Lava Cave

So the other day we decided to go see a lava cave! By we, I mean that I was whisked away by friends who knew about some fancy ass caves made by lava, but I didn't know that until we got there. So there we are, walking through the woods and all of a sudden BAM a big hole in the ground. Unfortunately it's very difficult to take pictures a mile into the earth, so I'll have to use my words to describe it. And this one picture from outside.

The entrance to the cave!

So, there we are... looking into a crevice of blackness, the map says from this point it is one entire mile to the end of the cave! Are we not men?! ARE WE NOT ADVENTURERS?!?! Obviously we are, so in we went. Upon entering the cave we were greeted by stale, frigid air. Ice covered the sloped floor as we skittered our way into the hollow shell of the extinct volcanic tube. Down, down, down we went until the light of day was no longer visible. Our only source of light, the electric torches we brought with us. As the floor leveled out, we cast our lights to the ceiling to discover it had opened to a cavernous expanse. The floor looked as if the rocks had been frozen in a moment of boiling intensity. Further and further we went into the cave, the ceiling rising and falling, at times we had to crouch down to a crawl, while other times the ceiling was so high we yelled at our own echoes. It got warmer as we descended further into the cave, at times we shut off our lights and strained our ears for any sounds, but there was nothing but our own breathing lungs and beating hearts. I don't have much experience in caving, but it was something I would very much like to do again.

Forgotten Spaces

I'm not sure why I'm drawn towards abandoned houses. Ghost towns, decrepit buildings, and forgotten spaces hold some kind of allure that I can't quite define. Perhaps it's the progression of nature, perhaps it's a fascination with decay, or perhaps it's listening for an echo of the past somehow preserved by the bones of the present. Today I made my way to an abandoned house about five miles outside of town. I fly over it almost every day and I have been meaning to go take a look at it, today was the day. 

The abandoned house

Complete with dog house in back

Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two tired!

A couch well past its prime

Custom bumper

This has probably been around for years

In case you need a quick jog

Cowboy boots

In case you need to leave your saddle

Sombrero

Old bones and new flowers

One sweet ride

Parts from an old airplane? 

Can these get any more rusty?

Parts from a toilet

A temple for squirrels

More airplane parts?

Wall-e

Sombrero 2

Blue

Probably still works

Outhouse

Inhouse

Someone used to live here...

Take Some Time for Yourself

We live in busy times, always connected, always online, always in constant contact with the world around us. It can be exhausting. So at least once a day I look for one moment of appreciation. A moment where I can simply appreciate the here and the now. Appreciate how fortunate I am. Appreciate that I am a man who lives in 2017 and gets to fly through the skies and get paid for it! One moment of serenity in a hectic day can make all the difference between a good day or a great day. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to capture the moment...

The Echo Cliffs at sunset. South of Page, AZ right next to State Road 89.

Lake Powell with snowcapped Navajo Mountain in the background.

A single butterfly wing that caught my eye as it fluttered down from a tree.

Found while biking the backwoods of Tusayan, only 688 miles to Mexico!