Rick and Kathy Ryan, and their daughter Summer were good friends of our family when I was growing up in Hammond, Louisiana. My Dad took them out canoeing for the first time, and we did a lot of bicycle rides with them.

Shortly after I joined the Navy in 1980 Rick and Kathy moved to Durango, Colorado. The last time I saw them was during a road trip in 1986. Rick was working at 4 Corners Marine and took me rafting down the Animas River. We had a lot of fun.

Between then and now Rick had a full career with the U.S. Ranger service, yes he is Ranger Rick, and then they bought a beautiful little home in Cortez, Colorado just 50 miles away from Durango.

I really enjoyed visiting them today. This will be one of the highlights of this summer’s trip.

It got cold in Bend last month, and I realized that I wanted a nice winter hat. Inspired by my friend Brianna’s beautiful bearskin fur hat I began searching for something, distinctive. I found Fern Stanton near Lake Tahoe. Her hats are amazing! They’re custom made with wonderful faux fur, and they look great.

I had some questions about the color available. After a couple of email exchanges I got my hat in the mail for $39. This is a great deal on a hat like this. It’s very comfortable, very warm, and very good looking. You can wear it with the fur flipped down to cover your ears or flipped up.

She asked me to send her a photo because her husband is her only model. Here’s what she said:

OMG Philip. That hat looks fantastic on you…..and what a handsome model
you make. I know why your boss at work told you to charge me…but I’m glad
you didn’t…since I’m poor and hoping that someday these hats will find
their way to the top of every head out there. I’ll try to link your site to
the photo. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m up for the challenge. Thank
you again and I’m glad you look so frickin cute in that hat.
Take care,
Fern at the Fernie Farm

Here are some more photos of the hat.

She says there are two rules for this hat.
1. Don’t put it into a dryer.
2. Don’t sit too close to a wood stove.
The faux fur will melt.

Video by Philip Robert

Roll35.com is imminent. We will be launching today, today, today, today, ok, maybe tomorrow. We’re working our tails off and the site will be live soon. Roll35.com the Social Networking Publishing Company of the 21st Century.

The Charles
Schulz Philosophy

The
following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz,
the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic
strip.

You don’t
have to actually answer the questions. Just
ponder on them. Just read the post straight
through, and you’ll get the
point.

1. Name the
five wealthiest people in the
world.

2. Name the
last five Heisman trophy
winners.

3. Name the
last five winners of the Miss America
pageant.

4. Name ten
people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer
Prize.

5. Name the
last half dozen Academy Award winners for best
actor and actress…

6. Name the
last decade’s worth of World Series
winners.

How did you
do?

The point
is, none of us remember the headliners of
yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are
forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried
with their owners.

Here’s
another quiz. See how you do on this
one:

1. List a
few teachers who aided your journey through
school.

2. Name
three friends who have helped you through a
difficult time.

3. Name
five people who have taught you something
worthwhile.

4. Think of
a few people who have made you feel appreciated
and special!

5. Think of
five people you enjoy spending time
with.

Easier?

The
lesson:

The people
who make a difference in your life are not the
ones with the most credentials.. the most
money… or the most awards. They simply are the
ones who care the most!

Pass this
on to those people who have made a difference in
your life, like I did.

“Don’t
worry about the world coming to an end today.
It’s already tomorrow in Australia
!”

“Be
Yourself, Everyone Else Is
Taken!”

Kayaking the Deschutes River in Bend

Last weekend my niece Joanna Ridgeway came to town for a visit, and we went kayaking on the Deschutes River. No white water on this trip, just a pleasant paddle upstream from Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe Shop to the Bill Healy bridge. This section of the Deschutes is backed up by a low damn which was built to create a pond where logs were stored for the local saw mill. Well the saw mill is now called the Old Mill District and it has been renovated into a shopping and entertainment district in Bend.

Joanna enjoying a beautiful day.

The guys over at Alder Creek have a great location right on the water in Bend. It’s so easy to rent kayaks, canoes, and gear and get right on the river for a fun afternoon. I’m really looking forward to attending their whitewater classes so I can get a good combat roll down. Then it’s time to get into the gnarly stuff.

Joanna making Bend look even more beautiful.

The Bend Farmers Market in Drake Park

It’s June and the Farmers Market is here. Every Wednesday in Drake Park a ton of local growers assemble to sell their produce to the locals of Bend, Oregon. This takes place half a block away from my apartment, and I’ve been looking forward to it since arriving in Bend in January.

Sorry, No Dogs allowed in the Farmers Market.

You could probably say that I’m going to be a regular at this thing.

Summer Squash and Tomatoes

Carrots and Turnips

Lettuce

Greens and Strawberries

More fresh produce at the Bend Farmers Market in Drake Park

Sweet Onions, Beets, Turnips, and Radishes. Every kid's culinary nightmare.

Find more photos of the Bend Farmers Market at On the Go Go in the photogallery.

Bend Farmers Market presented by Philip Robert.

This is a video that I wish I had seen when I was 16. Next month I’ll be making the final payment on my current car, a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport with 176,000 miles. This will be the last car payment I ever make because I’m not going to borrow money anymore. Over the course of my adult life I’ve always had a car payment, and recently I did the math to discover that I’ve made about $81,000 in car payments. Some of those cars were great cars, but really what have I got for all of that money? A run down SUV…

A lot of people will question the interest rate. I’m sure that you could find a fund that will return12%. It’s not going to be easy, but if you look I’m sure they’re out there. Even if you were only getting 8% this still works. It just takes a bit longer.

The other thing that always caught me up on my cars was tires. When it comes time to replace them that is going to be a $400 to $800 expense. The easy way is to put $25 to $50 a month aside each month for replacement tires. Then when its time to change the rubber on your ride you’re ready.

Best wishes on your cars.

Texas road sign. Beaumont to El Paso

I’ve been a nomad this year. Three months in Malibu, two in Ashland, one in Arkansas, one month in Louisiana, and five months in Texas. Then there was the month I spent traveling from Oregon to Arkansas… The year has been filled with wonderful adventure, a bit of disappointment, new insights, and longing dreams.

Of the goals that I set out for myself I’ve achieved two….. I’ve learned how to write and design web sites, and I made it to Arkansas for our family’s reunion. The goals that have fallen by the wayside this year shall be picked up again. Dusted off for the coming year

The New Year is dawning. Once again I’ll be traveling across the country seeking love, happiness, and adventure. There is a tiny difference this year. I know where I want to be, and what I have to do. The picture is much clearer now than it was a year ago.

Some of my goals for this year:

Move to Bend, Oregon
Learn to Kayak whitewater.
Attend Burning Man.
Attend Joe and Britany’s wedding in Houston in October.
Learn to play the guitar.
Create a successful internet marketing business.
Seek out love, happiness, and adventure.

Here’s to all the memories of 2008 and all the possibilities of 2009.

May you all have a joyous, prosperous year in 2009.

Some people might think it foolish to chase off after the syren song of your soul’s passions. I think that it is foolish to give up. I don’t know if I’ll ever find what I’m seeking, but I’m sure as hell going to go looking. Maybe if I stay in one place it’ll find me, but I’m not going to wait around to find out. Better to search and never find than to sit at home and wait.

So now I’m traveling. Over the hills and far away searching for love, happiness, and adventure. My first stop was Houston where I spent the weekend with my friends Dan and Kimberly Bliquez. We went out to a movie (Step Brothers), barbecued in the back yard, and talked about our projects, our dreams, our hopes and our ambitions. We found encouragement and inspiration in our enthusiasm and passion. It was a great weekend for me.

Sunday I went into the heart of Texas. I’m staying with my cousin Michael Lebeau in New Braunfels, Texas for a little while. Once upon a time about twenty five years ago I came to New Braunfels to canoe the Guadalupe river, and I still remember that as one of the best floats I’ve ever done. I arrived just before sunset and Michael took me to Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ for an excellent dinner of slow cooked bbq’d brisket, cole slaw, and ice cold Shiner Bock. Welcome to Texas! After dinner just as the sun was dipping below a scarlet sky we headed over to Gruene to the oldest dance hall in Texas. People were out on the streets, tubers were heading home from a day on the river, and the sound of sweet cajun music drifted out of the old dance hall.

Stepping inside felt like stepping back in time. This wasn’t a glitzy club where people came to see and be seen. This was a dance hall where people came to listen to good music, dance, and have a few beers with their friends. Ponty Bone was center stage tickling the ivories on his accordion, and belting out a bluesy, zydeco, americana. The audience was swayin to the beat, and five or six couples were doing a Texas Swing out on the dance floor. Michael and I grabbed a bottle of the national beer of Texas, Shiner Bock, had a seat at one of the long tables fronting the stage, and watched Ponty Bone and his band finish out their set.

Shiner Bock, The National Beer of Texas!

The band finished playing, and everyone began to get up to head home. It was 9PM. A little early, but after all, it was Sunday. Michael and I went up to meet Ponty and buy a cd. I told him that I’d never seen anyone make playing an accordion look so cool.

On the way home Michael gave me a quick tour of New Braunfels. We crossed over the Guadalupe in Gruene where I saw the little dive that had the best cheeseburgers in Texas last time I was here. The fact that I had that cheeseburger after a long day on the Guadalupe and a swim at Hueco Falls might have had something to do with how good I thought it was, but I’m sure they still make great burgers there. Driving through town we passed by Comal Springs which is the beginning of the “longest, shortest river in the world.” The Comal flows about two miles through New Braunfels before joining the Guadelupe river. Later I’ll go through town exploring and discovering all these places on my own. I’m glad I’ll be here for a while. For long enough to get to know the place because it looks like an interesting place to live.

Hammond, Louisiana sits in the middle of South East Louisiana in beautiful farm country. The terrain is not so exquisite as some place I’ve visited before like here or here, or here. The recreation opportunities don’t look like this.

But sometimes the awesomeness of the sky makes up for it. Summer time in South East Louisiana means thunderstorms. It means huge cumulus clouds towering up into the sky in a riot of white puffiness and awesome light.

Here in the flat bottom land of the Mississippi River, it’s as if God created a canvas of open sky to create dazzle us from time to time.

One of my professors at film school used to have a quote on her emails that said “I don’t know how clouds are formed, but clouds know how to do it, and that’s the important part.” Point in fact she did know how clouds are formed, as should any fifth grader, (You listening Jeff Foxworthy?) as do I. Looking up at these marvelous wonders the science is insignificant compared to the spectacle.