EPIC VIDEO!!! - freediver

So it seems that this week's posts are leaning toward the video route. I saw this, this morning and absolutely loved it! Its poetic, yet wordless. Enjoy!



Peace,
Ross

Son Lux - an artist worth your time & attention!

It's Tuesday and I feel like showcasing some amazing art i've come across these past couple of weeks. The artist is Son Lux, a New York songwriter, that's doing some pretty creative work! I can't believe I hadn't heard of this guy until recently...

Critics have said, "an epic, almost schizofrenic carousel of sounds that picks up where Radiohead's Kid A left off."

So without any further adieu, here is Son Lux...ENJOY!

(close your eyes and spend a few minutes escaping)





Peace,
Ross

Genocide by 8AM...

It's 7:02AM, and I've already contributed a daily dose of genocide.

What???

Its true, many of the products we use (and rely on - computers, cell phones, etc.) have been manufactured through slave labor, enforced by war lords, and threatened/sustained with murder and rape. Most people have no idea, so that's the point of this post...education.



Now you know. (And as they say it on GI Joe, "Knowing is half the battle.")

Sorry for the Debbie Downer post to jump-start the week, but I saw this video and thought EVERYONE would benefit.

Peace,
Ross

& Olive!

Here's our Olive on the mend...THANKS SO MUCH for all of your thoughts & prayers these past couple of weeks!

Sprinkler Fun!

I could do a play-by-play, but I think the pics do all the talking...






Have a great weekend!
-Ross

Proper Events for a Proper Kind of Day...

I woke up this morning and switched back and forth between Wimbledon and the World Cup. That's rather proper for the AM (for me anyway).

Tonight, Kate and I are heading out to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (appropriately spelled "re") to see Sting & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in concert. Kate surprised me with this for father's day! I'm a huge (silent "h") Sting fan, so I'm quite stoked...or rather, "bloody stoked."



I think I'll speak with a British accent for the rest of the day...it just seems right.

On we go,
Ross

War on War

I wrote this over the weekend. Think on it...

War on War
© 2010 Ross Christopher Donaldson.


So it seems we grow as fighters
Peace haters and war charmers
Early on, we learn the lies
And over time the innocent dies

I'm declaring a war on war
'Cause war's a dirty whore
Who soldiers on to break and bleed
And kills humanity

We're built for dying
As if we're lying
That peace is an option
Because it's always an option

I'm declaring a war on war
'Cause war's a dirty whore
Who soldiers on to break and bleed
And kills humanity

Marching in step, out of time
Declaring war on war

I'm declaring a war on war
'Cause war's a dirty whore
Who soldiers on to break and bleed
And kills humanity

Adventure Tales from an Out-of-Shape Enthusiast (Part 3)

This is the final chapter of the Adventure Tales from yours truly, the out-of-shape enthusiast.

I'll wrap up the last few days into this post...on we go!


The story of the entire trip, I believe, was snow. The snow was intense and really shaped the overall outcome of the trip. It forced us to re-route, it wore us out quicker, and it really added to the adventure.

We improvised and survived - Bear Grylls would be proud!

As we finally descended from the deep woods and departed from Rocky Mountain National Park, we exited on the Grand Lake side and rented a boat for the afternoon. (Grand Lake is the highest natural lake in the US - and BEAUTIFUL!!!)

We grabbed a campsite that night at the Longs Peak TH and finally enjoyed a campfire, non-river water, and meat...aahhh, yes, meat. We grilled some chicken to go along with left over backpacking food.

The trip lent us sights we'd never have seen, had we not taken on the elements. We saw 3 moose, hundreds of elk, mule deer, a marmot, and a porcupine.

1 week later, we eagerly picked up our girls and bathed.

You know what happens when I wear 1 outfit, exert myself on the trail, and go sans-shower for a week? I create some corn-chippy-tang-infused-toxic odor that burns the nostrils and stings the eyes. Luckily, all of that went down the drain.

What a week! What a week...

Thanks for reading...I hope its been fun.

Peace,
Ross

Adventure Tales from an Out-of-Shape Enthusiast (Part 2)

After a night at 10,250 feet, we woke up and trekked another couple miles until our trail went straight up. Now if you've been backpacking before, you'll know that most uphill climbs come in the form of switchbacks. Not this one. This trail went straight up. And by trail, I mean the supposed trail that was under knee to waist deep snow. When the snow is that deep, you really have no clue what's underneath...trail, trees, rocks, badgers...

Kate and I went straight up for at least 1/2 a mile before the physical toll was too much. We were post-holing (stepping in and out of knee to waist deep snow), because we didn't bring snow shoes (they help you stay on top).


We looked and looked for anything resembling a trail, a campsite; but found nothing.

In the end, we turned back downhill and made it back to the original trail, and back to the campsite we stayed at on night #1.

It was a bad case of 1 step forward, 2 steps back.


Regardless of the throbbing muscles I never knew I had, the aching shoulders, and soaking feet, we ended the day feeling a real sense of accomplishment and beauty from our tasks and surroundings.


Peace,
Ross

p.s. Part 3 tomorrow (the final chapter(s))...

Adventure Tales from an Out-of-Shape Enthusiast (Part 1)

Last week, Kate and I went backpacking - an adventurous trip that we hadn't revisited since we had Cora. My parents watched our girls while we trekked off into the primitive abyss of Rocky Mountain National Park.

We started at the Colorado River TH and immediately went 3.5 miles up, up, and up some more. The rangers had told us to prepare for snow - that the northwest side doesn't typically melt off until mid July. (apparently they do in fact know what they are talking about, since we were the first backpackers to tackle this part of the park this season)


We set out, out-of-shape, under-prepared, but excited. All of the rivers, creeks, ditches, and usual-trickles were rushing full force with snow melt. The trail at times would disappear for 100 yards under the snow before reappearing like a saving mirage in the distance.


One particular bridge was about 6 inches skinnier than I liked for the amount of snow caked to it, the 50 pound pack on my sore, out-of-shape, back, and the class 4 rapids rushing underneath. But alas, we made it.


Camp site found.
Animals seen.
Surrounded by beauty.
Worn out and exhausted!

Peace,
Ross

p.s. part 2 tomorrow...

Olive Update (ROUND 2)

We are home and Olive is sound asleep! She's eating better, no more fevers, and back to her old smiley self. The cultures came back today showing that she has a kidney infection, but thanks to some good ole' antibiotics, she should be 100% in a week or so.

Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Peace,
Ross

Olive Update

In case you've been out of the loop, Olive had been running a fever of 102-103 for about 5 days when our pediatrician ran some tests indicating what she thought was a kidney infection. We were admitted into the hospital where the doctors did blood work, gave her an ultrasound, and hooked Olive up with IVs (quite the sad experience, holding your little baby's hand as they poke around for veins).

Her fever finally broke this morning and the IVs seem to be doing their job. Now its a waiting game to get final results on the cultures and assuming they are good, we can head home tomorrow late-afternoon.

By the way, the pediatrics wing is a boring place to be stuck.

Thank you ALL so very much for your thoughts and prayers!

Peace,
Ross

Going Green with Coke & Mentos???

Green is in folks.

And so is Coke & Mentos...

AMOVEO

If you've read my blog before, you know i'm deeply involved and interested in the creative process. Much of what I do on a day to day basis is bringing others into the creative process, helping to inspire and empower others with creativity.

My best friend Brandon (@BRSphotography) is the best designer/photographer I know and we finally decided it was time to launch a creative design/consult firm called: AMOVEO (Latin for "shift").

Check out the site and enjoy!
-Ross