Kayak, Bike, Nature and Travel

Today I drove to the University of Arkansas campus to look for my name engraved on the Senior Walk.  There are names of graduates dating back to the late 1800's on sidewalks on campus.  I found my name just a stones throw away from the Chemistry Building.  Not my favorite subject when I was in college.  It is a nice warm and sunny day here.  So it was a really nice day to walk around campus. It is funny how campus seem much smaller than it did when I first arrived my freshman year.  This is a picture of the historic Old Main Building. Here is my name engraved in the sidewalk on campus. I had to add this image of my dad.  He just retired from work and I wondered how he might spend his days.   Well I hope everyone is having a good day.  My time here in growing to and end as I head back west on Sunday.    

I did not have a whole lot going on today.  So after dinner I went out for a drive around town. Dinner by the way was great.  I had wonderful pork shoulder sandwiches.  But on my drive I mainly wanted to got to the historic downtown square of Fayetteville Arkansas to see the Christmas Lights.  The last day for lights are on the 31st of Dec, so I wanted to check them out before they are gone.  The evening was cool but nice.  The lights were fantastic and horse carriages going around the square.  There were ever pony and camel rides.  Families were walking around buying hot drinks and cotton candy for the kids.   Here area couple of photos The center of the square is the most decorated. Just another view.  Last but not least is the Razorback.  This is the college mascot.  I went to college here in my home town.  The University of Arkansas.  Go Hogs!! After the stroll around the square I went over to a friends house to catch up on what been going on in their life.   Tomorrow I am going to...

Today was Christmas and I hope everyone had a wonderful day.  Many thanks to all my friends who contacted me to wish me a Merry Christmas.  It was a really nice day here in Arkansas with sunny skies.  Though I spent most of my day inside with family.  It was a lot of fun since this is the only time of year I get to see my niece and nephews.  They are growing fast and maybe I can turn one or two of them into kayakers.   On Christmas Eve we fixed a nice dinner and my friends Tim and Cherri came by.  It was fun to spend time with them and I hope they had safe travels today. Well here are few photos from around the house.  These photos are just of family and stuff around the house.  So I understand if they are not for everyone.  But I have a lot of family that check the site and it will be fun for them to see whats going on. Mom setting at the counter while Dad slaves away in the kitchen.  Mom just had foot surgery so she cannot get around that well.  Tim and Cherri are hanging out for Chr...

Christmas Eve is here and it seems to have arrived quickly.  All my friends back home in Friday Harbor have been dealing with lots of snow and icy roads.  Here in Arkansas I have seen temperatures go up and down with rain falling most of the time.  Today looks as if the sun will shine so I plan on going out for a run. Yesterday I went to visit a good buddy of mine.  He owns a really nice furniture shop in Fayetteville Arkansas.   Lacuna Modern Interiors .  We set around and caught up on old times.  I helped him with a few computer problems he was having. A couple of images from my buddies shop. Later that night we went out to eat at Powerhouse Seafood and Grill.  Kind of strange for going to a seafood place when I live in the coast.  But there are a few things there I cannot get back home. One of my favorites, craw fish.  Yeap, I got plenty for dinner last night.  It was fun to hang out and catch up. But I have to say I am missing the coast.  I miss waking up and after my coffee routin...

It is freezing cold here today and the night time temp is suppose to be 3F.  Been a slow visit thus far.  My usual is to head out on the town, meet up with friends and enjoy the night life.  But so far my motivation has been a bit low.  I have not even gone out since I have been back.  I have gone out for some exercise and the rest of the time I have spent with my parents.  My buddy Tim stopped by the house today.  It was nice to hang out for awhile.  My roommate called and it sounds like the island took a pounding when the snow feel.   I checked out a few of the local news sites.  Not many pictures but some of my friends have sent a few to me.  I am a bit homesick with all the beautiful snow falling.  It would be a lot of fun to be out in the snow.  This picture was sent to my by my friend Penny. I am not sure if she is going to be posting her images on her blog or not.  But if you want to check  the following link will get you there   http://icydol.blogspot.com/ Well I hope my friend...

I guess that it has less to do with the location and more to do with me.  My days back home on San Juan Island can be pretty slow and since I have been here in Arkansas not much has changed.  I spent Friday at the house with my family.  Mom had foot surgery before I got here and she is not suppose to be on her feet.   Today I got up and decided I would go to a near by park for a run.  The park is Gulley Park and it is a pretty basic park.  It has a paved running/walking path and a lots of open space.  I guess the do a summer concert series there.  Plenty of space for it.   It is drastically different from my running spots back home on the island.  But after yesterday I needed to get out to breath some fresh air and clear my head.    Here are a few photos of the park.   When I got out of the car for my run it was 50F by the time I finished the 3 mile run the temperature was 39F.  It suppose to keep dropping.  I think it is going to be single digit temps.  But we are not going to get th...

It was a long day of travel and I was afraid I was not going to make it all.   Seattle was covered in snow the morning of the 18 th .  My flight to Chicago was delayed for over 2 hours.  So by the time I reached Chicago my flight was gone.  I called my parents while we were taxing to the gate in Chicago.  My father was able to look up and see if there were anymore flights.  I got off and ran to a gate agent and was moved to the later flight.  It left me just enough time to go have a quick drink and wipe the sweat off my forehead.  It was a late arrival but I made it and that it the important part. This is SeaTac on the 18th.  It was pretty nasty. Today I took it easy and slept in.  I made my way to Ozark Natural Foods ( ONF ) .  Its a pretty nice local coop and I needed to pick a few things for the time I am here. Well I have not taken any pictures or have much else to share.  I will update when I have some fun stuff to add. Hope everyone is having a great day.

Hello everyone.  Well I finally made it to Seattle.  I took the 4:15 ferry off the island.  It was kind of a late start.  But I had to go help Jackie (a friend of mine) to get her car moving.  The drive was crazy.  Anacortes was pretty snowy and north of Seattle it was really snowing hard.  It was a bit intense at times driving. But this morning when I woke up in Friday Harbor it was snowing. So I took off for a walk to town to grabs some coffee.  So here are a few photos for everyone. Looks like the whole region got plenty of snow.  Just saw a news clip from Portland.  Hope my it is being enjoyed there. Snow covered Argyle Ave. San Juan Land Bank House. This is just a beautiful scene. Well I am going to be in airports all day tomorrow.  So I will post some new when I get to Arkansas. Have a great night everyone.

Since I am leaving the island tomorrow, given the weather does not get too bad.  I decided to head out for a hike today.  I called Richard and he was up to the small adventure as well.  We met at the house, loaded Guinness in the Previa and head out to both of our favorite spot.   It was a perfect day to be outside.  Cold but not unbearable, with a brisk breeze and clear skies. We took out time chatting and messing about the trail.  Overall just having a relaxing time hanging out and enjoying the beauty of a place we feel fortunate to call home.  There were tracks left in the snow from passing critters that were moving about the trail before us.  A Red Tail Hawk flew out of the tree line and kited in the wind.  Taking a high vantage point looking for a nice meal.  As we rounded the end of the trail to head back home,  you could see Mt Baker and the Cascade Range. Richard spent some time point out all the peaks in the distance.  As we walked home the sun in out face and it slowly faded ...

Most of us were getting a bit spoiled with the moderate temperatures and calm winds we were having earlier this month.  I was thinking that maybe winter would miss us all together.  But before we knew it.  Winter was here.  All in one night it seemed to arrive to the island.  Cold air, strong winds and snow moved over the island and has left us with icy roads and beautiful scenery.   Tonight there is a slight chance of more snow with a greater chance of snow on Wednesday.  I think the accumulations is set to range from only 1 inch to 3 inches.  But here on the island 1 inch can me enough to slow things down.  I have travel plans set for Wednesday.  I am suppose to go to Seattle as I am due to catch a flight Thursday to fly back to my home town.  Seems I have picked a bad day to be on the roads. I hope everyone is waking up to a good morning.

I really did not think that it was going to snow.  But last night my friend Winter and his girlfriend stopped by.  When they came in they were all excited that it was starting to snow. So by the time I ate dinner and decided to go out in the big town of Friday Harbor, it had snowed enough to cover the roads.  This morning I was shocked to see that it was still snow.  Though we did not get much it was an added bonus to the day.  I took my time getting out of the house.  Then walked to town with Lyle and Guinness to get coffee.  Guinness was so crazy.  He loves the snow. I let him walk to town without his leash today, I could tell he was pretty happy about that. Once I got back home I warmed up the Previa and we took off to see the beauty of the island with snow.  I do not want to write too much here as I have some photos I want to post and do not want to take up every one's time. PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES.  MOST ARE WORTH SEEING FULL SIZE. Walking to town from my house.  This is Ar...

Today was round 2 for strong winds here on the island.  The winds shifted from SE yesterday to NE today.  It was a cold walk to town for coffee this morning.  The winds kept building through the day and the gust were very strong.  After coffee I headed down to the shop and white caps were across the harbor all the way to Shaw Island.   The images was really washed out but you can see the ferry coming in and all the white caps.  Click on the image to get a better view. I spent some time at the shop hanging around.  We have some really go specials on for the holiday but not many people come down to the waterfront to shop.  But I am there Friday and Saturday.  My buddy Will did come by and he picked up some warm weather clothing for a great price.  I spent most of my time looking out the windows as boats passed by in the channel.  A Coast Guard Cutter made its way into the harbor.  They were tied up near Griffin Bay.  I guess the winds were getting strong out there and they decided to com...

Today the wind made its way to the islands.  Strong SE winds with gust well over 50mph.  It was fun to go sit on the South end of the Island and watch the waves.  As I sit in my house writing this post.  The wind is blowing and limbs are falling on the roof.  The winds are only suppose to get stronger as the night passes.   As I drove along Cattle Point Road there was a Norther Harrier flying over the tall grass.  I pulled over to watch as it was quite a sight.  Northern Harriers are that big of a bird.  It was trying tirelessly to hunt for food.  Watching as massive gust of winds hit the birds and it would wildly sway left to right.  Making all adjustments needed to stay in flight.  Needless to say this was a tough day to be hunting.  The Harrier (aka Marsh Hawk) flies swiftly along tall grass hunting for prey.  I guess even on the windy days you still have to try and eat.  I decided to move on and see what the water looked like towards Cattle Pass. It is really hard to get an idea of...

A much needed run today.  There are many reason I run.  Some have to do with fitness, but that is really not much of why I like to run.  For me it is a time of day to take in fresh air.  To maximize the potential air flow through my body.  It's very cleansing.  It also is a wonderful time to unload mental stress or other stresses you may have built up.  Being outside can become more of a spiritual outlet if you allow yourself to connect with your surroundings.  San Juan Island is a wonderful place to connect to you surroundings.  From mountain views and amazing water views. There is an amazing abundance of natural beauty here.  So today I used my outdoor venture and run as a release.  A way of letting out what troubles the mind and breath in fresh ideas and thoughts.   Today shaped up to be a beautiful day.  The sun came out and the temperature was moderate. A very light breeze and views of mountain and calm waters.  The forecast for the weekend is not looking so nice.  Cold, windy...

The other day I recieved my Green Jacket.  It is a new PFD from Astral Buoyancy and I have been awaiting its arrival since the summer.  But due to some Coast Guard approval issues it was delayed.  It was finally given the go ahead and I have my hands on it.  I have not had a chance to get on the water with it yet and I cannot wait.  Today I thought I was going to get out to teach a lesson.  But my student was sick and she wants to reschedule for a later date. But I have tried it on and I can say the overall fit is really nice.  It is very secure and I would be afraid to know the amount of force the water would need to remove this vest from you.  It is a pull over design which is somewhat new for me.  But not that big of a deal for the comfort once you are in the vest.   The vest being designed for whitewater and I plan to test it out on the sea.  So it has some features that were mainly conceived for whitewater use.  But with the ever growing rough water sea kayaking attraction, I am s...

I have to say I did not get out of the house much today.  I had catch up work to do on the Discovery Sea Kayak website. I spent a good part of the day going over images from 2007 and 2008.  I needed to get them sorted and sized to update the site with new images.  I added two slide shows the site as well.  I still have a bit more updating to get things where I want them. But at the end of the day I needed to go out and get some clarity.  I spent a good 45 minutes at the house stretching and preparing to go run in the rain.  Some would call it procrastinating.  I like to call it preparing.  I went to my usually place near American Camp.  I did not carry my camera along as it is not waterproof and it was pretty wet out there.  I have not heard any news on my waterproof Pentax.  I cannot wait to get it back.  The run, though slow as it felt, was much needed and very appreciated now that I am back home.  Guinness and I wer...