Family ROCKS!

A few weeks ago we got quite a surprise when we learned that my cousin Dawna was in the Detroit area on a 'business' trip. The eldest daughter of my mom's brother travelled from the San Francisco Bay area to Michigan for the Detroit Grand Prix.


Dawna, the coolest person EVER, works as a team member for team Lux Performance Group . She's been involved in the racing world for over 10 years and has the most fascinating stories. I'll admit that the racing scene is new to me, but I certainly recognize the biggies in the racing world:
Daytona in 2003:



Though her schedule was tight, we were all able to get together for a last-minute dinner, and enjoyed reminiscing as family and learning about the interesting world of race car driving. Dan tried to scam some Grand Prix ticket, but instead had to settle for some Team Lux Prix paraphernalia (he wasn't disappointed). We were even able to snap a parking lot picture taken with a cell phone's camera, and while it's not intelligible to most, this unexpected family portrait is a cherished one:


P.s.: While corresponding over email & getting all these great pictures to put on the blog, my cous' just happened to meet Sammy Hagar, who came into her business to buy a car that day!

A Huntin' We Will Go

Today, September 1st, was opening day of the fall 2008 goose season. Dan has waited for this day with eager anticipation, and was up at 4:30am to get out on the lake and get all set up. I am not that early of a riser, and ended up getting up at 6:00am. When I got back to the lake, I was amazed at how beautiful and quiet it was, with the mist lifting off of the lake and sun just starting to wake up for the day:



I was totally tricked by the decoys, too. Dan did a pretty convincing job of setting them out:



This being my first time goose hunting, I was pretty surprised by the mass amount of waiting that one has to do. Dan explained that the waiting is very much part of the process, and that I should focus on nature and take it all in. Since I was sitting in a large bush and could not see a darn thing, this suggestion fell on deaf ears. I did start playing around with the camera, and realized that I was able to catch some pretty cool shots of all three of us, but in a less traditional way! Check out the series for yourself! You have to look really carefully, but you should be able to see all the participants:





By 11:00am, I fizzled out, but dedicated Dan remains at his post, even as I type this. His plan is to be there until dusk. Keep your fingers crossed that he gets something. During my 4-hour stint, we saw only 2. . .!!

The hunters: