What was she thinking about? Who was she missing? What about the tip of the plane's wing haunted her so? I'm in Minnesota for the week for a wedding and other general merriment. Should be fun!
(6.29.10) Traveling
What was she thinking about? Who was she missing? What about the tip of the plane's wing haunted her so? 
(6.28.10) It's a Small World, Afterall
You know it is a small world when you go to a tiny country fair in rural Nevada and find a Kenyan woman selling Kenyan jewelry at said fair. Somehow, it felt a little out of place amongst all the cowboys.
(6.27.10) Lamoille Canyon
Welcome to the Alps of Nevada. I don't think this appellation is a far stretch from the truth. The Ruby Mountains are incredible. This particular pool was formed by a beaver dam. Awesome to the power of two.
(6.26.10) Indian Paintbrush
I was not intending to have my water bottle in the background, but I think it provides a nice contrast.
(6.25.10) Spring, Spring, Lupine Spring
And a cropping dilemma. I am not sure which image I prefer. I am open to suggestions here.
(6.24.10) Pionjar Happiness
Some of you may know that I have not always had the fondest memories of pionjars. However, when you have a pionjar that works (shocker!) it is pretty exciting to see how dirty you get while using it. Good thing we have a stream back at camp to bathe in. We have been using the pionjar (POON-jar)to remove some bedrock that juts into our trail. We also hope to use the pionjar to quarry rocks for the 58 foot long rock wall we are building.
(6.23.10) Horseshoes!
When in Lamoille, do as the locals do. I went down to the local pub and played a few cowboys in a game horseshoes. I actually won!
(6.22.10) Pack Mules, How We Love You
This is Ryatt, our mule friend who willingly carried the 75 pound pionjar (think jack hammer) and 200 pound grip hoist system up the mountain for us. To say we were grateful is a gross understatement. With these new tools, our trail building project is running much more smoothly. In addition, we got to spend some time admiring Ryatt and trying to make him smile.
(6.21.10) Color Your World: Spring Green
Catie on the right, me on the left. I had a wonderful time with my second submission to the Color Your World project.
(6.20.10) Sesame Tofu
This is a tasty and fun way to eat tofu. Serve it with edamame and sticky rice and you have a great meal.
Step One: Preparing the Tofu
Many complain that tofu is too "squishy" in comparison to meat, especially when you fry it in a sauce. In order to obtain a firmer texture, a few basic steps early on in your cooking adventure will yield the desired consistency.
1) Drain water from the tofu, wrap the block in paper towels, set a couple of cans of beans on top to squeeze out the water for at least 10 minutes.
2) Cut the tofu into squares, triangles, or any other fun geometric shape.
3) Dry fry the tofu until the tofu is slightly golden brown. This makes the water evaporate out of the tofu and creates a more meaty texture. Now you are ready to get on with the real show.
Step Two: Sauce
Combine in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, and heat until the sauce thickens:
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced ginger root
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves
a smattering of red chili flakes
Step Three: Fry the Tofu
1) Cover tofu with a light layer of cornstarch.
2) Fry the tofu in a few tablespoons of oil until golden brown.
Step Four: Marinate the tofu in the sauce
This is relatively self-explanatory. Just marinate the tofu for as long as you have time. 10 minutes to 3 hours is an acceptable window.
Step Five: Reheat Tofu
Just throw it back in the fry pan until it is warm again.
Step Six: Cover with Sesame Seeds
Step Seven: Eat!
(6.19.10) Camping Surprises
One day we arrived at our campsite to discover a bear box full of wood and newspaper! What a wonderful start to an evening.
(6.18.10) DA Moments
David Attenborough (DA) moments occur when you observe a natural phenomenon and the voice of David plays in your head. I guess it won't surprise you that I was a biology major. So anyway, I had a DA moment with this seal. He was lying in a seemingly pathetic posture for over 6 hours on a Northern California beach. My companions and I assumed he was dying or in severe pain. However, the minute the sun dipped below the ocean, this seal became invigorated. He craned his neck towards the sky, barking furiously. After a few awkward attempts, he oriented himself towards the ocean and flopped back towards the waves. Once he reach the water, he was gone within seconds. It was such a magically scientific moment. I wonder what triggered the sudden rejuvenation.MORE! MORE! Check out the Flickr page for more pictures of my Redwoods/North Coast excursion.
(6.15.10) Burning Man
It may surprise you to know that Reno is a very artistic town. Public art structures fill every corner of the city. This is a portion of a sculpture entitled "Burning Man".
(6.13.10) The Everlasting Spring
There is a significant advantage to moving north and up in altitude during the springtime. My spring effectively began in March and continues to this day.
(6.12.10) To Continue With the Animals
I think I could move to Lamoille. And live on a ranch. And have calves. And dogs. And wonderful sunsets.
(6.10.10) Frost
We are still waking up to frost on the ground. I suppose it is better than 100 degree heat.
(6.9.10) More Red
Oh what a fantastic color. Both the naturally occurring forms and the man made version, orange red just makes me smile.
(6.6.10) Summer!
I find myself embracing a romantic fascination with summer this year. The bike rides and hikes, the fresh and local vegetables, the return of the flora and fauna I am learning to love; all of it evokes a joyful sense that I am alive. I am breathing deeply of all this earth has to offer and finding new vigor within myself as I do so.
(6.5.10) Skylines
Due to popular demand, I am trying to work on my wide-angle shots. They are....growing on me.
(6.3.10) Packing the Passport
My mother handed me an old passport yesterday and in a strange way I felt like she was saying "Welcome home to your new life" in the same way that US customs officials always cheerily welcomed us home to the United States. But this isn't home--yet. The passport will be packed away with a box of memorabilia as a remembrance of the miles of travel I accrued between the ages of 13 and 18. This little booklet has passed from a security necessity into a dated artifact, accompanied by an entire chapter of my life. It is a little strange to mark this transition with the glib packing of my passport, but the truth of the matter is that this transition feels more matter of fact than emotional to me. I am so excited for this next phase in my family, but it feels a little strange to shut the door on the past so unceremoniously.
(6.2.10) To My Little Brother
My little brother is not so little anymore. He graduated from high school last week, and now he's in Chicago with this tractor and other friends. This picture was taken a few years ago, so he looks a little more...manly...now.
With a Butterfly on Her Hand and a Question on Her Mind
Another photo of the kitchy angel. Also, does anyone, anyone know how to convince Windows Vista to read RAW files off of a memory card? I am only picking up .jpg files at the moment. I might have to get you a print if you can help me with this.
(6.1.10) Attic Kitch
Sometimes attics and old houses just have the most wonderfully outrageous treasures. This lady has protected our house for who knows how long. Her days, I fear, are numbered. So I took a photograph of her to commemorate her place in the house.
(5.31.10) Fun! Surprises!
I surprised my parents and sister at the airport yesterday. It was fantastic! And it is so wonderful to spend to the week with them, to help them move in, to play frisbee, to play fun photography games.
(5.30.10) Monument to Industrialism
Believe it or not, this monument to the industrialization of eastern Oklahoma rises surreally above the trees, deep in the heart of the Ouachita National Forest. Sarah and I have a tradition of stopping here for a picture every time we drive by it.
(5.29.10) Mer Gets Married
The day was just too special for one picture.
The top photo was taken by H. Key, friendly photographer and make-up artist.
(5.28.10) Preparations
Getting ready for the wedding. These are not my toes, nor are they the bride's, but you have to love a wedding that allows the bridesmaids to paint their toenails yellow if they wish to do so.
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