Bachelor Party, Brigade Style!

This post is really late in making the blog, but summer is just too much fun to spend my time writing posts. Please don't spend too much time reading it, instead get outside and enjoy you some good ol' fashioned vitamin D!  But if you would like to skim through, I'll write a few lines and post some epic pictures!

On May 19th,  theBrigade set out once again for the Cedar Mesa area of Utah, to search for more Anasazi ruins.  This time our plan was to attack the Bullet and Sheiks canyons, and this time we would have Tim along to celebrate his coming marriage vows.  Our group consisted of Tim, Jake, Jeff, our good friend Cody Hardy, and myself.

The drive down was ordinary, meaning that right from the start it was insane!  The most memorable moment was when a teenage carhop girl called us out for not tipping her,  when WE walked up to the order window!  We did end up tipping her, only to find she makes a terrible shake, joke was on us I guess.  The other highlight was Cody finding a well placed ten pound boat anchor in this pack.  Good thing he found it before hiking in!  We camped at the Mule canyon trailhead so we could show off the House on Fire ruin first thing in the morning.  Life was good!

The next morning we woke up to a low fog that soon turned to complete sunshine.  We took a quick trip back to the Ruin, where Tim proved to be of good luck, when he spotted pictographs we hadn't previously seen.  Tim and Jake ran up the trail to the fortress, while the rest of us went back to camp to pack up.  The boys took another plunge in the small pool, and then they came back, just in time for us to go get our permit at the ranger station and begin a new adventure.

Our first discovery was a panel of pictographs resembling tall, scary men.  We contemplated it's meaning for a few minutes and then moved on.  From the panel we quickly found a small hut that was impossible to get to without a ladder, which makes me wonder how the terrain used to be to allow for access.  Even though we couldn't get close, it was still awesome.  We named it the honeymoon suite in honor of Tim and Tay, ah yeeah!  As we descended the wall of the canyon back down to our packs, we found another, super small ruin with pictographs all around it.  Due to its size, we now refer to it as the dog house,  but with its proximity to the honeymoon suite, it may have other meaning...

Tim and Jeff looking at the tall, scary guys

Honeymoon Suite

The Doghouse

The next few hours didn't produce any findings, till we came across the amazingly amazing kiva, fittingly named, Perfect Kiva.  While this kiva has been restored to ensure structural integrity, it was still amazing to see.  Plus the pictographs were still completely original and they were everywhere.  To enter the kiva a ladder had been installed, and the others quickly climbed down while I took pictures of the artwork.  After everyone else had come up I took my turn in the pit.  Entering alone was an odd feeling, and I didn't really know what to think.  There was very little light coming in, the air was stale and stuffy, and the thick walls absorbed all outside noises, leaving me in complete isolation.  I got some pics and got out quick.  The next ruin was the Jailhouse ruin.  It was another good one and provided me with a few hours of exploration.  We camped there for the night and called it good.

Just outside Perfect Kiva

Grinding stones for crops and medicines

Inside Perfect Kiva

Jail House

Tim's incredibly large, heavy dinner

Cody on the edge

Cody in a jam

Our plan the next day was to day hike further in, but Cody and I decided to relax while the others went off in search of more stuff.  They did come across some cool artifacts, but I was content with my decision to chill for the day.  That night we began the hike out and Tim spotted one more ruin way up the canyon wall.  Tim, Cody and I went up and checked it out, only to find we could access this one either, but it was still cool to get close.  Sleep came quickly knowing that the trip had been a success.  In the morning we had a quick hike out and headed home.  The third trip of my year was officially behind me,  AWESOME!!!

The last ruin

My Life Through a Lens #5

Sailors Delight

This picture doesn't require much of an explanation to understand why it's one of my favorites.  But why would I take the time to post it without telling my thoughts?  Have you ever looked at a situation and couldn't help but think that God had set the whole thing up specifically for you?  This was one of those moments...

Okay so this was the last night my mom and I were in San Francisco.  The whole time we'd been there it was overcast, but finally the sun came out and gave us an awesome sunset.  After enjoying an amazing shrimp alfredo a few blocks away, I wanted to head down to the water and get every last minute I could in an absolute perfect moment.  As the sun started going down, the whole sky truly became a canvas.  The light, wispy clouds reflected some beautiful colors that changed with each second.  I can't tell you how many pictures I took, but I do know that I kept thinking I should have brought another battery.  

Eventually I turned my eyes toward the Golden Gate and saw a low fog.  It was still over the bridge, but it seemed to be descending.  I took a few pictures and then waited for it to get lower.  Sure enough, it got down right where I wanted it, and the real photo shoot began!  It took me a minute to stop staring and actually take a picture, I was completely awe struck.  The whole thing was just too perfect to believe, if it hadn't smelled like fish I would've thought I was in a dream.

So I got the shot and gazed across the bay until dusk.  We went to Ghiradelli Square and got one last dessert, wandered to a few other places, and called it a day.  The perfect end to remember the trip.  Not only that, but Christmas was just around the corner, and I couldn't think of a better gift for mom.  So now this is framed and hanging in her living room, it looks great!

Spring Cleaning

If you read my post , Aprils Fools, then you probably saw the part about my plan to clean up the canyon.  Well I followed through!  I got some friends interested in the idea, and we met this morning to make it happen.  We picked up trash for almost two and half hours, but there is still so much to collect.  We filled thirteen, thirty gallon trash bags, plus we found a flat screen tv, a microwave, four tires, and a sled.  Here are the pictures to tell the rest of the story.

Maren, myself, Amy, Tim, Jeff and Matt standing with our loot

Rolling the tires back to the truck

Jeff with the microwave

Tim with the flat screen

Matt, Jeff, Tim and myself surveying the pile

Who doesn't destroy the tv when they watch American Idol? 

As I mentioned, this is just a small amount of the garbage that is up there.  And I found that when I really began to look for every little piece, so much more stood out!  Honestly, with everything that is up there, I don't know if we'll ever get it under control.  The crap has been piling up for decades, and people still throw everything out, but removing a whole truck load today certainly made a dent in the problem.  I want to give props to Jeff and Tim Treft, Maren Nilsen, Amy Phillips and Matt Keeler.  They did an awesome job today and they're more than willing to help again.  We're going to start doing this once a month, I know they'll be helping, will you?

Spring Break

This year for spring break, my mom wanted to go to St. George.  I'm not the biggest fan of the city so I was a bit apprehensive about going.  Finally I told her that I'd go, but only if she'd let me go to Zion's National park for a day and explore some of my favorite trails.  I've never been there in April and I was interested in seeing what the conditions were like this time of year.  I was also hoping to maybe spot a few rarely seen animals, and was thinking the slower hiking season would be my best chance in finding them.  Well I didn't really see any animals that I was interested in, in fact I found less than usual...  But the hiking was excellent!  We were just ahead of a storm system, so it was windy, which dropped the temperature, but we only got a sprinkle of rain, unlike the next two days, when it rained (and snowed) non-stop.  Anywho, The waterfalls looked great, the foot traffic was at a minimum,  and I got some good pictures.  I even got my mom to hike for over five hours, to some pretty gnarly spots, like scouts lookout, The safer part of angels landing!  

Lower Emerald Pools

Lower Pools from above

Upper Pools, with the wind interfering

Mangy little deer, they were everywhere!

The rest of the trip went pretty quickly.  We hung out with my grandparents for two days, and then headed home.  Maybe next year I'll see those animals...

Noise

Tim and I moved to a new place a few weeks ago and now we're living in a basement apartment.  It's been okay, but there is a family upstairs that has young children.  The kids run around all day and the parents are wonderful at forgetting to do the laundry till midnight.  I've become super ornery over them and today is no different.  But something just happened that changed my mind for the moment...  Someone up there is playing the piano, I can hear it as if it was a room away, and it's beautiful.

That anyone could believe music doesn't affect your mood is beyond me.  Five minutes ago I was pretty ticked about the noise upstairs, but now I'm throughly enjoying life.  It's amazing how quickly that can change...

Now the music has stopped.  Hopefully it'll start up again in a few minutes.  If not, maybe tomorrow!

Name Change

I've begun attending a new singles ward with Jeff, and today they received my records.  Not wanting to be one of those people that isn't there when their records are read, I was determined to be present.  Well this morning I woke up in St. George, a little over four hours from home, but church wasn't till 2:00, so I had time.  Around 8:30 in the morning, my mom and I rolled out of town, heading for the Wasatch front.  We made great time all the way up until Payson.  Since the beginning of this year I've referred to this area of Utah as crappy valley, and I meant it, but after today I'll never think of it any other way.  The construction went on forever!  I was stuck going under fifty-five for mile after mile,  slowly losing hope that I'd get home in time to get ready and make it to church on time, let alone before they introduced me to the congregation...

Luckily I did make it through the construction, just seconds before suffocating, and also made it to church twenty minutes before it started.  I made sure to tell the bishopric about my epic journey to get there on time, and they seemed to enjoy the story (which was greatly embellished.)  The time came to read my records, I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to stand up, ready to flash a giant smile to all of my peers.  The words came, Paul Curtis.  Paul Curtis? Paul Curtis! Who is Paul Curtis?  I remained seated for a few moments while they read a few other records, just to see if by chance there really was a Paul Curtis entering the ward.  As it turns out, my name was never read...  I immediately stood up and calling from the back of the chapel, corrected Brother Wood, who was conducting, telling him my name is Paul Carter.  He noted the correction, everyone had a good laugh, I was welcomed, and then sat down.  

For a few minutes I wondered if I had made a bad decision about voicing my name.  I worried that maybe interrupting had produced negative attention towards me.  Then I realized it was my name and I wanted it known!  I'm not Paul Curtis, I'm Paul Carter,  and that's that.  If anyone had considered me rude, so what, that's their problem.  

Well after the meeting I approached Brother Wood and gave him some guff about the mistake, how could I not?  Then something I totally didn't expect happened.  Two girls came up and wanted to know more about me!  These two girls were very very much out of my league, but yet I continued on a conversation with both.  We had a good chat and I moved on. It was a bit quick to make a move, but next time for sure! 

So why did I tell you this story?  Because I've figured out the secret to getting noticed!  All the girls I've ever taken interest in were just like these girls, as in b-e-a-utiful!  But it takes me ages to build up a friendship far enough to ask them out, but this was almost immediate, and it was awwwwwesome.  So from now on, I'm going in loud enough to be seen, but chill enough to be approachable.  Now if I can just figure out how to get to that second date...

The Hunger

So on my first brigade trip, Jake brought along a little treat for the hike, which I'm now addicted to...

Thanks Jake, there goes that whole "Lets lay off the sugar because I don't ever want diabetes" kick I was on!  Seriously though, these things are delicious, and I've since discovered the strawberry apple flavor as well.  Looks like I know what you'll find in my candy drawer from now on.
Editor's note: Paul was never on a "Lets lay off the sugar because I don't ever want diabetes" campaign,  It was more like a "Lets save the world from diabetes by consuming all the sugar" project.  Hey, sometimes you've gotta take one for the team...