Misc. Nifty Stuff

I won't win any awards for prolific blogging, but a few thingsof interest:
The HULK recently helped out Arby's
A nifty Antarctica cruise vacation
The Full Moon setting over the Colorado Rockies
Skiing at Steamboat Springs over Spring Break
Snow Sledding at Tantra Park, Boulder, Colorado.

Backyard Balloon Landing

So after waking the kids, packing their lunches, and sending them off to school, it is a peaceful morning ... when I hear a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" from outside the open window. I realize it's a nearby hot-air balloon ... when they are close, you almost always hear them before you see them. I look to the West ... and it is coming right at my house ... and is very low. It drifts slightly to the South and he sets down in a skinny section of open space right behind my back yard - first time ever in the 10+ years I have lived here in Lafayette, Colorado - bummer my kids had already left for school.

P.S. Picture taken with a Canon 50D - maybe a Canon 7D next time! ;-)

Utah Heli Skiing - WOW!

I've enjoyed skiing for years, and it's fun to get together on the slopes with my brothers. In 2004, we signed up to go heli-skiing, but due to high winds, weren't able to go. After trying every year since, we finally pulled it off in 2009 and went Heli Skiing in Utah - read the whole saga there with wayyyyy too many pictures. Shown below (in order) is Kris, Kurt, Myke, and myself ... plus a group shot along with one of the Diamond Peaks Helicopter.

Kurt airs it out a few weeks later
Mission Ridge Ski Area, Washington

Crazy Christmas Lights

Yes, it is that time of year again, and the Controllable Christmas Lights for Celiac Disease are online for 2008.

There are three live webcams and X10 powerline control technology system so web surfers can not only view the action, but also *control* 20,000+ christmas lights. Heck, you can even inflate/deflate the giant Santa, Elmo, Frosty Family, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Homer Simpson - D'OH! ;-)

The website is totally free (and totally fun) and is one of my zany ways of raising awareness & soliciting donations for Celiac Disease - my two sons have this condition, so it's personal for me. If folks are so inclined, you can make an optional donation directly to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. Over $30,000 has been raised with ... holiday lights - go figure!

You can watch Christmas videos that replay the live action while listening to free Christmas music. Plus send Christmas messages to Santa's Workshop. And be sure to surf on by Christmas Eve to look for the Big Red Guy as seen on the Santa Tracker ... HO-HO-HO! ;-)

Hulk'in Halloween

The 2008 halloween decorations are up - be sure to check out the halloween webcam which has three live webcams and X10 technology that allow you to not only view, but also control the 7,000 lights and giant inflatable Pumpkins, Grim Reapers, Frankenstein, SpongeBob, and Homer Simpson - D'OH! Listen to a fine collection of free halloween music - spookier than the christmas music which is coming soon - HO, HO, HO!

Colorado Rocky Moonset

Once nice thing about living in the Republic of Boulder is not only do you get some nice sunsets over the Rocky Mountains to the West, but there are also some cool Colorado Moonsets. Here's one from earlier this week - more at the link. This actually kinda gets me in the mood to start putting out my halloween decorations ... and yes, with three webcams and X10 powerline technology, you'll can view and control those halloween decorations - D'OH! ;-)

Rocky Mountain Airport Airshow

In early June, there was an airshow at the nearby Rocky Mountain Airport. It's always fun to hear some Jet Noise - The Sound of Freedom! The first picture below shows the F-16 climbing in afterburner ... and while the second picture isn't quite a satellite photo, there really was a crescent moon high in the sky that the F-16 appeared to fly through.

Farm Dog battles Wile E. Coyote

Despite not blogging for a while, I've been keeping busy. Among other things, I've had some fun taking pictures and here are some recent wildlife ones - these were taken with a Canon 40D DSLR and Canon 55-250 telephoto lens. Click thru to read the entire saga's:
Farm Dog battles Wile E. Coyote
Colorado Red-Tailed Hawk.

My brother got married ...

My brother got married last weekend and in addition to have 16 people stay at the house, we hosted a post-wedding Brunch for the bride & groom ... who were much cuter than Hulkzilla & Homer - D'OH! ;-)






More Hulk Married Homer Simpson!

Hippo Attack!!!

My wife Wendy works for an Adventure Travel company, so she travels to the far corners of the Earth to see exotic animals and wildlife such as the Churchill Polar Bears. In June/2007, she and a co-worker Jacquie had a really close-up wildlife encounter while on an African Safari. You can read the entire blow-by-blow (it fortunately had a safe ending) of the Hippo Attack and this picture pretty much sums it up!