Orangatang Balut Wheel Review

So, I've been testing out the new Orangatang Balut wheels and worked up a review for them. Y'all should check it out over on SkateSlate! These wheels are a blast to ride, and are coming out soon! Keep an eye out because they drop on Thursday, Feb 2nd. Here is an outtake shot from when I was still warming up and getting used to sliding in the rain. Gotta love that facial expression.

Where's the Rain?

I wish more rain would come so I could stop taking pictures of dried up mushrooms and start up my mycology series again. If you haven't done it before, I highly suggest going out and trying to find, take pictures of, and maybe even identify some mushrooms (whatever you do, don't try to eat any...no, seriously). Here is an awesome beginner guide to mushroom identifying (David Arora is a madman and is awesome), and here is a book I'm about to dive into that sound pretty interesting.

Protect Your Noggin!

I've seen way too many people skating around and getting in some gnarly situations without a helmet on. Protect your noggins! As a side note, this is my new triple eight brainsaver with some custom doodle artwork.

Similar Shots

I love it when I'm looking through my shots and I find similarities between them. These two were taken about a month apart from each other. One was taken under a dock, exploring in Lake Tahoe. The other was taken while exploring the rocks and caves around Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo. Both cast some shadowy figures against a light backdrop with some unique natural framing.

Going for a Swim

The frigid waters of Lake Tahoe were just to tempting when I went for a visit a few weeks ago. Maybe I'll take up ice water swimming as my next endurance venture....

Halloween Town

Man, Halloween, that's one hell of a holiday. One of my favorites, I think. You get to run around in costumes and get free candy; what's not to like? I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas the other night and that was grand. Honestly, I'm just happy with anything the Tim Burton has laid his creative touch on.

Killer Bees

There is a 4 box beehive sitting in my pantry right now labeled "DO NOT DISTURB: killer bees." Okay, no, they are no killer. They're just labeled that way to deter people who are too curious for their own good. In fact they are quite lovely because they give us liquid gold (aka honey). Its just, so luscious. I can't wait for this harvest. Honey in a jar and honey right off the comb are just too damn good.

Phantom Limbs

Real Food

What a concept! I'm a huge fan of real food. Why? because it tastes so much better than that slop they serve...wherever. I get a lot more joy (and often flavor) out of my food when I know where the ingredients came from and when I (or my friends) cooked it in their own kitchen.

Here is a shot of some good friends, David and his son, at the Food Day festival we had at the CoHo on UC Davis campus awhile back. They fully support the idea above.

Sticker Jobs

I don't know whose this is, but I like it. Owls are awesome and so are stickers. Well done, anonymous.

Found in Cal Poly at multiple sites.

There is a Story...

to go with this photo, but it's more fun to have you guys just guess as to what it involves.

On an unrelated not, I believe I wore this yellow jacket on a date recently. Go figure.

Hiking Success

Another weekend in Big Sur, California to lift the spirits beyond that of the material world. Went backpacking with seven others on the Sykes hotsprings trail (we did roughly 20 miles) over the long weekend. I was a bit sick, but didn't care because of how amazing everything was around me.

Also, saw some birds I hadn't seen before! Common Yellowthroat, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Varied Thrush, Mountain Chickadee, and potentially a Townsend's Warbler

Let Us Return to the Classics

My boy Greg, he went and bought up this beautiful Hasselblad. My god, it is breathtaking. This was taken about a month or two ago at the Domes Community Build, capturing essence on film.

Speaking of Film, I have about 7 rolls I need to get developed and I need to find a place to do B&W! or I may just do it myself at the Craft Center dark room. We'll see what happens and what I have time for. I definitely miss working in the dark room, getting lost in my own prints. I take pictures mostly around the Co-ops because I would like to make a photo album before I leave this enchanted place.

New Board!

So, as we (davis longboard crew, including me) were skating with Landyachtz on their college tour a few weeks back, I had a lot of fun on one of the protos that Justen Ortiz was riding. It was a fatty pool/tech slide deck that was all around fun to mob around on. Since I had been planning on getting a pool board soon anyways, this just accelerated the process. I was impatient and didn't want to wait until March when the board was supposed to be released, so I picked up a fatty tech slide board of my own: an Earthwing Jailbird. Loving it so far! Review and photos to come!

The Game of Go

I just watched a game of Go played between two of my housemates. It seems simple enough to start and has a lot of room for progression once you understand the rules. It's one of those games that I would love to learn to play. I first learned about it from this movie. It's an ancient (over 2,000 years old) chinese board game for two players that's rich in strategy despite its relatively simple rules.

Finding Your Inner Lemur

My friend Sam and I started slacklining at roughly the same time, and have always encouraged new people to hop on and give it a shot. Naturally people ask what the "trick" is and how to do it. Well, besides the usual tips and tricks, we would always tell them to find their inner lemur. Why? Well, because lemurs would clearly be some of the best slackliners in the animal kingdom. We hold true to this one piece of advice, because we really believe it to be the a huge help. Mind over matter; mind of a lemur.

And when you concur mind over matter, there are no limits left. Here is a shot of Alex at the Humboldt Classic 2011. This kid has a lot of talent and ended up winning the bracket.

These are the Days

Hiking with this girl brings me a new sort of joy that I haven't experienced in a long time. This was taken in Redwood Park in Arcata, CA. I love the soft lighting that the fog brings to everything...like a dream.

Birdlife

Sometimes this is all you need to be happy. I love my thrashed Sibley and I picked up these nikon compact binos a little bit ago; they work great! On a side note, I'm currently reading Audubon's Elephant by Duff Hart-Davis. A fantastic story and quick read with some good pictures to go along with it. It is definitely giving me a whole new respect for Audubon...someone who I already hold as a role-model in my life.

Slacklines and Mantids

Slackline setups: I'm always learning more and more about them. It really is a blast and is a fantastic way to disguise physics as something fun. Here is a 180 foot setup that I was on a few weeks back. If you've got any questions, I'd be happy to try and answer. And, if I can't answer, I bet I could point you in the direction of a person with the right answer.

And here, ladies and gents, is a mantid. I have no clue what species he is because I'm rather ignorant when it comes to entomology, but my god is he gorgeous. I found him in the park where the line was set up. Did you know these guys have been around since the cretaceous! Well, I though it was rad.

Flashback: Burning Man pt 1

Some shots that maybe you have seen, or maybe you haven't. These are from Burning man 2011, my first burn.

The road into burning man. We came very early tuesday and did not have to wait in line at all.

One of my favorite art installitions...Ouroboros (snake eating itself).

View from inside the temple. The chimes that played 24/7 were amazing.

Sometimes Love is all you need.

Dream car...okay maybe not, but it is the coolest dune buggie I've ever laid my eyes on.

Ribbon dancing seems like one of those things I should try my hand at.

Flashback: Burning Man pt 2

Some shots that maybe you have seen, or maybe you haven't. These are from Burning man 2011, my first burn.

partner hooping at a juggler/poi/hoop camp I discovered and loved.

Burlesque show at Dark Sparkle camp.

"Fuck work" brilliant sticker.

The loyal subjects bowing down.

Fire, Fire, everywhere...this guy decided he wanted a drink.

The temple burn. A truly magnificent experience.

Happy New Years, Folks

Honestly, I'm happier than a squirrel with a big fat nut.

Favorites From Occupy UC Davis

So, a lot happened during the occupy UC Davis movement and I was there for the majority of it with my camera. Here are a few of my favorites.

Occupation of Dutton Hall

Some friends of mine, Cam and Cheya, in full assembly regalia.

A foggy night just before a general assembly is about to convene.

Hanging up the banner "Defend Public Education" next to the Occupy UC Davis camp in the quad.

Thousands gathered for speeches.