It's Better in Wyoming.

From This I Believe  (1952): "Man is more important than anything he has created and our great task is to bring back again into a subordinate position the monstrous superstructures of our society." -- Susan Cobbs "I don't believe that human life is accurately represented by Viggeland's famous sculpture column in Oslo, of people climbing over one another and trampling one another down.  The Nazis when they occupied Norway greatly admired that sculpture.  They would.  But the rest of us can do better than that; many men and women in every age have done better, and are doing it still." -- Elmer Davis

Marselis Palace / Mindepark, Aarhus  ArOS Art Museum, Aarhus  Aarhus Cathedral  Den Gamle By  New Years Even Dinner  Tivoli, Copenhagen  Lakes District, Copenhagen  Dine with the Danes  View to Sweden from Helsingor  Kronburg Castle, Helsingor  Louisiana Art Museum, Humlebaek  Humlebaek Station  Copenhagen harbor tour  Danish Stock Market  Christianshavn neighborhood, Copenhagen  The Ring Bridge (pedestrian/cycling bridge in Christianshavn)  Nose2Tail, Vesterbro/Kodbyen neighborhood, Copenhagen Old Carlsberg Brewery, Copenhagen  Egret, Frederiksberg Park, Copenhagen  Fredericksberg Palace  Oresund neighborhood, Copenhagen  White Busses exhibition, Danish National Museum  Inside the Danish Royal Library ("the Black Diamond")  Leaving the apartment w...

Well, it's already 2 weeks into 2016, but still worth the time to pause and capture some of the highlights from last year. In addition to the early summer vacation I posted about, here are some other majors trips and events: In March, I drove with Sarah to Fountain Hills to visit grandma and grandpa.  (And Maggie joined us, too, from Chile.)  Grandma passed away later in the spring--before our return visit in June--so this was our last chance to spend time with her.  Here's a crappy picture of me and Grandma: In March I also made a trip to Chicago for the Higher Learning Commission conference. In April, Maggie and I went with friends to a Gregory Alan Isakov/Iron & Wine concert here in town. In May, I was awarded the college's extraordinary merit for teaching award.  Since Maggie and I were out of town, though, I missed the award ceremony. In June and July, I participated in the Wyoming Writing Project's Summer Institute.  And I facilitated a ...

Last week, Maggie and I embarked on a localish road trip, a four-day outing to northern Colorado, the close corner of Utah, and southwestern Wyoming.  Below, a few of the highlights. Here are Maggie and Walter, hanging out along Mad Creek, just north of Steamboat.  This pic is from Day 2.  On Day 1 we hiked a bit among snow drifts on the Rabbit Ears Peak trail near Dumont Lake, watched paddle-board rodeo at the Yampa River Festival in downtown Steamboat, and stayed with Maggie's former students Wil and Sarah at a ranch house near Clark, CO. After the Mad Creek trail hike, we headed west towards Dinosaur National Monument, stopping for a little hike near Cross Mountain before descending ~2500' feet at DNM from the rim of the canyon to the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers at Echo Park.  Here's a pic at Echo Park Campground, backgrounded by epic Steamboat Rock: On Day 3, after the 12-mile drive back up the gravel road from Echo Park, we drove aroun...

These ones.

Walter is a wonder dog. Here he keeps me company when Maggie was in Albuquerque for a conference.  Here is Walter in a moment of dignified repose. Walter guards the tent at Friend Park Campground.

I'm damn lucky to have such great people in my life.  And this year has been an overflowing river of good times.  In addition to the big trips with friends and to celebrate Maggie's family, we spent lots of little times, close to home, with good people. And I got to spend spring break with my sister and nephew at my grandparents' place in Phoenix: And more time with my sister's family for birthdays, an author talk in Fort Collins, ice cream at The Forks, keeping an eye on my niece while Sarah and Joel were in Alaska, and at Fort Laramie for Father's Day. With Kendall at the Geology Museum in July. Plus I got to hang out with the Dutchers when they came down for Homecoming, catch a football game with my Nebraska friend George, play Apples and Oranges with new friends Nicole and Troy, eat good food with neighbors, and just spend a shitload of quality outdoor time with lots of great people.  Apparently I don't take many pictures of my friends.  ...