You are currently browsing the Brian’s Site weblog archives for January, 2007.
- March 29, 2007: of the Pima Air and Space Museum
- March 28, 2007: of Detente
- March 27, 2007: of Santa Cruz River Disc Golf Course
- March 21, 2007: of Another Good Course in the Bay Area
- March 20, 2007: of the Top of the World
- March 19, 2007: of Good Friends that are "Rock" Solid
- March 3, 2007: of a man among Giants
- February 27, 2007: of the Graveyard of the Pacific
- February 10, 2007: of a great disc golf course in Lake Stevens, Washington
- February 9, 2007: of a warm welcome to The Orange Room
Archive for January 2007
of a sulfur taste when I catch my breath
January 21, 2007 by Brian.
Yesterday, after buying a couple of bottles of water and some cashews, the woman behind the counter told me to “have fun.” I have not found this response to a purchase in many convenience stores, so I can only infer that she saw in my eye the lust for landscape and the excitement of wide open spaces. Living in cities for the last five years, I had forgotten how much my being is nurtured and inspired by the earth as it once was. I find myself taking much deeper breaths, slowing my pace, and feeling at ease.
Usually, my entries have photos interspersed with some narrative, but the things I have seen today demand no narration (though the page may take some time to load due to high resolution photos). They speak without sound. Well, one must imagine the gentle rush of the river, the sharp chatter of birds, and the hiss and babble of the springs, but during many parts of my day I heard nothing but the sounds of my own movement.
If this visit to Yellowstone is any indication of what this journey has in store, it will be similar to no other, before or hence.
Posted in Travels in Natural Areas | 3 Comments »
of Mt. Disappointment
January 20, 2007 by Brian.
If you have the chance to go to Mt. Rushmore, take it from me, stay home. So maybe I had high expectations from a lifetime of photos and propoganda, but this would not have been impressive had I never heard of said monument. This is a small carving in a large rockface with a couple good leaders and a couple of dubious leaders. They charged me $8.00 to park, though I have an annual national park pass and I stayed in this tourist trap for only about a half hour. There is nothing for people to do here but stare at a hideous monument to our own American ego. 
South Dakota, however, is a beautiful state with wonderful, friendly people. Please do visit, but if you must go to a tourist trap, try Wall Drug. At least you can get a tasty burger there.
A look at the Badlands, some of the good stuff that South Dakota has to offer.
Posted in Travels in Natural Areas | No Comments »
of “Under God, the People Rule”
January 19, 2007 by Brian.
So the part of the subject line in quotations is the motto of South Dakota; I have stopped in Deadwood for the night and thought that the motto would be appropriate for inclusion. I began my day today refreshed after a reasonable bedtime, which concluded a very nice evening with my cousin Patrick, his girlfriend Jill, and my Aunt Shirley and my Uncle Dave, who also happens to be my godfather. We had some Pizza at Liugi’s in River Falls, Wisconsin and followed it up with some beer and conversation. Since Patrick is responsible for the math proficiency of the youth of tomorrow, however, we couldn’t really put any sheets out to the wind. Still, it was great to see my cousin and the family again, and I look forward to seeing them on my way back through in May.
The day started out fairly cold and windy, but the sun was shining.
I backtracked a little through the small highways of southeastern Minnesota, until I got to I-35 and then to I-90 and I was on my way. It is not exactly an exciting drive, but the great plains do have their humble charm on a sunny day. The motto of South Dakota makes a little more sense when one is looking out for miles and miles of windswept grasslands and the sky is so large and so blue that for a second, one thinks of little else but the grandure of it all.
Still, it gets a little tedious after awhile . . . say five hours. It got dark before I could get to Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park, so I decided to head into Deadwood and get a hotel room. Maybe I will even try a few hands of black jack. I wanted to get a picture of sunset over Deadwood, but it got dark, so all I could get was a twilight snapshot. It will have to do. I will have more after some hiking and sightseeing tomorrow.
Good night and good luck . . . to me.
Posted in Friends and Family, Travels in Natural Areas | 3 Comments »
of departure
January 18, 2007 by Brian.
Hello Again.
I must apologize for the time that has elapsed since Steve and I created that last post. I hope that you enjoyed it. Since then, I have been busy with visitors and visiting, not to mention the hours that went into preparation for this trip. The Civic is packed to the gills, but I purposefully left the navigator seat open for any worry weary friend who needs some time on the road to put cares aside for awhile and explore.
Some light snow is falling in the fair siblings of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It seems a fitting send off, as if the cold wind and the flakes obscure my vision of my home to make it a touch easier to leave once again. I will miss Minnesota and those inhabitants that I hold so dear, but it is this place and its people that give me the strength to explore and stimulate a restless mind.
So goodbye Minnesota, for now. I shall return when the ice melts and your countenance greens. I miss you already, but I look forward to the time when we may commune again on your rivers and lakes, feeling the gentle tug on the line.
Posted in Travels in Natural Areas | No Comments »