Sunday, January 25, 2015

Top 10: Most popular NON-travel posts (Unpublished #2)

This is Part 2 of a previously unreleased "Best of" series from January 2014, based on page views for my 2013 posts.  The 2014 page hits haven't been tallied yet.  My new blog content still isn't quite ready.  We've been celebrating baby Levi's first birthday since last Thursday with all of our might!  In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to have a look back.

Links look like this.  Last week's "Honorable mentions: Most popular non-travel posts" is here.  And the list of Top 10 travel posts (from 2013, *snicker*) is coming next!





A throwaway post about the latest tweets from @garth_hamilton on Twitter being added to my blog’s sidebar, as well as some other design changes







As if the bad Aerosmith jokes in my earlier Lovin' an Elevator: A tale of entrapment misadventure at PDX Airport weren't desperate enough, I returned to the well for our baby's gender announcement.  This one features an early guest photo appearance by baby Levi!






For a change, we had the family (plus a special guest) over to OUR house for Thanksgiving dinner.  This post also includes pics from the always-huge day after Thanksgiving extended family dinner at my parent's house.




This was a simple collection of exclusive Daddy-daughter photos from the previous year.

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I had so many favorites that the pics spilled over into Father’s Day week photos, Part 2: The Outtakes.




6.  Olympic Mountains, Day 1:



The spectacular photos of Mount Ellinor (which I'm climbing this winter season) and Mount Washington from Olympic Mountains, Day 2- Back on the trails took a back seat to family camping photos of Day 1.  Okay, so it was only car camping.

Scouting out Mount Ellinor/Washington  for Daddy's upcoming double-header climb

Lena lovingly sidetracks Daddy from setting up the tent

As a bonus, the follow-up "Day 2" camping blog boasted another exclusive-- A photo of Lena hiking her first mini trail!




5.  Sunriver, Pt 1: A wedding countdown (feat. Kathy)

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The excitement began to build during our preparations for Brent and Cheryl's wedding in Sunriver, near Bend.

And the Kathy-penned Part 2 featured the wedding ceremony, toasts, cake fight, reception, and after-party!

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4.  Once upon a time in Enchanted Forest



Lena visited Oregon's unique roadside theme park, Enchanted Forest, for her first time.  Daddy, Mommy, Grandma Lora (Mimi), and Uncle Tony came along for the ride.




3.  Breaking news: We’re pregnant again!!


Hot off the press-- Baby Levi cometh!




2.  Banks Lake heats up! (Pt. 2 of 2)




This entry was chocked full of tubing/ wakeboarding near-wipeouts pics from the second day of our family’s 31st annual Banks Lake camping trip.  That night's birthday shenanigans in Coulee City were just icing on the cake.




Camping photos from Day 1 were featured earlier in Banks Lake camping, Take 31.




1.  Video: Breaking news: Lena’s first steps!



A lifetime of Lena hiking, running, skiing, climbing, and playing sports has begun!



Coming next on Garth's Blog, one final "unpublished" post from January 2014 before we get to the new stuff...



Top 10: Most popular travel posts!


Monday, January 5, 2015

Honorable mentions: Most popular non-travel posts (Unpublished #1)

Happy New Year!!  Family time, ministry, international traveling, hikes, and climbs in December have kept me too busy to compile my annual Top 10 lists of popular posts for 2014.  Apparently, the end of 2013 was no different!

This is a previously unreleased “Best Of” series from January 2014, based on page views for my 2013 postsI’m obviously stalling for time until my new blog content is ready for next month.  The page hits from 2014 will be tallied soon.  The actual Top 10 list is coming in a few weeks... and the all-travel companion post to this list is coming later this month!

Links to each of the original photo-filled posts are below, in this color.


Before we get to the Top 10 non-travel posts in a couple days, here are a few  honorable mentions which were very popular but just barely missed the list:




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For whatever reason, this throwback day-after skydiving post was more popular than the parachuting action photos from Skydiving! A Birthday Throwback, Pt. 1. 

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Part. 2 featured photos from my birthday weekend festivities that didn't involve jumping out of a plane:  hiking, rock wall climbing, laser tag, go kart racing, and a Los Lobos concert.




Munra Point: Losing a climb, gaining a 14k frozen trail run


Ironically, this icy #HikingFail along our renamed Not Munra Point Trail was the result of me relying on trail directions from another hiking blogger.  It wouldn't have hurt for us to consult a map as well.

Spoiler alert Shaun and I did finally ascend past Munra Point proper in late 2014, when I led my “Munra Point morning scramble" hiking event for NW Wilderness.




 
The photos of Lena’s fascination with the animals are wonderful.  But the real highlight is an early video clip of Lena showing off her new walking skills!





A controversial YouTube video inspired this call to the ladies to keep it classy, and for the guys to respect the ladies.






Shaun, Seamus the dog, and I hiked up our favorite steep-y, the one and only Mount Defiance.  Yet again.  Since those skydiving posts were throwbacks to the previous year, this was my official birthday post of 2013. 




And finally...


The final post on this honorable mentions list was a simple plea for typhoon disaster relief, via either Church of God Ministries or Compassion International.  This may be old news to the western world, but the recovery and restoration efforts are still a reality for those living in those areas of the Philippines affected by this natural disaster.

Prayers and financial support for worldwide disaster and poverty relief efforts continue to be appreciated.


Coming later in January...

2014's unpublished post #2-


Top 10: Most popular recent non-travel posts!