While driving through Oregon my mom and I happened upon many signs claiming there were elk in the area. For three days we drove through Oregon and guess what we didn’t see? ELK. So we decided the people who made those signs were liars. LIARS! We didn’t believe there were elk in Oregon at all. And you know what? We didn’t see any elk in Oregon. But we did see elk as soon as we crossed over into California in the Redwood National Park. There was a pile of elk just sitting on the side of the road. We decided Oregon sign makers are liars and California ones are not. Yeah for California. ...

It’s the time of year again for everyone that rides in Scotts Valley to raise money for our local schools while enjoying our great mountain roads. This year we’ve got a few changes. Charlotte got a lot of help from Aura, Mike, and others in pulling off this great SVEF event. And this year Gabe joined me in riding the 50km route. I’ll miss doing Mt. Charlie with the usual crew, but riding with Gabe is a treat and there’s plenty of climbing to enjoy. ...

I was watching you at the beach doing somersaults. You seemed so serious about it though. It wasn’t a game I could tell. To most people a kid doing somersaults is a whimsical thing, but with you it was different. There was nothing really childish about it. I wonder why it seemed so serious a thing, maybe you aspire to be a professional gymnast one day. It made me a little sad to se you though. Have fun sometimes, it isn’t all serious business. You were at the beach, be a kid and have some fun playing in the sand. Good luck in the future and don’t forget the present on your way.

Bukowski was right With good fortune Comes stagnation I always thought When fortunes comes Knocking on my doorstep I would open the door Greet her as a friend And invite her in Into my life Into my heart For a long time to come But now I find myself Standing on the otherside Of that door I hear her knocking Calling out for me But I just stand there Staring at the thin wall Between me and my dreams I pick my head up To stare at the door I am no longer sure That what is on the otherside Is what I want She calls and beckons Asking for an answer But I just turn And walk the other way Leaving fortune to it’s own ends Mine hasn’t come yet I am not ready To open that door Maybe someday When I become tired Of the suffering of the world But I know This is were I belong With a pen in my hand And a burden on my shoulders I walk away From destiny on my doorstep Waiting on the otherside No I am not Abandoning my dreams Not at all I have to chase them If I don’t now I never will And what good Is an unearned prize The door remains As it always was Leaving destiny On one side And me on the otherside

Yesterday my mom and I walked from our home down to Capitola. All in all coming to a 7 mile hike. It was fun but my feet still hurt and I definitely need new shoes now. On our excursion we spotted a little lemonade stand that we decided to stop at. Fun stuff. This little girl was a adorable and I felt horrible for her because while we were there the balloons they had floated away and got caught in some trees. The poor kid started hyperventilating. It was very sad. I liked her sign… ...

Nature’s gradient is a beautiful thing. The slight variations of color that follow you through the woods. The slow transition from one thing into the next. It is everywhere, it is always changing into something better and newer.

I love living in Santa Cruz, the people, the culture, the lifestyles. Everything about Santa Cruz is different. I love it because I enjoy people, I don’t have to go far to find a character, someone interesting to talk to, people who have lived life and want to share. There is so much potential here and that is what I love. Art lingers beneath the surface of everything. This is home.