Sailing

Stacy had always wanted to take saling lessons so we decided to do it during the summer of 2003. As one would expect, the Georgia summer days were practically windless, so we learned to sail without really sailing that much.

Stacy at the Helm

What a perfect day. We went out and there were no other boats. The wind was blowing nicely and the temperature was cool. A great day sailing.

 

Jeb at the Helm 

Patrick and Shannon Stomach Surfing

When we stopped to swim and eat the boat started drifting close to land. So, we cranked up the engine and moved further out. So S&P wouldn't have to get out of the water, we just towed them behind. They made a fun game of it.

 

Heeling Quite Nicely

This was earlier in the summer when we went sailing with Patrick and Shannon. The wind was really blowing and we were heeling over so much the lower rail was touching the water at times. As you can tell from Shannon's expression, she's was a bit uncomfortable with the angle.

 

Synchronized Kissing 

Wales

Between jobs last August, I made a very last minute trip to Wales. Stacy wasn't able to go with me so it quickly became a castle tour given Stacy's disdain for forts and castles. This was my first time in Britain and my first time driving on the left. Overall, I had a great time. The food wasn't as bad as they say and the beer was excellent. The countryside was beautiful and lush with an ever-changing blend of rolling hills, steep mountains, winding rivers and ocean vistas. I'll tell more about the trip in the following picture captions.

Conwy Castle from the Town Wall.

This picture really doesn't do the castle or the town justice. It's perched right on a tidal inlet and the old wall still encircles the entire town. You can walk about half-way around the town on the wall, retracing the footsteps of countless guards and watchmen over the ages. The castle was very nicely preserved. The town was cute, but a bit touristy. When I asked the owner of the B&B I was staying in if she could point me to a pub where tourists weren't likely to be found and her reply was, "Well, this is a tourist town now isn't it." Exactly.

 

Conwy Tidal Inlet.

This is the tidal inlet on which Conwy Castle sits. Not an hour after this photo the tide had pulled almost all the way out and the entire inlet was dry. Sailboats had a vertical and two angled keels to keep the boat relatively upright when grounded. I later walked about 1/2 way to the Irish Sea along an old seawall.

 

Conwy Castle View.

A view into the castle from one of the tall towers. An overexposed view of part of the town is in the background.

 

Conwy Stairwell.

I'm enthralled by staircases in old structures. It's here you can typically see the impact of centuries of use in the depressed center/front of each step. Also, you touch the walls just wondering who and how many people put their hands there for support.

 

Inland from Conwy.

A view inland from the town of Conwy taken from the top of the town wall. The tiny portion of roof in the lower middle is the B&B at which I stayed for the first evening. Much of Wales looked just like this but with fewer man-made structures.

 

Cable Bay on the Anglesey Coast.

I went to see a neolithic burial chamber right on the coast of the island off the northern tip of Wales. It was neither warm nor cool and a soft wind was blowing. For the most part, the only sounds I could hear was the wind, the surf, and some sheep in a nearby field. Interestingly, the ground must have had some thick moss under the grass b/c it often felt like I was walking on a cushion of some sort. I found it all very calming.

 

Rock  

Cable Bay 

Barclodiad y Gawres Burial Chamber 

Historical Sign.

I don't think I'll be learning Welsh anytime soon.

 

Dolbadarn Castle.

This was the only tower left of an original Welsh castle (vs. English-built castle) up on a hill guarding a long valley near Mt. Snowdon. It wasn't much to look at but the location (which I couldn't do justice without an IMAX camera) was outstanding.

 

Dolbadarn Castle Stairs.

Again with the stairs.

 

Iron Age Hill Fort.

Just on the next rise and a hair higher than Dolbadarn Castle was a grouping of rocks stuck into the ground in a way that wasn't quite natural. There was nothing but the sound of the wind up here. After relaxing for a while in the tall grass, an older gentlemen arrived with his Jack Russell. It turns out he comes there all the time to unwind and contemplate life. I asked him about the rock and he shared the history that this was a very old lookout post (pointing out the excellent views up/down the valley and the steep grade all around). The dog must have been old as it sat still most of the time.

 

Mt. Snowdon Peak.

A view from just below the peak during one of the few breaks in the coulds which continually drifted by obscuring and then revealing a breathtaking view. If you look closely (or have Superman vision), you can see domestic sheep wandering around the steep cliffs.

 

Mt. Snowdon in the Clouds.  

Mt. Snowdon Out of Clouds.

The clouds were fickle, rolling in blocking the view and then rolling out revealing the view. When I first arrived on top, it was fogged in. Every now and then you would get a glimpse of what was out there. Eventually, the clouds rolled off and didn't return.

 

Level Camera off Mt. Snowdon.

This picture was taken with the camera pretty much level with the horizontal I was standing on and shows the 80 degree and steeper grades off the peak.

 

Fence Ladder.

I didn't realize but Britain is completely criss-crossed with walking paths, much of which crosses private property. To cross the many fences without risking letting the livestock loose, they put in ladders such as these. I think that's an excellent approach - responsible public use of private lands for recreation.

 

Jeb and the Snowdon Valley.

I'm near the summit taking a picture North toward the Irish Sea, which you can see in the far background. You can see a portion of the trail down in the middle of the screen.

 

Trail back down Mt. Snowdon.

A view of the trail back down. I took the Snowdon railway up (an old coal-driven engine) and then hiked back down.