Aloha Joe, mahalo nui loa (thank you from our whole hearts in Hawaiian) for coming to miss Karissa's 10th birthday party and making it extra special! We truly appreciate your enthusiasm, warmth and your genuine personality! Me ke aloha pumehana! - - Kaimana L.
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May 21st, 2005
Clark & Ann Honeymoon Update: Lhasa, Tibet (post Mt Kailash)
(the following is an excerpt from a recent Clark and Ann email)
 Our journey to Kailash was something that will forever
change our lives... We feel so immensely blessed to
have been able to experience such an adventure, and
even more blessed to have survived to tell about it. Each night we
went to bed in the twilight, as it was too cold to do
anything else. each morning we awoke to a fresh layer
of snow or thick frost.... But the beauty
of the land and the people swallowed up the misery of
the frigid air.
I had no idea about the Tibetan wind.
It makes sense, being in the mountains on top of the world that
there would be some wind to deal with, but the wind
made the windtunnel in Oregon we call the Columbia
Gorge seem like relative stillness. On one occasion we
had to have 7 people "wrestle" one tent into
readiness. Sandstorms would blow in and fill your
mouth and eyes with a thick layer of grit. A
leisurely walk or mediation session could quickly turn
into an all-out sprint for shelter. It was sometimes
absurdly persisent, and sometimes mercifully still,
but the wind was something we all came to respect on
our Kailash journey. We had entertained thoughts of 5
days on the mountain. It takes 3 days of near
constant hiking for most foreigners to complete the
kora. We thought that we wanted to go slower and take
time for meditation and contemplation, but we ended up
giving in to thoughts of survival and comfort and
agreed to do it in 3 days.
 The hike was unreal.
Beauty that you imagine to exist only in heaven. Of
course, to many religions, this is heaven....
But the mountain still demanded your attention. It
was a rocky and uneven hike at altitude. At this height,
each step was work. Most steps were up,
and on uneven rocks or over uncertain snow pack...
We were blessed with perfect weather, though.
It is nearly unheard of to get the weather that we
enjoyed on Kailash. The views were perfectly
unaltered and the daytime wind and temperatures were
kind. We rested at the top of (18,500ft!) Dramala pass for about an hour,
enjoying one of the most spectacular views in the
world....
More honeymoon updates as they become available!
Click here to look at some photos Clark & Ann have sent in!
|  | May 15th, 2005
Joe's Photo Gallery: New & Improved!
The photo gallery has been rearranged and updated!
A new section has been added to highlight the work of professional & amatuer photographers with whom Joe has come in contact over the years. Also, the old Joe gallery has been combined with the people's gallery to create an even larger collection of craziness than before!! Check it out here!
New photos added regularly as they become available!
| | May 3rd, 2005
Clark & Ann Honeymoon Update: Lhasa, Tibet
Hello all, greetings from Lhasa, Tibet! We are now on the roof of the world... with the ever present awareness of the 13,000 foot elevation... we all have had our own trip with the altitude: insomnia, diarrhea, headache, grasping for air, dizziness, no appetite, mental fog, etc... however, we are managing and each day seems to be getting better!
 Tibet is so surreal, unreal and every other real you can imagine! I can't believe it here. After all of the travelling that we have done in exotic places, this place takes the top prize. The people here are the most inspiring in the world! So bright and full of light and love that you keep thinking that you are in the best dream you have ever had. The smiles are like pure sunshine. It seems that every person has not outgrown their childhood, and that no one is taking themselves too seriously. I really can't put it into words. It is such a feeling, such a group of sensations that are so completely beyond anything that I ever experienced. This is one place that I will definitely return to...
So now for Mt. Kailash, Tibet's most sacred mountain. It's sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Tibet's native religion Bon, and Jains... pilgrims from all over the world come to pray at this mountain and walk around it; this is what we are setting out to do. It will be a five day jeep ride over uncertain roads to reach Kailash. ...and then a four or five day hike around the mountain, including a pass of 18,500 feet. The weather will be uncertain, and the mountain is sure to hold some additional challenges that we haven't even thought of. But, off we go. We leave the day after tomorrow... We will have you all in our thoughts and hope that you will say a little prayer for our safe passage.
We love you, Clark and Ann
More honeymoon updates as they become available!
Click here to look at some photos Clark & Ann have sent in!
| | May 28th, 2005
Joe's newsletter archive is up and running!
Ever wish you could read a back-issue of Joe's monthly newsletter, Mishkin's World? Ever want to share a past issue with a friend? Do you have a crazy desire to re-read the now (in)famous April Fool's issue? Ever think about signing up on Joe's email list, but wanted to know what you were getting into first?
The Newsletter Archive is the newest creation of our magical web-gnomes, and it's where to go for all of your newsletter cravings! Click on the link to start exploring the new archive area!
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