Fall 2008

My friend Brian Snyder says that fall is his favorite season, and I know exactly what he's saying.

The natural world changes so much from the beginning of fall to the end. Things start green. Then comes the Technicolor blaze of the changing leaves. Then the leaves fall. The trees become bare. The days grow shorter. Thanksgiving comes and goes.

The transition continues until the winter solstice, the first day of winter (which will be December 21 for those of us in the northern hemisphere).

I try to enjoy whatever the seasons give me. The sun and rain. The ice and snow. The green and the grey. My friend Jake Posko always reminds me to seize the seasons, and I try to do my best.

On my daily walks (and various other travels) I've been taking lots of photographs. Fall 2008 has left a strong flavor in my mind, despite all the time that I've spent indoors. Windows help keep the mind free.

Normally when I walk our dog Marley, I usually end up waiting for him. I'll be standing there, waiting to move on, while he's busy smelling something--he's got a lot of pmail to check every morning. But if I bring my camera on a our walk, Marley ends up waiting for me. He'll sit there and wait patiently while I take photographs. He really is a good dog.

Here are some assorted photographs from Fall 2008.

Thanks for stopping by.

Backpacking With Travis and Abe

Not too long ago I went backpacking with Travis and Abe. These photos are from George Washington National Forest in Virginia.

256 Days 'Till The Revolution

Click here to learn about One Million Bikes.org.

August 9, 2009 will be a day for cycling history in America.

Spread the word to all those who might be interested.

Registration is quick and easy.

New Beasts

My sister Janice turned me on to Theo Jansen and his interesting inventions.

The beasts that Theo makes are powered by the wind.

You can see the beasts in action here, and discover more at: http://www.strandbeest.com/

Thanks Jan!

A Time For Congratulations and Hope

Hello Friends,

Happy New Year! For it seems like a new year is upon us. A new era. All around America people are still celebrating. And all over the world, too. Obama stickers and signs and buttons are worn and displayed with pride and honor.

Congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama and to all the people that helped with his campaign. His victory is our victory, and our victory is a victory for the ages--a victory for the World.

Congratulations, also, to my friend Allen Dyer, and to all those that helped with his campaign, especially Tam Dyer. In this past election Allen was elected to the Howard County Board of Education. It was an honor and a joy to work with my friends the Dyers, and I especially enjoyed my time outside the polls on election day. I spoke with hundreds of people as I passed out cards for Allen. I felt the excitement and energy of Democracy in action.

Now is the time to move in a new direction! A better direction! Now is the time to reawaken our hope and faith in humanity! For we can improve. We must improve. If we give in to greed and hate then we all loose. But if we follow the roads of love and respect--those great roads laid down by the brave men and women who have gone before us--then we have the ability to transform this world into a better place.

I was not there for the 1960s, but my country was. And although there is much I could learn about that time period, it's obvious that the 60s were a time of change. A great wave of change flooded this country, seeping--sometimes unbeknownst--into ever heart and every home. That monster wave was so big, and so wide, that its energy can still be felt today. Its momentum still moves us in our quest for peace, in our search for equality, and in our long walk to freedom.

Take it easy, my friends, but take it. Speak softly and carry a big smile, notebook, camera, basket of food--anything but a big stick.