Farewell to Nevy

Meet Neville.

Our good friend and colleage, Neville Millar (pronounce nee-vill mill-rrrrrr (like a pirate)), has taken the plunge. As Samuel L. Jackson put it, Neville has "decided to roam the earth like Cane and get into adventures." Like so few before him, he has decided to walk away from the security of the familiar in hopes of transcending the mundane and conquering the unknown. This picture of Neville in a relaxed (supine) postion really captures his essence, his core, if you will. This blog is for you featherbeard!

In late July of 2005, we ventured to the Anderson Bluegrass festival in interior Alaska, where a few things became immediately apparent. First, Neville has some unique skills, like being able to hypnotize unsuspecting drifters under the guise of "peace."

While many there thought that Neville was performing his rendition of "I'm a little teapot...", he insists that he was simply deflecting attention from himself.

Having spent less than a year in the states at this point, Neville was taken aback during this 17-step handshake maneuver between two American males.

As evening set in, Neville could not be stopped. During this smoking set by local Fairbanks favorites, No Time Flatt, he impressed onlookers by busting out some sizzling-Euro dance moves (so speedy the image is blurry!).

Our good friend Lee, contributed the following poem in his honor.

By the never-ending sun of the Alaskan summer we often met
Early morning meetings descended into chaos
Evening relief covered us with mellow waves of amber
Rejoice in the company of those so dear

There something about Neville that inspires this level of creativity in those he encounters. She continues:

The Top Ten things I will miss about Neville:

1. his working style (not before 9 in the am)
2. his in-the-field adherence to all things metro
3. his superior command of the bevy
4. the option to party all night with a willing companion (if one so chooses)
5. being nonplussed at (my) gross displays of human consumption
6. his use of sexual metaphor as a second language
7. his ability to watch more movies than me
8. his personal supply of product (hair)
9. being able to "accidentally" glance his body artwork
10. the British perspective (edge) during competitive boggling.

Neville, we wish you all of the best as you make the Leap towards a world of adventure the rest of us can only dream about. If all goes as planned, perhaps we'll see you 'round Fairbanks come May! Be well friend, travel safely and all that guff!

Volcano erupts in AK...

Check out the Alaska Volcano Observatory, where
you can find updated pictures of the eruptive degassing.



Source : Alaska Volcano Observatory (http://www.avo.alaska.edu)

Special note to my Mom: I'm currently safe and sound, 700 miles north of the Augustine Volcano. No need to worry!