dollar, gas was at 95.9 cents, and the speed limit was 110.

stinkin yanks is what they would call yall (well maybe). and for those that might not know $1 can = $1.16 american, gas was priced by the liter (about 4 liters to a gallon), and speed limit was in kilometers/hour.

so i get up to calgary eventually and pay bout $1 for gas...still stinkin expensive (even more so).

so i am in the nice city of calgary

to fill in the details...

well, i figured, now is as good a time as any to fill in the details of the past couple of weeks. it all started when i headed out from patrick's place in great falls.

so i head up to glacier national park. ahh, the scenery wasnt too much to gawk over, but it did get quite a bit sweeter when i got closer to the park. anyways, i get there a couple hours before nightfall and i finished off some lunch meat and bread (which are truly a staple on this journey) and then i watch the beautiful sunset while i was setting up my tent for the night. i get up in the mornin (which is always the hardest part...its the transition from the warm sleeping bag to the not so warm air) and the weather seemed to be getting a bit worse (windy, clouds in the distance) so i decide not to stay another night, but to head on to canada, eh. yeah, glad i decided to pack up, cause as i was leaving the park, it started to drizzle and get a bit windier. so...i truck off to the great canadian state of alberta.

or so i thought...

well, prior to this little drive, i thought 'ah, its just gonna be a little jaunt up to canada, and it will probably be much like traveling to mexico, the whole easy crossing thing'.

i was wrong.

and as i was pulling up to the checkpoint...i felt it...oh man, im crossing into another country.

hangin with the brett

aww man...it was nice up in lakewood hangin with the brett. this is the quick low-down...and i might get detailed later....

well, got in tuesday night after he had his surgery earlier that week. we went and ate at a nice pub/diner (stelicoom pub/diner i think was the name)...anyways it was down by the sound. hung out wed, went to eat with mike and katie. thursday went to burs, half-price, bible study, then went to go pick up abigail. friday i chilled and hung out with brett and abigail. saturday i did much of the same. sunday went to chapel and then over to brett's bible study leader's place (wes and josephene [sp]). monday went to seattle, tuesday chilled, and ate dinner with brett. wednesday i headed out to olympia and then the coast. i went to disappointment point, then down the coast of oregon. it rained pretty much all day, but the rain was not very steady either way.

where to begin

i begin by sleeping, but letting those that keep track know that i am in the nice drizzled corvallis oregon...safe and sound. hangin out with the barbara

updatings

just so yall know, i am alive and well here in lakewood, washington.

after leaving great falls i went to glacier national park, stayed a night and headed to calgary. that night i got to stay with burly's parents and then headed to golden, bc and stayed in a pretty nice hostel there. i then headed out to a town outside of vancouver and stayed the night. the next day i then went to vancouver then crossed the border. i ended up where i currently am on tuesday night...but have been, for the most part, absent from internet until now....maybe someday will come the rest of the story.

migration

done not much sides doin taxes and chillin. supposed to head out tomorrow. plan is to go to glacier national park then calgary...we shall see how things go.

happenings in MT

dude...i have done a lot since i have been here, but it has all been pretty cool.

as usual i shall start at the beginning

tuesday
i get to town and get to sleep in a warm house on a comfy pull out couch

wednesday
patrick, lonnie and i head out to the base to pick up snowboard gear and we head out to showdown MT to go boardin...it was wicked.
granted i am a bit bumped, bruised and sore, but it was worth it. this was my first time boardin, and i did alright...definitely not going fast down the greens tho. my bum was sore for week, had a nice bruise on my left forearm (better than a bruised tailbone) and a couple of knots on my head. had a sweet time tho...boy did i sleep good.

thrusday
this was a day that we thought about going back out to showdown...but due to the soreness already...we didnt. ended up stayin round great falls and went to the lewis and clark interpretive center (which charged 5 to get in unless you had an america the beautiful card [which i did] in hand [which i didnt]). yeah, so i got charged 5 on top of what i already paid for the card. stinkin hum num hghahgals. i took it out and put in my hike bag in case i needed it in yellowstone (two days before [which i didnt need it]) and i never put it back in my wallet. well, i was steemed for a bit of the day, but got over it. that night we went to rachel's and she cooked for us. we had some pretty good antelope tacos. i liked.

friday
patrick, lonnie and i went spelunking. it was sweet, we got the head lights and drove out there. bout a mile hike to the hole, and 500 foot to a beautiful scenic latrine.
anyways...we climbed/slid to the dome room. never know what you will find down there.
we made it back.
went to dinner with ken at melaque and then went to the theater. met up with jeff a friend and coworker of patrick and saw wild hogs. good movie. after that we went and saw 300. excellent movie.

saturday
lonnie left this mornin. this was the day patrick went out and i stayed back and enjoyed the beautiful day. just kinda lounged today.

sunday
went to church at vineyard. pretty good church. seems like a wonderful family. went to fudds and then chilled. patrick went out, and went to applebees with nicole. came back and watched taladega nights = funny.

monday
learned how to ride a motorcycle...and rode it. it was stinkin cool. had a good teacher. tonight we went out and ate at ryan's sports bar...good food, and the waffle fries are stinkin good too. after eating with ken, becky, patrick, nicole, rachel, we all went over to pin and cue for bowling and played two games. 105 and 124. first one i got beat by a girl, and second one i came in second (almost first sept ken is a killer). after that ken, becky and rachel went home and patrick, nicole and i stayed and played a couple of games of pool. had a pretty good evening.

tuesday
didnt do much. helped a couple of friends take bikes in. makes me want one...well after riding it did even more. drove a standard truck once again, makes me miss truck and standard. tonight went to kinship with patrick at doug and billie's. had fun. like i said, it seems like a great family to be involved with.

wednesday
went to helena (stinkin early) with slight snow on the ground. sat at the dealership for awhile. bout 3.5 hours. went to helena state park, hiked a bit, drove, slept, drove, enjoyed scenery. hung out with ken and becky and had a pegogie...pretty stinkin good...this one was with potatoe and cheese. went to dq with them and ran into billie, doug, rachel, sarah, and the youth pastor and his wife. it was nice seeing them. like i said, nice family. felt like i had known them for a long time. brings a smile to my face.

hello montana

i get up and pack and head out, stinkin early in the morning. i didnt go learn to paraglide cause it was 50 just to learn, and no flight.

headed back to idaho falls, returned a power device for my car and got a lower wattage one and then i ate at a wonderful diner there just off of 15. GREAT! morning early bird special was pretty good and prompt.

so i set out to go to yellowstone.

i enter into montana and go to west yellowstone to see if the west entrance was open (cause it said closed in winter on the map) and it wasnt. basically everything opens up april 20th...so no old faithful, but i did get to ride my bike into the park and take some pics...i actually rode my bike from montana to wyoming and back.

afore i did the bike ride patrick called. it was sweet getting to talk to him...and seeing that yellowstone was closed (that and the fact that i was ready to see my good friend) i headed out as soon as i could and hauled it. nice drive. stopped and ate subway. i got their pastrami...i dont suggest it, unless you like fat, and little pastrami.

anyways, patrick and his brother lonnie are at kinship (bible study) so i get to great falls and patrick tells me where he lives, so i drive over to his place.

i knock and his roommate ken answers. i got to meet ken and becky and rachel while patrick was out. it was pretty cool getting to hang out with them and just chat. well, patrick shows and i get introduced to his brother and all is well, sept i havnt had a shower for 5 days or so, so i needed to get one.

back amongst civilization and friends.

a little edit

man...the beautiful scenery i have seen...

i forgot to mention the sweetness of hoback canyon in wyoming. just...sweet

and a quick little blurb...went to helena today to get my car checked up, and drove on 15 and it is b.e.a.utiful out there.

saw a nice little jaunt of a rock peninsula (somewhere round the craig area) overlooking the missouri...that i didnt get a picture of...it was absolutely cool.

hello idaho

yes, i have refrained from making some derogatory comments about the name.

well, with the unsuccessful finding of a camping spot, what better way to travel than at night, when you would be restlessly tossing and turning, only to get up at the crack of dawn anyways. aww, i was able to drive and still get a good amount of sleep...so here is the tale..

i left jackson when it was dark, and so i entered the teton range, pretty steep range...and i bet it was great to look at (if it would have been light out). so i drove through the night, a big portion of it anyways, to a nice parking lot of a walmart supercenter (open 24 hours) to sleep for a bit. without a handy access to a toilet, the side of the road at 3 in the morning is a great thing.

well i eventually woke up and yes i did purchase something from that walmart, so it was like paying rent or so (but i saw an rv and a 5th wheel there too...dont know if they paid rent or so), but then i headed out to craters of the moon national park outside of arco idaho.

gotta love free campsites.

well for those that dont know, craters of the moon is a volcanic lava field out in the middle of no-where. pretty cool to see some old lava flows and craters and stuff. just lounged there for the day, when i wasnt hiking. cooked ravioli, rode my bike a little, set up camp... and slept

my, them are some grand tetons

woke up at almost the crack of dawn, cleaned camp, and then headed out from dinosaur national park.

once again, a beautiful sunrise.

i drove during the morning the road to dino that i had driven at night. WOW during the day, course i couldnt see the stars that i did at that crossroads...

anyways, i got to see the dam, the treees, the flaming gorge!!! pretty sweet.

northern utah = cool


got to rock springs again, went to albertson's, got the usual by now loaf of bread, meat, and cheese. then set out for grand teton national park.

just as i get on the road, i notice a little red light on my dashboard. my SRS light is on, or the secondary restraint system light...short story, i end up driving anyways (by the way it is still on and i am currently in montana).

well i drove and drove and eventually got to jackson wyoming. pretty cool town, if you are a tourist. seems like there would be a bit to do if you liked that sort of thing. mrs twomey equated it to estes park...many similarities. anyway, there wasnt much to do on a sunday when most things close down...so much for the internet cafe.

i ate the great cuisine of a couple of sandwiches and then headed to grand teton national park. i didnt think much about it, but it was already past 4, and dino closed at 4.30...so i was hoping that grand teton didnt do the same...well i got there with 5 minutes to spare...it closes at 5.

she explained that the best chance for me to get a campsite would be at so and so, and so what do i do, i try and go out there...beautiful landscape...words do not give it justice (especially mine) but it doesnt hurt to try...right

the tetons are much unlike any mountain range i have ever seen before. these peaks are very sharp and pointy, unlike many of what i saw at RoMo. further more, (and i thought this was possibly the coolest aspect) was that these mountains seemed to jut out of nothing. the road into the park is in this plain area, and the mountains (if you are driving north) are on your left, the other side of jackson hole...and they are so cool...i'll have to get pics sometime.

anyway, i head north in search of the campsite, and i see this beautiful river with ducks, and the sunset...wow

mom called and it was cool talkin with her and watching this view.

well, i head to a couple different areas. i headed to the lake, in which most was closed, but by golly george, i got me some snow to keep my food cold. (some of the tricks you pick up along the way if you are living out of your car. and most gas stations will give you free ice [cup size will vary], snow was way better than ice)

...long story get to the north of the park, and says that ALL campsites are closed, and all the national forests are closed til the summer anyways. so i decide to try and see if there is a site open, or at least i can park my car and sleep in it...

nothing, and i decided that i dont have to waste 12 hrs sleeping (cause i am not in the backcountry and i do have a car) and so i decide to do a little driving and then spend the night in my car since i was going to do it anyways. well after using jackson's hole, i head out...but stopped and walked around jackson for a bit. (dont forget the meal of sandwiches)

dinosaur national monument

i arrive at dinosaur national monument somewhere between 10 and 11 at night, so as you can expect, it was pitch black, and while cruising the park roads trying to find the campsite, i finally find it. meanwhile i have to dodge rabbits and deer. i eventually get to the site, try and find the restroom, which is hard to do when it is completely black, and i settle on a bush...man it is good to be a guy. i sleep in my car this night cause i dont really want to put my tent up in the dark, and i was lazy.

well i get up to see a beautiful scene. there is a river down the way, but most noticeable, there is a mountain stickin up just beyond the river, which is a stones throw away. absolutely beautiful. well, i had thought about seeing a few things that day and then heading to grand teton national park to camp. well, the more i thought about it, and the more i decided to do, i was going to stay an extra night. this i didnt mind, camping was free, and the weather was great, i mean absolutely great, short wearin weather.

the lowdown on some of the stuff i did:
did the usual 1.5 mile hike almost everyone does to see fossils.

then i went and took a drive (most of which was on a 12 mile gravel road) to go view some pictograms (the real name i cannot remember, but it starts with a 'p') of native american rock art. sweet. climbed some of the cliffs they were on, then i went to go see a nice stinkin cliff over the river (at the advice of the ranger).

i then went back to the visitor's center, because my camera chip was full, and i still had some pics to be taking. she was nice enough to let me dld my pics to my computer (cause i had to be plugged into an electrical outlet for the computer).

next i went on the road for the self guided tour, blah, blah, blah, and then went back to camp and enjoy a nice hot MRE. (it was pretty good)


tonight i set up a tent and slept in my sleeping bag...mmmm, warm.

ok...second installment

...where i left off...

so i headed into estes park colorado and went to the safeway there to grab some grub...well the grub consisted of a loaf of bread, some turkey, and some munster (not just ordinary cheese). meanwhile, i at this for a number of meals...and i still am eating some sandwiches. anyways, what they are easy to make and travel, so i headed out from estes park east to loveland, fort collins, and up to cheyenne, wyoming.


my goodness. sure is windy on the plains.

anyways. i got up to cheyenne and took a nap, and grabbed a cold drink to keep my turkey and cheese cold. i got on 80 headed west, instead of going through all the mountains, which i had been in for awhile, i decided to take a jaunt through montana. so i did. well after just buying that bike rack and traveling down the road at 60+ miles an hour and having wind gusts at 45+, i had an incident with my bike.

good think i kept an eye on it. well, two of the three rubber latches came off and luckily no one was behind me when it happened. i quickly pulled off onto the shoulder and re-situated and then drove 45 down the highway that was limited to 75...fun traveling...and i also got so frustrated...i guess scared too, cause i didnt want to lose the bike, ruin the rack, or injure some other motorist...i tried to cram the bike in the car...didnt quite work...so on the rack it remains.

Stopped at abe's memorial, and then drove over the plains to a town called rock springs. i thought about stayin the night in a parking lot there...but i didnt. i have gotten used to falling asleep pretty soon as the sun goes down cause not having any noticeable light source...there is not much to do. well the ability to travel at night and a fear of public restrooms me going. i figured it was dinosaur national monument or bust!

missings

man, i am truly blessed with a church family that is great. meeting so many great people, and working alongside some of the most caring people has been a great experience to me. even in my absence yall think of me, and it is really appreciated. just so you know, you are missed.


oh, and eric, you owe me a pic.

finally

well, this is probably going to be the first of a few just cause it would be a stinkin long blog otherwise...but first a break from our sponsors...a great and beautiful day up here in montana.



ok, first things first.

i managed to disassemble my bike enough to fit it into an old television box and ship it on the plane as my checked luggage...kinda sweet, no extra cost or anything. after getting back to longmont, i crashed cause the whole wake up at 4.30 was brutal. anyways, now that my bike was in colorado...in pieces, i had to reassemble it. once it was re-assembled, i had to scout out a rack so i could carry it on my car. Well, the plan was to head out of longmont the next day, but after visiting 4 or more stores, i ended up having to go to boulder to pick up a bike rack that would fit into a 1.25 inch trailer hitch.

done deal. i then headed out to rocky mountain national park for the second time on this trip. on the way, i ran into some fog, and though that it was going to be a bad trip. it was cool to see the fresh icing on the pine trees. i went to the long's peak area. i went to go check into the campground, but they wanted to charge me 14 bucks to go camp...naw... so i went backcountry camping...which is free (and i think it is free in most parks until may). i went, filled out the permit and then began the trip. the snow, for the most part, was packed and slightly icy on the trail. i did post hole in a few spots, but thats alright. the original plan was to go to an area by estes cone, but being unprepared once again, i didnt have any snow shoes...which were highly needed in about 2 foot of snow. anyways, i went back the way i had come to a nice plain that was for the most part snow free. i went back off of the trail and pitched my tent. yes i did say tent. (cmon, that was slightly humorous for those that saw the vid).

my goodness. the wind sure blew that night. couple of different times i woke up ready to get going...but it was still dark. i felt as if so much time was wasted not doing anything...with limited resources...at night...in the middle of the boonies... i got to see some stars, but was to cold to get outside and view many more in the hurricane that raged outside. i was cool though to get to hear the wind go through all the trees and race down the mountain.

well, during the night, the wind blew so good that it pulled the fly off. it didnt help that i decided not to put the pole in the fly, but i decided to do it different tonight. normally it wouldnt have mattered, but because the wind was going so much...the fly flew off, but was still attached at three of the points...so i just pulled it inside and went back to sleep with a view of the tree tops swaying and the stars in the distance.

i woke up to see the sunrise...it was pretty nice. packed up the tent, and then headed out. on the way back, i found my skull cap that had come out of my pocket sometime during the hike. it hadnt gone anywhere despite the crazy wind during the night. it seems weird, but it was nice to find something that i had assumed was going to be lost, either blown away, or taken by some animal.

i got back to my car and then headed towards estes park.

alive and well

just so yall know i am alive and well. i am currently up on great falls montana... more details to come

headed out

hey guys headed out from longmont colorado on my way north. dont know if i will be able to write for awhile, so i hope yall have a good time. always interested in hearing what is going on with you, so post under comments here or on facebook.

stranger than fiction

superb movie.


score was pretty sweet.


possible spoiler...




a tragedy unfinished. nice movie about death and life, work, desires and love.
10 out of 10. finished the way you would want it to. acting was good, plot and casting was great. eccentricities worked well with the movie.

great idea, and i like the way the movie was written in book form. verbage you would find in a book intricately woven into the movie, and yet entertaining.


might make you re-examine the small things.

back on the road

...can i say i wasnt on it? anyways, after a good trip to fort worth, a great wedding for chris and lindsey (with a 5 hour party), loungin in fort worth, trip to dallas, and trip to booker, perryton, booker, amarillo, booker, perryton, booker, amarillo, and fort worth, i bet i clocked close to 1000 miles this weekend. anyways saw some folks from dfw and had a great time at steph's wedding. i wish all four newly weds great marriages.

it was great getting to see all the folks this weekend.

talent

you want talent. look at the youth, the youth that seek it out, the youth that deal with what they have. something within makes them seek, makes them get it when everyone else thinks they dont.

and what am i doing?

the struggle, its what makes them whole.

insights that get missed by everyone else.



you guys are the rightful successors. can there be such to lead you?

where's my jones

i think hate simply understates it

dadgum. never knew it was this bad. saw this on cnn.

posters are clever though



guess there is no chance for re-election.

can we say over-dramatic?

would this make you a closet republican, or do you still ride the elephant?
have you switched, or made you more adamantly against?



...does it matter?

post short reply if you got any thoughts...meanwhile, one can avoid doin what they should, only for so long until it finally smacks them in the face. but not yet.

Pillar - Frontline

It's not like I'm walking alone into the
 valley of the shadow of death
Stand beside one another, 'cause it ain't over yet
I'd be willing to bet that if we don't back down
You and I will be the ones that are holding
 the Crown in the end
When it's over, we can say, "Well done"
But not yet, 'cause it's only begun
So, pick up, and follow me, we're the only ones

To fight this thing, until we've won
We drive on and don't look back
It doesn't mean we can't learn from our past
All the things that we mighta done wrong
We could've been doing this all along

Everybody, with your fists raised high
Let me hear your battle cry tonight
Stand beside, or step aside
We're on the frontline

And we'll be carrying on, until the day it
 doesn't matter anymore
Step aside, you forgot what this is for
We fight to live, we live to fight
And tonight, you'll hear my battle cry
We live our lives on the frontlines
We're not afraid of the fast times
These days have opened up my eyes
And now, I see where the threat lies

We've got to lead the way




....thats a nice line...stand beside or step aside....
when are you gonna face up?
when will you finally join the ever-raging battle?

confessions

being back in texas reminds me of how much i miss it. the people have always been good and the weather is pretty stinkin nice.

but...i dont think that i am ready to return to the south just yet. a big part of me does (the part that gets frozen and would like to be thawed)...but not yet.

part of me feels if i were to come back too soon, if at all, it would undo what has been done thus far, and forgo that which is to come.

do these four walls give you comfort?
to hide where you cant be seen

to fester that which you shouldnt

just let it go

there is more to you than you give yourself credit for



something about a new creation

celebration

congratulations to the families of chris and lindsey o'connor!! wedding was absolutely great. had great fun at the 5 hr party and i wish yall much fun on the honeymoon.

meanwhile after the wedding during the week, back to the grindstone. i see how much i miss doing video and stuff, but alas, it is left in very capable hands

yeah, i dunno

dont know why i try, and yet why i give up so easily.

can i even yell? ever feel like you have been taught so much not to do something because it was not polite or it inconvenienced someone? and that is how life is taught to you, and for the most part you buy in...or at least you do when you get older...maybe you see the truth in this, or maybe you are fed up with hearing ..... from everyone or just maybe you have forgotten what it was you were going after in the first place.


when you were young you used to break the system. why? was it to get attention, was it because it was who you are? what happened?

so many options now-a-days...it can bite you in the keister.

do you like to see yourself squirm?

emotion...what is that like?


yell.



cant bring yourself to do it can you?



maybe when you can, is when you will be ready









i see the struggle, but yet cant grasp it. cant bring myself to look too long at it...and yet one side wins when you dont.

welp, groove is gone. guess music tends to do that. was listening to natasha bedingfield.

anyways, got done watching quiz show. good movie. thought it had some applications for today. if i really cared, or wanted to i might give some, but maybe i feel as if i a smarter of i think i have an inkling of an idea, but dont follow through in its entire completion.

do you believe everything that you see today, everything that you hear. we are told to be trustful of what we see and hear, and yet shunned when we try to go the long way.

what kind of c-rap are you feeding yourself. do you really believe this, or are you simply writing words on the page?


you dont try

beautiful day

just wanted to let those that really read these things to know that i am staring outside at a beautiful fort worth day. lots of sun, over 40 degrees and a slight wind with gusts reaching 5 mi/hr...or something to that effect

reiteration

if i havnt said this before, i should have, and if i have, i shall say it again.

live with conviction, for it is the only way that you can live. otherwise life can bland itself into mediocrity.

now that i have begun this, i dont feel like finishin it. so much to say...mediocrity, conviction but being wrong...

a fine balance between arrogance, belief, pride, and passion.

what happened, you used to not care
now the weight is upon you
days have gone
and none to spare
for all that you breathe
is in the air

life that was lived
so careless and free
is wrapped up in
a mess of order
of filling the status-quo

i want to break free
but i dont know how
it has been so long
suppressed inside
forgot how to laugh
and how to confide

what life is
is not learned from a book
but lived with a smile
with friends
with laughter
with confidence and trust

what does it mean to breathe to live
to take what is given and waste it away
or to be sure of the important stuff
and relax on the rest
to live with morals and a solid foundation

not much can be asked for, but to be sure of what you want
and even when you dont, to know what its not
to live is to love, and to love is hard
for some it comes easy, but to others it is a challenge
to know what you want is easy but difficult
to pin a reason, or a motive for sure
is to go beyond instinct, and to challenge yourself
to a new way of living, to a new life ahead

ooh and aww

well, today was a day of travel. not much happened. thanks for waking up early eric to take me to the port to set me off on my grand trip. anyways, after choosing not to stop and eat (which i would later regret) we went straight to the port, got there bout 1 hr afore my plane was to leave, which left me time enough to check in (only one carry-on which i would recommend is the best way to travel) and get scanned, and find my terminal, alllll the way on the other side of the place, and still have time to sit down and read a chapter or so in the voyage of the dawn treader.

anyways, i think i had the only seat on the plane that was not filled, or that is how it felt anyways...maybe i wasnt ready for the convo, to early, not awake enough...but it was nice...didnt have to do any of the cordial how-do-you-do's...even though they can be nice at times.

we pull up to the runway and then we make u turn...i'm thinkin we forgot something, but then the captain informs us that we are going to be delayed because there was fog in salt lake city. we ended up being delayed an hour or so...but i was able to catch my connecting flight. granted i didnt have the 1-2 hr layover i thought i would have, nor was i able to do much other than get off one plane, and go to the other one. sat in the back next to some people from durango. no food other than snacks. bummer.

blasted...get to the good part i say...
if i try and talk about it, it just looses its goodness. but i found myself talking about it anyways, and yet, it lost it's flavor...i guess to all but me. flying into salt lake city was absolutely beautiful. yes, i couldnt help but think that i was in the mormon capital of the world (i know a bad stereotype, but i couldnt help myself). i also kept thinkin google earth or google maps... [you know this would be where i would insert an 'anyways' but i seem to use 'anyways' and 'well' and my famous '...' all to often so i shant here] absolutely amazing. mountains, plain, lake, mountains coming out of the lake, snow, mountains covered in whiteness...b.e.a.utiful. fly in there if you get a chance. driving doesnt do it justice.

a new view

have you ever seen things in a different light? things that one would consider ordinary or mundane. words, pictures, people, or simple actions that one would normally think of as the usual. maybe that is what i am looking for. not just something new and senseless, but something that transcends all rationale. maybe it is not so much something such as an act.

or maybe this is just me rambling again...not much of yall read anyways...so why can it not be something more for me to jabber on about.

got to thinkin at the rocky mountain national park the other day. i was more in search of a destination, a place to camp, a lake to see, a mountain to traverse, rather than enjoying the beautiful country that surrounded me. it was more of going to the destination rather than the journey itself. not sayin that is a bad thing, looking for the destination, the end, but i missed the majority of the travel for a few minutes at the destination.

now dont mis-interpret me, i think that being a goal orientated person, or a person along for the journey is not a bad thing. but for me, can i not be both...have i been one for so long that it is hard to think of what it is like to be the other? has it been a masquerade?

enough of this tirade...just be and enjoy. live with conviction and yet be compassionate. smile and mean it. love and enjoy it. sulk and be comforted. be faced with your fear and become victorious. sit still and silent and yet communicate deeply.

fire, peace, passion

the day of firsts

officially yesterday and today, but who wants to nitpick. no, not that first...but it was my first backcountry camping trip, my first time to snowshoe, to drive in a good bit of ice an snow, and probably some others that i might think of later

anyways, i went up to rocky mountain national park and stayed the night. officially it took forever, and a couple of things i learnt on this trip
1. snowshoes are good when backpacking seeing snow
2. a good sleeping bag is a camper's best friend
3. camping is best done in pairs (for companionship, sharing the load, bringing stuff you forgot,... and the obligatory safety issue)
3.b. if 3 is not an option, then there should be a push button on the tent for up and down
4. a good pair of socks and handy waterproof gloves are a nice commodity in winter trekking
5. bring the dishes
6. folks are nice on the trail
7. the creation truly is wonderful
8. hiking boots are not to be mistaken for snowboots (even if they are water repellent, possibly waterproof)
9. if any of the aforementioned are missplaced, abandoned, broken, forgot, or not even thought of...a nice warm shower and friendship can't come too soon.

in the beginning

how can i forget to post the first person that i saw on this trip
Richard, you da man. Nice starting out seein you.

quick update. yesterday we went up to boulder and ate at CPK then went up the mountain that overlooked boulder. then we went further and yet still further until we decided to return.

tomorrow i set out to go to the rocky mountain national park and camp for a few days.

guys night out

went to highlands ranch with billy and eric. met up with keith and toured the countryside then ate and went to a movie (amazing grace). night and the movie were both pretty good

...but not least

well, i tried to blog through picassa...but it didnt quite work. sorry these are so late

at the palo duro canyon, before sunset at the summit


at tech, given a tour by ms. tech herself

boulder

well, went to boulder yesterday. had lunch with eric and a couple of his co-workers. went to one of the healthiest mexican food places i have ever been to. food was pretty good. they had to go back to work, but i was gonna meet back up with eric after work, so i decided to stick around and see what there was to see in boulder.

short list:
barnes and noble - parousing books (scifi/fantasy and checkin map of city)
whole foods - for those of yall that dont know i am actually starting to eat somewhat healthier.
mont bell - checkin tents and sleeping bags and other stuff cause last camping it was cold at night
rei
chautauqua park
mail stop (or something next to brazillian jujitsu)
i-market (organic food store)

drove by:
pearl street mall
28th mall
university of colorado - boulder

basically what i did today was look at books (scifi/fantasy and checkin map of city),
whole foods - for those of yall that dont know i am actually starting to eat somewhat healthier, so i purchased granola and some breakfast bars,
checkin tents and sleeping bags and other stuff cause last camping it was cold at night.
i then decided i had had enough of shopping for now so i decided to drive down 28th which is similar to broadway for those that know tyler (but cooler here) or the s. hulen, overton ridge area in fort worth.
anyways, the day is absolutely beautiful, the windows are open, the sunroof is bringin the sun, so i drive, and eventually the road turns into 36 which is gonna take me to denver so i ditch it and go to a road called baseline. i thought this could be cool cause the whole town of boulder is at the base of the rockies, so i thought this road would at least get me closer to the mountains.
well, eventually i see a sign for chautauqua park, and think, sweet, a park. figured i could hike and read or so. i did the hiking part but not the reading. the sun started to set, which brought colder temps, but wasnt a problem for the convertible pants. anyway, i make the couple mile hike and get back to the car and decide to see if baseline rd would go further into the mountains. well, the name is true to its word. went up there a lil and figured i could be there all day, which i didnt have much of, so i went back into town to kill a little time afore eating.

absolutely b-e-a-utiful day. being in all those outdoor equipment shops made me want to be there then, but good enough i found that park, great day for the outdoors.