Summer is Upon us. So its been a long time since I've typed and posted some photos. I've gotten wrapped up in this High Sierra Weather and have a guilt complex when I stay indoors. The weather is so amazing and there is so much to do all the time that I can't get myself to stay in and post things on the blog. My days in have been more focused on making art and developing a program that I helped to create and teach here in the Truckee/Tahoe Area. Its a suicide prevention program for middle school boys. It attempts to focus on and encourage positive core-values and leadership characteristics in young men. We discuss important real-life topics and attributes and then discuss how these topics could be represented visually via symbolism and representation. We then paint the topics on skateboards which the kids get to keep as reminders of what they have learned. The board acts as their personal coat of arms. It's a five week program that meets once a week. I teach and facilitate discussions, and photograph the program throughout. On the last day of the program I take a portrait of the student with their finished skateboard- and then we have a celebratory art show at the end of the year where we show the portraits and sellect boards. The program is called Positively Rolling (www.positivelyrolling.org). Its been really catching on around here. Its been about three and a half years since I moved to Truckee. And it's been a great ride. I feel that this place and my life here have developed and grown. I have an amazing crew of friends who are active, adventurous and supportive. In the winter time- I snowboard and splitboard as much as possible. Spring, summer and Fall I skateboard, mountain bike, swim and make art (www.randalowen.blogspot.com). I've got a great job at a great Italian Restaurant where I bartend and manage. I work for and with great people and we have great group of regulars that love what we do. We recently had our end of the year celebratory Art show for Positively Rolling. It was really cool. Ive been wanting to make that a reality for two years now and it felt really good to finally have a public showing of the kid's work. Following that I climbed a peak that I've been wanting to climb for a while. I'm not hiking much these days because the descent makes my knees scream (even with old man poles). Somehow skateboarding, snowboarding and mountain biking dont hurt my knees at all!?!? Aside from that I've been biking a lot, swimming in alpine lakes and living the summer time life. I'm really happy. I'll try to post some more because its a good time. here are some photos!!!