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Back on the trail
I attempt to ride the bike in to work again today. It’s not bad! There are still big piles of snow everywhere, but most of the way has been plowed, including the Poudre bike trail. They didn’t plow my bike rack, though!
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Happy New Year, Metaphorically Speaking
This is one of the few times of year that reflection and introspection is culturally encouraged. That also makes it a cliché to share the results of the process! So it’s an ironic pleasure to publish one of my realizations for the year: that this blog is first and foremost a place for me to…
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Book: Lying Awake / Mark Salzman
We listened to this audio book on our drive also. I chose it because I have liked other books by Salzman. The subject of this one surprised me: it features a Carmelite nun’s struggles with epilepsy. The next surprise was that his presentation allowed me to truly relate to the character. Salzman has a knack…
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Book: The Mysterious Affair at Styles / Agatha Christie
We borrowed a recorded version of this book from the library for our drive to Idaho. I’d never read any Agatha Christie books, but they are excellent for driving. The intricate plot requires close attention, especially in audio format. I probably would have done a lot of re-reading in a printed book, but in the…
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A Sunny Day at Bogus Basin
Even though the snow at Bogus Basin was not quite as good today, I left with a real fondness for the place. With perfect blue skies and not a breath of wind, we were treated to one visual feast after another. Orange sun on spruce trees with every needle encrusted in snow. A bright half…
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The Outdoor Map
It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been fiddling with a website called The Outdoor Map for almost a year now. My vision for it has changed, but I still use it all the time myself for finding places, keeping notes and links for them, and general map investigation. I had hoped that the site would…
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Bogus Basin Ski Area
We explore another small ski area. This one is near Boise, has six lifts, and is playfully named Bogus Basin. Once again we’re fortunate to hit decent snow, and several inches more fall while we’re there, keeping it fresh. The area is spread out, requiring some traversing from lift to lift. It has good trees,…
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Christmas
We’re treated to a Christmas with all the traditional American elements: family (the Fish side), a tree, gifts, kids, church, snow, and an abundance of rich food. While enjoying it all I observe the contrast with my everyday life. There is time for pure play, and pure contemplation. I make sure to do some of…
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Geo Mashup 1.0 Beta 1 Release
A Christmas present of sorts – some bleeding edge software for you! I’ve used some of my holiday break time to start implementing a few features I’ve been eager to add to the Geo Mashup Plugin. I’ve made a lot of changes in this one that will need some testing, so I’m going to release…
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Pomerelle ski area
We need some activity to break up the long drive to visit Ann’s family in Nampa, Idaho, so we stop at tiny Pomerelle Mountain Ski Area. We’re lucky to hit beautiful weather and a nice foot of fresh powder. I’m reminded of the virtues of little podunk ski areas like this: easy access to your…