Angels in the Amazon...

I've just finished editing Part I of Angels in the Amazon. It was my hope to relay my experience rather than just create a dull "slide show" of non-descript vacation pictures. So, here it...an initial attempt at videography...

Each segment will be uploaded to YouTube and be available as a streaming video from there. I also have each segment on DVD. If you're interested, just ask me for a copy.

Shooting video and photos on the Rogue...

Emily and I took to the hills with some very special ladies to enjoy our very wet spring. Here's the video we created (View video here...) - Spring on the Rogue. We took the raw footage, and still images and used Microsoft Movie Maker to create a video.

Lots of Shoes...

Of all the things I pack for my travels, I give the most thought to my shoes. Why? Because you have to by picky. You have to be prepared for the terrain but you also don't want to be dragged down by the weight of too many shoes.

These are my first pair of Danskos my daughter, Anna, gave to me as a gift. I'm so happy my daughters have more style sense than I do!

Definite packers: Chacos, Danskos & flip flops

Definite "Maybes": Running shoes

Occasionally: Hiking boots, flippers for snorkeling

Forrest Gump ~ Momma's Wisdom about shoes. (Listen)

The Empire Builder

Emily and I are going on an adventure. We're planning a cross country trip on Amtrak's Empire Builder from Portland, Oregon to Chicago, Illinois.

Em and I have traveled quite extensively in the west (California & Oregon) on short trips to visit Ken when he was working for Columbia Helicopter and before we got married and settled down in Southern Oregon. These short trips ranged from fun to miserable, depending on how full the train was, the people we were sitting near and how closely the train ran on schedule. On these shorter trips we always traveled in the seated cars, and never rented a sleeper.

We're renting a sleeper roomette on both legs for our Chicago trip. Yea!

Here's our route on the Empire Builder:

Portland, OR (PDX)

Vancouver, WA (VAN)

Pasco, WA (PSC)

Spokane, WA (SPK)

Whitefish, MT (WFH)

Shelby, MT (SBY)

Havre, MT (HAV)

Williston, ND (WTN)

Minot, ND (MOT)

Grand Forks, ND (GFK)

Fargo, ND (FAR)

St. Paul / Minneapolis, MN (MSP)

Winona, MN (WIN)

La Crosse, WI (LSE)

Columbus, WI (CBS)

Milwaukee, WI (MKE)

Chicago, IL Union Station (CHI) I'm taking my laptop and digital camera (of course) and will provide updates once we get to Chicago and then when we return to Oregon. Unfortunately, there's no internet on the train. However! I may be able to use my Blackberry to grab some airtime enroute. I'll have to check that out! I have decided that - since technology is here - I might as well use it to give myself as much geographical freedom as possible. So, I consider this one big experiment in creative communication. Exactly how far away from home can I get and STILL communicate and do "business" effectively? We'll see...

Today...I work...

Today, or actually this weekend, I've committed to trying to wrap up a Small Business Management curriculum project I've been working on since accepting a job with Rogue Community College. I was hired to teach the RCC SBM program in Josephine County Oregon, a rural, economically distressed community in Southern Oregon. Entrepreneurship is the juice that keeps a community alive, especially in times of economical and social transition.

Once I complete this curriculum project, I can turn my attention to other things...But for today, it's work, work, work...and then I can play, play, play...

Just ASK FOR DIRECTIONS!

When you need help just ASK for it! (Listen)

Blue Morpho...or...Angels in the Amazon

I've always wondered if I'd ever actually see an angel. Now I have. And it's nothing like I'd imagined, or like the descriptions in the Bible. Maybe that's because those were other people's descriptions. And if I learned anything in Peru, we all have our own reality to live, to bear, to joy in, or to suffer through. I also learned that whatever the case, we don't have to do it alone.

I traveled to Iquitos, Peru in November 2007. Here is that story...