On the way back from Joshua Tree, Josh, Alex, Albert, and myself stopped at Texas Lucy’s in Temecula. We gorged ourselves on flatulence inducing grub, made obscene comments about the waitresses (whose ass cheeks and cleavage are more apparent than the Bush administration’s hypocrisy), and talked about climbing.

Josh mentioned a typical Monday morning workplace conversation wherein a co-worker half-heartedly asks him if he had a relaxing weekend, to which Josh merely grins and answers with a quick “yeah” rather than launching into a description that most people could not even begin to fathom. That’s when it hit me that our lives are indeed spectacular. Our group of friends, many of which could not make it to the BBQ this year, truly live life to the fullest.

Many groups are bound together by weak thread such as drugs, alcohol, crime, television, greed, fear, hatred, and negativity. This weekend was a gathering of INDIVIDUALS who strive for adventure, yearn for self-improvement, and cherish a life less ordinary. I capitalized the word “individuals” because what we achieve as a group is the result of each person’s dedication to a sound mind and sound body. I could say that we will all look back one day in pure satisfaction at the lives we have lived, but we are not the type to look back, nor are we the type to hope or pray for the future. I looked around at the people on top of Intersection rock and I saw a gathering of movers and shakers…of people who grab hold of fear and negativity and lay it to rest, and who know that what the mind can believe, it can achieve. I thank you all for being yourselves and for helping to paint such a beautiful mural of life.

Here is a link to my photos… http://mountainroad.smugmug.com/gallery/3781616#217940497

I would suggest viewing them in large format because they were taken with an SLR. You can also download them from the site for free.