Iris Garden

….Recently, my mom & I took a little trip to an iris garden. It was the neatest place, right on the edge of the city, by the interstate, but tucked away out of sight behind the trees. There was a variety of over 400 different irises. It would've been the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon outside doing nothing. It was so tranquil & bright. We ordered a few iris bulbs, that we'll receive & plant this fall. It was hard to decide what to get, there were so many— 

I'm standing among the flowers. It smelled SO good. 
There were a ton more flowers, but they didn't make it in the shot. 

Just Do It —

RUN. (Quoting Nike's catchphrase.) Been tryin' to get back into a good running schedule. Injured the knee skiing in January; it's still pretty stiff. I hadn't run in over a month. And I was feeling really out of shape. So I went out jogging tonight. (Did around 3 miles in 22 minutes, I was surprised how fast that was for me!) There was a truly magnificent sunset. The sky was set ablaze! Ever-changing shades of purple, yellow & orange lit the heavens in a radiant, dusty haze. While I was jogging with my ipod, it rained lightly. Got fairly wet, from sweat & rain, but it was totally worth it.

In the east, where dark clouds rose ominously, there was a bright rainbow. I could see the whole entirety of it's colorful arching span. The rain eventually slowed to a light drizzle & then stopped. The arch of color faded. The pavement was still warm & wet under my shoes. The air smelled beautiful. Crisp & clean. The sun slipped beneath the rimrocks, & I ran on….  

-GB

Music - E Minor

A "Ping Pal" showed me this song. Instantly fell for it. It's so beautiful, so sad. So rich.

Busy Bees

What 
wondrous 

miracles 

abound 

in ordinary 

things! 

Go outside, 
& look around—
What do you see? The order & wonder of it all. A universe so great, a world so small! 

Strength

There is a strength,

That comes through prayer,    

A confidence, a power,

A quite, deep unflinching faith 

To meet the trying hour. 

There is a peace 

That comes through prayer, 

A calm serenity

To face whatever life may hold

With grace and dignity.

There is a joy

That comes through prayer,

A gladness of the soul, 

A glorious sense of having been 

Refreshed, renewed, made whole.

                                                            -By Helen Marshall 

Settlers Of Catan

One of the awesomest board games ever made.

Over this past winter & spring, I've played countless hours of Settlers. Friends & family will come gather 'round the kitchen table, I'll make brownies & we'll play into the wee hours of the morn. I've yet to tire of the game. (& probably never will.) No two games are alike, with an ever-changing board setup. It's literally addicting. The games involves chance, skill & strategy. Usually there's lots of lively discussion too. Sheep! Brick! Wood! Rock! Wheat! It's for 3-6 players. 

-GB

Reflections

I took this colorful pic down in Oklahoma last fall….. 

Triathlons, Racing, Gratitude & Ramblings

Soooo, I just competed in my 2nd triathlon! The race was a blast! It was 11.5 miles long. I placed 5th in my age group, boys/girls aged 16-20, with a total time of 00:45:40. Overall I took 99th place, out of 240 soloists. There were a total of about 500 racers, the rest being on a three person team, one person for each leg of the race. It was a skiing, biking, running event. Running was my weak link, as my knee was pretty stiff & sore from an injury I got about two months ago. Skiing was the best, I skied 2.5 miles in about 3 minutes! I love racing, (mainly skiing) the sport & excitement is fun - The starting point for the race was on top of the mountain. I skied 2.5 miles down to the bike transition, from there biked downhill 6 miles. Then I ran 2.5 miles to the finish line!

The day was beautiful, so cold with a fresh blanket of snow sparkling on everything, pristine & bright. 

I also participated in the Grizzly Peak Adventure Race it's very first year. 

It was April 2011.  I did an 11 mile triathlon: 2.5 mile of skiing: time 0:3:37,2.5 miles running: time 0:25:47,6 miles biking: time 0:18:03. Total time: 00.47.21. I took 27th place out of 66 female soloists, & 2nd place in my age group, boys & girls 16-20 years. Running was clearly my weakest place. But, in my defense, I got a reallly bad cramp, & actually walked for about a half a mile. Not fun. There were over 300 racers.

But overall, the race was so exciting, that feeling inspired, I started doing just a little bit of jogging on the side, maybe once every week or two. ;)

On July 4th, I did a two mile run, & took 2nd place with the time of 0:14:? min. for the female age group 15-20.

Now I was jogging, on the weekends whenever I could.

Then in like August 2011. I ran in a little 3K. I took first place, (age group) with an average time of 0:17:49. Overall place of 10th, out of about 70 racers. (Yes, it was a very small event.) I started "training" about a week before hand. Again, not a good idea, but it musta worked, that or all the other racers were reallllly crummy. (hehe!)

October 2011. I ran a 2 mile run, took 3rd place (age group) with a time of  0:14:23.  This was a large event, with over 300 runners, but the data is incomplete. I don't know anything other then that I placed 2nd. 

In November, I was in great running schedule. (I was actually running, not doing the jogging thing most people call running.) I did about 3-2 miles, every-other to every day, with good times: 7 − 6.30 minute miles.

But then I started skiing in December. I got lazy with my running. I became a "weekend warrior".  And in January 2012, I injured my knee in a skiing race. Now I've got to tell you about it — 

It was a smaller event, that lasted for 6 weeks. January- February. Timed slalom racing, with 106 racers total. Overall I placed 30th. But I had a bad crash while practicing, & hyperextended my leg, tore some little muscles holding my knee cap in place, & generally really twisted things up. (But I didn't know that, until about 8 months later, when I went in for Xrays & a MRI.) I just thought I'd pulled some muscles, or something. It hurt sure like the dickens, when it happened, I limped around for a few days & took pain meds. (NOTE: if you ever have a bad ski crash & limp for more then a week, go see the doctor, asap!) But after a week or so, the knee was just really stiff & weak feeling. I honestly didn't think much of it, thinking it would heal in time…

This is me slalom racing! 

Now I've caught you up to date, April 2012 & the triathlon I just competed in, & told you about.  (This post became a lot longer then I originally intended!) If you are a runner or a biker or a skier  - Keep pressing onwards! Don't stop & never, ever give up! NEVER take your good heath for granted! Be thankful - You have so much! Legs that take you places, eyes to see the beautiful world with, energy to burn & time to do it all. Enjoy what you do & find the beauty in God's amazing creation while you are on the roads, trails or slopes!  Stay strong, fit & thankful, while always remembering that Jesus is where your strength comes from!

"The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." Exodus 15:2 

-GB

Skiing

It's more then just a sport, it's a passion. The views are breathtaking. It's always exciting being nearly 10,000 feet high, racing solo down the mountain, doing moguls, trying jumps, or even, leisurely making trails through the trees. But for me, there's something more about it... It's not just the fun & the challenge, it's simply being outside, admiring God's creation, taking it all in & getting a view on perspective. I enjoy skiing alone, it's nice to have time to think. There's nothing like an icy wind blowing in your face, or the fresh smell of pine in the air… It's exhilarating. 

Winters here are long, the days are short, dark & cold. The Rockies are tall, majestic & snowcapped all year round. Average snowfall is over 250". I ski at a smaller resort, it has 7 lifts to cover 1,600 acres of ski area on the Custer National Forest & there's a vertical drop of 2,400 feet. This past season  (November—April) I skied with my iPod just over twenty times. I participated in a 6 week giant slalom racing team. Out of 106 racers, I placed 30th. On April 14th, I competed in a 11 ½ triathlon. That was a blast, & an excellent way to finish off the season.... I also went skiing with my dear family & friends some too. That was memorable- skiing, laughing, eating hot food & taking pictures together.                                

  In the mornings everything is always so pristine, frosty, & bright. Good times. 

Southern Sayins'

I grew up in the heart of the Appalachian (a-puh-LATCH-uhn) Mountains. (So yes, I'm a hillbilly at heart.) Here are things I'll always remember Southerners saying.  

In the summer, whenever company would come, we'd sit on the porch fellowshipping, drinkin' sweet tea & eatin' ice-cream. When the sun started to set, & they turned to leave, we'd always say—  

"Y'all come back now- ya hear?" 

"I declare!" & "Wull, I never!" were said often as an exclamation or, when there is just plain nothin' to say. It was always said with a looong southern draw. 

This translates into stubbornness: "He could argue with a fence post." 
"Right quick" means it'll be a moment. 
      
"Dead as a door nail" There ain't nothin' deader then a door nail. 
Frequently used as a self-denigratory “Aw, shucks”

Betchya don't know what a "Sundog" is. It's a little rainbow that appears to float in the sky. And are best seen when the sun is low. 

Planning on doing somethin'? They'd say "I'm fixin' ta—"
"Wull, I swore!" was often used as an exclamation. 

Honey, babydoll, darlin’, sugah, sweetie… Always said with a sentence, usually accompanied by "Bless yer heart".

"Ifn' he ain't — " meaning, if he weren't plannin' on it. 
When they can’t find somethin' in front of their face, & suddenly do, ya tell 'em— 
                                   “If it bin a snake, it’d a bit ya.” 

…Oh, and did ya know you can hear corn growing? On a hot summer's night, go stand by a large corn field & listen….. 

-GB

Spurgeon Wisdom—

Cultivate a cheerful disposition; endeavor, as much as lieth in you, always to bear a smile about with you; recollect that this is as much a command of God as that one which says, "Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart." Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. When it is the Lord's work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad. Cheerfulness is most becoming in Christian men. Contentment is the crown jewel of a happy life. Amen!

- Charles Spurgeon

Movie Quote

"Love your life, perfect your life. Beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home." 
                                                                                      — Act of Valor.

I thought the little paragraph above was worth repeating. Particularly like the last sentence. I watched the movie recently, & liked it. It was intense, realistic, & a bit of a tear jerker. Live rounds were used during production. Part of the film was shot digitally on a Canon Eos 5d mk2, saving big $. One of the coolest things about the film, is that actual, active-duty US Navy SEALs & SWCC were used. Channing Moss, one of the actors & Navy SEALs inspired the RPG survival in the film. While on duty & in action, Moss was hit by an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) on the left side of his body & it extended out of his skin on the right side, though miraculously the RPG did not explode. Surgeons removed the RPG without it going off. Moss was awarded the purple heart. 

-GB

C.S. Lewis quotes I love —

On Edgar Alwin Payne

Payne was an American Western landscape painter. He grew up in the Southwest, & left home at the age of 14. He traveled all over the States, painting portraits, signs, murals, & local theatre stage sets, to pay his way. Payne was self-taught after attending (& disliking) only two weeks of the Art Institute of Chicago. He made it to California in 1909 & met commercial artist Elsie Palmer (1884-1971) - they were wed three years later. Their daughter Evelyn was born in 1914. Later, Payne (with his wife & daughter) painted his way through Canada, & then the trio spent two years (1922-1924) touring & painting Europe. He had a studio setup in Paris. Sometimes their trips would be on horseback or hiking through the backcountry, looking for undisturbed places of raw, & rare beauty, to paint, sometimes for weeks. After traveling the world, Payne settled for the wild western parts of America. He spent 4 months painting landscapes of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Pretty intense. Payne was a member of 10 art associations. A total of 17 galleries can boast of having his work to display.

Edgar Alwin Payne 1883- 1947 (Paris)

Payne was a man who loved the outdoors, & spent most of his life painting, or thinking about painting, landscapes. His drawings were records of his thoughts, his notes to himself. His paintings reflect an amazing perspective, selection talent, & premeditation.

In 1941 he wrote "Composition of Outdoor Painting" 
-A great book on painting techniques, color, repetition, rhythm, composition, scale & value. (If ya ever see it- buy it!)  I got my copy of the book from Amazon, for about $50. It is worth every penny. 

Here are some of his works— 

Sunset, Canyon De Chelly, 1916

Sentinels of the Coast, Monterey. c.  Oil on Canvas

Eternal Surge, c. 1920 Oil on Canvas

Canyon Mission Viejo, c. 19?? Oil on Canvas

Sardine Boats, c. 1923. Oil on Canvas.  

Sierra Trail, c. 19 Oil on Canvas 

Rendezvous Santa Cruz Island, c. 1915 Oil on Canvas

Canyon de Chelly Oil on board

Shadow Slope Oil on Canvas 36” x 46”

Sierra Divide, 1921. Oil on Canvas

Trees on a California Hillside, c.  Oil on Canvas 

California Mountain, High Sierras
Oil on panel 17"x21

Whenever I go out landscape painting, I try to paint in the style of this quicker work, imaged directly above. Using thick paint, & a large brush…  Really laying each stroke on, & letting it do the work for you. Using the brush to 'draw', & then you can see the reflected light off of each angular stroke. I really like this picture. The mass shapes of the trees. It's so directional. You can really feel the depth & the height of those hills too. 

—Payne is one of my favorite artists—  

Examples of compositions, taken from his book.
 (Click & view in new window for larger size.)

No matter what we do, or where we go, isn't it always awesome to look back &  say- I was out there, I was alive, I did that. God made all of us exactly like we are, with talents, & weaknesses. Embrace your gifts, create a memory, do something special. Enjoy life. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a painting is worth a lot more. Generations will reap what we sew; we can pass on a curse or a blessing to those we will never know. (Deut. 11:26-28) Let's leave a history that generations to come will be proud of!

-GB

A drawing.

Here is a fast drawing of my brother. :) #livemodel 

I love Moleskine. 

Adoration

-source-