Always tough to find time for the blog...... The latest news would be Bridget's B-day present was getting a cat but after applying at the humane society and getting cat litter and all that , and actually looking at all the cute kittys, we decided that all future travel plans would be canceled if we got a kitty. So no kitty. Sometimes it takes going through the paces of getting a pet to put you close enough to the reality of ownership and responsibility, just to realize that is a bad idea. Chickens anyone?

A preview of my life for the next three semesters.

Preview of my three-semester master's degree

Damn right I'm turning my passion into a career!

...

Photos of the garden soon to come.

Post Race, Jake Imitates His Favorite Olympians by Participating in the Lunch Tray Luge

The seemingly harmless little-old-Frenchman was the instigator of the whole event.


Lunch Tray Luge Down Snowmass Mountain. And I Ain't Kidding.

It Snowed!

But let me tell you, people, it didn't snow enough.

We will never be satisfied until we get a 36" dump.
How has your winter been treating you?

Not Enough Snow, But We're Happy Nonetheless

Hey Everyone,
Both of us have been extremely negligent in updating our blog. Mostly because neither of us have lived in a location with a fast Internet since college... Poor excuse, yes we know.

So, we're here in Aspen. Our South African housemates are fantastic, we are learning so much from them. Eric and Randi would be happy to know we're drinking Lagunitas IPA at the moment. We have no snow... that is, we had snow and now it's been melting for about two and a half weeks... Rocks, roots, stumps and ice all the way down from Cloud9... but the clients keep riding the lift up! Good thing.

Cloud 9 restaurant is fantastic. The food is great and Andreas makes it happening. What else? Not much, we played our first "open mic" last Monday... it was decidedly uneventful. I, personally, live for the adrenaline rush... and didn't get any at all. I guess we were primed from our two years of playing at lodges in Alaska. We're not afraid of a bunch of drunk Argentinians! It went well, the crowd loved it, even though they couldn't hear much of what we were playing... the mic situation was rustic. Not that we like multiple mics.

This weekend we saw the Punch Brothers. If they are not the most accomplished musicians of our generation, I don't know who is. **Sara: The Punch Brothers live in Brooklyn, you gotta go see them!** Evening wrap up: the best margaritas we've had in a good while (KA and Lauren are trouble) + meeting Critter, Chris, Pickle, Paul? and Gabe... Nick and Helen Forster are the best! ... add more margaritas. We slept well.

My tele skiing is improving despite the snow situation. Jake has been in the pipe a few times this winter and is kicking ass.

the three ducks in a row

This would be a look at the" Lapenter block of Ashland" we are taking the block one house at a time.
Justin is still in Brazil and we are getting mentally prepared for a kick ass season in Aspen! Insulation is finally going in and nearing a major turning point with the upstairs almost done! then we can move back up there and move out of our living room. Well, it sounds good anyways, really there are still several patches to the plaster that are needed as I ripped many holes in the walls running the electrical wires........ and patching lathe and plaster is a pretty dusty proposition involving the cutting of the old plaster with a diamond blade on studs so that you have a square patch for wallboard, then there is the step of removing the last of the hard wood flooring, followed by slapping on a coat of paint onto the old dusty subflooring......... then finally, we can move up there. (it will be amazing if this is done by next week) and already the phone is ringing with people that want to go fishing or hunting or any number of events that dont involve making our house livable!!!!

Back home.

Hello ever'body!

We're back now in Wisconsin... but not for long... headed to Colorado for a few months this winter... to make hay.

Summer was great. We love trout. Had fun fishing with Roger since we've been back. Maybe we prefer bass. Ask Greg Brown why.

Here are some highlights from the Iliamna area from my perspective:
This is our cabin for the last four months:
Forth of July... during a period of unusually hot days and low water:Michigan Engineering, eat your heart out.
Never thought I'd post this:


This is when the river was 68deg F. July cliff jumping! The Copper is quite picturesque, with high cliffs and deep pools all along the river. Great structure for trout habitat. But the trout weren't too happy about the heat.

Here's a nice fish at the falls:

"Don't mind if I do!" as they say.

And, don't worry, Jake was present this summer:
Here is the spring box he re-vamped for the Lodge (ie where we keep the beer). And your suspicions are correct, I caught all the fish and Jake drank all the beer.

Here's Jake doing as he does:


Then some people caught some more fish:We flew in some planes:(Blake is the man.)

Saw a couple'a nice sunsets:
Sailed in an alien spaceship:

Built a time-machine:

Dumb and (an itchy) dumber at the lodge:
And that was that!
But I/we are really glad to be home, finally insulating our house... just in time to leave again.

Oh, but the most exciting news! Jake's cousin has moved into the house next door! No, literally, the house-next-door! We like our new neighbor. He plays soccer with us.

Anyway, feel free to email, we will email back. Or better yet, call! and we'll talk! or even best-of-all-choices... visit! We live in a frat house! Always room for you, your cousins, and your/their dogs and/or cats and/or parakeets.

See you. Until then, we'll be insulating. And drinking Two Hearted. And also chicken-sitting.

Peace.