A few days ago I hiked a few miles into the wilderness around 9,000 feet into one of my favorite secret hidden lakes. This unmarked lake on the map has a sharp rock fall off on one side that makes it look like an infinity pool. I walked out mid week and painted this scene…

After a few weeks in the San Francisco Bay Area I was back to the cabin in Pinecrest hosting more pct hikers, organizing the weekly music jams, hosting family and friends, trail work, sailing in the afternoons. The cabin is 101 years old wood structure so I started some annual cabin painting and maintenance.

While other family uses the cabin in the sierras, I was busy for two weeks visiting friends and family in the sf bay with treks including sailing on Monterey bay, hiking in big basin redwoods state park, hiking around Los Altos hills and woodside and visit to a unique experimental film event in the mission…

This summer has been an active musical summer with the starting and organizing the weekly Wednesday night music jam. Each week is filled with a group of 5-10 very talented and experienced musicians and singers who take turns suggesting songs, helping us each learn the song. Each song has opportunities for individuals to perform more…

The summer solstice – strawberry moon is a bittersweet time when another year has reached it longest daylight hours day but summer is just starting filled with warmer days and nights. I hiked to the top of the hill above the lake and treated to an amazing sunset while waiting for the moon to rise…

Summers are special staying in this 101 year old cabin in the national forest on a lake at 5600 feet. The community is mostly a summer resort destination that is steeped in multiple generations of traditions. The air is often filled with campground campfire smoke and kids and adults yelling “Elmer “, another local tradition.…

I manage to keep a busy schedule of activities while at the cabin. The biggest task of the summer is hosting pacific crest trail hikers who hitch down from sonora pass and stay a night or two at the cabin. Feeding them dinner and breakfast and other logistics to get them resupplied and refreshed to…

After a short visit in the Bay Area it was off to the sierras and Pinecrest California to open the cabin for the summer season and do final preparations for the Trail angel conference I have been organizing for months. While at Pinecrest, I’ve relaunched the weekly music jam sessions at the new community center…

From Florida I did a multiple day return trip with stops in Dallas to visit new friends from last fall Camino hike in Spain and visiting trail angels in Utah to finalize plans for the upcoming trail angel conference in California.

After 2 weeks in vero beach, it was time to sail the boat north back to Titusville for the haul out on dry land for the summer. I found new crew and we sailed the 64 miles in one day mostly under sail due to other engine issues and got a tow for the last…

Living on a sailboat is very certainly a different lifestyle from being on land . It comes with various benefits and other issues as well. For the first few weeks on the boat, it was still on the hard on stands in a boat yard. I was able to live on the boat in this…

I’m back in vero beach getting back to some pickleball games and reconnecting with cruisers still here in vero. It’s warmed up since I was here only 6 weeks ago so busy with boat projects, meeting new cruiser friends, and daily walks around town and on the Atlantic. Some biking and swimming at the gym.…

We waited about 8 days to find a suitable weather window where the wind didn’t have a northerly component in it that could easily increase the wave heights to 5-15 feet stacking up with the northerly Gulf Stream currents. To sail back north west to Florida we need winds that are east to south east…

A few more days of hanging at the marina looking for a weather window to cross back to the states. New crew has arrived but weather window to enable a smoother crossing has delayed us for about a week. To keep busy, each day is filled with longer hikes on the island or other adventures…

Biking or hiking around the island will offer one with a view of these ultramarine colored water with blowing palm trees and scattered houses on the shores. Places on the island offer higher rocky cliffs and caves. The interior offers large mangrove forest bays.

This tiny island is filled with amazing warmth, kindness, and community that comes from all of the folks on the island which includes the cruiser, local Bahamians and other vacation home owners and visitors. I can’t walk more than a mile before someone, local Bahamian or vacationers stopped to offer me a ride. I can…

It’s a small, friendly community here on great harbour cay. The cruisers, the local Bahamians and home vacationers from the states. The last few days have been more island exploring, snorkeling, painting and being part of music scene on the Friday night bbq grill event at the marina. Long hikes and bike rides around the…

There are plenty of activities to do here on this small island to keep busy. Most mornings are a longer 6 mile hike to the end of the island to shark creek or a bike ride around the island. Afternoons could be a bike ride and swim at the big beach on the east side…

Due to a boat transmission issue I’m spending more at this Bahamas Berries island than planned. This island has a very friendly and welcoming cruiser and local Bahamian community. Fairly quickly I met some long time island cottage home owners and was invited to their Saint patty’s dinner and other events. The Friday night bbq…

This island is bigger than I originally thought. Today I grabbed one of the free marina bikes and headed to the north end of the island. After about 6 miles the road pavement ended and followed a dirt road for another mile before it simply ended in a forest. Biking back south I stopped at…