Instagram photo of cherry blossom tree

Tortuguero

On the Caribbean Ocean there lies a town surrounded by both salt and fresh water.   The town is called Tortuguero and it makes it way in the world by selling Eco-Tourism.  They sell the experience of learning about both the salt water and the fresh water eco systems that surround them.  The town can be found just a few hundred km from the Nicaraguan boarder on a small strip of land no wider than some international airport runways. The land is situated between the salt water of the Caribbean Ocean and the fresh water of the estuaries and mangrove swamps of the Rio de Tortuguero.  We spent three days in Tortuguero learning and adventuring with the people of this very secluded town.

Traveling to Costa Rica

Some times it’s hard to get yourself to write, even when you really want to.  Even when you set aside time to write. 

Building Barns

For the last two weeks Mitch and I have been working on restoring the roof to a barn near Genesee Idaho.  For both of us it has been a learning project, especially since neither of us have much experience with construction.  The barn was originally built in the early 1900's as a Timber Frame Barn, and over the years has had various improvements to keep it up and running.  Last November, however, during a large wind storm the front doors and one whole side of the roof were blown away,  some of it traveling over 500 yards before crashing down in the fields.  I imagine it must have looked and felt a lot like the movie the Wizard of Oz when those doors crashed in and caused the roof to lift off.

U of I Arboretum

I went to the U of I arboretum on Wednesday in the hopes of taking some nice pictures of spring.  Unfortunately due to the lack of good weather here in Moscow there were very few trees with leaves on them and even fewer flowers in bloom.  I was able to find a spot with some nice budding pine trees which I snapped some shots of.  Hopefully I can go back in a week or so and find a little more blossoming atmosphere.

Route Setting at the U of I

I've been back in Moscow for about a month  now and unfortunately haven't found a job to occupy my time.  I have been working at the U of I climbing wall setting routs in the mourning and this at least has kept me from going crazy.

Kirkwood Backpacking

I just got back from my backpacking trip to Kirkwood ranch on the Snake river.  It was nice to get out of town and hike back into the Hells Canyon river gorge where there were no cell phones, computers or day planners, only free time and good weather.