On Thursday Jeff and I took advantage of the nice weather and managed to get out in the evening on a bike ride to Belgrade.

I have a big test tomorrow but the weather this weekend was too nice to stay inside under the fluorescent lights all day.

My boy Jeff and I did a road ride up Hyalite Canyon today. It was phat yo. Check out these sweet pics. Bozeman rulez.

Fall goes by quickly in Bozeman. School has been keeping me well occupied these days, but I have managed to take a few pictures of the season on occasion.

Bozeman Ultimate played at the Big Sky Sectionals in Missoula this weekend. We went 4-1 in pool play, losing a close game to the number 1 overall seed, the Missoula Flycoons.

Sunday we went 2-1, losing to Pyschopastique from Edmonton, Canada and beating Boise to earn a spot to go to Northwest Regionals in Corvallis, Oregon in October.

Click on the photo for a gallery of some shots from the weekend.

Davy and I did some rock climbing during his brief stay in Bozeman. We climbed Gallatin Tower, 3 fun pitches in the Gallatin Canyon. It was only Davy’s second time climbing outside (the first being when we went the day before) and he handled it like an old pro.

Yesterday in Bozeman we had a couple of short but serious storms. In summer the weather around here is typically dry but yesterday was an exception.

I had my camera for the 2nd storm.

After having a very carefree beginning of the summer with lots of time to take and post pictures, this week has found yours truly both starting to teach summer school and being the only person responsible for the de-cluttering and subsequent cleaning for a landlord’s inspection of a 5 bedroom house that has spent 3 years being a free for all.

Today was supposed to be the end of my residence at 1320 S 6th Ave all but the inspector person didn’t show up. ( actually 4 days ago was the original plan but things keep coming up).

The point is 7 hours of scrubbing starts to get to you.

Another point is don’t fill your abode with a bunch of crap you don’t actually want/need because one day you (or your roommate) might have to move it.

Picture overload probably. I wasn’t seeing me having a lot of time to post these in the next week so I thought making this post would be a good study break. The costumes these people had were really incredible. The clothes are totally handmade as well, with really intricate bead work that doesn’t show up in the tiny pictures I’m posting on here.

The last picture is of Luke and a Native American Studies student Michael Sweeney as they were leading their congratulatory procession. It was really heartwarming to watch as people come up to shake hands and give hugs and then get in line.

So I was at the Montana State University American Indian Council Pow Wow for a couple hours yesterday. My friend Luke was honored for his service to the Native American community at the school. Congratulations Luke!

Pow Wows are especially unique events for someone like myself who hasn’t been exposed to a lot of Native American culture. I took a lot of pictures and here are a few. I’ll put up more later but right now I have to study for the final I have tomorrow.

Monday afternoon and my classes for the semester will be finished. It has been a warm weekend in Bozeman as well, which I am grateful for.

Friday was my roommate Dawn’s 30th Birthday. She is the last remaining person of our house who has been here longer than me, and she is also totally rad. I vote her most likely to make cookies for everyone. She is graduating this year and leaving Bozeman. Dawn you will be missed.

We had a most excellent dinner at the house and then headed downtown to check out the ol’ Bozeman bar scene. Before Friday I can’t remember the last time I was in a bar. Well actually it was in Missoula. I almost forgot what college bars are like, a social psychologist’s field day.

Good times were had by all and even the walk home in the cold wasn’t too bad. Happy Birthday Dawn.

I’ve been a little weather obsessed lately. To compliment the snowy pictures here’s what things looked liked around campus last Thursday evening. It was warm, I was in shorts and a sweatshirt. Being from North Carolina it is odd when it stays light until 9 pm but none of the trees have any leaves on them. The grass is getting green though, there is some color emerging from the whites and browns of winter.

It is supposed to be cold for the next couple of days but I know spring can’t be too far away.

Monday it was 70 degrees and the first day I’ve worn shorts this year.

Tuesday 5.7 inches of snow fell, a record for the day, beating the old record of 5 inches set in 1896.

That is Montana weather for you. Guess which day I took these pictures on.

As of tomorrow at noon it will officially be Spring Break for us Montana State folks. Kez and I are driving down the the Grand Canyon and plan on stopping by Bryce Canyon NP as well (I’ve never actually been there.)

We have had a bunch of snow up here and I’ve been enjoying it, but it’ll be nice to get to somewhere a little warmer and less snowy.

To tide you over until next week here are some random picture I’m pulling out from the vault. Except for the picture of the pine needles which I took today.

Photoshop is an amazing tool and one without which digital photography is sorely lacking. I’m not very skilled at Photoshop but the following “before and after” of an old picture that I messed with the other day illustrates how you can make your pictures better without being over-the-top or altering reality too much.

The third picture is just a shot of Mainstreet, Bozeman I took a couple days ago. Before Photoshop it was a picture of an old shoe.

Just when everyone in Bozeman was about to put on their snorkels and flip flops old man winter arrived with a little bit of the white stuff. It is a win-win situation though because I’m happy when it snows and I’ll be happy when I can wear shorts.

On a totally unrelated note here are some pictures from two nights ago. Our friend Elizabeth had Kez and I over for dinner and it was awesome. She was nice enough to give me the recipe but I doubt it’ll be half as good when I make it. That is Kelly on the baritone. They are going to get married later this year.

As a special bonus, you can ponder as to whether the self-portrait of me looks more like a sailor, a statistician, or a hobo.