tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91506331541361770562024-03-13T19:46:30.529-06:00nells ventures"Life is either a great adventure or nothing". ~Helen Kellernellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.comBlogger950125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-16656425046582437602016-12-18T13:38:00.000-07:002016-12-19T13:41:17.205-07:00Change Is Coming!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Change is coming. But I'm not exactly sure what that means right now. What does <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">change </span>mean in your life?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">There seems to have been endless change in the last year. One year ago I was preparing for my journey to <a href="http://nellsventures.blogspot.com/2016/03/costa-rica-colleagues.html" target="_blank">Costa Rica.</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Where did the time go?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then I moved to SW Colorado and things <i><b>REALLY</b> </i>changed! </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I found my dream cabin in the forest. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gw4UhVShY45NCSScf4LRGq5qyQuD3jhwYzEl_sFiBNI0opi6We7S06PJckec9jrEnE5zJ9s8C4xsJY8kk5QLJR6PcHasWwoRYkOTjuDf9YCiZUyvQFJJrLMSVxhUzBLURlaPEcO3Xwdk/s1600/20160223_194427.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gw4UhVShY45NCSScf4LRGq5qyQuD3jhwYzEl_sFiBNI0opi6We7S06PJckec9jrEnE5zJ9s8C4xsJY8kk5QLJR6PcHasWwoRYkOTjuDf9YCiZUyvQFJJrLMSVxhUzBLURlaPEcO3Xwdk/s640/20160223_194427.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> Explored the many amazing local eateries and music venues. </span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBju4eAUU7CZ8q-oCEnjLMUrwnLeTHxWq9MCFdwMFwhfkyRFmYRpAaQJ9qAbbdGD1zMsaDFy_b2P4dKzSSZsoWUsKwN-ZjS6kmTXM8pypQq3HqVccRoxeLuSX9uStGcrpcMOPqCa_uXDO/s1600/20160327_182335.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBju4eAUU7CZ8q-oCEnjLMUrwnLeTHxWq9MCFdwMFwhfkyRFmYRpAaQJ9qAbbdGD1zMsaDFy_b2P4dKzSSZsoWUsKwN-ZjS6kmTXM8pypQq3HqVccRoxeLuSX9uStGcrpcMOPqCa_uXDO/s640/20160327_182335.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Met this amazing, young, inspiring, eternally beautiful woman, who happens to be dating my young, inspiring, eternally handsome son. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV7sLPdznAWdyruq-uDKSrFjxjxCYPPEyF1ekifbEuvLhYf89R4CO7M0myTow_tA-7ceFg-_fMSJRQtqagO6k4ZYkfvNcuymCA6DxzM74_4v1iKVTIx1g-xJbGkq7j9ZrhenghXqRh-q_/s1600/20160611_191628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV7sLPdznAWdyruq-uDKSrFjxjxCYPPEyF1ekifbEuvLhYf89R4CO7M0myTow_tA-7ceFg-_fMSJRQtqagO6k4ZYkfvNcuymCA6DxzM74_4v1iKVTIx1g-xJbGkq7j9ZrhenghXqRh-q_/s640/20160611_191628.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fell <i><b>deeply</b></i> in LOVE with this pup, Burton. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxtGnx-xLAjSRax_6DPifyN25dan1KM9ToKq46ROupvTPJwP-Gb83ogAaCO1d2dTe9Pb0cyfV7Ol6Qw7CNcZn2DCMc5oiqezXn-M2O25TDzGQShANfRfgtUr83q7RTlMrwwgaU8XtCcVQ/s1600/20160223_194822.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxtGnx-xLAjSRax_6DPifyN25dan1KM9ToKq46ROupvTPJwP-Gb83ogAaCO1d2dTe9Pb0cyfV7Ol6Qw7CNcZn2DCMc5oiqezXn-M2O25TDzGQShANfRfgtUr83q7RTlMrwwgaU8XtCcVQ/s640/20160223_194822.png" width="360" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rode <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">some </span>horses and hung out with some cowboys <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">during the </span>summer. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfG58T9a3eLCs-4P-t4_fCPlfe8GRlOIr81z4rJMrYjofphvBIF9xV8oS02HX2f4mV1k7138x0_gP3YG1ClrsfBqiPQsHrJ00Dh_JXRjteYmPxDN-rV9tQsb3DRjt5i414Wdc8z-UKI7qm/s1600/20160614_113811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfG58T9a3eLCs-4P-t4_fCPlfe8GRlOIr81z4rJMrYjofphvBIF9xV8oS02HX2f4mV1k7138x0_gP3YG1ClrsfBqiPQsHrJ00Dh_JXRjteYmPxDN-rV9tQsb3DRjt5i414Wdc8z-UKI7qm/s640/20160614_113811.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Drank a pint or two of amazing microbrews across the United States. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HXvlGCqJmv0biQCf4ZxzkycVK6IHv6HANzBahqeIJQYImFN1ZgTAPqI4VEEA6_DPXet7StLf3HCxGS_49G2E1XkJv6Rhg8Wf6osVGZlKiA4r7zXKC9liYU-lXMsSHPOb59YE3qQBFhqf/s1600/beerswithHH.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HXvlGCqJmv0biQCf4ZxzkycVK6IHv6HANzBahqeIJQYImFN1ZgTAPqI4VEEA6_DPXet7StLf3HCxGS_49G2E1XkJv6Rhg8Wf6osVGZlKiA4r7zXKC9liYU-lXMsSHPOb59YE3qQBFhqf/s640/beerswithHH.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Got to know the locals.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMK-uc7px9QdkkcGpF3-8Xxgdh0-Bri614nyRdXbipnfJQ2THArFJMDNhAJn-YOiIHH2CThFLWCzlbpjI_Lyu34kg6LhNuVbyLWttkaI2EEEVIGf-DpUvDr9BgrkONm3q_HeXTk1p3sxs/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMK-uc7px9QdkkcGpF3-8Xxgdh0-Bri614nyRdXbipnfJQ2THArFJMDNhAJn-YOiIHH2CThFLWCzlbpjI_Lyu34kg6LhNuVbyLWttkaI2EEEVIGf-DpUvDr9BgrkONm3q_HeXTk1p3sxs/s640/IMG_7402.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Had a <i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bunch </span></b></i>of adventures with my favorite person on the planet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KRmD3YjFy-GzSwECbSo-P638MEiY7xsKLtzv4lHiTkV_uQS9vExdH2yJen72aEbZWTGRrqU6h1CDeMz6vRZnCPpLWPvnCCFelKgzcG71zmE05bIk-lDpLuKltlq2fmUSyVLZePadqWH0/s1600/IMG_6699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KRmD3YjFy-GzSwECbSo-P638MEiY7xsKLtzv4lHiTkV_uQS9vExdH2yJen72aEbZWTGRrqU6h1CDeMz6vRZnCPpLWPvnCCFelKgzcG71zmE05bIk-lDpLuKltlq2fmUSyVLZePadqWH0/s640/IMG_6699.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Saw my <b><i>enti</i></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>re</i></b> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">family</span> & w</span></span>ent to two east coast weddings: my sister<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Shelly's<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>on the Hudson River, and my nephew<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>Brandon's in the Finger Lakes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A highlight of the year to be with the entire crew! </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcRe3btwVIJyTi-sq4lOXjh8TMbJMPq4qVsT908gebH-v7OaADdOxtoCYt-CGfPphgIVcwjiBsOgCiJ9rq2qfnk1hGkVZ4u_fp8ZLjjrwcr-6ymlCD8y-O1eV4K1PO23JJ-98DP0IugZ0/s1600/IMG_6974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcRe3btwVIJyTi-sq4lOXjh8TMbJMPq4qVsT908gebH-v7OaADdOxtoCYt-CGfPphgIVcwjiBsOgCiJ9rq2qfnk1hGkVZ4u_fp8ZLjjrwcr-6ymlCD8y-O1eV4K1PO23JJ-98DP0IugZ0/s640/IMG_6974.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineoFKLZQEVimycxC6JJVQUp9tgFs1LRuFhaULSvEeuIxKlMWUJJ6FchejPPJI59PZYF0VJT0zh2OaqsKKhAAynqQROFFR2w8HR0oDAYqUzrQEV_jzq-g6Teh79CSMa00hYIYFWEm3d-Au/s1600/IMG_6179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineoFKLZQEVimycxC6JJVQUp9tgFs1LRuFhaULSvEeuIxKlMWUJJ6FchejPPJI59PZYF0VJT0zh2OaqsKKhAAynqQROFFR2w8HR0oDAYqUzrQEV_jzq-g6Teh79CSMa00hYIYFWEm3d-Au/s640/IMG_6179.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looked at some flower<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s along the way.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofOK5vFHUdeilxPo9JFEOjLoiB38_O_H2oIE3KGhyphenhyphenCdv0j0RtigR9Y-BRT_-4OMnKFrOm6kXySri2HktySDtF6ep9w2ndrch0YBR85-ES4ITCAw2AWYDjvdo8OXrhY0dEI0PiajVvHCAD/s1600/IMG_7630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofOK5vFHUdeilxPo9JFEOjLoiB38_O_H2oIE3KGhyphenhyphenCdv0j0RtigR9Y-BRT_-4OMnKFrOm6kXySri2HktySDtF6ep9w2ndrch0YBR85-ES4ITCAw2AWYDjvdo8OXrhY0dEI0PiajVvHCAD/s640/IMG_7630.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Paddled, hiked, biked, birded, meditated, contemplated life and swam in the lake. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSsHNahFlly5ufEWUSASWLgLQLF8BGfLQmMAGkgzqta8W7prTj33gwbTnEy_iODvKguBahBY9ZDxwHzzAE_mYLVJqdoVRp_PH2oam18BzF9_nPQwqcLPro-8Up0JDDOmlqCkTezzvhEsV/s1600/20160703_191227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSsHNahFlly5ufEWUSASWLgLQLF8BGfLQmMAGkgzqta8W7prTj33gwbTnEy_iODvKguBahBY9ZDxwHzzAE_mYLVJqdoVRp_PH2oam18BzF9_nPQwqcLPro-8Up0JDDOmlqCkTezzvhEsV/s640/20160703_191227.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Watched a nest of Mountain Chickadees grow up and leave their nest.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQFWIx2DL8ijZ8hkghzPoSix6yx8lTG5Mmk9EpOxLPge51wh3KhknmqYEylyaHDosmZKkP40weq5KDmSj3lVjtbZHORb6X3qbSgBlh1mrkgsweQl6upJgRjLJPEVruwkuV8RN7jzBMGGs/s1600/IMG_7221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQFWIx2DL8ijZ8hkghzPoSix6yx8lTG5Mmk9EpOxLPge51wh3KhknmqYEylyaHDosmZKkP40weq5KDmSj3lVjtbZHORb6X3qbSgBlh1mrkgsweQl6upJgRjLJPEVruwkuV8RN7jzBMGGs/s640/IMG_7221.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Got a little closer to finishing my Masters of Environmental Management degree. (UGH!)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6-6b9gvX6ta4dJ0yI9W60O4CvGBtMx-kA1Qg9iYPnADT4gmOU1oiZzX8ct0y5GNSdSPRDxCpNkWQ95zlPpT_BJOxLM4Ozc4tLz9D06Tw1KOlsugJ30rm_QiatUAgIus17-_S1TyTKSE1/s1600/IMG_7252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6-6b9gvX6ta4dJ0yI9W60O4CvGBtMx-kA1Qg9iYPnADT4gmOU1oiZzX8ct0y5GNSdSPRDxCpNkWQ95zlPpT_BJOxLM4Ozc4tLz9D06Tw1KOlsugJ30rm_QiatUAgIus17-_S1TyTKSE1/s640/IMG_7252.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Made many new friends <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">for </span>which I am forever grateful! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-RfHjoBEyPF3KJxWhpRg0_pvzcXZUfX3VnxTDms3em5BVEzBOWWggTlZMZcGNVSJfyno7yn3zKvvbkn-EEHtL60QbNWZ7gtnK_C9QsHDN9VBF-yjpkeH13I0nRubf5nWTvTMEiq-XF1/s1600/20160723_180252.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-RfHjoBEyPF3KJxWhpRg0_pvzcXZUfX3VnxTDms3em5BVEzBOWWggTlZMZcGNVSJfyno7yn3zKvvbkn-EEHtL60QbNWZ7gtnK_C9QsHDN9VBF-yjpkeH13I0nRubf5nWTvTMEiq-XF1/s640/20160723_180252.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsxAPBZuTAPPYmHHq4SYQ0SJ1sRbFaEh7LgKLyQJUJc45eH7sBA8wF4wuWHCmXnHVhILdNvfraaz-_oGIs3AWBme8N9YJYLaZiHdfgBzyfQ_uHXwPeB7t-l42pIQCdcVLJopetAzPl8oI/s1600/20160723_180535.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsxAPBZuTAPPYmHHq4SYQ0SJ1sRbFaEh7LgKLyQJUJc45eH7sBA8wF4wuWHCmXnHVhILdNvfraaz-_oGIs3AWBme8N9YJYLaZiHdfgBzyfQ_uHXwPeB7t-l42pIQCdcVLJopetAzPl8oI/s640/20160723_180535.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiVSl5iLJmIGQvHPelCCEOIvHx4o634zy7uF9yi1IwOh3PeZs5dC8dJtzH3ICYUYwDyJassZMqOa0k7VD0evu5JxnKdZOwDuLmDdfqqGNk5hPD-owenPJROm2sAFeYb1AmFD-VcKlvHn6/s1600/IMG_7691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiVSl5iLJmIGQvHPelCCEOIvHx4o634zy7uF9yi1IwOh3PeZs5dC8dJtzH3ICYUYwDyJassZMqOa0k7VD0evu5JxnKdZOwDuLmDdfqqGNk5hPD-owenPJROm2sAFeYb1AmFD-VcKlvHn6/s640/IMG_7691.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQH4TJ773o48K0CuVY1NrhhZxKqtedMSX5YqYqXzrHfbkej0B-f1IeUfOdihQqeoI0VFNB2OE7L2h6gXus64xtB6n1KGu9Ueh4XLhmDhDg0PbuOrN97-yN-TiRaPIWQLlet4oS3fMquih/s1600/IMG_8129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQH4TJ773o48K0CuVY1NrhhZxKqtedMSX5YqYqXzrHfbkej0B-f1IeUfOdihQqeoI0VFNB2OE7L2h6gXus64xtB6n1KGu9Ueh4XLhmDhDg0PbuOrN97-yN-TiRaPIWQLlet4oS3fMquih/s640/IMG_8129.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8R23f64MUF_NAQwHaW0ct9ar-n0xn11YHk0KEqU5M2x8oojkInnppbcLxpiVt5jE09czRSLr-EXThvdaH2TcUOL14AYI-WyY5ZAjPcC3UVZ7qNd1B1RepXFl0TiN5u-BEeAEto3QVZL8l/s1600/IMG_8497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8R23f64MUF_NAQwHaW0ct9ar-n0xn11YHk0KEqU5M2x8oojkInnppbcLxpiVt5jE09czRSLr-EXThvdaH2TcUOL14AYI-WyY5ZAjPcC3UVZ7qNd1B1RepXFl0TiN5u-BEeAEto3QVZL8l/s640/IMG_8497.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wandered around, intentionally got lost <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">every once in awhile, </span>and then found my way again. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw5JS3FHge5bnVM2JDzYhkKoLAaXv1iBhvVwAbjFgem8BU0jZ9njJ04KQ4-kLen6LvTQZh63QptFuKrH6sMdsXEn1-AQtVMW4FkBLAxjyzlO8WdEVTYNzmVp-GXj83M9gTvAyv1Z7T1du/s1600/IMG_8180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw5JS3FHge5bnVM2JDzYhkKoLAaXv1iBhvVwAbjFgem8BU0jZ9njJ04KQ4-kLen6LvTQZh63QptFuKrH6sMdsXEn1-AQtVMW4FkBLAxjyzlO8WdEVTYNzmVp-GXj83M9gTvAyv1Z7T1du/s640/IMG_8180.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spent hours exploring<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, </span>playing and snuggling with these two.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPd6FCPzN2YSDgxQxeD4uTyw8WQkACRiZ0IgSHA9OSVlb8efX0mbMrp1HH8ZA8ooLdaSEjBdc4IRzlCgwquDmQ6HUgS6M3I0B73f323TZyqi8jDg_acZwDasdSwjjZofLrCi0_Q_urE_i_/s1600/14711426_1452188158128621_4330339668221041961_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPd6FCPzN2YSDgxQxeD4uTyw8WQkACRiZ0IgSHA9OSVlb8efX0mbMrp1HH8ZA8ooLdaSEjBdc4IRzlCgwquDmQ6HUgS6M3I0B73f323TZyqi8jDg_acZwDasdSwjjZofLrCi0_Q_urE_i_/s640/14711426_1452188158128621_4330339668221041961_o.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Watched the seasons change.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEalFfRuB3nmp4cT6262HTk2BF_pRfDyrW2gHnCyNFRyn7IcNVrm9ubpvuA0D9LOKNWebdfP_0T-IfT3qJvjAyyc9wBmtF-_EGCdlvljyJXuJ_L_H9fFHJu0POdnLizGz2-Lbnx-E4CCVP/s1600/IMG_7659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEalFfRuB3nmp4cT6262HTk2BF_pRfDyrW2gHnCyNFRyn7IcNVrm9ubpvuA0D9LOKNWebdfP_0T-IfT3qJvjAyyc9wBmtF-_EGCdlvljyJXuJ_L_H9fFHJu0POdnLizGz2-Lbnx-E4CCVP/s640/IMG_7659.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span> </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbkpdgurCHxOj9NSz4JyMrH5GFEdTW2Odsyf8-LyUMLyaL_vN74cM8F_BObDMsZieLGmAt4UR4zx15Tg13ivGK7iw0p3DgMV3mIy1HKxQeYpzsGyT1QeXedNb3gEpYRpjfhh9b7rdqJJ2/s1600/IMG_8223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbkpdgurCHxOj9NSz4JyMrH5GFEdTW2Odsyf8-LyUMLyaL_vN74cM8F_BObDMsZieLGmAt4UR4zx15Tg13ivGK7iw0p3DgMV3mIy1HKxQeYpzsGyT1QeXedNb3gEpYRpjfhh9b7rdqJJ2/s640/IMG_8223.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And figured out what my purpose in life is! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPgkODYoi87DH8rvJjt0OiMOucK1Uv_40UvarMJQrAYP0yJxxTfSdC20M0fF1hdWosIGakGwN7lyNoO1wVeShpl9Xm50FotYumJmmYk_65DZuWkDOYv3939gxyGxAEc3XsihuBZHoqvxH/s1600/20160921_215923.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPgkODYoi87DH8rvJjt0OiMOucK1Uv_40UvarMJQrAYP0yJxxTfSdC20M0fF1hdWosIGakGwN7lyNoO1wVeShpl9Xm50FotYumJmmYk_65DZuWkDOYv3939gxyGxAEc3XsihuBZHoqvxH/s640/20160921_215923.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There certainly were hiccups along the way, but when I really reflect and look back, it was a pretty great year, full of wonderful opportunities, lifelong connections, growth, silence<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, </span>adventures and traveling. My heart is full.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned! </span></div>
<br /></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-91420151379941781582016-03-19T10:49:00.000-06:002016-03-21T11:15:01.603-06:00Bird Flight<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">If you know me or follow my blog, you know I'm a bird nerd. Not necessarily the kind that goes out with large groups, or travels the planet looking for a specific bird or really even keeps a list. I just love their behaviors, abilities, biology, migration, beauty and the fact they can fly!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">While I was in Costa Rica on a boat tour on the Gulf of Nicoya I had the amazing opportunity to experience bird flight up close and personal. To better understand bird flight you can look at <a href="http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Flight/Science-Ideas-and-Concepts/How-birds-fly" target="_blank">Science learn.org.</a> Below is a quick synopsis. All the birds in the photos below are various aged </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Brown Pelican <i>(Pelecanus occidentali) </i>or Magnificent Frigates <i>(Fregata magnificens). </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4VqxAEz5EFmb6imUA69M5a-PsUNLfl8_mvA6dzxcC4lEQZMscd6Y1UPLLP09vDizrt2bEN58xPZ6VM_irf8Nm00R4FFCIAiNZCz3Ef_pAlFpF6-h6yyAFfsewTtremK19QRxp9ih5Qnn/s1600/IMG_4387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4VqxAEz5EFmb6imUA69M5a-PsUNLfl8_mvA6dzxcC4lEQZMscd6Y1UPLLP09vDizrt2bEN58xPZ6VM_irf8Nm00R4FFCIAiNZCz3Ef_pAlFpF6-h6yyAFfsewTtremK19QRxp9ih5Qnn/s640/IMG_4387.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wings</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The shape of a bird’s wing is important for producing
lift. The increased speed over a curved, larger wing area creates a
longer path of air. This means the air is moving more quickly over the
top surface of the wing, reducing air <a href="http://sciencelearn.org.nz/About-this-site/Glossary/pressure" title="The force per unit area that acts on the surface of an object.">pressure</a>
on the top of the wing and creating lift. Also, the angle of the wing
(tilted) deflects air downwards, causing a reaction force in the
opposite direction and creating lift.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Larger wings produce greater
lift than smaller wings. So smaller-winged birds (and planes) need to
fly faster to maintain the same lift as those with larger wings.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://sciencelearn.org.nz/About-this-site/Glossary/wing-loading" title="The loaded weight of an aircraft or weight of a bird divided by the total surface area of the wings.">Wing loading</a>
tells you how fast a bird or plane must fly to be able to maintain
lift: wing loading = weight/wing area (kilograms per square metre).</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A smaller wing loading number means the bird/plane can fly more slowly while still maintaining lift and is more manoeuvrable.</span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEFiZ2UWIIo2pEB3BflhqMrMtJVbbKxOGvie5jt5owFpk7X_2ZVeZ6l-wmgjPptq4aFjOlUR4uQo7wF_5W2YLIODz8FhACEhM5E2MWmdbRxsYq9LvbMoIHbyaECg0_G_vzaO_KTvoZfxc/s1600/IMG_4355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEFiZ2UWIIo2pEB3BflhqMrMtJVbbKxOGvie5jt5owFpk7X_2ZVeZ6l-wmgjPptq4aFjOlUR4uQo7wF_5W2YLIODz8FhACEhM5E2MWmdbRxsYq9LvbMoIHbyaECg0_G_vzaO_KTvoZfxc/s640/IMG_4355.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gliding</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">When a bird is gliding, it doesn’t have to do any
work. The wings are held out to the side of the body and do not flap. As
the wings move through the air, they are held at a slight angle, which
deflects the air downwards and causes a reaction in the opposite
direction, which is lift. But there is also drag (air resistance) on the
bird’s body, so every now and then, the bird has to tilt forward and go
into a slight dive so that it can maintain forward speed.</span></span></span></span></span></h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gRpS42sqXTCNginJwKg6vcK62V6E1QJFndgKyraBmXXwY04tb7rETwc_EYf8f_tO4BDQtkWnjRNTqDnL6OmkORRIoMAr6utdoKB0iAoUAOj2v7BP-X8yr-vFUAnaGfYKBsKRA3HR-9Wx/s1600/IMG_4487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gRpS42sqXTCNginJwKg6vcK62V6E1QJFndgKyraBmXXwY04tb7rETwc_EYf8f_tO4BDQtkWnjRNTqDnL6OmkORRIoMAr6utdoKB0iAoUAOj2v7BP-X8yr-vFUAnaGfYKBsKRA3HR-9Wx/s640/IMG_4487.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Soaring: </span></span></b>Soaring
flight is a special kind of glide in which the bird flies in a rising
air current (called a thermal). Because the air is rising, the bird can
maintain its height relative to the ground. The albatross uses this type
of soaring to support its multi-year voyages at sea.</span></span></span></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlEeCCUZzg_fYxeN2352zbiSJ4qaauMLsjeMf9mgGH4_QtnYu7tpS9p8gEPNRWRB3d9IiRfVKTR9N78sgfXNhxsUwlJUkpm7DQm_S0XQGx7kfK3Htrfhh52KHjIfCPsOf2fOsa8jecjJQ/s1600/IMG_4331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlEeCCUZzg_fYxeN2352zbiSJ4qaauMLsjeMf9mgGH4_QtnYu7tpS9p8gEPNRWRB3d9IiRfVKTR9N78sgfXNhxsUwlJUkpm7DQm_S0XQGx7kfK3Htrfhh52KHjIfCPsOf2fOsa8jecjJQ/s640/IMG_4331.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Flapping</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Birds’ wings flap with an up-and-down motion. This propels them forward. The entire wingspan has to be at the right <a href="http://sciencelearn.org.nz/About-this-site/Glossary/angle-of-attack" title="In aerodynamics, the angle at which the wing meets the airflow. If correctly angled, the result is the force of lift.">angle of attack</a>,
which means the wings have to twist (and do so automatically) with each
downward stroke to keep aligned with the direction of travel.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">ll of this allows birds to move great distances for migration, then land wherever they need to for food, mating, shelter, thermoregulation or rest. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Boy do I wish <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I</span> could fly!</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7j2BDXFSPpQl4guZhj7CVhjM78dEomnPQyeslVR7CtpOIoVcfGYnSSPrFjkpFrn-hBziGT38x1BEfnbIp7VdFcRdkdW_xoWYe5CZoKu2DObOvmQB0hKL5Bk8oJSvVDJb1Ex78tOBPB2SZ/s1600/IMG_4380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7j2BDXFSPpQl4guZhj7CVhjM78dEomnPQyeslVR7CtpOIoVcfGYnSSPrFjkpFrn-hBziGT38x1BEfnbIp7VdFcRdkdW_xoWYe5CZoKu2DObOvmQB0hKL5Bk8oJSvVDJb1Ex78tOBPB2SZ/s640/IMG_4380.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-52147402353542484322016-03-07T12:27:00.002-07:002016-03-07T12:27:32.869-07:00Building Bridges & Creating Corridors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp10-J01uN1O7xWzDylhm8YsgUykk8l_QU0dizw-ITnOt67It7o3icryl9eseVPP4Oq6re3PlCoOTxHnnu8KHxlA6szte-tnpLA5TnihtnotCyixc4awOuuxMPg6CKeSVLGHIiyrdwAfeS/s1600/IMG_3597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp10-J01uN1O7xWzDylhm8YsgUykk8l_QU0dizw-ITnOt67It7o3icryl9eseVPP4Oq6re3PlCoOTxHnnu8KHxlA6szte-tnpLA5TnihtnotCyixc4awOuuxMPg6CKeSVLGHIiyrdwAfeS/s640/IMG_3597.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Many people have asked my what I did while I was in Costa Rica. <i>It looked like you were having a lot of fun!</i> I kept hearing. In all honestly, I was having fun <i>and </i>learning at the same time. Experiential learning is something I have always valued. Equally as an educator for 15 years<i>, </i>as a parent<i> and</i> as a student. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've also been asked why international courses are so important. To answer this I'm going to take language from our course website. If you're interested in exploring this further, please click <a href="http://costaricacorridors.weebly.com/" target="_blank">here</a> for more information.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="container">
<div class="content-wrap">
<div class="wsite-elements wsite-not-footer" id="wsite-content" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_gw9shO7zxCU7S0jF1LmNv6uG2Xd9HzvFfOM0fwkwI8IZtx7DA8JySgJ7ln3pNDx2d7wbdTMOU7972Xr11aWQzNznlT6VKcWBBFlQRZ3ophLk-9WLj2UI-iy8AYw2fRhtJtFaDVYNiTa/s1600/IMG_3722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_gw9shO7zxCU7S0jF1LmNv6uG2Xd9HzvFfOM0fwkwI8IZtx7DA8JySgJ7ln3pNDx2d7wbdTMOU7972Xr11aWQzNznlT6VKcWBBFlQRZ3ophLk-9WLj2UI-iy8AYw2fRhtJtFaDVYNiTa/s640/IMG_3722.JPG" width="492" /></a></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> "Habitat Loss,
fragmentation and degradation is the number one threat to biodiversity
in the United States and internationally. Currently, habitat loss is
identified as the main threat to 85% of the global species that are on
the IUCN's red (endangered) list. Increasingly, as landscapes are
becoming fragmented, human wildlife conflicts are becoming intensified.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released their <u><a href="http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/" target="_blank">Living Planet Report in 2014</a></u><span><u> </u>study
that, on average, populations of vertebrate species have declined by
more than 50% in the last two generations or forty years. <br /><br />Critical
to the continued existence of many species is the creation of
ecological networks of reserves and parks. During this course, we will
study the social, ecological and economic challenges and solutions
proposed to create safe havens for species with a special emphasis on
Costa Rica corridors and preserves. While statistics such as those
above are heart breaking, the need for individuals to work toward
developing the policies and actions leading to connected preserves and
corridors is greater than it ever has been. We will use Costa Rica as a
case study for a country pioneering ideas, policies, community
collaboratives, and science to halt and reverse the global trends of
habitat loss."</span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span> </span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span>Every moment of everyday was an opportunity for growth and exploration. We had ten very full and educational days. I could not have learned in an entire semester sitting in a classroom what I learned in ten days in regards to the significance of creating corridors. Working directly with biologists, naturalists, education specialists, ranchers and locals in this diverse, natural setting is what made this essential to the experience. In every sense we enveloped this unique landscape. The sights, smells and sounds, as well as the experience of feeling the actual Cloud Forest and salty sea on us and being directly with the magnificence of the flora and fauna whose success now relies on this not just important, but critical work.</span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span> </span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4orZS9XkUC_9LmrgylpPGcf9UPMsbLcYo8GP4ugf5sw6QvVPVgiDS8XdF3AZHCLIHLUA-B9uuPoW09xLwjSQpW-EjE-h0aML02Ur2d9ki4aBZJUS9X00d9clWrzf5-5Pfu-WuYKNyMU48/s1600/IMG_3511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4orZS9XkUC_9LmrgylpPGcf9UPMsbLcYo8GP4ugf5sw6QvVPVgiDS8XdF3AZHCLIHLUA-B9uuPoW09xLwjSQpW-EjE-h0aML02Ur2d9ki4aBZJUS9X00d9clWrzf5-5Pfu-WuYKNyMU48/s640/IMG_3511.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span> </span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span> </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-19159114363968163952016-03-06T10:26:00.003-07:002016-03-06T21:39:11.687-07:00Those Eyes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="gmail_default">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's
an overcast Sunday morning, it's snowing lightly here in the forest and I have school work I
should be doing. But lately, the monotony has caused me to lose my
momentum and motivation for school. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A better choice in this moment is to engage in </span>enjoying my <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">steaming cup of </span>coffee by the toast<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y fire</span> and
look<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>through pictures from Costa Rica<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. This, with the hopes I'll re-gain some </span>perspective and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">inspir<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ation and </span></span>will ultimately be re-motivated in the projects before m<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e</span>. </span> That's the current plan anyway.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It seems as though years have
passed since I was in Costa Rica, but it's only been about a month since I
returned. Funny how that is.</span></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />I learned last week of some very sad news of the
unexpected passing of Sandro Alviani. Sandro was one of the founders of
the <a href="http://www.jaguarrescue.com/" target="_blank">Jaguar Rescate</a> in Puerto Viejo, Limon Costa Rica. It's more than worth the time to spend a few minutes looking at their website and learning about the incredible work they do each day at the Rescate.</span></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
</div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I visited the Rescat<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e</span>
during my 2011 journey to Costa Rica and was very impressed with both
Encar and Sandro and the work they've dedicated their lives to. Sandro's specialty was reptiles and here he had some amazing specimens including these poisonous Eyelash </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">vipers (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">Bothriechis schlegelii</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXx3-2MubHygRdyXfrVCui4uX1H3uPH2T9Ru4XSGwQkdDsdaduSO77u6H2C6wFro1GiqmXeLs-WhgAeKDUZudWSJl3-SxDSdaCs_40-6Bhrkfixj7IQPCIHwdFScAgcISYty149HIavsCd/s1600/DSC_0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXx3-2MubHygRdyXfrVCui4uX1H3uPH2T9Ru4XSGwQkdDsdaduSO77u6H2C6wFro1GiqmXeLs-WhgAeKDUZudWSJl3-SxDSdaCs_40-6Bhrkfixj7IQPCIHwdFScAgcISYty149HIavsCd/s640/DSC_0595.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> "It is with inconsolable sadness in our hearts that we announce the
passing of our brilliant, beloved and unique Sandro Alviani, co founder
of the Jaguar Rescue Centre Foundation. His unexpected passing in the
early hours of Sunday morning has shocked us all. We have lost a
great person, a strong fighter, a tireless activist. He deeply loved
this place, and all of nature is in mourning today, along with us.Ciao amore mio. Ti ameró per sempre. Encar"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
find my thoughts are with Encar and the animals very often this week.
In every sense of the word she has lost her copilot and partner. Her
life partner, her business partner, her conservation partner. I'm not
sure how you recover from such a great loss but these words give me hope
and it's clear this very necessary work must continue: <br /><br />"Today we say goodbye to a devoted husband, father, leader, friend, and
important community figure. Sandro, you will always be in our hearts,
and your spirit will live on here in the Rescue Centre and in the lives
of the animals that would have had no hope without your dedication!!<br />
We will reopen our doors to the public on Monday the 7th of March to
carry on Sandro´s legacy of conservation and wildlife protection. We know that Sandro will continue to lead us in making the wor<span class="">ld a better place for all living creatures."</span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
</div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="">It was crystal clear during my time there in 2011 these are remarkable human beings doing amazing work. Here are some pictures I took of Encar then. </span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default">
</div>
<div class="gmail_default">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuANR1gY26tUQhcqVFMVIfYKUAYsVlCWTeec2fjtFatrhPDQzRxIKCTZYebtLVkM9cXbeFbCVrMVdQy0Ta8Nm2Z4HSymJ3bwcQnDIguG_AMbsnSTg2m2lEDmA_dm-g-i__EPZRMkWXcuA/s1600/DSC_0632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuANR1gY26tUQhcqVFMVIfYKUAYsVlCWTeec2fjtFatrhPDQzRxIKCTZYebtLVkM9cXbeFbCVrMVdQy0Ta8Nm2Z4HSymJ3bwcQnDIguG_AMbsnSTg2m2lEDmA_dm-g-i__EPZRMkWXcuA/s640/DSC_0632.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With a baby coati </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>(Nasua narica</i>).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN1os55HkYaM-KjC-Nw3gI2x6Rceq1scbK8OCPyP98QoqBC40kMh74ncYX_CvzwSCXtyg0U0KbrO_ZP5X4zqB2ZjvF8TcwnKSeGDtJU2rKzgEVnpJ_01fq-L5o11I36ooqn8E2k3OaRtV/s1600/DSC_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN1os55HkYaM-KjC-Nw3gI2x6Rceq1scbK8OCPyP98QoqBC40kMh74ncYX_CvzwSCXtyg0U0KbrO_ZP5X4zqB2ZjvF8TcwnKSeGDtJU2rKzgEVnpJ_01fq-L5o11I36ooqn8E2k3OaRtV/s640/DSC_0641.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With an arboreal porcupine </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>(puerco espín)</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCusk0YZJ4X29a7FNakP-ghX2K3-6izQ4pNDEGRwlvErHCj_3PaW2zhnbKQDhYX3H6PQvywBnPs3l7FjOtLDu1EpzPnodnYPzXali9yGMffY0gl91TtqE9D4FcEIhKl9a_Zcb6Aw48S3G/s1600/DSC_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCusk0YZJ4X29a7FNakP-ghX2K3-6izQ4pNDEGRwlvErHCj_3PaW2zhnbKQDhYX3H6PQvywBnPs3l7FjOtLDu1EpzPnodnYPzXali9yGMffY0gl91TtqE9D4FcEIhKl9a_Zcb6Aw48S3G/s640/DSC_0652.JPG" width="470" /></a></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">White-Tailed Deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">) </span></span>faw<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n. This is the national symbol and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">threatened by extinction due to poaching.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm happy to say t</span>he pictures below of Mantled Howler Monkeys </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><i><span class="_Tgc">(Alouatta palliata) </span></i>are not from the Jaguar Rescata. I took each of these in
various wild, natural areas across the country during my January 2106
adventure. I remember each observation clearly. From the first moment I ever heard their call rolling through the canopy I have been intrigued.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="">This last visit to Costa Rica it was their eyes that especially captivated me. How they so readily engaged with mine. And the hands, seemingly
so delicate, but used to carry them effortlessly through the canopy. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnACMeufAiktE-UsuDfG5yV-buwJq4xs0He4Nv1vjlij-lwU5dG3ZlTadx8NZ9KAOPTkHzH8tq4_N5UM7K7QTn19Irvvsp4alA0ttgoiQ0cLtIJgY0vaNyYEUfSM3iiGYUn6bG-paOoju/s1600/IMG_3533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnACMeufAiktE-UsuDfG5yV-buwJq4xs0He4Nv1vjlij-lwU5dG3ZlTadx8NZ9KAOPTkHzH8tq4_N5UM7K7QTn19Irvvsp4alA0ttgoiQ0cLtIJgY0vaNyYEUfSM3iiGYUn6bG-paOoju/s640/IMG_3533.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whoa. That baby is really looking at me!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL34PyzvWDGpFsCVvNddt2zazdA6BF2XHWsiHAqupP2YhSsusPrtvl70i_uYNNb-bX0gFAjSGaKEC24ZS5RTdYoKFKozSgM6k5Jw4kK2bpC2ziMSRo-nQo_fwZSTE_uegHsxSdSyTP1tpt/s1600/IMG_3540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL34PyzvWDGpFsCVvNddt2zazdA6BF2XHWsiHAqupP2YhSsusPrtvl70i_uYNNb-bX0gFAjSGaKEC24ZS5RTdYoKFKozSgM6k5Jw4kK2bpC2ziMSRo-nQo_fwZSTE_uegHsxSdSyTP1tpt/s640/IMG_3540.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Those eyes! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJM3j6zz84b6PB7htCx711fDwEfWAj1mu9KrgGCP25Ty_TU1ZCZzBJTVVvp_xdueu753Etj9ffWYSMGxAC8gDtfNRbrEWKjO-LHcAVhYZNSM5ZfpZVpuDALCy6gtWHkjGG95WWctLAwPp/s1600/IMG_3541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJM3j6zz84b6PB7htCx711fDwEfWAj1mu9KrgGCP25Ty_TU1ZCZzBJTVVvp_xdueu753Etj9ffWYSMGxAC8gDtfNRbrEWKjO-LHcAVhYZNSM5ZfpZVpuDALCy6gtWHkjGG95WWctLAwPp/s640/IMG_3541.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW54DHcjydyVCly9TYuXWrJzOkwK7B7VYs5DD_j5zP66crK_Vnlto1Q3p8tvUAGdyQp1kft_V2j1kP_7PYA3ksvK61F6PJAwJYYryxnqXeybkmG376ZI98fqFevVUVf6BIY2Q_r35d6I0k/s1600/IMG_3550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW54DHcjydyVCly9TYuXWrJzOkwK7B7VYs5DD_j5zP66crK_Vnlto1Q3p8tvUAGdyQp1kft_V2j1kP_7PYA3ksvK61F6PJAwJYYryxnqXeybkmG376ZI98fqFevVUVf6BIY2Q_r35d6I0k/s640/IMG_3550.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just look at the hands, feet and toes!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClVKwueonnyxEgo8-ur6iQLqKbsEO_D09C2B4ecCnrKU5CJGoYVIT1voFTq-GPUGxJRgXttppSfvw5MSF8JHzrom5whgr_Sj2WFzBVpnhrWQgQZgoQhMiYBZhB_Gzl1jp0xFnh_ID5WX7/s1600/IMG_4207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClVKwueonnyxEgo8-ur6iQLqKbsEO_D09C2B4ecCnrKU5CJGoYVIT1voFTq-GPUGxJRgXttppSfvw5MSF8JHzrom5whgr_Sj2WFzBVpnhrWQgQZgoQhMiYBZhB_Gzl1jp0xFnh_ID5WX7/s640/IMG_4207.JPG" width="506" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T</span>his one is a favorite of mine. Just look at that baby on her back!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="">Sadly these animals suffer everyday, primarily from <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1558423764"></span>electrocution on power lines.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><span id="goog_1558423765"></span><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class=""><span id="goog_1558423765">You can help support these and other animals by making a donation to the Jaguar Rescue or by taking a tour on your next trip to Costa Rica.</span></span></span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-88948376846259457602016-03-02T09:15:00.000-07:002016-03-06T11:13:23.102-07:00Costa Rica Colleagues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What an interesting concept to get on a plane, travel to a foreign country where you don't speak the language, travel around the bumpy, sometimes mudslide-covered roads in a 15 passenger van, with people you barely know. You have to be pretty open minded, and hearted! I'd have to say now that I know this group so well, everyone of us is. So it worked out remarkably!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Please take a few minutes to read this great article written by my colleague Cassidy Brush on our recent incredible journey to Costa Rica: <a href="http://summitcountyvoice.com/2016/02/24/biological-bridges-key-to-sustaining-costa-ricas-biodiversity/" target="_blank">Biological Bridges published in the Summit County Voice.</a></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And enjoy these pictures of our group. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi743FmXAuiIX919uetML5WuJw-UrFWswOKkcwo-L5d_MlN2H3M_ybxW_FvNO3p8Z8KNG4_8Cz9wFYKtIqX2BooD5LaFaDcw_nU9DnncpAfXAGJC7JVRdbvwFgiFAZj8f9qHtHJU01s5yFq/s1600/IMG_3593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi743FmXAuiIX919uetML5WuJw-UrFWswOKkcwo-L5d_MlN2H3M_ybxW_FvNO3p8Z8KNG4_8Cz9wFYKtIqX2BooD5LaFaDcw_nU9DnncpAfXAGJC7JVRdbvwFgiFAZj8f9qHtHJU01s5yFq/s640/IMG_3593.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dr. Jessica Young taking it all in.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ntUsY1ATrPfLIShpADXZ6FBPu8B_QOcQqkLScS4WAGNv2FIc82jHbGCs74dF6Z6oaTff_e_uYy8KxcZMREQ7-sMa1YumJFoTS4vQpmPGDMTHCI6RS18YEfxc2J20SqorRMYCuPBJLHca/s1600/IMG_3629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ntUsY1ATrPfLIShpADXZ6FBPu8B_QOcQqkLScS4WAGNv2FIc82jHbGCs74dF6Z6oaTff_e_uYy8KxcZMREQ7-sMa1YumJFoTS4vQpmPGDMTHCI6RS18YEfxc2J20SqorRMYCuPBJLHca/s640/IMG_3629.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So much to see everywhere! Look up...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Tup8YS8gISoepiXDkq6DOS0FdA2c12wRUJ0Q25QeVdcp03-01t2rvR9wizO8zdxXN8JEr-JOASHI2_LDFeP4NZrr0lJbZFjrjyOO3I5x6pCZye7-XfeEE1nYjiCaxxvYUBxsYPkTbr4a/s1600/IMG_3641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Tup8YS8gISoepiXDkq6DOS0FdA2c12wRUJ0Q25QeVdcp03-01t2rvR9wizO8zdxXN8JEr-JOASHI2_LDFeP4NZrr0lJbZFjrjyOO3I5x6pCZye7-XfeEE1nYjiCaxxvYUBxsYPkTbr4a/s640/IMG_3641.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
.<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">..look down. We were always certain to find something interesting.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVDYJ4H5Jwj3CNda6mTKoIpFw16EO5OGfh77oGgJLrFB2CTtGTRbPvYmSOjrSxecNpfnhTPwXda7CzhnIj6mj9U2GtfB45orHUqdUk_DnbQfdjLHNRZ3wtzObIeo2RclPZ_FQYnRGqT1W/s1600/IMG_3680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVDYJ4H5Jwj3CNda6mTKoIpFw16EO5OGfh77oGgJLrFB2CTtGTRbPvYmSOjrSxecNpfnhTPwXda7CzhnIj6mj9U2GtfB45orHUqdUk_DnbQfdjLHNRZ3wtzObIeo2RclPZ_FQYnRGqT1W/s640/IMG_3680.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our naturalist guide, Victorino, finds a life bird. All is well!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDE54yrpv-yofz58cmmRasu7jIkMAlElxFN4_26hmnjUYgJeuHm8AvpV1GdoPIiSRHWqAvGCiSg53tPLLqPMm0QrGZ_gusn74jb2eExAciSykawnATWh0t7OdyzkdEkepQs0uvBNR6RhO/s1600/IMG_3692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDE54yrpv-yofz58cmmRasu7jIkMAlElxFN4_26hmnjUYgJeuHm8AvpV1GdoPIiSRHWqAvGCiSg53tPLLqPMm0QrGZ_gusn74jb2eExAciSykawnATWh0t7OdyzkdEkepQs0uvBNR6RhO/s640/IMG_3692.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Once again, Look up...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUObmsJs8hv65iscG1OoUQyBJGXuT5C8lbvFZpaWCS1SxIm8tYsWq5okBlf3O-uMve6_6Yiu5NCLBFp4aCozLy5DahNHONVVgzdNNYszVZyM1gYnX-rJaIAUYH4UHNIodEoGffUzVajnBv/s1600/IMG_3898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUObmsJs8hv65iscG1OoUQyBJGXuT5C8lbvFZpaWCS1SxIm8tYsWq5okBlf3O-uMve6_6Yiu5NCLBFp4aCozLy5DahNHONVVgzdNNYszVZyM1gYnX-rJaIAUYH4UHNIodEoGffUzVajnBv/s640/IMG_3898.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">....look down. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq46QC2SqDcbjSki6_fv-MEjBF6LnKaRuLpWFniOPXmDZmhvs-0A54Ois3z4Kjt8MRTg4Upk-61kKr4CsDCrB_hkuEqeQ5gJtw0uBp3ZmdG8EK9h3FzLJu2Tx2Co_UtzZnxDHy9sHnXxU/s1600/IMG_4128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq46QC2SqDcbjSki6_fv-MEjBF6LnKaRuLpWFniOPXmDZmhvs-0A54Ois3z4Kjt8MRTg4Upk-61kKr4CsDCrB_hkuEqeQ5gJtw0uBp3ZmdG8EK9h3FzLJu2Tx2Co_UtzZnxDHy9sHnXxU/s640/IMG_4128.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Good to see a friend on the trail. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9Qn3aaX1rSiC0jmk7JY2X68LeGIv6D7LfsJ000I0fhDEMHoCF704guJSpZPOCYnzsAwnzBreNdSRIUZYk45BcG1e8GmTZlzWWhzztGDOCDLoieBFeTm7JSngDwbCeWTQBva_TL1ew9XF/s1600/IMG_4161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9Qn3aaX1rSiC0jmk7JY2X68LeGIv6D7LfsJ000I0fhDEMHoCF704guJSpZPOCYnzsAwnzBreNdSRIUZYk45BcG1e8GmTZlzWWhzztGDOCDLoieBFeTm7JSngDwbCeWTQBva_TL1ew9XF/s640/IMG_4161.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From the cloud forest we walked down the Pacific Trail.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9JvUuO1B5x9qmiY2CH0dcBcDncCx4_AqRlpQBaDpe6baW82dbVNTz36yKxOBxDN8G_Eq0xskrnS6Ld9Fg8Up9_4jaUgUAtdMaL3kxltFju47kUrwpUcPIB8pEPm89J2JrZslmXlGSrhk/s1600/IMG_4171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9JvUuO1B5x9qmiY2CH0dcBcDncCx4_AqRlpQBaDpe6baW82dbVNTz36yKxOBxDN8G_Eq0xskrnS6Ld9Fg8Up9_4jaUgUAtdMaL3kxltFju47kUrwpUcPIB8pEPm89J2JrZslmXlGSrhk/s640/IMG_4171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Through the ranchlands and countryside of Costa Rica.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJc0WPmr72w9XIk-HpxwX6r0pox6xqEv-8lN0ZoReMRoY3rpmIQ1z9Cx5bz_6sDl1Awav1qgXZ49cxEhYy4EgTq4mMXUTmRnnGLFaGy366WCQuja32d53wwx_uAYnNOWc5JFDUDu6qDI-/s1600/IMG_4254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJc0WPmr72w9XIk-HpxwX6r0pox6xqEv-8lN0ZoReMRoY3rpmIQ1z9Cx5bz_6sDl1Awav1qgXZ49cxEhYy4EgTq4mMXUTmRnnGLFaGy366WCQuja32d53wwx_uAYnNOWc5JFDUDu6qDI-/s640/IMG_4254.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With several stops along the way. We toured two different butterfly gardens during our course. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAHh-ndS6mDuih-C-f4ES-BbrzYuZj1w82ZPFWHrxLBL_qHElYwalU3_9JEs9ZZMQjIpV9N7_nWEDvnRKNo_yGLXN13p-Cp-fPv6eV8X7ErPXYaQ1ukBpuJLzwrn0WtXwYmUBfhz7MWaf/s1600/IMG_4425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAHh-ndS6mDuih-C-f4ES-BbrzYuZj1w82ZPFWHrxLBL_qHElYwalU3_9JEs9ZZMQjIpV9N7_nWEDvnRKNo_yGLXN13p-Cp-fPv6eV8X7ErPXYaQ1ukBpuJLzwrn0WtXwYmUBfhz7MWaf/s640/IMG_4425.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We were taken on a 4 hour boat tour of the Gulf of Nicoya and through the mangroves. Where we saw Cayman, an amazing number of birds, sea turtles and rays.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjl4OM-9zru7PosEYKsrzFrrlUWondBkltm5s6c8IKG3dBxPHdyVHnEx9Tjq6yzoqZk3RIxfmrzzgIj_2Lg5s7ocOtCcjgO5zdHAC6zDoWTy7bbvOOVHtCNCJA6D83_cF3xYY1P_oAkh5/s1600/IMG_4450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjl4OM-9zru7PosEYKsrzFrrlUWondBkltm5s6c8IKG3dBxPHdyVHnEx9Tjq6yzoqZk3RIxfmrzzgIj_2Lg5s7ocOtCcjgO5zdHAC6zDoWTy7bbvOOVHtCNCJA6D83_cF3xYY1P_oAkh5/s640/IMG_4450.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And enjoyed the freshest oysters I've ever had in my life! YUM!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm grateful for the interactions and relationships created during this 10 day course. Everyday offered a learning experience and memories I will forever hold closely. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-15150111436518801842016-02-24T19:47:00.000-07:002016-03-06T21:41:27.655-07:00Do You Feel Like An Outsider?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6s4X4qOi3_puYtyie1rSkbL7qMytUs3GdfUMRZF9Dv4oF5LcV-6k0dGmNidkGZUvGjNUct3sYjyJyOd3gBUhzg5ODEzHiafP0hgDJXNN-I_zGCeZE06Q-oVKpD9QSHlTKGLcJ0B9XdY5/s1600/IMG_3508+-+copia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6s4X4qOi3_puYtyie1rSkbL7qMytUs3GdfUMRZF9Dv4oF5LcV-6k0dGmNidkGZUvGjNUct3sYjyJyOd3gBUhzg5ODEzHiafP0hgDJXNN-I_zGCeZE06Q-oVKpD9QSHlTKGLcJ0B9XdY5/s640/IMG_3508+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">View from my room in San Jose. It was actually a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> lovely</span> apartme<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">nt. I wanted <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to have a gathering here bec<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ause it was New Years Eve and there were fire works <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I c<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ould view perfectly </span>all around the city. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But, instead I watched by myself.</span></span></span></span></span> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Several people have asked me since I returned from Costa Rica if I felt
like an outsider while I was traveling through the country for five weeks. A very interesting question indeed.
When I asked why they thought I would feel that way, the response was
always, "Well, you have blonde hair and white skin and you don't speak
their language. Clearly you didn't fit in."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpQpm6VScLRc-DkhGllmani5U2ffKbralxZ0sUIPy9X0Xxr6KnBznYOGOaSYhjuWFRc9rFqQg5EQNf2hquE6HiiRwMg3_QXwO70UHY-N9aGi1E_3t0oP9X9vjvQlRcF1Hh83a95KR2I7J/s1600/IMG_4585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpQpm6VScLRc-DkhGllmani5U2ffKbralxZ0sUIPy9X0Xxr6KnBznYOGOaSYhjuWFRc9rFqQg5EQNf2hquE6HiiRwMg3_QXwO70UHY-N9aGi1E_3t0oP9X9vjvQlRcF1Hh83a95KR2I7J/s640/IMG_4585.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fishing on the Gulf of Nicoya</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hmmmm......I thought. What an
odd correlation. Primarily because I've never felt more welcomed in a
country than by the Tico's in Costa Rica. Big hearts and genuine smiles
who offer you a ride in the rain, a delicious cup of their famous Costa
Rican cafe or a trek deep in the cloud forest to find one of their
amazing birds. Helpful with enormous hearts.<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Is there a reason I should feel like I dont fit in?</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Am I ignorant and naive? </i></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePe_hvOHUhGHP0WKF3PpEGT0gWvJvsW0Up4ADcni5K33Fc6oggVOzagzycPCGlFWiuiCMbVRGV-g4lw9qYqSQDvs71_WURS5KXei49yYALjwPjVGQx4FH7witgNK8BB7Ds9aJ_sVCu6WD/s1600/IMG_3859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePe_hvOHUhGHP0WKF3PpEGT0gWvJvsW0Up4ADcni5K33Fc6oggVOzagzycPCGlFWiuiCMbVRGV-g4lw9qYqSQDvs71_WURS5KXei49yYALjwPjVGQx4FH7witgNK8BB7Ds9aJ_sVCu6WD/s640/IMG_3859.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Beauty in the Monteverde Could Forest Reserve</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even in my own country I
often feel out of place, unwelcome and like an outsider. My white skin,
English speaking language and all. And given the way the Presidential Elections are going, I can most certainly say I do not fit in.</span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-49757939118281889802016-02-14T09:37:00.003-07:002016-03-07T12:32:23.394-07:00Where Do I Begin? Let's Begin With Transformation & Transition. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMX4bg0AAu5x36PCPIyLkX-TM5Fb5mayZFFum7nhxev60RTAk3oWa_bL09-pt7_530y8zxN4yhZtcAgPCldkTgB5VbDrd3UE527pFHCnRnPTAMSKMF0pvI-bibdytPA7vy_uX_rikykbm/s1600/IMG_4819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMX4bg0AAu5x36PCPIyLkX-TM5Fb5mayZFFum7nhxev60RTAk3oWa_bL09-pt7_530y8zxN4yhZtcAgPCldkTgB5VbDrd3UE527pFHCnRnPTAMSKMF0pvI-bibdytPA7vy_uX_rikykbm/s640/IMG_4819.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ok, wow, so much has happened since Christmas & New Years, that I'm not exactly sure where to begin...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have thousands of stories and pictures I want to document & share from a transformational, 5 week, life-changing, research trip in Costa Rica. Additionally, I'm going through a lot of personal transformation and changes. Ending some aspects of my life and beginning others. I'm spending some time in a different and very beautiful location to gain some perspective and see what's next for me. It's not a traditional path by any means, but I've never claimed to be traditional, so it works for me. And it's actually an exciting place to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A fantastic place for me to begin & get back on track with my photo journaling is with this picture of a stunning sunset and the Gulf of Nicoya taken from my accommodations in Monteverde. This picture is a reminder for me that every second of everyday things are transforming all around us. Some of it is stunning & jaw-droppingly-beautiful. Some of it is ugly and gut-wrenchingly - nasty. Some of it we have control over, some of it we do not get to choose. For me personally, it's how we deal with and accept transitions, good or bad, that result in true, undeniable, transformation. We can be reactive and fight it, or we can observe it, gain perspective and from there be responsive in our thoughts and actions. Sometimes that means bowing out gracefully, other times it means engaging with your heart and trusting 100%. It's not always easy! And it takes true dedication and sincere practice. But it's so worth it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And on a side-note: I'm trying this 'Dynamic View' on Blogger to see if its a format I can not only live with, but really enjoy. Blogger in many ways seems very out of date to me. The original Dynamic View allows the reader 7 different views to choose from on the dashboard. This personally drove me nuts-too many options! So, I did a little research and figured out a way to limit the options when viewing from a desktop. Thank you <a href="http://www.spiceupyourblog.com/2012/09/remove-choose-template-option-blogger-dynamic-views.html#.VsCt2FKOq3W" target="_blank">Spice Up Your Blog and Southern Speakers</a>. If you're on a desktop and you want to try a different view, just click one of the options 'Magazine' or 'Snapshot' in the dashboard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-64112530494439952132015-12-28T21:49:00.000-07:002015-12-28T21:49:04.558-07:00Christmas 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Motto: Keep Holidays Simple = Love. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snow. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRPHjt79ikzoFQYg7SlrdYhuzpHkYSiu8qX5CtllpOqyFgzyCdoIGBmfjuGOrlHYABSfZ8nKd7_LhC-TCyLFC0_Lrs7fjKLC0fuEHM579awtBaNFRUO6g7u2SX3ru3QPD9i0kGH8e0VZH/s1600/IMG_3501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRPHjt79ikzoFQYg7SlrdYhuzpHkYSiu8qX5CtllpOqyFgzyCdoIGBmfjuGOrlHYABSfZ8nKd7_LhC-TCyLFC0_Lrs7fjKLC0fuEHM579awtBaNFRUO6g7u2SX3ru3QPD9i0kGH8e0VZH/s640/IMG_3501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NU2gcgw_QRAKvNo88hKQ9oDzqj9pw55Zz0npRxX7ktHm3gHFmmZOUMzYUt4Hk23NU_UFRNO3EpHusWkm8c7l0hfK1z3RY-B6NEgjD6Ivtkk26fcK1y_PxZW6_tDC53yEg-3AvGGyG0qH/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NU2gcgw_QRAKvNo88hKQ9oDzqj9pw55Zz0npRxX7ktHm3gHFmmZOUMzYUt4Hk23NU_UFRNO3EpHusWkm8c7l0hfK1z3RY-B6NEgjD6Ivtkk26fcK1y_PxZW6_tDC53yEg-3AvGGyG0qH/s640/IMG_3437.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqCdzw2KCb7KZ3SCZVZKNeW8IIgwI7l4r5kjJmxWkx1iQlqI6avCFZADDYh3hrLVlM499brnLIaQgWkqSg6AN9nDArjhq_09dVEQfM6HF5Jh55c8pwrp-ajZrI_0FfuXXLujasbdNDosl/s1600/IMG_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqCdzw2KCb7KZ3SCZVZKNeW8IIgwI7l4r5kjJmxWkx1iQlqI6avCFZADDYh3hrLVlM499brnLIaQgWkqSg6AN9nDArjhq_09dVEQfM6HF5Jh55c8pwrp-ajZrI_0FfuXXLujasbdNDosl/s640/IMG_3456.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkaLaBr30thYglrgcPZrMuc5Tyqc_IsMNJKbp6g4034nwHHKRBeTA6vzYwz5ZjLEzVkWQ2994ftMS4E4UruBROSic7es3HSrNpqRvc9HyoKlMoIsa79-1iNePPu8XCGwK8-cjK3VpVxxi/s1600/IMG_3499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkaLaBr30thYglrgcPZrMuc5Tyqc_IsMNJKbp6g4034nwHHKRBeTA6vzYwz5ZjLEzVkWQ2994ftMS4E4UruBROSic7es3HSrNpqRvc9HyoKlMoIsa79-1iNePPu8XCGwK8-cjK3VpVxxi/s640/IMG_3499.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2Cx_EX2HZj8hVRMY25rK03PC6MSINw2D8Y79KuIfzVjOThDm5Hqs5wK7G2ffXHu8VApeDS-WBetna7GwfWncfHPy3lniy7Z8eJXaMvKEY9Z5yy7qB2xHcFqJNap3WrO1mDvNABiWy7ns/s1600/IMG_3257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2Cx_EX2HZj8hVRMY25rK03PC6MSINw2D8Y79KuIfzVjOThDm5Hqs5wK7G2ffXHu8VApeDS-WBetna7GwfWncfHPy3lniy7Z8eJXaMvKEY9Z5yy7qB2xHcFqJNap3WrO1mDvNABiWy7ns/s640/IMG_3257.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cookies made with my Mom's cookie cutters.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaF7ldemASS9cAeM5BbD9lSTBoA5Oigt-1PocpE8iuybZorkF25_quYu5-Uy6ErnTtk3BcjSbX_H6Ze03w3A2CJrsS8NHXF5xjbNGhrLGhrrM9gXUTHFWXXL2svBTFMph-X8Q6uovIDTD/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaF7ldemASS9cAeM5BbD9lSTBoA5Oigt-1PocpE8iuybZorkF25_quYu5-Uy6ErnTtk3BcjSbX_H6Ze03w3A2CJrsS8NHXF5xjbNGhrLGhrrM9gXUTHFWXXL2svBTFMph-X8Q6uovIDTD/s640/IMG_3395.JPG" width="422" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Organic peach preserves made by a dear friend.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1_u81DiyRzl94QfvIcjwStFlPOPby_-Qz001PX897pXKNuJlpMPC3CHLTnKU_GnGwRoqegjvCPu4ckN-9HU7FEAVqC-QpfZI1SRnsTDRopaTfkK-P6pqZ2GVBCPhyvE-56lryOjU3K6e/s1600/IMG_3270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1_u81DiyRzl94QfvIcjwStFlPOPby_-Qz001PX897pXKNuJlpMPC3CHLTnKU_GnGwRoqegjvCPu4ckN-9HU7FEAVqC-QpfZI1SRnsTDRopaTfkK-P6pqZ2GVBCPhyvE-56lryOjU3K6e/s640/IMG_3270.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3tlT-PLusOiOhQ6KebMOZNGw3PYQ-nl9mwlAWi1R37TIHoI4zhnGjEQAwHO47pD-SNS_F_dOT9b6WAZL6hgkFPK4Tq4HSeKFnv5wtdbKu7s5JXuxFJb3amIuASyCyO58NBs4v1NQFt-M/s1600/IMG_3274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3tlT-PLusOiOhQ6KebMOZNGw3PYQ-nl9mwlAWi1R37TIHoI4zhnGjEQAwHO47pD-SNS_F_dOT9b6WAZL6hgkFPK4Tq4HSeKFnv5wtdbKu7s5JXuxFJb3amIuASyCyO58NBs4v1NQFt-M/s640/IMG_3274.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJEz71Ekyi9sCp_7rXhtRato9Epk7Clttm2aaR7YEv1sN89Sx1O-RIuuRSujPGVFy44RTa8nxPKIrEeEHN_-3V-7_yWNEeS8tDBpKxRmWA7QnmT-VCB_Qz9iXxyJ50WZErrtAmTeb1BVA/s1600/IMG_3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJEz71Ekyi9sCp_7rXhtRato9Epk7Clttm2aaR7YEv1sN89Sx1O-RIuuRSujPGVFy44RTa8nxPKIrEeEHN_-3V-7_yWNEeS8tDBpKxRmWA7QnmT-VCB_Qz9iXxyJ50WZErrtAmTeb1BVA/s640/IMG_3278.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dogs.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbWGzF87oXjARPr_EEBDxS_kyqLapBQ7h0_cW-Q3ZrbEfMW74uF-q3ouUyTA28bHSn6GiPI-_pFd2fR5PweXMCLix03xFutA-mxTeyvZ8WLBO87njWnrpnB4cGXMpU_lJBEjGNASjRVCq/s1600/IMG_3281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbWGzF87oXjARPr_EEBDxS_kyqLapBQ7h0_cW-Q3ZrbEfMW74uF-q3ouUyTA28bHSn6GiPI-_pFd2fR5PweXMCLix03xFutA-mxTeyvZ8WLBO87njWnrpnB4cGXMpU_lJBEjGNASjRVCq/s640/IMG_3281.JPG" width="544" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8_QLMMB3Mnnh8__I_CPM66F6Q_HBAKdUlbHlTXok33tDbLgzM4exdDgoPowKG6Tz6_Dy-mMtQTphejLI0ARo2IzRBM7eYVNeYW348n7vBCvxJpbWdiTxvegMB_y4xLPSS7MoupsFGHXE/s1600/IMG_3301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8_QLMMB3Mnnh8__I_CPM66F6Q_HBAKdUlbHlTXok33tDbLgzM4exdDgoPowKG6Tz6_Dy-mMtQTphejLI0ARo2IzRBM7eYVNeYW348n7vBCvxJpbWdiTxvegMB_y4xLPSS7MoupsFGHXE/s640/IMG_3301.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sl7bz5gMbyOdsg4XP_DkOgqj1yszjXXI270SQYWij8wmHVm1meda3mHuL0CVb05tCxfwP9kTLcO4MZIZac6kXMiZwhyphenhyphenNY4LhwiWxCTDZ0bwonMTK3VrpxEpXxc_MBFhe5qz0xtDZuVqE/s1600/IMG_3417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sl7bz5gMbyOdsg4XP_DkOgqj1yszjXXI270SQYWij8wmHVm1meda3mHuL0CVb05tCxfwP9kTLcO4MZIZac6kXMiZwhyphenhyphenNY4LhwiWxCTDZ0bwonMTK3VrpxEpXxc_MBFhe5qz0xtDZuVqE/s640/IMG_3417.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-1358360172930301042015-12-20T12:13:00.000-07:002015-12-20T12:13:03.288-07:00Merry Christmas from the 4 Legged Ones!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxJ2XiTbS0vPQZmR18ttNF9GAkGBg1ue8qyPpDV04sCY62uNUaQcIaasaJ6TaVllbX4pB8gqVUXRbCLFYoZfiB5ao0dsysPP4HVBo3GiunymN3Y8xN-BggCi_IppFhKxxsWsjRcsv1kOa/s1600/IMG_3241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxJ2XiTbS0vPQZmR18ttNF9GAkGBg1ue8qyPpDV04sCY62uNUaQcIaasaJ6TaVllbX4pB8gqVUXRbCLFYoZfiB5ao0dsysPP4HVBo3GiunymN3Y8xN-BggCi_IppFhKxxsWsjRcsv1kOa/s640/IMG_3241.JPG" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edison. aka Eddie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3lfYDTKui8CpL8bfjlHSUTQ7xm4fiZssIdmDAhRXDBAm-F5mveu8-H1xrNC6_tzZMqUfK93NV8Oh5_LJ3uKQBowyOY1zNEvmSfqnJOjL0SyE8fCHEwbNq54lee4Q7BOEhEoxbUvYkxYj/s1600/IMG_3247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3lfYDTKui8CpL8bfjlHSUTQ7xm4fiZssIdmDAhRXDBAm-F5mveu8-H1xrNC6_tzZMqUfK93NV8Oh5_LJ3uKQBowyOY1zNEvmSfqnJOjL0SyE8fCHEwbNq54lee4Q7BOEhEoxbUvYkxYj/s640/IMG_3247.JPG" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dudley Brown Dog. aka Brown</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-6935528067380973582015-12-16T14:29:00.001-07:002015-12-16T14:36:19.069-07:00It's Christmas Time!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Front Range was blanketed with a fresh, fluffy snow storm yesterday! There was actually a snow-day for many school districts and businesses, which doesn't happen often in Colorado. We had a fun day playing in the pureness! </span></span></h2>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwb_CQwW-_0bfNfoosdIaB_39Ya2Pyy6j_wzyJ6M7SRgv8LQ26wkjQNbs82Qq5mSY1Ai2ZLjxWtEQISkrvdcCQ91oVz28mSpy5HSu3GRQG5lqSjMtvGkFQO29YnkxEF5Ldj2UVJDIUbjU/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwb_CQwW-_0bfNfoosdIaB_39Ya2Pyy6j_wzyJ6M7SRgv8LQ26wkjQNbs82Qq5mSY1Ai2ZLjxWtEQISkrvdcCQ91oVz28mSpy5HSu3GRQG5lqSjMtvGkFQO29YnkxEF5Ldj2UVJDIUbjU/s640/IMG_3177.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTXrf5eUp051DniWULAcYkr3PCxR2XhIfF7GIpJoJURBiopncwVpz6oiu-bLP15oYMPZSzvHM-Vbq6ZQ-gdciGVpb6fb6wvvzHWqVMGTfzPQuu9eNCvHmu3ki39I6jAfDqlIXX23Srn5P/s1600/IMG_3156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTXrf5eUp051DniWULAcYkr3PCxR2XhIfF7GIpJoJURBiopncwVpz6oiu-bLP15oYMPZSzvHM-Vbq6ZQ-gdciGVpb6fb6wvvzHWqVMGTfzPQuu9eNCvHmu3ki39I6jAfDqlIXX23Srn5P/s640/IMG_3156.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFJ0Gj2JtuONuaFo8lq_aeXsgqAWci9x0wEi-Ghu2P0KK0cbmp2FfpkJOGFvaWBFhBAZhaQCim5ow_HfEuegR6aariPMeI1r_P9dUGMnPq79bcUwmjI_Sz0CctNsSEXZyaXWoX-lWsNdb/s1600/IMG_3139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFJ0Gj2JtuONuaFo8lq_aeXsgqAWci9x0wEi-Ghu2P0KK0cbmp2FfpkJOGFvaWBFhBAZhaQCim5ow_HfEuegR6aariPMeI1r_P9dUGMnPq79bcUwmjI_Sz0CctNsSEXZyaXWoX-lWsNdb/s640/IMG_3139.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4jzuAVByZj18yYS4idfdPAB1vUW5iic2vx108gF8622nFp1AVQ7dh0aTnFZTSoqa5ur8r6pxutwCkcOIVr2dX7f2XxgBUYIVYeffCc98zosLhIE1bn7Q0J0eKiPr6VwpYYxdJQpGDkut/s1600/IMG_3137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4jzuAVByZj18yYS4idfdPAB1vUW5iic2vx108gF8622nFp1AVQ7dh0aTnFZTSoqa5ur8r6pxutwCkcOIVr2dX7f2XxgBUYIVYeffCc98zosLhIE1bn7Q0J0eKiPr6VwpYYxdJQpGDkut/s640/IMG_3137.JPG" width="380" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQuLFGjE8KY_nkx6vwAJJgsYKV2zwGpUQ5awb94wyKwbEqISFts8LuTJ9K6cqOLf4SD9kbJiG-mQaKJ51U4P94MkvhGt-6MXmgCnizv7lAx74AIN3kbjIVQbG1G4HBjk8mudFs0016al7/s1600/IMG_3145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQuLFGjE8KY_nkx6vwAJJgsYKV2zwGpUQ5awb94wyKwbEqISFts8LuTJ9K6cqOLf4SD9kbJiG-mQaKJ51U4P94MkvhGt-6MXmgCnizv7lAx74AIN3kbjIVQbG1G4HBjk8mudFs0016al7/s640/IMG_3145.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love these two. They've been by my side nearly everyday during a very difficult 15 months. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-oq8CBy4T1b_oqhoYlZyT8QhpOUyyfdkEvbw8b2h2niVAZuJfJsWpWRt8LrPD7n54HIZZnEHg4UlUIFpn2a29TpS3jYyqB9ZzXBvn0K_4oEsRd6v8yfIksOwArDAcUgIq7Kk_DeBWwJI/s1600/IMG_3153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-oq8CBy4T1b_oqhoYlZyT8QhpOUyyfdkEvbw8b2h2niVAZuJfJsWpWRt8LrPD7n54HIZZnEHg4UlUIFpn2a29TpS3jYyqB9ZzXBvn0K_4oEsRd6v8yfIksOwArDAcUgIq7Kk_DeBWwJI/s640/IMG_3153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My world is a better place because of these two. </span></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-58440403709210205382015-12-10T14:02:00.001-07:002015-12-10T14:02:26.474-07:00Hope-Lisel Mueller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0_RFoiH6kuir4B6Xe3H99U6Q_vYi8d22k5z0uSMG74Ob5R4lDNrrjEoKbnI08rT_lO7Syvf39DbQzQ4I1aWxBQBbnaRa0ARhxs0n3L7iLpZIUdPjsg5_B-8mDDLhZ4kzqBP5G8n-ZXNX/s1600/20150420_173743%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0_RFoiH6kuir4B6Xe3H99U6Q_vYi8d22k5z0uSMG74Ob5R4lDNrrjEoKbnI08rT_lO7Syvf39DbQzQ4I1aWxBQBbnaRa0ARhxs0n3L7iLpZIUdPjsg5_B-8mDDLhZ4kzqBP5G8n-ZXNX/s640/20150420_173743%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<b>Hope</b></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="center">
It hovers in dark corners<br />before the lights are turned on,<br />it shakes
sleep from its eyes<br />and drops from mushroom gills,<br />it explodes in the
starry heads<br />of dandelions turned sages,<br />it sticks to the wings of green
angels<br />that sail from the tops of maples.<br /><br />It sprouts in each
occluded eye<br />of the many-eyed potato,<br />it lives in each earthworm
segment<br />surviving cruelty,<br />it is the motion that runs the tail of a
dog,<br />it is the mouth that inflates the lungs<br />of the child that has just
been born. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div align="center">
It is the singular
gift<br />we cannot destroy in ourselves,<br />the argument that refutes
death,<br />the genius that invents the future,<br />all we know of
God.<br /><br />It is the serum which makes us swear<br />not to betray one
another;<br />it is in this poem, trying to speak.</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> ~ Lisel Mueller ~</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-65206750359883932432015-12-06T08:39:00.000-07:002015-12-06T11:53:27.110-07:00Light the Lights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OrFLrOcQyviUCqrDWoO-3xXjEYRxSpNimYR02FCopaXFmx3N5Tq3XHKrbcEgVq3roNIBmqZJ0Eg_QXaeEJMUnAzLOZuhbGhI3IT8YUE6s_8wXcYygvMpd-ZTNqTrmU8qMbxHSKDsDOMP/s1600/IMG_2961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OrFLrOcQyviUCqrDWoO-3xXjEYRxSpNimYR02FCopaXFmx3N5Tq3XHKrbcEgVq3roNIBmqZJ0Eg_QXaeEJMUnAzLOZuhbGhI3IT8YUE6s_8wXcYygvMpd-ZTNqTrmU8qMbxHSKDsDOMP/s640/IMG_2961.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've always enjoyed holiday lights. There's just something about them that makes me feel like a little girl full of excitement and wonder. A simple strand of glowing lights is all I need. But I do enjoy walking or driving around with a cup full of warm, steamy hot cocoa in my hand and looking at holiday lights. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This year I went to Golden proper and walked along Clear Creek. It was a stunning and beautiful scene with the ice forming on the frigid water of the running creek and the holiday lights reflecting off the water. Pure magic for my senses!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaIqFGjfZlOYaLhmDDGPqPxhIBr7mUDqZePlITb0kR1ZKRlSd0S1BRgQ7Ytmvk9-YEIsm2kuYEzFVeKr1GxgfkXKi6akQUM_o5ykh9UEkFyq2H0UeKZEpiOVaTEJnMkdln_onyNvCT07y/s1600/IMG_2917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaIqFGjfZlOYaLhmDDGPqPxhIBr7mUDqZePlITb0kR1ZKRlSd0S1BRgQ7Ytmvk9-YEIsm2kuYEzFVeKr1GxgfkXKi6akQUM_o5ykh9UEkFyq2H0UeKZEpiOVaTEJnMkdln_onyNvCT07y/s640/IMG_2917.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> These folks sure did deck their halls! Dang.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdEDVfw3z9O_jy_BFYSBbebSNC7E4Z1sEEhAFqAWgQgVcXUAK6zqIJhbE_d7ys2t2HxWxXxqoa8xYGnFOg1qvh7LSVEPeZ7F_a7fZUhWJ5ZpFGpyO3acXuqKVsrdgB2LYpw9e_8pkCcUm/s1600/IMG_2925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdEDVfw3z9O_jy_BFYSBbebSNC7E4Z1sEEhAFqAWgQgVcXUAK6zqIJhbE_d7ys2t2HxWxXxqoa8xYGnFOg1qvh7LSVEPeZ7F_a7fZUhWJ5ZpFGpyO3acXuqKVsrdgB2LYpw9e_8pkCcUm/s640/IMG_2925.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Enjoying a cup of hot cocoa & the art work in downtown Golden.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dVl_p-a_xx7FG6BhK7euZ1SHNlqirZFUe6JH50JIlKVwcNTecXlWuveUdW-wbHY9zPS9mZX3PjUO2GSbgyxWVz7ejglpMG3B7bTCWd7JKZRnratyT_AnSleFt2Oh9nhYGWPt9_fhcPbu/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dVl_p-a_xx7FG6BhK7euZ1SHNlqirZFUe6JH50JIlKVwcNTecXlWuveUdW-wbHY9zPS9mZX3PjUO2GSbgyxWVz7ejglpMG3B7bTCWd7JKZRnratyT_AnSleFt2Oh9nhYGWPt9_fhcPbu/s640/IMG_2927.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Very cool sculptures along Clear Creek. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQC3VVBp0Vcqt-yKTnn-omxBH4gWnnhBiAzTzITOiHJYXOo7z3VHBTnG9PSRN_lcH4LL2mDuY7kf2dkfdkRpFxPDYIPk1IZzJWPFbcgz3sxaZq_uVDS163bfYgAG-Ylyx57R4yHKOAaMY/s1600/IMG_2933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQC3VVBp0Vcqt-yKTnn-omxBH4gWnnhBiAzTzITOiHJYXOo7z3VHBTnG9PSRN_lcH4LL2mDuY7kf2dkfdkRpFxPDYIPk1IZzJWPFbcgz3sxaZq_uVDS163bfYgAG-Ylyx57R4yHKOAaMY/s640/IMG_2933.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvCHMa1pU_TR3qgsYOjSCcV4e1e4rfILcCa9qtvrVMamn7ay20JegUI3mP9RjDCV-_37nfgEoPxP26Ui4QBL7QTMh7IFhK9mwI07sBFptXIToyC_A4118B3BE0WA0qnZ1iMGDOS3ogMBZ/s1600/IMG_2942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvCHMa1pU_TR3qgsYOjSCcV4e1e4rfILcCa9qtvrVMamn7ay20JegUI3mP9RjDCV-_37nfgEoPxP26Ui4QBL7QTMh7IFhK9mwI07sBFptXIToyC_A4118B3BE0WA0qnZ1iMGDOS3ogMBZ/s640/IMG_2942.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> There's just something about holiday lights!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkmbiIBvZ9AjbCjGWlA0TpP4bfx3878TStALun8BXoUiUrNv7oA9iJyvfp_77G8XA1VLiExF9-fIIn_bCqMFrJ20V4ux-iPA-RMZez3Xj1Uafh7LbDFCThqRCnUFDjCSGIW9isNjJC1v5/s1600/IMG_2958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkmbiIBvZ9AjbCjGWlA0TpP4bfx3878TStALun8BXoUiUrNv7oA9iJyvfp_77G8XA1VLiExF9-fIIn_bCqMFrJ20V4ux-iPA-RMZez3Xj1Uafh7LbDFCThqRCnUFDjCSGIW9isNjJC1v5/s640/IMG_2958.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-55416144435881667492015-12-05T08:55:00.003-07:002015-12-05T08:55:52.679-07:00Change.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Life changes on a dime. We've all heard that, and most have experienced it in different ways. Sometimes its jarring trauma and sometimes its more subtle like 102 m.p.h. winds through the night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One week ago we were in Durango, spending time in a sweet little cabin as a family, eating delicious food & snuggling around the wood stove. Now I'm back home & exhausted from working1 2 hour days all this week. It's finals and there's a lot going on. And soon that will change and I can slow down again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But I want to take a few minutes and cherish the time we had together. Family fills my heart. Connecting with family brings me something that nothing else can. I love my son. And I am so incredibly proud of who he is & what he has created for himself. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLK03bUyNscHInbNCn5bjAI0LIyhIquyAf8qsXJH8QWT8tAJQAlK3EFh79f9wJUr84fPcmWFXaVLIvlJDtK711yLLmrMi7zLthoxUb9hTA8vrPSU7SWdDOmKwf62ottqa6BEqncfN2aX9/s1600/20151127_122607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLK03bUyNscHInbNCn5bjAI0LIyhIquyAf8qsXJH8QWT8tAJQAlK3EFh79f9wJUr84fPcmWFXaVLIvlJDtK711yLLmrMi7zLthoxUb9hTA8vrPSU7SWdDOmKwf62ottqa6BEqncfN2aX9/s640/20151127_122607.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A walk on the snowy, beautiful beach.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBlV8sMDIxPknZCcNmqSlWTc_eCXaSiYItz8wzP0fKkpbHozMbPJ72dds54XwzF2UqrMt28c-zr-Bdcb-vEflcboOpVJ1yaqi_J2mKAqghAVAqg3VIMkJ-qEps-RsTVceS0IgGAKwc7Uo/s1600/boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBlV8sMDIxPknZCcNmqSlWTc_eCXaSiYItz8wzP0fKkpbHozMbPJ72dds54XwzF2UqrMt28c-zr-Bdcb-vEflcboOpVJ1yaqi_J2mKAqghAVAqg3VIMkJ-qEps-RsTVceS0IgGAKwc7Uo/s640/boys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Love these two young men!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz5WKMATHI8txqFVOfz_IXeJM2F6hOxGbTG2ApNL-qTimIPkMMcqTLIqkXtga83CpeCzUH3mebVvqG4SFknUii1lwd9aBU5iDsOkw-w_VuUeWVii6s60_M32COrZkm_rOGhM2w4jGoZKD/s1600/IMG_2763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz5WKMATHI8txqFVOfz_IXeJM2F6hOxGbTG2ApNL-qTimIPkMMcqTLIqkXtga83CpeCzUH3mebVvqG4SFknUii1lwd9aBU5iDsOkw-w_VuUeWVii6s60_M32COrZkm_rOGhM2w4jGoZKD/s640/IMG_2763.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They even clean up after Thanksgiving dinner!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAUGQX9Pk1cpUi0cJXvj9d56PsOreWrvFDIywrFWgwCQJyoiQYcc02cOhFpYvLvrUrmkc8YAZKi4gD1zedBs5EFd-rtjOhQAnFGjQGeNIDA9fyy4_Z5J2q_hLQ3KjM9N0Ig0dg9CJr0yb/s1600/IMG_2881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAUGQX9Pk1cpUi0cJXvj9d56PsOreWrvFDIywrFWgwCQJyoiQYcc02cOhFpYvLvrUrmkc8YAZKi4gD1zedBs5EFd-rtjOhQAnFGjQGeNIDA9fyy4_Z5J2q_hLQ3KjM9N0Ig0dg9CJr0yb/s640/IMG_2881.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stunning in the high country!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NIgTyayiF4_GFHnR18OQhVbwJwNxg7P3dbe_VQNVO5bMT-jMz5rxe3lVsZ_Ih7ojvzQw4WXKXWO5Al6xS8ST2EI_qOhQn3Vefv-ydB4Dpl8ZunbqMeNfWfgTTCO9Yi7IzRqADIHmjKbI/s1600/Stonesled1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NIgTyayiF4_GFHnR18OQhVbwJwNxg7P3dbe_VQNVO5bMT-jMz5rxe3lVsZ_Ih7ojvzQw4WXKXWO5Al6xS8ST2EI_qOhQn3Vefv-ydB4Dpl8ZunbqMeNfWfgTTCO9Yi7IzRqADIHmjKbI/s640/Stonesled1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1890919873"></span><span id="goog_1890919874"></span>Impressive! My sled-head getting after it!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-60551542619328567022015-11-24T18:36:00.004-07:002015-11-24T18:38:20.360-07:00Thankful<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There's always something to be Thankful for. A roof over our heads, a fresh, warm meal to share with a friend or family member and our healthy days. But in the day-to day it's really easy to take those things for granted. Especially when the world around us seems to be falling apart and in so much turmoil. It's depressing out there!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had a great Thanksgiving <a href="http://nellsventures.blogspot.com/2014/11/thanksgiving-jordan-style.html" target="_blank">last year with Stone. </a>One of the best! But I'm not gonna lie, I've been feeling more like Ebenezer Scrooge than my usual self during the last 14 months. There's been so much unexpected change and loss. But today I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the support that gives me the opportunity to continue farther in my educational goals. I'm thankful I had the time to roast a fresh turkey and all the fixings ahead of time today so I can enjoy some family time the rest of the week. I'm thankful for a few days off, I haven't had many these past three months. I'm thankful for a warm house, for my family who I miss on the east coast. They'll all be gathering at my sister Shelly's house. I'm thankful they will have time together, laughing and being silly. I miss them and am most Thankful I had a great time this summer with each of the<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">m</span>! I'm thankful for a glass of beer and a few minutes to write on my blog, while the amazing moon is peaking in the window at me. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlQo9vxnAANIspNZgF82xrMwk73lvaBt9t6UitdMb2cZgESO8y63uDRJ6xowxImbYhLLnTWIEzoLeUQnNe_8UHNZuB9Ld3rkKotbCEweRLi_2m0LM9AytdzAt_mtKKlQiPFQwV2S1aOTJ/s1600/turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlQo9vxnAANIspNZgF82xrMwk73lvaBt9t6UitdMb2cZgESO8y63uDRJ6xowxImbYhLLnTWIEzoLeUQnNe_8UHNZuB9Ld3rkKotbCEweRLi_2m0LM9AytdzAt_mtKKlQiPFQwV2S1aOTJ/s640/turkey.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are stuck and can't think of anything to be thankful or grateful for chances are you're stuck in a rut. Here's a list of <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/60-things-thankful-for-life.html" target="_blank">60-things to be thankful for in life.</a> Have a great Holiday if you're in the states but, remember to be thankful for something each and everyday. </span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-81566078959723008822015-11-21T10:22:00.002-07:002015-11-21T10:24:22.399-07:00The Roots in Denver!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last Sunday I spent the night grooving with a sold out crowd at the <a href="http://www.ogdentheatre.com/" target="_blank">Ogden Theatre in Denver</a>. What an amazing non-stop show! The <a href="http://www.theroots.com/" target="_blank">Roots</a> were forming when I lived in Philly <i>waaaaay </i>back when. They still have it, and then some!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Check out this youtube from their show in Philly this past summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HI7kWmkW7VU" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-25513878070126838872015-11-11T13:12:00.002-07:002016-03-06T11:05:58.801-07:00It's Been Awhile...But I'm Back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Note: I'm not sure why Blogger is publishing in such a small font-but it wont let me change it right now, sorry.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">So, this is the longest time I've neglected my blog since I began writing and posting pictures here in 2008. I'll blame it on being busy with grad school, putting energies into developing a new website focused on my Masters of Environmental Management (MEM) research project in Costa Rica (soon to be launched), navigating life and chaos, ending unhealthy relationships and trying to salvage others. It's been rough. And I've been distracted.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">But I want to get back to this, or some other form of writing and photo journaling. I'm not sure what that is, or will be, or the frequency or focus of content. So I'll start here with one of my favorite street art pictures by Eduardo Kobra because I recently wrote a paper for school about the importance of pop culture (and for me specifically street art) as a means to bring environmental issues to the public awareness. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">My paper was focused on the street art of Banksy, ROA, Blu, Kobra and the many other talents I am intrigued by. I highly recommend taking a look at his powerful, compelling site <a href="http://www.demilked.com/environmental-graffiti-street-art/" target="_blank">25 Powerful Pieces Of Street Art That Tell The Painful Truth</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today is 11/11. Veteran's Day. So I'm posting this picture taken by my son in July 2012 while we were visiting NYC. I love this picture for many reasons. This was a wonderful day, strolling along <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/visit" target="_blank">High Line</a> with my brother <a href="http://www.jordanstudio.com/" target="_blank">Mark Jordan</a></span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and his wife, taking in all that this amazing city has to offer, stopping for a ridiculously amazing brunch and relishing a Sunday with family. I want to be there. Again. NOW. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw-8Chtlen-X0J_Iic2TdnEEJ8TAwFFATCVKJ46Lav2YCUygWl8QyXzU6DfVeSdwBLAGD1VTanjgovoCOv9UaZH_bJDO9nm3s1AjrU4XbaapSuelGkzUf8Nsq9qN4g3X0gVyr6WKIPt9a/s1600/Kobra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw-8Chtlen-X0J_Iic2TdnEEJ8TAwFFATCVKJ46Lav2YCUygWl8QyXzU6DfVeSdwBLAGD1VTanjgovoCOv9UaZH_bJDO9nm3s1AjrU4XbaapSuelGkzUf8Nsq9qN4g3X0gVyr6WKIPt9a/s640/Kobra.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">photo taken by Stone Jordan</span></span></span></span></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Here's a link about the <a href="http://untappedcities.com/2013/07/24/street-art-hotspot-eduardo-kobras-vintage-nyc-mural-in-chelsea/" target="_blank">vintage piece in Chelsea.</a> Check it out for more information about Eduardo Kobra and to see the art in its entirety. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">His mural, located at 25th Street and 10th Avenue, recasts the famous 1945 photograph <a href="http://life.time.com/world-war-ii/v-j-day-1945-a-nation-lets-loose/#1" target="_blank">V-J Day in Times Square</a>
by Alfred Eisenstaedt, revitalizing an image already firmly planted in
New Yorkers’ collective memory. Below the two figures, you can clearly
see an amalgam of images from New York City’s past: an old trolley car,
men wearing fedoras and trench coats, 1940s-era automobiles, and more.
Kobra has superimposed vibrant hues over images that usually remain
black and white in photos, giving them new life in our contemporary
imagination. </span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-74224973397519084032015-10-05T15:46:00.000-06:002015-10-05T15:46:59.847-06:00Simple Pleasures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time with Stone always brings me joy!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvYHWwfX0h7rFBAsemM0a3TLyM9hjfN3BWW5Dsq2aTjohQonHb91fD5GnlqjryZe3FmqTbQssZkVUc9YjWkvrUYJ7-CbIR_7GW9uOvhxOkG9jLMnxmLXiZ9XVvhNlTc4bgfrJMC_iFtot/s1600/IMG_2492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvYHWwfX0h7rFBAsemM0a3TLyM9hjfN3BWW5Dsq2aTjohQonHb91fD5GnlqjryZe3FmqTbQssZkVUc9YjWkvrUYJ7-CbIR_7GW9uOvhxOkG9jLMnxmLXiZ9XVvhNlTc4bgfrJMC_iFtot/s640/IMG_2492.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG95f7Xvh6zGJUNV47aZuLtn7QUVT7JaHBeF2-tHcC08SHZgwSFv8MZnTofbA1KOJnyGV1EAo_RlrcIkaDqoTzQL2TZCUI4BwI2q9kiQtjpbe_OWbMtKq-oQCXtDgUo1yUrP1gKb0FFtKP/s1600/IMG_2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG95f7Xvh6zGJUNV47aZuLtn7QUVT7JaHBeF2-tHcC08SHZgwSFv8MZnTofbA1KOJnyGV1EAo_RlrcIkaDqoTzQL2TZCUI4BwI2q9kiQtjpbe_OWbMtKq-oQCXtDgUo1yUrP1gKb0FFtKP/s640/IMG_2527.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHGsuwk0hRoduKRF4wFIc5wJMfUuvanVFet9LhwVIiimzg6b7IF0z0sqcdO4p556VxGvN6kr21zgnvrcpcHazDCkw6H8thzxynYI-ujCvy-eGKAHxGONne1nhrzXmZIsCDX81sVoAE7xi/s1600/IMG_4598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHGsuwk0hRoduKRF4wFIc5wJMfUuvanVFet9LhwVIiimzg6b7IF0z0sqcdO4p556VxGvN6kr21zgnvrcpcHazDCkw6H8thzxynYI-ujCvy-eGKAHxGONne1nhrzXmZIsCDX81sVoAE7xi/s640/IMG_4598.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-42863572891854980402015-09-25T11:52:00.000-06:002015-09-25T11:52:11.084-06:00Quaking Color<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjAAr1UCI3CgcxkVVBlo41RYlvB1PxijQLpujo4ApndAFw8dAmBqlElbYm6dS59ZbATCK6DgeD0pwjHP0iUmEpzJz9Kd12jtxsZrZLk-FGo-nF-lXdRthuMvDJuh81pkcXfRtMDr8om4a/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjAAr1UCI3CgcxkVVBlo41RYlvB1PxijQLpujo4ApndAFw8dAmBqlElbYm6dS59ZbATCK6DgeD0pwjHP0iUmEpzJz9Kd12jtxsZrZLk-FGo-nF-lXdRthuMvDJuh81pkcXfRtMDr8om4a/s640/IMG_2422.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWXptXXe2UKHr52DdqinJR97o1CMkCRHAQqh332KA6heStQWChbHLpWBNZmv9WkLf8Si8rs6HVIG5rr21vQ55lALu9Zupk5XOLt-fEM8GprR-qCg5g8b_t4EGRSryt0As_Lao11lKjTsa/s1600/IMG_2427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWXptXXe2UKHr52DdqinJR97o1CMkCRHAQqh332KA6heStQWChbHLpWBNZmv9WkLf8Si8rs6HVIG5rr21vQ55lALu9Zupk5XOLt-fEM8GprR-qCg5g8b_t4EGRSryt0As_Lao11lKjTsa/s640/IMG_2427.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUVymmNM0FPVw3c3_CmJZx1AiZuTZfCzxeMlQwHnL8gn9O6Ri0zPiMg1vYeLYf4nyutUF2PwaoAXIuBjJPdyRis5xXw0dWNCOL2U3EpED1e4AnLFC9q4bsiiNETfzZUQXIqK2tkQbg_4J/s1600/IMG_2433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUVymmNM0FPVw3c3_CmJZx1AiZuTZfCzxeMlQwHnL8gn9O6Ri0zPiMg1vYeLYf4nyutUF2PwaoAXIuBjJPdyRis5xXw0dWNCOL2U3EpED1e4AnLFC9q4bsiiNETfzZUQXIqK2tkQbg_4J/s640/IMG_2433.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ5vEyzWjRHvyebs5F3F4G_hrQmvx5tVzBMd03Q1j-dqUobQdegajXI29ZLdHJCpjPLYNOuAClHPHW9WoiY8hWJ5gFMFIQeQ-BdnRAoy5A-gsb-ASyztumckNuo1GwSdwkxoS2vKRwEVF/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ5vEyzWjRHvyebs5F3F4G_hrQmvx5tVzBMd03Q1j-dqUobQdegajXI29ZLdHJCpjPLYNOuAClHPHW9WoiY8hWJ5gFMFIQeQ-BdnRAoy5A-gsb-ASyztumckNuo1GwSdwkxoS2vKRwEVF/s640/IMG_2429.JPG" width="638" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-36609727245374124882015-09-24T08:53:00.000-06:002015-09-24T09:27:26.173-06:00Unbranded the Film<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tonight's the night I've been waiting for! </span><a href="http://unbrandedthefilm.com/collections/photography" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Unbranded the Film</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> comes out. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="hero-img" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px; padding-top: 1.25rem;">
<div class="article-hero-slideshow hero-slideshow flexslider" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 1.875rem; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; zoom: 1;">
<div class="flex-viewport" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 536px; max-height: 2000px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; transition: all 1s ease;">
<ul class="slides hero-slides article-hero-slides no-slide-gradient" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px -866px; padding: 0px; width: 13856px; zoom: 1;">
<li class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image flex-active-slide" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-documentary-horse-line_h.jpg?itok=-iIROBty" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Logistically it was a nightmare," says Ben Masters. "Public land in the West is the gnarly country unfit for agriculture, and that’s what we were riding through.”</span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</div>
</li>
<li class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-group-cliff-shot_h.jpg?itok=t23dKCr8" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</div>
</li>
<li class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-yellowstone-skull_h.jpg?itok=O5VAXJpQ" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</div>
</li>
<li class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-riding-through-aspens_h.jpg?itok=RDseJmS1" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</div>
</li>
<li class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-drone-camera_h.jpg?itok=0PRwdbMu" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</div>
</li>
<li class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-donkey_h.jpg?itok=owsi9EYt" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</div>
</li>
<li aria-hidden="true" class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image clone" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_850x480/public/unbranded-documentary-horse-line_h.jpg?itok=-iIROBty" draggable="false" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 866px;" /><div class="post-caption article-slideshow-post-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 6px;">
<span class="hero-slide-article-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Logistically it was a nightmare," says Ben Masters. "Public land in the West is the gnarly country unfit for agriculture, and that’s what we were riding through.”</span> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions<span style="font-family: jubilat, Georgia, serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1;">‘Unbranded’ Sheds Light on Wild Horse Issues in the West</span></div>
</li>
<li aria-hidden="true" class="no-slide-gradient hero-slide article-image clone" style="backface-visibility: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; list-style: none none; position: relative; width: 866px;">Sep 23, 2015</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin: 0px 0px 10px 50px; padding: 5px 20px 16px; position: relative;">
<header class="article-hdr" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: none; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 776px;"><b><u>From Outside Magazine:</u></b>
</header><div style="line-height: 19.5px;">
</div>
<div class="post-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; float: none; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px 0px 3.33333em; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 776px; z-index: 5;">
<div class="content post-entry post-entry--spacious" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 2.66667em;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
Mustangs can be difficult to manage. Not just for the Bureau of Land Management, the agency charged with overseeing the majority of wild horses in the U.S., but for anyone trying to make a saddle horse out of one. In the film <a href="http://unbrandedthefilm.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #cc252a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Unbranded</em></a>, which hits theaters nationwide on Friday, four college buddies in their 20s take a cavvy of mustangs 3,000 miles north from Mexico to Canada. The opening scene pretty well sums up the nature of their journey.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
In the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, about a week into the ride, a brown mustang has a cactus burr the size of a fist attached to his quivering lower lip. The horse appears shy about letting a well-intentioned cowboy remove it with a Leatherman multi-tool. A voice in the background says, “The best thing is if you can just get in there and pull it out like a comb.”</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
The cowboy reaches for the cactus, and half a second later the mustang rears back on his haunches and plants a front foot in the man’s neck. Down goes the cowboy. The camera immediately pans to the right where another horse, this one with a man aboard, is bucking as though a mountain lion were in the saddle. Down goes cowboy number two, and off takes the horse, crashing hell-bent through the desert scrub, only to be recovered a short time later with his legs, face, belly and shoulders fully pinned with cactus spines. </div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure class="post-block ratio-horizontal post-block--inline post-block--medium post-block--with-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 36.6667em;"><img src="https://www.outsideonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/img_600x339/public/chief-wild-horse-bucking.jpg?itok=sY2rzNxP" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 623.328px;" /><figcaption class="post-block-caption" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #898989; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.27273; margin: 0.4em 0em 1.2em; padding-bottom: 1.2em; padding-top: 0.76923em;">Chief, also known as Grey Horse. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo:</em> Fin and Fur Productions</figcaption></figure><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
The film is the first feature-length film directed by Phillip Baribeau, and it follows four men—Ben Masters, Jonny Fitzsimmons, Thomas Glover, and Ben Thamer—for four months as they travel almost entirely on public land from Arizona to the Canadian border at Glacier National Park. The young men all have experience working with outfitters and horse packers, but they’ve never assumed an undertaking of this size. </div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
On one hand, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Unbranded</em> is an adventure story about long-distance horse travel—securing daily water and pasture, managing lameness issues, finding trails suitable for pack animals, and dealing with fences, in-holdings, and housing subdivisions. “It was basically a massive babysitting job,” says Masters, an Amarillo-born 27-year-old filmmaker, writer, and horse packer. “Logistically it was a nightmare. Public land in the West is the gnarly country unfit for agriculture, and that’s what we were riding through.”</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
On the other hand, the film sheds light on the plight of wild horses in the West: The BLM believes the land can’t support the estimated 58,000 mustangs on the range—it can handle about 26,000, the agency says. To staunch the problem of overpopulating the range, the agency gathers horses and currently keeps about 50,000 in off-range holding facilities—big, penned-in pastures in Kansas and Oklahoma—supported and paid for with taxpayer money. Still, weighing the horses’ existence against the interests of ranchers and the needs of native pronghorn antelope who share the range is not an easy task for managers.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span class="has-pullquote pullquote-fill" data-pullquote="Perhaps most refreshing is that story avoids the extreme points of view that often get the most attention in the debate over wild horses in the west." style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Unbranded</em> has been well received by audiences, winning the audience-choice awards at <a href="https://www.mountainfilm.org/media/unbranded" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #cc252a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mountainfilm</a>and the <a href="http://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=38321~446634ba-e848-4237-9b3c-72aceddb5263&" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #cc252a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hot Docs film festival</a> this year. Perhaps most refreshing is that story avoids the extreme points of view that often get the most attention in the debate over wild horses in the West. Mustang advocates decry that the agency as attempting to exterminate an American icon, while sheep and cattle ranchers want the country free of the feral equines.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
“We made the mustangs part of the story,” Masters says. “Their past, their history, their ancestry, that’s all part of who they are, and we wanted to show the problems they’re facing today. Hopefully, through the film and our ride people will consider adopting a wild horse.”</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
The ride required 18 months of map reading, gear sorting, and logistical tinkering. The resulting adventure is a Kit Carson-esque tour through the mountains and deserts of the west with no shortage of drama. One horse rolls off the side of a mountain. Another dies. Cold rains drench the party, and unfiltered sun burns the men and horses. Friendships fray under adversity. Campfire whiskey drinks rekindle the bonds. By the end of the journey, every one of them looks like a frontier waddie, and all but one are ready for a life and job not in the saddle.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Unbranded</em> brings to life a part of the west that is, more than likely, becoming scarcer and harder to find. It’s a purple-sage-and-snowy-peak romance best left to and carried out by four hardy Texans. It leaves you with the idea that Mustangs are good trail horses, and that there’s no easy way forward with wild horse management in the U.S.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.65; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-top: 1em;">
“We wanted to pursue this epic dream of riding from Mexico to Canada, and I don’t think that feeling is unique,” Masters says. “Whether you’re talking about a long horseback ride like we did, or a backpacking trip, or starting a new business, I think people can relate to chasing your passion. That’s what we did.”</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-87776113928278021212015-09-22T08:10:00.003-06:002015-09-22T08:10:18.323-06:00Some Pictures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVWTfm52R8HT-oilsw2qN7azSyjqM-dY2Uj585nRj4I_luog_Wo1QpRTJN6ue0FqMsA7buk-S-luklXVMGBuqYEc6PvEvMn2LzTCkqdKte-ZFg8nuvrfy_HaZ1TPjMM0OZi2z2SmIoHpq/s1600/IMG_2402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVWTfm52R8HT-oilsw2qN7azSyjqM-dY2Uj585nRj4I_luog_Wo1QpRTJN6ue0FqMsA7buk-S-luklXVMGBuqYEc6PvEvMn2LzTCkqdKte-ZFg8nuvrfy_HaZ1TPjMM0OZi2z2SmIoHpq/s640/IMG_2402.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Spiritual Journey</span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #500050; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, </span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">no matter how long,<br />but only by a spiritual journey,<br />a journey of one inch,<br />very arduous and humbling and joyful,<br />by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,<br />and learn to be at home.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~ Wendell Berry ~</span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQXn4R4inp-4bY9SLyoLa9fFSD6-M9XkHF4-sSEkRm1HFAwRHnzX3pQwXGrmQYdp8TAbAW3jj4jsUHYWpE_B3_uUwjhMunfcSP3CJ92tYp_Fy0YWInegFTrb-tDKiO7k4u6KcAdRN2q59/s1600/IMG_2405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQXn4R4inp-4bY9SLyoLa9fFSD6-M9XkHF4-sSEkRm1HFAwRHnzX3pQwXGrmQYdp8TAbAW3jj4jsUHYWpE_B3_uUwjhMunfcSP3CJ92tYp_Fy0YWInegFTrb-tDKiO7k4u6KcAdRN2q59/s640/IMG_2405.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIpuN-BRstN13L1qUkcvUZdbyD5ZOGNCt0TCsmuVGo5nKnEXkpfaQ_RdcP89AKL_aFN76ERXi70aUXOjODaTtXNrtpizZSwALP0FfYTs8DfkK3X0gBUUO2-D8A6nfraWLh9oGIMQI_E3n/s1600/IMG_2408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIpuN-BRstN13L1qUkcvUZdbyD5ZOGNCt0TCsmuVGo5nKnEXkpfaQ_RdcP89AKL_aFN76ERXi70aUXOjODaTtXNrtpizZSwALP0FfYTs8DfkK3X0gBUUO2-D8A6nfraWLh9oGIMQI_E3n/s640/IMG_2408.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These beautiful, unique, and very different landscapes are within 30 minute of each other in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; color: #500050;">
<br /></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-54674253576750018652015-09-07T15:56:00.005-06:002015-09-07T15:57:45.280-06:00Summer to Fall in Colorado<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSTadODriGKezZ2BZJftuJzwvS-LMx0Awg-P8hlMbAr8om6GxmSpjJtq2Fc-wOi_yuoryWj6rRrjRnMMDzYwNzENBEUPIaM1cFGruPaR4vc9ct5EtdbLXcJWHY39GdA8xplAggFcj-Djr/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSTadODriGKezZ2BZJftuJzwvS-LMx0Awg-P8hlMbAr8om6GxmSpjJtq2Fc-wOi_yuoryWj6rRrjRnMMDzYwNzENBEUPIaM1cFGruPaR4vc9ct5EtdbLXcJWHY39GdA8xplAggFcj-Djr/s640/IMG_2268.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was nice to get out, unplug and explore a new area close to home for a couple days.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've really needed it since my last month + has been revolved around recovering and transitioning to the fall semester. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_XmBtdt1hFh4BFEU5xg3L3LIfMDYOnwr8Q5WglXKXE38gZF-bOCnUhUF6mnasg4eJ7zHZuneq00Bk-iinT2p79z0l46TwvcW5tbTv1vgGuWSmVcd16jFC8ubXA6S9LqYbK5PI7_nZzmw/s1600/IMG_2159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_XmBtdt1hFh4BFEU5xg3L3LIfMDYOnwr8Q5WglXKXE38gZF-bOCnUhUF6mnasg4eJ7zHZuneq00Bk-iinT2p79z0l46TwvcW5tbTv1vgGuWSmVcd16jFC8ubXA6S9LqYbK5PI7_nZzmw/s640/IMG_2159.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eddie feels great after his surgery! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISJ1hG4CoEjgiOSuI6x-kKL4KUCP_1mkDi2-uCffNa56FrABWlxtNIusZN5gVx0ok8sAIJRKjFIz7kPlHBuTUpLmtwhHUZG1_-ZXMuewxo3tVigPd8qmzBQxVB5bUz9krNdpOoK9J89yO/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISJ1hG4CoEjgiOSuI6x-kKL4KUCP_1mkDi2-uCffNa56FrABWlxtNIusZN5gVx0ok8sAIJRKjFIz7kPlHBuTUpLmtwhHUZG1_-ZXMuewxo3tVigPd8qmzBQxVB5bUz9krNdpOoK9J89yO/s640/IMG_2162.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Fall colors all around us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuKlHvAz3xM2jAUOjRfmFPud4wm89Mcx_RFbOL8_IM9bcooHgp_Fqecu4dY2MjQb-I-alM_t3gYZmoz4U0KwNqwzdDEmhfC8neDQe9L5YOlP8N4lI9OvnUoAI4wwjjQdIlGaV5NbNIE8Y/s1600/IMG_2175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuKlHvAz3xM2jAUOjRfmFPud4wm89Mcx_RFbOL8_IM9bcooHgp_Fqecu4dY2MjQb-I-alM_t3gYZmoz4U0KwNqwzdDEmhfC8neDQe9L5YOlP8N4lI9OvnUoAI4wwjjQdIlGaV5NbNIE8Y/s640/IMG_2175.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
Love these two!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6htN_2EiuPw5DVS7RATdGCDOoVl-AD5DRAUZlRiDLwC7KDhhxs0JMZ85N-Y5C4eanUQlityOvI-j6smdYK7ajUXzCPnB9ffD7FRtfeC9PcNjtguGMZtCs2yW6_3ypNH-HSQX9CfRMW9bP/s1600/IMG_2192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6htN_2EiuPw5DVS7RATdGCDOoVl-AD5DRAUZlRiDLwC7KDhhxs0JMZ85N-Y5C4eanUQlityOvI-j6smdYK7ajUXzCPnB9ffD7FRtfeC9PcNjtguGMZtCs2yW6_3ypNH-HSQX9CfRMW9bP/s640/IMG_2192.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Enjoying the view with Brown Dog.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpe2kvyDqGgZsJAtLrjkgAQgISTa05fS37N4bYUM311HJJS2Sfb5vz5rgvE1dL7b1BFsUQd939E4MDZPSEp3_jB4A7WU4KP502xsf7_jKUd5cGJ8Yck-huqtZK3NvluqfdLms-X4BtyN2Q/s1600/IMG_2273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpe2kvyDqGgZsJAtLrjkgAQgISTa05fS37N4bYUM311HJJS2Sfb5vz5rgvE1dL7b1BFsUQd939E4MDZPSEp3_jB4A7WU4KP502xsf7_jKUd5cGJ8Yck-huqtZK3NvluqfdLms-X4BtyN2Q/s640/IMG_2273.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">AMAZING sunrise </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7U3xAwM4uCDtRsenqMd4foLFp30TqDR15F44z3YA5hcC4jhkPsBdqUajJSyzA8gAxf2zrKo6Hs6D67x1WLf607cLbV17psB5dXWQP53RV20sTI-4pjDr_jV8TGae7kTX4sB0S5sU7ODKZ/s1600/IMG_2231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7U3xAwM4uCDtRsenqMd4foLFp30TqDR15F44z3YA5hcC4jhkPsBdqUajJSyzA8gAxf2zrKo6Hs6D67x1WLf607cLbV17psB5dXWQP53RV20sTI-4pjDr_jV8TGae7kTX4sB0S5sU7ODKZ/s640/IMG_2231.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
... and sunsets!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ67gJqOo6rrZeLVRqoQRP33lG3nf0iZjenxAuAlAjrztDEz2y_DyVeabqP8ysPKZDcaCZ7AIrq1OgvNBs9MNaJKiV3xkgoA5Q84sp84QmGCnbVqJcLGrrVMWGxGW7itR8a6dd8Ni5tcB/s1600/IMG_2254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ67gJqOo6rrZeLVRqoQRP33lG3nf0iZjenxAuAlAjrztDEz2y_DyVeabqP8ysPKZDcaCZ7AIrq1OgvNBs9MNaJKiV3xkgoA5Q84sp84QmGCnbVqJcLGrrVMWGxGW7itR8a6dd8Ni5tcB/s640/IMG_2254.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
</span></div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-2851683199581407512015-08-27T08:20:00.004-06:002015-08-27T08:20:42.321-06:00Smoke & Fire Map<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I cannot fathom what residents of Washington, Oregon, California and Canada have been going through this summer. The thought of so many fires burning at once is overwhelming. And until I saw the map below (from August 25th, 2015) I didn't realize there are so many fires burning in the SE!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyKuPInj92aQPBFxdH-rVYzmux9Ezsy2JUkMOWXGGH2zVCZQGB4DRPWmMB87b3kGJKug9AvPkxYJcw8VfJJOjl652WWmPX5HYA0Juvuu1wF-oddLKTe5O2oQS9EkLGXE_ZGa7EBBCrd9f/s1600/Screen-Shot-2015-08-25-at-7.56.47-AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyKuPInj92aQPBFxdH-rVYzmux9Ezsy2JUkMOWXGGH2zVCZQGB4DRPWmMB87b3kGJKug9AvPkxYJcw8VfJJOjl652WWmPX5HYA0Juvuu1wF-oddLKTe5O2oQS9EkLGXE_ZGa7EBBCrd9f/s640/Screen-Shot-2015-08-25-at-7.56.47-AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More info at <a href="http://wildfiretoday.com/tag/smoke/" target="_blank">Wildfiretoday</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I first noticed the hazy skies while I was traveling in Durango and Telluride. But they were much more noticeable when I returned a week ago. And Tuesday we had helicopters and slurry bombers flying over the house on their way to Jeffco Airport, which had me assuming there was a fire somewhere in Colorado.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0uaSVvDaZxWPImIDiOzGCyfvB3u39h3CcapzKvt6sF6TeFnihy9KmHIB0co7eAAtQ1i1MaryGBW4RKvhEieZ01cC7vS8dp_XRXxdxTAzjnJSOfNOZmXYztWAdsXC4vfpikxe1w5aAMs8/s1600/IMG_2121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0uaSVvDaZxWPImIDiOzGCyfvB3u39h3CcapzKvt6sF6TeFnihy9KmHIB0co7eAAtQ1i1MaryGBW4RKvhEieZ01cC7vS8dp_XRXxdxTAzjnJSOfNOZmXYztWAdsXC4vfpikxe1w5aAMs8/s640/IMG_2121.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's a pretty close overflight!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0bTC2Edv6cGBiPMRjuS9M-LGbnr8a4SY3dGd_Tn1QedG0GUZvmCRazainyEnXBG7bwY0ZyPY1Gij7y85j96UH8xCIw_A5klK-vdLsUH00UPn6vVFVSkep_Nc4mf0IkukbvNlbtAap8bQ/s1600/IMG_2114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0bTC2Edv6cGBiPMRjuS9M-LGbnr8a4SY3dGd_Tn1QedG0GUZvmCRazainyEnXBG7bwY0ZyPY1Gij7y85j96UH8xCIw_A5klK-vdLsUH00UPn6vVFVSkep_Nc4mf0IkukbvNlbtAap8bQ/s640/IMG_2114.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunset through smoke and clouds.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhg60Jc9ELZIH-APr_zZxJ1vYX5KB2Hk1iyLGARug2rGMM3SpYgrVQ6NJ5Jd8p9IEGdnwfxEfRyIhGtOVdcGMDiSlmusDevgEGCnlbbeAa2icOUY6Fskz5CtFJ8rG_Bczzwh2JiwrCgam/s1600/IMG_2126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhg60Jc9ELZIH-APr_zZxJ1vYX5KB2Hk1iyLGARug2rGMM3SpYgrVQ6NJ5Jd8p9IEGdnwfxEfRyIhGtOVdcGMDiSlmusDevgEGCnlbbeAa2icOUY6Fskz5CtFJ8rG_Bczzwh2JiwrCgam/s640/IMG_2126.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heading east.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1PU7yMx5KaQY4HBnQGrAAbca4GiNqTJqncCr9e5v6oQ90Z8Mr9AHZXPrsMFZmJ7pmFsu_q5SKnoqDE9xb6iSZkkuoQUsNUtj1aBwVR8H5-MZmrMwliTbu5-TfH0qk8XECOss09WRV0O3/s1600/IMG_2130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1PU7yMx5KaQY4HBnQGrAAbca4GiNqTJqncCr9e5v6oQ90Z8Mr9AHZXPrsMFZmJ7pmFsu_q5SKnoqDE9xb6iSZkkuoQUsNUtj1aBwVR8H5-MZmrMwliTbu5-TfH0qk8XECOss09WRV0O3/s640/IMG_2130.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We got some rain and cooler temperatures over night. Which seems to have cleared our skies of the smokey haze a bit. We are fortunate to just be dealing with a little smoke this summer. My heart and prayers go out to everyone dealing with or fighting all the fires this summer. And especially to the families and friends of the <a href="http://www.firehouse.com/latest-news/line-of-duty-deaths" target="_blank">Wildland firefighters who have lost their lives in the line-of-duty.</a></span></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-29691870371511253552015-08-23T12:34:00.000-06:002015-08-23T12:39:41.191-06:00SUP & Kayak With Dogs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Four years ago I bought my Stand Up Paddle (SUP) board. I was really struggling with being land-locked here in Colorado. Growing up on the east-coast our summers were spent IN and ON the water. It's definitely one of the best investments I've made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dogs are great in the canoe. But this summer I wanted to get the dogs on the SUP. Our initial attempts didn't go so well. For some reason Eddie just wanted to bite the board and Brown Dog gave it a try, but would jump off.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqKVS52yCQ0fUVWDL8Qfscy8clZ0vz14LZuf-zftdHDIIUiO-6tl3c08j8XkLhb0KJnphJW8M9P_AC6glnaS3CkJq2zEgq9EP6GS8Ub7ox0ULCiDui_WrdGVI332LdxdKvYWXdfuIYc3i/s1600/DSC_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqKVS52yCQ0fUVWDL8Qfscy8clZ0vz14LZuf-zftdHDIIUiO-6tl3c08j8XkLhb0KJnphJW8M9P_AC6glnaS3CkJq2zEgq9EP6GS8Ub7ox0ULCiDui_WrdGVI332LdxdKvYWXdfuIYc3i/s640/DSC_0709.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shark Bite!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While I was on the road for the last three weeks I've been lucky to be near many lakes and reservoirs in the high country. I was stoked I brought my board! Alex met me to do a dog trade-off when I was done with my Summer Intensive in Gunnison. He brought his pack kayak and we spent some time on the water getting the dogs dialed.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2hyphenhyphenQpocn0GBM88W14Mm8uBY431PHZVIlowGhOmZJNkTNF8jImvDv-0eg396y6z1LU7u9rU4zGU83yseDSToR4po9hbXHRIq3LFO_GF06j2E0EaiP0Y7QxUygoLORvEmm7Kb_xbqCw9OH/s1600/IMG_1814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2hyphenhyphenQpocn0GBM88W14Mm8uBY431PHZVIlowGhOmZJNkTNF8jImvDv-0eg396y6z1LU7u9rU4zGU83yseDSToR4po9hbXHRIq3LFO_GF06j2E0EaiP0Y7QxUygoLORvEmm7Kb_xbqCw9OH/s640/IMG_1814.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Edison is an old pro! DB swims circles while he waits his turn.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiGzo8_j8UhzcoNiy-wwkzk5iHf57NNqb0s5pFMdL43zYvffywc2B5BhYCAMLgdU6RojvomHBYQKV3pOEqK5MPRLOBBUcj51DnpxI6V7XXXOsqFYnJ8ZQmgcheWBesmE-Jo97dIYLU1VP/s1600/IMG_1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiGzo8_j8UhzcoNiy-wwkzk5iHf57NNqb0s5pFMdL43zYvffywc2B5BhYCAMLgdU6RojvomHBYQKV3pOEqK5MPRLOBBUcj51DnpxI6V7XXXOsqFYnJ8ZQmgcheWBesmE-Jo97dIYLU1VP/s640/IMG_1821.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNayDh5Y9_LIYO-2z_8TU3Y_E6CgLD8MdYcva43ddPG759xEscbheHWfNBoQ1E5GnByiAGGO2bHizMWr3HCSrvigwWAoDOMK0SgNA5KC_-KeomZCIFZ4fb4grdD4eMXI8JHp85eBeMjgS/s1600/IMG_1823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNayDh5Y9_LIYO-2z_8TU3Y_E6CgLD8MdYcva43ddPG759xEscbheHWfNBoQ1E5GnByiAGGO2bHizMWr3HCSrvigwWAoDOMK0SgNA5KC_-KeomZCIFZ4fb4grdD4eMXI8JHp85eBeMjgS/s640/IMG_1823.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Is it my turn now?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFJmHsDiMIM0xtbTT-BRMQY3Pmo36a40W7u_PXVvtilz7BuwdZ4AoRA5H7BnyhThBEO_JIobzAoMPJ-dmNewgMkQIrMYISzXJd6SlWaKf0f-kqO5H_h5N2eSbBMQTCCOQtemORBED7OeB/s1600/IMG_1829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFJmHsDiMIM0xtbTT-BRMQY3Pmo36a40W7u_PXVvtilz7BuwdZ4AoRA5H7BnyhThBEO_JIobzAoMPJ-dmNewgMkQIrMYISzXJd6SlWaKf0f-kqO5H_h5N2eSbBMQTCCOQtemORBED7OeB/s640/IMG_1829.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdurALFTaKmxqFahG93HhYlQOdJWpF3GCW2H1j7r4Qr2FE6w42X5QyvgySypn_RPtbhFzEzRlnD880zwe_64jBs4h_TmGfMv0IZsU4YtC-SpmbK_xRYT5dZd2DpNgC5HAJ7BfWQ3ZHmnu/s1600/IMG_1841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdurALFTaKmxqFahG93HhYlQOdJWpF3GCW2H1j7r4Qr2FE6w42X5QyvgySypn_RPtbhFzEzRlnD880zwe_64jBs4h_TmGfMv0IZsU4YtC-SpmbK_xRYT5dZd2DpNgC5HAJ7BfWQ3ZHmnu/s640/IMG_1841.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8D8jmPM6IMQh7ptgizLvWbW5ELAaVs34J8Cr2p962UdXEPE6_k3FW6JND56OKWGTrw3SO9ycU3030mE2basWD_NivFEExfPD6DkaY-RjAP6-PYVLS8VySczT8k8WnC0VEVfjv7nTA2To1/s1600/IMG_1863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8D8jmPM6IMQh7ptgizLvWbW5ELAaVs34J8Cr2p962UdXEPE6_k3FW6JND56OKWGTrw3SO9ycU3030mE2basWD_NivFEExfPD6DkaY-RjAP6-PYVLS8VySczT8k8WnC0VEVfjv7nTA2To1/s640/IMG_1863.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wait for me Mom! Can I get on??</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLExJrqxTf_z-JaKUqoQz_p0-2iMeKPDjjBGI6hC0WLHHb-FPwMisad6DYqYN0Sf6lCaa93MUhUd0ixTdu8illGYZcBOc76Xng9E6TaRJfGK0RSLH49cIwmvMvC1l5OvHyyCxQn84Lccyo/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLExJrqxTf_z-JaKUqoQz_p0-2iMeKPDjjBGI6hC0WLHHb-FPwMisad6DYqYN0Sf6lCaa93MUhUd0ixTdu8illGYZcBOc76Xng9E6TaRJfGK0RSLH49cIwmvMvC1l5OvHyyCxQn84Lccyo/s640/IMG_1870.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Good balancing Brown Dog!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMrvbqJPIf3l5qGLmh7sOTfEtTEj1f75xdzCpLOcUOvhS0HJP_mXsr7HzrzF2WdtTj2tTblZwuY3-siZrbMokeFaJAVLTTDH5OG-8a9gBtczhHhfMuqdjkK9S-eIPq8Q6ABXCE96cBeWW/s1600/IMG_1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMrvbqJPIf3l5qGLmh7sOTfEtTEj1f75xdzCpLOcUOvhS0HJP_mXsr7HzrzF2WdtTj2tTblZwuY3-siZrbMokeFaJAVLTTDH5OG-8a9gBtczhHhfMuqdjkK9S-eIPq8Q6ABXCE96cBeWW/s640/IMG_1902.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maybe we can all get on?</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The next adventure took us to Durango to spend some time with Stone & Willow and friends. We had a great time there too!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmGz3yillngvc0BXkVJ11tuHOSIFIPb1P9etJdTua7ETKXaSOW1A7DozoRA6Jz0AByHPw1HFtIqb5N2b8Thvoaurhv8uIyTRURHpARBhZ7bxjA_QCoFFpJDvizRnnt4dVwu9ElxPd-Hv7/s1600/IMG_1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmGz3yillngvc0BXkVJ11tuHOSIFIPb1P9etJdTua7ETKXaSOW1A7DozoRA6Jz0AByHPw1HFtIqb5N2b8Thvoaurhv8uIyTRURHpARBhZ7bxjA_QCoFFpJDvizRnnt4dVwu9ElxPd-Hv7/s640/IMG_1910.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Brown Dog is an old pro!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUgAYTtaiJ5pToCYGfKVOH-mogeBXGLdCA3gSQxCkafmAm3_t8LNMQHD6cxH_lPefcd8WZZna97bBmvP1DmVOdKmuxiPs63cD5JwVzauf8f0FvIPjd0xF2Qif2r1qDzgYiQrrCEG4lWTC/s1600/IMG_1911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUgAYTtaiJ5pToCYGfKVOH-mogeBXGLdCA3gSQxCkafmAm3_t8LNMQHD6cxH_lPefcd8WZZna97bBmvP1DmVOdKmuxiPs63cD5JwVzauf8f0FvIPjd0xF2Qif2r1qDzgYiQrrCEG4lWTC/s640/IMG_1911.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Here comes Willow!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0ZHpMFO-uTZvjY-wWGC0rWhHzPMpC91jC2O_VTmitLoHBHzGELioheJ66ZViLXeubVlNPiiqCIJCxYD86LyqevW5YQrXn6RPpc4YPOjldClJbkZjt9wWNgH6fKDUDz3QLZ5vPJ2YP6_r/s1600/IMG_1925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0ZHpMFO-uTZvjY-wWGC0rWhHzPMpC91jC2O_VTmitLoHBHzGELioheJ66ZViLXeubVlNPiiqCIJCxYD86LyqevW5YQrXn6RPpc4YPOjldClJbkZjt9wWNgH6fKDUDz3QLZ5vPJ2YP6_r/s640/IMG_1925.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Double Dogs!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqkhzf3ac4bE_BAq1E8Ygs3T0GdZ_9K1MWYQOwu3CaiD7EWcR5ak-2a9X_XS7bG7np5te_Q7phPf6P24ZFmbi_jan3A0Z1YEkDqLTkf7MKZLL7lADMesgVb7OqKxeRRobYnuWG-ujXF-G/s1600/IMG_1934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqkhzf3ac4bE_BAq1E8Ygs3T0GdZ_9K1MWYQOwu3CaiD7EWcR5ak-2a9X_XS7bG7np5te_Q7phPf6P24ZFmbi_jan3A0Z1YEkDqLTkf7MKZLL7lADMesgVb7OqKxeRRobYnuWG-ujXF-G/s640/IMG_1934.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Such a good girl!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfdqLOY59LUKODg3S48ZUEoEkxGc7IU39512HRjzdhYKC2-aBYnQAX5V9EqsfUU-kUSXi7TBVTPDQAER7EpOA3P0aTSXZ2VE8alovlLYzJWk17IQic7lSBweeCkQZbAs3KU-ooRRp26oV/s1600/IMG_1938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfdqLOY59LUKODg3S48ZUEoEkxGc7IU39512HRjzdhYKC2-aBYnQAX5V9EqsfUU-kUSXi7TBVTPDQAER7EpOA3P0aTSXZ2VE8alovlLYzJWk17IQic7lSBweeCkQZbAs3KU-ooRRp26oV/s640/IMG_1938.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Stone tries a headstand...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ31pnQHhO93kxncmwgnGx57atZfxIFw59CCkdcLCZN0sVkiedaE5oUQzqZXdYWiMHnrrEcXKfi2EUyapT3ui0z7oNmfdIBGK6mmkG3sO_qsHybYdV1A9GdkRedZ1tLh_0YsIwuEM5rgA/s1600/IMG_1945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ31pnQHhO93kxncmwgnGx57atZfxIFw59CCkdcLCZN0sVkiedaE5oUQzqZXdYWiMHnrrEcXKfi2EUyapT3ui0z7oNmfdIBGK6mmkG3sO_qsHybYdV1A9GdkRedZ1tLh_0YsIwuEM5rgA/s640/IMG_1945.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">...while the dogs spaz out on the shore.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSd0Yl5FLvx_p0pjRczpW9CZGhZh0pF2Jz6t9pyVkn02TdXHwWXBIsUHGG0_jPya07SZf2ZwMx4Lpa1CoKPhCxmyj8q0VG9sMlsKMovhW5cUlA3xH-qHH9hyphenhyphen51Tc_2wwxFWR3E7wgFOM8/s1600/IMG_1951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSd0Yl5FLvx_p0pjRczpW9CZGhZh0pF2Jz6t9pyVkn02TdXHwWXBIsUHGG0_jPya07SZf2ZwMx4Lpa1CoKPhCxmyj8q0VG9sMlsKMovhW5cUlA3xH-qHH9hyphenhyphen51Tc_2wwxFWR3E7wgFOM8/s640/IMG_1951.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then Foley shows Stone how it's really done!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SIe6Tm2Bk24YBiUXF8ugQZa4qSdXdDzAMBedPuAd-gBtd1ufHxiJxpk7KoCg_oS3lIJZg9Kzv9Zzm7hiFMxxzDJhVF9ZBwoZwXrDgHQ6nOWEf9rMxUZ3JVFdGI1cjYGA0opN2LRPiZlH/s1600/IMG_1953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SIe6Tm2Bk24YBiUXF8ugQZa4qSdXdDzAMBedPuAd-gBtd1ufHxiJxpk7KoCg_oS3lIJZg9Kzv9Zzm7hiFMxxzDJhVF9ZBwoZwXrDgHQ6nOWEf9rMxUZ3JVFdGI1cjYGA0opN2LRPiZlH/s640/IMG_1953.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Impressive!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNwN0UPYHEtD2twFWmUR1wdmtpITBYQ_vknMiFceBGMAxXTcWi0jcwUb8azkTuvX1P9V5UMqMIBp17O1_tqSe5GN_z5Gy7r6B_dH_-o1xluUuPgCa0jffVBi2rOSqtyJNg2LElKG9XF7T/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNwN0UPYHEtD2twFWmUR1wdmtpITBYQ_vknMiFceBGMAxXTcWi0jcwUb8azkTuvX1P9V5UMqMIBp17O1_tqSe5GN_z5Gy7r6B_dH_-o1xluUuPgCa0jffVBi2rOSqtyJNg2LElKG9XF7T/s640/IMG_1973.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8mR9T-tIDaV12wSdbpZ5EM8hkIV0Ag-Syf1-CNkAt_XjuIg7fStGFjUNUPgEJuN8SA_IkMFXwCA7oQX11ed_G2nD-z0gigN1vwpHx8_J0-jFZoU6baQAFChSgf7wmxLkzb46wmjJyP-Z/s1600/IMG_1989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8mR9T-tIDaV12wSdbpZ5EM8hkIV0Ag-Syf1-CNkAt_XjuIg7fStGFjUNUPgEJuN8SA_IkMFXwCA7oQX11ed_G2nD-z0gigN1vwpHx8_J0-jFZoU6baQAFChSgf7wmxLkzb46wmjJyP-Z/s640/IMG_1989.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgEutxoUkuXFZw6xpt5sZletkkEAS5yH5SmQBOwhBfm8mP11FrwAFTcPsQvA3ID2YzELfe42c-Ap0Ki94pk0AUclXyw5gr4HmtzPsPoK87fBX2NSnDgO92p77VtVIMm4AufNGlbAulVVt/s1600/IMG_1992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgEutxoUkuXFZw6xpt5sZletkkEAS5yH5SmQBOwhBfm8mP11FrwAFTcPsQvA3ID2YzELfe42c-Ap0Ki94pk0AUclXyw5gr4HmtzPsPoK87fBX2NSnDgO92p77VtVIMm4AufNGlbAulVVt/s640/IMG_1992.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Willow is having a blast!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjh8BAea1BwVb3-64GOGMivFOPvrwOGLjzW1TMFfg575gdwvIY1LQ0duD-Xr_dNYz6IhwDp8quvZosOXLnB58WHN0jMfi6tM3XsRlpC0SGb9HduYSi5KmJZr38HbSxNVT5Me7j1JTDziE/s1600/IMG_1994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjh8BAea1BwVb3-64GOGMivFOPvrwOGLjzW1TMFfg575gdwvIY1LQ0duD-Xr_dNYz6IhwDp8quvZosOXLnB58WHN0jMfi6tM3XsRlpC0SGb9HduYSi5KmJZr38HbSxNVT5Me7j1JTDziE/s640/IMG_1994.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another awesome adventure! I'm at peace.</span></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-6335520139565807972015-08-22T11:03:00.003-06:002015-08-22T11:03:58.320-06:00In case you hadn't heard...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In June I started a Masters of Environmental Management in Integrative Land Management at Western State Colorado University (WSCU). I am beyond excited and grateful for this opportunity and what lies ahead for me during the next two years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This college is a gem in our state of Colorado! WSCU was recently named a <b>College of Distinction </b>by <span style="color: #505050; line-height: 20px;">EnvironmentalScience.org, who ranked Western fifth in the U.S., ahead of prestigious schools including Colorado College, the University of Washington and Willamette University. The organization ranks universities nationally based on the colleges' locations, environmental practices, faculty, opportunities to study abroad, teaching methods, program breadth, degree levels offered and the quality of their academic research.</span></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dr. John Hausdoerffer, a professor of Environment & Sustainability who was just named executive director of Western's Center for Environment & Sustainability, calls this is a particularly proud moment for the university.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"This designation recognizes efforts from across campus," he says. "From field-based Environmental Science courses in our Natural Science majors, to the breadth of our Environment & Sustainability major and environmental education emphasis in Recreation, to the professional nature of our coordinated Business/ENVS major, to campus sustainability successes to reduce greenhouse gases, this award is for all of us to be proud of. Most of all, it recognizes our world-class learning laboratory: the Rocky Mountains that surround our campus."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition, WSCU was named <b>Top Adventure College </b>by <a href="http://www.western.edu/news/western-wins-top-adventure-college-ranking" target="_blank">Elevations Outdoor Magazine</a> Western has also been named one of the <b>Top Green Colleges</b> by the Princeton Review.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">The Princeton Review's Guide to 353 Green Colleges: 2015 Edition” profiles colleges with the most exceptional commitments to sustainability, based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives and activities. This is the fourth year in a row Princeton Review has recognized Western, one of just six colleges in Colorado among the 353 honorees. </span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 18px;">
</div>
<div class="media media-element-container media-default" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px;">
<img alt="" class="media-element file-default" height="465" src="http://www.western.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/raw/green_seal_2015.png?itok=2SZSBNH5" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: 194px; max-width: 100%; width: 200px;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="480" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #505050; line-height: 20px;">The free, 218-page guide is downloadable at </span><a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/green-guide" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #ee3a43; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">princetonreview.com/green-guide</a><span style="color: #505050; line-height: 20px;">. The Princeton Review chose the colleges based on “Green Rating” scores, from 60 to 99, the company tallied in summer 2014 for 861 colleges, using data from its 2013-14 survey of school administrators. The survey asked them to report on their schools' sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The assessment weighted more than 25 data points. </span></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 9px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Princeton Review is not the only organization to recently recognize Western's commitment to sustainability. EnviornmentalScience.org ranked Western among the top five places in the America to study Environmental Science, ahead of prestigious schools such as Colorado College, the University of Washington and Willamette University. </span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Campus <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sustainability</em> is more than a buzzword at Western. In the past decade, Western stepped up its commitment to environmental sustainability with several initiatives. In 2005, former President Jay Helman signed an Environmental Charter recognizing Western’s responsibility to improve environmental awareness, stewardship of natural resources and resource efficiency. Helman followed by signing the President’s Climate Commitment, promising that Western will become a carbon-neutral campus, sequestering as much carbon as the university emits.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #505050; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students have played a pivotal role in leading sustainability initiatives on campus. Student-initiated projects include an earth tub for composting waste from the campus cafeteria, a student sustainability grant to fund campus projects and the recently approved, optional student fee for renewable energy. Western also offers a variety of educational opportunities in environmental stewardship through its Center for Environmental Studies and the Institute for Applied Sustainability.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9150633154136177056.post-59757490550932961162015-08-12T09:55:00.001-06:002015-08-12T10:07:00.999-06:00Gunnison Basin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfua-nFm5Zt7WYPygcrmLcw7btEMgRW6oOf_ZN3gWvNpR2hZEY0v3f4v8_YGqjgM6I_sZB8kSTpHUf4VZ6M6zqjVjWgz4C7jsEC1-sPQJj8rLjQMAsYwfofF0f_3ZPVRzsJbOPIpTziVe/s1600/gunnisonriverbasin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfua-nFm5Zt7WYPygcrmLcw7btEMgRW6oOf_ZN3gWvNpR2hZEY0v3f4v8_YGqjgM6I_sZB8kSTpHUf4VZ6M6zqjVjWgz4C7jsEC1-sPQJj8rLjQMAsYwfofF0f_3ZPVRzsJbOPIpTziVe/s640/gunnisonriverbasin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm in the Gunnison River Basin of Colorado for two weeks immersed in a Masters of Environmental Management intensive. I am a student in the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Integrative Land Management program at </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.western.edu/academics/graduate-programs/master-environmental-management-mem/mem-integrative-land-management" target="_blank">Western State Colorado University</a>. So far it's an amazing program with incredibly rich content and motivating, inspirational instructors. I have no doubt I'll have a lot to share about my experiences and the program over the next two years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've had some personal and field class time to get out and check out some of the local ecology projects, diverse landscapes and geological features of this unique basin. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what we've been up to:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gunnisoncounty.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=54" target="_blank">Gunnison Basin, Gunnison Sage-grouse Brood Rearing Habitat/Riparian Resilience/Restoration Project</a></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr1588mmdmQ233i2DyONC68pSybqt9sjpOBMZMZo2mmu-XRxQgvxivPnkIOK4IhS0SPPb3pvb3XllD1-tvxK32F1L9jnX8IO4I2LmHLluxr5X7BYE6MvPim4hgxDOUFFM__jsThyphenhyphenamb2i/s1600/IMG_1680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr1588mmdmQ233i2DyONC68pSybqt9sjpOBMZMZo2mmu-XRxQgvxivPnkIOK4IhS0SPPb3pvb3XllD1-tvxK32F1L9jnX8IO4I2LmHLluxr5X7BYE6MvPim4hgxDOUFFM__jsThyphenhyphenamb2i/s640/IMG_1680.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">INSECTS! The Gunnison Sage-grouse chicks feed on insects during their first summer after hatching. These lands had been dry and therefore no insects prior to the restoration project, which is in its fourth year.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTj333n6YAhJQL5KxRoIAXMMXjnFXf9A2KgALLp2QQOBTH3xffSTt4tADICByHi1u6QXdlisEUf8EzuR0tZ9gerjyePKr9SfclMkdLvKyi26MiYEv3eTBOz0tFC8w5ZD0Nkh6c8kUhyphenhyphenYi8/s1600/IMG_1678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTj333n6YAhJQL5KxRoIAXMMXjnFXf9A2KgALLp2QQOBTH3xffSTt4tADICByHi1u6QXdlisEUf8EzuR0tZ9gerjyePKr9SfclMkdLvKyi26MiYEv3eTBOz0tFC8w5ZD0Nkh6c8kUhyphenhyphenYi8/s640/IMG_1678.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TRANSFORMATION! This meadow now holds moisture because of the Erosion Control project.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Understanding the <a href="http://www.cobar.org/repository/Inside_Bar/Enviro/handout1.pdf" target="_blank">"Right to Float"</a> laws in Colorado</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh0n4kszMEKnW4NzSInG2Md70Rd8t9OME7PC6PwBvng1kiTv66hwDCcUpRYws27yqKMm6aP5PmUu_MMrqku0r1xASW2fo7WTCnUq_-KW7IIjGVo2P_XHT9Eiltc0GXGP5pz0qpT0hC-C1/s1600/gunni.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh0n4kszMEKnW4NzSInG2Md70Rd8t9OME7PC6PwBvng1kiTv66hwDCcUpRYws27yqKMm6aP5PmUu_MMrqku0r1xASW2fo7WTCnUq_-KW7IIjGVo2P_XHT9Eiltc0GXGP5pz0qpT0hC-C1/s640/gunni.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Floating the Gunni!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com/" target="_blank">Crested Butte wildflower walk</a></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgRAy0N3uf6SuC2iMp6Qbn9gYDTy2wUdcfVWS8x8uu_RLJkuGKHL3dkspeim5DEnyQ1P3AOz1ZvvooQo-b_BTmg0FBoj-seHKRV98_ut9aoH4DKhxLrBmmLIOJrEp9NJ8YxObyhHsJIsp/s1600/20150808_151822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgRAy0N3uf6SuC2iMp6Qbn9gYDTy2wUdcfVWS8x8uu_RLJkuGKHL3dkspeim5DEnyQ1P3AOz1ZvvooQo-b_BTmg0FBoj-seHKRV98_ut9aoH4DKhxLrBmmLIOJrEp9NJ8YxObyhHsJIsp/s640/20150808_151822.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Colorful and gentle rolling hills in the south end of Crested Butte create a dynamic view.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBG_Bf4w-1xweHC-_JH1JB-iMI_TVqlL7nAOZivsNmsmcE2EnjT8i2IQoSPQOz8ASFnaVUdkycqFaqM9iCelcHekTxOg339lYGqUaAOePrOmeDENJEPVv8PgBOfSc143gnrDlR8jrqrew_/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBG_Bf4w-1xweHC-_JH1JB-iMI_TVqlL7nAOZivsNmsmcE2EnjT8i2IQoSPQOz8ASFnaVUdkycqFaqM9iCelcHekTxOg339lYGqUaAOePrOmeDENJEPVv8PgBOfSc143gnrDlR8jrqrew_/s640/IMG_1712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUq3Prdw8Cnl8vbNK6wyxG2i5qArDUir2yHL4PnIIuupkVC-FspcjDeedAna5mpXGbAAvGtcqNmzGqa_J5u_tnTDsCZDZ471mR4QzAy429p59JnxUkCNoCAqB4GW-Yi6313hEWGSSZr-0/s1600/IMG_1715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUq3Prdw8Cnl8vbNK6wyxG2i5qArDUir2yHL4PnIIuupkVC-FspcjDeedAna5mpXGbAAvGtcqNmzGqa_J5u_tnTDsCZDZ471mR4QzAy429p59JnxUkCNoCAqB4GW-Yi6313hEWGSSZr-0/s640/IMG_1715.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This summer the meadows are alive and <i>buzzzzzzing!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19IyFfOE_amw1fgfaM9WFsUouIsq4zupAD5CWQlFd08Ei9EttZDRRXhRUy2iRsWaojl2CvsgtE9KOYLrXHY6LvoMTf8HEPbDbwBa19O8oP8Hg5UYGqF6BVEEXUIsYBSkF4fMDd32aOn-Y/s1600/IMG_1716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19IyFfOE_amw1fgfaM9WFsUouIsq4zupAD5CWQlFd08Ei9EttZDRRXhRUy2iRsWaojl2CvsgtE9KOYLrXHY6LvoMTf8HEPbDbwBa19O8oP8Hg5UYGqF6BVEEXUIsYBSkF4fMDd32aOn-Y/s640/IMG_1716.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lots of wishes to be made. I hope yours comes true!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm" target="_blank">Black Canyon of the Gunnison</a></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgUEEWS0x81MFBIlnEDqr3thLdBgLCdY4DkzI-2G6JxRwRv-t6us4uvwW1TwPdzlHAlKqnEzqdcqaLfFkdJp19GuZasgDEsQcdibr6cSOclgBdXgaemVT4ppctbgNuow27mJp0vTA5yGa/s1600/IMG_1770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgUEEWS0x81MFBIlnEDqr3thLdBgLCdY4DkzI-2G6JxRwRv-t6us4uvwW1TwPdzlHAlKqnEzqdcqaLfFkdJp19GuZasgDEsQcdibr6cSOclgBdXgaemVT4ppctbgNuow27mJp0vTA5yGa/s640/IMG_1770.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Steep, deep, dark, narrow and amazing!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMS_cjk18iOhv_89sHnnosF25T9NOrspz2DTaLY1YJl33_CETvfeZyjld4RUWkU2KOfSkCz-EGehHMZEmx_9Yx6HaT8pRaLLYAo72ipeBUcCgvsy_QFvM8RN9a_BlZ_ytwULfbGNR1WbH/s1600/20150809_124905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMS_cjk18iOhv_89sHnnosF25T9NOrspz2DTaLY1YJl33_CETvfeZyjld4RUWkU2KOfSkCz-EGehHMZEmx_9Yx6HaT8pRaLLYAo72ipeBUcCgvsy_QFvM8RN9a_BlZ_ytwULfbGNR1WbH/s640/20150809_124905.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.nps.gov/cure/index.htm" target="_blank">Curecanti National Recreation Area</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOijcU2X_bkmSM_S4ZH3jTRuGcw0aPN9NDnGUrbL7hc-ZPh3kBd0r4RGJ1OR9uOuzFTAPb5te1hk7-gl8k6QLxOaKyw-w3j1HLh85P6-qaDZAIGwMBRU8JeqiflaUpt0cT4xwKvh4lKL0/s1600/IMG_1790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOijcU2X_bkmSM_S4ZH3jTRuGcw0aPN9NDnGUrbL7hc-ZPh3kBd0r4RGJ1OR9uOuzFTAPb5te1hk7-gl8k6QLxOaKyw-w3j1HLh85P6-qaDZAIGwMBRU8JeqiflaUpt0cT4xwKvh4lKL0/s640/IMG_1790.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Curecanti National Recreation Area is a series of three reservoirs along the once wild Gunnison River. The reservoirs that make up Curecanti today are a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Best known for salmon and trout fishing, Curecanti also offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and bird watching.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591331573425680703noreply@blogger.com0