- orchid
After years of pining, I finally got my orchids. This shot looks ridiculously artsy, but really it's just the unglamorous light of the sun coming up. See, our daylight savings shift means I get to work after sunrise now, so that's exciting. - roses and kitchen
roses and kitchen - roses from bryan and george
Bryan and George sent roses to my school to help me feel better about my miserable life. It worked. I'm easy. - IMG 3073
Just as I got into the Seattle area, it started to rain on me... It was as though Seattle had prepared a special welcome just for me. - IMG 3071
I know what you're thinking. Driving at 75mph and taking pictures of your odometer are mutually exclusive activities. But it was a *really* long drive, and maybe after 8 hours I was getting overconfident. - IMG 3067
A view of Mt. Shasta from I-5 - IMG 3064
At about 5:45, I'm on the road about to cross the Dunbar bridge over the bay. - IMG 3042
The theme for the day: falling at the lip throw. Here in the upper right you can clearly see my goal. It's tricky to hit it just at deadpoint and control it. Next time I will come better prepared, and Mushroom roof will fall. - IMG 3041
Here, I attempt the throw from a lower hand. The flake is just out of frame at the top right. - IMG 3040
Another attempt, just after the crux, moving into position for the second throw. Above the left hand you can see the slot used to anchor the body while the right reaches for the flake. - IMG 3031
Here is the moment just after the second throw, right hand on a decent flake while the left is in a nice slot. All I had to do was pull the lip, but I fell. Oh well, it's nice to have something to come back for. - IMG 3029
Now, moving to Seattle, he knows he might not get the chance to challenge it again for a long while. So, despite the fact that he hasn't climbed much for two months, he carefully reviews the beta (specify hand/foot locations used) through the years. Here, he places his hands as they would be right after the crux. The large slab of flake at the bottom is the start, followed by the two chips above it and to the left. Next the left hand is thrown to where you see it here, and the right raised to prepare for the second throw. - IMG 3028
Bryan carefully considers his oldest, greatest foe: Mushroom Roof. Five visits to Hueco Tanks, and he has never been able to top it out from the starting hold. From the start, he has made it to the lip, and from the second hold, he has topped it out, but never linked it in its entirety. - IMG 3027
There, in the distance, is the lovable pile of granite we like to call Hueco Tanks. - IMG 2944
Really. I got a picture of the red cliffs. No, I did. It's fine. - IMG 2943
Ahem. - IMG 2940
Again, I defer. - IMG 2936
Leslie will need to explain why this one was taken. - IMG 2935
Note the eyes. - IMG 2934
Here is the token Roswell shot. We were kind of hoping for a campy billboard or a UFO, but we were also hungry for lunch, so the most we did was slow down for this pic. - IMG 2933
IMG_2933 - IMG 2932
More flowstone - IMG 2931
These were the "Titans," about 20 meters tall each. Very cool. - IMG 2930
More popcorn. - IMG 2929
A whole city of the spikes. - IMG 2928
Who knows? Just cool. - IMG 2926
A couple of the stunning, finger-like projections of stalagmites we encountered. - IMG 2925
Some beautiful flowstone. - IMG 2920
The little puffs of rock are called "popcorn." - IMG 2919
Sharp spikes hanging from the ceiling. Occasionally I imagined these snapping of and skewering me.