Two. One. Oh! Four.

Snaps.

DNA - The Basics

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.

Albert Camus

More Skree - Deb

Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

JAOM - 1st Pour

Moab

Delicate Desert

Panama City Beach

GJ

(Nick Pironio Photography)

(Nick Pironio Photography)

Bone Yard

Belize

El Pescador

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.

e.e. cummings

To him, all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation -

come by grace, and grace comes by art, and art does not come easy.

Normal Maclean - A River Runs Through It

CK, Jess, Lori - Monarch Crest

I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.

Joyce Kilmer

Early Season Conditions May Exist (with Carrie)

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.

John Muir

Recovery Room

The mountains are calling and I must go.

John Muir

Back to Business

Powder Puff

Happy New Year!

minturnmilecolorado

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write it on your heart

that every day is the best day in the year.

He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day

who allows it be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;

begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit

to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,

with its hopes and invitations

to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

(just sayin')

S-s-s-s-summertime

"This is one of the best days of my life."

I uttered that phrase more than once this summer. For me to slap that on a day is pretty big because I have lots of "best days" and I usually just move on to the next one without much thought.

I always mourn winter ... only because I'm crazily addicted to skiing.  I bitched about the "in-between" ... and didn't expect much from the summer months. Just really looking forward to locking into the boards again and continuing my adventuresome exploration of the MostAwesomestWinterNeverland.

Now suddenly, Ol' Man W. has violently lurched out of his long slumber and all I can seem to think about is ... s-s-s-s-summertime ... the warmth of the sunshine on my face, the feel of the fly rod dancing in my hand, the dirt rolling under my knobby tires, the trail snaking beneath my hiking boots, the miles of Colorado pavement endlessly spinning by, the happiest of happy hours, the rock of the panga and (most importantly) the pleasure of gazing at the sweet tanned faces of the people that I love.

Hello Sunshine

Porcupine

Why not start the season with a very technical ride? 

Trick to Crash ratio approximately 25:1. 

One of the best rides of the year - hands down. 

Shadow Dancing

Lori DeBardelaben: part ham, part bacon. 

My high-speed, tailgating, blind corner, downhill racing buddy.

My favorite wheel to grab.

Another Awesome Rim Ride in Fruita

Jessica Johnson Simmons: secretly my favorite Colorado (all-around) mountain biking partner.

Disclaimer - "favorite" was computed using comprehensive meta analysis.

[(ascending time - descending time/snack breaks + breathing breaks), sprint finishes, punctuality, sarcasm]

Coincidentally married to the leading candidate in my "overall favorite man" non/family category (see "Porcupine").

BV Rainbow

CK, Lori and Jess witnessed a leprechaun dancing under this rainbow.

Monarch Crest

My favorite ride in Colorado - with my mountain biking posse.

20+ miles into the ride, I insisted on riding the Rainbow Trail, despite life-threatening lightning rolling in at elevation.

I blurted out that it may be my last opportunity to ever ride this trail in my life - they fell for it. 

Card played.

Suddenly Last Summer

(photo - L. DeBardelaben)

Stairway to Heaven 

(photo - L. DeBardelaben)

Chasing My Favorite Wheel 

(photo - L. DeBardelaben)

Sister and Sebastjian

This sweet boy loves to dance to Billie Jean.

"Who will dance on the floor in a round?"

Love, love, love.

The Big One

Panama City Beach

Much needed family time.

One Happy Mama

Panama City Beach

.

Crabbing

Panama City Beach

Sisters/RMNP/Brookie Unicorn Stream

This is not Thailand.

RMNP

200,000 Star Mobile Hotel/Stillwater Pass

Bad-Ass Bug Slinger

"I SAID ... What Are They Biting On?"

Royal Coachman - SHE SAID.

350 Feisty Brookies = Tight Lines

I could write an entire book just about this day - WOW.

FROLFing/Black Mountain NC

Hanging out, catching up, eating snacks, drinking Cokes, and playing frisbee golf with Xander.

Dream date.

Boulder Creek Baby

Poison Tungsten - the most irresistible fly.

Boulder Creek Mama

Happy Hour.

Beauty in Belize

Looking for bones.

Mitchell Lake/Indian Peaks Wilderness/THE END

The last day of s-s-s-summertime ... first day of "in-between".

NOW, enough talk about the heat, it's officially time to focus on snowmegeddon and bombogenesis.

Did you hear that? 

That was the sound of gears changing.