Monday, March 31, 2008

Fine Tuning


I'm sure it took me longer to figure out this route than it will take to walk it tomorrow. It was quite interesting to try and figure out the shortest route that will include all the streets in this "Northern Sector". All told it looks like it is going to add up to around 7.5 miles. We will see.
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This morning's walk was met with clear skies, a waining moon and 34 degrees!!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Da Plan! Da Plan!

Okay, kids, here is what I have in mind for my Birthday Walk. As you may remember last year I walked 6.6 miles on my birthday. This year I decided walking 6.7 miles on my 67th birthday really wasn't much of an improvement so I decided to walk 67 miles instead! The thing is, there is no way I could walk 67 miles in one go so I decided to break it up into ten little hikes of 6.7 miles each. My birthday is on the 10th of April so I plan to start April First, (April Fool's Day as it so happens) and, why not!! Anyway, here are my plans for each day's walk and I welcome anyone who wants to walk along. Each walk will start at 6:30 AM "Sharp" at the Headlands Cafe. Each walk will finish around 9:00 AM.

Tuesday, April 1st. During these walks I plan to walk all the streets of Fort Bragg starting with the "Northern Sector"! A Stage Coach Step and a couple of horse and buggy tie-down rings will be featured along the way!


Wednesday April 2nd. The "Middle Sector" will feature some more horse and buggy tie-down rings and a former livery stable.

Thursday April 3rd. We will visit Fort Bragg's version of "Wall Street" and observe the famous "Boat House".

Friday, April 4th. This walk will include funny little Hazel Street, South Street and Myrtle Street a street that "is not named after a tree!". We will also circle through Noyo Harbor.


Saturday, April 5th and a nice day for a jaunt to Mackerricher State Park and back crossing over the Pudding Creek Trestle Bridge and the Virgin Creek Bridge along the way.

Sunday, April 6th. Investigate the A&W Haul Road? Bird song and flowers, anyone?


Monday April 7th. A ramble out the Skunk Train tracks to the Chinese built tunnel and back on Sherwood Road. That's the plan!


Tuesday, April 8th. A walk around the main perimeter of Fort Bragg, which is, you guessed it, 6.7 miles!!
Wednesday April 9th. A walk to the Pomo Bluff State Park and the Glass Beach State Park which will include two bridges, the 30 million dollar Highway One Noyo Bridge and the 3.5 million dollar Pudding Creek Trestle Bridge.


Thursday April 10th. I think a walk to Happy Lane will be just the ticket for my final Birthday Walk!!

E-mail me at ron@walkingfortbragg.com if any of these walks catch your fancy.

Friday, March 28, 2008

ADA Curb Ramps

Here is a city map of the the ADA Curb Ramp project, the little dark squares denoting the location of each ramp project. The red lines are sidewalks being installed where sidewalks, over the years, had never been completed.

I walked around this morning and photographed some of the ADA Curb projects. Some were obviously quite easy to engineer and others were a real pain in the arse what with working around the existing infrastructure of storm drains, stop signs, power poles, street signs and hydrants.





During my wanderings I happened upon this work in progress. Very nice!





Thursday, March 27, 2008

I can't imagine

My son, who has a private pilot license, flew around the Seattle area the other day and took this photo. For more of his flight photos click here and scroll down to the list of flights he has made.

Short Legs and I walked 7.29 miles this morning. She was visiting from Chico. Walking and talking sure make the miles fly!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Answering a Request

Of a photo of the alley door to the Golden West!

My walking buddy "Short Legs" e-mailed that there was some new paint on the door so this morning I took a look and a photo. I think the conduit is new..., too.

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My "birthday walk" starts in less than a week. Last year I walked 6.6 miles on my 66th birthday. This year my goal is to walk 67 miles for my 67th birthday. Of course there is no way I can walk 67 miles on my birthday but I'm thinking 6.7 miles a day for ten days could work! My plan is to start the first day of April and finish on my birthday, April 10th.


It would be easiest to just walk out the haul road and back each day but rather boring. This morning I did a trial walk following some of the perimeter of Fort Bragg just to see how many miles it would add up to.




My walk ended up being 5.29 miles. By adding some of the western border of town I can easily increase it to 6.7. Some fine tuning will be required but this route would break up the boredom!!

Hey! Someone really said it! Check out "Beating the Bounds" post "Wanderlust".

Monday, March 24, 2008

More From Easter Weekend

Viewed from the Pudding Creek Trestle Bridge.


Playing with the shadows from the Pudding Creek Trestle.


During this morning's walk I encountered four early morning walkers. Evelyn, who walks down Chestnut, north on Franklin, east to Harold and home, Elias, who only walks north on Harold and back. Frank who walks around several blocks using his cane and Mr. Grumpy who I usually see walking on Alder Street. This is the first time this has happened, all four in one "sitting", so to speak!!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Playing with the Moon

What an amazing moon set we had this morning. I got up at 6:00 AM and walked out to the Virgin Creek bridge and took this photo.

Then returned to the Pudding Creek Trestle to capture this shot of the moon with someone and their dog enjoying the morning.

And a final shot before the moon faded into the sea mist just above the horizon. Splendid!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Happy Post Equinox

The full moon was a treat this Equinox. We watched it rise during dinner last night and this morning I observed it setting.

I barely caught it before it set behind the tree, the mill site and then, the sea.

Here is one place to get the news, near and far, outside Down Home Foods on Franklin street.

Another shopping cart for my collection. This one belongs to Harvest market and is over a mile from home.

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Note: Folk tales from various European countries claim that only on the March equinox day (some may add the September equinox day or may explicitly not), one can balance an egg on its point. However one can balance an egg on its point any day of the year if one has the patience.

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Speaking of patience. This is my 300th blog post. I thank you readers for your patience!!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

For Sale or Rent


On the west side of Franklin Street between Laurel and Redwood these two building are for sale or rent.


On the east side of Frankling Street between Redwood and Laurel these four buildings are for sale or rent.








Let me know if you are interested.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Something New


A new sign on Main Street.

Today is open house from 11:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Meet the project staff, learn more about the cleanup and redevelopment process and enjoy light refreshments. Visit the document reading room to review the draft Remedial Action Plans and read other recent reports.

The mill site property is just to the west of this building which makes it handy to see some of what is going on.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

The 24th Annual Whale Walk & Run

7:30 AM and the runners and walkers gather by the Laurel Street Deli and Skunk Train Depot. It rained during the night and the clouds look iffy.

Soon the "count down" happened and away we went, the speedy guys and gals long gone and us walking folks marching north on Main Street.

West on Elm Street. The pack is thinning out.

What's this? The race just started and here is someone on Glass Beach Drive who has already been there and back!! I would say they didn't get their twenty dollars worth!!

I arrive at the 5k mark and decide to amble on a bit further to the Virgin Creek Bridge.

More joggers heading for the finish already!

And another one zooming over the Virgin Creek Bridge.

Suddenly I notice I am the only one left! My ambling along and taking photos just isn't cutting it!

The only one slower than me is this night-crawler!!

Woo Hoo. I finish my 5K walk in just under an hour and thirty minutes! I wondered why the Soroptimist Staff was busy taking the signs down behind me as I returned to the starting gate!! That's what's wrong now days; everyone is always in a hurry!!

I watched the awards being handed out while a rainbow peeked over the Skunk Train Depot and then walked home. I was told it was one of the smallest turn-outs in years; probably because of the threatening rain..., that didn't happen. Everyone had a great time, the weather cooperated, the scenery was excellent and the chocolate chip cookie reward to die for!