Between life, family, work, visitors and unplanned trips to ER (see below) – I am not quite certain how I manage to find time to play but play I must. Much inspiration and down-right gumption come from adventures in Momma Nature – fuel for my lifestyle and thus (of course) my art. Integral. Luckily much of what I do is practically in my own or Paul’s “back yard.” Hyalite Creek for example runs past the bedroom window and sings to me nights at Paul’s house. The Bozeman house is at the base of Hyalite Canyon - a mecca for mountain biking, ice climbing, rock climbing, lake floating, and peak bagging. We simply follow the road next to the creek out our front door up the canyon to play. We floated the lake in tubes, fished, and hung out after hiking up to Palisade Falls with Paul’s sister and family one afternoon while they visited from Europe last week.

Paul and I squeezed in a Sunday evening ride up to Emerald Lake (also in Hyalite Canyon). I was bone-tired after a few seriously sleep deprived nights but managed the energy to climb on our bikes over 2000 feet in 4.5 miles of backwoods single track – one of my favorite trails. Once we got to the stunning ice cold lake surrounded by a rocky cirque, we stripped down and jumped in. Refreshing!!

Paul challenged me to do a snow angel (much to Zaydee's delight) before we jumped on our bikes for the zippy fun downhill ride to the trailhead at sunset - a great way to top a weekend spent mostly working!