Author: Steve Block

  • Exploring Colorado SH 67

    It was hot in Denver this weekend, so I thought I’d head out of town and up a little higher to do some exploring and take some pictures. I decided to head to Sedalia and take a scenic drive along State Highway 67 down along the South Platte River. The highway still doesn’t continue straight…

  • Hiking in South Valley Park

    Although the spring afternoon was threatening rain, I took a chance and drove down the Jeep to South Valley Park for a short hike and some photos of the rock formations. I’ve been here a number of times before, but I enjoy how it changes through the seasons. I had good luck, and no rain.…

  • Arizona: Phoenix and Agua Fria National Monument

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    I flew down to Arizona for a long weekend with my friends Alex and Danielle (and Bomber Dog). After a couple days in the Scottsdale area we loaded up Alex’s military surplus M1078 LMTV and Danielle’s Jeep with camping gear and telescopes and headed north up to the Tonto National Forest and Agua Fria National…

  • Still running, and meeting goals

    Part 1: getting to 5k Back in February I wrote a piece about running. At that point I had just transitioned from running increasingly long intervals broken up by walking recovery to running nonstop for 25 minutes. I had just completed a 2.2 mile 25 minute run][1], and I was looking forward to completing a…

  • Museum Light Study

    I’ve posted a small new gallery. A short study of light playing on the white walls of the unusual geometry of the Denver Art Museum. — Steve

  • Trying out a new lens

    Ever since I bought the Fujifilm X-E1 I have been holding out for the promised 23mm f/1.4 and 56mm f/1.2 prime lenses. I already have the 35mm f/1.4 lens, and it is fantastic. These three lenses together would cover almost every situation I normally want to photograph[1]. And if the 35mm lens and the ultra-wide…

  • Slow start to cycling season

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    The cycling season is off to a rather slow start for me this year. Although we are now halfway through April, spring has not had the decency to stick around and be friendly. Almost weekly snowstorms are mixed with warm days, cool days, and windy days, and they don’t always align with my free time.…

  • Farmhouse ale for summer

    Spring is here, and warm weather is becoming normal now despite the occasional cold wet day. My last brew, an IPA based on Bell’s Two Hearted, is a good style for warm weather. But I also love wheat beers and strong effervescent ales in warm weather. One of my favorite strong bubbly ales is the…

  • Comparing a real Two Hearted to my clone

    As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I tried to brew a decent clone of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, one of my favorite beers, during my last brew session. Now that the beer has carbonated, and I have gotten past my awful spring cold, I was able to compare the real thing to my…

  • Trying to clone Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

    My latest brew is an attempt to clone Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. Bell’s is one of my favorite breweries, but I can’t buy their beer out here in Colorado. Instead I buy a bunch every time I head back to Iowa, but it doesn’t last forever. Of Bell’s beers, their Two Hearted Ale, an American…