Imaginary Lines

2010 Year in Review

2011-01-03T11:41:00.004-09:00

As I'm never one to miss a bandwagon, I've decided I'll join the rest of the world and recap 2010. I'll start with the top 10 highlights, but I'm warning you I might get carried away. So be prepared, you might have to stick around for at least 13. You can do it.

Highlights of 2010

1. Leaving the East Coast. I don't think I even need to elaborate here.
2. Spring skiing at Eaglecrest upon returning to Juneau. There were some pretty epic blue bird days in there and being home skiing with great friends was super duper cool.

3. The acquisition of my new skis! On our road trip back AK, I got a bitchin' deal on the 2010 Volkl Kiku's from Pro Ski in Seattle. If you're ever in Seattle and need new ski gear, these guys know their shit and have some great deals. These skis are just about the best thing to ever happen to me. They literally surf the powder. Don't tell me that doesn't sound like fun.

4. I got paid to take people kayaking and play on and under a glacier. I had some of my best humpback whale encounters from a kayak while getting paid, and learned how to ice climb, set up a top rope, climb around underneath the glacier, and get really good at pretending I knew what I was doing on the glacier for the tourists, which, lets be honest, is a skill unto itself.

5. Ques and Yukon (our dogs) were so stoked to be back in Alaska. Coming from Virginia where they had to be leashed about 80% of the time to AK where they might be on leashes about 3% of the time. These are some happy dogs!

6. We found a really nice apartment in Juneau, with an amazing view, great landlords, and at a great price, which is pretty hard to do here.

7. Sommers and I took our first real vacation together this fall. We spent 2 weeks driving around the Northwest visiting friends and places we love and then 2 weeks in Hawaii. It was so fun and we didn't even kill eachother.

8. I finally hiked the Chilkoot Trail! With one of my best friends, Jessica, and it was an absolute blast! We did the 37 miles in 3 days/2 nights and were exhausted by the end. We celebrated by getting stupidly drunk in Skagway and saying rude things to obnoxious jewelry store men.

9. I hiked my first peak (Mt. McGinnis) alone on a perfect blue bird 70 degree September day. Just me and my dog. I did the first part of the hike with 2 friends, but one was too tired to make it to the summit and the other didn't have time (she had dinner plans she had to make it to).

10. I finally hiked Blackerby Ridge. Its been on my list for a while, and while it is a tough hike up it is so incredibly worth it. Sommers and I hiked it on another unusually hot and gorgeous day and rewarded ourselves by jumping in one of the chilly alpine lakes on the top.

11. I touched a (dead) humpback whale. I know, it sounds morbid, and it was, but it was also amazing. It had been hit by a cruiseship and then towed to an island for a necropsy by NOAA. My brother and I really wanted to see it, so we kayaked the 14 miles (roundtrip) to see it. It was very stinky, but impressive. We tried (ha!) lifting the pectoral fin just for kicks, and let me tell you, if you were ever unsure about whether or not a whale is really heavy, I can tell you first hand that they are fucking heavy. I'm guessing the fin alone must have weighed at least a ton, if not more. Yes, whales are heavy. Shocker, I know.

12. I did the Kluane bike relay with 7 other fantastic people. It was all of our first road bike races and we ended up winning 3rd place! 8 people, 160 miles, a lot of beer, cake, and roadside cheering. Good stuff.

13. The John Muir Cabin to Peterson Lake connect on XC skis. Sommers and I skied this right at the end of the year during a really cold spell. It was amazing but probably one of the most exhausting things I've ever done. The roundtrip mileage is probably only around 10 miles, though we're not sure as there isn't really a trail. It was on a beautiful, sunny, clear 15 degree day after a big snowfall. Armed with our backcountry skis, lots of layers, hot coffee, and the dogs, we completed the whole route in just under 8 hours, after a long hike out Peterson Lake Trail in the dark via headlamp. There were definitely a few points where I was nervous, mostly when the sun started to set, the temperature started to drop, my dog was so tired he was lying down in our ski tracks, we were bushwhacking through the woods, and we thought we might be lost. Aside for those few moments it was really fun and felt like a pretty cool accomplishment and I learned one very important lesson: your body uses up A LOT of energy staying warm when it's that cold out. I also learned that in these conditions sweating is very dangerous. Noted.

14. Spending the holidays with my family. I hadn't been home for Thanksgiving or Christmas in 2 years, and it was fantastic. I feel pretty lucky to have such a wonderful family.

So there you have it. What were your 2010 highlights?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T15:49:00.000-09:00

Judging by the frequency of my posts and today's date, you might be thinking to yourself that my New Year's resolution is to blog more frequently. Well, you'd be wrong cause chances are good I'm going to post this and then post abso-freaking-lutely nothing for the next 6 months. But right now I'm procrastinating a trip to the gym and what better way to procrastinate then by surfing the interwebs and writing blog posts that no one but me will ever read! Voila!

But for reals, Happy 2011. I think its gonna be a good one.

xo

Its My Blog So I Can Cuss If I Want To

2010-03-14T17:21:00.001-08:00

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That pretty much sums up the week I've had.

A week ago we left Virginia Beach and started our Epic Road Trip WEST! The schedule was to be totally freaking awesome and happen as follows:

March 8-9: Virginia to Kentucky - hotel

March 9-11: Kentucky to Kansas - stay with Sommers' family

March 11-14: Kansas to Colorado - stay with friend Amanda and go SKIING!

March 14-17: Colorado to Utah - stay with Jill and more SKIING!

March 17-20: Utah to Washington - make it to Bellingham in time for my brother's college graduation

March 20-31: Cruise around the NW visiting friends/family/places we love before catching our ferry out of Prince Rupert, BC on April 2nd, possible stopping to ski either Revelstoke or Whistler on the way up.

Final destination being, of course, JUNEAU!!!

Here is what has actually happened so far:

March 8: Staunton, VA. Planned to make it to Kentucky, but Sommers was so sick we couldn't drive any more. Also, while stopping at a gas station to refuel, I find there is a hold on my credit card because the bank has found out that someone has gotten a hold of my card number and been making fraudulent charges. Credit card gets canceled meaning no credit card for the remainder of nearly month long road trip.

March 9: Lexington, KY. Sommers feels better so we drive 7 hours to Lexington. That night Sommers get even sicker and I take him to the ER. We find out he has Pneumonia.

March 10: While Sommers is in our hotel room recovering, I take off to find a running trail on the University of Kentucky campus. While idling at stop light realize there is smoke coming from the hood of my car. Drive to nearest service station to get it checked out. Find out car is leaking coolant rapidly. Call for tow truck to tow car to Honda Service center at 4pm. Wait 3 hours for tow company. Finally get car to service center by almost 9 pm.

March 11: Get news from Honda-car is not as bad as we thought. Just a busted radiator hose. $300 later, car is okay. While driving sommers' car to go pick up mine, I notice his temperature gauge is abnormally high. Show car to Honda service Tech. They say its not good and will have to take a closer look in the morning. Pick up my car and drop off his. (Mind you that BOTH of us had our cars inspected prior to setting off on this road trip. Supposedly they were "good to go").

March 12: Early morning phone call from Honda reveals BAD news. Sommers' car has a blown head gasket. In laymen's terms that means nearly $2000 and lots of time. Car will not be ready until at least Tuesday (March 16) at which point we were supposed to be skiing in Utah and drinking champagne in hot tubs. I made that last part up.

March 13-14: Wait in Lexington for car to be done. Luckily we found a Whole Foods, an outdoor store (bought a cute new Patagonia dress I couldn't afford to cheer myself up!), a tasty hippy restaurant downtown, places for me to run and a park to take the dogs, and best of all, Sommers is feeling MUCH better. We've also been watching a ton of movies. Finally watched Up, and it was great. Plus, Fear was on the TV yesterday. Nothing like Marky Mark as a psycho path to cheer you up.

To summarize:

1. Brianne gets credit card number hijacked

2. Sommers gets Pneumonia

3. Brianne's car breaks down ($)

4. Sommers' car breaks down ($$$$)

5. Brianne and Sommers are still in Kentucky when they should be in Utah. Don't look at a map, it hurts.

Yes, yes, I know. Things could be worse. Things could always be worse. But the other night, while sitting at the Waffle House at 1 o'clock in the morning after spending all night in the ER, we were listening to a table full of rednecks talk about coon hunting and I couldn't think of anything worse. Perhaps I was being unimaginative, but there you have it.

Now, lets all cross our fingers that nothing else goes wrong from here on out.

Why I'm Not Having Kids Any Time Soon

2010-02-24T17:41:00.000-09:00

Tonight:

Brianne is looking at Petfinder.com wishing she could get a puppy. Tomorrow is her birthday, and being 3 glasses of wine deep convinces herself that she can go to the shelter tomorrow and get herself a birthday puppy. Sommers says Brianne is not only tipsy, but ridiculous. Also makes comment about how what Brianne really wants is kids, not puppies. Brianne says no, puppies are cuter than kids. Sommers agrees. Brianne says you also can't get drunk around kids, but puppies are amenable to midweek inebriation. Sommers says this is the smartest thing Brianne has ever said.

Happy Birthday to me.
xo

Question of the Day/Welcome Back ME!

2010-01-27T21:41:00.000-09:00

Wow. I am the suckiest blogger ever. Could be the fact that I know no one reads this except for me. Could also be the fact that I'm horrible at sticking with things. Especially when I have no one to hold me accountable. So basically its YOUR fault (yeah, you, the one not reading this).

Anyhow, as the title implies I have a question. And I am legitimately curious as to the answers I might get if anyone actually read this blog. So, just for fun, lets pretend that someone else other than me might actually answer this question and before I tell you the question I'll tell you what made me think of the question.

I was listening to this woman's video diet diary (its a long story as to how I came to be listening this diary, we won't go there). Apparently this woman is fat. I don't know how fat, but according to her fat enough to need to lose weight for health reasons, not aesthetic reasons. She was going through the list of things she had eaten that day or week or something like that and how she had to start stepping up her game and really getting serious. She had been thinking about how the next few months were going to be very difficult if she wanted to achieve her goal. And that led her to wonder how she will feel when she finally does hit her target weight. Will she finally be happy with her body? Will she look in the mirror and be satisfied? Or will she think, "I could lose 10 more"? How many skinny girls have you heard call themselves fat? When is enough enough?

The question I am wondering can be worded in a million different ways, but you'll get the point:

Is anyone ever 100 percent happy with their body, or are we doomed to be forever trying to change something?

Nobody Likes A Litter Bug

2009-09-28T16:38:00.008-08:00

Okay, here's my 2 cents for the day:
walking on the beach tonight, i picked up at least 10 various pieces of trash (plastic bags, balloons, plastic water bottles, etc), and I got to thinking, if every one of my facebook friends (i'm only using my facebook friends as an example because if I just used my regular friends the numbers would not be quite as impressive) made a concerted effort to pick up just 1 piece of trash per day that would be over 400 fewer pieces of trash headed into our oceans on the daily. Now, if everyone picked up 10 pieces of garbage per day, then we'd have picked up over 4,000 pieces of garbage! If we all did that everyday for a week we'd have picked up nearly 30,000 pieces of trash! Extrapolate that outside of just facebook and maybe we'd stop winding up with huge rafts of garbage out in the middle of our oceans. My point is this: every little bit counts, especially when it all gets added up. Do your part, be a good citizen, pick up some trash every now and then.

(Image from: http://creativekiddo.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-certain-dates-in-jan-and-feb-07-p6.html)

Moment of Zen (Yes, phrase stolen straight from the Great Jon Stewart)

2009-09-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

Juniper Berries

you are so cute

with your powdery purplishness

I especially like your green abode

it really makes you stand out

like a tiny little berry celebrity

therefore I just have to get all

paparazzi on your ass

and take this

picture.

Saturday Success

2009-09-26T22:05:00.003-08:00

Summer is coming to an end and with it the temperatures are dropping and my work load is decreasing. Two very welcome things. Because you know what that means? I can start wearing coats again!!! My new Patagonia Down Jacket has just been staring at me from the closet since August waiting for its unveiling. And while she still sits idly in the closet, I can tell her day is on its way. Okay, but seriously, besides the winter-wear coming out of boxes, this means more running, more biking, more doggy outdoor time. The air is crisp and the northeast winds are starting to blow. The beach is no longer as crowded and we can finally let the dogs run around off leash at the oceanfront! So much to look forward to.

Today it was a cool 70 ( my oh my has my internal thermometer adjusted well), which was cause for some trail riding. So up to Williamsburg we went, avec les bicyclettes. Its been a few months since we've been riding, due mostly to the hot weather and high humidity, but also the somewhat long drive and busy schedules. The ride was AMAZING. After a summer of paddling and running, this was the strongest I've ever felt on the trail. The roots, and bumps, and hills, and descents were easier than they've ever been and by the end of our ride I would almost swear that I was LESS tired than Sommers. I am seriously so proud of myself. I can tell you that I logged a lot of hours on the treadmill this summer and so far it has paid off. We even stopped at another trail on the way home, for a second ride on another one of our favorite trails, this one in Newport News. Good stuff, good stuff indeed.

Bike to the death?

2009-05-20T12:25:00.006-08:00

Mmmkay. So, I'm trying to figure out to to safely ride my bike to work. Right now its about a 10 minute drive to my job at Wild River Outfitters and I rarely have to be there at any kind of indecent hour so I realllly want to ride my bike to work. Problem is, bicycle and pedestrian paths simply do not exist for the most part. Hampton Roads (which is the amalgamation of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Chesapeake, and Hampton) revolves around the automobile. Highways, freeways, expressways, tollways, service roads, streets, roads, avenues, boulevards, routes-they got 'em. But bike paths, sidewalks, overpasses-now those are hard to come by. As a result few people walk or ride a bike to work (or anywhere for that matter) and thus drivers are woefully unaware about pedestrian rules of the road. People don't stop at crosswalks, they don't give bikers a wide berth, but mostly they just don't even notice them. This makes biking around here not only difficult, but dangerous. I asked a guy at work the other day who has lived here for over 10 years whether or not I could safely bike to work. His response? "As long as you plan to get in at least one accident. A friend of mine just got hit by a car the other day."

Great. On top of that, I don't have health insurance. Hmmm.

2009-04-30T06:51:00.007-08:00

In an effort to offset the negativity of my previous post, I've decided that today is a day for a new list, one that is-how do you say-a bit more umm, positive. Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for. This could be difficult, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Here's the list of the day:

10 Things That Don't Suck About Virginia

Compared to home, the weather is amazing. It is a novel thing to have more sunny days than rainy ones. All this sun may really up my skin cancer chances, but damnit if I won't enjoy this heat while I have it.
You can easily access many other states. So far I've been to West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland, DC, and New York. Not to mention all the states I got to cross off my list on the road trip over here including Kansas (ick), Kentucky (kind of nice actually). I may not necessarily like any of these other states that much, but at least I can cross them off of my list in my effort to see all 50 states.
You can get to West Virginia. And West Virginia is surprisingly Awesome. I mean, I never would have expected anything on the east coast to be quite so beautiful. Mountains, vast stretches of rural land, a few decent ski areas, and a quaint little town called Davis, in Canaan Valley, which made it into Outside magazine a few years ago as one of the top 10 unknown outdoorsy towns, or something like that. It was a good place.
The Outer Banks are just a couple hours away, and those are pretty beautiful, too.
Shenandoah National Park is also a real gem-even though the book I'm reading right now just informed me of all these hikers that have been murdered there by crazy hillbillies in the last couple decades and now I'm afraid to go. Oh right, we're staying positive here. Moving on.
East Coast Skiing. "Huh?" You say. I'm surprised too, but let me explain. Okay, east coast skiing does suck, by west coast standards. It sucks pretty bad in comparison and my appreciation for my hometown ski area in Alaska has grown exponentially. But here's the thing. Since the skiing sucks so bad (we're talking lots of icy days, man-made snow galore, puny "mountains" (hills is more accurate), overpriced lift tickets, gapers galore, etc.) you really have to push yourself to make it fun and to challenge yourself. You start to get bored going down black diamonds that are more like blue squares where you're from, so you start pushing yourself to make fewer turns, maybe hit a couple features, get a little bit of air. You start to realize you're one of the better skiers on the mountain (which is never something you realize while skiing at home) and that boost in confidence actually makes you a better skier by making you trust yourself more and thereby pushing your own limits a bit more. Kind of cool, actually. Plus, I will say, we did have two epic powder days this winter. One in New York at a super small resort called Labrador Mountain, and another in West Virginia at Canaan Valley Ski Area.
Fun mountain biking. Seriously, I've been surprised to have found some really, really fun trails. The trails we've been riding are called "Advanced" trails, but given my skills I'm sure they're not. We'll call them intermediate, but they are a great time. We're talking long, windy, single-track, meandering through the trees, interspersed with some small jumps, bridges, lots of roots to hop, some fun descents, a few ascents that will get your blood flowing, and overall just really pretty forest to ride through. Our favorite trail right now is at Freedom Park up in Williamsburg (about 40 minutes from where we are).
Shit, I'm running out of things that don't suck. Have I mentioned the weather? Thus far, it has been quite lovely. Today is a comfortable 70* or so. Soon we'll be up in the 90's, with the humidity raging, and I'll forget I ever said anything nice about the weather here. Or maybe I'll acclimate, we'll see. But at least I'll be tan.
A change of perspective is good for you, every once in a while. When I stop and think about the places I've lived (Juneau, Bellingham, Kodiak), I realize that although I've not lived in a lot of places, I've lived in seriously kick-ass places. You could say I've been spoiled. I like to think of my time here on the east coast as my west coast and Alaska appreciation time. Because its been a struggle to adjust here and to find things that make me happy (though I am finding them), I feel more sure of who I am now that ever before. I know what I need to make me happy, and I know what I don't need. I know what defines me, what sustains me, and what makes me whole, and while that might be hard to find here, and easier to find in Alaska or on the west coast, it still exists here. The key to life is finding what makes you happy and then to pursue it, constantly. For me its a few things, but predominantly its nature, the outdoors, wilderness-however you want to put it. Its what defines me, its the imprint Alaska has forever stamped upon me, and while I may be in this concrete jungle, everyday I make a point of finding those soft, green places of solitude that keep me ticking.
I think that's enough positivity for one day.

Judgment Day

2009-04-28T19:44:00.016-08:00

There is a part of me that thinks I should spend less time hating on people and more time a) not thinking about them, or b) finding something positive in them. I think that periodically when I find myself judging someone who is, say, wearing hideous white tennis shoes. Not a terrible crime, and quite frankly its petty and superficial when it comes down to it. And rather than assume those hideous white K-Swiss shoes automatically imply they are a douche bag, I say, "hey, self, maybe they play tennis, or maybe their feet get really hot and they've strategically chosen these white shoes for their high albedo. Easy enough.

There is an exception to my pathetic attempt at being less judgmental and it is the VIRGINIA BEACH BOARDWALK. Every time I go I find that I come home feeling even more disenchanted with humanity than I was before. So you ask, "why do you keep going then, you nit wit?" Fair. If it irks me so much, I suppose I could go elsewhere. In my defense, here are my reasons for going to the boardwalk so often:

1. I like running and its too hot to run during the day and the boardwalk is the only safe place to run alone at night. My desire to get gang raped by three rednecks named Virgil, Larry, and Bubba is about as strong as my desire to attend church on Sundays.

2. You can surf there. Well, not me usually, but my boyfriend can surf there. And he is, in fact, addicted to the sport. Think crack addiction addicted. So if I don't go surfing with him I usually walk the dogs, run, or bike the boardwalk.

3. It is, to be honest, a bit entertaining. You just can't make this shit up.

4. Sometimes there are hot surfers to ogle. (don't tell my boyfriend)

5. There are mile markers and I like to know the exact distance I've gone. (for the records its about 5.5 miles total).

And finally...

6. I enjoy the sense of moral superiority I get. There, I said it.

Okay, I feel I've adequately defended myself. Moving on.

I think the easiest way to express the ridiculousness of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk is to make another list. Because who doesn't love lists? I know that I don't not love lists, thats for sure. With no further ado, here is my list:

How to be a Douche Bag on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk

(Which May Quite Possibly Translate to Life in General)

1. Smoke cigarettes and exhale into the faces of passing runners.

2. Be pregnant and pushing a stroller with newborn twins in it. Really, do you need one more?

3. Come up with the idea that you and your two college buddies should each shave your chests, put on your tropical patterned boardshorts, and hit the boardwalk.

4. Trick your dog into thinking you're taking it for a walk on the boardwalk, but then spend the whole time sitting on a bench talking on your cell phone. Or even better, eating Dairy Queen and smoking cigarettes.

5. Attend last weekend's Jesus Lovers (not its real name) Festival at the boardwalk where the emcee convinces you that the following day will be dubbed "Internet Evangelizing Day", whereupon you shall go hence forth and spread the good word of the lord by texting, myspacing, or facebooking all your BFFs that OMG, god is so cool, LOL.

6. Dress identical to your identical twin sister and go for a jog wearing bizarre spring loaded shoes and knee pads.

7. Stand around in a group of guys talking shit about everyone out in the water surfing saying things like "only a fucking idiot would go surfing out there right now, that water's like 30 degrees man" (actually its 47, and that's what wetsuits are for), or "only a fucking fag would wear a sleeveless wetsuit, that dude must be fucking gay" (actually, that "fag" is by far and away the best longboarder out there and he's ripping the shit out of that tiny wave which is something I can't imagine you can do), or "dude, I'll only go out in that water if its like 90 degrees, I'm not a fucking idiot" (I'm thinking for starters that if the water was 90 degrees we'd have some serious global problems on our hands and we very well might all be dead. Second, I'm thinking you actually are a fucking idiot).

8. Ride your bike down a very crowded boardwalk while talking on your cell phone and adjusting your bikini top, totally unaware of the 12 people you've nearly run over or clipped with your handlebars, the mothers frantically grabbing their toddlers out of your path of potential destruction or the dirty old men who are simultaneously swearing at you and ogling the giant rose so originally tattooed on your lower back.

9. Let your dog take a shit on the beach amidst the sun bathers, get mad at dog for pooping because you have no method of cleaning it up, then cover up with sand. Yes, I much prefer stepping bare foot on a sandy pile of steaming dog shit...thanks for your effort.

10. Yell at me for not picking up my own dog's shit as I am actually in the process of picking up my own dog's shit. Yes, I did just flip you the bird, old man.

Aaaand, exhale.

To be continued...

Gimlet induced happiness...

2009-04-25T19:19:00.004-08:00

...which might mean i'm a giant lush bucket, but whatever. so, i've decided this blog needs more words and fewer pictures, because, well, that's what blogs are for. flickr is for pictures, right?

today was a glorious day. which is saying a lot since i have been a general state of depression ever since moving to the (l)east coast. but today, today was nice, and i'm feeling optimistic about the arrival of summer and things to come.

we woke up at 10-later than desired, but we'd been woken up at 5am by a COCKROACH crawling on ME!!!!!!! EEEEEK. Double eeek, triple eek, you get the idea. it was disgusting. The little bastard was crawling up my arm and i could feel it in my dream that i was having about icecream (what a horrible time to be woken up!). Ques (my dog) was standing right at my bedside, watching the whole thing go down with pure curiosity and excitement (i really need to teach him how to protect me from such vile creatures). i woke up, screamed, flicked the fucker off of me and scared the shit out of sommers who thought i was probably having some kind of frightmare or something. GROSS, gross, GROSS!

but i digress. we started the morning at the dog park. on a hot day like today the dogs can't come in the car, out of fear they might die of heat stroke (i'm being serious), so we decided to wear them out early to prepare them to hang out in the nice, cool house while we galavanted around town. from there, we enjoyed a tasty iced coffee on the porch and the proceeded to the beach for some sun time (the high was 93* today!). actually, sommers surfed, i basked in the sun. afterwards, once the sun went down and it cooled off (ish) we went for a 5 mile run on the very, very crowded virginia beach boardwalk. surprisingly entertaining, the whole dodging people while running thing. it makes you feel quite healthy to jog past a bunch of fat people eating dairy queen and smoking cigarettes, and while we got a good workout, we also perpetuated our belief in our own moral superiority to most of the people in this place. oh, there was also some nutty, jesus loving crazies holding a concert/promotion of internet envangelizing (sp?) day (i.e. apparently tomorrow is "use your myspace account to spread the work of god" day. ugh.). i'm telling you, we are seriously out of place here, fish out of water if you will. but again, i digress.

now we're home, so far free from cockroaches, enjoying a couple of vodka gimlets with the fan cranked on high cause we're too cheap to turn on the AC, and about to entertain ourselves by attending the saturday night bar scene of portsmouth. more than likely to be a short lived event as the bed is beckoning, even with the whole cockroach incident last night (i'm trying to forget it, but i just can't!). ciao!

Tree Hugger

2009-04-23T21:03:00.004-08:00

This move is actually best known as the reverse tree hug, but it works. Seriously though, while this picture is technically not very impressive (over-exposed, over-saturated, blurry, etc.), I still really like it. This is actually at the dog park in Virginia that I frequent (the two mutts are running around here somewhere). I was marveling at how beautiful the trees were and took a few shots, but somehow they were still just kind of boring. Conveniently my scarf matched the foliage so, voila, free model! This is one of my first attempts at being part of my photographs, and I have to say it was kind of fun. Personally I like how this turned out, what do YOU think?

Puerto Morelos, Mexico

2008-12-23T05:24:00.005-09:00

Stairway at a hotel in Puerto Morelos, a small village outside of Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula. I love love love blue and orange together and I especially love that this reminds me so much of Susan Bennerstrom's paintings (a fabulous Bellingham artist).

Bellingham, Washington

2008-10-23T01:17:00.003-08:00

More British Columbia

2008-10-17T22:39:00.004-08:00

I'm tellin' ya, BC is where its at! Canada has got it going on! This was another one of many random stops I forced on Sommers so I could take pictures. Additionally, I am so stoked on my polarized filter and what it does with the sky/clouds.

Eaglecrest Ski Area, Juneau, AK

2008-10-13T00:16:00.002-08:00

This is what Eaglecrest looks like in the summertime, almost as wonderful as when its covered in 2 feet of fresh powder!

BC=Beautiful Country

2008-10-06T00:36:00.002-08:00

Birch trees standing watch along the Al(aska)Can(adian) Highway in British Columbia.

The Trio

2008-10-02T20:04:00.005-08:00

Life is better with an entourage of dogs...Ques with his best pals, Ollie and Bailey.

Say Cheese!

2008-10-02T19:59:00.004-08:00

The love of my life, Ques. He smiles like no dog I've ever seen. People stop me on the street to tell me my dog "has a great smile", which does seem like a weird thing to say about a dog, but, he does. See?

Near Tok, Alaska

2008-10-01T20:22:00.002-08:00

Double rainbow over the Glenn Highway.

Treadwell Ditch Trail, Juneau, AK

2008-09-29T23:19:00.002-08:00

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK

2008-09-26T12:17:00.003-08:00

POT O' ICE.
Quite often, I think photography has very little to do with talent and more to do with timing. Perhaps its has to do with how observant a person is, or how quickly they can grab their camera and get to the right location. Capturing this rainbow which leads directly to the Mendenhall Glacier, was really only a matter of grabbing my camera and walking 50ft out my backdoor. Maybe in this case, a good photo is a matter of timing, or more likely, a matter of living in Alaska. Where else are their glaciers in your back yard, or, at the end of a rainbow?

Tongass National Forest, Juneau, AK

2008-09-14T13:46:00.011-08:00

WALK IN THE WOODS II.

Kluane National Park, Yukon

2008-09-09T22:31:00.004-08:00

SANDPIPER.

I have a very short attention span for fishing. My boyfriend, on the other hand, has the attention span of a cat watching birds at a feeder through a window--it could be a while before his focus moves elsewhere. Or at least until the birds are gone. Nevermind, you get the point. For my entertainment, I generally opt for either going for a bike ride, or grabbing my camera and wandering around. On this incredibly hot day in the Yukon, we decided to stretch our legs at a small creek off the side of the road. The shade on the bank of the creek proved to be the best place to avoid the heat, and also to capture this busy little guy, looking for lunch. Who needs to go fishing, when you can just watch everyone else fish?

Yakima Valley, Washington

2008-09-09T20:36:00.004-08:00

UNTITLED.

Leaving Prosser, WA you wind slowly out of town, up a pretty good hill and, well, you don't expect to see much when you get to the top. Especially when you're leaving town right as the sun is going down. But on our way to Portland, I was surprised by the beauty of such a simple landscape. As the sun faded, the patchwork farms, stitched together with all shades of greens and browns and yellows, contrasted the last of the blue sky that is so big in landscapes like these. I seem to remember the Yakima Valley being the inspiration for some of my favorite Susan Bennerstrom (a Bellingham artist who's work I adore) pieces, and in fact, this photo kind of reminds me of a painting.

Near Smithers, British Columbia

2008-09-08T21:03:00.015-08:00

CAR FOR SALE.

This old car was sitting on the side of the road, for sale, though it looked abandoned more than anything. Despite its dilapidated condition, it was still able to hold a pose long enough for me to snap a photo or two.

Arches National Park, UT

2008-08-30T00:00:00.005-08:00

COURT HOUSE TOWER.
In stark contrast to the rainforests of southeast Alaska, the landscape of Utah is painted in big, bright blue skies and bold, red rock. The greens here are sparse, and muted at best. The land is starved for water, yet its vibrance and beauty is all that stands out.

A Walk In The Woods. Juneau, AK

2008-08-28T22:49:00.003-08:00

RAIN RAIN, STAY.
Sometimes rainy days aren't so bad. On this particular day, the fog and mist of a typical southeast day filled the spaces between the spruce and hemlock and created a very ethereal feel. See, there are plenty of things to love about rainy days!

NOVA

2008-06-16T19:19:00.006-08:00

This is my sweet labrador, Nova. More accurately she was my parents' dog, but it seemed that she spent most of her time with me as my hiking companion, running partner, bike ride buddy, my muse for many a photo, and my cuddle buddy at night. She was my sidekick and the best company I could ask for during a long and sometimes lonely winter. We got her as an 8 week old puppy (a christmas surprise) and, of course, I was instantaneously in love with her. She was one of the most loving, energetic (sometimes neurotic), dogs I've ever met. Sadly, at the young age of 1, she died tragically in an accident that I will not recount here, as I have no need for tears at this particular moment. But she is missed all the time. I now have a dog of my own. He too is full of love and energy and I am positive the two of them together would have made for two of the greatest companions ever. I wish all the time that they could have met. Nova came back sometime after she died, in a dream of mine. In that dream she assured me she was okay, and that while her life was short, it was a good one. For some reason, after that, it was easier to think about her without crying. I felt sure that though her life was unfairly short, she must have had so much fun. She got to do more in one year than some people do in a lifetime! And of course, she was loved.