Pic of the day

A cell phone picture, from the metal works shop on White Spar. Simply gorgeous.

Pic of the day

Sunset as seen from a random hilltop near Lynx Lake:

This is how I feel about NASCAR

it perfectly sums it up:

NASCAR Coach Reveals Winning Strategy: 'Drive Fast'

(via Bits&Pieces)

Pic of the day

Having an assistant while shooting photos is invaluable, even if they just make sure the truck doesn’t get away:

 

At the end of an evening shooting, Scrappy anxiously waits to leave as the last bit of color sits on the horizon.

Christmas Beard – Week 12 – DONE!

Three months of beard have come and gone.

 

I’m certainly not looking like Santa Claus, but it did grow in a little better than last year. At least I didn’t have any bald spots this time around:

 

But no matter how nicely it grew in, it was time for it to go. So, the day after Christmas it began to chop it off, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do the whole thing. What do you think of my new look? Am I starting a trend?

 

Keep your eyes peeled, I think you’ll be seeing a lot of guys sporting the two-face look in the near future.

 

Okay, maybe I was just being stupid. I am indeed baby-faced once again.

Went for a hike after chipping it all off, and realized just how much insulation it was providing. My face was COLD! :)

Pic of the day

Sometimes you just feel like you are facing an uphill battle:

One of many hills on the way to the top of Mt. Tritle. Cold and slippery.

Pic of the day

The courthouse lights:

With a bonus:

 

No big plans for Christmas here. Dinner with a few friends tonight. Dinner with mom and sis tomorrow. Maybe kick around out in the snow over the weekend.

Pic of the day

From August, mountains in the distance:

Pic of the day

Meandering slowly down a dirt road, a friend in the passenger seat and good music playing through the speakers. The morning light streams through the tall pine trees, and the feeling is complete. It is all that I could hope for in a moment:

Taking Senator highway to Crown King.

Ummm… Wow

Sometimes there isn’t a happy ending.

http://www.ralfbrunner.com/Website/Bilder/reportage/aids/index.html

Christmas Beard – Week 11

I’m in the final week! I do have to say that having the beard sure is nice while out hiking. Keeps the face warm.

I’m still planning on cutting it off though. :)

Pic of the day

Liquor – does it quicker.

Graffiti from Phoenix.

Flounder

From a journal entry a few months ago:

“I need to flounder, but not in a pool of self neglect. I need to flounder in the ocean of supposed reality. I need to feel the vastness of the world around me as I question life, not just the confines of my own self. This is why I need to leave on a trip, to toss myself out into the wilds in order to learn to feel the world. To pop this bubble of self protection which I have formed so thickly around myself.”

Friday Funny

(via Bits&Pieces)

Pic of the day

I jog down the trail. I’m racing the earth’s rotation as I try to get to a scenic spot before the sun dips below the horizon. As I crest a hill in the cold, covered in sweat I am rewarded:

 

Sunset behind the Copper Basin.

Pic of the day

I hear the trickling sound of water. I come upon a winter oasis:

I also sprained my ankle, once again, getting here. Snow + Boulders = slippery.

Christmas Beard – Week 10

Pic of the day

Sunrise in Wickenburg. The sun illuminates the sky, the camp fire illuminates the Joshua Tree:

A day at the zoo

Lots o’ pictures from an outing to the Phoenix Zoo last weekend:

Photoset of all the pictures from that day.

Pic of the day

A snowy hike on Saturday:

Here kitty kitty

Cheetahs at the Phoenix Zoo:

 

Pic of the day

A look up, while near Sky Harbor airport:

Pic of the day

Central Car Sounds

In downtown Phoenix.

So, I’ll just leave these awesome videos here.

Because beat-boxing flute is cool. And when you add bass/cello, you are guaranteed to be entertained.

via videosift.com
via videosift.com

Pic of the day

Thievery:

Christmas Beard week 9

Shot while out hiking on Saturday:

I did end up giving it a little trim, there were some oddly long hairs that had to go. Beyond that: all is well on the facial hair front.

Pic of the day

Deterioration. Slowly nature takes back that which we leave behind:

An old rusty pipe, found while driving to Crown King via Senator Highway.

So, yeah. I’m not dead or anything.

I’m just enjoying all that life has to offer right now.

 

The weather has snapped into winter mode, and with that change my body yearns to be outdoors as much as possible. Hiking on weekends, hiking after work, hiking all the time. And when I’m too sore to hike, I’m driving.

 

It’s also the holiday season, which means all sorts of nonsense going on all the time. My sister, brother-in-law, and their five kids came to AZ from Virginia for a few weeks, hanging out with them was a BLAST! We played at a park in Phoenix, I had them all over to my house for dinner one night, and we went to Jerome for lunch with my sister and her boyfriend as well. It was great to see the fam. (Some pics of the kids)

 

Photography has been hit and miss lately, I’m just lacking inspiration. Even while out hiking, the camera has been spending a lot of time in the case. I’m going down to Phoenix this Sunday to shoot with a friend I met at the Photowalk, and I’m hoping that this will kick-start my creativity again.

 

Reading wise – I finished Khalil Gibran’s Laughter and Tears, it was absolutely awesome. I read ‘The White Tiger’ which was supposed to be some awesome piece of literature (according to Oprah, so meh), and I wasn’t all that impressed. I read ‘Running from Safety’ by Richard Bach, which was just as great as I expected, having read ‘Illusions’ by him as well. Currently I’m about halfway into ‘Hotel Honolulu’, which honestly? Is just fun to read. No deep introspective questions arise while reading this one, it’s more like riding a roller coaster and wondering where the next bend will come. Good stuff.

 

Emotionally – I’m doing pretty well. I’ve found a small bit of stability in my current situation, and I’m feeding off of that for the time being. Trying to hang loose and just flow with whatever comes my way. Thankfully I have an amazing group of friends which always manage to help pick me up when I’m feelin’ down.

 

Physically – Feeling great. I’m still lifting at the gym twice a week (most weeks anyway) in addition to all the hiking. Most days, I feel like superman. A very sore and tired superman. Jogging has halted due to cold weather, to resume in spring when there is both warmth and daylight.

 

Christmas Beard – Still going. I didn’t get a picture for week eight, but week seven looked something like this:

I’m enjoying it more than last year. It’s growing in more evenly, and I’ve even gotten a few compliments on it.

Lights out for a bit.

Going dark for a little while here at Tombo’s blog. Regular programming to resume in a week or two.

 

Y’all be good! ;)

Food… no, really

 

I can’t believe I actually remembered to take pictures of a meal! So I figured I would share the wealth.

 

What we have going on in this photo:

- Pork tenderloin medallions which were coated in a nice cinnamon/clove/nutmeg/onion/garlic/salt/pepper spice mixture. Then quick seared in a hot pan with oil.

 

- Topped in a red current jelly sauce that came into being by deglazing the pork pan with 1 jar of red current jelly, and ~1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, then allowed to thicken.

 

- Helping to soak up that sauce is a pile of garlic / pine nut couscous, topped with some fresh grated parm cheese. This was just a box of couscous that I added fresh garlic and parm to. Super easy.

 

- Opposite is a veggie mix of purple onion, baby bella mushrooms, and zucchini, all slow sauteed in a bit of butter with garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

 

- Some cheap french bread toasted with some butter.

 

Yeah, it totally tasted better than it looks. Highly recommend this meal to all.

I don’t know why I like this

But I do:

 

(via Wooster Collective)

Pic of the day

From last week’s hike into the Sierra Prietta mountains. Looking out over the Copper Basin.

A little nicer lookout point than this one. And although the time of day wasn’t right for stellar photos, it was just right for a relaxing hike.

Pic of the day

The stream bed is dry, but I spy a puddle down in the rocks. I climb down and enjoy being disconnected from the world above, if only for a moment:

A little canyon along Perkinsville road, cut by a stream on its to the Verde River.

Pic of the day

A quick kiss as I figure out settings. And before I can get another shot off he’s gone, disappeared into the brush:

Because Christopher Walken is rad

He reads the lyrics to Laday Gaga's 'Poker Face' song:

 

Also:

Reading the Three Little Pigs

Singing Delilah

Dancing in Moby’s music video

Pic of the day

A back-alley squirrel: