Aspen in the Fall is the best kept secret. You arrive to hike, fish and experience the valley in all its autumn splendor. Within a day of arrival, it snows four inches, the gonodola opens (due to the government shutdown) and it feels like ski season.

The next morning the sky is a tiffany blue, the aspens shimmer in gold and the valley is blanketed in red, orange and green.

In Aspen, on any given day you can head to the local farmer’s market in town, enjoy local fanfare and art, embark on a leg burning hike or fly fish and listen to the water tumble over the rocks.

The best part of our adventure this year is that we enjoyed it with family.

Aspen, CO–October 2013–Enjoying the mountains with the Stoll Family

Brook Trout, Maroon Creek, Aspen, CO–October 2013

The Roaring Fork Valley is home to some of the best fly fishing on the globe with two gold medal rivers–The Roaring Fork and Frying Pan.

Each river has catch and release restrictions and is fed by the run off from the ski areas and 14,000 peaks on the western side of the Continental Divide.

If you fish in the creeks that feed these rivers, you get to eat what you catch.

Saturday, September 21, 2013–Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL

It is Week 4 of football and the leaders are starting to shake out. The contenders are separating themselves from the pack and the pretenders are exposed.

The Oxbridge Academy Football Team (3-1) earned their third consecutive shutout last night against Northwest Christian (54-0).

There is no pretending here. When this wolf pack strikes, you hear thunder roll.

September 20, 2013- Oxbridge Academy vs. NW Christian. My eye is on Player 37–Chandler Holroyd

Nest Excavation, Saturday morning, September 7, 2013

This is a 5-star recipe for a reason. It is easy and delicious.

Chicken Parmesean

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
Pinch sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes), cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle the tomato-olive sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Snook Season opened September 1.

RAR using live bait, Beach Casting, Jupiter, FL –September 2, 2013 – Not a Keeper.

Sea turtle nesting runs annually from March through September. Every morning dedicated volunteers and trained biologists, from the Marine Life Center in Juno, survey the beach to track and record leatherback, green and loggerhead turtles that come ashore.

They also incorporate a nest excavation program. Following Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s strict regulations and protocols on egg excavation, the biologists hand dig into nest until they reach “the clutch”. Each clutch contains anywhere from 80-150 eggs.

Once reached, the biologists sort eggs to determine nest productivity and hatchling success. Hatchlings found are brought back to the Center for a few days before released.

If you are looking to calm your mind, feel present and enjoy the glorious peace of morning, rise early and witness a sunrise. The benefits are immeasurable.