Hello Brian, Hello Bryce Canyon

Well friends,sorry for the long delay between posts. A few of you had noticed that I promised momentous news over two weeks ago. No, it’s not a new Ti bike, no I haven’t gone and ridden 300 miles in 8 hours, it’s much more important than that! As a lot of my family member blog viewers already know, I became a grandpa! Here he is; Brian Victor, ten fingers, ten toes, and all is well. Congratulations to Paul and Christina, the new parents. Paul has been posting more pics and some video of young Brian on his blog. (note the link listed on the right) Kathy and I had a great trip along with her mom to the Chicago area to be able to welcome Brian into the world. So it has been an exciting time. Amazing isn’t it? Kathy and I are grandparents! Still taking a bit of getting used to. Where does the time go?


Brian, all bundled up for a snooze


What better place to nap, than on Grandma's lap!

After a hectic week at home, catching up here and at work, I spent this last weekend down at Bryce Canyon Natl. Park hiking with friends. One of the luckier parts of being in Utah is that Bryce and Zion Parks are only about a 4-5 hour drive from here. Whereas a lot of folks only get to read the tourist brochures, I can be at Bryce in four hours! I was able to enjoy some nighttime and sunrise hiking on this trip, along with a grand hike on the Queen’s Garden Loop with my friends Joe and Dorothy. Please enjoy a few photos. (My apologies to the loading time, these Bryce images are huge!)


Thor's Hammer at sunrise


Down in the Hoodoos well before sunrise, on the Navajo Loop


Looking west towards Inspiration Point


The view east from near Sunset Point


In the Queen's Garden

So, needless to say, I haven’t gotten many miles in lately. Between work, travel and 100-degree heat in the afternoons, riding miles has slipped down the priority list a bit. Hopefully, I will get caught up on all the yard work, and make time to get some miles under me. I need rekindle some goal-oriented thinking to get myself in gear, whether sign up for a new century ride, a commute back and forth to work, something to regain my focus. The mental aspect of riding is most interesting sometimes. Perhaps that can be a subject of a future blog: How to get one’s self in gear!

More news from the road next week.

Jim