Mantrip2008 Photography: People and Events
Ten of us made the trip in all. Of course coming from Oregon, I came the furthest. From left to right: Dave, Pete, Christian, me, Nick, Johnson, Sam (my brother), Joe.
Ninja strikes must take place in all group photos, mantrips are no exception:
Mantrip2008 Success
Our venture into the wilderness for the 2008 Mantrip is officially over, and officially declared successful. (by me, of course) I haven’t the time at the moment for a full recap or to publish some of the many photos or videos I shot over the weekend, but here’s a little preview of the weekend’s events:
I fear I won’t be finding the time even tonight to do much editing. Maybe not even this week. I’ll be hanging out with this fella tonight and my parents are flying in to hang out for several days on Thursday. I’ll try to get as much done as possible though, so please keep in touch!
When Feeling Linky, Episode 4
I know I said I wouldn’t be posting over the weekend but ha ha! I have ninja skills! Actually this was a scheduled posting. As you read this post and click the following links, I am stabbing small vermin with my camping knife. I figured I could be a tricksy hobbit and post something in the future like an evil scientist would. Is it possible to be all those things at once? An evil-tricksy-ninja-hobbit-scientist?
Oh Bidwell, Let Me Count The Ways
Thursday I got a text message from old-friend-though-only-met-once Naters who sings in a band called Bidwell. I knew the fellas would be in town that week, but knew their schedule was likely subject to change. So I get the text from Naters saying they’d be in town over the weekend – of course the one weekend I chose to fly back to Colorado for the Mantrip2008. Needless to say we hooked up via telecommunication and figured out a good chance to meet up as they passed through town on the way to Boise.
I first met Bidwell last October when I flew out to Sacramento to hang out with Flynn and the other guys. They were looking for an extra guitar player at the time and were kind enough to consider me for the job. Doesn’t matter how all that turned out, because you can always tell awesome people when you find them, and especially when you hang out for a week in Sacramento and San Francisco. Seriously, check them out. Its worth your time. Though the question of the day/year is: where’s Rian? Found him.
Here’s some photos from the evening’s funtivities, as Michael Scott would say. Notice how Colby (the guy on the far right) is wearing the same shirt as me? We’re that awesome.
The party starts when we get all ninja: (we did eat at Panda Express..)
And then ends when we can’t believe how ridiculous that last picture was:
And then finally resolves to a somewhat cordial pose:
The Frangers And Other Ninjas
I’ve been spending a lot of time with some new friends in Hood River. The Frangers are a photography duo with mad ninja skills. (click the link, you’ll see) They just returned last month from a six month trip through New Zealand, Australia, and southeast Asia. I first met up with Blaine and Bethany through co-worker Julie who knows Blaine’s parents (who live in Hood River too) and I could probably continue on with additional “friend’s-brother’s-uncle’s-second-cousin-twice-removed-thrice-appended” type of small town dot-connection but I’ll save it for later, even though I pretty much just typed an entire paragraph in this one sentence because sometimes I like run-on sentences.
Its been good times having found another photographer to ask my silly questions of all the time, as well as more friends my age just to hang out with. You should see Blaine’s “bag of tricks”, as he calls it, a bag packed full of every Canon L Lens ever made as well as a $1200 tripod. Don’t worry, I already gave him enough crap for that. Seriously though, they do amazing photography and you should book them for your wedding. You are getting married soon, right? Here’s their website.
Its been a fun last couple weeks including time spent hanging out on the lawn, bouts of Dr. Mario and Tetris 2, redneck taco night, and a so-called hike to the top of a rock overlooking the Columbia. (see photo)
Thats Jillianne on the right, who makes the best coffee in Hood River and Parker, my other ninja friend in the blue headband. Blaine and Jillianne actually knew each other in elementary school, but hadn’t seen each other in ten years until I reunited them at the lawn last week. See? I told you I could keep going with the small town this-person-knows-this-person stories. Honestly though, its one of my most and least liked things about small towns all at the same time.
After the hike on Sunday we all had burgers and the like at Full Sail Brewery in Hood River. A definite must stop if you’re ever in the area. One guy did, a fella named Richard who’s been biking across the country for the last couple months. That is ninja. Blaine struck up a conversation with him outside of Full Sail and Richard has now been crashing at their house for the last couple nights. He’s moving on to Portland and eventually to the coast soon, but as he told me today when I ran into him at the coffee shop, he just doesn’t want to leave Hood River. High fives to that one, home town. Apparently I picked a good place to move to 6 months ago.
  |
You should definitely check out Blaine’s blog to see more pictures from hiking and check out Richard’s blog if you want to read more on his journey. Its definitely interesting!
Good times lately in Portlandia. Or should I say Hood River -ville? Same thing.
RSS Feed
RSS by Email
1 comment