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

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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)

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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! :)

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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.

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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.

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From August, mountains in the distance:

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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. :)

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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)

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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.

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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

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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.

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A snowy hike on Saturday:

Here kitty kitty

Cheetahs at the Phoenix Zoo:

 

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A look up, while near Sky Harbor airport:

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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

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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.

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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.