In between the 6 hours of client appointments and the stack of desk & computer work that we did yesterday, Steve and I found time to kayak with Venture Outdoors and take a quick bike ride. Okay, so maybe we had to start at 6:15 am to fit that in, but at least it was a beautiful morning.

We found friendlier folks on the river yesterday (see “propositioned on the river’). They were a robust group of individuals, wide awake and ready to row. But as we started out from the launching site at PNC Park, it soon became clear to Steve and me that they were a little hardier than we are at that hour of the day. We met some interesting people and chatted with them as they passed us by. Great photo I took - of everyone’s backs!

Today, we are off to West Virginia for an engagement session at one of our favorite places, Oglebay, with a member of one of our favorite families. Emily & Jack will be married this fall - we have already photographed her sister, brother and her sister-in-law’s sister at Oglebay. So, we are challenged to find new locations so that Emily & Jack’s photos will be unique.

Tomorrow we will start the day with a bike ride to the South Side and if the weather cooperates, we’ll work from our laptop at the pool and see fireworks in the evening.

Saturday we join Kelly & Will as they celebrate their marriage - they are deserving of a full page story on this blog because they are so funny! The story of how they met is hilarious - more on that later.

We wish you all a safe and happy 4th of July!

Life’s been busy with wedding season in full swing, but we’ve managed to get out of the cave and from behind the computer a little and hit the bike trail, rivers and lake.

Barb and I had designs on tackling the Great Allegheny Passage this year - the bike trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC -  but it was time to take care of an nagging handball knee injury during the off season - thank you Doc Harner. So, it’s going to take another year of training.

We’ve had some great bike rides - most mornings were out on the riverfront trail and on Friday, we extended it a bit from Millvale through downtown to the Eliza Furnace trail (a.k.a the jail trail) across the new hot metal walking/biking bridge and down the Monogahela to Station Square and return.

It’s a little hairy ride, though, through downtown during rush hour traffic.

We love the Freeport to Butler PA trail, but it’s a 40 mile round trip and takes some time.  It’s a beautiful trail and usually very quiet.

We’re totally hooked now on kayaking, both on the river and on North Park Lake (our son Dave is working there this summer for Kayak Pittsburgh).  And, Barb’s been rowing starboard on an “8″ on Monday nights with a group of ladies through Three Rivers Rowing.

Here’s a couple of shots from Venture Outdoors member day - great fun. Barb and our daughter Nina.

If anyone wants to join us, we’re going to start doing the Wednesday morning Venture Outdoors wake up paddles downtown - there’s not too much traffic at 6:15AM ;}