My Hobbies

Beekeeping Beekeeping - I began keeping bees in July 2008. I originally received two hives from Richard Hosey and have had as many as four hives. I keep bees using a minimalistic approach that involves no treatments and limited supplemental feed. I bottle a small amount of honey each year which is shared with friends and family. For the 2012 beekeeping season, I plan to expand to 8-10 hives. If you'd like to place bees on your Louisville-area property, feel free to contact me.
Gardening Gardening - I grew up watching my Dad garden with raised beds, and have recently started to do the same. In August 2011 I purchased 12.5 acres of land in Oldham County, KY, where I have set up the beginnings of a rather large garden. 2012 will be my first full year of gardening, and I hope to have a large number of crops. I have already planted garlic and winter wheat. Eventually I hope to have a detailed section on the website describing my gardening endeavours.
Brewing Homebrewing - For the past 7 years I have been brewing custom ales and lagers. In that time I have brewed 78 different recipes and used a wide range of malts, hops, and yeast strains. I brew a variety of styles, my favorites include hefeweizen, dunkelweizen, pilsener, Belgian ales and imperial stout. I brew all-grain recipes in 10 gallon batches using a series of converted 1/2bbl kegs. Homebrewing is an excellent hobby that I recommend to anyone who loves cooking and beer.
Photography Photography - I started taking photos sometime in the 90s with a typical 35mm camera. Since then I've had several digital cameras. This first was the Kodak DC280, which I bought to take product photos for eBay. In 2006, just prior to a trip abroad, I received a Canon Powershot SD450 from my parents. This camera served me well for many years, and I highly recommend the Canon ELPHs. Currently, I take pictures with my iPhone 3GS and the Olympus Evolt E520. In the future I hope to setup an online photo gallery with some of my pictures.
Snowboarding Snowboarding is the newest and probably the most fun of my hobbies. Riding down a mountain provides an opportunity to experience exhilarating speed and beautiful landscapes while carving your own path. At first I was not very serious, I started with a few skiing sessions in 2000 & 2001, and in 2006 I went snowboarding in Snowshoe, WV. During the 2010/2011 season, I spent time reading about technique, watching videos, and went to Perfect North, IN about four times. I'm very excited about the upcoming season and am hoping to make a return trip to West Virginia and an initial visit to Colorado.
Travel Traveling is more than just leaving home, it's about exploring the world around you, and experiencing new things. During my life I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit many different landmarks and locales, and hope to visit many more. I have seen the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, Disney World, Oktoberfest, the Eiffel Tower, ancient cities and modern metropolises. I've been to every state east of the Mississippi, Canada, Mexico, and eight countries in Western Europe. In the hopefully not-to-distant future I'd love to visit California, the Caribbean, South America and Southeast Asia. My favorite destination thus far is Spain, and in particular Barcelona.