Here's to summer!

It must be July! I'm trying to go to bed and I'm sweating because my roommates and I are too cheap to turn the AC on. I love summer!

Hang Time!

Do you know the feeling you get between jumping and actually hitting the water? That is how I feel right now, and I can't sleep again!

Below are some random pics of my family's favorite rope swing. The last picture was a dare last fall...night swinging is the best!

Run!

Today was one of those days that makes me want to pack my shiz and run away, to somewhere far from the reaches of cell coverage.

This morning my phone started ringing before my alarm clock went off and has yet to cease. Work was so busy I had to actually pass up a morning water ski trip with my Sister and Brother-in-law.

Now rather than continue to rack my mind with work, I'm day dreaming about where I might go to get out of cell service. Here are my top three choices (in no particular order).

My first choice is a remote back country spot on the North Slope of the Uinta Mountains. I've been going on summer fly fishing/ horse pack trips there since I was twelve.

My second choice would be a water skiing trip to Flaming Gorge. There is a little island, called King Fisher Island, that we boat out to and set up camp. Then we water ski next to a back drop of orange cliffs. At night we cook in the dutch ovens and sip Mountain Dew while we lounge in Coleman camp chairs.



My third choice would be a remote camp on Jackson Lake near the Tetons. My Sister's family and my Brother's family made this trip last year. They were kind enough to let their little brother tag along.



Where would you go to get out of cell coverage?

Sleep? What's that?

Even Nyquil has lost its magical power to inflict sleep on me!

In a few rare instances do I have trouble sleeping. For example: the night before the deer hunt opens, or the night before an out of state pheasant hunt, and maybe Christmas Eve (when Santa still visited my house). Otherwise I sleep, and I do a darn good job of it.

According to me, loss of sleep only occurs the night before an adventure.

This week I'm still days away from the excitement and sleep has already lost its appeal.

Burton L. Spiller

I'm starting to read some of the bird dog books my cousins Andy and Shawn recommend. My favorite so far is "Drummer In The Woods" by Burton L. Spiller. My favorite excerpt is the following.

Just recently an aquantance took me to the task of spending so much time afield. "Did you ever count the cost of your hunting?" he asked. "Of the time you have lost and the money you have spent?"

I replied and truthfully too, that I had never lost a moment's time in hunting: that I counted only that time lost which I spent working.

My aquantance is the type who believes every arguement is won by the person who shouts the loudest; so after he had become sufficiently out of breath to listen for a moment I told him the truth.

"You" I said, "have tended strictly to business for more than a quarter century. Sick or well, winter and summer, through storm or shine, you have missed hardly a day. You have acquired a lot of money. More money than I can ever dream of having. I hope you enjoy it, for you have paid a high price for it. A mighty high price. You think the days and weeks and months I have spent afield were wasted. Well, let me tell you this. If such a thing were possible, I would not trade even the memories of those glorious days for all the money you will ever posses."

... Can memories be measured by gold? If so than I am rich indeed.

As I read I couldn't help thinking about my first Pheasant, Lady's first point, my nephews first pheasant, my first deer, my first brook trout on a fly rod, and the list goes on and on. I wouldn't trade my memories afield for any amount of money.

Have you ever waited for something that was so far away that when it finally comes time to happen you can't comprehend it?

I don't know if I'm excited, nervous, happy, or scared!

Anyway here are a few pics of one of my favorite ladies, my dog. She always calms my nerves.

River Hippies!

The journey was 84 miles, 4 days, and lots of rapids.

My brother invited me on a river trip he was taking a group of young men on last week. None of us had much rafting experience and none of us had ever rafted this particular stretch of river, the Green River through Desolation Canyon. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

There is an American subculture I have termed "River Hippies". It is unbelievable how many people live for running rivers. They have a whole vocabulary that only river runners can grasp. Men, women, and children are all part of this subculture. One thing is for sure, they are some of the nicest people.

They are a little more open than the rest of the world. They set up their "groovers" (toilets) on the edge of the stream and if you float by they just wave. And if you happen to float by at bath time you might just get an eye full. Then again what young men's trip would be a success without seeing a naked lady bathing in a river?

It was probably one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I love going into the wilderness where my cell phone doesn't work. That way I am completely free of work and everyday annoyances. I am a little freaked out about checking my voicemail, so I haven't done it yet.

These are some pictures of Joe Hutch rapid, it is new to the river this year. A flash flood came down a side canyon and created a rocking rapid that flips boats all the time. Seven people from our group went over in this rapid, luckily some River Hippies were on the shore to toss our boys a throw-line.


(No one brought a camera on this trip or if they did it got wet, so I stole these off the e-net, thanks to whomever took them.)

What I Love About Saturday

I stinking love Utah in the months of June, July, August, and September! As Brigham once said, "This is the place."

This is the lineup for the Saturday Red Neck Yacht Club.

Skyler~


Spencer~


Sheila~ Most in shape mom I know!


Me~ Still figuring out how to ride the bucking bronco!


Sam~ 49 and in better shape then the 3 22 year olds on the boat!


Me~ My smile saying "Thank you!" to Sam, Sheila, Skyler, and Spencer.

Rat Race

Yesterday I was chatting with one of my favorite clients. He mentioned to me that he had just received his 30 day notice. He is in his fifties and has put in over twenty years with his current employer. He is completely crushed and at a loss of what to do.

This post goes out to my friend and everyone else in a similar position. Secretly I wonder if it is a blessing in disguise, then I think to myself he has a house payment, a wife, and children. That is a scary thought to me.

Yesterday I found myself in a form of depression thinking about my friend. I decided the following:
1. I do not want to get caught in the rat race of life and spend my life working for the man.
2. I want to live my life everyday! I don't want to start living at age sixty five.
3. I want to attend my future children's school activities and little league games without asking my boss if I can leave early.
4. I want to travel the world with my family.
5. God bless America! If anyone has a chance at this kind of Freedom it is us!

I hope one day we can all be financially and time stable so that we can all play with the people we love most and spend lots of time outside.

Why Don't You Bake A Cake

My first love of summer 09' is slalom skiing, I'm far from good, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Saturday I headed out with some neighbor friends water skiing. The water was smooth, the air was warm, and there were plenty of smiles to go around.

I struggled a little bit my first ski of the year. I didn't get up on my first pull, or the second, but eventually my neighbor's mom yelled, "Why don't you just bake a cake while you are out there." That's all it took I was up and skiing.

Later in the day my friends mom said, "Eric, your turn to go again." At this point my arms and legs already seamed to be screaming, "too exhausted!" Mostly because of my pride I went again, I couldn't stand to hear her say those torturous words, "Why don't you just bake a cake!" Of course I got right up.

I've applied her words to a few other areas of my life this week and it works great. Every time I'm struggling to get up whether it be water skiing or some other event in life, I just picture my Neighbors mom yelling, "Why don't you just bake a cake!" Then my pride kicks in!

Here are some pics of an evening of water skiing with my sister and her family from last June!