New Year's Football

Hmm - why not take in a NFL game on Jan. 1, 2006? Great way to start the year methinks! Especially, when the two teams playing happen to be my favorite! Check out the dopesheet for the game. Green Bay Packers have been my team since way back in the early 90's (they won the Superbowl in 1997) and Favre continues to impress me despite a discouraging season this year. The way he handles adversity, injuries on the team, tragedies in his family and keeps the focus on doing his job just amazes me. The Seattle Seahawks are relatively new (1976) to the NFL compared to the Packers (1919 est. 1967 first Superbowl winner) but this season have finally pulled it together at look like Superbowl contenders with an amazing 13-2 record and have won their last 11 games. Whatever the outcome - I will be enjoying exploring play down in Green Bay, Wisconsin where it all began!

G

Surviving Christmas

Well it seems I have mostly survived the whirlwind of gatherings this past weekend. Don't get me wrong I love getting together with family and friends but sometimes doing it all in a matter of 4 days just is a little intense! Add to that the stress of getting my marking done for end of last semester and just the busyness of this time of year. I'm longing for a bit of a sabbath and I suppose I'm going to get that next weekend in Wisconsin.

Here's some recent quotes I came across:

"An adventure is, by its nature, a thing that comes to us. It is a thing that chooses us, not a thing that we choose." - G. K. Chesterton

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Lao Tzu (I think this was my highschool grad theme)

"Pilgrims are poets who create by taking journeys." - Richard R. Niebuhr

"We read to know that we are not alone." - C. S. Lewis

"We write to know that we are not alone. Our journey informs our writing and our writing brings clarity to our journey." - J. S. Campbell

Why the quotes? I personally find that quotes help me stay focused on my own personal mission and goals. To have a thought and succinctly say it with clarity - deserves to be quoted! We are all on a journey of discovery, of exploring play if you will. Some of us unfortunately have stopped at a rest-stop and forgotten to keep traveling. Others of us are busy trying to decide where to go and can't quite decide. Blogging is a great way to realize that we are not alone and to bring clarity to the journey we are on.

Season's greetings and may Shalom be realized in your life this closing of 2005.

Weather

Weather is such a huge factor in how we explore play. In fact, ultimately it can determine whether or not the risks in an adventure-type sport results in life or death. The biggest risk I'm facing today is wrist cramps from marking papers and exams but I have been in situations outdoors that were definitely impacted by unfavorable weather. I've led countless trips in the backcountry over the past ten years and I'm always amazed how whether it is raining or sunny affects people's attitudes. I once backpacked the Mantario Trail in three and a half days and it rained 75% of the time! The periods of sunshine we had we traveled much more efficiently and actually communicated with one another encouragement! We've had some amazing weather for this time of year here in Manitoba. And so my expectation is that we will enjoy the outdoors more at the variety of family gatherings I'll be attending with my wife and daughters.

Here's the forecast:

5 Day Forecast

Tomorrow Partly Cloudy High: 0°C Low: -2°C POP: 0%

Friday Cloudy High: -4°C Low: -4°C POP: 0%

Saturday Partly Cloudy High: -4°C Low: -6°C POP: 0%

Sunday Cloudy High: -3°C Low: -8°C POP: 0%

Frosty morning!

This morning we awakened to mild temperatures and some incredibly thick frost! I unfortunately couldn't stick around very long to take pictures as I was running late already...but I snapped a few that worked out allright. My favorite is a shot of frost on the metal links of our backyard swing. Unfortunately once the sun came out, a slight breeze blew away the frost and so it definitely was very temporary art!

Formal Dining Room Dead?

Jaime Lee has an interesting blogpost on the "formal family dining room table" worth checking out. She asks whether or not the formal dining room table is becoming extinct. It seems we all grew up with a separate table to eat when having family get-together(s) or hosting dinner parties. However it seems that those of us in our twenties and thirties don't even bother eating at tables never mind setting a formal one. Do we even eat together as families?

As a newly married couple - Wendy and I would often eat our supper in front of the TV watching whatever was on. But we intentionally moved our meals back to the table once we had kids. We both felt it was an important connecting point for us as a family and one that we were not willing to lose. We don't have a separate formal dining room table but we do have a family table and a bar-style eating area off our kitchen counter. We just wouldn't have the space for a separate dining area. Feel free to post your thoughts on JL's Procrastination Attempts - I'm sure she'd appreciate some dialogue and it is an interesting topic!

Recent Music Appetizers...

Hmmm - Sigur Ros' Takk has become the soundtrack to a few of my lectures as of late - love that Scandaniavian Emo Atmospheric approach! I recently took a liking to Ben Lee's - Awake Is The New Sleep after hearing a track on Grey's Anatomy or something. Also liking the Canadian band Stars album - Set Yourself on Fire! And admittedly I've been listening to a few Xmas albums: Bruce Cockburn's Christmas, Sufjan Stevens Xmas - available for free d/l, A Very Special Christmas Vol.3-5, City On A Hill - It's Christmas Time; all good as mood music with friends!

Christmas Trees

Ever felt guilty buying a real tree or artificial one for that matter? Here's an article that suggests renting live trees and replanting them in the spring! Not sure if it would work here in Canada but it's an idea nonetheless.

Environmentalists say growing real trees to chop down for a few weeks of pleasure is a waste of valuable resources, and discarding them often clogs local landfills. Artificial trees often contain lead and other harmful chemicals that eventually end up in landfills, too.

Admittedly, I really enjoy the scent and visual effect of a Christmas tree but it always seemed like a waste to have a tree for three weeks and then throw it out. My idea for next year is to plant an evergreen of some type in our backyard and as a family we'll decorate it with food for birds or something. Any further thoughts on making Christmas more environmentally friendly?

Homestar Runner

Homestar Runner is one of the few humor-filled websites that needs no warning other than to watch out for some unbelievably sarcastic wit! It is filled with unique characters that resemble bowling pins and have the most bizarre personalities & voices to match. I was exposed to the site in its early stages about 3 or 4 years ago and the site continues to grow more and more. Not in depth mind you - some of the humor is just plain silliness but if you need a good chuckle or simply want to procrastinate writing a paper or in my case marking a paper - have a visit!


Strong Bad, Marzipan & Homestar Runner

Cheesehead!

Some of you know this already (and probably feel sorry for me this season) but I am a huge Packers fan! I am pretty excited because in about three weeks I'll be going to my first NFL game and it happens to be at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin! That's right the field with so much history that for many it is the mecca of football! Oh yeah and it just so happens Green Bay will be playing the Seattle Seahawks my next favorite team (who are playing simply unbelievable this year!!!). I'll be rooting for Favre & the Pack but I have to admit I'll be in awe of both sides of the field. And I get to go with my wife Wendy thanks to my highschool buddy Grant's invitation to go with him and his girlfriend. So yeah Jan 1st, 2006 - I'll be a cheesehead through and through!

I should note that the Packers beat the Lions in overtime today and maybe that's why I'm more excited. It is much harder to cheer for a losing team than a winning one. I'm hoping I'll be graced with a win for Green Bay on Jan. 1st but realizing the Pack won't be going anywhere this year I'm hoping to see Seattle in the Superbowl this year - we'll see!

Exploring Winter

I do not recall experiencing a Christmas without any snow around but there may be a vacation from my childhood where we were wisked away somewhere warm. Although I may not enjoy extreme cold, I actually don't mind snow on the ground as it allows me to explore a whole new environment for play.

Every child loves to see those first flakes of the year hit the ground because it means snowmen, snow forts, and of course snow balls! There is a moment of wonder when you see that light fluffy stuff float like little parachutes from the skies above. I love to ski - I just find it hard to get motivated to drive the 20 minutes to the nearest cross-country ski area. I grew up skiing along the river, along with snowmobiling and occasionally mixing the two together. We brought the downhill skiis & helmets for that - skiing behind a snowmobile and launching over little jumps or the banks of the river!

I've done a few winter backcountry trips as well - sleeping in snow caves or quinzhees, climbing Mt. Jacques Cartier in Quebec, ice-climbing in the Adirondacks, the list continues. I don't get to do winter activities often but when I do it truly is enjoyable. I miss downhill skiing in the mountains - I remember a number of trips to Big Sky or Big Mountain Montana! They blew away our local ski hills like Holiday Mtn or Frostfire! Nothing beats swooshing and zig-zagging through powder!

Back-country Telemark Skiing in Quebec

There is something about playing in such an extreme environment that is thrilling. It isn't normal to climb a frozen waterfall with crampons & ice tools is it? Especially if you are somewhat afraid of heights like myself. But I love it - there is nothing quite like the thunk of the ice axe as you heave it into ice!

Wen & I racing up to the top!

Ice-climbing in NY's Dacks

Random Quotes

"My secret is that I need God - that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness, to help me to love, as I seem beyond being able to love." - Douglas Coupland, Life After God

"It's supposed to be a secular society, but I look around: everbody's religious. They're superstitous, they pray when they think they've got cancer. It's not that far below the surface. We've gone two hundred years since the Enlightenment, but science is starting to bow again." - Bono, Bono In Conversation

"Shalom is a state of right relationships - peace & well-being, the offshoots of right relationships & harmonious interactions between humans & creation." - Leonard Sweet, Out of the Question...Into The Mystery

"A pilgrimage is a physical travel to a spiritual destination." - Daniel Taylor, In Search of Sacred Places

"All music comes from God." - Johnny Cash

"Adults are obsolete children." - Dr. Suess

"Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages in Scripture which trouble me most are those which I do understand." - Mark Twain

Exploring Teaching

I know it is no secret but I love to teach! I pretty much go all "Crocodile Hunter - Steve Irwin" when I get the opportunity to inspire others in some way. For me teaching is play! It isn't always exciting (it's not like I'm wrestling crocodiles) but there is something that happens when a student and teacher connect that gets me wired! Learning something about oneself is generally when it happens - something profound that will change you forevermore! That "Aha" moment - and no I'm not talking about the 80's band.

I just got back from teaching a 2 hour session with Sunday school teachers at a local church perhaps that is why I am posting this. It doesn't really matter where you teach - at home, at work, at school, at church, at a kids club, outdoors - what matters is that you have something exciting to share!

People are attracted to passion and all secretly love being inspired to action! I asked my class of twenty students who their favorite teacher was? I saw my class get quite excited and started to share their many mentors. What was it about that person that made them great? The response: they had passion, they showed love, they inspired me to action, they treated me as a person/an equal, they had a sense of humor, etc. It doesn't matter in what teaching situation - the answers are always the same to that question. Parker Palmer says, "We teach who we are!"

Here's a question for yeah all - what gets you excited? What are you inspired by? Are their any teachers in your life that still affect you today in a positive way?

Trance

I have decided to sell my new frame and so I ordered a new bike through a connection of mine. So yeah, sometime in March I hope to see my new bike - 2006 Giant Trance...here's a pic:

It may not be as pretty as my NRS but apparently the Maestro Suspension is somewhat more advanced and more efficient even while pedaling in low gears.

Music Map

Someone created a tourist map of music and I have to admit it is somewhat interesting. The way it works you type in the name of the band (ex. Smashing Pumpkins) or musician (for example Johnny Cash) you are interested in and the page morphs into a map of other artists that people likewise enjoy. Make sense? Check it out and it will become clear! The site is hosted by Gnod - a self-proclaimed site that calls itself "The global network of dreams." In reality, Gnod is an experiment in the field of artificial intelligence. It is a self-adapting system, living on a server and 'talking' to everyone that comes along. Gnods intention is to learn about the outer world and to learn 'understanding' its visitors. Whether the intention is actually fulfilled remains to be seen but have a visit.

Surviving The Winter

We're experiencing one of those classic Manitoba cold snaps and so yeah - I'm keeping warm next to my computer these days. I came across this amazing light show that is worth checking out...let me know your thoughts. The light show is apparently set to the music of Transiberian Orchestra - The Wizards of Winter?

Looking For Some Comments

If you look above to my header - you clearly see what the focus of this blog is all about - exploring the role of play in our lives. So here I am attempting to generate some comments on that very topic. I know I have a number of blog visitors who so far have never posted a comment. Perhaps this is in part due to shyness or maybe you just haven't found anything to really comment on but here's your big chance to "come out of the lurker's closet!" What are your top ways of exploring play? What do you enjoy doing to get away from stress or work (that is if you can't play there)?

Obviously for myself - mountain biking is my favorite escape into playdom. It's relatively easy to do and quite economical once you have a bike. Especially if you can bum rides off of friends! Right Pat? I'm paid up now I suppose! Other forms of play include - being creative with photography, just relaxing & spending time with Wendy, playing with my kids, table games like Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne, swimming at our local pool, kayaking or canoeing (preferably whitewater), & skiing in the winter. I could continue but those are probably my favorite ones. I definitely tend to prefer the outdoors as my environment for play - winter tends to quash that somewhat unfortunately.

So yeah lurkers or regular posters - what is your favorite way of exploring play? I know you are out there!!!

Bike Frame

My girls showing off my new frame!

Birthday Girl!

Chelsea is four years old today! We celebrated with part of our extended family yesterday and this is a shot of her Strawberry Shortcake cake. We were blessed with a phone call from Ethiopia, Africa today at noon from my sister on behalf of the Kruse's! I'm blown away how fast life has gone and how amazing it is to be the father of two beautiful girls!

Gotta Love Warranty!

Okay so here's the scoop the picture above apparently is my new frame courtesy of Giant's warranty department! It comes with a new rear shock as well but I will be marrying my components, front fork, etc from my old bike to the new frame. But...we've apparently been hit by a bit of a snow storm during the past 24 hours and I probably won't be able to get into Winnipeg till Thursday or Friday! And if the snow doesn't melt - I probably won't be riding it till spring. Boo Hoo... (for a lack of a better suited expletitive)!

I should note though that I did have a phenomenal ride though last week Friday with a balmy +10 Degrees C! So I closed the season well (if it is truly over) with another 14kms of Sandilands Shangri-La singletrack!

Play Au Naturel?

Bet my title caught your eye! No, I'm not referring to playing naked although that would probably make an interesting topic to explore sometime? Instead, I want to explore the question whether or nor play is a learned activity or something that comes naturally, a part of being human?

Obviously we are created for play, why else has the cardboard paper box become such a beacon for creativity! Ever seen the movie Millions? If you have seen you'll understand, if not have a view - well worth it! I think we teach play to an extent but the seeds of play reside in all of us, it is inborn like the need to breathe, think, and explore!

Real, honest play is ripe with creativity! No need for audio tracks, dvd interactive features, battery power, etc. Lose the technology - all you need is just a crayon and a piece of paper; a stick and some sand; some dirt and a finger....and simply add natural inborn creativity and you have play au naturel! Technology in fact often kills the creativity that resides in each of us. There are exceptions like perhaps digital cameras but honestly a pad of paper and a pencil has the potential of creating more beauty than 1's and 0's ever will!

Honest, naked play is stripped of programmed fun and replaced with natural expression of the tools of creativity! All you need is a few ingredients like paper or paint. When is the last time you played in mud? Sat in a sandbox? Fingerpainted? Play-doughed? Made a snowman? The list continues - feel free to post your favorite all-natural full-on play activity! I'll give a prize to the best one ;)

Looking for Xmas Gifts?

I already handed in my Amazon booklist for Christmas but check out ThinkGeek for some pretty unique novelty gifts for those techies in your family! I'm partial to the gadgets section, sort of feels like shopping with "M" from 007 movie fame. Don't we all need a swiss army knife complete with a USB memory card and LED light? My personal favorite is the Swedish Firesteel - a survival tool for starting fires(which I already have from a stocking stuffer present from my Dad a few years ago)! Or how about a glow-in-the-dark flying frizbee disk?

Okay - none of the above are really must have gifts and quite honestly we probably should spend those extra shekels on gifts or food for the less fortunate. In fact, if I wasn't a father of two girls we probably wouldn't be into the gift thing much at all. I sometimes wonder if we are so caught up in consumerism that we really take advantage of the holiday week and just spend time with family!

Update on Giant NRS2 Frame

Yesterday I called Olympia Cycle (my bike dealer up till this point) to see where things were at with my frame. Turns out they never sent away my frame!!! Grrr! So I made my way there today and picked up my frame and took it to another dealer Bikes & Beyond (Henderson) who actually is carrying Giant. I got a phonecall an hour after dropping it off that they were shipping it away with UPS and I should expect a new frame in a week and half. Now why didn't I bring it there in the first place? Well, it has something to do with loyalty to a bike dealership that for the most part has treated me quite well up until this past year. My connection no longer works there and the managing of that particular store seems to have gone downhill. So my loyalty is up for grabs - we'll see if Bikes & Beyond will win! I should note I have purchased a good 6 or so bikes in the last 16 years - all from Olympia!

My first real mtn bike I bought was a 89' KHS Comp (black with purple metallic splashes and yellow lettering) hardtail, Suntour shifting, and no front suspension. I went front suspension with a black Trek 6000 (orange decals) in 1991 or so, complete with the gold Rock Shox Mag 21 (which I later painted black) and custom built wheels.

Next came my dream bike a 1996 Rocky Mountain Thin Air - probably the lightest mountain bike I ever will own - superlight hardtail that I still miss - bright yellow! I should note that was my last bike as a bachelor (about ten years ago - crazy!). I rode it a good three years or so and made the move to full suspension.

Riding my Thin Air - June 1996 - Toniata

I bought a used Trek Y-3 aluminum with a sweet Rock Shox SID 100 in the front from a friend of mine - it actually was a brand new frame due to warranty issue on the previous frame. It also was black but with red trim. Too much bob action for me and man was it heavy. I rode it maybe 2 years or so and decided to go lighter weight but still full suspension. I ended up purchasing my current bike a 2002 Giant NRS2 which I really have enjoyed the last three years.

Probably the most fun I've had on a bike is with my Giant - that is until my frame broke. We'll see what my next bike is - I'll make a judgement call after I get my new frame!

I should also note that during our first year of marriage I gave my wife Wendy my Trek 6000 to ride but I soon bought a navy Trek 930 that I still use today as my commuter bike. She now rides a sweet 03' Trek 6700 (below) with some women specific features that we customized.

Hmm...my post turned from "beef" to "relief" to a historical retrospective "life and times of my mountain bikes!" I guess that's what happens when one is passionate about exploring a sport like mountain biking!

The Joys of Teaching Outdoor Education

I love teaching and I know I can never escape being a teacher - it is a part of who I am. Sharing what I know and what I am learning excites me. Teaching resonates with me most when I can share what I am most passionate about. The past three weeks I had the privilege of bringing 15 students on an educational journey exploring outdoor education. The result was pretty cool and I can't take complete credit but obviously I played a role in the learning process.

My 2005 Outdoor Education Class!

The cool thing about teaching in the outdoors is that "teachable moments" are everywhere. Our classrooms are often so sterile that we lack the inspiration that is reflected in the wilderness so well. Reading my students' journals encourages me to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm not necessarily motivated by praise but when I hear comments like, "you made me think" or "this week was one of my best weeks of my entire life!"

Garth & Mandy making use of a teachable moment!

I can't help but grin and thank the Maker. In many ways, teachers are simply conduits for the learning experience to happen. And that's okay because of the change we get to see when the light bulb starts to glow and shine!

Teambuilding using the classic blind maze!

Here are some anonymous quotes from some of my students regarding their time at Red Rock doing outdoor education:

"I learned, I should be more optimistic about myself..."

"I learned so much about myself, about others, about God, about the outdoors!"

"I would do this all over again in a snap!"

"Thanks God for making this an unforgettable experience for us all and for helping us stretch our limits!"

"I learned to respect nature & wildlife, they have a far more important & intricate role than I ever though possible."

"Thanks for the awesome week we had. It has shown me so much about myself and given me a new perspective on myself and my life. I really needed this experience and I will always remember it."

That's just a sampling - now doesn't that make you want to teach! Changed self-perceptions, pushed limits, respect for Creation and the Creator! Pretty cool eh?

Mtn Biking Class At Echo Valley

Spooky Night Ride!

Pat and I hit a new trail last night! It was almost surreal winding down and up a rolling trail in complete darkness. We keep finding new trail but it is somewhat spooky weaving through red pine stands watching the lights of our bikes create weird strobe like shadows. It was also mysteriously quiet last night because of the low cloud cover that was threatening rain or maybe flurries. Every sound seemed muffled and as unnatural as it is to ride at night! Once again we found an end to a trail but discovered a new one shortly thereafter. It has been a couple of amazing months of discovery of kilometers and kilometers of new trail - my guess is that we have found close to 50 kms (if not more) of virgin singletrack thanks to some motorized dirtriders who had the ambition to take their dirtbikes through bush!

I'm still awaiting news on my frame and thankfully my friend has allowed me to keep his bike for another week. I wish I had some pics from last night but the cool weather and threat of rain discouraged me from bringing the IstD along.

Later,

G

Outdoor Education @ Red Rock

We had a simply amazing week at Red Rock Lake for the practical component of the outdoor education course I teach. Together with Red Rock staff and my friend Mandy, we taught canoeing, kayaking, mtn biking, wall climbing, archery, orienteering with compass/GPS, and basic bushcraft skills such as firebuilding. The shot below a picture of RRBC's waterfront and a tent of a few of my students brave enough to endure some below zero night temperatures. It actually was a beautiful week with temps up to 19 degrees Celsius on Thursday but at least 2 evenings resulted in frost on the ground the following morning.

Despite cold water temperatures we decided to go ahead with canoe and kayak instruction. The result was one canoe tipping near the island and two kayaks tipping near the beach. Fortunately, no one got hypothermia as we were near warm showers and a change of clothes. All in all, amazing weather for this time of year.

That's me in the orange Dagger Redline - an older play kayak I donated to RRBC a few years ago.

You got to love teachable moments like the one above. A flat tire on the trail to Echo Valley resulted in a lesson in changing flats! Mandy is standing in the background and was a great help in connecting with the female component of my class.

G

Service With A Smile?

We don't eat out much as a family as it is hard to find the time to actually go to a restaurant and then there is the cost factor. But every now and then we do like to treat ourselves with take-out or delivery. We made the decision to order in Chinese on Friday from a local restaurant. We've never been disappointed before but after the meal arrived 35 minutes I have to admit I was pretty upset.

I maintained my cool when phoning the restaurant and the manager assured me it would arrive shortly. The excuse was that they had forgotten to take down our street address! Hmm...you would think they should call back right? Well...when it came it was a fresh order and arrived hot but they'd forgotten one of the items we ordered. Phonecall #2 to the manager (who as you would expect could not speak English well - so I'm not exactly sure what he actually told me) said something about the veal will come wight aways and the word fwee - which I assume to mean free meal? I have no idea if they tore up my cheque or not but it definitely extended our supper hour!

We decided to head off to Winnipeg for some shopping and to bring my bike frame in for warranty today. We got off to a late start as our girls actually slept in for a change. It turns out we got everything we wanted to get done that morning and decided to treat ourselves to The Olive Garden.

I think I must have some Italian blood somewhere in me as I love pasta! We ordered our meals, got our appetizer and the normal warm-up foods - salad or soup and breadsticks. Fabulous as always...35 minutes later - still no main course and our waitress has mysteriously disappeared.

Wendy starts lapping the restaurant with Aimee just to keep her entertained while I crayon up a storm with Chelsea. The stomach growls can no longer take it and somehow Wendy flags down someone who alerts the manager of our situation. It turns out there was some computer error and our meals still have not been prepared!!! Hmmm...well the manager does the right thing and offers to give our meals to us for free. By that point we were actually filled up on breadsticks and the like but the pasta we ordered still sounds good! We decided to go the takeout option and headed home....

What bugged me the most was not the computer error but the fact that our waitress didn't think to maybe give us a heads up as to when our meals would actually come! I'm a big proponent of actually tipping waiters when they do a great job but when service sucks - I'm sorry I'm not paying a dime. I also believe that we should treat people as actual human beings and not objects. But I have a huge problem when customers are treated as if they do not exist as well - especially when those customers include children - absolutely unacceptable.

I usually don't post negative stuff or beefs - so I'm hoping this will be the only one this year! Next take-out meal apparently is in our fridge courtesy of the Olive Garden...I can let you know if it is any good reheated!

Wen's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken


G's Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Night Rider

Well it turns out I had an interesting ride in the Sandilands last night. I discovered early on that my frame was cracked! Right above where the top tube meets the seat tube an inch long crack, leaving about 3/4 of an inch at the back of the seat tube that isn't damaged.

I decided to make the choice to keep riding - after all we were decked out in helmet and handlebar lights and it was beautiful evening. Bright red tea leaves were magnified by our lights along the trail and the reindeer moss shone like snow! It is amazing how much faster it feels when you are riding in a tunnel of lights and trees along a singletrack. At one point we all disappeared beneath a fallen over pine tree that we basically had to punch through - looked really cool! Pat met up with a deer at one point - definitely made those hairs on the arms stand up seeing the reflection of eyes looking back at you!

My lovely 2002 Giant NRS2 Modified Bike complete with broken seat-tube!

My frame stood up to the evening ride but it looks like I will have to dismantle the atomic bicycle and send the frame in for warranty. I did some checking and it looks like I may get a new frame from Giant out of it all! I'm leaning towards then selling it and looking at a new bike for 2006. We'll see how it all turns out!

G

The Compass

The compass is a remarkable instrument that has been used as an instrument of navigation since the Chinese invented somewhere around 200 BC. It is incredible to think that we can actually follow with accuracy a needle that points to magnetic north! However, if a person is a few degrees out while traveling by compass you can end up miles away from your intended destination. That is why we require landmarks that we aim for as we travel, maps that help us distinguish landmarks, and finally compass that is true and not interfered by electrical signals.

Such an instrument of navigation makes an excellent metaphor for life. The information we dial into a compass will lead us to where we want to go. Dial in 360 degrees and you will end up travelling North. However if you wanted to go south and dialed in 360 you would end up in the opposite direction you intended. It is important for us to set goals based on accurate information. It is amazing how many times our small mistakes end up being "titantic" when with a little course correction we would avoided sailing into iceberg infested waters.

I'm in the midst of teaching outdoor education, admittedly one of my favorite courses. I am amazed how often skills learned in the outdoors translate to life back indoors - what we sometimes term the "real world." When we seek adventure outside we often end learning up about ourselves don't we? When faced with a challenge or problem to be solved we have to make the right decisions in order to survive in a wilderness situation. It is important that we correct our mistakes early on or else we could end up in some serious troubles.

Well - I'm off mtn biking in the Sandilands once again - riding by lights down some pretty wild trails!

G

Treehouse

A visit home to Riverside for Thanksgiving resulted in an "explore" of a local treehouse! Go to exploreplay for more pics!

Explore Treehouse

A visit home to Riverside for Thanksgiving resulted in an "explore" of a local treehouse! This is no ordinary treehouse but a multi-tiered fortress that resembled something reminiscent of the elven dwellings in Lord of the Rings...designed by local boys who apparently don't spend time watching TV and rather enjoy exploring play the way it was meant to.

These shots reveal the height and beauty of the tree...click for full view

My daughter Chelsea is in pink, my wife Wendy in the grey top

...and my little sis' Keira way up!!!

Hanging out on a platform just below the highest point!

A shot meant to give perspective of the height of the mighty elm!

Looking down to see the different platform levels.
That's me and my daughter Chelsea below.

The river I grew up along, near the aptly named village of Riverside.

The "Scratching" river at sunset.

Cool Skyscape!

Princess Chelsea

That's right royalty in our dutch Van Riesen blood apparently...

Freak Snowstorm In October!

That's right we got snow - well it's mostly melted now but on Wednesday thanks to a system from Colorado we got dumped on! But the result is admittedly some cool pics!

This shot shows our backyard in what I term "three seasons." Note: You can see Aimee swinging if you click to enlarge the pic!

"Snowman Building 101"
Normally we might consider getting out the Pumpkin Carving Manual in October!

Chelsea & Aimee hanging out with the first snowman of the year!

Getting Up Close & Personal - Okay the girls were eating snow!
Admit it you used to eat snow too!

Aimee in her Bee Swing (Day before Snow)

Princess Chelsea (In preparation for her cousin's b-day party)