Breaking the Ice

Hey all, or whatever loyal followers I may possibly have left,
I'm just wanting to get back into a somewhat regular posting habit again, and thought there's no better way than to break the ice with this post, while testing out the new blogger interface to see if they made it any better yet.

Here's a teaser of the summer of '011:

The big dipper from the Uintas

Another Uintas shot.

Sunset on the Great Salt Lake

A nice fall hike to Dog Lake.

I have nothin but time right now, so expect more soon. 

Work for/on the weekend

So... I am working right now, for a job that pays me $10.10, and it just dumped around a foot and a half of fresh delicious snow outside. Something is wrong with me... sometimes I think that I am just to loyal.

On another note, I am undergoing a hiring process for another job (not profession based, just filler), and the amount of hoops needed to jump through is kinda giving me cause for concern. I had to go through a ~2 hour physical the other day, in which I found that my vision is 20/17 far sighted, and 20/13 nearsighted. That means I am a far superior individual.

Also, I applied for one of those landscape architecture joby things again. I am kind of excited about it. I imagine that the competition is gonna be something fierce, but I am highly qualified for it, and it gives my reason to get my hopes up. That is the first job in the year since I left Colorado that I have seen posted that I can actually apply for and be qualified for. Hopefully that is signs for good things ahead.

Don't Call it a Comeback...

...I've been here for years.

So, I realized I haven't updated this for quite some time. I can think of a gazillion excuses, but the fact of the matter is, at the end of the day, it is what it is.

So here is where I am since the last post about Maine that happened in October. I did one more epic road trip, when I flew to Georgia and drove back to Utah with Becca in November.

We went down to Goblin Valley in December, and did a little hiking around.

Went snowshoeing a few times after that, and maybe even tried a little Nordic skiing.

Hiked up to Donut Falls a few times.

Hiked out to Diamond Fork Hot Springs.

Woke up after a late night working to do a Dawn Patrol with Chase.

I witnessed the remnants of the greatest snowman war our world has ever seen.

Visited and took my first known photos of the Great Salt Lake.

After a lot of prodding, finally was talked into hiking to the top of Antelope Island (Frary Peak).

While the annual Dude Fest Hut Trip was non-existent this year, I was still somehow able to organize a spontaneous Presidents Day weekend Yurt trip to the Snorkeling Elk Yurt, down near Beaver, UT.

This is what it looked like when we got there:

This is it with the ~2.5' of new snow that we got the next day.

This is the most epic photo of all time.

Becca getting rad, and her first taste of powder!

And last week I escorted the ol' girlfriend out to Georgia, and then up to North Carolina for a wedding and then back to the Georgia coast to visit her old stomping grounds.

Here is Becca battling her brother and dad in a little Mario Kart.

We also visited the Life and Science Museum. They let you pick out your own butterfly and then let you eat it. This was Becca's: Umm... just kidding, we didn't really eat those. Promise.

This is Becca's brother, Alex, kicking his own ass.

A little stroll on Jeckyll Island.
The Girl worked down here for a while.
It was kinda purty.

Way green, with some massive Live Oaks, and Old Man's Beard.

And a rope swing...

Then, once I got back, I escorted my mom out to Antelope Island so she can prove to me that she is tougher than I am by running a 50k (it actually was about 33 miles or something). Pretty hard core.

The sunrise over the northern Wasatch from the island (I don't see many sunrises, being a night person and all, so I have to document them when I see em).

This is my mom, at the start of the nearly 7 hour race.
All smiles, just like always!

Devin was out there running it too, so it was good to catch up, and reminisce about the Grand Canyon exactly a year ago.

Well, I am daring myself to write more of these. I'll see what I can do.

You stay classy, Salt Lake City. I am The Neil.

Maine

Welcome to Maine:

So, about a month ago, I went up to Maine to see The Girl (a.k.a. Rebecca).

We watched some giant pumpkins in a parade:

Saw some lobster boats:

Saw some leaves change color:Rode bikes/drove around Acadia National Park.

Took some photos on top of mountains.
Kicked some ship.

Carved some pumpkins :

My pumpkin again, with my planning sketch.

Pretty much nailed it, per plans.

Got to experience a Nor-easter.
(Becca's house is a couple hundred ft behind me)

Walked around some tide pools:

I totally found all the crabs, and then she stole the big one for the picture.

We went apple picking at an orchard, but the apples had pretty much fallen, so it was apple pick-up.

And hiked up and down the beach and state park.

Hell, we even went to the LL Bean headquarters.

Maine was pretty rad. Who woulda thunk it!
Good times... Good times!