Elevation: I am from the Midwest

When the guide book says the difficulty level of your hike is Strenuous, next time I will take that grade seriously. This was my first major hike in forever, and although I have run several marathons, I have never known pain and soreness like this... It's a truly great feeling. Seattle has been many things to me this past month, and the serenity I find only when I am deep in the woods is a perfect balance to the tens of thousands of drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and endless hipsters I navigate through every day. And in the Alpine Wilderness, we had a whole new set of obstacles and swarming numbers to dance, jump, and step around. One snake, one hummingbird, two frogs, three slugs, six caterpillars, the cry of a mountain goat, and 20,000 mosquitoes. Next time we won't forget the bug spray.

Dog Poop

Walking Nora this morning she decided she couldn't hold it anymore and pooped on the sidewalk. She likes to walk, sometimes in circles, while she is in the act. I picked up the little brown culprits, threw them away, and waited to cross the street. A white Nissan came around the corner, and a lady smiled out of her car window, projecting her voice across the passenger seat, told me that i had missed a piece. Flabbergasted. What? Huh? Words did not come, so I said "thanks lady". I guess I'm not in Illinois anymore.

Leah

Moving to Seattle has been a tangle of easy and difficult. I find myself lonely, and I find myself in awe of the beauty that is the Pacific Northwest. Reflecting, and knowing that the incredible nature that surrounds me can kiss me and keep the empty feelings at bay. I have yet to find a camera of my own, so the blog has definitely been lacking. In the soft grass, these are the toes of little Leah, and they make me smile.

jon and his spider

Joshua Tree, California

wake up (the art of focus)

i don't find comfort in knowing that i am not the only one with a seemingly diminishing attention span. obsessively checking email while working, texting while driving, blogging while brushing my teeth, twittering while taking a shit. all of these things effectively affect my ability to read books, to have lengthy and educated conversations, to listen, to focus, to retain, and i can feel my brain cells sleeping.

the New York Times book review sunday section had a review of Nicholas Carrs' The Shallows. initially i found it depressing, but there is motivation in such a feeling. and i am going to find what has been lost along the relatively short path we call technology.

check it out
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/books/review/Lehrer-t.html?ref=books

Dave and Kristine Married May 22, 2010

just a couple preview shots, i know it's been a while.