Ten Years Ago Today...

Janet and I took that walk. We were married on a beach in Freeport, Bahamas. It was a very casual ceremony with just a few close friends. 

I think of that day often, how we chose each other. It's been the best ten years of my life.

I wish the same good love and happiness for all my friends.















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Image for 3/20/11 - The Hiking Report

I upped my hiking goal for 2011 from 650 to 700 miles. So far, I am keeping up with the extra miles. Today I did a six mile hike with my backpack on (about 17 pounds in the pack). I have a big hike coming up in May and will have to carry the pack, so training time. It felt good to get the carry the weight, could feel different muscle groups getting some heat. We'll see how I'm feeling in the morning. I've hit 166 miles for the year thus far, only 534 to go.

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Image for 3/19/11 - Spring Forward!

Ah. spring is in the air. I did a seven mile hike today and the weather was perfect. Sunny and about sixty-two degrees. I felt pretty good, even did a bit of jogging. I love Saturdays.

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Image for 3/18/11 - Fire Good!

We had our first fire for the year in the chimenea tonight. Nothing like a Friday night fire on the patio to kick-off the weekend. It was very warm today, eighty degrees, about twenty above normal for this time of year. Everyone has spring fever.

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Image for 3/17/11 - Happy St. Patty's Day!

On my way home from work, I had stop  off for one pint at my favorite watering hole, "Sarah's Irish Pub" in Phoebus (Hampton), Va. Sarah's is run by Trish (to the left) and Frank, too of the happiest people I know. They throw a legendary St. Patty's Day party every year complete with green beer, corned beef and cabbage, live music and, of course, a leprechaun (pictured below). The place was packed out by the time I stopped in and I was lucky to score a Guinness and find a rail to lean against. The band started off with a cover of The Beatles, "Back in the USSR". Must of been an inside joke. The crowd didn't seem to mind.

I got to admit that I've only become a fan of St. Patty's Day since I lived in Ireland. Now it makes some sense to me; helps me to reconnect with those years I spent wandering the green and rocky hills of the Burren in the west. It also helps that green is my favorite color.

Sláinte Gaelach!

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Image for 3/16/11 - Sidewalk Hieroglyphics...

I did a quick two mile hike after work tonight. My usual roundtrip from the house up to Shore Drive. I was walking along feeling bored with all I saw. The uninspired, soulless colonial ranch and vinyl sided duplexes that dominate my neighborhood were not providing the kind of photo opportunities I was hoping for then I looked down and saw these markings on the sidewalk. Some kind of utility tags. I see abstract art, abstract tags, subterranean hints of another world.

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