Beyond The Pinon Pine

Bamboo Fortunes

2009-06-29T01:42:00.000-07:00

“Good lucks gradually approaching. Just like building a bridge-difficult at first- but happy later.”
A paper cylinder is filled with 20 some bamboo sticks. You are to shake the cylinder until one bamboo stick falls out. The stick that falls out is your chosen fortune. After a few shakes my fortune fell into my lap and the above quote is what it said.

I found this quote to be very appropriate for my time spent in Cambodia. It pertains well to the work we are doing here.

We are now more than half way into our teaching here. The workshops are going quite well- filled with highs and lows- success and failure. I will tell you now a little about my (Brent) experience.

I am teaching Science Methods. Our class is a shot gun blast of experience and background. We have students who teach physics, biology, chemistry, and Kmer literature. Hmm…I thought when I heard Literature? I guess the level of science is on par with that of an American 8th grader to maybe 12th grader. Some have never heard of Albert Einstein.
My co-teacher is Andre Wille. He is a veteran science teacher; I teach with him in Aspen. We make a good team, filling in the gaps when our minds go blank trying to explain an Independent variable or the Scientific Method. The teaching is slow and calculated. I find that teaching through a translator makes you think more and present ideas with more clarity than normal.

There is a term called Satori. It describes when the mind and body are at full awareness, attention, and presence. The teaching here brings on the Satori mind. The teaching feels refreshing and filling. You have to be so engaged with your students that nothing else outside that class matters. And not just matters, but in a sense, doesn’t even exist. At times teaching here my mind goes through this experience. Our students speak no English and we must teach through a translator whose English is good but not native. Just using words to convey information is not enough. I find myself drawing many pictures: birds, trees, diagrams, molecules, etc…I will use props and movements to teach a lesson. I often make fun of myself to make the class laugh and drop their timid walls. Laughter and competition seem to quite engaging for the Cambodian teachers. Our first competition consisted of making paper bridges. First we gave them one paper and instructed them to construct a bridge spanning a 7” gap. The twist is that their bridge design must be able to hold weight. The weight we used were quarter size washers and metal nuts. The team that won made a great bridge, skinny with triangle folds, able to hold 28 washers!

We then said the river was flooding and new bridge needed to be made. This time they could use 10 sheets of paper and 7” of masking tape. The challenge now to span a 1.5ft gap and hold as much weight as possible. The winning team made an amazing bridge holding all the washers and nuts, plus 2 tennis ball size rocks! The winning team was very excited to beat all the other competitors. It is challenge activities like this which we tailored out workshop around. Inquiry science is the technical name. We as teachers present a question and the students must then answer the question. This type of teaching is very strange to the colonial traditional form of school. There is no memorizing or regurgitation of facts. They must work together, pool their critical thinking skills, and solve a problem. Not only is it challenging for them, but it is fun! They laugh so much while learning, who knew this could be possible.

Then the bamboo stick fortune comes back into the picture. “Building a bridge is hard at first.” After one lesson we asked if they could use this technique in class? The class went quiet and still. Sadly they said no, not possible in their classes of 50, 60, or even 70 kids. I have no idea what to say to this. I have no experience teaching 60 students…? Later that day I spoke to them about our workshop. I know all the things we do in the workshop cannot be replicated. Yet they can be improved upon, changed, and tweaked to meet their needs. We as presenters can only do so much, it is up to them to be creative. The fortune again rings in my mind, “hard at first, but then happy.” Change is slow. Look at any institution, especially governmental, and it takes forever to change. Compound that in a third world country with no resources, dollar a day living, and it seems almost impossible. I am proud to be a teacher serving and sharing my knowledge with the Cambodian people. The work is hard at times, discouraging, yet there is always the smiles and potential for transformation. The hope drives the teaching, the feeling that the hard work now will pay off in the future

US Highway 6

2009-06-14T10:11:00.001-07:00

I awoke on my own this morning. There was no little dog jumping and whimpering, asking us to join him in the new day. Finn went to dog jail yesterday and we wont see him until late July. The power was also off, the alarm clock lifeless without its red block numerals. We didn’t need an alarm though; the excitement and anticipation of the travels ahead alerted the mind into waking.

We packed the car the night before. It took us one hour to pack for our travels and then another hour to clean the house before we left. The best thing after a long travel is to come home to a clean house. Cara and I each packed our essentials, each packing list composed of certain commonalities, yet each list also amassed of necessary personal artifacts:

Brent Essentials:
Science magazines for the road

Long Board (Skateboard)

Multiple black and blue pens

Two pair sunglasses

Fishing hooks and weights

Climbing rope, rack, and shoes

Two pocketknives

Cara Essentials:

Bloated cosmetics bag

Two yoga mats

Flip Flops

Reading Glasses

Water bottle

Veggie-Bootie Chips (?)

School Work

Sun Screen

The Jetta was packed with all our needed items for 6 weeks on the road. Should a climbing opportunity present itself we could climb. Should the sky open and we receive hot radiance from the sun, we have SPF 30. Not to mention flip flops, fishing gear, and sun dresses for South East Asia (Cara will be in the dresses..ha).

As we drive through the kaki gray desert of Highway 6 Utah, I can only reflect on the soon to be opposite landscape of tropical Cambodia. In the canyons of Utah the sage and rabbit brush thirst for their 10” of rain a year. In Cambodia the plants have so much water drizzling onto them they have evolved various leaf shapes to better drain it away.

With each minute of Cara driving we get a little closer to Cambodia. For now there is open plains and rocky canyons. Space for the mind to whirl, dream, fear, and anticipate the great journey ahead. Quickly the land will grow green with prairie grass, enclosed with conifer trees, open with the ocean, and then tropical with new continents.

San Diego Ex-Ed

2009-05-10T09:54:00.001-07:00

Location: San Diego CA

Pacific Soul Surfers Experiential Education Course

The beach is in our blood and the desire to be in the ocean a constant pull on the psyche. Cara and I designed a trip to meet these needs and also introduce the love of the ocean to others. Our course was called Pacific Soul Surfers: Surfing and Sailing in San Diego.

We took 21 high school students to CA for one week. Camping on Carlsbad beach and surfing/sailing in Mission Bay. The weather was brisk and sunny, the water tumultuous, and wind consistent. Our campsite was very different from those in CO. It was basically a paved strip with motor homes and camper trailers. We were the only ones in tents! I was happy to hear the kids say, "this isn't camping."

We sailed every morning for about 3 hours. Cara and I had never done this before and were instantly hooked. The feeling of harnessing the wind and using it to get from point A to point B evoked feelings of freedom and escape. The wind some mornings was very strong, gybe turns were potentially dangerous, Cara found out the hard way, bobbing in the cold Pacific bay. Watching the students was hilarious. Imagine 24, 6ft sail boats cruising around in circles, captained by squirrly teenagers, laughing the whole time!

The surfing was definitely the most challenging. The seas were rough, wind, and constantly throwing down waves 8 to 10ft high. The kids were troopers and stayed in the whitewash, again laughing, freezing, and trying to figure out the art of surfing. I managed to paddle out past the breaks and got only a few rides. The rest of the time I was battling, cursing, and way in over my head. At one point my leash ripped off leg and I was left out there swimming in the boils and tumbling surf. This was probably the scariest moment I've ever had in the ocean.

The rest of our time we spent in camp, the kids cooking meals, sleeping, and doing dishes. We treated them to In & Out and they were in heaven. It was such an awesome experience for the students and for us. Hard work and well worth the laughs, waves, and full sails.

Aiden the A-bot and his 4th year of Life

2009-03-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Purpose: Aiden's 4th birthday party

Fun was had by all during the family vacation to Vanessa and Adam's house in VB. It was a full house and we celebrated Aiden well! The little A-man is growing up, is such a great conversationalist and is always up for a good game of "dinosaurs". Tori is just a little doll- we wanted to take her home! Here are some pics of the party:

Sunburns Galore

2009-03-29T14:09:00.001-07:00

Castle Creek, Colorado

Destination: Pine Creek Cook House

70 Degrees and not a cloud in the sky is a recipe for heinous sunburns. Below are the pics before melanoma set in. At the end of the hike Cara's chest was so red you could see where each individual bead of her necklace rested. Other notable incidences included $100 lunch, a sweet mustache sighting, and Finn deep throating a stick so bad I had to pull splinters out of the roof of his mouth. Thanks Mia for the Birthday Hike...

Running out the Mitten Slab

2009-03-01T07:30:00.001-08:00

The Mitten Slab is found on the left side of the picture below. The route follows the right side of the slab and ends about the same level as the "thumb." The route was pretty chill with one crimpy pitch of 10b slab. The other routes were in the 5.8 to 5.9 range with sometimes exciting run-outs and crumbly holds.

Jamie Hozack local math teacher

Looking south at winter

One of the smaller belay ledges on the route

Coming down, 5 raps to go, 2 PBRS at the bottom

Found: Australian bush dog feeding on carcass of unknown animal

2009-02-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Agh criky...what we have here is the elusive Finn Dog. Often seen patrolling the hillsides of Sopris Creek, he only hunts under the waxing gibbous moon. Here he is seen with the front leg of a Whapati, also known as an elk. Like an apparition he appeared out of the sage, soon to return to the shadows of pinon and stone.

ValenThaiNes Day and Tattoos

2009-02-21T07:35:00.001-08:00

Zola: "Where's my ball?"

Cara at Mighty-O-Donuts

Tom Kah and Butternut Red Curry squash soup

Practicing

Kennedy Grace

Bad hair day for Cara

Hour one of the 6 hour session

Here is what 6 hours of work looks like. The needle does 3600 holes a minute, times 6 hours, is roughly 1.3 million ink holes! There are a few hours to go, need to finish the water at the top and bottom. Can't wait for that burning pain again!

Let the Melting Begin

2009-01-16T18:23:00.001-08:00

Pinon Pine XMAS

2008-12-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Post tree decorating

Post Cider and Burbon

Japanimation

Caralien

Taliban

Pan Fried Climbing at the Skillet

2008-11-23T17:43:00.001-08:00

The SKillet Head Wall

Local science teacher Andre Wille scales massive cliff

Teresa McGovern balancing on micro chips

Jamie Hozack

Chica on the whale slab

Jamie plugging gear on Black Eyes and Spam 11a

2nd @ Main 10d Trad.

A day at the park...waiting for snow

2008-11-22T15:07:00.001-08:00

Me and my boy

Rippin it

Yoga everywhere

Lords of Dog Town

20mph ain't nothin'

Halloween

2008-11-03T17:26:00.001-08:00

80's climbers: School Costume Contest

Indian Creek Utah: The October Mecca

2008-10-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

Jamie waiting to be picked up outside of Carbondale

Brent on Railroad tracks

80ft splitter crack inside a cave, farout!

Home
Jamie on Super Crack

Dane right before a rock from 300ft fell on his chest....ouch

Incredible Hand Crack giving Brent a hard time

Homeless

Brent on Super Crack

Melting Gold

2008-09-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

Its amazing what happens when chlorophyl stops being produced.

Westwater Bahaloo

2008-09-29T20:01:00.001-07:00

Time for the sun
the soul scorcher West Water
torture that is being among
beauty and family and friends
too big to contain in the veins
bleed for the love
which runs red in the lines
of water erosion to the explosion
of heart...

Let it be known that no one died....

7 Fourteeners in 7 days

2008-09-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Castle Peak...Conundrum Peak...Lincoln...Democrat...Cameron...Bross

100mg a Day

2008-08-06T15:28:00.001-07:00

New Republican sloganfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Arack Ohama for President?

2008-08-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

236.com: SwiftKids-Barack Obamafunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I'm Voting Republican

2008-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Haakon and Emily Currie Wedding

2008-07-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

"It could be the summer of 2002." Trevor said. We were in Pongas billiard hall playing Big Buck Hunter, shooting whiskey, and listening to classic rock. Everyone was there and it was erie how nothing had changed but the size of some of our guts and the lose of some of our hair.

Haakon Currie a long time friend, since 8th grade, was married in Durango at the Durango Mountain Resort. The wedding audience consisted of everyone who used to live in the rafting commune. All those transient raft guides and mountain folk who would call Durango their summer home. Only this time everyone was showered and shaved, and eveyone was eyeing the open bar. Haakon should have known better! The wedding was short and sweet, morphing clouds in the mountain background, as they said "I do" and started their new life.

Deep Water Soloing

2008-07-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

What is deep water soloing? Lets break it apart...first you need some deep water. This can be a pool, river, ocean, etc. This pool of water acts as your safety net or your "rope" should you fall. Soloing is the act of climbing with out the use of ropes, protection, belayer, etc.

This outing was my first experience with deep water soloing. Amos introduced me to it and he is a big fan. I must say I was hesitant about it...maybe it was due to the 30ft fall or the 34 degree water that was catching us? Anyway the butterflies were scrambling about in my stomach.

The climbs were in a small little creek up on Independence Pass. We were climbing at the base of an underground waterfall (picture 1). The rock looked like plastic melted by a blow torch. The erosion over eons has eroded the rock to smooth polished glass. The climbing began just above this polished layer of rock ice.

Before we started soloing we first set up a top-rope to examine the rock and the routes. We each climbed the routes a few times before we took the harness off to solo. Once we felt comfortable on the routes we were lowered down on a simple webbing sling. At the bottom of the route we unclipped the sling and the rope was pulled up to the top of the cliff. That point is the moment of fight or flight. Fight back the emotions, fear, and doubt so that you can succeed. Or do the easy exit by letting go and swimming in the ice bath mountain water. Both Amos and I chose to succeed and chose not to fall. Each of us, one by one, sailed the routes, embracing summer, life, and the opportunity for adventure.

Fourth of July

2008-07-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Merica Day 2008 was spent doing circles in Reudi Reservoir behind a 1971 ski competition boat. What is it about boats that make you feel like a millionaire? The boat belongs to my buddy Dan Livingston and we waked with his wife Erin, their pup Lucy, Morgan, and the chica. By the way Cara is amazing at the wakeboard! A hidden talent I never knew existed and I was just blown away. She was jumping the wake, carving the wave, and mankin the gnar! Sick bra...

'

The Mekong Express

2008-07-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Seau s'di friends...that means hello in Khami.
We are safe and sweating in Cambodia. It took 25 hours of plane travel to get here and it has been worth the pain. We have been in Cambodia over a week and are having an amazing time.

Day 1 Phonm Pehn
The third eye opens. When you travel you must open the third eye to study the new land as quickly as possible. It is this third eye which keeps you safe, respectful, and learning. When you travel you must be a quick learner. You must study, observe, and research if you are to last long.

The first day in the city was familiar yet novel. The familiar came from our experience in Central American cities. The air is thick and you instantly start to sweat and squint in the baking sun. The streets are filled with mostly small scooters called motos. There are also tuk-tuks which are like a moto with a rickshaw attached to the back. Cars, trucks, bikes, pedestrians, cattle, etc are also in the streets. The activity in the street is random and at first glance with little order. If you study though you can see there are rules and in the chaos the system works just fine. I admire their traffic because it is calculated yet free. A moto around the city costs $1 and we can ride three deep on it. Which is nothing…as of right now we have counted 6 people on one scooter.

Shopping: Our first destination was the Russian Market. The Market is dark and cavernous, filled with many gems if you spend the time to look. The vendors know just enough English to say “hello sir you buy,” two fa one dolla,” or “I make spesha deal.” In bartering it helps to just use the calculator and bounce numbers back and forth until a price is settled. The smell is most memorable. First of all it is about 95 degrees inside. There is no wind or airflow. Just the little rusty fans in the stall blowing hot air around. The recipe for the Russian Market smell: 500 people + warm meat + vegetable stand + life fish being butchered + chicken liver + sweat + trash + cooking food + incense + many mystery bowls filled with things I know not the name. Cambodia shopping is similar to the dollar store. You want a t-shirt? That will be one dollar. You want some scarfs? How about 8 for 4 dollars. The new Sex and the City movie? That’s $2 because the guy who shot it with his camcorder in the theater did a poor job. (I appreciated the womans honesty) I think you get the idea about the shopping.

History: Did you know Cambodia is recovering from genocide? Did you know there is a landmine in the countryside for every person in the country? That’s 10 million people as of right now. The Khmer Rouge were a political party who devastated the country. They actually restarted time calling their first year in power year zero. They were focused on creating a isolated agrarian Maoist/Communistic state where if you were of the wrong “class” you were executed. The first to go where the intellectuals, thinkers, doctors, etc. Most of the teachers I have been working with are my age for this reason. Before you died you went to Teoul Slang. This was first a high school in a neighborhood of Phnom Penh. Thousands of people here were brutally tortured before being sent to the killing fields. We visited this place and walked with ghosts of the prison. The museum has left much of the place untouched. Rusty bed frames with shackles lie like nightmares in the center of the room. On the walls are pictures of twisted bodies laying on the very frame you are seeing with your eyes. They have huge boards with all the inmates frightened mug shots. The crumbling brick cells have engravings, shackles, and fading stains of pain. Cara and I were mostly quiet as we read and watched the horrid history. What was scariest was this happened only 20 some years ago.

On a lighter note…Cara has a good friend named Mindy who lives in the city. It was great to have her there helping us with taxis, bartering, and directions. She has a great ex-pat community and we ate with them one night out on the town. Mindy is working here as a counselor for Cambodian counselors who work with girls from the sex-trade. Her organization saves girls from 18months to 18years. Many girls are sold by their parents for a few bucks. The dark culture is not on the surface of the city but look in any shady corner and its readily available.

After Phnom Penh we took a 5 hour bus to Siem Reap. This is a province to the north west of Phnom Penh and is also known as the temple district. Siem Reap is where the Teachers Across Borders workshop is conducted. The workshop has been amazing! I am team teaching Methods of Scientific Inquiry in Biology and Chemistry. There are 30 some students in the class, 90% my age or younger, with the other 10% from 30-60ish. This experience teaching here has taught me many things about HOW to teach. The teaching here is raw, slow, and fun. The biggest source of technology we have is electricity. Most of my teachers do not even have that in their classrooms. The lessons we shared were geared toward using what is available to teach the scientific method. I used paper airplanes, plastic bottles, and small plastic chips to teach how science is conducted. We had no powerpoints, laboratory, chemicals, microscopes, or internet. I must say this experience will make me a better teacher. The reflection and thoughts on what is real education are still to come and I am eager to process it fully.

You may be wondering about Cara. She is with me and actually teaching an ESL class with a girl from Switzerland. She has been having a great time working with the teachers and soaking in the culture of the country. You may remember before I was in the picture that Cara was a finicky eater. Well just the other night at dinner I shared my barbequed snake with her and she ate it with gusto. Now the caramelized beetles in the market is another story. Maybe a few more years of marriage and we will be at that step.

Temples: Siem Reap province is known for Ankor Wat. This is the largest religious complex on earth and has over 100 temples in the area. It was built between the 10th and 11th centuries, starting as Hindu temples and then changing over to Buddhist. The temples are stone intricacies built from sweat and work of generations of labors. The grandeur of the buildings and the mystery of the corridors is peaceful and inspiring. Carvings are on every piece of stone. The time and energy it must of taken to create such a wonder is amazing. You will have to look at our pictures to see what I am trying to convey…words do no justice.

Its Hipster Tuesday!

2008-06-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Rivers for Life

2008-06-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

"All time is given to you; it shall be asked of you how you have spent it."

No need for Drugs

2008-06-05T16:57:00.001-07:00

My First AA Meeting

2008-05-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

(The climb is the tower on the left)

My mother told me to be careful and she expressed her concerns. I told her I didn't think I was doing it that much and that when I did I was always in control, safe, and with others. Finally though it caught up with me and I decided to take some action. In the Moab desert Andre Wille and I went to our first AA meeting....

Ancient Art is a small tower of mud and cobble cemented together and standing with a prayer among other frozen columns of rock and grit. It's about 200ft of climbing broken into 4 pitches due to anchors, rope drag, etc...The last pitch is one of the most unique ascents I have ever partaken. After climbing a small wall you top out on what is known as the sidewalk. This is a strip of stone 2-3ft wide with about 300ft or so dropping off on each side. The sidewalk is about 12ft long and leads to the diving board. This is a beak of stone about stomach level that you must belly flop onto in order to make the next moves which lead to the summit. After an awkward high step and lounge you then have about 15ft of "noodle" to scramble and climb which leads to the summit point. This is a small pillar step about 2ft wide. Just enough stone to stand upon and feel the spook of the summit as the wind and swallows rush about your head.

Now Testify

2008-04-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Music with a message...please listen

Rage Against the Machine

Manu Chao

Anti-Flag

Desert River Rats: San Juan 2008

2008-04-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

San Juan River
South East Utah

5 adults and 19 high schoolers
3 Rafts
6 kayaks

It was the annual Experiential Education week at Aspen High. Another teacher and I run a course called Desert River Rats, Raft Guide training. Our trip was 4 nights and 5 days on the River teaching kids how to raft and kayak. They learn how to read water, guide boats, rig boats, set up camp, cook, clean, and everything else their Mom usually does for them. Cara was a chaperone as well as Megan and Jared. It was great to have some family on the trip to help heard the students and relieve some of the stress. All the kids came home alive and not too emotionally wounded from Megan..ha! Until next year....

In Search of Sun

2008-04-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Late March and we had feet of snow still in the yard. The sun is what we needed to lighten the darkness of winter and so we headed South. Arizona was the solution to the March gloom and we packed the truck, loaded Finn, and we were off in search of some thing new...The places we visited were first Scottsdale to see a friend of Cara's. Then we drove to Prescott which is an awesome town with ample climbing, culture, and sun. After that was a drive through Sedona and Jerome; too much new age trustafarian vortex energy limited our stay to just a few hours. After that was BFE desert romping south of Winslow (yes like the Eagles song) to a climbing area called Jacks Canyon. We spent two days there and then headed off to Flagstaff. In Flagstaff we found the sweetest coffee shop and chilled around town like the good dirtbags we are. That night we slept in the woods outside of town. Flagstaff was cold and we had a hell of a windstorm that night. Next day we zipped it back to Basalt, back to the cold, and back to the routine of valley life.

Easter

2008-03-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Easter was different for us this year. We were with no family or friends. It was just us in our bunny suits dying eggs and breakfasting on jelly beans and Cadbeary Eggs. We took a long hike up the Persham Creek, a tributary to the Crystal. The valley has been on the verge of spring for a few weeks now, but winter will not release his grasp and snow showers have been frequent. Yet this easter day, Spring had the upper hand and delivered a beautiful day for a hike.

The Babe Bristle in action

2008-03-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Let the Games Begin

2008-02-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

Let the dirt-lip grow and prosper. Please send actions shots thorough out the month to keep the community updated on your follicle freedom campaign. Good luck and Godspeed....

Random Shots

2008-02-16T19:00:00.001-08:00

Easy Star All Stars: Friday Night Dub

2008-02-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

Inspiration comes in many forms. It may be the sunrise in snow covered mountains, the verse of a poem, the depth of the spirit, or the actions of another. Last night it was the latter, the voice, power, happiness, and melody of a few gifted indivduals. Particulary it was a woman and a trombone player.

Our Valentines gift to each other was live music at the BellyUp. The band was the Easy Star All Stars. They play a style of reggae called Dub. Dub is often a slower vibe sent like water meandering through a meadow. The sounds are often long swirling beats mixed with a few up tempo riffles for the dancing feat and swaggering hips.

Back to the woman....she was unique and raw. Not your typical reggae, long robbed, head turbine, african queen. Her look was very punk almost rocker. She had piercing in her lip and tongue with big stretched ears dangling heavy hoops. Her hair a braided mohawk of sorts with the back shaved. This intense look matched with a voice which could summon a room to stand in amazement and give shivers over the body. The depth and soul was fantastic and inspiring. To have such power erupt from this woman was a gift for all of us. And after she would stream through this range of vocalizations, this tough woman, would smile, just barley, and you could feel her happiness leak out into the room.

The trombone player had quite the opposite look. The classic jazz musician style with matching gray suit, black shoes, and cabbie hat. His head bald and shinny from sweat. The jams he preformed would shake the room with this thundering bravado and smiles would light up and appreciate the talent he possesed.

The video below will give some idea of what the show was like, but if you ever get a chance, see it live! Enjoy....

This is them covering a Pink Floyd Song. At about 40secs on the video it gets awesome...

Money is Debt

2008-02-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Do you know where your "money" comes from? WHo prints our money, the government or a private bank? Many interesting questions are answered in these 5 segments of video. Enjoy!

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Mustache March is coming

2008-02-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

February is half way finished and March is soon
approaching. You all know what that means...its
mustache season.

Warning: Growing a mustache can cause serious social
implications such as and not limited to: having your
wife/girlfriend stop loving you, looking like a
criminal, pedophile, and/or republican, bacteria
growth on upper lip from crumbs stuck in hair, people
might think you're gay, and/or thinking you are some
NYC hippster.

Should you accept the challenge read on...

Mustache March will start on the first of March
and end April first. It is your job, should you
choose to accept it, to grow a mustache and wear it
proudly for all of March. No other facial hair is
allowed, only what grows on the upper lip. At the end
of the month pictures should be taken and sent to me.
They will then be posted on the blog for everyones
viewing. There will be a comment section dedicated to
scoring and as a group the participants will vote on
the best stache.

I look forward to seeing everyone's hard work. If the
social strain is just too much, Cara has offered her
services as a crisis counselor. Please do not call
after 9pm. Good luck and may the best stache win!

The Lift Chants Om

2008-02-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Om is the sound of the world. Listen close enough and you will hear it in the river. Turn your ear to the wind and hear the Om blow through the trees. They say the Om is the sound of the world....Cara heard the Om on Monday while skiing at Highlands, the voice of the ski lift is OOOOMMMMM. The beginning of the week started with 2ft of new snow drowning our surroundings. Due to safety concerns there was a snow day, no school, what to do? Sometimes being a teacher is really hard, especially on a powder day in Aspen. Here are a few pics of that epic day. We just so happened to have some friends visiting. That surly looking fellow with the stache is Joe, he's a fireman so the mustache is required. The other two are Phil and Robin from Junkshow.

Hands on Learning

2008-01-30T11:57:00.000-08:00

Not often do I have photos of what I am doing in school. Luckily we had a camera on hand to capture the magnitude of the learning in my classroom. Kevin Wright from the Division of Wildlife was kind enough bring in some roadkill for us to examine. It was quite the moving, shocking, and enthralling lesson in Anatomy. Enjoy...

Tuesday afternoons with Brent

2008-01-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

We are watching our parents dog Rio while they are off traveling Africa. Two days ago Rio ate 10lbs of dog food...no joke. His stomach was like a water balloon, over filled, ready to pop. He has been sleeping the last two days for probably 20hrs a day. The other hours he just goes to the bathroom in the yard and farts in the house.

There were 60mph winds last night...I prayed and dreamt of a glorious snow day...it never came...I had to work today...but they call for 12" tonight...let us pray!

Right now I am reading a book called "The World Without Us" It is an amazing book about how the world would heal after the rapture, ailens, or some virus take us out. It had a great chapter about how rivers would take back New York city. The subway tunnels collapsing, creating canyons, rivers, and rebirth. It said most of our houses would last 50, maybe, 100 years. Then most of it would be recycled back into the system. Thats pretty shotty considering the Egyptians and Maya architecture still stand after 1000's of years. Another cool thing to think about was plastics...that eventually they would incorporate into the Rock Cycle, maybe become a conglomerate, and you would have a bunch of cobbles cemented together with a Barbie head in the strata! Then they said that bacteria would eventually evolve to break down these carbon substances and they would disappear. But thats after a few 1000 years of evolution. Hard to imagine we are just a blip on the time scale....it would be interesting to start all over again, knowing what we do know, could we make it work?

Megan my lil'sister lives up in Snowmass. It has been awesome to have her and her boyfriend Jared around. We schralp (ski) when ever we can. It just so happens they work at a 4 star hotel with a sweet hot tub and free tea. We visit them often...

The Busy Season

2008-01-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas to New Years is the busiest season of them all. We spent our Christmas eve in Aurora with the Alexanders. The drive over took 8 hours due to snow and traffic, the trip usually takes 3.5-4hrs. We spent a few relaxed days in Aurora playing cards, eating, and playing more cards.

Christmas day were to be in Aspen and when we woke at 5:30am to leave we noticed Santa had brought us a very white christmas day. It was a full on blizzard in Denver, but there was no traffic, and we made it to Aspen in under 5 hours, just in time for coffee and presents! My parents had come up the night before and Megan has just moved to Snowmass so the Maiolo XMAS was in our tiny apartment.

After my family left on the 26th, we had two friends from Seattle come in on the 27th. Nonstop fun now for over a week. Megan and Justin stayed for 4 days and we packed it in during this time. We went skiing, did yoga, snowshoeing, ice climbing, dinner parties, and Aspen movie star watching.

Now it is quiet, just Cara and I, Finn, Rio (my parents dog), and Pecos riding his plastic parakeet. Hopefully we get some new snow to make for some more epic powder days. We have had 9ft in Aspen this month!

Happy New year to all....much love

Be American, read a "banned" book

2007-12-11T09:21:00.001-08:00

Our school librarian has passed around an email concerning the books/movie "The Golden Compass." Supposedly it has caused quite an uproar and has even been banned in some schools and public libraries. This notion of banning books/media/art/speech/etc...really bothers me. Isn't the concept of free speech one of America's founding principles? Is America crumbling to pinko-commie dogma? If you want to live in a country that bans books, try China, Venezuela, or maybe Cuba. If not, stand up, be American, and read whatever the hell you want!

The Google image is what the Chinese Government has banned about its own history.

Agua Vivo

2007-12-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Agua Vivo, "Alive Water" is the name sometimes used in Spanish to name the Jelly Fish. Much more descriptive and mythical name than the English version. For some odd reason these little guys have been floating in and out of my subconscious, slipping through the cracks and flowing the tides of my thought. Here is what I have been seeing...

Victoria Christine

2007-11-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here is the first pic we've been sent of our new niece! We'll have more pictures to come when we arrive in Virginia Beach this Wednesday. She was 20" long, and 7lbs plus. We can't wait to meet her in person!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T19:36:00.001-08:00

Here are the other pics that didn't post to the previous entry!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T19:26:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend celebration this year...well...at least the second half (we didn't have a camara for the Alexander portion of the holiday). We had great food, wine, conversation, rounds of 5 Crowns, and tons of relaxation. Finn seemed to take up most of the space and attention in the room, as usual. Brent showed off his yoga arm balance skills, and Frank and Brent walked around acting the part of the dorks they are! Much love and gratitude to all our friends and family who check in on us from time to time through this blog!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2007-11-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
This is Cara writing today. So-- I know that we have been terrible about updating our blog. No pics, no writing, no political statement artwork from Brent. I am really sorry about that! Today I have no pics to share, but thought I would try to write a little about the goings-on in our lives.

*** STAY TUNED FOR PICS OF OUR NEW NIECE, TO ARRIVE NOV. 26th!! ***

After an amazing month of yoga teacher training (www.forrestyoga.com) in Seattle, I have begun to settle back into life in Aspen.
My time is divided between generating business, counseling patients, and teaching yoga classes (www.aspenintegratedcounseling.com). Oh ya, and also there is Finn. One of the two main men in my life. Finn requires much of my attention, and we have grown accustomed to hiking almost every day together. It seems that Finn suffers from some minor doggy anxiety (for which we give him homeopathic anxiety drops-seriously) and a relentless amount of energy (for which two walks a day seem to manage). I am waiting patiently for snow, along with every other Aspenite. It seems we may not even open for skiing on time this year (we'll see what the next three days bring in). As much as I have enjoyed the temperate weather of late, I am ready for a white Christmas and weekend snowboarding.

Brent has been busy with work, and it seems that he has really found his place as a teacher in Aspen High. He is helping to grow and improve their experiential education program, and is even writing grants for his outdoor educational trip. He has begun to research graduate schools, and is interested in pursuing a Masters in Environmental Management with an emphasis in Fresh Water Chemistry. Hopefully more on that soon to come.

I wanted also to give you all the blog addresses of friends of ours, who are updating regularly and are traveling the world!
http://www.sheilainseattle.blogspot.com/ SHEILA ON THE WESTCOAST
http://mindyexplorations.blogspot.com/ MINDY IN CAMBODIA
http://meandj.blogspot.com/ MEGAN AND JERAD IN ECUADOR
http://www.thelittlestbirdsing.blogspot.com/ KELLI IN SEATTLE

More soon to come, as we will be in Virginia Beach next week for the arrival of our new niece!

The Absence of Time

2007-09-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

(A stencil I did this evening)

There has been a reoccuring theme in my life the past couple days. The book I have been reading, a movie I just watched, to the NPR show this morning. All of them discuss the concept of time, reality, and presence. In the book I'm reading this girl named Athena dances every morning, a type of prayer if you will, dances for an hour. Until her concsiousness is static, no movement, no time. It is her way to feel God in is infinite eternity.

In the movie I watched, a documentary on Quantum Physics, they also discuss what is real time. If you take a cat-scan of the brain while someone is looking at a picture, then compare that cat-scan to the person imagining the picture, the scan shows the exact same areas of the brain in use. The brain does not distinguish betweek what is "real" versus what is imagined. Thus allowing we as people to create and live many realities, because to the brain there is no difference.

Then this morning on the radio the show, they discussed how music, prayer, or exercise, leads many people into a state of being where time is nonexistant. The body is caught up in the moment, the mind focused to a point where nothing else exists but the reality at hand. Time, love, temperature, sounds, etc...all vanish. The mind and spirit are on a different plane seperated from the body and surroundings.

All these themes came to a climax this afternoon. I was climbing on Independence Pass with Andre, Jamie, and Teresa at the Ice Caves. There was a very steep 11b that looked so inviting, challenging, it had to be climbed. The first go at the climb I fell 1ft from the anchors. My arms throbbing, feeling like a vice was tightening around them, my arms in a pitbulls mouth. I came down, rested, slowed the breathing, and reclimbed the moves in my head. Stopping to clip, rest, and move through the dificult sections. The second ascent went very quickly. It wasn't until the 4th bolt that my head came back to reality. It was as if the previous 30ft hadn't even existed, a memory gap, only the feeling of silence and still waters in my brain. Once my head clicked in I could feel my chest heave, arms holding the weight of my body, skin burning on the fingers. Then a second or two later and its all gone again, 2 bolts to the anchors, I vanish, then I am at the top. The climb clicks in, the trees blow to the south, its drizzling, I'm back to reality.

2007-09-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

"Pity those who seek for shepherds, instead of longing for freedom" P. Coelho

Freedom of thought, religon, travel, speach, and life. Go out and get dirty in it....

Waiting for the First Frost

2007-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

36 degrees is what the thermometer read the other morning at 5:45am when I went to walk Finn. I wonder when the first frost will come? Knowing Colorado the first frost will be skipped and the first foot of snow will be laid out like a Christmas table cloth.

To fill my solitary time I have been creating, climbing, and reading. Last weekend I built Finn a dog house which he does not use. Hopefully the first snow storm will usher him into the new abode. Yesterday I put in a flagstone walk way which cuts through the front lawn. This should eliminate the pounds of mud we track into the house during the winter.

The book I am almost finished with is called "In Search of Snow" by Louis Alberto Urrea. It is a quick read but the story is lacking some depth and connection. I am almost finished so the full critique is yet to come.

The climbing season is upon us. The air is cooling, creating that crisp friction all climbers love. The pictures below show a new project I started last weekend. Its an 11a mixed sport and gear route, thin, slightly overhanging, and difficult. I fell about 10ft at the crux of the climb...hopefully its a low gravity day the next time I am up there.

Cara is gone another 3 weeks leaving me time to build who knows what? Maybe we'll have a new house, closet organizer, or spice rack? Our lives are quite the opposite right now. She is in a giant costal port town, riding buses, a single face in the splash of urbanites and city goers. I walk early mornings in complete silence. 5:45am with Finn, it is dark, sometimes spooky when there is Bear poop in the road. I work amongst a glacier carved valley, climb stone pillars after school, and return to home among my cow and horse neighbors.

The latest happenings for the Maiolo's

2007-08-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of some recent trips and/or occurences.
Mt. Massive 14er backapacking trip
First Day of school 2007
Cara's new hair cut
Gee's Bachelor Party

Summer 07 CO to CA to WA to CA to Mexico and Back

2007-08-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

The choke cherries are in full swing as the Robins gorge themselves on the late summer harvest. Hard to believe the summer has blown by leaving only a few weeks until school starts and Cara flys off to Seattle. This summer was jammed packed with travel and adventure. There is just too much to write about and I will let the pictures do the talking. I will list some of the highlights...

*Driving almost 6000 miles in 2 months
*Jumping off the Seattle bound hell train
*Kellys wedding
*Surfing from couch to couch in CA
*Baja by truck
*Tamales in Jesus Maria
*Surfing the 5 minute wave of Abreojos
*Driving 200 miles and only seeing cactus and dust
*Deserted beaches
*The leapord shark
*2 nights at Loretto Bay Inn
*Dirty Cops
*Rescuing Damsels in distress
*Mechanics and new vocabulary
*Snorkeling for clams
*Military checkpoints expedited with Playboys
*Leaving Mexico
*San Francisco and the celebration of 2 years married

Enjoy the photos, dream big, dont work too hard...Hope to see you all visiting in Asoen this winter, we have several blow up mattreses to choose from...Love Brent and Cara

Buena Vista 2007 Paddle Fest

2007-05-21T19:20:00.001-07:00

Anothter week gone by, 8 days of school left, and my mind already in the gutter of summer. It got drenched this weekend in Buena Vista at the 2007 Paddle Fest. Cara and I met Kyle, his girlfriend, her friend, my sister Moogs, and her boyfriend J-rad for a weekend of rivers, relaxation, camping, and fun. We rolled into BV around 9pm friday, first stop the Lariat. Its a raw brick building with cheap drinks, sullen light, and a bunch of paddlers talking about rapids, flips, and water as their girlfriends and wifes roll their eyes and try to ignore all the water talk.

Saturday we rafted Browns Canyon. This is the most commercially rafted 10 mile stretch of white water in all America. The run off was about 1000cfs higher than normal for this time of year making for a very exciting journey. It was great to have a boat full of guides. Kyle started out, then I had a few rapids, Jared taking over towards the end, and Megan finishing us out. I was so proud to see my little sister guiding the boat and being so great at it.

Saturday afternoon we were beat, tired, and chilled. Like any good crew of dirtbaggers we head for the local park to sleep off the fun. All of us stretched out on the lawn, drooling on the soccer field, me cuddleing the Chica to stay warm, and out of the wind.

Sunday we went to Salida to surf at the play park. The river was about 2000cfs creating a mighty play wave, fast, and chundering as you surfed its infinity water. The wave so powerful, keeping you in the pit even if you rolled, providing fast spins, sloppy loops, and bright smiles.

Finding the Wrong White Water

2007-05-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, three men, from three different towns came together in the diamond studded hills of Basalt for the search of white water. The days prior to the weekend adventure were glorious, filled with rays of sun, warm tulip breezes, and fast melting snow, resulting in rising raging rivers.
The days prior to putting into the rivers were filled with daydreams instead of chemistry problems, fleeting movements of the smell of wet moldy neoprene, and sometimes while doing the dishes in the evening you could hear the roar of the rapids and the purr of the eddy lines. It was going to be a great weekend with close friends, Phil, Kyle, and the water.

Friday night finally came as did my friends from different parts of the state. Kyle zooming in from Grand Junction got here at 7pm. Just enough time to dawn the dry top and hit a class III section of the Crystal. 7:45 and we are still on the river, almost dark, Phil probably at the house, chit chatting with the Chica. 8pm its dark, we are off the Crystal, freezing as the snow begins to fall.

Saturday morning and we are a little groggy from the many PBR's, late night talking, and laughing. As the coffee boils we glance outside to see the gorilla gray skies of a spring snow storm. Fists of snow fall to the earth, hard to believe summer lifted her skirt to us earlier this week, getting us excited for the fun surging rides to come.

Snow hasn't stopped us in the past, the fun must move on, we pack and head to the river. Saturday saw many moods, the gorilla storm moving around the mountain valleys, opening its mouth to shout more snow, hiding in the valleys as the sun glares down, fighting to shine. We too fought, seeking the turbulent white capped waves, wanting so bad to just paddle a few miles. We drove to Marble, a small mining town about an hour from the house. There is a manky class V+ run we wanted to check out and envision paddling. We were not going to do it that day, it was just a way to kill time, let the gorilla pass. As we approached the broken shanty town we could not find the gorge. We drove broken hearted mining roads, 4x4 up grey shale talus, looking, searching, and in the end finding the wrong white water...snow.

After the back woods jaunt we drove down valley to the stretch Kyle and I paddled yesterday. In the sideways sleet we buckled the life jackets, lifted the paddle, and headed down river.

Prom 07 Sundeck Aspen Mountain

2007-05-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Oh what joy it is to relive the golden years of high school. Prom this year was atop Aspen Mountain at the Sundeck. You had to take a 20 minute gondola ride to the summit (where these pictures were taken). The mountain lodge was decorated with flowers, fire places, and strobe lights. We wanted to dance so bad but thought it awkard to be grinding next to my students. Overall it was a nice night, I had a hot date (Cara wore her wedding dress), no kids got busted for drinking, and Cara ate pounds of chocolate covered strawberries. Isn't prom usually held in the gym? These kids have no idea...

Redstone: First Day of Summer!

2007-05-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Cara and I got out with some new friends for a day of climbing. This past weekend was the first spectacular day of summer. Warm temperatures greated us at the rocks, bright sun, and even an afternoon thunderstorm rolled across the horizon.

It was the first time we had gotten out to climb all winter. It felt amazing to stretch out, get scared, and climb! Cara pulled out the guns and sent some thin, sloppy, problems at the Coal Creek Boulders. I found a new project in Redstone, a sweet climb that takes you high, then cruzes down into a stout cross, and then back up, finishing on a jup rail.

This weekend really excited the both of us for warm temps, afternoon escapades, and the pursuit of life. Enjoy the fotos...

Ex-Ed April 15th-22nd San Juan River

2007-05-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Yet another reason I love teaching here at Aspen... Aspen High has a program they call Ex-Ed, the Ex stands for experential, Ed obviously education. The teachers at the school have to come up with some sort of week long experential education course. Mine was a raft guide training course on the San Juan River. There are many other courses such as going to Mexico for service work, Ski mountaineering/canyoneering in Utah, Chicago art museums, rafting Cataract Canyon, etc...over 27 course in all.

Andre Wille and myself led a week long river training trip. We navigated the San Juan and Colorado rivers. Megan my sister and her boyfriend Jared (who are also guides) tagged along for support. We had 13 guides in training ranging from 9th to 12th grade. They were beginers overall, with a few intermediate kayakers thrown in the mix. The river matched their ability perfectly.

The San Juan is a class II river through the canyon country South Eastern Utah. It cuts through some very interesting geologic formations as well as having a rich archeology history from the Anazi 600A.D, to gas miners, to present day river rats like us.

Here are a few of the pictures from the trip...enjoy

just the girls

2007-04-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

i thought you all would like to see a picture of the two women i consider my closest friends in our little mountain town. helena from sweden (left), and robyn from seattle via boulder via east coast (center)! for my birthday this year, helena hosted a wonderful dinner where we talked and laughed by candle light. afterward, helena and i took the bus up to aspen, to have one last wild night before all the tourists and seasonal workers leave with the close of ski season. we had a blast, laughing and dancing with all the young 20-somethings...i can't beleive i actually felt OLD for the first time out on the town! (i am 26 now after all....haha) we danced and danced until the wee hours of the morning. these two women have helped to make my transition back to CO so much more connected and grounding. they both bring out my depth and my wild side too! i thank them now for being in my life.

brent is away this week, teaching his students how to kayak and raft guide. ahhh, the difficult life of being a teacher in aspen.

more pictures to come!

love you all, thanks for reading

Kayaks+Road Trip= Dirt Bagging

2007-04-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Dirt Bagging is becoming a lost art. What is Dirt Bagging you say? It was, and faintly is, the art of travel, adventure, and experience all on the smallest of budgets. Usually cans of sardines in mustard sauce, hand rolled cigarettes, and sleeping in your truck are common occurrences when on a dirt bag expedition.

Dirt Bagging hit its hay day in the mid 70's in Yosemite's Camp 4. Here climbers would spend months living in the camp, climbing hard day in and day out, drinking wine from leather pouches, eating cold beans, and only spending $2 a day max. From my research the first documented and published works of Dirt Bagging was Jack Kerouac and his buddies traveling from coast to coast, living the life, and doing it for next to nothing.

My college friends and I were heavily influenced through climbing into this life of Dirt Bagging. Every weekend offered a new trail to navigate, rock to get scared on, and river to wrestle. We often had jobs with the utmost of flexibility to allow for spur of the moment trips to the desert, river, or mountain (if we had jobs at all.... i.e. Tony Cappa, Colin Coulsen, and occasionally myself). The beauty was the spontaneity, simplicity, the usual outcome of adventure, laughs, and friendship.

College ended, much to my dismay, and we all took new roads to follow. Kyle went to CA to work as an English teacher, Colin and Tom building cell phone towers in South Dakota, Phil teaching in Denver, Dane in CA sitting in the cubie, Tony going back to college, Kazu to New Hampshire for his Doctorate, Joe delivering babies out of a fire engine, Gee somehow getting into grad school, and me teaching full time in Aspen. Yet the flame has not extinguished. I hear stories through the grape vine about cross country bike tours, climbing Indian Creek 3 weeks in a row, traveling to Guatemala, driving to Joshua Tree for the weekend, and quitting your job to live in a motorhome you bought from a gypsy in Fresno. This is what life is all about and I am happy to be part of a culture of people who go on day to day with this drive and passion to really do it right (in our eyes at least).

The following pictures are of Kyle and I's latest Dirt Bag foray. It was over my spring break and was a small pre-season paddling pursuit on the Colorado and Yampa rivers. On the Colorado we ran Barrel Springs into Shoshone and on the Yampa we can Cross Mountain Gorge at about 2300cfs. It was a true Dirt Bag experience in its finest. We paddled difficult rivers, laid on the ground around a fire sipping PBR, smoked DRUM rollies, ate sardines with crackers, slept in the van down by the river in Steamboat, and didn't shower for 5 days. What a life....enjoy the fotos...

Do you Townie?

2007-03-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Last week a small group of community members and I got together at the Double Dog Saloon to discuss an uprising. The topic? Bringing some soul back to the Gucchi streets of Aspen. The movement? Riding your bike, cruiser, townie, uni, or other mode of pedaled transportation. The goal is to build some local community, encourage people to ride bikes rather than drive (Aspen has a horrendous traffic problem), and of course have fun.

We will meet for the first ride in April and a date is yet to be set. Hopefully over time the ride will grow enough to take up whole streets, slow traffic enough so that drivers will notice the riders, and a new tradition will be born. If you would like to participate please call or email so I can tell you a date. All you need is your bike, a smile, and a little velorution....

Mazatlan

2007-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

When I think of Mexico I see color. Colors deep with life, black and white lines, shadows, brilliance, contrast, and depth. Mexico is a country built of layers, stacked high, and always in motion. Some areas move faster than others, some layers crack, exposing the roots and history in present day.

We traveled to such a place, Mazatlan. This is a tourist hubb in the state of Sinaloa on the pacific coast. This town is layered with rich history, change, evolution. Most of the growth spurred by American influence and our willingness and longing to spend money for a vacation.

Our vacation was a gift of sorts. As I wrote before the Fleming family of Seattle invited us to join their vacation south of the border. Cara went down 3 days before me, watching the kids for a few hours a day, the other hours relaxing by the pool, sipping a drink, and turning off her head. I joined her Wednesday of last week leaving a blizzard in the Rockies to warm humid ocean breezes.

When we weren't at the hotel, or should I say Italian Rivera Villa, we were riding the local buses, eating at taco stands, talking to the cabbies, and soaking the riches of Mexican life. Most of the before mentioned riches were oddly absent or significantly watered down at the hotel. Again the world of contrast.

At the hotel we played with the kids Casey and Max. Probably two of the most amazing kids I have met so far. Casey is a beautiful little girl with inquisitive, curious, eyes, and an eager smile. She has recently discovered photography and wants to couple this talent with saving animals such as sea turtles and whales. She is an ambitious three year old. We took daily expeditions around the hotel, searching out the fish in the ponds, the green lizard, and the pink flamingos. Max her little brother is a ball of fierce energy and engaging grins. Cars and his bottle where the main sources of intrigue. He drove toy cars all over everything and chased his sister from one end of the resort to another. When we were with the kids Brian and Krista could be a couple again, go out on dates without toys and bottles, talk without interruption, and enjoy the peace a vacation can bring.

Below are a few pictures of the journey, travel, and down time. Enjoy...And one huge thank you to Brian and Krista, Max and Casey for such a great time with your family in Mexico! B-

Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay ~ Mazatlan Mexico

2007-02-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

Cara right now is not at home. She is not even in 'Merica. Cara is on the beach of Mazatlan under warm skys and surrounded by the color of Mexico.

Cara in Grad-School nannied for a wonderful family by the name of the Flemmings. They have two beautiful children Casey (3) and Max (1.5) who Cara and I have known since Casey was just 4 months.

A few months ago the Flemmings asked if we wanted to go to Mazatlan for a week. They needed some rest and relaxation in the bright latin sun and a break from the bleak, dreary, cold, gray of Seattle. The question is how do you relax with two toddlers running around? Thankfully this is where we come in. They wanted to have a babysitter who they trusted so they could take some time to enjoy couple life again. That babysitter is us, 5 hours a day, playing in the pool, making sand castles, and applying SPF 40 like every 20 minutes. To make sure we would go they have paid for our airfare, lodging, and some spending cash. This offer was a hard one, what would we do? Did I mention Cara is already on the beach?

Take a look at this place we are staying. Unreal! We just want to thank Brian and Krista for this wonderful gift!

Morning Waves

2007-02-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

The ocean has been in my blood since my dad taught me to surf.

To relax I imagine crashing waves

hear the melody of the tumble of water

Here is a wave that first emerged a few months back.

Like the tides it came, crashed, and collapsed back to the mind.

Tonight, maybe due to the moon, the tide ebbed to the forefront

I took down the old wave from the living room wall

Pulled out paints and brushes, closed my eyes, and looked for

the crashing of water, the new tide, the new wave.

Bullet Holes...

2007-02-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

This month has been kind of tight on the old purse strings. To alleviate this pinch I went to Grand Junction to visit my friend Kyle who has been building his parents new house. The job was to hang sheet rock, aka, dry wall, on the ceiling of the house. This is probably one of the worst jobs, second to installing insulation, and staining decks a day laborer can land. The work was tough, carrying 8ft sheets of gypsum fireproof boards, humping them onto your head, climbing a ladder, holding the board with one hand, fish for a nail in your nail bags, grip your hammer, move the board into place, hold with one hand, nail with the other, and multiply that by 1000 square feet or so, and 9 hours flies by really fast.
To stretch our weary bones, the following day we did a morning jaunt to the Bullet Holes. A bouldering area frequented more by Hill-Billies and Meth-heads than dirt bag climbers. The rocks are great Dakota Sandstone (Clastic Sedimentary) riddled with bullet holes, lame graffiti, and a sea of broken bottles. Ideal conditions for climbing!

After climbing we went to the greatest store this side of I-70. Its called the Junque Man and junk is what this old timer has collected. The store is in heaps and piles, sorted by house goods, electronics, old magazines, motor parts, broken records, pee stained sleeping bags, bent forks and spoons, sweet belt buckles, worn boots, and years of old, missing, unwanted, glorious treasures. I walked away with a nice pair of cowboy boots, already broken in with dry wall stains, for only $5. Unreal the amount of time you could spend here, combing the bowls of this man's life long collection. Next time I visit Mecca I will bring my camera!

Coffee Mountain Flying

2007-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

First is the morning coffee

wash the blur out of the corners of the eye

talk about Mexican Highways, endless waves,

cooking along the coast, how life is more than we have time for all at once. Next lace the boots, climb a mountain, track life in the snow, taste the view in winded breaths, finding out the easiest way down is to fly....

Coat Rack

2007-02-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

You are a Juniper tree and you are a coat rack.

You are older than the footsteps I leave in the mud

You will be standing here after I am in the ground

Hold my coat while I play and I will be back latter today

I am off to chase the north, follow deer around the bend

Leaving foot prints afar and I will return again.

Professor Paddle Sticker

2007-02-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

This kayaker I drew last year while living in Seattle. The kayaking site for the State of Washington is going to use it on their stickers! My first Published Art. www.professorpaddle.com check it out..

Dissent is Patriotic

2007-02-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

Drop something useful...

Remember...

2007-02-05T18:46:00.000-08:00

Some time this week, try to ride your bike, walk, take the bus, skip, run, or car pool somewhere you normally drive.

Bangs

2007-02-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

Nothing like living on a budget and getting free haircuts. Vanessa my older sister took out the garden shears and trimmed us some sweet looking do's. No really we are the hottest people we know.....haha Cara is really trying to emulate Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley her idol/god/rolemodel/icon... Take a look for yourself...

Por el suelo

2007-01-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

So we're sitting here, this Monday night...dinner finished and dishes still in the sink. I'm starting to get into this blogging thing, and Brent's reading up on Mexican travels and dreaming up new adventures. Three months ago, Brent and I took a hike through the snow and early afternoon light. So much has been stirring inside of me since we've moved. I feel torn in between two worlds: the one I left behind in Seattle; the one I am building con mi amor. I am trying to reconcile the "me" I found under the grey and green drizzle- the one who found herself and came alive, with the "me" that is present- fresh and free in the snow and blue expanse yet longing for friendships, purpose, a sense of belonging. Out of desperation I vowed that I would give it my all here in this new place as long as we made a pact: We would take a surf trip for 6 weeks down the coast of Mexico this summer. Maybe I just needed something to look forward to. Something that would remind me of who I am and the travel I want to build my life around. Something to hang on to.

From pact to plan....True to his word, Brent is busy making this dream happen. He is pouring over maps, travel guides, narratives, searching for surf boards, making a budget. It looks like we will be packing our bags and heading west, California, Seattle, Baja and Central Pacific Mexico at our fingertips. Vaya sin pensamientos.

We're Parents!

2007-01-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

We'd like to introduce you all to the newest addition to our family, Pecos Maiolo.

This is Cara writing by the way. And if you all know me, then you know that little animals are not my thing. Especially when they make loud noises between 7:00-10:00am. However, Brent convinced me last year to adopt with him our first "children"; Peek and Boo Maiolo. It was a rocky start between us, needless to say. While they would lovingly sit on Brent's shoulders and chirp in his ear, they would dive bomb my head and wait until Brent left in the morning to yell and drive me crazy. However, these birds were survivors and made it clinging to the sides of their cage on the long drive out to Colorado. Unfortunately, Boo passed away (we think due to old age) shortly after we settled into our Aspen home. Brent has been searching for a new playmate for Peek ever since. Slowly, my counselor tendencies began to come out, and I felt so sorry for Peek having to be all alone that I gave my consent. We found a playmate for Peek. Pecos was adopted from the Parakeet Rescue, and after a couple of days of checking each other out, they have happly begun sharing a cage together. (Peek on right, Pecos on left)

Waves

2007-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is a new painting that I've almost finished. The curling wave still needs a little work. Thanks to Nancy Wills for giving me this nice piece of wood to use as a canvas.

Chica Sleeping

2007-01-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

I laid down some of my cloths on her while she was sleeping and snapped a shot.

Frying Pan Fishing

2007-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Frying Pan River, Goldmedal Water

When I first arrived there was a nice little hatch going on. Probably size 22 midges floating gently across the surface. Every once in a while a football sized trout would lunge out of the water for one of the little midges. It was an amazing sight since it was 25degrees, snowy, and quite wintery.

On Broadway...

2007-01-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

For Xmas I bought Cara tickets to see Mamamia. It was a Broadway musical based on the music of Abba. It was well done, funny, and filled with great tunes. I never knew I could recognize so many Abba songs.

For Dinner that night my parents treated us to an amazing meal at a new restaurant called Plate. It was all international cuisine, an appetiser from Mexico, salad from Italy, and entree from France.

Highlands Skiing

2007-01-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

Oh, I forgot to mention it was about ZERO degrees!

Highlands Skiing

2007-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

This was from a few weeks back when we had a nice little storm drop about a foot a snow.

Winterskol 2007, The Celebration of Winter

2007-01-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

Winterskol has been celebrated the last 50+ years in Aspen. It is a great time for locals and tourists to come together to celebrate the cold nights, powder days, and small town community of Aspen.. Cara and I marched in the parade as members of the Aspen State Teachers College. She played the tambourine and I played the cow bell.

Cedar Wax wings eating cold berries

Old man playing a wood fire, steam powered, pipe organ, pulled by a 1945 Willies Jeep

If gas were not $2.50 a gallon, this would be my commuter car...

Two snow bunnies

Fritz, a member of the Aspen State Teachers College (a club started in the late 70's by local ski bums, which Cara and I are both members of, is now having a revival in the town) plays with the Air Force Academy's marching band.

One of the many snow sculptures around town. This one of a man who ate his fill.

January 2007 Year of the Sun

2007-01-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings from West Sopris Creek. The begining of the new year brought old friends to new houses, stuck trucks on snowbound trails, late night drinks, and midafternoon sulfur spring soaks. Friends and Family are welcome to hoot and holler in the hills of Aspen and enjoy the fun with us....

Trying to drive snowmoblie paths....bad idea

Three chavalos from the college days: Dave W. Brent M. Abe B.

Penny Hotsprings

Aspen Stampede

The Chica Buey