some cool links, and future plans

Tomorrow is my last day of work up here in Vermont- I still can't believe the seasons are switching on me. Pond skimming up at the mountain tomorrow- should be a great time- and i can't wait to watch some of the debauchery.

While i've been sitting on my but and getting my ski legs back up here- ive got plenty of other friends that have been getting busy on the water.

I just got back in touch with some of my old friends from White Haven, PA where i worked on the Lehigh river as a river guide. That was one of my favorite summers for sure- and the first time i really started to paddle with kids my own age. That summer i learned to enjoy paddling in a whole new way. Those kids have all been keeping busy, on and off the water and have been doing well. Check out their blog

www.dirtydozencrew.blogspot.com

to see what they are up to. Hopefully i'll get to catch up with them and paddle either in PA or out west some point in the near future.

Jared and Graham Seiler have also been working hard to get Demshitz up and running- they just put up their own website and have been showing their new film- Stuff from all over. Jared and Graham both spent some time down south in Chile and Ecudaor this winter, and I am stoked to see them and what they have put together. The film is premiering down in Ashville pretty much as I write this. There are also heaps of photos on Evan Garcia's blog :

www.egcreekin.blogspot.com

here are a few highlight photos from the facebook group- for more be sure to check that out as well as the brand new demshitz website

www.demshitz.com


photo from Demshitz

Salto de Alerces Rio Manso Argentina..Jared Seiler .. Pat Rogers photo

Jared in Chile on the Paguin photo from demshitz.com


Graham running Oriental Massage Yule Creek CO . Photo from Demshitz


Other news from my paddling community includes the revamping of the Soft Power Health website- be sure and check that out for Malaria project updates. www.softpowerhealth.com

Lastly- the African revolutions tour and Sun Catchers project that friends Rush Sturges, Rita Reijwerts, Tyler Bradt and others were working on this past spring. Rita and the boys combined an exploratory African paddling mission with a charity project that brings solar ovens to impoverished and often malnurished African communities and orphanages. Check out video of them here: Suncatchers Video or check out their website www.suncatchersproject.org for more information on Rita's project.

Check out this video on you-tube for more on Suncatchers and the African Revolutions tour in which the boys went on a ridiculous paddling mission through the Murchison falls section of the nile, along with other insanitys here.

For even more info, check out Tylers webpage here:

So what comes next for me? the trials and tribulations of bum life... Here is a couple of thoughts that i have had.. I sent out a few resumes out to kayak schools up in Canada- maybe i'll score a job for the summer... I should find out in the next week or so. Im still thinking about heading back to Uganda- its just going to be a matter of time, and money. Im either heading back in June or in August- for how long i can't say. Its funny- im never sure if i want to go back , but i catch myself thinking all the time- oh, i should bring this to Uganda, oh this would be good for Africa, etc... Part of me has assumed i'll be back there pretty much this entire time- its a hard place to let go of for sure.

In between now and then im looking at a road trip out west to hook up with Karl and Tara, maybe see Jim, Sheri, Shannon, and one of my college roomates along the way. I might even compete in team trials for the US freestyle kayak team in Grand Rapids this may. Except for Karl and Tara's wedding, I've never been out west, so im pretty excited to see what its all about. Some of my friends from Killington are leaving for a roadtrip out west next week- planning to hit up a bunch of the major ski resorts as they go. I'd love to meet up with them- we will see what happens...

until then , check out these other pages and get stoked on spring!