I am always struck by springtime. In the span of a few weeks, a seemingly lifeless landscape bursts forth with new life and color - bringing with it a sense of renewal. No matter how many times I experience it, I can't help but feel energized by the transformation.

I’ll let you in on a secret. I don't love flying. It's not so much the act of flying that gets me or even the taking off or landing, but just the lack of personal control in what is largely a Boolean experience. Once an aircraft is flying, it is either flying or it is falling, (arguably it could be both) and just being along for the ride is disconcerting to me. 

Growing older is a surreal experience. The thing that I am constantly challenged by is how unexpectedly different I feel in comparison to how I thought that I would feel at this age. I don't mean physically, but as I watch my goals become achieved or morph, relationships grow or wither, children develop, spouses change, and time passes, I find myself constantly...

Following the warmest, least snowy December on record here in Rochester, it is now January and we finally have snow. There are plenty of folks who were thankful for the late coming of winter to the upstate New York region, but I am not one of them. The snow is here and I am glad!

So, there I was a few months ago declaring that I wasn't going to be so absent on this site. It would seem as though I lied. I didn't intend to lie and I had the best intentions, but as with all good things, they are susceptible to outside forces, which can erode momentum and will. I believe that I underestimated the energy required to get through shooting the end of the racing season, as well as launching The Ascend Collective.

The past month or so has been like a looming storm headed in my direction. Life has been hectic to say the least and my absence from posting anything here is evidence of the fact that some things have slipped out from under my eye. Sorry about that.

I am here to declare, however, that I am feeling like I am getting back on track, as my primary focus - The Ascend Collective - finally launched...

Here in Upstate New York, we are blessed beyond measure by the amount of nature preserves, state parks, etc. that we have available to us. I realize that while many other states have some pretty great things to see or do, the accessibility of forest areas or marshlands or whatever is one of the best things that New York has to offer...in my completely biased opinion of course.

I don't particularly mind, but like everyone, I rarely have a minute to myself. What we define as "Life" has a way of consuming every last minute of the day. Whether it is work, family, or some other obligation(s), finding myself in a place of personal statelessness doesn't come around very often. 

As a kid, I remember a time when the Fourth of July was lit up (pun somewhat intended) with excitement. Generally, the picnics and festivities before the sun went down were nice-to-haves, whereas the real experience started with the fireworks. 

As I am sure it is the case with nearly everyone, there are times when I find myself unwittingly at a complete creative standstill. Typically it is when there are too many things going on and I find myself focused on "things that matter", which sounds ridiculous when I say it because without the ability to create, not much else really does matter. But I digress...

A few years ago, a friend of mine described what he referred to as "The Arc of Life".  Upon this Arc, half of our life was spent in receipt of wonderful things that Life had to offer before Life started to take away what was once given.

At the time, this concept resonated with me personally, as I had just lost my mother to cancer and while the pain was still fresh, I was reflecting on all that had been given prior to losing her. The core lesson, to me, was to pay attention to the details and take nothing for granted. Life has a way of becoming a noisy and distracting thing, where...

Despite previously lamenting the Winter's late onset and how much I missed it, when it finally did arrive, it really was excessive. The past month or so has been lost. Each day presented a stark, frozen landscape that brought life to a crawl.

No one would argue that Leonardo da Vinci is anything but a Master. To me, he embodied the spirit of exploration, in every sense of the word.

Much to our pleasure, the Rochester Museum and Science Center...

It would seem that Winter means to give us the past few years' worth of snow that we've been missing in the past few days. We have been receiving snow nearly every minute of the day. While it could be tempting to sit back and complain about the bounty of frozen flakes, it seems far more productive and adventurous to bundle up, get outside and take it 

Despite our best wishes, Winter was off to a slow start this year. Our household loves the winter and routinely we look forward to spending time outside on sleds, skis, snowboards, etc.

By this time each year, we have a solid base of snow...

Waiting for Winter to arrive is tricky. Most of the time, you hear those around you complaining about the cold, the conditions, etc., but for us, we look forward to it. What is tricky is the phase leading up to Winter, where the weather is cold and dreary, but the snow is nowhere to be found. No one is happy.

I still remember the first day that I went to kindergarten. I didn't like that experience. The sudden, immediate expansion of my world from the safe walled garden that I had been living in was now thrust upon me. I felt unprepared and overwhelmed...