It Takes a Village

While I think the saying "It takes a village" is off base family-wise, at least as a blanket statement used in a semi-recent book. It is a great metaphor in instances like like this. I believe that it takes parents to raise a child, but community has a lesser but important role in shaping a child's sense of social awareness. This is a great little story and one similar to what I hope to be writing as Levi gets older.

Found on The Cleanest Line

During spring break last week, my son, Owen, and I joined up with five different families and friends in Hueco Tanks, Texas to enjoy a week of bouldering, camping and a refreshing dose of community-style living. I am a big believer in the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." I grew up in a large family (seven kids) and we lived in a neighborhood full of kids of all ages. Since our street formed the last cul-de-sac in a suburban neighborhood of Southern California...

Read the rest of the story here.

180 Degrees South -Trailer

I can't even put into words how much I'm looking forward to this film. Judging from the trailer, and previous Woodshed Films productions, this is going to be a huge hit with me and everyone that experiences it. Shelter was and is my favorite surf movie, and 180 South really seems to capture the spirit that makes me tick. I may not have had these levels of adventures, but its something I aspire to experience and to help my son experience as well. I'll be sure to put up a full review after I'm able to see the entire film.

Foto Friday 2/6/09

photo-maassen

Bedtime Stories for Wanderers

If stories are the currency of travel, then writer Ryan Nickum is a very wealthy man. By the time he turned 30, Nickum's passport was chock full of the brightly colored patchwork of entry and exit stamps from dozens of distant countries. He was consumed by a desire to travel and haunted by the inability to sit still. The gaps in his resume developed into oceans between jobs. Cynicism grew. The overwhelming urge to quit the job and pack a bag sprang up every six months like a song that would not leave his ears. With his career stalling and idealism flat lining, Nickum looked into his past to search for the seed of the travel affliction. There was only one person to blame -- his father....

Listen to the Short at the Dirtbag Diaries.

Foto Friday 2/13/09

On Surfari - Bocas Del Toro

On Surfari - Mauritius

Shayne and Shannon travel to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean to not only surf whats rumored to be the best point wave on the planet, but also to follow in the footsteps of Shayne's parents who traveled/lived there for a time while Shayne was a toddler.

Dangerous=Educational & Fun

There's a great blog article by Adventure Dad

A major study by Play England, part of the National Children's Bureau, found that half of all children have been stopped from climbing trees, 21 per cent have been banned from playing conkers and 17 per cent have been told they cannot take part in games of tag or chase. Some parents are going to such extreme lengths to protect their children from danger that they have even said no to hide-and-seek.

Read the post here