Project Connection

I’m not sure how it happened. But one day the kids were gone. Just like that. Now we keep track of them through the web, email, pings, trace backs, messages and anything else we can get a hold of.

Tara is kicking around the country and doing various odd things, collecting and publishing stories of the road. 18 and has control of her passport. Dani is traveling around busy selecting a doctorate program, and will be moving much farther away.

I worry more than just a bit. We raised them to be adults and to take charge of their course. We never put them on heading, we just helped them keep the sails full until they were under their own power. Maybe I worry them just a bit as well. I will be heading to Africa soon to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and to MT Bike across South Africa. So I’m going to add a little tracking GPS capability to myself. Now I need to let go of the worry and embrace the open road.

What’s more impressive than running a marathon? How about running a marathon to help change the life of a seriously ill child? That’s the story of 215 NYC marathon runners who raised enough money to send hundreds of sick kids to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

I had the chills the whole day of the NYC marathon. They weren’t due to the 50 degree weather, or because of Sinatra’s resonant New York New York serenade at the starting point. They weren’t caused by the crowds, the cheering, or even the amazing way the city embraced the runners.

They were from the runners’ stories themselves, stories that spilled out during the bus ride over the Verrazano Bridge to the start, stories shared under the tent in Charity Village, stories swapped among runners to help fuel the muscles and the heart. “I’m running in memory of my dad”, “I loved camp and wanted to help send a child in need to one”, “I’m running for my cousin who lost a baby this past spring”. Runners who poured their own energy and emotion into an amazing event so that they can use their accomplishment to help children in need.

Everyone who has spent any time at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp uses the word ‘magic’ to describe the place. Well the 215 marathoners of Team Hole in the Wall spread their magic across 26.2 miles of NYC on November 1st. And their magic will live on in the campers who benefit from their tremendous generosity.

Images of the race are now available in our Gallery over here.

This past August 23rd was our 23rd wedding anniversary. To celebrate, I threw a surprise party for Amy on the Mystic Whaler, a windjammer that we celebrated our wedding on 23 years ago.

I, well actually we: Amy’s friends and our daughters, helped pull off the surprise of the century for Amy. Less than two weeks before the date I managed to secure the Mystic Whaler, now out of New London CT. When we were married it was docked in Mystic Seaport. Once the ship was secured, I made a few calls and managed to get the original wedding party back together and most of the original guests.

Oh there were a few new guests; 20 beautiful teenagers and young adults – offspring of the original guests. Plus some new friends like Lynn and Fred, founders of the AngelRide. We had a new band, the Hot Cat Jazz Band. The captain of the ship is still the same, Amy, er I mean Captain John (John Eginton) and Ann, one of the original crew was still with us. Though Ann is now the first mate and will be marrying Captain John soon. I guess that will make her Captain. I wish them smooth sailing.

To pull off the surprise, I took Amy to the Hamptons via the Orient Point ferry. The ferry docks right next to the Whaler, which makes the alignment of small details work very well. The Hamptons are the first layer of distraction for the surprise. Amy is not easily fooled.

We were getting overshadowed by Hurricane Bill. Amy was all excited about being near “good” weather; normally I would be as well. She couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to talk about the weather and the big waves that we would see.

While on the ferry to the Hamptons, I decide to “let slip” the surprise I had in line for Sunday, a brunch on a small sailboat. The tickets of said brunch are non refundable. Thus let’s not talk about the weather.

Telling her about a brunch sail was part of the ruse. The brunch story on a small sailboat was required so that I could get her in the correct dress for the ship. And I needed a reason for why we had to head back on the early morning ferry. When she finds that the ship is really the Whaler, she will think the surprise is the Whaler and will thus be fooled for the moment or two more that I need to pull off the big surprise.

I was hoping to hold the story of the brunch cruise on a small sailboat until Saturday night. Now she’ll be hoping for waves big enough to make the sailing really fun. I’m thinking the band probably wouldn’t like that, but she doesn’t know about the band or the guests. One of which would be flying across the country to be there.

We have a great time in the Hamptons. Staying at Motel on the Bay, doing a little wine tasting and just hanging out together.

The ferry leaves Orient Pt. at 9:00 and gets into New London at 10:30. The Whaler leaves New London at 11:00. I figured Danielle and Tara could get the guests all hidden away and Amy wouldn’t see anybody as we pull in, since we have to go below deck on the ferry to get in the car. I planned on getting to the ferry just after the 8 AM so that we would be first in line for the 9 AM. This would leave us off with about 20 minutes to make the transfer to the Whaler once we reached New London.

So as not to miss the ferry, we left a little early. Missing the 9:00 would be a disaster.

We ended up getting to the ferry at 8:03. Well the 8:00 had not yet left.  You guessed it, they hold up the 8:00 so that we could get on it. Now how was I supposed to refuse without letting the cat out the bag? Now I had surprise guests showing up just as Amy and I would be getting off the ferry. Plus she’ll probably just want to hang out on the dock. Can’t use the “Let’s go get a bite to eat” excuse, the ship has food waiting for us. It’s supposed to be a brunch cruise on a small sailboat.

Now here is where bad things always come out right if you don’t worry about them too much. While planning the trip I lost my cell phone and most of my contacts. It was fun trying to get a hold of everyone without the cell phone. I ended up replacing my old phone with a new iPhone the day before the trip. On the ferry, I browsed the net and found an arboretum that was close by. I told Amy that the light was great and we should check out the arboretum while we killed some time. No sense standing around the dock for an hour.

She buys it. The  Connecticut College Arboretum was awesome. I highly recommend it for a quiet little walk. It was hot. Naturally I started to sweat a bit. I used this as cover to get a little fussy and distract Amy. While she was helping me put myself back together for a fancy brunch we headed back on down to the ship. Using the fussiness as a distraction I managed to get a text off to Danielle warning her that we were coming.

There is an Amtrack station at the end of the dock for the Whaler. Danielle and crew managed to get everybody hidden away in the train station. Well almost everybody. Margie, Al and Thomas Warner almost walked right into Amy. I had her so distracted she didn’t notice Margie doing a sudden a left turn, crouching down in the middle of the street and placing a hand over her head to hide herself. As if such a sight doesn’t attract attention.

Margie does Music with Margie, a joy-based approach to teaching kids music. I’m Photo Adventures with Ed, and she’s Music with Margie. Neither one of us did any collaboration on the names. But wait, there’s more. You see 23 years ago, Margie, who grew up with Amy, missed our wedding. Our invitation crossed her invitation in the mail. So 23 years ago Margie and Al and Amy and Ed got married at the same time, in different paces. So this 23 on the 23rd is really a double 23 on the 23rd. Making it a 23rd to 4th power. Neat.

I walked Amy past Margie, and up to the ship. The Captain and Ann led us around the ship and gave us a bit of the ship’s history over the past 23 years. Leading us below deck, Ann regaled us with the tale of how Captain John saved the ship and restored it. It was quite a feat, as the ship got stuck in dry dock and legal limbo for 5 years while the ownership of the ship passed through several hands. One of the changes they made is to add bunks for overnight trips, something we have got to do. Any takers?

Ann then leads us back topside, just a minute or so later it seems. I’m sure to Ann it seemed a bit longer since she was putting on the stall. All of it free form. She did a great job. Amy never noticed the tell-tale ticks that were starting to develop as she was running out of things to say. While this is going on, Danielle and the crew are getting everybody lined up on the dock.

Amy now thinks the surprise is a brunch cruise on the Whaler, the ship that we celebrated our wedding on. She thinks the small sailboat was a ploy. She has no idea I have actually secured the entire ship and crew and managed to get the wedding guests reassembled.

The layers of distraction have all aligned perfectly.

Amy steps out, and Ann directs her to “a few of our other guests”. Amy thinks there must have been a bus load of tourists that have just gotten out. Why else would there be 60 people staring at the ship pointing cameras at us? She is so fooled Ann says “She doesn’t see them.” And then bang it hits Amy as she exclamations, “Holy sh**!”. To which one of the guest whispers that there’s a nun present. They are quickly informed that “that’s Amy’s sister; it’s okay.”

Well the rest is now history.

I want to thank everybody for coming and helping take photos. Many of these photos will end up on our “wall of fame”, in fact I probably have to add a new wall. It was a day that I don’t think any of us will every forget.

You can find some of the photos here:

Photos of the arrival (click here)
Photos on the cruise up to lunch (click here).
Photos of the Hot Cat Jazz Band (click here).

I have a lot more to post from the rest of the sail. Just wait a few more days If you want any of these pictures or you want any prints, just let me know. It’s really cool that we have some many great friends and that we were able to get together with everybody in one spot. I’m still working on the panorama. I have to do some special work because of the wave motion of the ship. But I think it’s going to be very nice.

The magic of the Osa peninsula in Costa Rica can not be described with mere words or photos. You need to have the very air seep into your pores. The Jungle calls to you at night as the waves lap the shore. A sudden thunderstorm shakes the very world to the core.

It is here that I meet two young couples, one on a honeymoon retreat, the other getting ready to re-marry with their friends and family after they found each other in Japan. Freindships were formed among the travelers and the locals of the Mirador Hotel. Bound and wrapped by the jungle.

Our friendship starts in Osa and like a great vine, it now spreads across the world.

Perhaps it is that your soul never leaves the jungle. I can not tell. The two are now one and the same. I will back, I have never left. I hear it calling to me, at night, during the day. I see it in the corner of my eye, flickering, waiting, beckoning. It is either my soul or the jungle. I can not tell which. The jungle has wrapped itself around my being.

Osa, friendships found, amoung the travelers, the locals and the life that is Osa. Inseparable. A living breathing thing.

Images of Osa

I love the circle and the community that is the AngelRide and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. This year the ride added many new riders and fused in some new ideas while keeping the best of the traditions. The event was special for me in many ways. The most important of which was that Amy, my wife was able to join me this year. I can’t tell you how much fun it was, there are simply no words for it.

Not only could she drive the Mini like crazy to keep up with everybody, but thanks to her help I have the photos posted in record time.

This is what we are doing. Amy and I did a quick proof of the photos and we posted just over 400 images for you, I hope we have everybody. If you don’t see yourself or are looking for something that I didn’t post, just send me an email. I may have something. I have over 1300 photos all told. Amy and I selected the best of them. It was hard cutting some of them out, but I have only so much space on the server.

If you want an electronic copy, just send me an email with the filename, listed under the image and I’ll make up an electronic web copy for you, no charge. Just promise to use the photo to help expand the circle. Don’t sell it or use it for any commercial purpose. Use any AngelRide image for fund raising in any way that helps out the cause. If you post it someplace, please include a link, if at possible, back to here or the AngelRide web site.

Need a print? I can send you an electronic copy suitable for print, which you can then print yourself. Just use the photo for personal use and making the circle grow. Do not use it for commercial or for-profit gain. If you want I can print it for you. When I print it, I hand edit each photo for my printer and I will do small touch up and correction work. Each photo will be digitally signed. I charge a small fee, with any profits going back to the Angel Ride and the Camp.

Click on any of the links below to check out the image collection.

Day 1 – Start Day 1 – Ride to Lunch Day 1 – Lunch to Camp Day 1 – Camp

Day 2 – Camp Day 2 – Ride Day 2 – Kids

The panorama shots are looking awesome. I have completed the first pass stitching of the group photo. It looks very very good. The print will be about 6-8 inches by 44 inches. It’s over 100MB. It looks very sharp and I can see almost every face very clearly. This will make a great print for the office or home. I will be making up sample posters in about a week. Let me know if you are interested so I can estimate the number to make up.

You can watch the flash movie below to see it.

Nonnewaug Junior Senior Prom Night 2009 – Group Panorama

The Nonnewaug Junior-Senior prom was last night. My nephew Ryan, my wife’s sister’s son, went with Kathleen, the oldest daughter of my wife’s college roommate. You following this? They met at Point Sebago during our annual get away a few years ago. We rent a cabin there every year and the kids roam about while the parents sit and play blender sports. Ryan and Kathleen at the prom are part of the pleasant but unexpected side effects of keeping in touch with the past.

Last night I ended up photographing a bunch of the kids for the Prom. I don’t think I looked as good as these kids did when it was our time.

It was a passage for the kids. A marking of the closing of an era. The prom is also a marking of passage for the parents. The kids will never figure that out, until it’s their turn to send off their kids.

Enjoy the photos. I hope these images keep pleasant memories alive for you for a very, very long time.

Cheers,
-ed

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
- Sir Edmund Hillary (1919 – 2008)

This is an excerpt from a climbing adventure to Mt. Adams in Washington State as chronicled in my recent photo book. “Three Amigos explore Hood River and Mt. Adams”. A few weeks ago, I met up with John Brady and Thomas Wittmer in Hood River Oregon. The three of us had converged for an adventure trip. I new John from around town and had biked with him a few times. Thomas is a friend of John’s from way back and lives in Switzerland.

Sometimes there is nothing like an adventure trip or climbing to bring people together.

Saturday, September 20th, 2008.

We managed to find a camp spot on the access road to the trail head. Turns out it was an open range corral spot. It was a bit loaded with animal dung. All in all, though, it was a nice place to camp as long as you were careful where you put your stuff.

The plan was to get up early and make the next day’s camp above “lunch rocks”, or as close to the summit as possible. We were attempting a sunrise summit for the next morning.

John made a quick lunch on the trail using the Jet boiler. I had decided to leave my stove behind as the weight of the camera gear alone was about 30 pounds. It was on the cooler side, and rain threatened to fall at any time.
After our late breakfast we continued on up to lunch rocks. We crossed our first snow field and needed to resupply our water. This could have been our last spot for water – we needed everything to be topped off. Thomas used his three stage water purifier.

You could smell the sulfur in the air. By now, we were in thick mist. The cloud bank had settled down on us. Lunch rocks offers many rock walled camp sites to keep out of the weather. All of the other climbers had decided to make camp.

We headed up the rocky scree fields despite the weather and the possible lack of adequate shelter. We were prepared for camping in a fairly exposed area and felt we could make camp from what we could find.

We soon needed to put on crampons and make what would be the toughest climb of the trip. Two steps forward, one sliding step back. The scree slope was very steep and loose. When we finally settled on a place to camp, we physically had to hack a spot out of the ground.

Thomas found a modest indent in the rocks that was fairly sheltered. The wind was up to about 30-40 mph. Snow was falling, and the light was failing us.

We used the ice axes to hack out a spot and build up a bit of a wall using the available rocks. The spot was almost big enough to lay down in. It was not quite out of the wind, but it was the best we could’ve hoped for.

John and I had tarps that we set up to keep us out the wind. The race was on to get camp ready before the light failed and we started to freeze.

Our camp was at 10,800 feet. It was 20°F with the winds gusting from 30-40 mph. It was raining down on lunch rocks. During the night, the snow and rain coated the rocks with ice.

Left: John coming into “camp”
Center: Lunch rocks was about 1,000 feet below us.
Right: Sunset was coming as we hunkered down for the night.

With views like the one on the above, the cold, wet and wind just added to the scene. Our bivy spot was not even three feet wide. John attempted to keep the tarp from slapping him in face with a hiking pole. I had to sleep sitting up. However, it was probably the best night of the whole trip.

“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”

- Unknown

Day 4. Sunday September 21st, 2008.

The conditions were a bit harsh to make the “sunrise summit” attempt. Still, we were able to witness a beautiful sunrise while above the main cloud layer.

We headed out from camp leaving most of the gear behind. I carried only the camera gear. Thomas and John brought up my water supply.

We decided to make the attempt without crampons, bringing them just in case. We reached the false summit in about half an hour .

On the false summit we were exposed to even higher winds. The peak was mostly clear and it looked like we’d be well rewarded for camping so high. There wasn’t much movement down at lunch rocks. It seemed as if the other parties were opting for a late start, or no start at all.

The false summit. The clouds whipped by above and below us. We were uniquely positioned smack dab in the middle of the cloud layers.

Left: Thomas is ready to go
Center: John and Thomas enjoying the fruits of their labor at the false summit
Right: The false summit with the true summit in the distance.

I found John and Thomas hiding from the wind using the old shelter. The shelter is nothing but broken boards held together by a block of ice in the center. The wind on the summit was a steady 50 mph. It was 21°F without the wind chill. With the wind chill it was -3°F. Mt. Rainier was just visible in the distance. Could we ski the cloud layer?

The light was spectacular. It was cold, windy with more cold. The ground was frozen. The loose rocks that we had to contend with yesterday were a thing of the past.

I had forgotten my balaclava, so I used my camp towel and set of goggles to hold it in place.

I worked with gloves on, as the wind froze my hands without them. I had to rotate the camera battery about every four-five shots as it died from the cold.

I found it very difficult to operate the camera shutter with the gloves on.

The three amigos on the summit of Mt. Adams on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 9:38 AM, Mt. Rainier in the distance. The water and Gatorade were frozen in the bottles. I managed to take a 360° panoramic shot, hoping I captured the moment. It was time to go.

After getting back down to camp, we packed up the remaining gear and headed on down to lunch rocks and out. A few other parties were just starting to come up, but for the most part we were the only ones out there.

The down climb turned out to be the hardest part. Isn’t it always? Oh, to have young knees again.

You can find a collection of the photos to view as a slide show at:

http://www.photoadventureswithed.com/Galleries/HoodRiver/08/MtAdams/

The moment

Originally uploaded by bikeourplanet

To be an adventure photographer is all about being in the moment. To capture the peak of action. I’m always ready to head off in a new direction in pursuit of that perfect picture.

Recently while still on the ferry back from the Wounded Warriors ride in the Hamptons I got a phone call asking if I could head up to the Whites on the motorcycle and do a quick 9 mile technical hike and photo shoot on the waterfall trail. This was to be a test run for a trip coming up next week where we’ll be climbing Mt. Adams and mountain biking Mt. St. Helen. Naturally I jumped at the chance.

When I hike I keep the camera ready to go in in holster back at my hip. I have to move as fast as everybody else, and rarely have much time for setup. I have a portable strobe setup using pocket wizards that I can literately drop in trees and behind rocks to add a little punch when I need to bend the light a bit. But I have to be fast, for the moment doesn’t last and the people I’m with don’t usually pose or do a second take.

Working quickly and keeping my camera out for that moment has allowed me to develop a connection to my surroundings. A sensitivity to the moment. I was popping off a test frame, getting ready to capture my hiking partner as he was about to pass a massive waterfall, watching the light as it filtered down through the trees. Looking for the correct angle while not falling into the stream as I jumped from one wet rock to the next.

A young man walked across my path, stopped suddenly, and bowed his head. Something about his contemplative look caught my eye. I dropped quickly, getting a little wet, and grabbed the moment. He moved off a half moment later and the spell was gone. I got some more frames as my buddy went by and we headed off.

We hiked along several more miles until were at the top of Mt. Lafayette. I was taking some background shots while a family came up. We started talking, nice day and all that. They mentioned that they just had the weirdest event happen. They were about to call a friend to let him know that they wished he was there. A too-bad-you-couldn’t-make-the-hike call, the weather is awesome dude. Around the next bend they ran into him and in the processes of “Wow, that’s freaky!” it turned out that their friend, the same contemplative young man from merely moments before, had just proposed to his girlfriend on the trail.

Luckily for them, there was an adventure photographer ready to capture that fleeting moment.

Cheers, and good luck!

Nobody wants a flat tire. They’re the epitome of aggravation, resulting in bad karma, a disrupted day, a delay in our already rushed lives. Nothing good can come from a flat tire. That is, nothing other than getting it fixed.

We’re in the Hamptons getting ready to ride the Empire State Metric Century Challenge for wounded warriors. The locals direct us to a fine little Italian restaurant. A glass or two of wine later were all boasting about our kids and the strange things we do to get them ready for life as adults. I mention that I won’t let my girls drive unless they can prove they can change a tire and at least identify the major engine parts. Yes they have AAA and cell phones, but you never know when they don’t work. My girls have of course put up with this and responded by demonstrating changing flat while politely keeping their true feelings on the matter well hidden from dear old dad.

On the way back to camp we get flagged down by four very pretty young women. They’re out of cell phone range and they have a tire that has literally shredded itself in half from the attempt to drive it without air pressure. The flagging down of help was done with trepidation and a wave so small they could change to a “drive on” if we didn’t meet their standards. Not that the Hamptons teems with many people that one needs to worry about.

Well what a good parent I must be. My kids could have changed the tire and moved on. My case has been proved to my fellow riders.

We’re all over ourselves helping these girls out. Rescuing damsels in distress brings out the idiotic in men. The car is in deep loose sand so we need to use a rotting log to shore up the jack and do a bit of digging to get the tire out. Several tired but politely laughed-at jokes later, we manged to get the deed done without ruining the jack or the car. An amazing feat, done right before our very eyes.

The girls offer to reward our sweaty deeds of daring do with cash. The code for road side knights in shining armor causes us to disdain such things. We do mention our upcoming quest to help the wounded warriors.

I mention the deed to my girls. See dad was right after all. I of course get the very polite smile back. Yes dad, we know you were right. My excellent parenting has taught them a great skill. They are very deft at changing the course of a conversation.

A few days after the ride I get an email. The girls have donated a kingly sum to the wounded warriors on our behalf.

Now I must rethink my parenting ideas, at least as far as flat tires goes. It seems that getting helped can cause one to pass on the help to someone even more in need of boost. Allowing oneself to be helped seems to in fact generate more goodwill in yourself and the world.

I’d like to thank the four young women – passing on a minor deed to alleviate an air pressure problem has inflated my sense of goodness in the world. And I got to act like I was knight in shining armor, which of course is always good for dear old dad’s ego.

Thanksgiving.

Everybody is rushed, the family is coming over, you have to get the food, clean the house… You know how it is: Crazy busy. Easy to lose that smile.

Three days before last Thanksgiving our oven breaks. Even if we could get the part, which we can’t, it’s half the cost of the oven. So we look for a new oven. Of course, nobody has one or can get one in time.

You know that Disney tune, Keep smiling, keep smiling …

The car’s transmission drops oil all over the driveway. Okay, no problem. We can use the truck and get by. Let’s just find that oven.

You know that Disney tune, Keep smiling, keep smiling …

Well, while looking for the oven we find the solution to the car. Amy sees a used 2005 Mini Cooper S on the corner of car lot. And we can make the payments.

Smiling is working. Keep smiling, keep smiling …

We find an oven. It’s a floor model with some minor defects (it’s missing a burner grate) that we can live with. It was either that or cook the dinner outside on some logs. Amy opted for the floor model, I would would have opted for the logs. I honestly think it would have been more fun.

We have a great Thanksgiving, disaster avoided. Everybody’s happy. Keep smiling, keep smiling …

Now while all this normal life stuff is going on, I’m starting to dedicate my work to charity in a big way. I start up this project connections thing and I’m forming a new charity called Project Outlook, which I’ll tell you about later.

While our lives have these crazy normal everyday things that drag us here and there, there are those of us that are dealing with things a bit more problematic than a broken stove or a car.

Amy takes the new Mini to Virgina Internal Raceway. The broken oven and continuous smile have led us to a new hobby.

While taking pictures for Phil Wicks I meet Taylor. His son Jason is riding his mini on the track, for fun like rest of us, but for him its a bit more focused. You see Jason is fighting Cystic Fibrosis. According to his dad, Jason racing his Mini Cooper is part of his “bucket list”.

I guess the point is, that if you keep your head up and smile when the little things fall apart – like a car or an oven, you just might be able to look up and see the people who are showing us how to deal with bigger issues. Jason’s dad was all smiles talking about his son. It’s great to meet people who keep on smiling, no matter what has been thrown their way.

I hope I have a some great pictures for them so they can have something to remember the day a little bit better. It’s my small way of saying thanks for the memories and smiles that they have given me. It’s a big part of what this web site is all about. You can find the pictures of the day over here.