50th Post Slash Happy New Year!

This December 31st I packed up my snowboard and headed up the mountain on my snowshoes to find some of that precious pow. I was not disappointed. A quick three hour hike up the side of a mountain and I was in paradise. But on the hike up I had plenty of time to think to myself and with 2013 around the corner I had plenty to reflect on.
Some of my new years resolutions.
1. Keep being me.
2. Travel more.
3. Finish Season Seven of Gilmore Girls.
4. Eat More Peanut Butter.
5. Shred as Much Powder as Possible!
6. Call Mom More.
7. Watch at Least One Sunset Every Day.

My favorite part about hiking the backcountry is the ride down. Hours of effort to make it to the top and the ride down is only a fraction of the time. So much work for a few precious turns in waist deep powder. It was an amazing day! Happy New Year Everyone!

A White Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Ok, now that that is out of the way I would like to say thank you to my wonderful parents who had to make it through the second Christmas in a row without me and who let me be crazy and wild and untethered to anything but my whims. They are truly the best parents a free-spirited boy could as for on Christmas or any other day of the year for that matter.

I hope that everyone had a Christmas that was as amazing as my own. Good food, good friends, bad poker faces and adventure. A night with the Beerman on Christmas Eve and morning to remember then off to the backcountry with Brett Bird for some snowshoeing and snowboarding (well Brett was snowllerblading, a terrible idea in powder.) I didn't end up taking many pictures because we were too excited about the day, but it truly was a very Merry Christmas.

Morning at the car.

Brett gets tired easy.

I fell into a hole and into Brett.

Uhhhhhhn.

Back at the car.

Power Play

After sixteen hours in Iowa, Jake and I packed up and headed out Nebraskie way. He has an uncle (Uncle Lee) who lives in the small town of Sutherland, Nebraska which is located eight miles east of the Mountain Standard time zone. We roll in around nine pm and Lee greets us at the door, but as soon as we are situated we are on our way to Ole's bar. I shall set the scene. Ole's bar is located in Paxton, a town with one stop light and two bars. A plus is that it is across the time zone change so it you can drink later. As soon as you walk in on the left there is a huge mounted animal. A polar bear mauling a seal! Apparently this Ole fella was a fan of big game hunting and he has mounts from all over the world. Elephants, a giraffe, elk, buffalo and many many others.

Well after a fine night at the bar, we spent the next morning at the power plant where Lee works and he gave us a grand tour. The two best parts of which were going up on the roof and wearing "steel toes" over our regular shoes. The latter was fantastic because they clicked wherever you walked so Jake and I galloped in order to sound like horses.

Coal pulverizer.

Jake and Uncle Lee.

Big pile of coal.

 

The roof!

Pro-Tek-To

Big ass spring. I don't know what for.

A Day of Findings

I forgot to mention that when I was in Kirksville Missouri I had a run in with the police. I was just minding my own business, sitting in a parking lot waiting for Jake to finish up his interview when I was approached by an officer of the law. Apparently the parking lot I had chosen to wait in was that of a bank and someone had labeled me a "suspicious character." Imagine that, me as a Bearded American was labeled as "suspicious!" Yeah, really not that much of a stretch. Anyways, officer Brady and I got to talking and he basically said that Kirksville is the worst because of a little convo that went like this.
Officer Brady: So what exactly are you doing here?
Me: My buddy is interviewing at the University, but I went and hiked in your state park this morning.
OB: Oh yeah, Thousand Hills is ok.
Me: Then I went to Pancake City, that was delicious!
OB: And you are heading to Des Moines later today?
Me: Yup, as soon as he is done.
OB: Well you're living the Kirksville dream. You went hiking, went to the best breakfast place and now you get to leave.
Me: (laughs)
OB: Your buddy is gonna like Des Moines way better.
And scene.

So thanks to officer Brady I was determined to find out all I could about Des Moines, Iowa. I'm not sure if any of this really helps Jake out, but I had a good day so it's all gravy.

Found: My shadow that looks like a jumping killer whale.

Found: Bronze turtle.

Found: A pond!

Found: Handsome devil.

Found: Art?

Found: Ice bubbles.

Found: Graffiti on a park bench.

Found: The loneliest handrail in the world.

Found: Giant stone egg posing as art.

Found: Big ass squirrel. (He later stared me down until I left.)

Missouri Loves Company

Let me start by saying, if you ever get the chance to drive across Kansas... refuse! I've have driven for quite some time now and Kansas just keeps going on and on and on and on. Now let me begin again. Jake had a med school interview Kirksville Missouri and he asked me if I would drive him. Being me (having oodles of free time) I thought that it might be fun. So Jake and I packed up the truck and set off into the rising sun. We tried our best to make fun of Kansas as long as we could, but Kansas got the better of us because it just wouldn't end.

So we finally get to Missouri, we spend the night with a nice man named Brandon and then I dropped Jake off for his interview and I went on an adventure. Just driving around I found my way to Thousand Hills State Park. It was a nice little area so I went hiking around. The best part of the hike was about a mile stretch of perfectly crisp leaves to walk on. So many crunchy steps in a row! The other highlight of the day was stumbling across Pancake City. A Kirksville original, Pancake City had a delectable breakfast known as the "Nova Slinger." Picture this: base layer of hash browns, a cheeseburger atop the hash browns, two eggs on top of that and then it is all smothered chili... my kind of breakfast! So, in conclusion, what Missouri lacks in hills it makes up for in crunchy leaves and heart-stopping breakfasts.

Kansas Sign: Discover Kansas! Us: ...no thanks.

This store was a huge disappointment. I did no beard decorating.

Trail of crunchy leaves!

Hey Missouri, if really don't want me to trespass close your gates!

Home of the Nova Slinger!

Jake and Ronnie Conquer Nature

Nuff said.

Helping Out

For the past few days I have been helping my buddy Tyler around the property here. We have been selling Christmas trees, chopping firewood, as well as just working out in the woods and having a good ole fashion time with a chainsaw.
 The other day we had a wonderful party in honor of Carol Newkirk, Tyler's grandmother who died last January, in which we lighted the Christmas trees and passed the evening amidst good company. I met a number of new friends, ate delicious foods and got a little tipsy. Other than that the days have been mild and wildlife abounds!

Tyler's Wood

Uhhhhhhh

Grandpa Jack

Magic Fire

Wildlife Abounds

My New Friend

Two Weeks of Shenanigans

About two weeks ago, I decided to go down to Ecuador to visit Jake. Sadly, I never made it there, but I did end up a lot of other places. The only word to describe such a span of time is "shenanigans."

I went on a hike with Valeria and Lalo in California.

Pretty.

Val's house!

Lalo puppy!

I met Richard the kitty.

Dis is Richard, he's a douche.

I even made it home for Thanksgiving dinner!

Veggies! Eww....

Sister.

Pumpkin Rolls!

Gravy... sooooo good.

Papa, surveying the goods.

Pretty sure the pilgrims didn't have shrimp...

So the explanation of these next two pictures goes a little something like this.
Mom: Ronnie, I don't like that branch. Will you get rid of it for me?
Me: Which one?
Mom: That one! (Points to top of tree)
Me:... fine.
So I proceed to climb 30 feet up a tree with axe in tow to chop off some dead branches.

I look so happy.

Swinging an axe one handed while holding on to a tree is no easy task.

I then made it to Utah, Julie and I arrived at the airport at almost the exact same time! So what else to do than go and watch her water her plants.

Plant. Plant. Plant.

In all of the hustle and bustle I even found some time to go fishing with Brett and his buddy Carson. We had quite the time fishing, shooting guns, rallying Brett's new car and having an all around wild time.

Carson caught the only fish.

That's why I come out here... NATURE!

Just two dudes on a log.

Again.

A proud papa.

Lovers?

Pew! Pew! Gotcha...

Gangsta.

Suzy Lee!

Oh yeah, we also played with a puppy...

So there are a lot of things that happened on this trip that I didn't mention, but the entire time I was in the company of family or friends or puppies. I can't ask for anything more in the crazy, wonderful life.