Got a little touch of the Tuesday blues today, mostly because the weekend was such a blast in Aspen - between all the great food, good riding, great lodging and wonderful company, I have to remind myself it was *technically* a work trip. And I even got all dressed up for a few evening soirees (which may technically have been the first time I wore decent clothes since oh, I dunno, last century).
Oh, and for those who are curious we did a soft launch of our new travel company, Asia360 on Friday -- feel free to check it out here.
So today is the last day before I make the big final decision about "Dash" so if you have any doggie input for me, bark now or forever hold your peace. More updates on this tomorrow.
A little bit of bugger news--my truck is having some issues with a misfiring cylinder. I've been down that road before and I hope it's only a minor issue, like a spark plug wire or dirty fuel injector, as opposed to a more serious problem. I should find out today, but could be icky-- let's hope not!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
It's been a busy week here, my company Natural Habitat Adventuresis launching a new website called Asia360° that focuses on trekking trips in (where else) Asia. We are building it up from the ruins of a company called Snowlion Expeditions, who fell into bankruptcy in 2008. As such, I've been going nutty getting everything ready for the big launch tomorrow morning so haven't had much time to write on the blog.
But there is some news afoot - first off, I got to meet the rescued border collie the organization paired me up with. He's a cute little 8 month old guy named Dash and we DO seem like a great fit. I'm making my official "pros" and "cons" list later today and making the call this weekend. So there may be a new furry friend in my life soon...
Secondly... is there a secondly? I'll be going on a media trip to Aspen this weekend! Should be fun... and pretty open, timewise, which is nice for a "press trip".
Otherwise, been busy with work and a little life stuff on the side too...
But there is some news afoot - first off, I got to meet the rescued border collie the organization paired me up with. He's a cute little 8 month old guy named Dash and we DO seem like a great fit. I'm making my official "pros" and "cons" list later today and making the call this weekend. So there may be a new furry friend in my life soon...
Secondly... is there a secondly? I'll be going on a media trip to Aspen this weekend! Should be fun... and pretty open, timewise, which is nice for a "press trip".
Otherwise, been busy with work and a little life stuff on the side too...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Ah, this what a classic Colorado weekend is all about -- blue sky, good company and a little bit of time to enjoy it all. I was able to ride Hall Ranch on Saturday, then snuck in a few runs at Keystone (after visiting Kim and friends in Breckenridge) and got back home with enough time to mtn. bike Heil Ranch and the Wild Turkey Loop in Boulder.
One of my official goals in 2009 is to get in 100 days of riding on the mountain bike. The only "rules" are I have to be on an actual trail (no dirt roads or work commutes) and each ride has to last at least 20 minutes. I pushed my riding last year and hope to progress even further this year, thanks to my sweet ride, which is almost a year old! I have a few other goals: clearing Hall Ranch's rock garden in one shot, sub-20 minute laps at Betasso and so on -- but mostly I want to get out there and have some epic rides this biking season!
Also: last night I got to watch one of the many Discovery Channel specials on polar bears. I'd seen it a bunch of times before (and as many of you know, my company Natural Habitat Adventures runs trips to see polar bears in Canada). It made me wonder how my polar bear pals are doing that I encountered on my 2004 trip to the Arctic. Of the 6 or 7 bears we saw, the ones that stick with me are the mother bear and two adolescents we spotted on an ice floe int he Kennedy Channel. One of the 2 year old cubs had a limp and possible leg injury. Our biologist said that both cubs have a great chance to survive if the mother is a good hunter and since we witnessed a seal kill on an ice flow, she certainly had some seal-snatchin' skills.
My ride at Heil also reminded me of a similar black bear family I saw last autumn roaming through the woods just off the biking trail. I hope they had a fine winter and are all geared up for the spring to do the things that bears do. I'm a bit of a sentimentalist in some ways but I just think the world is a better place when we share it with our wild animal pals.
We've had some beautiful full moons here in Boulder, especially when viewed from the lofty slopes of Mount Sanitas. I've seen the huge, rose colored orb rise in the east above the sprawling lights of the metro area the last two evenings.
What is your first memory of the moon? What's the biggest moon you ever saw? For myself, I can remember looking up at the bright white moon hanging in the winter sky from my old house in Waterbury and I believe that's when we became acquainted. By far the biggest moon I ever saw was when I parking cars at Glenbrook during my high-school valet days; a huge, expansive, October-orange moon that literally spanned the horizon as it rose -- I've never seen anything like that.
I do like to check in with the full moon once a month, just to let it know I'm still kicking around down here on Earth.
One of my official goals in 2009 is to get in 100 days of riding on the mountain bike. The only "rules" are I have to be on an actual trail (no dirt roads or work commutes) and each ride has to last at least 20 minutes. I pushed my riding last year and hope to progress even further this year, thanks to my sweet ride, which is almost a year old! I have a few other goals: clearing Hall Ranch's rock garden in one shot, sub-20 minute laps at Betasso and so on -- but mostly I want to get out there and have some epic rides this biking season!
Also: last night I got to watch one of the many Discovery Channel specials on polar bears. I'd seen it a bunch of times before (and as many of you know, my company Natural Habitat Adventures runs trips to see polar bears in Canada). It made me wonder how my polar bear pals are doing that I encountered on my 2004 trip to the Arctic. Of the 6 or 7 bears we saw, the ones that stick with me are the mother bear and two adolescents we spotted on an ice floe int he Kennedy Channel. One of the 2 year old cubs had a limp and possible leg injury. Our biologist said that both cubs have a great chance to survive if the mother is a good hunter and since we witnessed a seal kill on an ice flow, she certainly had some seal-snatchin' skills.
My ride at Heil also reminded me of a similar black bear family I saw last autumn roaming through the woods just off the biking trail. I hope they had a fine winter and are all geared up for the spring to do the things that bears do. I'm a bit of a sentimentalist in some ways but I just think the world is a better place when we share it with our wild animal pals.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
We've had some beautiful full moons here in Boulder, especially when viewed from the lofty slopes of Mount Sanitas. I've seen the huge, rose colored orb rise in the east above the sprawling lights of the metro area the last two evenings. What is your first memory of the moon? What's the biggest moon you ever saw? For myself, I can remember looking up at the bright white moon hanging in the winter sky from my old house in Waterbury and I believe that's when we became acquainted. By far the biggest moon I ever saw was when I parking cars at Glenbrook during my high-school valet days; a huge, expansive, October-orange moon that literally spanned the horizon as it rose -- I've never seen anything like that.
I do like to check in with the full moon once a month, just to let it know I'm still kicking around down here on Earth.
Monday, March 09, 2009
A few of you know I've been toying around with the idea of getting a dog. My best canine buddy (up there in my blog header graphic), Mystic, is as awesome as they get but he is technically Sheila's dog. While he'll always be the "dog that reminded me how awesome dogs can be", I know there's a lot of pups looking for a good home and for the first time in my life in Colorado, I'm in a place to consider it.
I know it won't be easy and it will be a lifestyle change, but in the longer stretches when I've taken care of Mystic, it has never felt like a burden. Add into the mix a few other awesome dogs I've met along the way -- my co-worker Don's dog Kona for one -- and I'm starting to think a new 4-legged hiking buddy might be on the horizon.
So, as a result I have signed up at Western Border Collie Rescue and just passed a rather extensive evaluation process to see if I'm ready for a border collie rescue (most likely a mix). I need a buddy who is high energy, ready to run and a fan of mountain adventures. With phase one out of the way, the rescue organization is now trying to find a good match (of course Xanadu has to approve, but she generally LIKES dogs). I will keep you all posted if the right dog chooses me, but I am taking my time. I remember it took Sheila almost two years before Mystic found her... so we'll see. In the mean time, any good dog name suggestions are welcome.
PS: Third and final Antarctica post coming soon!
I know it won't be easy and it will be a lifestyle change, but in the longer stretches when I've taken care of Mystic, it has never felt like a burden. Add into the mix a few other awesome dogs I've met along the way -- my co-worker Don's dog Kona for one -- and I'm starting to think a new 4-legged hiking buddy might be on the horizon.
So, as a result I have signed up at Western Border Collie Rescue and just passed a rather extensive evaluation process to see if I'm ready for a border collie rescue (most likely a mix). I need a buddy who is high energy, ready to run and a fan of mountain adventures. With phase one out of the way, the rescue organization is now trying to find a good match (of course Xanadu has to approve, but she generally LIKES dogs). I will keep you all posted if the right dog chooses me, but I am taking my time. I remember it took Sheila almost two years before Mystic found her... so we'll see. In the mean time, any good dog name suggestions are welcome.
PS: Third and final Antarctica post coming soon!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Instead of a bunch of wordy mumbo-jumbo, I'll let the pictures tell the story of the second leg of my Antarctic adventure. I'll eventually put up all my images into a slideshow, but here's a preview.
Everybody gathered on deck to watch the mountains of Ushuaia fade into the distance as our ship, the Ocean Nova, set out for our first destination: The Falklands Islands.
Paul enjoys a fishy toast on our first night on the ship--and one of the few nights where we were in calm enough waters to enjoy a meal without strapping down our forks and knives.
Our first "official" penguin came with our first landing on the Falkland Islands. This punked out fellow is a Rockhopper penguin -- and his name is fitting. These little guys work their way up class 3 and 4 terrain to their nests.
The crazy landscape gave Paul and I some time to play a real-life round of "Super Falkland Island Brothers". Though I stuck the landing this time around, the previous jump came up short and I lost a life. Bummer.
Here's the zodiac rafts we use to travel from ship to land (or sometimes just to cruise around). This was the last known sighting of the guy you see waving, as he spent the rest of the voyage barfing in his cabin.
Looks tropical, doesn't it. Man, that Antarctic sun can really dry out your eyes. And make you grow a third one on your forehead.
Paul and Deb on an overlook on Carcass Island (named for a ship, not a specific carcass).
A pair of Magellenic penguins and their ground-bound nest. This was the last we'd see of the Magellenics until we returned to Ushuaia a few weeks later.
The lovely Deborah Doyle and me on the scenic hills on Carcass Island.
Couldn't resist another kitty picture--this feline friend was in the civilized (IE they had Internet) city of Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. In 1982, the Brits and Argentines had a "sort of" war here, the end result being a bonanza of marketing ploys commemorating the war. Next on the agenda for the Brits: the war on gingivitis.
The cats however, had very nice teeth.
From the Falklands, we made our way to South Georgia where the wildlife incrementally increased in both volume and diversity. Here we got our first glimpses of the King penguins (don't worry, there will be many more where these guys came from). It was wild to see the penguins, fur seals and the big old elephant seals living side by side. As long as bellies are full, everybody gets along (a marked difference of the animal kingdom vs. the human kingdom).
Our next landing at St. Andrews bay had more Kings, including tons of these scruffy looking brown adolescents. His escorts remind me of typical middle school dance, minus the facial blemishes.
Molting penguins prefer to hang out in the little streams that run down from the incredible mountain peaks.
A rare blonde seal on the beach says, "Darling, can we PLEASE hurry this along? I have krill to attend to."
As you can see here, the penguins aren't rattled in the least by the presence of goofy looking tourists hanging around on their beach.
These little fur seals, affectionately called by our South Africa guide Conrad "dinky toys", were plentiful--and darn cute--on the beaches.
Walkin' in a penguin wonderland. Just beautiful....
More to come, stay tuned (we're not even in Antarctica yet!)
Everybody gathered on deck to watch the mountains of Ushuaia fade into the distance as our ship, the Ocean Nova, set out for our first destination: The Falklands Islands. Paul enjoys a fishy toast on our first night on the ship--and one of the few nights where we were in calm enough waters to enjoy a meal without strapping down our forks and knives. Our first "official" penguin came with our first landing on the Falkland Islands. This punked out fellow is a Rockhopper penguin -- and his name is fitting. These little guys work their way up class 3 and 4 terrain to their nests. The crazy landscape gave Paul and I some time to play a real-life round of "Super Falkland Island Brothers". Though I stuck the landing this time around, the previous jump came up short and I lost a life. Bummer. Here's the zodiac rafts we use to travel from ship to land (or sometimes just to cruise around). This was the last known sighting of the guy you see waving, as he spent the rest of the voyage barfing in his cabin. Looks tropical, doesn't it. Man, that Antarctic sun can really dry out your eyes. And make you grow a third one on your forehead. Paul and Deb on an overlook on Carcass Island (named for a ship, not a specific carcass). A pair of Magellenic penguins and their ground-bound nest. This was the last we'd see of the Magellenics until we returned to Ushuaia a few weeks later. The lovely Deborah Doyle and me on the scenic hills on Carcass Island. Couldn't resist another kitty picture--this feline friend was in the civilized (IE they had Internet) city of Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. In 1982, the Brits and Argentines had a "sort of" war here, the end result being a bonanza of marketing ploys commemorating the war. Next on the agenda for the Brits: the war on gingivitis. The cats however, had very nice teeth. From the Falklands, we made our way to South Georgia where the wildlife incrementally increased in both volume and diversity. Here we got our first glimpses of the King penguins (don't worry, there will be many more where these guys came from). It was wild to see the penguins, fur seals and the big old elephant seals living side by side. As long as bellies are full, everybody gets along (a marked difference of the animal kingdom vs. the human kingdom). Our next landing at St. Andrews bay had more Kings, including tons of these scruffy looking brown adolescents. His escorts remind me of typical middle school dance, minus the facial blemishes. Molting penguins prefer to hang out in the little streams that run down from the incredible mountain peaks.A rare blonde seal on the beach says, "Darling, can we PLEASE hurry this along? I have krill to attend to." As you can see here, the penguins aren't rattled in the least by the presence of goofy looking tourists hanging around on their beach. These little fur seals, affectionately called by our South Africa guide Conrad "dinky toys", were plentiful--and darn cute--on the beaches. Walkin' in a penguin wonderland. Just beautiful....
More to come, stay tuned (we're not even in Antarctica yet!)
