Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to not ask why?

It's been ingrained in me since I was a child to ask why - how - what . . . to make it a priority to understand things because in understanding there is power. You gain power to make a clear decision, you gain personal strength, a vision reveals itself.

Empathy is also a result of understanding as is a call to action. So many good things come from understanding.

But there is a time when asking why can break your heart.

Men at Work

Men at Work
Originally uploaded by Claddyjack.

The jobsite. Out in the cold everday these guys are working. Wind, snow, subzero temperatures. Laying steele and pouring concrete yesterday. click it - bettah large.

Feeling like this

Feeling like this
Originally uploaded by Claddyjack.

A place to put our books

A place to put our books
Originally uploaded by Claddyjack.

Here's our avocado bedroom. The flash makes the green brighter than it is - it is essentially the warm color of the inside of an avocado. mmmmmm, avocado.

It's official - Dave is a handyman. He's so handy and a man, he can do many things around the house and elsewhere. Here are the bedside floating tables he made last weekend - I stained them. Then he hung them. And they're wonderful! (Click for a few more photos of our cabin).

Bring on 2006!

Jaime is hot
Originally uploaded by Claddyjack.

This is Miss Jaime and she's hot.

We had a delicious pot luck dinner with old and new friends in Breckenrige for new year's eve. Afterwards we went for a cross-country ski hoping to catch the fireworks from the top of the mountain. We were running late, there were about 8 of us and we didn't quite make it to the top in time. So we skiied into a clearing to watch the sky turn colors to the synchronized booming. That's when I took these photos (click on Jaime to view a couple more). We skiied by moonlight, the trail was uphill, icy and full of "suprise whoops." The snow was so deep in the clearing that Sam and Dave took to climbing trees and jumping out face first into the snow. A real redneck move and hilarious! We could barely see them when they landed, the snow swallowing most of their bodies. Then we raced down Chinese Downhill style in the moonlight laughing and sliding on the ice. It was a beautiful and exhilerating way to bring in 2006.

I hope you had a safe and fun New Year's eve, and best of the best in 2006!