Cameron Family Reunion 2008

The Cameron Reunion was this last weekend. It was a great time with all our crazy relatives, although we really missed Deon and Steve and Jason and Lindsey and their girls. We could have used them in the hula hoop competition!

Here are a few pics from the Olympic portion of the reunion. Our team was from Japan, and we put together a pretty decent ensemble of costumes and flag. However, Jeff added his touches with two sumo suits. Jeff and Matt showed off their wrestling abilities, and Kurt showed off his ability of getting two sumo wearing guys into the back of a truck.

It was all pretty funny and great fun!

On Saturday morning, Altamont had their annual Longhorn 5k. Jeff, Dave, Kendrick, Kendall, Amy, Madison and Tyler all got up early to go run it. A few of us dragged ourselves out of bed to watch. 'That Danley Boy' got first place and Jeff came in 3rd.

Gavin and Will had a blast swimming and building their 'house' (under the wood stairs). I think they are having a little gladiator/sword fighting competition in these pictures.

The highlight of the Olympic competition was the syhcronized swimming. I was impressed with Jeff, Kim and Dad's ability to put together a routine. Dad gets the award for never coming out of character!

These are a few pics from the climbing wall. James couldn't quite reach the holds yet!

SUPER KELLI

This weekend we were extremely honored to have my genius college roomie visit us from D.C.  She is currently in her first year as a nurse, but we like to refer to her as "super nurse". 

Kelli can also be categorized as a "super traveler".  She has basically almost visited the entire world in her short life, but CT was one of her unconquered states.   She arrived on Thurs. evening after a long drive on 95.

Luckily, being a seasoned traveler, Kelli toured the majority of CT hot spots in one day.  We ended Friday at Yale and decided to treat our palates to the delicious Thai cuisine of Bangkok Gardens in New Haven-- thanks for the suggestion, Kim!

THE MOUNT Estate and Gardens of Edith Wharton

Can you see the humidity in this pic?

The stables.
Steve & Kelli discussing Ethan Frome.  :)

Yesterday Stephen, Kelli, and I drove up to the Berkshires in Western MA.  Considering it was the hottest, most humid day of the year thus far, we were anxious to spend some time at a slightly higher elevation.  

Our two points of interest were the Edith Wharton estate in Lenox, MA, and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.  Unfortunately, due to 'artistic overload' for the male in our party, we opted for lunch over the NRM.  Lindsey, I will try to make it there eventually!!!

PLAIN & SIMPLY EXTRAVAGANT

Although her massive estate took two years to build, the inside decor was extremely simplistic.  Wharton despised "sumptuary excesses" of  the Victorian clutter of her privileged upbringing in New York, so The Mount's interior was inspired by the Old World designs of Italian villas, French pavilions, and English country houses.

MY DREAM GARDEN

The estate gardens were magnificent!  Ms. Wharton once commented that she was a better gardener than a novelist, and it shows in the design and execution of her spacious Italian gardens.

LITERARY MUSHROOMS

Dave, what are these weird, alien-like mushrooms?  We located these on the Edith Wharton estate.  Any guesses??

PARIS IN HARTFORD?

Downtown Hartford- The Statehouse

Downtown Hartford- The Capitol Building




A trip to CT wouldn't be complete without visiting the capitol building in downtown Hartford. Does the capitol's Victorian Gothic architecture really fit the general ambience of Hartford?  You be the judge.

IT'S GREEK TO ME

As we arrived home from The Berkshires, a violent summer storm raged through Berlin and caused a large tree to collapse over the entrance to our road from off the turnpike.  Using his incredible off-roading skills, Steve was able to get Kelli and I around the damage; however, we weren't too thrilled with what we found at home:  no electricity.  

This really wouldn't have been a problem, but we were expected at an Extravaganza party in Newington that evening with all of Steve's work buddies for food, fireworks, and fun.  After a hot & humid day in Mass, we were all a sight for sore eyes.  Instead of attending the Newington festivities, Kelli went to Rocky Neck State Park, Deon fell fast asleep in the non-A/C house, and Steve did (?).   Eventually, we all made it back together for some Greek fare at Tapa's in West Hartford at around 10 p.m.  

Unfortunately, the story doesn't end there.  Steve's 'tapas' didn't stay put for long.  He was sick all night long!!!!

FROG BLOG

How cute is this mini frog?  He was trying to be a part of a portrait sitting last week.

Dave's Post

I decided I better post something on this blog so Deon didn't completely take it over. My pictures aren't as good as Deon's though. I put on some pictures of the areas I have been working this winter and spring. I also put on some pictures from a couple trips I took. It does not include everything, and it is not in order. I just threw it together, because I thought people might like to see the places I've been working.

Crystal and I went on a hike this winter in the Superstition Mountains. It was a really cool canyon with a little creek in it. We hiked to some Indian dwellings in caves, and Crystal even kept up with me when we had to run out of there to get to a BBQ on time.

This is an Indian dwelling we hiked to in the canyon.

This winter I went skiing in Durango, CO. With Clark, his wife Lindsay, and her friend Brittney. It was great snow, and we had a great time.

A professional skier we met up there.

These are the Beaver Dam Mtns., just south of St. George. I spent a week here this spring surveying potential windmill sites. It was beautiful country.

This is the top of the Beaver Dam Mtns. There was a big fire here two years ago, but it put a lot of nitrogen in the soil and has made the globemallow and other wildflowers spectacular.

The area around the Beaver Dam Mtns.

The Beaver Dam Mtns.

A mikvetch I found in the Beaver Dam Mtns. These are really cool plants.

In June I went deep sea fishing with my roommate and his buddy. We went out 25 miles off of the coast in Rocky Point, Mexico and caught grouper, rock bass, trigger fish, and spotted bass.

My roommate Ryan, and a 60 lb. grouper that he caught.

This Fourth of July Crystal, my roommate Ryan, and I went to Winslow, AZ. We had a great time. We rode 4-wheelers, watched fireworks, and hiked, swam, and cliff jumped at Clear Creek Canyon. We watched two guys build a rope swing off this bridge. They were hilarious. They were drunk and kept saying "This is the King Swing!"

This is another picture of the canyon.

This spring I have been spending most of my time in Bryce Canyon National Park area. It has been a lot of work, but a beautiful place to be working. I have spent almost all of my time here from April to July.

A Northern Goshawk. These are a state-sensitive species. We surveyed for these in June.

A Gunnison Sage Grouse. They are being petitioned for listing on the Endangered Species List right now. We surveyed for these in April.

I have also been doing several small projects throughout this spring around the Cedar City area for a company called South Central Communications. We have mostly been surveying for Utah Prairie Dogs (Threatened) on these projects. They have been in some beautiful locations. I included a couple of pictures.

A project near Panguitch, UT. This is a valley called Dog Valley.

A project near Brianhead Ski Resort.

This picture is myself and my co-worker doing Pima Pineapple Cactus surveys in the Santa Rita Mtns. between Tucson and Nogales, AZ. I was down there for most of January and February.

This is a Pima Pineapple Cactus, they are an endangered species.

We found two desert tortoises hibernating. This one's foot was sticking out of his burrow. It looked like he got tired digging his burrow and just fell asleep. They are endangered in Utah but not in Arizona.

A coyote skull we found during surveys. Not quite as artistic as Deon's pictures, but pretty good if I do say so myself.



Needle-spine pincushion cactus. Pretty cool little cacti.