connection.

Everyone starts somewhere.
Summer feelings still reside.

fly or die.

This past weekend Ben got the chance to borrow a canoe and paddle the Cumberland River with his friend Jason in search of trout. 
Always interested in a challenge, the boys fished with dry flies the whole time (which many say is way tougher), they battled July heat, and a raging generator that made the water in the river rise and fall unexpectedly.
They slept in hammocks, ate freeze-dried food, and caught plenty of brookies, browns, and bows!
I'm proud of my dude & I continue to be inspired by his willingness to be uncomfortable for the sake of adventure & fish. 

clean

-john muir. 

olympian

Ray Ewry

The Opening Ceremonies of the London 2012 Summer Olympics are today & this story inspired me.

Ray Ewry won eight Olympic gold medals in 1900, 1904 and 1908, yet he is almost unknown today because his unprecedented feats were performed in events that are no longer held: the standing high jump, the standing long jump and the standing triple jump.
Born 14 October 1873, Ewry contracted polio as a young boy. Confined to a wheelchair, it was thought that he might be paralysed for life. However, he began exercising on his own and grew up to be a superb athlete.
Ewry won all three standing jump events at the 1900 Olympics in Paris. He defended all three titles in 1904. The standing triple jump was dropped from the Olympic program in 1908, but Ewry won both the standing high jump and the standing long jump for a third time. All standing jumps were dropped from the Olympics after 1912.

article source

photo sources

12

simplicity.

Self Portrait

Mel Nichter

     

Over the past year I've had the daily privilege of being inspired, challenged, & encouraged by my sweet friend, Mel. She is approaching marriage & I have the honor of being one of her maids. She is an avid paddler, a soccer rock star, my skiing sidekick, a beloved friend to many, and someone who’s graciousness makes me smile everyday.  

Melanie Ann Nichter

Age 23

Louisville, KY

***

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Tying camping supplies to my saddle and trail-blazing on my quarter horse named "Ringo Starr" (A tribute to my favorite Beatles member)
If you were an animal what would you be?
A dinosaur. Need I explain?
What is your favorite memory of your dad?
EVERY Saturday morning he took my bro and I to eat Egg McMuffins from McDonalds.
What are you obsessed with?
 My FRIENDS.
Most poignant goal for the next five years?
In light of this new adventure I’m about to embark on called MARRIAGE, here are my most poignant
goal(s) for the next five years:
1)      Finishing up my degree at seminary whilst traveling wherever the wind may blow Alex and me.
2)      Taking care of a family full of curly-headed little ones.
3)      Successfully owning and maintaining a GINORMOUS chicken coop.
What is your favorite item of clothing?
My green American Eagle shorts. Hand-me-downs from my first roommate in college (thanks Kristen!)
Their frayed edges and over-sized pockets carry memories from my first day of college, first solo
international trip, and ENGAGEMENT to THE Alex Duke.
If you could stop only one injustice what would it be?
Human trafficking.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Sulawesi, Indonesia.
What is your favorite thing to chew?
Pen caps. Really bad habit.
If you could only do one thing every day for the rest of your life what would it be?
Chew pen caps.
Kidding.
 It’s a close race between performing in hip-hop dance contests or leading Segway Tours across the world
(you probably think I'm kidding.)
What is your manifesto?
 “Now, Lord, I would be yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.”
When you think of adventure what comes to mind?
INDONESIA.
Climbing through the night to the top of Mount Marape to freeze my butt off and watch the sun rise over
Bukittinggi. (West Sumatra) OR making new friends and riding their motorcycles all through the town of
Kerinci. (South Sumatra) OR hiking through the jungles of Bukit Lawang (North Sumatra) and feeding
carrots to wild orangutan. 
(Is your mouth watering yet? LET’S GO!)


Disclaimer:

This post is part of a series I plan on doing every week. The questions are designed to provoke
memories and thoughts that will expose the subject’s sense of self, 
and the pictures are always going to be self portraits, contributed by the subject, 
therefore showing them just as they wish to be shown.

G&M

This past May, on a beautiful evening at Locust Grove,
I had the opportunity to break into wedding videography at the wedding of my friends Grant & Madeline Corley.

Many thanks to my sweet friend Lang, I loved watching him work as he did a beautiful job taking their photos.
Congratulations, Corleys, on a beautiful wedding that I feel blessed to have documented.

If anyone is interested in pricing or booking, my email is:
mollyrober@gmail.com 

thankful.

Today I'm thankful. 

I had the privilege of visiting sweet Em over the weekend.

We ate yummy food at Velvet Taco with her great friends.

Went to The Ranch for three days.

Shared amazing conversation.

Cooked breakfast for three hours.

Blueberry pancakes fried in bacon grease & topped with granola...ummm #YES

Caught up on sleep, yep I didn't have jet-lag but Em most definitely did, luckily I'm a bear & can sleep anytime.

We laid out.

Fed Hank & Skinny Jimmy.

Went for a run.

Enjoyed the pond.

So many good things. 

I am happy. 

bacon & bones

 Things have been pretty strange around home lately. Mom and Dad went somewhere and I stayed here. Sarah stayed with me and I tricked her a lot. For example, she didn’t know I know how to find all the food that ever existed, so I was good for a while, and then I finished it all in one morning while she was in the shower. She called me a “bidge” or something. Second of all, I realized that when it's really hot my paws get really hot walking, so I started scratching the inside of my water bowl so my feet get wet. Also, I figured out that jumping in water is very refreshing. I'm a little chunky, so I sink when I can’t really touch the bottom, but I figured out how to hang on the side, so I can chill poolside like that yo. Also, we have new neighbors. I keep barking at the man when he rides that loud bike, but other than that they seem cool.

Give me all the bacon and bones,

-Ryder

Ho Hey.

Miss singing this on the porch with you.

routine.

this time last week I was catching a ride to Homer. 

now I'm back to the grind. 

working hard but thankful for my sweet time away. 

routine is essential.

Denali

Picture a patagonia-clad chick and a hairy Scotsman in a flannel, being sent to Army basic training on a beautiful day in Heaven, and you'll get pretty close to our trip in Denali.
I could walk you through each spongy step over the tundra, every curve of a canyon wall, and each mangy bear we laid eyes on but you'd probably get bored (and I definitely would). Instead, here are the highlights:
-the smell of primrose and lemon balm on our first hike up mt Margaret
-the wind whipping our tent so that it sounded like an opening kite on a spring day
-being two of the few lucky people that see the mountain clearly.
-losing an iPod and getting over it because birds sing all night in Alaska.
-getting swallowed by tangled brush
-a charging caribou who changed his mind
-crossing a river that Alaskans call a creek and filling up our boots with 45* water.
-coming upon another tent 8 miles into the deep wilderness that has no trails.
- dreaming that the portal to Heaven is right through that clearing
-hearing the man from the other tent scream his head off at midnight
-seeing a white grizzly in the backcountry
-looking for grayling and reading proverbs on a stream bank
-running from a thunder storm with 45 lbs on our backs
-being offered a free ride to anchorage
-having somewhere familiar to stay with new friends when we got there.
Denali was awesome

Seldovia

Dear Seldovia,

I'm still not over ya.

We took the Rainbow Tour to the most amazing little town.

Kisska was the pup on board. We spent two hours petting her while we looked at the sea otters and puffin. 

We walked to the local book shop & grabbed a cup of coffee.

After coffee & cookies we hiked up to the reservoir to go fly-fishing.

Enjoying the town on our way up. Sweet scenery, kids riding their bikes, & adorable men with yellow rain jackets & boots washing their cars. 

It was a perfect day. 

Halibut Cove

A couple of days ago we went to Halibut Cove with Mike (the stud in the plaid) (I just realized we are all wearing plaid....He's the one that's not us).

We took Matt Byrd's boat across Kachemak Bay. (Who is Matt Byrd you ask? Another awesome dude who lives in Homer & lets people use his stuff for free. True to form.)

On the way across the Bay we saw about a hundred otters, some eagles, & a big island/rock where tons of gulls and puffins nest. It smelled crisp.

When we got to Halibut Cove we pulled into what I would basically compare to an ocean cul de sac--cute little houses surrounding a big cove of water, with a boardwalk connecting everything. 

Founded right after WWII, the Cove was homesteaded by three or four families and is now in its third or fourth generation (we actually brushed shoulders with Clem, the patriarch of the town!). 

During the winter, no more than 20 or so people from those families, plus a few hermit artists, live in the Cove, & during Summer the number of residents may only be 120. 

We had food and libations at the Saltry, the only restaurant, and then wandered around talking to locals & taking pictures. 

We hiked up to the top of the cove & sat over looking the town & the water. We were overwhelmed with humility & so thankful.

If you ever get the chance to visit this part of Alaska, Halibut Cove is cuter than anything ever, more unique than Cinque Terra, & only a boat-ride away from Homer.