Fly Fishing

There is something really cool about fly fishing. Something that teaches me much about life. Until you've experienced it you will not know to what I refer. My entire fasination with fly fishing is that it is part art, part science, part sport. The art come from the beauty in tying your own flies and the movement of the "cast" from the swing of the fisherperson. The science comes from the pure fact that you are attempting to fool nature into thinking that tied strands on a barbless hook actually look like (and act like) the very bug or insect that may be surfacing on the water based on the temperature, cloud cover and air movement (because it does change). The sport side of fishing comes from the mastery of the cast and providing perfect placement of your faux insect where fish maybe scanning for food (and there are so many differnet styles that can take a lifetime to master).

Catch and release is a must, because once you've caught...then released...that fish is so much more smarter and harder to catch the next time. I think that by the time my kids fish...it will be damn near impossible to catch anything because all the dumb ones will have been eaten and the smart ones will remain in the waters to fustrate future generations.

Image is from my Alaska Trip - Tangle Lakes 6/2005

Greenlake

I live at Greenlake.
Its a wonderful little spot in the north part of Seattle.
Just 30 paces down my street I hit the edge of the park.
This park is probably the best place for people watching in Seattle.
Its a beautiful area.

On the north end is the "Frog Pond." Every day this shallow concrete pool is filled with water; providing a venue of endless play for those with short legs. My favorite time is about 1 hour before dusk, when the pond starts to empty. As the last drops of water slowly decline - every kid trys to suck the marrow out of the day by frolicking in what remains.

Seattle Sushi

Confession, I love sushi. I love clean, fresh wonderful food. Last year I donated a sushi party to Young Life to raise money for its efforts locally in Seattle. Guy purchased my sushi party for 6, but it just turned out to be the two of us...practicing our maki skills. Guy, a sushi novice wanted to learn the trade. I taught myself the skill while at MIT several years back (wow time flies) - largely because my best buddy Matt and I had a love for the cusine and I had no money to be able to endulge in the fine vinegar seasoned sticky rice with raw fish stuck on top. Yum right?



Well, one thing is for sure...I like to express some creativity in food rather than purely sticking to the traditional style. I'm a foodie pure and simple. Yet, I like my food clean, creative and full of fresh flavors (largely fresh herbs and spices). So...my sushi takes on a bit of this flare. Fun!

Highway of Bliss

This is catalina highway in Tucson, Arizona. It is my home away from home. The gem of the catalna mountain (shown in the background) is mount lemmon (yes with two m's). This beauty rises to nearly 8500 feet above the desert floor (which is at 2800 feet near my house - about 1/4 mile on the left of photo). The road is paved 22 miles to a little ski resort a top. Here...is where I get into the saddle and ride through seven (7) different vegetation zones from saguaro cacti to pines and aspens...in sheer bliss. It was too much to take...I had to do it three times this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

Aggro Friends

These are my friends Deb and Arch. They are two of the most amazing people I know and my best friends in Tucson. He is in his 50's, she in her 40's and parents of two amazing kids (a 7 year old and the other 4). I went rock climbing with them this weekend. Arch had already been at the gym for 3 hours (with Eva and Ruby) when Deb and I showed up - we did a couple more hours of climbing before the kids literally collapsed. Deb is also my best matched cycling partner. We have this great way of riding that is both encouraging and highly competitive; knowing when to push the other and when to be pushed. Deb is a hiking guide at Canyon Ranch (3 days a week), runs a natural soap business, mother of two...gets up at 3:30am each morning to do yoga before heading out...and always takes in a swim after work. They don't own a Television and their children are often disgusted when forced to eat unnatural foods or when placed in front of a television and expected to be entertained. Pretty cool people. Oh...and they are gracious hosts and amazing cooks.

Big Birthday Bash

This is Gwen. I had the great joy of celebrating her 4th birthday at a big party in Conneticut (along with her twelve other closest friends - who were much closer to Gwen in height). This was an unexpected trip from my escape from south Florida and the hurricane that crossed into the Gulf.

The big birthday was a day Gwen had waited for with great anticipation, AND it was held at the big petting farm in Simsbury, CT (just outside of Hartford - 2.5 hours northeast of New York). Not only did we all get to pet goats, pigs, horses, ponys, rabbits, etc...but there were pony rides too. All of this reached the huge climax of pizza, a kosher sheet cake (lots of jewish people in this town) completely decorated with Barney (which could have only been surpassed by Care Bares) AND the big finally of parting gifts for all the party goers (at this tender age its important to make it feel like everyones birthday). Shocking that all this fun happened in under 2 hours. One thing is for sure...as we get older, the parties get more expensive and seem to last longer. When Gwen opened her eyes the very next morning, the very first words she uttered were..."Mom, when I turn five...I want a birthday party JUST LIKE YESTERDAY." Me too Gwen, me too! At the conclusion of Gwen party...I tied the remaining ballons around Gwen and said that she would fly away like Winnie the Pooh...she liked that a lot.

Dennis - CAT 4 (135mph)

I've been watching the noaa website like a hawk. This is the closest I have been to a real CAT 4, wicked Hurricane; closest I ever want to be. I'm going to try and get a flight out of town tonight...the 8pm flight out of MIA puts the Hurricane center just off the tip of Key West. Reports show by that time the MIA airport will be under 30-40 mph winds. Flight will likely be cancelled...hopefully my plane will arrive into MIA and be permitted to depart. If not, I roll down the hurricane shutters and hope this thing doesn't come any more into the areas that are marked with BLUE. Stay tuned!

Alaskan Mountain Biking

My first mountain bike trip in Alaska (my first trip to Alaska period)! Wow. 22 hours of daylight, where the sun just circles the sky...is okay by me (except when you want to sleep). The goal of this trip? Mountain bike the entire Denali Highway (all 135 miles of it) and arrive in Cantwell in one piece with as few incidents with the grizzly and moose population. SUCCESS!

See the link below for more pictures:
Denali Highway Travelog