Skinks!

It never ceases to amaze me what you can find while walking through the woods.

Monocacy Battlefield

Monocacy Battlefield is in Frederick, MD. My crew worked there for a few days a couple of weeks ago. We worked right next to the Monocacy River.

The Joys of Assateague Island

Oh yes...the mosquitoes and ticks were really that bad.

Assateague Island is a barrier island on the Maryland eastern shore administered by the National Park Service. My crew worked there for four days.

Mini Golf in the District

So there is a mini-golf course that is on National Park Service land which is not far from the National Mall. (Notice the Washington Monument in the background with the picture of Sarah.) Most people don't know about the course and it is one of DC's "secrets." It's pretty sweet. It was built in the 1920's and only costs $6 a person!

If you actually want to find the course, it is near to the golf course pro-shop on Ohio Drive right before the one-way road that leads to Haines Point in East Potomac Park...if that makes any sense!

If I ever become president, I want this course to be my memorial.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Sarah took these pictures on a chilly morning in early April 2009 at the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. The house with the columns in the first picture is the Arlington House: Gen. Robert E. Lee's home in Virginia.

Evening on the Tidal Basin

When Sarah and I got back to DC, we went down to the Tidal Basin one evening during the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Our new jobs...

So here are the places where Sarah and I will be working...well, at least headquartered. The top picture is of the Center for Urban Ecology where I will be based. The building has a green roof, is next to the Georgetown Reservoir, and is quite close to the Potomac River. Although the offices are located in this building, I will be doing mostly field work in parks throughout the National Capital Region. I took this picture from the Park Police helicopter in the Autumn of 2007.

The second picture features the Great Falls Tavern along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. This is one of the locations where Sarah will work as a Park Guide. She will lead hikes, answer questions at the visitor center, work on the historic boats that are pulled by mules, and will probably do a whole lot more. When she works on the boats, she will be dressed in period clothing. I took this picture in the Spring of 2005.

Mardi Gras 2009

New Orleans...proud to call it home.

Our Truck

We bought this truck in California and drove the hell out of it all the way across the U.S. from L.A. to Louisiana to South Carolina to Washington, DC. This was taken at some rest area in Arizona.

Hawaii

The top picture was taken by Sarah at Waipio Valley.

The second picture is of Kilauea...the volcano that is continuously erupting on the Big Island of Hawai'i. I took this picture from a little-bitty plane in which my brother-in-law, Nate, was taking a flying lesson.

Sydney One Last Time

We stopped in Sydney on our way back to the U.S. for a total of eleven hours. I had time to run outside, catch a train downtown, buy a DVD to watch in the airport, and snap a couple of pictures. Sydney is a really cool city.

So Long, New Zealand!

...we'll miss you.

Castle Rock

For our last hike in New Zealand, we hiked to the top of Castle Rock along the 309 Road on the Coromandel Peninsula. It had amazing views and was a good way to finish our long journey across an astonishingly beautiful country. While at the top of the mountain we caught a glimpse of the huge buildings in Auckland. It was at that moment we knew our NZ adventure was coming to an end.

I am currently writing this post in the United States. We arrived safely yesterday and are staying at Sarah's parents in Hawaii for a couple of weeks.

I Hate Jellyfish

I went swimming at Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula in NZ. I was enjoying body surfing as the waves broke while the tide went out, when suddenly I had severe pain in my left eye. A jellyfish stung me right in the eye! It also got me on the chest, on my back, and another place I won't mention... Thank goodness the pain went away after about an hour...but I still hate jellyfish.

Tongariro National Park

So now my friend Brian can finally stop asking me, "So, have you seen Mt. Doom?" Yes Brian, we did. It is the big mountain in the third picture. The actual name of the mountain is Mt. Ngauruhoe. Mt. Ruapehu is seen in the fourth picture and was also used for scenes around Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings. Here is a link to what Mt. Doom looked like in the movie so you can compare: CLICK ME!!!

Wellington

Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, was a very nice city. The surrounding hills and harbour make for a beautiful setting. Pictured are the Wellington Cable Car and the New Zealand Paliament Building. The building to the left is called the "Beehive." It is a structure that exhibits signs of suffering from severe 70's architecture...

Leaving the South

On December 30, 2008, we drove to the small town of Picton which is located at the base of the Marlborough Sounds. Picton was a tiny town with a big port. The ferries dominated the scene. We took the Bluebridge Ferry across the Cook Straight to Wellington.

Abel Tasman National Park

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Panoramic Views