NYC in the Fall

I spent most of my fall vacation in New York City this week, checking out the changing leaves in Central Park, visiting friends, and walking around the in the cold rain.  It wasn't really that miserable, considering my skin recovered from perpetual dryness from living in the desert.  Click HERE for more.

A Dry Heat

I almost moved back to Florida, but things worked out here, so I am staying. In celebration of this, I am posting the weather report for what will be the first full week of over 100 degree days. Check out the extreme humidity level, too. And this is just the beginning of summer!

Flight Home from Denver

I flew from Denver back home to Las Vegas today; it's only a one hour and 20 minute flight, but the sun was in a good position to keep everything looking nice on the ground below. I was on the wrong side to see the Grand Canyon, but there is an amazingly varying bunch of terrain over such a short distance visible out my "north" window. It was snowing pretty heavily in Denver, and it was 70 degrees in Las Vegas a short flight later. Click the photo below for more photos.

Snow

Lest I be homesick for the snow I was accustomed to when I lived back east in Ohio and West Virginia, I drove the 40 or so miles up towards Mt. Charleston to see some snow. There be snow there! After 10 years in Florida, the "how to drive on patches of slippery stuff" experience was nearly forgotten, but came back just in time.

New Year's Resolution

It looks like it is the same as the old year's resolution...duh...

Another Blast from the Past

I was playing around youtube.com and found Rush playing The Trees on one of the few tours I did not make it to - the Counterparts tour in 1994. Enjoy, if you're into this sort of thing! (May 2008 Sorry It's no longer there).

Snowy Peaks

That's a quick snapshot of some snow on the mountaintops taken from the intersection of Horizon Ridge and Eastern Avenue near my apartment. Click the photo for a little more detail. There were some patches of snow up there in October; now it looks pretty white. That's about a 45 minute drive to go check it out in person - sounds like a road trip in January when I get back from West Virginia. It may even be time to take up snowboarding!

Snowy Peaks

That's a quick snapshot of some snow on the mountaintops. There was a little bit up there in October; now it looks pretty white. Thats about a 45 minute drive to go check it out in person - sounds like a road trip in January when I get back from West Virginia.

Web Cam

I set up my old computer adjacent to my patio, and aimed a web cam out the window. It's set up to upload a new photo every 15 minutes. It's pointed in the general direction of the Las Vegas Strip, although St. Rose Dominican Hospital blocks most of the Strip view. Click HERE to check out the latest photo uploaded.

Thanksgiving 2007

I've lived in Las Vegas more than six months now, which has given me the enjoyment of being in the middle of an entirely new set of day trip opportunities. Yesterday I drove four hours to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I've seen a lot of places and cities in my short 40 years; but nothing takes my breath away quite like the Grand Canyon. This was my third visit; and still, entering the park and seeing it out the window (and avoiding hitting the Elk that had just crossed the road) gave me goose bumps all over again. Walking part of the way into the canyon on the trail is even more amazing. Here is a picture from the edge, followed by a picture of me freezing my ears off.

Griffith Peak

This week's outdoor adventure was climbing to Griffith Peak, about an hour away from home. It was a pretty strenuous hike; nine miles round trip, almost six hours of hiking, and a final elevation of 11,060 feet above sea level. It feels so good lately to escape all the heat and noise in the Valley, and rekindle the inner Boy Scout, and just enjoy nature. I believe this is the first hike I have ever done where there is a register to sign at the top, and the next hike will be to the top of Mt. Charleston, which begins on the same trail as Griffith Peak, and adds perhaps two hours to the round trip.

Click on the picture below of Griffith Peak to see my other pictures of the hike. The pictures are in order, beginning at the trailhead, and ending at the top with a view of Las Vegas, Death Valley, and the mountains of California in the distance.

My First Football Wager

Marshall and WVU played each other in College Football yesterday, so I put $20 on Marshall. The "+25" on the ticket means that WVU was favored to win by 25, so if Marshall either won, or lost by less than 25, I won the bet. I figured if I-AA Appy State could beat the perennial power Michigan, I-A Marshall could at least hang in there with its intrastate rival. Marshall used to be fun to watch win most of their games when they, too, were I-AA, but these day it seems they have become fodder for I-A teams. So in the end, WVU beat Marshall 48 to 23, a difference of exactly 25, so the rule is I got my original $20 back. This exercise in futility made me realize it's more fun to follow football when it's just a game and you're not wondering what will happen to your money because of the outcome. So with that, "Good Luck Herd".

Hoover Dam...Again!

I spent a lot of time outdoors this weekend. Here are some photos from Hoover Dam on Saturday, and a morning hike today to the top of a little mountain on a trail called River Mountain Trail. As always, click on the photo for more photos.

What is wrong with people?

I decided to go to del Taco for lunch; nice and simple and cheap. So I walked up to the cashier, and he says, "May I help you?" "Yes, I would like a #3, medium, chicken, for here." His reply? "Would you like medium or large?" "Ummm, medium." "Chicken or beef?" Ummm, chicken." "For here or to go?" "Ummm, for here, I guess."

So lunch was good, then I went to the car wash, and had to wait in line for some moron who had just washed his car, and rather than pull into the "vacuum/drying area", he was drying his car with a cloth in one hand and chatting on his cell phone with the other, and giving me a look as if to say, "Wait your turn." Sorry, dude, your look was, "I'm an inconsiderate moron."

Thanks for letting me vent, and trying to remember how to do punctuation within quotation marks. It's been a while and I probably messed it up!

Mount Charleston...Again!

Today I visited Mount Charleston again, my favorite retreat from all the asphalt and heat. It's always about 30 degrees cooler up there, and smells like pine trees. The terrain makes an excellent hiking workout, and someday I will hike to the top of the mountain. As usual, click the photo below for more photos.

Death Valley

Yesterday's adventure was a 2-1/2 hour journey to Badwater, California, which contains the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, 282 feet below sea level. Plus, it was very hot - about 124 degrees F. It's a dry heat, of course, but still...today it may reach 116 degrees F here in Henderson, Nevada.

New Place, New View

I am mostly moved into my new apartment here in Henderson, Nevada. The picture is a view of Las Vegas from my deck shortly after sunset. I can see several of the big casinos at the south end of the strip, then a large hospital blocks the view of the remaining strip.

Getting Shorter...again...

In celebration of becoming a Nevada resident, I cut my hair again. I can better burn my scalp in the 110 degrees plus heat! Come visit soon...I promise, it's a dry heat!

Roger Waters

I saw Roger Waters live at the MGM Grand last night. He played a set of mostly Pink Floyd songs, including Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. The sound was amazing, and I can only hope the next time it is a Pink Floyd reunion with the classic lineup including David Gilmour. It wouldn't be a Pink Floyd show without a flying Pig, and there was also a pretty cool prism and rainbow created by lasers.

Getting Shorter...

Looking at the photos from the rafting trip, I decided my hair was too long. So now I'm down to a #1-1/2 Clipper at SuperCuts! Just thought I would share that...

Black Canyon Raft Trip

Today two coworkers and I rode a motorized raft several miles down the Colorado River, south of Hoover Dam. It was pleasant - the temperature is slightly above 100 degrees, although the water is always 52 degrees. The trip was via Black Canyon River Adventures and was a lot of fun.

Memorial Day 2007

Today I drove to the area around Mount Charleston which is less than one hour drive from Las Vegas. It is a beautiful area, and significantly cooler in temperature than the valley below. Las Vegas is at about 2000 feet elevation, the top of Mount Charleston is near 12,000 feet, and most of these photos were taken from approximately 8000 feet. I was amazed that this was a popular place in 1957 to observe above-ground nuclear testing which was conducted only 67 miles away. There are also a few photos from the night before from Paris and Planet Hollywood casinos. As usual, click on the photo below for more photos.

Hoover Dam

Today I went for a joyride to Hoover Dam. Click the pic below for more pics.

Happy Birthday Tyara!

I recently attended Tya's Birthday Party. She is a great friend and a special young woman in my life...I hope we can share more birthdays together!