Gold Creek Trail Snowshoe 2011

Group [L-R]: Danelle, Matt, Brenda, Brandon, Andrea, Andrew & Libby

Towno got a bit tangled.

Andrew, Libby, and Brenda.

Towno, Brooke, and Andrea.

Brandon would like a general caution to be noted regarding trying to walk backwards in snowshoes.

Matt had fun trompin' around!

Amazing how Towno can stretch his paws! Built in snowshoes!

Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day: looking up to Rampart Ridge.

Matt and Danelle.

The Hoard: Andrew, Brenda, Libby, Brooke, Brandon, Andrea, Towno, Matt, and Danelle.

Beautiful day!

Packing up after lunch. Towno shakin' off!

There couldn't be a more noble dog. Goofy, but noble!

Andrea and Danelle.

Kendall Katwalk

I love fall. And I love getting outside, breathing in the cool, crisp autumn air to see beautiful colors changing. Sarah, Townsend and I headed up to Kendall Katwalk to do just this.

Rocky terrain on the way up there.


Townsend peering over the ledge, looking down into the valley.


Sarah nearing the katwalk. ("Where is this thing!?")


We stopped for a quick lunch break, which turned into a longer lunch break, since I looked around me and saw this:
and:
Brooke says I wear everyone out. Sorry, guys.


We made it to the Katwalk! Townsend told me it's rude to take a dog on a katwalk. So he calls it the DOGwalk.


Kendall Kat/Dogwalk is a thin section of trail on the PCT that was blasted off to skirt around this large mountain.


Red Mountain, located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.


It was a great 11 mile hike filled with great colors and spectacular views.

Eily Sky

We were pumped when we heard our friends from Cincinnati, Eric and Britt Hauck, were going to be on tour this summer, traveling all the way out here to Seattle! Brooke was bummed he couldn't join them for their tour, but was excited to play with them during one of their shows out here.

Eily Sky in concert. Check them out. They're awesome.
Dude on the hammered dulcimer, Britt, Dustin on bass, Eric on acoustic, Brooke on electric.


It was great to get a little taste of home. We miss these guys. We miss Ohio.


Afterwards we went to Elliott Bay Brewery for some food and brews. It was great to visit and catch up before they took off on the roads.

PBR

our friend michael stopped through town this weekend and we got a chance to hang. he was in town for work, but had the time friday to go out to dinner with us; read: elliot bay brewhouse! we made arrangements to hook up with him on sunday for 'take you friends to work night.'

it was typical michael to tell us to meet him at the loading dock at the tacoma dome. when we arrived at the back entrance and phoned, he popped out of a door with backstage passes!
michael has the coolest job ever!

we made our way through the bowels of the dome to a patch of dirt and row of fences.

there andrea found one of her favorite things...
a rodeo waiting to happen! actually, it was more of a quasi-rodeo. diet-rodeo if you will...but it.was.awesome!

our first stop was the 'chutes.' this is where the cowboys...well...cowboy up. they strap themselves to a bull and try to hold on for 8 seconds.
these guys are so gentle of creatures, it's hard to believe there can get so riled up.

michael operates a camera in the chutes. when your flippin' channels and see bullriding, pause...see if it's PBR, and then wait for a chute-shot. that's michael behind it. like i said...his job is awesome!

next stop was the video truck; imagine a semi trailer filled with video screens, blinking lights, and wires. this is where they take care of the broadcast of the event. michael said it got very busy when the show was on, but now it just contained a guy playing poker on his laptop [sorry to narc you out. :)]

we couldn't believe the arsenal of cameras they used. this was mike's.

there was also the camera along side of the ring.


we both got to 'play' with it. this camera has mad-zoom and great depth of field!

we concluded our tour and made our way to our seats, via hot dogs and mountain dew; hey, sometimes you just have to live the life.

and waited patiently for the show to start.

here it goes!

Professional Bull Riding at it's best! [a very close second to the Jackson Hole Rodeo.


enjoying the action from the nose-bleed section. like i said, sometimes you just have to live the life.

bull riding. what a funny sport. totally enthrawling; but funny. 2.1 isn't going to cut it. andrea rooted hard for 'snake oil,' but was a little disappointed.

we finish with the bull riders equivalent to the zamboni. cute, in a wall-e sort of way...but no zamboni.

michael, thanks for the backstage tour of PBR. we both have a greater appreciation for what it takes to get it to our TV, and what a circus must be like.

all of the versus group was gracious, and we look forward to seeing you soon in tacoma!

Skiing at Mt Baker

we went up to mt baker this past weekend to go skiing for the first day out this season. the skiing was great and the weather was unbelievable.


the group consisted of bryan, brooke, andrea and jenn.


mt baker normally has incredible skiing, but add that with a bright sunny day and 55 degree weather...you can't beat it! it was so bright that it was hard not to squint without goggles or sunglasses.


it was such a beautiful day!


being able to look upon a volcanic mountain while you ski is breathtaking. behind bryan is that volcanic mountain: mt baker.


this will go down as a great ski day!

Thanksgiving 2008

once again we had and orphan thanksgiving. we invited all of our transplanted friends over to share in giving thanks for the bounty...which we deep fried! jon and selky [aka red dog] tend to the bird in the deep fryer and the birds in the drive-way.


this smile was for not having to cook turkey tom in the oven this thanksgiving. although i [brooke] must say that last year she made the most amazing turkey i've ever had in my life!


anson, from portland, did a fabulous job on the stir fried green beans. it was awesome to see that everybody jumped right in to help.


once again, the vets [kris ann on left and melinda on right] did the honor of carving the bird. i have to learn one of these days. jon supervised the legalities of the situation!


this is selky; also known as 'red dog.' she wanted to come in and socialize, but had to stay in the mud room because...well, she was muddy. she'd join us later for games.

the adult table [kris ann, jon, melinda, brooke ...taking photo..., andrea and stosh].


the kid's table [mark, rich, and anson]. they behaved very nicely!


too much turkey; too much dessert.

we had a wonderful evening that was shared with wonderful friends. we ate, drank, played games, and closed the evening around 12am. we were glad to spend it with our orphan friends!

until next year...thanksgiving out!