Penthouse View

From Barley the Van.

Good Sunday Morning from Florida,

Jeff

Global Warming...

It's real! 

I saw these critters on the banks of the Mighty Poudre River in Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Nah. Just joshing you. 

All these odd and beautiful creatures were observed in a Florida nature preserve.

The Great Blue Heron (not to be mixed up for the Great White Heron of South Florida) stands tall at four feet. It weighs in at a lean mean 4-5 pounds. Please don't get any ideas of replacing your 2015 Thanksgiving turkey with this dude. They croak when they talk, not even a gobble, gobble, gobble.

You will see Great Blue Herons in Colorado. They probably grow more down feathers to stay warm through the long winters. As a species, they are tough and adaptable. (Like humans). 

Hope no one had any horror stories about Black Friday shopping out there. 

Be safe!

We Give Thanks...

to Abraham Lincoln for declaring Thanksgiving a National Holiday in 1863. 

We give thanks to the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys for providing entertainment while we overeat and over-imbibe the last Thursday of November.

We give thanks to the lowly turkey (our almost National Bird) for making the ultimate sacrifice in providing sustenance and sandwiches while we watch NFL games today. 

Lastly, I give thanks to my bestest family for a great Butterball Turkey dinner with all the fixings on this special day. It's so hard to bake a bird on a Colemen stove in Barley the Van. 

Enjoy the Holiday,

Jeff

PS: Please don't get stampeded at a Best Buy on Black Friday.

Meet Max Sambur...

The first (and only) Made in America male of the Third Generation Sambur variety.

Here lies the future of the baton passing of this unique last name. (You won't find a Sambur in the greater Bismarck, North Dakota phone book.)

Hey Max! No Pressure!

He's a great young man and darn cute too. 

What a guy!

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving from Palm Beach, Florida. 

PS. I suppose I could have helped the Sambur name cause, but I forgot to get married and create sons.

Becoming an Antarctica Explorer...

Is now officially off of my Bucket List.

After 38 years of venturing up, down and sideways in the Grand Canyon, this was my most frigid journey there yet. I was freaking cold! Don't believe it when an REI Lumina sleeping bag is guaranteed to keep your toes snuggly cozy at 25 degrees. It LIES! 

So anyplace remotely close to the point of liquid water turning solid is off of the Sambur Bucket List. 

Despite the abnormal Minnesota temperatures, the Grand Canyon still rocks figuratively and realistically. 

I can't think of too many places I'd rather be turning 60 than the Great Defile. Then again, I never turned 60 before either.

Be well and explore,

Jeff

"Don't look back...

Something might be gaining on you."

Satchel Paige

It took me 60 years to come to this moment?

So how do I spend my birthday?

Looking down into the Grand Canyon. 

It's older than I am and more photogenic too.

I might smile more often though. 

I start a 5 night backpack trip on Sunday with Cat Pumford (Mark granted her a kitchen pass to hang with me). 

I'm hoping on my climb out from Phantom Ranch, I won't be saying "I think I can! I think I can!"

Be well and don't look behind you.

Cheers from above the Rim, 

Jeff

PS: Thanks to all for those birthday wishes.

If you ask...

real nice, I'll tell you where I found these gems.

Remember, you can look, take photos but don't touch. And you can't tell the ghost of Dick Nixon (the tagger) where they are either.

The two Triangle Dudes were 20' above me.  The artists must have been amazing rock climbers or used archaic scaffolding. Michelangelo performed his artwork on his back. I'm impressed by both. They all shared a do or die attitude about their passions.

Hint: it's in Utah.

From the brewpub friendly city of Flagstaff, AZ.

Good night!

The ice on the creeks chased me from the northern territories.