Took the liberty of taking this off a light pole on the South Hill. Mysterious. If you want to know more about the life of Camrytron click here.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Decepticon alert!
Took the liberty of taking this off a light pole on the South Hill. Mysterious. If you want to know more about the life of Camrytron click here.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Latah Creek says it's spring...
Well, I don't know if I believe Latah Creek... yet. It was beautiful on Sunday though.
The muddy churning creek empties into the Spokane River, and for a while flows in its own separate space in the river. Two rivers flowing side by side reigned in by a pair of snowy banks. After a while, gray Latah gives up and gets absorbed by clear Spokane.
And on Sunday, Lots of families with little kids intermingled with the usual denizens of this confluence. You can make your own analogy.
Again this is one of the many payoffs of walking Spokane. Out and about on foot - it's easy to make very poignant detours - visit places you will never see in a car. And even the places you can "see" in a car, you really never "see" until you are on foot or on a bicycle.
Having walked or ridden my bicycle all through the winter, I think I am really going to appreciate doing both in the spring. Luckily, on Sunday, I took my walk with my best friend.
Monday, February 25, 2008
It was inevitable...
Mister Yuke has discovered You Tube. And if he says, "Yuke Tube" one more time, I will garrote him with his own ukulele strings (perhaps in A - minor - a very sad chord). So, to get him off my back, here is his, as usual, very sensitive take on life and living. He calls it "Front Butt." Presented in exciting slideshow fashion.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A guy dropped off a WWII Japanese hand grenade yesterday...
The police cordoned off the station.
We had to relocate to the backup station.
But, we were still able to get caught up on some training.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Rest well, oh humble servant...
Some of you who know me know of my affinity for Spokane's shopping carts. I have snapped many a shot of them interfacing with us and our landscape. Are they the modern equivalent of the buffalo? Are they a glimpse into the future of what awaits each of us?
All I know, is that they turn up in the darndest places, in many manifestations - in the river, in people's living rooms, as makeshift bicycle trailers, as ersatz BBQ grills, even as traveling shrines of the impending rapture - you name it.
And then when you see one, a young one like this, so full of promise cast into the icy bank, you can almost hear its crash into the imprisoning snow - a thunderous cry and quaking thud of today's chromed mastodon.
All I know, is that they turn up in the darndest places, in many manifestations - in the river, in people's living rooms, as makeshift bicycle trailers, as ersatz BBQ grills, even as traveling shrines of the impending rapture - you name it.
And then when you see one, a young one like this, so full of promise cast into the icy bank, you can almost hear its crash into the imprisoning snow - a thunderous cry and quaking thud of today's chromed mastodon.
Monday, February 04, 2008
In a rut...
It seems like all I write about anymore are my trips to and from work. But that is not the rut of which I speak.
Yesterday, ON MY WAY TO WORK, I navigated through the vast ice canyons and meandering rivulets that are the streets of Spokane. At one point, I found my tires in a thin ice floored ravine. My pedals were barely clearing the ice bluffs. It was like riding a low rider, I guess. So, that's the rut of which I scribe. Oh yeah, and I am in the other rut too.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Walking to work...
Ditched the bike this morning and walked instead. I had to leave about an hour before I wanted to be at work (3 miles or so). What a great morning!
As usual, Spokane shines in the early morning. The river changes a lot. You will never really see this stuff from behind the windshield of your car.
On a bicycle, you have to stop sometimes to really see it too. But like riding the bicycle in the snow, I never got stuck, never t-boned another pedestrian/cyclist, never had to be pushed, never became high-centered, never got pissed, never had to wait for the heater to kick in, never had to fuel the tank, never had to scrape my windows. Best of all, my IPod is a much better sound system than my car's!
The Shriner was looking quite feztive.
The Monroe Street Bridge right before dawn. Remember when they were going to shove that Lincoln Street Bridge down our throats? How they said we would be turning down all that construction money and how it would bring ruin to Spokane? Well, here's a picture or two of the great Monroe Street Bridge. How great would it look with a crappy bridge right next to it? Well, it would look better than the crappy bridge. But, that's not the point. Remember the Lincoln Street Bridge when they try to shove the NorthSouth Freeway down your pie hole!
When I was walking up Monroe, the snow on the ground looked very blue with lighter blue sparkles - kind of like a blueberry-flavored breakfast cereal. I looked around for a neon light that might have been doing this, but it was just the morning sky. Wow. Grows our crops. Holds up airplanes. And now it turns the snow blue. Sky - you are too much!
A source of controversy at one time, now look at Riverpark Square. It looks so innocent when it's asleep.
One of many cement warning symbols posted on the Monroe Street Bridge. Strange that none of the usual guardians of morality protested these horned skull adornments.
A cheery greeting to bus passengers this morning.
So, if you want to get out there and enjoy the beauty of the snow in Spokane, you better hurry, there are only a couple of more months left!
As usual, Spokane shines in the early morning. The river changes a lot. You will never really see this stuff from behind the windshield of your car.
On a bicycle, you have to stop sometimes to really see it too. But like riding the bicycle in the snow, I never got stuck, never t-boned another pedestrian/cyclist, never had to be pushed, never became high-centered, never got pissed, never had to wait for the heater to kick in, never had to fuel the tank, never had to scrape my windows. Best of all, my IPod is a much better sound system than my car's!
The Shriner was looking quite feztive.
The Monroe Street Bridge right before dawn. Remember when they were going to shove that Lincoln Street Bridge down our throats? How they said we would be turning down all that construction money and how it would bring ruin to Spokane? Well, here's a picture or two of the great Monroe Street Bridge. How great would it look with a crappy bridge right next to it? Well, it would look better than the crappy bridge. But, that's not the point. Remember the Lincoln Street Bridge when they try to shove the NorthSouth Freeway down your pie hole!
When I was walking up Monroe, the snow on the ground looked very blue with lighter blue sparkles - kind of like a blueberry-flavored breakfast cereal. I looked around for a neon light that might have been doing this, but it was just the morning sky. Wow. Grows our crops. Holds up airplanes. And now it turns the snow blue. Sky - you are too much!
A source of controversy at one time, now look at Riverpark Square. It looks so innocent when it's asleep.
One of many cement warning symbols posted on the Monroe Street Bridge. Strange that none of the usual guardians of morality protested these horned skull adornments.
A cheery greeting to bus passengers this morning.
So, if you want to get out there and enjoy the beauty of the snow in Spokane, you better hurry, there are only a couple of more months left!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Cheryl-Anne Millsap inspired prose...
Thanks to the contributor who sent me this pitch that he had made to the Spokesman-Review a year and a half ago. Apparently, it went nowhere. Maybe that's for the best!
Dear Editor - Mr. Smith, if that really is your name,
The same thing happens to me time and time again. I open the S-R, and it’s like looking into a reflection of my own heart.
The debris of personal memories from one of your writers is often an emotional-beachcomber’s delight! The commonplace becomes a rare gem, and a spiritual touchstone.
Some favorites:
Us moms are protective of our kids, much like a mother bear.
I had a crazy uncle that drank too much.
Clothes smell better when washed.
Cheese and me.
I wish I had stuck with French in college.
I think there is one thing missing from this emotive oracle. How about letting a male have a shot, once in a while, in sorting out the self-reflective silage?
I humbly submit my first column. I have some good working names for this endeavor. In the past, I've made a living as a professional writer. I have never missed a deadline!
Please, let me know what you think!
Column follows….
Yes, something was wrong with the lunchbox. Maybe there was something wrong with me, too. I gently dabbed the pieces of milk-sogged salami. Their white wetness reminded me of the tears I was now fighting back.
The first day of school, so many years ago. My oldest son, Kurtz, had been gifted with a lunchbox that I had made as a woodworking project. It was, according to my counselor, a project that would help me with my anger and abandonment issues. However, this labor inadvertently caused me to pass these issues on to my son, via ¾ inch plywood, one hinge and still-sticky varnish. It was this varnish that held his lunch fast within the box. As he told me later, most of his classmates enjoyed the chips in their lunches, while he had to chip his entire lunch out of the therapy-project-lunch-container.
He later said that what I had actually built was a coffin for his self-esteem. The next year was to be different.
The cartoon show “Transformers” was very “in” then. So, I knew Kurtz, now in 8th Grade, would appreciate the new lunchbox I had just crafted for him. It was metal - a silent protector I could send with my son, as he faced the perils of middle school. And like a cartoon Transformer, a twist here and a push there transformed the steel lunchbox into a metallic robot crab - complete with ersatz gun barrels where the claws should be.
It took a few times for Kurtz to get the hang of transforming the box into the crab. When I was satisfied with his performance, I bequeathed him with the lunchbox, along with the knowledge of what it was, and an assurance that it truly was his!
He seemed worried. But, wasn’t there just a glint of joyful pride in those soulful blue eyes of his? “Yes, MY dad made this… For ME!”
I didn’t know about the strict code of “no firearms” in middle school. And apparently, the crab claw gun barrels fit the description.
Kurtz was waiting for me, in the principal’s office. As we walked to the car, I couldn’t help but notice a stream of milk pouring out of the now-bent and irreversibly-stuck crab claw barrels. Apparently, a student panicked at the sight of the transformed crab gun and instinctively disarmed it with a container of milk. And with a pack mentality, other students joined the milky shelling of the metal crab. Kids can be cruel - even more so, when frightened.
That night, after I dried the lunchbox and my eyes, Kurtz and I had a very good heart-to-heart. I was to pack his lunches in a brown paper bag, from now on. As Kurtz pointed out, a neat lunchbox is nice - but lunch is even better.
He had given me food for thought.
Dear Editor - Mr. Smith, if that really is your name,
The same thing happens to me time and time again. I open the S-R, and it’s like looking into a reflection of my own heart.
The debris of personal memories from one of your writers is often an emotional-beachcomber’s delight! The commonplace becomes a rare gem, and a spiritual touchstone.
Some favorites:
Us moms are protective of our kids, much like a mother bear.
I had a crazy uncle that drank too much.
Clothes smell better when washed.
Cheese and me.
I wish I had stuck with French in college.
I think there is one thing missing from this emotive oracle. How about letting a male have a shot, once in a while, in sorting out the self-reflective silage?
I humbly submit my first column. I have some good working names for this endeavor. In the past, I've made a living as a professional writer. I have never missed a deadline!
Please, let me know what you think!
Column follows….
Yes, something was wrong with the lunchbox. Maybe there was something wrong with me, too. I gently dabbed the pieces of milk-sogged salami. Their white wetness reminded me of the tears I was now fighting back.
The first day of school, so many years ago. My oldest son, Kurtz, had been gifted with a lunchbox that I had made as a woodworking project. It was, according to my counselor, a project that would help me with my anger and abandonment issues. However, this labor inadvertently caused me to pass these issues on to my son, via ¾ inch plywood, one hinge and still-sticky varnish. It was this varnish that held his lunch fast within the box. As he told me later, most of his classmates enjoyed the chips in their lunches, while he had to chip his entire lunch out of the therapy-project-lunch-container.
He later said that what I had actually built was a coffin for his self-esteem. The next year was to be different.
The cartoon show “Transformers” was very “in” then. So, I knew Kurtz, now in 8th Grade, would appreciate the new lunchbox I had just crafted for him. It was metal - a silent protector I could send with my son, as he faced the perils of middle school. And like a cartoon Transformer, a twist here and a push there transformed the steel lunchbox into a metallic robot crab - complete with ersatz gun barrels where the claws should be.
It took a few times for Kurtz to get the hang of transforming the box into the crab. When I was satisfied with his performance, I bequeathed him with the lunchbox, along with the knowledge of what it was, and an assurance that it truly was his!
He seemed worried. But, wasn’t there just a glint of joyful pride in those soulful blue eyes of his? “Yes, MY dad made this… For ME!”
I didn’t know about the strict code of “no firearms” in middle school. And apparently, the crab claw gun barrels fit the description.
Kurtz was waiting for me, in the principal’s office. As we walked to the car, I couldn’t help but notice a stream of milk pouring out of the now-bent and irreversibly-stuck crab claw barrels. Apparently, a student panicked at the sight of the transformed crab gun and instinctively disarmed it with a container of milk. And with a pack mentality, other students joined the milky shelling of the metal crab. Kids can be cruel - even more so, when frightened.
That night, after I dried the lunchbox and my eyes, Kurtz and I had a very good heart-to-heart. I was to pack his lunches in a brown paper bag, from now on. As Kurtz pointed out, a neat lunchbox is nice - but lunch is even better.
He had given me food for thought.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Mister Yuke puts the word out! She's back!!
Cheryl-Anne Millsap that is...
A week or so after Mister Yuke released his epic Millsap Monday ballad, Cheryl-Anne's column went MIA. No explanation. No "she'll be back next week." Nothing. Then her column returned. And it was completely different. No stories about her kids. No advice for the masses derived from her personal ponderings. Her first column out of the chute was even somewhat ribald. She did seem to be still making up stories, but they were now about "friends" not family, not herself.
Weeks ago, as Mister Yuke was filling me in about this turn, he didn't seem the least bit concerned. I reminded him that if she kept up this tactic, his work would be invalidated. He just laughed. "She can't help herself. She'll be back." His confidence was somewhat unnerving.
He called up this morning. "Did you read it? I told you! Gawd, I wish I had bet you some money. Hah!"
And I picked up the paper and he was right. So here it is again. You can hear the song by clicking the title above. You can read her column by clicking here.
I hope this will satisfy the ukulele playing fool and shorten his gloating hangtime.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
No Fuel Snow Fool!
What a ride home this morning! The cool thing is that the roads were so crappy it kept a lot of motorists at home. The uncool thing was that the roads were really, really crappy!
Try staying in a wheel trail and that trail soon turned to a mixture of water and slush with a floor of ice.
Get out of the rut and it was very deep snow. I wound up having to push the bike up parts of the south hill simply because the back wheel would spin without gaining purchase.
Thirteen inches on the picnic table at home - and counting,
Also Ike and his buddy Nick were filmed and interviewed by the S-R about the fortifications they were completing. We were without power for a while this afternoon so these fortifications could have come in handy.
Try staying in a wheel trail and that trail soon turned to a mixture of water and slush with a floor of ice.
Get out of the rut and it was very deep snow. I wound up having to push the bike up parts of the south hill simply because the back wheel would spin without gaining purchase.
Thirteen inches on the picnic table at home - and counting,
Also Ike and his buddy Nick were filmed and interviewed by the S-R about the fortifications they were completing. We were without power for a while this afternoon so these fortifications could have come in handy.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Why would you not want to walk?
Just got back from Downtown. Watched cars sliding into other cars. Some folks were stuck - unable to move their cars out of the snow which enveloped them overnight. Then there were the ladies who alternated their glassy stares between the tire chains tangled in their hands and the white mound that was their car, waiting for something magical to happen.
But on foot, the snow is magical. I would say that I am lucky to live where I do, that I can access my work, great restaurants, the grocery store, movie theaters, bars or almost any other place I want to go by foot or by bike. I would say it's luck, except my wife and I made a conscious decision to live here for those very reasons.
Not that the city makes it easy for pedestrians or bicyclists. The number one job of the city is to make sure that drivers are not inconvenienced, so much so that it is very convenient for drivers to live out of the city!
Remember a few years ago when I posted the work that they had just finished on Washington/Stevens/Ben Garnett/Bernard? How after the millions they spent, they still didn't have a viable sidewalk!?! Amazing. I saw an LC youth walking up the middle of Ben Garnett a couple of days ago, right in the middle of traffic. The prehensile sidewalk was buried in snow. So up he tread, right in the middle of the lane - swinging his lunchbox. Nice.
I still drive a little. Not much. Mostly I bike. Every once in awhile I kind of get the itch to live in "the country" again. So, I can sure empathize with those who make that decision - for whatever reason. I wonder if I was making car payments, if I would be more inclined to drive. Probably.
But, if you live in the city and can leave a little early to be where you need to be, and want to have a fun time, get great exercise, enjoy the fleeting beauty of this snow and have a little adventure - walk.
I wear YakTrax on the bottom of my shoes - I have never slipped on the ice or in the snow wearing them.
In my line of work, I have seen broken ankles and dislocations this winter, so be careful. But, I must add these injuries have all occurred to people getting into or out of their cars! Plus, they don't compare to the injuries people have been receiving whilst driving their cars.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Fruit bars...
A very nice person gave us these snacks. For fruit bars,they tasted pretty good too.
As you can see, there are a lot of ingredients that go into making something like this taste so darn good. I was surprised to read the secret ingredient on the last line, however. They were kinds chewy, come to think of it.
Monday, December 31, 2007
45 minutes from Downtown - without a North-South Freeway...
Near nature? Near perfect? On a day like this, you can almost believe the slogan. Mt. Spokane is an amazing spectacle today. How many cities have such a great destination right in their backyard?
This may seem like I am changing the subject, but bear with me. How's about we 86 the North-South Freeway and build a North-South lightrail instead? You could run it right through the abandoned switchyards in Hillyard. Put bike and pedestrian paths in too. How far could you take it? Why not to the base of Mt. Spokane? Have a shuttle bus service, maybe even a tram, to the the top.
A skier/tourist could stay in Spokane and get to the top of the mountain in less than an hour. In the fall, Greenbluff would be a destination. Everyday commuting would be a snap. Less pollution. Less upkeep. Spokane would be a destination for skiers. Mt bikers would dig it in the summer.
Now, I know we're not Aspen or Sun Valley. But, hey most of the country doesn't have anything like we have. And we could be a very economical, yet very cool place for bicyclists, skiers and kayakers to visit.
I mean there are commercials everyday for BRANSON! How did that happen?
On the way home from skiing, we put our car in the grooves of I-90 and let the autopilot take over. That's right - the grooves they fixed a couple of years ago.
I think freeways are necessary, but do we ever sit down and think about the toll they extract? For whatever reason, they just don't stay repaired for very long (unlike the freeways in Europe). Scam? Poor workmanship? Overuse? Studded tires? Built-in work forever? I don't know. But a North-South freeway is going to cost a lot to keep up.
And the costs in other ways are pretty substantial too. Look at beautiful LC High School standing in the shadow of the concrete. Visualize how the South Hill once flowed into Brown's Addition. What freeways touch they kill.
Lastly, it is proven that freeways enable urban sprawl. What if you had to choose between living in Spokane, close to where you work or living in Mead or Elk. Would a North-South freeway encourage you to live further away? You bet it would. Why are my tax dollars going to be spent so you don't have to contribute your property tax dollars to my city? Why will I have to pay so you can pump carbon monoxide into my lungs? Again, I realize that there is a need for freeways, but urban sprawl is a consequence of fulfilling that need.
Anyway, the point is probably moot, now that it looks like we east-siders will have to foot the bill for the freeway. We're not very good about that. Hoorah!!!
Anyway, all to say, a North-South choo choo would be very cool, and a North-South Freeway is a bad idea. Oh yeah - And Mt Spokane rocks!
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
What I did with those lights...
After I took off the LED Christmas lights from the bicycle, I really felt bummed to put them away. So instead it was a pretty easy job to cut out a small rectangle from a campaign sign, drill some holes, get out the bungee chords and go to town. I've got my eyes open for all blue lights. I think that would look keen.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Mister Yuke's tribute to his favorite Spokesman-Review columnist!
Click on the link above to listen. It's obvious he is dealing with some sort of infatuation with Ms Milsap. He says the work is cathartic, but I swear I hear him sobbing at the end. Maybe not... And where's the ukulele music, Mister Yuke, eh?
Here's a link to the lyrics.
Thanks Mister Yuke, and I hope you get feeling better.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Great Ride Home This Morning
I almost forgot again to take a picture of the tires, but here they are. I will quit with the glowing recommendations. I am beginning to sound like a commercial.
Suffice it to say, after a night of some firefighting and medical calls, they helped this old man get up a very big hill!
I am also posting a picture of E-3 in its holiday finery. I will try to get a better picture. This one is from KREM 2 and you really can't make out the fancy work with medical tape and holiday garland. But, look for it around the city - and feel the magic!
Hope it enhances your enjoyment of the holiday season.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Reporting live from the Tiki Pond!
Man, the cell phone sure does a wacky job of "vidya-makin'."
Put studded tires on the bike a couple of weeks ago. They make a difference. I was going to take some pictures, but I leave really early (in the dark) when I go to work, and always forget.
Coming home, it's uphill, and the tires have done great, especially when it's icy or compact snow. If you've been thinking about putting on studded tires (for your bicycle), I recommend it. I ordered mine from Bike Tires Direct.
They're the Tundra Wolf tires. I received them less than 24 hours after I ordered them - with just regular shipping. They have worked just fine on dry pavement too.
I haven't had to use the car yet to get to work and back. The gasoline in the Geo's tank has greatly appreciated in value. Too bad it can only hold 8 gallons or so.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tis the season!
Wouldn't it be nice if the city celebrated the last day of legalized walking every year?
Soon, the sidewalks will be covered in snow from plows that have cleared the roads for Spokane's official mode of transportation. A clearer message has never been transmitted concerning walkers vs. drivers.
How about a parade every autumn to celebrate the legal closing of stairs and the anticipation of the unofficial closing of sidewalks? Perhaps a choreographed arresting of all who dared walk in the parade!
I'm not bitter.
Soon, the sidewalks will be covered in snow from plows that have cleared the roads for Spokane's official mode of transportation. A clearer message has never been transmitted concerning walkers vs. drivers.
How about a parade every autumn to celebrate the legal closing of stairs and the anticipation of the unofficial closing of sidewalks? Perhaps a choreographed arresting of all who dared walk in the parade!
I'm not bitter.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Deep Creek Adventure...
We started out with a few sprinkles and no wind. About 2 miles into it, the rain really started coming down.
Deep Creek is as beautiful as ever. Sarah and I had a nice cup of tea and some snacks before we turned around. It was a little over 30 miles round trip. We had a good gust of wind as we came back home through Riverfront Park. It pretty much stopped us cold in our tracks. Gusts are supposed to be around 50 today. I wouldn't be surprised if this one came close.
We were gone about 3 hours. The temp was in the lower 40s.
Saw a bald eagle on the river. I didn't think they would be around this time of year. The big white tail and huge size were unmistakable. Although I wish I could've taken a picture for all you osprey fans!
The basalt at Deep Creek is unique and staggering to look upon. And there is no one else there. You feel like you could be deep in the wilderness or transported to a prehistoric time. Or it could just be hypothermia.
Deep Creek is as beautiful as ever. Sarah and I had a nice cup of tea and some snacks before we turned around. It was a little over 30 miles round trip. We had a good gust of wind as we came back home through Riverfront Park. It pretty much stopped us cold in our tracks. Gusts are supposed to be around 50 today. I wouldn't be surprised if this one came close.
We were gone about 3 hours. The temp was in the lower 40s.
Saw a bald eagle on the river. I didn't think they would be around this time of year. The big white tail and huge size were unmistakable. Although I wish I could've taken a picture for all you osprey fans!
The basalt at Deep Creek is unique and staggering to look upon. And there is no one else there. You feel like you could be deep in the wilderness or transported to a prehistoric time. Or it could just be hypothermia.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Halloweenies Beware!
Friends of mine have a couple of these signs up at their front door. Sorry about cutting off the bottom of the picture, The sign reads: "Halloweenies Beware! (and then the descriptive list) Grandparents reside on the premises.
This is fair warning to all trick-or-treaters that they are receiving candy from:
Left wing, flaming liberal, bleeding heart, one worlding, government trusting, union supporting, peace marching, patriotic, tree hugging, PBS and NPR belonging, citzen activist, pointy-headed, neighborly, long memoried, radically Catholic
GRANDPARENTS!
Scary! Sends chills down my spine!
I would suspect liberal amounts of candy from these folks...
Handouts, handouts, handouts. When will it end? Probably around 9 pm on October 31st.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Fish Lake Trail in Fall...
Promised Aidan last week that we would do the Fish Lake Trail this weekend. This morning, he stumbled out of bed, looked out the window and scratched himself. It looked like it would either rain or snow. I thought to myself - I'm off the hook. He won't want to bike in this! Was I wrong. "We're still doing Fish Lake, right Dad?" He would have none of it. I even offered a different shorter ride.
The Rosauer's billboard read 42 degrees. Luckily, we were well provisioned with hot tea and chocolate. We rode through Vinegar Flats across 195, Marshall Road and then on to the trail. This was Aidan's first time on the Fish Lake Trail.
We went 10 miles past Marshall and the "tunnel." A little tea and hot chocolate and we turned around and headed home, up the hill and back home.
It seems to me that there is more pavement on the trail than last year, but it could just be my imagination. I kinda like the different toppings. There aren't very many people on the trail.
Maybe one more (trip out to Cheney have a couple of beers and turn around) before the snow flies.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Rockin' Roller Derby! Lilac City Roller Girls last night....
You knew there was going to be trouble. There has always been bad blood between the Toothless Annies and the Pretty Deads. Everyone knows that. And last night, that bad blood was spilled - on both sides. This is one sports team that I can get behind.
Forget THE SHOCK. Forget THE CHIEFS. Forget THE INDIANS. Spokane has been gifted with these wheeled vixens and we need to acknowledge that. Elbows and fists were flying, and so were the skaters themselves - right into the fans! Think of NASCAR without the cars and you're heading in the right direction.
November 16th is the next derby. Tickets are on sale at Boo Radleys.
The only downer was that the convention center ran out of beer before the event even started. There must have been 10 convention center people working it, so it must have cost a lot to have it there. No beer? OK, make that two iced teas. Here's a 20. Oh you don't haver change?!?! Come on convention center. You better do better than that!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Autumn does Spokane!
I am really beginning to believe that the best way to come to appreciate our town is on bicycle.
I've been commuting by bicycle in Spokane (sometimes more fervently than others) since 1982. But, it's just been the past 10 years or so that I have felt comfortable to "mix it up" in traffic. Also with aging knees, I find I am more inclined to get on my bike for exercise than to run some days. And the payoff is a scene like this. Throw in the smells and sounds that you can only obtain on a bike and it's simply the best.
Talk to someone from Portland. They gush about their town. Visit Portland, you will too. I wonder how much if this appreciation is due to the evangelizing power of the bicycle. I would suspect quite a bit.
Riders come to appreciate their town, and by riding in auto traffic, they show others that they aren't tied to the car. You can get fresh air, exercise, adventure and a healthy dose of beauty - simply by going to work or the store in a more fun fashion.
All to say, if you're so inclined. Dust that bike off. Pump up the tires and go for a short ride in your neighborhood. You might be surprised at what's out there!
I've been commuting by bicycle in Spokane (sometimes more fervently than others) since 1982. But, it's just been the past 10 years or so that I have felt comfortable to "mix it up" in traffic. Also with aging knees, I find I am more inclined to get on my bike for exercise than to run some days. And the payoff is a scene like this. Throw in the smells and sounds that you can only obtain on a bike and it's simply the best.
Talk to someone from Portland. They gush about their town. Visit Portland, you will too. I wonder how much if this appreciation is due to the evangelizing power of the bicycle. I would suspect quite a bit.
Riders come to appreciate their town, and by riding in auto traffic, they show others that they aren't tied to the car. You can get fresh air, exercise, adventure and a healthy dose of beauty - simply by going to work or the store in a more fun fashion.
All to say, if you're so inclined. Dust that bike off. Pump up the tires and go for a short ride in your neighborhood. You might be surprised at what's out there!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Unfortunate signage.
These signs are plastered on Spokane fire stations and other official "safe places." I will admit that perhaps I am reading more into this, but everyone I've talked to who have seen these signs, see "it" too. There has been much pondering of the image juxtaposed with the words "safe" and "place." What and where?
At least it shows that Spokane has become a more accepting, tolerant (safe?) place in terms of interracial relationships and apparently all relationships for that matter.
Anyway, hats off to the designer of the logo. You pulled it off. People bought it and there it is. The arrow may have been a little over the top.
Et tu, McGruff?
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Spokane Street Basketball - Formal Attire Required!
So much for Spokane's reputation as a laidback berg. Caught these two gentlemen engaged in sport. The sweat-soaked polyester was a powder blue blur at times. One more nod to this gentlemen's game - as one player pulled another down from a layin - by his cummerbund, no less, his opponent allowed him a freethrow as an apologetic compensation. Here here.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
XtraCycle participates in motored bicycle gathering...
Opportunity knocked again!
Hey, the masts are up this morning on the white truck in Riverfront Park!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Better pictures of truck.
Coming home this morning, I made sure my camera setting was correct and took a couple more pictures. The masts are still down (it is the weekend). I hadn't noticed the concrete barriers before. Also, there is some kind of dish antenna in the front of the truck. You can click on the picture to get a larger file.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Things you see while biking around Spokane...
Sorry about the low-res image. I also took a picture of the Xtra-cylce parked next to 3 motorcycles and the fire engine in my station when I got to work this morning. Very cool. But, I didn't realize my cellphone camera had flipped into low-res mode. Argggh.
Anyway, I digress. I saw this truck parked at Riverfront Park, kind of hidden in some trees the other day whilst biking home form CompUSA. So I stopped by on my way to work this morning to take the picture. The other afternoon, the antennae were extended and they blended in to the multiple flag poles there. They looked a little thicker than flag poles, more like a ship's masts. There's a generator behind the truck and the whole thing is fenced off.
Anybody know what the story is?
Monday, March 26, 2007
From Building Nina - a great story of a helicopter boat rescue on Long Lake (Lake Spokane)...
Click the title to read the story, or heck, watch the video:
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Mega-addition to nursing home!
This was always a somewhat small building. One story. Now there are girders in place to envelope the original strucuture and take it up two or three stories. It looks like it will be at least 10 times the size of before, and will spread out across the whole block. A neat idea in that the residents won't have to move during the remodel.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
As seen in Auntie's Bookstore...
No matter what you think of Dan Quayle, you have to admire the title of his autobigraphy! it's even marked down!!!! And yes, this is a hardback.
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