I had the wonderful opportunity to join a very talented group on a humanitarian trip to Negril, Jamaica at the end of November. They had two goals: First, to implement technology within the classroom, and secondly, to establish the foundation for a bio diesel program to be utilized by emergency vehicles. I am happy to report that not only was the weather beautiful, but the trip was a worthwhile investment and I hope to continue volunteering annually.

Cabin Fever ....

So it's only been a few days since I was out in the New Mexico forest cutting trees, but this weather has been suffocating! Wind chills fell as low as 20 below zero (Fahrenheit for my international watchers), and the snow drifts in the yard were easily three feet high. Today, the weather was a balmy 20 degrees. This meant that at least the dogs could go outside for at least more than a minute. Also, it meant that I could actually spend a couple minutes photographing outdoors.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw this huge bird sitting on top of one of the branches; I'm thinking that Farley and Jake looked like a tasty meal after the brief cold spell. This bird was fast. It hovered just over the field at about 40 MPH (paced it later in the day with the car). I think it's called a red-tipped hawk, but I'm not certain (feel free to correct me if you know). Also, as I headed into the office, I noticed this other bird of prey watching the cars go by on the side of the road. Amazingly, it's an immature bald eagle. I found this to be pretty amazing because I haven't seen an eagle this far away from the river (about three miles). It makes sense, though, because a good portion of the river is jammed with ice and there are very few open spots left to fish.

Finally, since it was such a nice day. we all took a quick road trip to the Palisades Park near Savanna. Jake and Farley got to get out and stretch their legs. Farley, a little more than Jake.

The last image you see here, courtesy of Rochelle, is what my week was like after work. Jet lag finally set in, and Farley, my little furnace, made it difficult not to fall asleep.

Nature's Architechture ...

It never ceases to amaze me, the raw beauty that Mother Nature spills before our eyes -- Arizona is a stunning place.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Every since I was about fifteen, I've done this "year in review" type of thing right around my birthday. I guess I do it to make sure I'm going in the right direction and not losing track of what I want to do with my life. I know it sounds cheesy, but hey, it's my birthday week, strike that, birthday month, so I'm entitled :).

A busy year? Yes, definitely. The cliches appear to breathe in more life the older that I become. Everyday, it feels as though the world is moving faster than the day before, and I'm playing catch up. No, there is never enough time to get everything done, but as this year has reinforced, it's the important things that truly do matter, and to me, the important things are my relationships with my family and friends.

I believe relationships tell a lot about who you are; rather, I believe it's how one relates to the world around them, be it people, animals, nature, or whatever, that really identifies the type of person he/she really is. How one relates to those things in the universe seems to be continuously changing event, though; I guess the way that I visualize it is that a person seems to be like a buoy out in the ocean continuously bumping into the things around it; some days the sea is calm, other days, it's a little stormy out there and we bump a little harder :). Alright, enough of my meager attempt at being deep.

Year in Review. First off, I went a little farther than a year back. It was just over a year ago that Rochelle and I got married on the beach near Tulum, Mexico. I feel that was a life changing event that was important enough to include for the review :). In case you didn't know, it was just the two of us that flew down there for a week and we were married near sunset on the beach. It was beautiful and not too stressful. In fact, we went for a swim earlier in the morning in an old port near the ancient Mayan ruins. In June, we celebrated our one year anniversary.

Our extended families have expanded as you can see above. Also, our immediate family expanded with the addition of Farley, the crazy weimaraner. A beautiful pup, he's been a challenge for Jake to relate to. I guess like me, Jake needs to work on his sharing skills.

I am still working for the Lee County State's Attorney Office, although my role has shifted somewhat. I now handle all of the civil matters concerning the county and provide general counsel to the various local government departments. Also, I still prosecute and was fortunate enough to have three successful jury trials this year. As for bench trials and hearings, I can't keep count as there are too many of them, both wins and losses. The job provides a plethora of experience that I never knew I would receive from juvenile matters to 1983 prisoner litigation issues. It does keep me busy and makes the days go fast. I did travel to several seminars for legal education, including the ABA's International Law Section annual conference in Miami; simply an amazingly educated group of individuals.

I was fortunate enough to have a rekindled passion for photography this year. The shutterbug syndrome is contagious and thankfully I haven't become immune to it (thank you, Bob). Although, instead of predominantly focusing on people as I have in the past, my interests have become stronger in more static subjects, such as landscapes. Also, "The Duke," a bald eagle that visited the Rock River this winter, became an obsession. Any by obsession, I mean that he actually got me up before 6 A.M. several times on weekends because I had to go watch him. I had never seen bald eagles in my local area before -- they really are very majestic birds -- and HUGE! Also, I attended MAIPP (Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography) at Northern Iowa University, again, for a week. It is a wonderful experience that definitely rejuvenates the creative soul (and always makes me want to purchase more camera equipment!).

I am still working on my mom's property in New Mexico, but have had a lot of help from my brother. The mountains help to put life into perspective; especially when I realize that the closest neighbor is about five miles away. Also, the video clip above is a wonderful reminder of how quickly mother nature can change plans for the day. I think thunder was meant to be heard echoing through the mountains (thunder in the mountains isf like listening to really good music on a Bose system).

If you would like to know more about my year in review, just ask. Or, even better, become part of it. It's been a good year; I've been fortunate to be blessed with such good friends and family, so, if you have actually taken the time to read all the way down to this point, thank you. Now, let's make next year even better!

Felony Trial Day ...

Day one of a felony trial day is over. As for now, I'm barred from saying anything else, except that it should be done tomorrow.