Blog

Christmas traditions

Recently, I took family Christmas photos for some friends. Each year they decorate gingerbread houses together, and the results are pretty awesome. I'm glad I could document a family tradition they have been doing for many years and will do for years to come. 

AHS Trip in Arkansas

A couple weeks ago, I was able to spend a week building and working on trails in Arkansas through the American Hiking Society. I have spent quite a few of my weekends outside in Arkansas over the last year, and thought it would be really great to spend some time volunteering there. I grew up in a family that valued the outdoors, but did not know anything about the process of building or working on a trail. Let me tell you, there is A LOT of hard work that goes into it. I will never take a well maintained trail for granted again! The group of us met and camped for the week right off the Buffalo River. I came by myself on this trip, but was surrounded by some really great people the whole week. Most of them were retired, but it seemed like they did more work in retirement than when they "worked"! I met two incredible ladies, both in their 70's, that each owned large farms and worked year round on a bike trail near their homes. They also did multiple AHS trips around the country during the year. I can only hope I have the amount of energy they have when I am that age! We worked on furthering a new trail the first day and then maintained existing ones the rest of the week. There is quite a process of building a trail, from marking it out, to raking a path, and making sure everything slopes and has proper angles for water to run off it. The days we maintained existing ones consisted mostly of removing trees and rocks, weed cutting and lopping hardwood and Rambling Rose vine (sounds pleasant, right? it's not...not really AT ALL.) out of the path. Only once did we lose our way off of a grown over trail, and had to lopp our way up the side of a bluff. I don't suggest doing it, but it was a good time (though I might have involuntarily sang the Doxology when finding the path again).

It was such a great week of learning about trails, Parks and Recreation, and life from a bunch of people who have lived a little bit more than I (I was 20-40 years younger than most of the participants). I am so thankful to be able to work for a company that is community centered and really values volunteer work. This wouldn't have happened without them! I am definitely a people person, and like doing things with friends and family, but sometimes it's worth taking opportunities to go do something on your own. You might learn new things and make new friends with some kind, hard working, "fall" vest and turtleneck wearing 70 year olds who were ballin in retirement. 

I didn't want to be THAT person who brings their camera during the work days, so I only have a couple from the trip. When our week was over though, the weather let me enjoy a short, few mile, tool free hike. It was great to take my time and shoot some crazy vibrant Fall leaves. When I started my way back home, a super thick fog rolled in while I was driving on deserted backroads. Maybe it was the fact I had been reading Dracula all week, that Halloween was approaching, the somber Agnes Obel music playing in my vehicle, or the high density of uninhabited homes in the backwoods of Arkansas, but it was eerie...eerie to the max. I had the sole company of only cows for an couple hours, but it made for some awesome photo opportunities, and I took advantage of a solo road trip. Enjoy.

Bouldering in Cowell, AR

I was able to enjoy a great weekend bouldering out in Cowell, Arkansas. It was incredibly beautiful with all the leaves beginning to turn colors. I'm so thankful for weekend trips, magical sunset hours, a clear view of the stars, and really strong, insightful climber friends that I can learn from. Here are a few photos from the trip. 

Labor Day climbing in Texas

My long weekend was spent climbing outside around the Austin area of Texas. We split our days between Reimer's Ranch and deep water soloing at Lake Travis. With the heat, the latter was amazing! It was a great way to spend a birthday weekend with some awesome people. Here are some photos from the trip.  

Simmons Wedding

Last month I had the pleasure of attending my good friends' wedding in Colorado. The ceremony was held on the edge of a cliff in Pagosa Springs with incredible views all around. And there was BRUNCH. And a WAFFLE CAKE. It was so fun to witness their wedding in the mountains with a bunch of friends from the Midwest. Both the bride and groom are very creative people, so there were plenty of artist attendees. There were multiple photographers on hand, and I can't wait to see their views. Here are mine from the day. 

Bouldering Week in Colorado.

A wonderful week out of the office and in the mountains, bouldering with friends. Not much about the trip was restful (except for one rest day...and rest day means crepe day...and that's always a beautiful thing). We usually woke around 5 every morning to beat the rain, and it was always worth it. The amount of beauty your brain takes in always beats lack of sleep (or tired calves because you're from the Midwest, and it's just plain flat in Oklahoma). Even the not so perfect weather made for some really great shots. Half of the time in the park, it felt as though you were at the edge of the Black Lake, outside of Hogwarts. You were so sure that in just a few moments a dementor would come rolling in along with the moody fog (in our case, a yellow poncho clad tourist upset with her husband).

Everytime I go to Colorado, I wonder if the mountains would lose their sense of awe if you lived there. Would your brain still intensely study them as the fog burns off and they become clearer and clearer in the mornings? Does the scent of pine and "cold" on an early morning trail as you hike in stay vivid? Would you keep getting a crick in your neck from gaping too long at the stars in the evenings? I don't know from personal experience, but they're pretty powerful.

 

Cassie // Yoga

I love good combinations. So to mix a photo shoot with yoga AND art was pure gold. Thank you to some amazing artists in OKC for beautiful backdrops. Cassie is such a great yoga instructor, and I am so glad we could work together on these!