snow surf

There's something so damn novel about surfing in the snow. Really though, the water temperature is the same as it always is. Cold. So regardless of what happens to be lying on the ground, your toes are still going to turn into cold pickles. Just hope the wind doesn't pick up. Happy holidays.

hockey

The west coast experienced some pretty cold weather recently. Clear, dry, and cold. There's a pond in town that doesn't get much sunlight during the winter. A week of freezing temperatures turned it into a hockey rink.

tomas

Working long swing shifts manufacturing computer memory chips in Boise, Idaho, Tomas is as stoked as anyone. A few weeks ago he flew into Sea-Tac, hopped in my truck, and rode out to the coast for a couple hours of surf. Whatever you're doing out there, enjoy the hell out of it.

fire

nursing the elwha

Throughout the year, 106,000 plants will be propagated, packed in bags, and hauled out to the former reservoirs of Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills to be planted. The Matt Albright Native Plant Center, the production facility for this effort located in Sequim, WA, was created to nurse the Elwha River back to health. Here's a day of cleaning roots and loading bags.

Potting shed.

Taylor, Chelsea, and Jenny, just getting going.

A devoted volunteer and revegetation crew leader Marisa Whisman sharing stories to pass the time.

Staging bags of plants in the greenhouse.

Thimble Berry and Salal, ready to go.

Rubus Leucodermis, Black Cap Raspberry.

Taylor, waiting for more plants to prep.

Aaron and Mike, still waiting.

Arbutus menzeisii and Sambucus cerulea, Madron and Blue Elderberry.

Populus balsamifera, Cottonwood.

Pseudotsuga menzeisii, Douglas Fir.

Symphoricarpos albus, Snowberry.

Pinus strobus, White Pine.

happy new year

January 1st marks the new year, but people are generally pretty settled in a routine around that time. Since grade school we've become accustomed to new beginnings in the fall; a change from summertime chaos to order and pattern. Here's a collection of stray images from the end of spring through early autumn, that period of chaos that precedes settling in for the winter.

Lake Wenatchee. Cascades holding off a front.

A mushroom in the pan is worth two in the car seat.

The simple joy of the last day of school.

Learning how to mill lumber in the backcountry.

Summer days at the pool, when there's still daylight after they close.

Blading is cooler than it was when you were a kid.

Moving all my stuff from here to there.

Digging up old dashboards.

Injuries are not as cool as when you were a kid.

Living and working from here all week.

Finding sweet hidden beach shack palaces.

Mobile shacks and wood shacks.

That landscape shot at the end.

bunker

Once upon a time, America was convinced distant enemies from exotic lands were going to attack our western shores. Forts were established, troops were trained, and roads were carved into hillsides leading to headlands where bunkers were built. One of these bunkers exists on the most northwest chunk of land in the lower forty-eight.

llama farm barn party

The night was full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and lot of hay. There was some good music, some bad music, and some worse music. No goat came to harm, and no guest of the farm became a patron of the ER. Many laughs were shared, stories told, and food devoured. It was an ideal segue from the International Day of Peace to Kevin's birthday, as well as the end of a year of service.

The goblet mic.

One of the hosts.

Bucking the stage.

Play time.

Nick Cuny and instrument customization.

Kevin and Mike, jamming the bass and freecycled organ.

Ted, chowing the endless watermelon.

The car we all wished we arrived in.

Bring on the night.

The Brothers Thrust, organizing a remix. Cody and Kelly, the proof is in the pudding.

Kevin, Andy, and Corey laying down a tune by The Band.

Good music, good food, good people.