I love my son dearly.

We made it back safely home. It is very nice to be home. I did not realize how much stress I was under until I laid in bed last night. It was such a relief to lay with Gavin and Star. Very peaceful.

On Thursday I drove down to the Lake Amistad area of the Pecos River. What an amazing sight. The 100+ foot limestone walls were beyond impressive. I have to say, I was VERY impressed with the quality and length of the stone here. The Limestone is endless. It was hot in the sun, but all the routes that I'm aware of are on the shady side of the river. It was a bit windy which would have made for fantastic climbing conditions. But as I was with Gavin so there was no climbing that day. I hiked around a bit to check out the lines. Very nice.

On Friday we went to Enchanted Rock north of Fredricksburg. It is worth mentioning that I had the second best burger in my twenty-nine years in this quaint, cozy town. Mahaley's Cafe has an amazing 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese burger with avocado, grilled onions, tomatoes, pickles, mayo and an amazing toasted bun. If you ever go there you MUST eat this burger. Star had the fish tacos, they were tasty too. E-Rock took me by surprise too. I have to say that I was not expecting so many and such large boulders. I was impressed with the quality of the granite here. The temperature was quite hot so we did not stay very long. It would not be the end of the world to live in San Antonio if Star were stationed there. There are some very nice climbing areas within a short drive.

We left for Japan on Saturday. After more than 14 hours of travel we made it to Narita to find Jensen there to take us home. We arrived home just in time to catch the peak of Sakura season. What a beautiful time of year. It sure is nice to be home.

First of all Gavin and I are doing well, considering that Star is still in Japan. Hopefully we will be able to see her soon. It is still unclear if we are going to the Austin area next week, so stay tuned for that info.

We arrived safe to SEA-TAC and spent the following four days with Rod and Robin. Their help has been fantastic in these tough days. On Monday Gavin and I took a drive up to Seattle to visit with some friends here and to meet Porter. He is so an Stafford/Armstrong.

We have been trying to stay busy by spending time exploring the Wallingford area around Sean and Michelle's house. The weather has been very nice the last few days.

Anyway, we are fine and anxious to seen Star. Here are some photos from the week.

Gavin and I are about to head to the states on the longest St. Patty's Day of our lives. Star and I decided that it was best for the little guy to be far away for the time being. Here are a few photos that I did not have time to workup. Next post from Washington.

If you can please take the time to either donate or spread the message to donate to help the effort in Japan. There are too many organizations out there to name. The land of the rising sun is an amazing place.

The trip this past weekend was a huge success. Sparing you all of the details, we arrived to one of the bouldering areas in the Shousenkyou area and went boulder hunting. Star and I both found some fun boulders to pull on to our delight. Our plan for the evening was to either find a hotel in Kofu or car camp near the bouldering area. After a tasty Indian dinner we inquired at five hotels to no avail. So we headed up the mountain to "camp" for the night. It was chilly and Gavin was a bit congested, but his first night in the mountains was fun. I can not wait to go again.

The next morning we hiked/scrambled to another boulder field and practiced some good ol' boulder wrestling. I finally finished a problem that I had tried six months ago. Star played on a couple of boulders and I believe had a great day with Gavin and I. A sunny day and nice crisp air made for a good climbing day.

In trip news, we are starting to prepare for our trip to Austin/San Antonio. We are planning on seeing some friends that live in the area and are hoping to climb too. But of course that all depends on the littlest man.

Here are some pictures of our short trip.


Go Climb Something!!!

Here are some photos of a new line. What a nice day it was. I bolted the line, then sent it. Come On Eddie is 11a and fun. For a two more wonder that is. Sorry that the climbing photos are terrible. It turns out that not all of the Japanese cameras are good. Proof in the finished product.

In other news, Gavin is 4 months +2 today. He is meeting all of his 4 and some of his 5 month goals already. We are very proud of him.

This weekend the fam is heading on a small adventure. There are a few boulders in the Kofu area that Jack and I are developing. Star has not seen them so I am taking her and the little dude on a over night trip to the mountains. We are planning on staying at a Japanese BnB. The BnB is located right on a beautiful mountain river. The weather looks to be fric-tastic!!!!!! I am taking the new Organic pad in hopes for some killer photos!!!!! Photos coming soon.


Go climb Something!!!!!