Ireland (Aran Islands)

We finally made our way to Ireland where we met Tricia's Mom before jumping on a ferry to the Aran Islands. Tricia's mother was born on a small island off the coast of Galway Ireland called 'Inis Meian'. It is an amazing place that has a history dating back thousands of years. We stayed 8 days on the island with Tricia's Aunt Maurine who still lives on the island. The everyday language of the island is still Irish (Gaelic).

A photo of Temple Village. Aunt Maurine lives in the peach colored house on the left...

A view of the island. Over hundreds of years, the islanders have made soil from sand and seaweed to provide sustenance for their livestock. Can you imagine clearing all these fields and building these walls?

In the pub...

The islanders receive their freshwater through a desalination process that is powered by wind...

Tricia looking down into a very old rock hut...There are two cemeteries on the island (old and new). This temple, in the old cemetery, was built approximately in the 1200's...

Zoomed in on a stained glass window in the island's church...

Entering one of the islands battle forts. The foundations of these are pre-christian...
Don't drive your VW Beatle directly into the ocean...
This is Aunt Maurine. She cooks nearly everything in this coal burning stove. We ate like kings during our stay on the island. Needless to say, we'll be needing a workout when we return...

Island ladies...

Fresh lobster caught only hours earlier...

England

We have finally made our way to England. Ian, Mark's long time friend, was married on June 16th. Ian and his wife (Katrina) live in a small hamlett called Burlawn in Cornwall England. Burlawn is a lovely little place overlooking rolling hills of full pines in the Western part of England. It has been such a great visit here... sure beats the hussle and bussle of London.

In the pub the day before the wedding...

Typical English weather...

You know you're in England when you have a bucket of used tea bags sitting above your kitchen sink...

Ian and Katrinia's lab (Archie)...

English food isn't too bad...

They love their meat!
The Bride and Groom...

The site of the wedding was a very old English manor house built in 1592. Ian and his brother (Mark) pose outside.

The garden...

The Bridesmaids...

Lord McWilliams of the manor. "Yess... can I help you?"

Celtic Cross in the garden... notice the date.

Mark and Tricia at the wedding site...

Wyoming

After spending a week in the Idaho wilderness and enjoying our few days in Missoula we pushed on to my house in Sheridan Wyoming. Sheridan is in the Northern part of Wyoming at the base of the mountains. My dad's black lab just had a litter of 8 new puppies. There were 12 dogs total in the house (including our lazy lab Maggie), so needless to say it was a full house!

Big Horn Mountains, Sheridan Wyoming

Drive through Liquors... only in Wyoming

My step-mother (Helena) and little sister (Aline) watching Maggie be a freak...

Tricia with puppy

Pipeline Wave (Lochsa River ID)

This is a short video of an amazing play wave on the Lochsa River. The wave is termed "pipeline" because as it surges and crashes the lip comes over and looks like a very small version of an ocean wave. It was so much fun in a kayak, I had to take a try at surfing it with a boogie board. Reed is the guy that I accidental bump off in the beginning... sorry Reed!

Lochsa Falls

Class IV Rapid on the Lochsa River. This is a good "boat flipping" level.

Lochsa River Idaho

After spending a few days in Missoula Montana with the Hanks family, we headed up to one of the most beautiful rivers in the Northwest.... The Lochsa. With it's class IV rapids, beautiful green water, and sunny skies we sure had a hard time leaving. We spent a few nights on the river kayaking and camping. Our final night was spent after a 6 mile hike into Stanley Hot Springs. These natural hot springs were awesome... and totally primitive. We had no major wildlife spotting's though... :(

Putting on the river with the Hanks family...

Camping on the Lochsa River. This was an awesome campsite. Waking up to the sound of a rushing river is sweet....

We ran into a guy named Reed from Washington that had a few boogie boards. Needless to say from the picture, I had to try it out in one of the biggest waves on the Lochsa River... Pipeline.

Tricia on the trail to Stanley Hot Springs...

View from the Trail...

Mark pondering life...

Stanley Hot Springs... the reward after a long hike on a hot trail...

Portland

Mark and Matt take on the Clackmas ...

Tricia in the garden...