Wednesday, March 31, 2010

We begin at the end!

The Wednesday morning MCLandLopers gathered in the parking lot at the south end of Pudding Creek Trestle.
And away we go!  North up the Haul Road.

There is a high surf advisory and for good reason.  Too bad I didn't have my tripod with me.  This could have been a great shot!

Some "faffing" around trying to line up for a group shot.

Nearing Mackerricher Park.
We turned around at the haul road washout by Lake Cleone.  If you look close you can see snow in the farthest most hills in the upper right of the photo.  We are having unsettled Spring weather!!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I stopped and asked.

He says there is more color to fill in but so far he has about three thousand into it.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Insufferable me.

 
Well, I was going to show you the photo I took of my bathroom scale when I got up this morning but it seems the Blogger Photo Uploader is on the fritz.  But trust me, my bathroom scale read 165!!
(Opps!  I see it is now working.)

That means I "won" the "Weight Wace" I was having with my brother and sister.  I was the first to get down to 165 pounds.  Not that this is the end of it, oh no, I hope we will continue to fight the battle of the bulge throughout this year and on into the future; our future.

Another milestone for this old fart is that this morning, for the first time, I swam one mile!!  Yes peeps, thirty six laps, seventy two lengths, however you like to count them..., I did it!  And I did it in fifty four minutes!

Yes, I am getting to be quite insufferable to be around what with all my new found health and outward glow!!  But here's the reason for my huge smile, I had no idea I could feel this good being almost sixty-nine years old!   Woo Hoo!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Beauty and the Beast

Photographed from the tennis courts at Wiggly Giggly Park the new restroom facility gets some art.

On four side of the building ceramic mosaic images have been installed with different themes.




This is the current facility that is being replaced.

Skeptics say the new facilities "artistic flourishes" are a waste of money and they have bets on how long the "art" lasts.  They say the new restrooms will be constantly trashed and abused just like the old one.

Question.
Do you really want to live in a community that reaches no higher than its lowest "common dominator"?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wednesday Routine

I get up at 6:00 AM and go for a walk and arrive at the V Star Pool close to 7:00.  I currently am swimming 30 laps per day.  After my swim I walk back home swinging through Otis Johnson Park on the way.  The above steps are part of my route through the park.  I arrive home around 8:00 and then, since it is Wednesday, I walk to the Fort Bragg Bakery and pick up my weekly loaf of bread.

While Chris was running the loaf through the slicer I took the following photos.





Pizza oven.





What an asset.  What a great town.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Remember this?

Well progress is happening again on the ADA sidewalk corners.
But it ain't easy!

Almost every corner had some problem issue.

  Power poles that can't be moved in a timely manner.
Old storm drains that would be way too costly to re-configure.

There are some interesting "work arounds".

I might have to add them to my Oddities Tour!!

Monday, March 22, 2010

I didn't make it but they did.

Close but no cigar!

Meanwhile....

I see the stucco is finally happening on the new restrooms for the Wiggly/Giggly/Bainbridge Park.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Saturday Morning

I got up at six this morning for a walk to Mackerricher Park and back; a quick seven miles in a couple of hours.  I'm working on winning the Weight Wace I instituted with my brother and sister at the first of this year.  The goal is to reach (get down to) 165 pounds. 

Each Monday morning we "confess our weight" via e-mail.  It has been quite interesting to see how birthday parties and other "events" affect our Monday morning Weigh-In but, overall, we have been trending in a healthy direction and I say "Good for us!!!" By the way,  I'm the "blue" guy.  Monday is tomorrow.  165 is only two pounds away!!

As for the photo?  The shadow caught my attention during my walk; a shadow cast by the fence at Holmes Lumber Yard caused not by a beautiful early morning sunrise but rather the industrial glow of a Sodium Vapor security light!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

7:38 AM

The lazy sun peeks over the coastal hills almost an hour and a half after I got up!  E-gad!
********
Some "old timers" checked in concerning the A&W haul road in yesterday's blog.

My friend Eddy wrote:  "The A&W was in the current building that probably is still a pizza place next to the Texaco gas station. The A&W was there for some years after we arrived.  The haul road ran parallel to Cypress St on the south side. You can still see remnants just north of the  Fort Bragg Transmission's parking lot. It also ran through what is now the court house parking lot. There were two side-by-side intersections at Main St and you could use either Cypress or the haul road to enter Main St. When they killed the haul road at Main they realigned the entrance to GP to line up with Cypress. Ah, the 'old days'."

And Rick checked in with:  ""Like many of the logging roads were, they kept the loaded trucks on the high side of the road cut, thus, left handed drive. There were sections where the trucks drove on the left and others on the right. I remember teaching my son to drive out there when the logs were still coming out and it was quite a learning experience for him and trust issue for me."

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Walking the A & W haul road.

Today the Mendocino Coast Land Lopers weekly hike was out the A & W haul road.
It starts across from the Fort Bragg Police station on Cypress Street and, as you see on the map, ambles east towards Jackson State Forest.
Rumor has it that there was an A & W root beer stand near by that the haul road was named after.
I'm sure one of the old timers can correct me if I am wrong.

Heading east into the rising sun of a beautiful day.

Checking out the ducks from the bridge crossing the Noyo River.

This is as far east as we went.  A one hour walk out to a scenic overlook of the Noyo River Valley.

Lily Pads on one of the ponds along the way.

Mild up and down.

Some "woods worker" had demonstrated his prowness with a chainsaw by cutting a square hole through the heart of a redwood tree!  We stopped to admire his handywork and ponder the human contition.

The Noyo was a milky light blue this morning.

An easy walk on the haul road.  Shadows during our return west.

A quick stop for a "silly shot" and that was it.  A good time had by all!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Hi kids, I'm back

Sorry I disappeared for a while.  I attended my brother-in-law's 60th birthday party in Dublin, CA.  Big party, lots of people.

Gained three pounds.  Didn't walk much, didn't swim at all, got myself out of whack but  after the festivities and a couple days of recovery my brother-in-law helped me repair my computer (bad C drive) and install Windows 7.  It was a busy six days but successful in every way.


The weather was wild springtime with rain, wind and sun.

The California Blue Birds have returned to my sister's bird house.

And I am home once again.

Friday, March 5, 2010

It's that time again!

First Friday's Art Walk!
********
For those of you who wanted to know where the waterfall is located and how to get to it, take a look at this link.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Seems like a good idea





Dear Ron,
Thank you for asking your representative to co-sponsor the
 "Active Community Transportation Act of 2010."
Your message has been sent to the following decision maker:
  • Representative Mike Thompson
Please take a moment and tell a few friends and family about this alert. Just ask them to visit:
http://support.railstotrails.org/ACT
Then, feel free to read more about the ACT Act.
Thank you!
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy