Two months Later and back in SLC

I had high hopes for consistently posting. "This time" I thought but alas my habits oft repeat themselves. One of which is that I eventually write again so I suppose it all works out. I'm back in Holladay and I'm working for a non-profit organization called CCF (Cottonwood Canyon Foundation) that works in conjunction with the Forest Service to maintain the trails and wilderness areas around the wasatch. Keeping the watershed clean by keeping people out and away from it (by providing trail routes that are far enough away from it) is one of our primary goals. We are funded by grants, the majority of which comes from Snow Bird, one of the Ski resorts in Little Cottonwood Canyon. We operate with the help of lots of volunteers. Several of these are from eagle scout projects, others are members of different organizations that put the trails to good use and feel it important to give something back to them. I've really enjoyed working for CCF and am amazed at the vast beauty that is so close by and all around throughout all of the canyons and Mountains in this area. I keep intending to get out and do a lot of hiking on the trails around here (most of which I'm unfamiliar with) but have yet to do it. I did hike Mt. Timpanogos a couple weeks ago which was a great and beautiful hike and I'll be hiking Lone Peak on Labor day which is next Monday. I've also been able to get out climbing a few times since being back in the states and hope to keep that up at least a couple times a week. I'll be climbing in big cottonwood canyon tonight and might possibly even do a multi-pitch route which I have never done yet.


Other Biznass

playing Mario Brothers on my computer and getting very very angry at the game and it's constant insistence on cheating me.

Hanging out with Amy. She took me out for Sushi at Jasmine last night for a postponed birthday dinner (I turned 29 on August 21st) and then I sprung for the dollar fifty movie of Kung Fu Panda just because I'm really generous. Sushi was super exquisitely delicious as always and I really liked the movie.

Occasionally longboarding (usually with Amy and Chris and Jess also)

A bit o' swimming

Enjoyed watching Olympics when they were on

A little slack lining. I just set it up in Dax's back yard a couple nights ago and Amy and I had a BBQ with him and Heather and the kids.

More pics around the lavra

The beautiful Kiev Lavra

These are some of the awesome pictures that I took when several of us teachers went to a beautiful area in Kiev called the Lavra. The word lavra means underground monastery. This area of Kiev was founded around the 11th century by spiritual people who wanted seclusion from others. My knowledge of it is rather sketchy so even the small bit I do know can be questionable but this is the output from the small bit of information I was given and my poor memory. The area has several churches and cathedrals and as I was beginning to explain, several tunnels with rooms and small cubby holes. Several people considered highly spiritual or otherwise prestigious or deamed worthy are burried there (or rather mummified, but naturally, not by any chemical means) and can be seen in the tour. It's a really cool place. We carried bees wax candles for light. The women wear shawls and men are to have no head wear. We were only allowed in a small section of the tunnels and unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it because it wasn't allowed. I did however get a plethora of great pictures from elsewhere in the district (or whatever you'd call the area). These posted are just a small sampling but I'll post more. Everywhere I walked was entirely picturesque and I couldn't stop taking pictures and videos until I had used all of my memory card. This may have been fortunate because then I didn't have to feel guilty for not taking any more pictures of which were hundreds more to be taken. I loved all of the architecture, which was accompanied by beautiful paintings and perfect shades of greens, blues, reds, whites which aided in my inability to put my camera permanently in my pocket. I was just as intrigued with all of the people wandering around and tried to sneakily take pictures of countless others without being caught. You'll see that I didn't go entirely unnoticed by the revealing looks of some of those caught in the pictures.

More random goodness at the water museum

Some of the Joys at the water museum.

Sitting on the throne of thrones (forgot to put the seat down) and being put in a bubble at the water museum in Kiev.

My weekend in the castle city

Ukraine the great

This is my first Ukrainian post and it'll have to be really short. I have to teach in about 7 minutes and it's taken me about 15 minutes already to change the language on the websight for my blog into English and then reset my password which I'd forgotten because it's been so long since I've been on here. I'll be attempting to catch up relatively and then stay up on the game while I'm here in Ukraine. I've been here for about three and a half weeks and I'm just finishing up my third week of teaching today. Pictures will be coming soon and should be a staple once they get started. Pictures are better than rambling I do believe. I'll be back for a real update shortly once I deal with the loud group of Ukrainian children tromping around upstairs.