Point and shoot

Sunday I went on a free tour of Riverside cemetery. I only took a couple of pictures, but I sure got sunburned. Tuesday I took my point and shoot camera with me on my morning walk. I let the camera do all the work while I concentrated on colors and shapes.

Riverside Cemetery

Fungus on a wall

Points on a fence

Gulf to Gulf on a Harley

I just returned from a motorcycle trip to the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California. The trip took me through seven states, two countries, and covered 4,408 miles.

Eight of us left Denver Sunday morning and arrived on Mustang Island TX. late Tuesday evening. Mustang Island is one of the barrier islands that guards Corpus Christi Bay. We stayed on the island at a rental cottage in Port Aransas TX. It was insufferably hot and humid.

We went to the beach Wednesday where I swam in the Gulf of Mexico! Late Thursday evening a friend and I rode our motorcycles on the beach; it was a little difficult but different and fun. The highlight of the Port Aransas trip was visiting the USS Lexington aircraft carrier anchored at Corpus Christi Texas. The Lexington was commissioned in 1943 and decommissioned in 1991; it is now a floating museum. I was able to tour the flight deck and the bridge, but didn't have time to tour the rest of the ship.

Saturday a friend and I set out for the Gulf of California. Along the way we visited Big Bend National Park TX., and spent a few days in Phoenix Arizona. Big Bend National Park has a lot to offer visitors, but it didn't make a big impression on me. We rode through South Mountain Park when we were in Phoenix.

Friday we took our passports and headed south to Mexico. We bought Mexican auto insurance before crossing the boarder; US auto insurance isn't any good in Mexico. We spent several days at Las Palomas in Puerto Peňasco, Sonora, Mexico. This was the first time I've been outside the United States, so crossing the boarder was the highlight of the Mexico trip! Swimming with a school of fish in the Sea of Cortez was another landmark event.

After returning to the USA Wednesday, we made a picture and shopping stop in Sedona Arizona. Thursday we rode east to Gallup NM. then north on US481 to Shiprock NM. This is very flat and barren land interrupted only by the occasional large rock formation jutting out of the ground. The largest of these stark rock formations is Ship Rock, the remnant of a 30 million year old volcanic eruption, rising 1,900 feet above the surrounding plane. We stopped for the night in Chama New Mexico.

The last day of the trip may have been the most challenging. I was almost run over by a steam locomotive in Antonito CO., we encountered a lengthy construction delay south of Fountain, a nasty washboard dirt road, heavy rain and hail at Monument, and stop-n-go traffic in Denver. It took three hours to travel from Fountain to my apartment.

The trip included two countries (USA, Mexico); seven states (Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Sonora); lasted 20 days, and covered 4,407.8 miles (7,093.6 kilometers). It was a good trip in spite of the heat and humidity.

A video slideshow by Clyde Hoadley

All photographs were taken in Colorado.

A video slideshow by Clyde Hoadley 2012 from Clyde Hoadley on Vimeo.

Photos by myself, Clyde Hoadley.
Music is by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).

Before and after

Come fly with me

Going to Barr Lake, Cherry Creek reservoir, and Chatfield have been on my to do list for a long time. I visited Barr Lake last week and finally visited Chatfield this week; I haven't been to Cherry Creek yet. All three are part of the State Parks system and practically in the city. I don't have a reason for not visiting these parks before, just a list of lame excuses—too busy, too late in the day, too cold, too windy, or too tired.

Chatfield opened as a state park in 1976. The park gets its name from Isaac W. Chatfield, a veteran of the civil war, who first owned the land. Chatfield dam was constructed in 1967 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following the destructive flood of 1965. Chatfield State Park is well known as a spot for birding; the Audubon Society of Greater Denver has facilities in the park. Chatfield State Park is surrounded by the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield and Hildebrand Ranch Park on the west, Roxborough State Park on the south, and South Platte Park on the north.

A friend and I rode our motorcycles to Chatfield Saturday afternoon. We didn't take the direct route preferring to motor around the western suburbs first. We stopped for lunch at the Hunan Dynasty Restaurant—9882 West Belleview Avenue in Littleton. The service was good, the food was excellent, the portions generous, and a very reasonable price!

At the park we circled the still frozen lake stopping a couple of times so I could snap some pictures. There were a lot of bicyclers and hikers in the park. We watched people fly model airplanes at the Chatfield Aerodrome, then circled the southern end of the lake along Rampart Range road and Waterton road. South Wadsworth ends at Waterton road on the south end of the lake. We took Santa Fe Drive (US-85) back into Denver.

I nearly dumped the bike a couple of times when I slipped on loose gravel. After 13,700 miles it's time for new tires. That's a lot of miles on one set of motorcycle tires—3 to 6 thousand miles is typical. With new tires I'll be ready for new adventures this summer.

The old buffalo wallow

Sunday and Monday was great motorcycling weather—blue skys, 70F temperatures, and calm winds. I needed to get outside so I grabbed my camera, hopped onto the motorcycle, and rode to Barr Lake north of Denver. There were a lot of people visiting the park Sunday, so I wasn't alone.

I was told an owl was sitting on a nest a short walk north of the visiters center. I took the camera and went looking for the owl. I met several other photographers and bird watchers along the way. I never found the owl, but I took several pictures of trees, tree stumps, and ducks. Only a couple of those shots turned out to be keepers.

What is now Barr lake use to be nothing but a buffalo (bison) wallow prior to 1880. In the late 1800's a dam was built across the north end of the wallow, and canals were built to fill the reservoir with water from the South Platte river. Unfortunately, by 1960 Barr lake had become the biggest sewage lagoon in the United States. Clean-up efforts began on the South Platte and Barr lake after the 1965 flood. Barr Lake opened as a state park in 1977, and in 2004 the lake was declared a source of drinking water.

I went back to the lake late Monday afternoon. I took my big telephoto lens and a tripod with me. I headed south from the visitors center shortly after 4 O'clock. There is an eagles nest at the south end of the lake. After walking 1 1/2 miles I finally spotted an eagle in a tree; it didn't appear to be siting on a nest. I took several photos of the bird even though it was too far away. I continued south to the end of the trail before turning around. I never found the nest. I learned later the best view of the nest is from a pier that is close to where I saw the eagle. I took several photos of the setting sun on my way back. It was twilight when I got back to the motorcycle, and I rode home in the dark.

My feet really hurt by the time I got home. I discovered large blisteres on the bottom of both feet ! I've hiked in those boots before without problems; it may have been the socks I wore that caused the problem. Next time I'm taking a pair of walking shoes with me.

The Big Red Castle in Westminster

Todd and I went motorcycling around the metro area this afternoon. The temperatures climbed into the sixties today. The forecast didn't call for high winds but we sure ran into a few strong gusts. My face got wind and sunburned. We rode as far north as Boulder, and made several stops along the way.

One place we stopped was outside the Westminster Castle. I didn't even know it existed. The building was built in 1893 to house the Westminster University. The university didn't open until 1908 and only lasted ten years; it closed in 1918. The property was sold to the Pillar of Fire Church in 1920. The building is listed as a National Historical Landmark. This picture was taken with my cell phone from the rear of the building on the east side. We should have gone around to the south side, because the building is much more impressive from the front.

The Mysterious White House on 7th Avenue

I have long been intrigued by the big white house on the north west corner of 7th Avenue & Ogden Street. For the longest time I thought it was an old tuberculosis sanitarium, later I errantly concluded it must be the Germain Consulate. This week I learned the true identity and history behind that mysterious big white house.

Twenty Six year old Alfred Cass married Mary Ashton in 1876. They spent time in Nebraska before relocating to Denver in 1888. Alfred quickly rose to prominence in the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. The widow Mary Cass built the large Colonial Revival house in 1908, five years after her husband died. She died shortly after the house was completed.

It may not be fair to label the second owner of the house, oil tycoon Henry Blackmer, a miscreant. It was never proven he was smuggling bootleg liquor, but Blackmer didn't always conduct business on the up-and-up either. He fled the country in 1924 leaving his son Myron in charge of the house.

The Teapot Dome oil field in wyoming is a mere 60 miles from my home town. Teapot Dome and several other oil fields formed the U.S. Navy's oil reserves. In 1921 President Warren Harding transfered control of some of the reserves, including the Teapot Dome field, to the Department of Interior under Secretary Albert Fall. Secretary Albert B. Fall truly was a miscreant. He had ties to vote fixing, cattle rustling, and murder for hire. In 1922 Fall quietly gave drilling rights for parts of the reserve to Mammoth Oil Corporation and the Pan-American Petroleum & Transport Company. This shady transaction would bloom into the Teapot Dome scandal and ultimately resulted in Fall's imprisonment in 1929.

Henry Blackmer held an interest in the Continental Trading Company which was to receive large sums of money from the oilmen involved in the Teapot Dome scandal. He fled to France when he was subpoenaed to testify and didn't return for 25 years. At the age of 80 and in poor health, he was fined $20,000 in 1949 for contempt of court.

Sometime between 1925 & 1949 the house was converted into apartments, but for the past 62 years the big white house has belonged to the Saint Germain Foundation. Many consider the St. Germain Foundation to be a cult. As symbolic of their "I AM" activity the cult painted the red brick building all white.

Thus ends the mystery of the the big white house on 7th Avenue.

Sources:
Ferril, Will C., ed. Sketches of Colorado. Vol. 1. Denver: The Western Press Bureau Company, 1911.
Keezer, Dexter M. "Blackmer Will Dodge Oil Trial." Pittsburgh Press, 12 Oct. 1927, Two.
Leonard, Stephen J. and Thomas J. Noel. Denver Mining Camp To Metropolis. Niwot: University Press of Colorado, 1990.
"Teapot Dome Figure Fined." Milwaukee Journal, 2 Nov. 1949, M2.
Widmann, Nancy L. The East 7th Avenue Historic District. Denver: Historic Denver Inc., 1997.
Wikipedia contributors, "Albert B. Fall," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fall (accessed February 22, 2012).
Wikipedia contributors, "Saint Germain Foundation," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Germain_Foundation (accessed February 22, 2012).
Wikipedia contributors, "Teapot Dome scandal," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot_Dome_scandal (accessed February 22, 2012).
 

Playing with water

I was playing in the water this evening. I can't wait for summer when I can try this on a waterfall. The picture on the top was taken using: ISO-3200, 1/200 sec, f 5.0 freezing the motion of the water (or nearly so). The picture on the bottom was taken using: ISO-100, 1/2 sec, f8.0 blurring the motion of the water.

The bottom picture is how I've seen the world lately. The lenses in my glasses got scratched real bad, and I've been wearing my old glasses. I had an eye exam this morning and ordered new glasses. The new glasses will have larger lenses, photo-grey (progressive), anti-glare, scratch resistent, and have a two year warranty. Soon I'll be able to see the world more like the top picture. I assume that will be a good thing.

Old School

I'm reading Denver Inside and Out (the Colorado Historical Society, 2011). The book is a compilation of short essays, each written by a different researcher, on a different topic of Denver's history. The third essay, by Shawn Snow, details the establishment of the first schools in Denver.

A factoid I will try to remember is: Owen J. Goldrick started the first school in Denver on October 3, 1859. Goldrick's school was a private school located in a cabin along the west banks of Cherry Creek in an area now called Auraria. I wonder if it is coincidental that Auraria now hosts two universities and a community college. The first free public school in Denver opened in December of 1862.

A lot of these interesting little factoids can be found on the internet If you have the interest and know what to look for. I like having information collected, fact checked, collated, and presented in an interesting, organized, and consistant manner the way books do.

A broken record

I stayed in Friday and let it snow while the apartment manager busied himself shoveling sidewalks. It snowed all day Friday; it didn't stop snowing until 8 o'clock Saturday morning. The city of Denver recorded 15.9 inches of snow breaking the February 1912 record of 22.1 inches. It never got very cold. After the sun came out Saturday it warmed enough to melt some of the snow.

I went for a walk around the neighborhood in the afternoon. The neighborhood looked to be in good shape. Most people had shoveled their sidewalks, but the streets were still a mess. Walking was easy except when crossing the streets where the gutters had filled with snow and slush. I didn't see any broken tree limbs; the strong wind we had a few weeks ago already took care of that. Some parts of the city lost electricity for a short while, but the apartment never lost power.

I had the pleasure of seeing a couple of mountain chickadees up close while on my tour. They didn't stop to pose for pictures, but you can see one of the birds perched in the bush in this picture.

Suck It In

My doctor offeres evening classes that promote healthy living and discuss health care options. I attended his last class about core strengthening. He invited a Physical Therapist to describe and demonstrate some simple exercises that anyone can do at home, without any equipment, to strengthen their core muscles.

The therapist described core muscles, in layman terms, as those muscles between the chest and thighs including: the abdominals, back, pelvic floor, hips, and transverse abdominis. Many core muscles aren't obvious because they are hidden underneath other muscles. The transverse abdominis is hidden by the rectus abdominis (six-packs). It fits around the hips like a corset and keeps us upright and stabile so we don't wobble around.

All of the demonstrations the therapist gave help strengthen the transverse abdominis along with other muscles. The simplest exercise that can be done by anyone, anytime, anywhere is simply to "suck it in". Don't suck it in all the way - just half way, and do not hold your breath! I have to concentrate on breathing in and out while holding my tummy in. This simple exercise can be done in bed, while standing in line, while driving, while on a walk, or while doing other strength exercises. The exercise not only strengthens the transverse abdominis muscle but also trains the muscle to act on its own voluntarily.

I've gotten very lax with my daily exercises. Days may go by without doing my exercises; it's simple laziness. I still go for walks frequently, but not every day and not far or long enough. I need to come up with strategies to motivate myself to exercise and walk daily, and I need to loose those 20 pounds I gained over the winter.

Did you know the average life span of a black-tailed prairie dog is 7 to 8 years?

A different approach

I started reading from A History of the American People by Paul Johnson (1997). The book isn't a standard history text book. Johnson is English and takes a different approach to the subject. He does not give a detailed description of every little event, rather he is more interested in who these people were, and the political and social climate of the time. I skipped over part one of the book, and began reading at part two (1750-1815), now that I understand his approach I am interested in reading part one.

This afternoon I filled the bike with gas, checked the tires, and the air presser in the suspension. All were ok. It's not ready for new tires quite yet, but soon.

No particular place to go

Today was a beautiful day for a ride. A friend and I headed north from Denver with no particular place to go. We traveling a familiar route to Brighton where we stopped for lunch.

We had an excellent meal at the El Jimador Restaurant, 275 S. 4th Ave, Brighton, Colorado. The food was great, the prices reasonable, and the portions generous.

After lunch, we continued north to Fort Lupton where we turned east, through Hudson to Prospect valley, then south to Bennett. The temperature was quite comfortable until we turned west at Bennett, then the air took on a chill. We stopped for coffee at Biscuits Cafe in Watkins.

Over coffee, we discussed which of three routes to take back to Denver. I said I wanted to "turn the screw," meaning—go fast! This ment taking the interstate highway back to Denver. It was good we didn't encounter a highway patrolmen on our way back. It wasn't an airplane that caused that sonic boom!

In Denver, we each went our separate ways. I circled the park before returning to the apartment. It was a fun day.


Photo of decorated chair at El Jimador Mexican Restaurant, Brighton, CO.

Ranger's report

I finished reading Colorado: The Highest State (Noel & Smith, 2011) this morning. In the afternoon I attended a combined potluck / meeting for volunteers at the refuge. I took pasta salad that I bought at the store.

The head ranger spoke near the end of the meeting . He reported there are 50 eagle roosts on the refuge; this is the most they've counted in three years. I was alarmed and saddened when he told us about a new poison that farmers and ranchers are using to kill rodents including prairie dogs. We all understand prairie dogs and other rodents are very destructive and need to be controlled, unfortunately this poison kills a lot of other animals too.

The poison (Rozol) is an anticoagulant that causes the animal to hemorrhage and bleed to death; it can take several days for the animal to die. Prairie dogs leave their burrow before dying. Their carcases attract other animals such as eagles, hawks, and coyotes who feed on the carcases and also die from the poison. Other animals have been killed when the poisoned bait, usually grain, was misapplied. The poison is water soluble and is dangerous to use near lakes and streams.

Some of Colorado's influential people

It started snowing before I finished my second cup off coffee this morning. It was windy further north but it never got windy here. I decided today was a good day to stay home.

I continued reading about Colorado's history; two more chapters and I will have finished the book. I learned about some of the state's more influential people including: Judge Lindsey, Governor Shafroth, Josephine Roche, Emily Griffith, Robert Speer, John Otto, Enos Mills, and Charles Boettcher.

I was very surprised to learn Emily Griffith was shot to death in 1947, and the case was never solved. I was also surprised to learn that "Baby Doe", the 2nd Mrs. Tabor, froze to death in Leadville in 1935; she died a pauper.

By noon it had stopped snowing and the sun was out, so I went for a short walk; It was still a little cold.

Hide and seek

Today I put the telephoto onto my camera and drove to South Platte Park to look for eagles. The area south of Mineral and north of C470 is good eagle country. The park has reported many eagle sightings on their Facebook page. I spent 2 hours tramping around Cooley, Redtail, and Eaglewatch lakes with no luck. All I saw were some ducks, a coyote, and some prairie dogs. That telephoto lens gets heavy after awhile.

Last month I counted 5 eagles at the refuge while working on trails, but I didn't have a camera with me then. I spent 2 hours hiking around the arsenal with the camera last week, but didn't see a thing. Maybe they know when I have a camera and are playing hard to get. I'm getting paranoid.

If Ben Franklin had gotten his way, would we still be able to eat turkey or woud the turkey be a protected bird?


The snow covered mountain in the distance is Mt. Evens; you can ride motorcycles to the top of it in the summer.

Plan for a day trip

I am reading Colorado: The Highest State by Noel & Smith (2011). It's a history of Colorado. I didn't know the book was for 8-12 year olds until I started reading it. Oh well, that makes it easier for me to read. I learned about Bent's Fort near La Junta, while reading about trappers and fur traders. Bent's Fort, on the Santa Fe Trail, was the largest trading post in Colorado from 1833 until 1849, when it was burned after a cholera epidemic.

A visit to Bent's Fort will make a nice day trip on the motorcycle. A stop at the Koshare Indian Museum in La Junta will make a full day.

Did you know San Luis, in the San Luis Valley, is the oldest town in Colorado? It was founded in 1851.

Just write one sentence

I am challenging myself to take at least one photograph, and write something in my blog every day. It doesn't need to be anything important, informative, or profound. What's important is to write something, and photograph something every day. I know of someone who does that very thing. I got started today by writing posts, with photos, for the past 4 days.

I don't know why this building makes me think of Hercule Poirot.

An early pour

I've gained back the weight I lost over the summer - I'm back up to 220 Lb. I falter occasionally with my daily exercise and walking routine. I've set a daily alarm on my iPhone to remind me to take a walk and do my exercises.

On my walk this afternoon I became aware of the stamps embedded in some of the concrete sidewalks. I see these everyday but have never looked closely at them. All of the stamps have the name of the contracter that did the work and most have the year the sidewalk was poured. Most of the sidewalks in the neighborhood were laid down in the late sixties and early seventies. I was startled when I turned the corner and found this stamp:

Good golly! This sidewalk is older than I am.

Deceptive weather

The weather was nice today, or so it seemed. I got the camera, telephoto, and motorcycle out and rode to the wildlife refuge. It wasn't windy when I left the apartment, but darn it was cold and windy when I got to the refuge. I was hoping to photograph some eagles, but all I found was this sign.

I stopped at the visitors center to say hello. The ranger said someone reported seeing a Bobcat earlier in the week. She wanted to get a picture of it but wasn't sure where it was, and no one else had seen it. It's not imposible for a Bobcat to be on the refuge, but it is doubtful. The arsenal isn't the kind of habitat Bobcats like, and it's too close to people, and there are a lot of coyotes on the refuge.

I'm twenty feet tall

I feel like I'm twenty feet tall! It could be a side effect of the Wellbutrin and Zoloft, but I mustn't discount the affect spending more time outdoors and getting more sun has had. I'm looking forward to summer weather. I'm already planning trips on the motorcycle for the summer.

Things have changed

I've never needed a passport. I've never been outside of the lower 48 states. Things have changed. I want to tour around the U.S. and Canada on the motorcycle, and twice I've been invited to motorcycle into Mexico but declined both times.

This week I took the plunge and applied for a passport and wallet card. You only need a wallet card to travel to/from Canada and Mexico by land. There isn't any reason why I should be declined so I should receive them in 4 or 5 weeks.

Weekend ride over Independence Pass

I and a couple of friends rode our motorcycles to Breckenridge Colorado for the weekend. The ride from Denver took longer than usual because of heavy traffic on I-70. We learned later there had been a fatal accident near Idaho Springs.

We arrived late afternoon Friday. After unloading our gear we took a break while we compiled a grocery list. There were only three of us but we bought enough food for six.

Saturday was a very laid-back day. None of us could muster enough energy to go riding. I suspect the big meal Friday evening and the higher altitude were contributing factors. We spent all of Saturday eating and napping but a couple of us did muster the energy to go for a swim in the pool.

Sunday was a big day. The three of us went on a 7 1/2 hour ride over Independence Pass. I've wanted to ride over Independence Pass since I got a motorcycle. We got off to a late start but it was a great ride. We made several stops along the way.

We took state highway 91 over Fremont Pass past the Climax molybdenum mine to the town of Leadville Colorado. We stopped in Leadville for a break and to people watch at their annual Boom Days celebration.

We took US-24 south several miles to reach state highway 82. US-24 runs parallel with the headwaters of the Arkansas River between Leadville and Buena Vista. Mount Elbert and Mount Massive can clearly be seen west of US-24. Standing at 14,440 feet, Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains of North America.

We made a picture stop at the Twin Lakes Reservoir after turning west onto Colorado state highway 82. The Twin Lakes Reservoir is one of the reservoirs in a massive system that supplies water to eastern Colorado. The Twin Lakes area is very picturesque.

Colorado State Highway 82 isn't the highest paved road in the state but it is closed over Independence Pass during the winter. The road doesn't have guard rails along the switch backs and it is quite narrow in places. It isn't a difficult ride and is among the most scenic routes in Colorado. We stopped at the pass (12,095 feet) for pictures and to take a break.

Independence Pass is along the Continental Divide. Water east of the divide will flow east toward the Atlantic while water west of the divide will flow west toward the Pacific. Highway 82 parallels the Roaring Fork river west of the pass until it reaches Aspen Colorado. We stopped and had a picnic lunch beside the Roaring Fork river.

I'd never been to Aspen Colorado before. Now I can truthfully say I've been to Aspen. The city is aptly named; the Roaring Fork Valley is nearly carpeted with Aspen trees. It was amassing to notice the change of geology as we descended into the valley from the east; the color of the rock changes from a gray color to a flaming red color.

Highway 82 is four lane highway between Aspen and Glenwood Springs Colorado where it terminates. We stopped at Glenwood Springs for gas and to take a break. We took Interstate 70 east to Frisco Colorado where we turned off to Breckenridge.

This was a great weekend ride full of lots of beautiful scenery. It wasn't difficult and I finally rode the motorcycle over Independence Pass. It was 426 miles round trip.

Riding the scenic highways on the Road King

I just returned from a two week motorcycle trip where I toured Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and made short excursions into Idaho and Utah. Six of us left Denver on Sunday July 10th. Mike, Jen, Dale and Sandy planned to return to Denver within a week while my friend Todd and I would continue touring for another week. As a group we planned to visit Devils Tower in Wyoming, ride the Bear Tooth Highway in Montana, and visit Red Lodge Montana. Todd and I planned to ride through Glacier National Park Montana after Red Lodge but hadn't made any other plans beyond that.



We got off to a late start Sunday. Mike and Dale were both pulling trailers behind their bikes but there were some problems with Dale's trailer. After a few miles the trailer began to bounce all over the road and nearly threw Dale off the bike. We returned to Denver where Mike and Dale extended the trailers tongue. That solved the problem but we had lost two hours and wouldn't be able to make it to Gillette. We opted to ride as far as Guernsey Wyoming where we camped overnight west of Guernsey.

We rode to Gillette Wyoming on Monday and intended to continue on to Devils Tower but our plans changed when we encountered high wind, rain and hail. We decided to make camp in Gillette and try for Devils Tower on Tuesday. We camped at the Crazy Woman campground which use to be run by a friend of my mother.

We had a good ride to Devils Tower Tuesday. There was still a lot of wind but no rain or hail. Unfortunately Dale's motocycle broke down on the way back to Gillette. Mike, who use to be a Harley mechanic, was able to get the necessary parts and tools to affect repairs Wednesday morning. This ment camping for a second night in Gillette.

Wednesday we had a long ride north on I-90 past Sheridan to Ranchester Wyoming where we turned onto US14A. US14A took us over the Big Horn mountains and Medicine Wheel Pass then dropped down into Lovel; it rejoins primary US14 in Cody Wyoming. Jen's grandparents, who live in Cody, let us stay in their guest house. We spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in Cody.

Friday we rode north from Cody then turned west onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (WY-296). The Chief Joseph highway joins up with US212, the Bear Tooth Scenic Highway, just east of Cook City Montana. There were still some tall snow banks on top of the Bear Tooth and the road has a lot of tight switchbacks on it. Journalist Charles Kuralt, who did "On The Road With Charles Kuralt" for 25 years on CBS news, once called the Bear Tooth Highway the most scenic road in America. I won't argue with him but some of Colorado's highways give the Bear Tooth some stiff competition.

After descending the Bear Tooth on the north side US212 comes into Red Lodge Montana where we stopped for lunch. The Iron Horse motorcycle rally was just getting underway. The Iron Horse motorcycle rally is a much smaller and tamer version of the Sturgis motorcycle rally, held in August, in Sturgis South Dakota. After lunch we continued on to Laurel Montana where Mike and Jen had a motel room. After saying our goodbyes Todd and I met-up with my sister in Absarokee Montana where we spent the night.

We slept late on Saturday, had a leisurely breakfast and did a load of laundry. It was after 12 when we left my sisters and headed north on US89 toward Glacier passing through Big Timber, White Sulphur Springs and Great Falls Montana. We took a room at the Bella Vista motel in Choteau Montana Saturday evening.

We got an early start Sunday morning and made it to Glacier National Park by 10AM. US89 is really freaky between Choteau and Saint Mary. The road can be going along straight and narrow, then suddenly curve and plunge down and around a valley and hill, then back to the straight and narrow. Many of the tricky curves aren't marked; you discover them when you're suddenly into them! No sleeping on that road!

I'd never been to Glacier Park before and I was not disappointed. It is very beautiful. The road running through the park is called "Going To The Sun Road". The road was still snowed-in a week earlier and had only just been re-opened for the season. The road was in remarkably good condition and was not a difficult ride. The only tricky part was descending from Logan Pass on the west side. The road is quite narrow and isn't paved in some places and there was a lot of traffic but it wasn't difficult. US highway 2 doesn't go through the park but passes between Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest.

We stopped in Kallispell Montana, gassed up, ate lunch and washed the bugs off the motorcycles. We also stopped at the local Harley dealership so Todd could get a replacement bulb for his headlight.

We took US93 south from Kallispell. US93 skirts the west side of Flathead Lake. Flathead lake is a huge freshwater lake (about 191 square miles) and is quite beautiful. I would like to spend some time exploring the Flathead Lake area.

As we were entering Glacier we met-up with a couple of motorcyclists that had sped past us on US89. They told us about a road they had ridden the day before called Thompson Falls, so Todd and I left US93 and headed west on MT-200 to the town of Thompson Falls Montana. The road itself is actually called Prospect Creek Road (MT-471), it passes through the northern portion of Lolo National Forest. The trees there are very healthy. I didn't see any signs of Pine Beetle blight. I suspect the winters there are still cold enough to kill the pest. The trees there are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. The road was an easy ride and took us into the state of Idaho. We took I90 east to Missoula Montana where we took a motel room. We came close to breaking the sound barrier coming down the east side of Lookout Pass.

Monday was a fairly easy day. We headed south out of Missoula on US93 to highway 43. MT43 goes into an area of Montana called "Big Hole". Big Hole is a large valley surrounded by mountains on all sides and was explored by Lewis & Clark. The valley is not suitable for farm land but it is great cattle and grass land. Big Hole is also where Chief Joseph of the Nez Percé engaged in battle against the 7th Infantry in August 1877.

Just east of Big Hole Pass is the ghost town of Bannack Montana (now a State Park). Bannack was a large gold camp in the 1860's with a population of about Ten Thousand during its heyday and at one time was the capital of the Montana Territory. We spent about an hour walking around the town. I did not see any ghosts, though I broke out in a sweat and the hair on the back of my neck stood up when I was in the school house. We took a motel room in Dillon Montana not far from Bannack.

Tuesday was a very long day. We headed east and south on US287 stopping at Nevada City and Virginia City Montana. They are only a few miles appart. They are both genuine gold camps of the old west era but now are just tourist traps. Nevada City had some cool looking old train cars and an old broken down steam engine. I didn't find Virginia City to be very interesting, well except for the cowboy.

We rode in strong winds for a couple of hours from Virginia City to reach West Yellowstone where we ate lunch and got gas before entering the park. At first it looked like we were going to get a break with the weather but the break didn't last. We got rained on before reaching Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park Wyoming. It stopped raining and the sun came out just long enough to watch the geyser erupt. We really got dumped on after leaving Old Faithful; there was even some small hail. At one point it got heavy enough we couldn't see the road and had to pull off for awhile. We almost didn't get to see the Grand Tetons because of the rain but nature gave us a break just long enough to snap a picture. We rode in rain for the rest of the day. It was nearly midnight when we pulled into Rock Springs Wyoming. The motel in Rock Springs was a real dive but the trailer park across the street provided some amusing entertainment the following morning.

Wednesday was a bit easier. It tried to rain on us Wednesday but we got lucky and were able to avoid the rain. We darted over to Green River Wyoming where we turned south on Wy-530. The highway travels down the western side of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. The Flaming Gorge has a lot of interesting geologic formations and a large lake. The northern portion of Flaming Gorge has a dry desert appearance but becomes mountainous in the southern half where it crosses into Utah. The lake cuts a deep channel into the mountain exposing flaming red rock. I'm sure this is where the Flaming Gorge name comes from. We encountered a group of about 14 motorcyclists on an organized motorcycle tour. They all spoke German. The road captain was the only one that spoke english. We ate lunch at the Lucerne boat marina and spent about an hour poking around the western side of the Gorge before moving on to Vernal Utah.

From Vernal it was a long fast ride on US40 back into Colorado. We turned south at the town of Dinosaur Colorado, passed through Rangely Colorado, and continued south to Grand Junction Colorado where we stayed overnight at Todd's sisters house.

I had a little trouble on CO-139 south of Rangely. There is a section of twisty road south of Rangely where it climes over Douglas Pass. The day was getting long and the sun was getting low on the horizon. As I started up the pass the sun was just on the horizon making it very hard to see the road. That was bad enough but the roadway was deteriorating and the road kept getting worse with each twist. Between the blinding sun, trashed out road, and hair pin turns I had to slow to a crawl. I finally made it over the pass where the road improved and straightened out and the sun was out of my eyes. It was still daylight when we rolled into Grand Junction.

Thursday was a challenge. Narrow twisty roads, no guard rails, rain, Highway Patrolmen, and short tempers made for a trying day.

We went south on US50 from Grand Junction to join the Million Dollar Highway (US550). The road passes over Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton Colorado. The pass is sometimes referred to as the "Oh Shit Pass" because the road on the north side of the pass is very narrow and twisty, and doesn't have any guard rails. If you run off the edge you go straight down because there's nothing there to stop you, and passing is nearly impossible. Red Mountain Pass is aptly named. The mountain tops are a rust red because of the iron oxide in the rock. We stopped a few times to take pictures including a stop at the Idarado gold mine (now closed). While at the mine I decided it was too warm to wear a coat so I took it off. This proved to be a mistake when we got into rain at Silverton. I didn't get as wet as I did on Tuesday but Todd still had a good time with my error in judgment. We stopped in Durango Colorado for lunch. The traffic in Durango was unbelievable. Where does all that traffic come from?

We traveled east on US160 and threw Pagosa Springs where the road climbs over Wolf Creek Pass before dropping into South Fork Colorado. I had the opportunity to meet Colorado State Trooper Fenwick as I was traversing Wolf Creek Pass. The speed limit varies up and down along that stretch of road; varying anywhere from 25 to 65mph. Trooper Fenwick seems like a nice fellow. He was very polite and professional. We even chatted about the Road King and the trip. He was amazed to learn we had traveled over 3000 miles. Unfortunately, he had also clocked me on radar doing 64mph in a 45mph zone so presented me with a speeding ticket. Oh well, that's his job, I guess it is a safety issue. I'm not going to challenge the ticket, I'll just pay it.

During the trip we found some gas pumps have trouble with the combined Debit/Credit cards. We encountered another one of those in Monta Vista Colorado. Tempers began to flare when the clerk had trouble activating the pump. We did get our gas and made a quick exit out of town north to Buena Vista Colorado.

At Buena Vista we stayed at the Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn & Spa west of town. The Inn features a number of pools fed by a natural hot spring. It was 11pm when we arrived, so I was more interested in bed than I was the health benefits of the hot spring.

The motel offers a late check out that we took advantage of. It was after 1pm Friday when we started the last leg of our trip north on US285 back to Denver Colorado. It was 3:45pm when I got back to the apartment.

Over the course of the trip I traveled 3,355 miles, was in five states, stayed overnight in ten different places, got sunburned, rained on, hailed on, nearly blown off the road by wind, and received a speeding ticket. I also was at Devils Tower, Medicine Wheel Pass, rode the Bear Tooth Highway, Red Lodge, Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, Lolo National Forest, Big Hole, Bannack, Nevada City, Virginia City, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Flaming Gorge, Douglas Pass, Red Mountain Pass and Wolf Creek Pass. I really had a good time. As soon as the bike has been serviced I'll be ready to go again.
 

I'm so glad it's over

I haven't felt this good in a long time. The last four years were like having someone sitting on my chest; on April 29th that went away. I did have a great deal of anxiety for a couple of weeks but that's gone away too. I almost never think about the office. I'm so glad it's over.

So far I haven't had any trouble filling my days. I am a little concerned about what I'll do when the weather turns bad again. I'll deal with that when the time comes. I'm planing to take a motorcycle trip with friends through Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Beartooth, Glacier and where ever ...
 

Clyde has left the building

I've been telling people for two years that I would probably take early retirement when I became eligible. I didn't quite make it that far. Last week I accelerated my retirement for medical reasons. I will use up all of my vacation and sick leave then I will officially be retired. April 29 was my last day with the college.

Clyde Hoadley · Clyde has left the building

I've had a growing dissatisfaction with my life and my work for several years. Without question the protracted chaos in the office has contributed to my increasing malaise. For many months I have been suffering from anxiety, an inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, loss of motivation, and depression. Last week I had serious "panic attack". It wasn't the first panic attack I've had, only this one didn't go away. The following morning I decided it was in my best interest, and in the best interest of the college, that I move on sooner than planned. While my departure is amicable, after 4 years as a work study and 24 years as an FTE, it is still a little bitter sweet. During my time there I've: pulled cable, wired jacks, spun tape, done cold starts of mainframes and minis, written code in Z80, PDP11 and 370 assembler, JCL, BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal, COBOL, Natural, SQL, C/C++, JAVA, UNIX shell, and HTML. My code has run scanners, built and manipulated image files, and created over 150,000 user accounts. I've managed firewalls, routers, IDS, network scanners, and written dozens of policies. I've accomplished a lot professionally but I'm used up and burned out. It's time for a new direction. This may not have been the most practical decision, but it is the best decision for me. I have not had as much successes in the personal and social realms of my life. This is an opportunity for me to do some serious soul searching. I have to save my soul and re-invent myself. I want to invent someone who is mindful and compassionate at his very core and build a future from that. I'm not looking for another "job", I'm looking for meaning, passion and soul. Now, to create that future.

 

Bathtub Meditation

Clyde Hoadley · Bathtub Meditation

About 3 years ago I spent a cold winter afternoon surfing YouTube; I stumbled across the YouTube channel of a man in Hastings, East Sussex, UK that uses the moniker "AndyMooseMan". I subscribed to his channel because I like his beach vlog videos and the fact he isn't railing on about politics or conspiracy theories or religion; he just talks about what he's been doing and what's going on with him. He has also gotten into Blogging, Tweeting and Podcasting. In early October Andy Tweeted that the Hastings Pier had burned down. A few weeks later he announced he and a few other people were compiling a music CD featuring local musicians and the proceeds would go to the "Save the Pier" fund. Having followed Andy's YouTube videos for 3 years, and being all for saving historical landmarks, I ordered one when they went on sale.

I have an Anglo-Saxon name. My ancestors migrated to the New World during the colonial period more than a hundred years before the American revolution. A member of the family tree that stayed behind later became the Bishop of Winchester and is buried in Winchester Cathedral - Hampshire. I understand he was a bit of a heretic. For someone who has clergy in his ancestry I am not particularly religious. I find my spirituality in nature. I think the winter constellation Orion is the most beautiful constellation in the northern hemisphere, and there is nothing more spiritual and awesome than a ripping good thunderstorm. Still, over the past few years I have engaged in a peculiar approach/avoidance dance with the propositions of Unitarian Universalism (UU). I frequently listen UU sermons via podcast. A few weeks ago I listened to a sermon by Rev. Mike Morran titled "The Space Between The Stars" [Listen (24m)]. My brief abstract cannot do his sermon justice. In the first half of the sermon he talks about the vastness of the universe and how we seem to vanish into the ever expanding emptiness of space; he concludes with the Monty Python Galaxy song. He is more poetic in the second half of the sermon. He contrasts our aloneness in the universe, to our being bound-up in the universe and to each other. The space that separates us is also the space that connects us. It is our relationships, chosen and accidental, that fill the space between us. He concludes with the proposition "there is a unity that makes us one and binds us forever together in spite of time and death and space between the stars." After listening to the sermon I drew a hot bath and took my iPod with me. I noticed that AndyMooseMan had posted a couple of new podcasts. Try to imagine this: I'm sitting in my bathtub with this sermon fresh in my mind, I have a dead relative buried in Winchester Cathedral, I'm listening to a podcast from the United Kingdom some 370 years after my ancestors came to the New World when I hear AndyMooseMan , who I met by accident on YouTube, announce he just mailed two "Not The End of The Pier" CD's to the United States - one to Wisconsin and one to Colorado.

I paused while I pondered the relevance of Mike's sermon and the sequence of events, over time and distance, that led to that moment in my bathtub.

How's that for the space between the stars?

lazy Sunday afternoon

I and two other motorcyclists rode our bikes to Breckenridge over the weekend; one of the riders has access to a condominium there. The weekend was cut short by one day because the condo wasn’t available until Saturday afternoon. We rode up on Saturday and came back on Monday. We had an easy ride from Denver to Breckenridge Saturday though the traffic on I-70 was awful - it was slow-n-go in many places.

We dropped our gear off at the condo then went to Dillon for a late lunch. We took Swan Mountain road over to US-6. The road has a few fun little twists and curves but is not particularly challenging. Dillon’s annual Barbecue festival was that weekend so we didn’t have any trouble finding a place to eat but we did have a little difficulty finding a place to park the bikes.

The removable touring pack I ordered for the Road King arrived earlier in the week so this was the first time I’ve used it. It worked great! We picked up groceries on the way back to the condo. I was able to carry all of the groceries and a 6-pack of beer on my bike with room left over.

We were joined by a fourth Saturday night and had a late supper. The original plan was to ride to Leadville on Sunday for their annual Boom Days, take a ride around Turquoise lake, then loop around through Red Cliff and Vail, but by Sunday the sky had turned gray with intermittent rain and the tops of the mountains were hidden in clouds. We all felt lazy and not interested in doing anything Sunday so we just hung out at the condo.

We fixed breakfast burritos Monday morning, did laundry and cleaned & vacuumed the condo, before heading back to Denver.

It could have been worse, and it almost was.

My buddies and I set out on a motorcycle trip from Denver, CO to Liberal, KS Saturday morning. It didn't take long for us to run into trouble.

The weather forecast had been pretty iffy all week; at one time they were calling for 14 inches of snow but by Friday afternoon they were forecasting an inch of snow on grassy areas and the storm would be gone by morning. We prepared for rain and wet roads but expected to be on dry roads by the time we reached Limon Colorado. We didn't make it that far.

It was dry with clear skys when we left Denver but we ran into light rain as we went south to Parker. We encountered snow as we rode into Franktown. As we turned east onto CO-86 the snow was starting to stick to the road, our windscreens and face shields. Within a minute of turning onto CO-86 I couldn't see the road in front of me. I was able to reach my hand out and wipe a small patch of snow and ice off one corner of the windscreen to see through.

I was between the lead rider and the tail gunner. I was able to keep up with the lead rider for a short while but I slowed down when the motorcycle started fish tailing. I had already lost sight of the tail gunner and I lost sight of the lead rider a few minutes later.

I was on my own now and I knew I had to get off the road. I thought I saw a tractor plowing a driveway on my right and snow piled up next to the driveway. I tried to slow for the turn but the rear tire came around front and passed me by. The bike and I went down and skated along the road several feet before stopping. Fortunately there was three inches of slush on the pavement to cushion the fall (I had all my gear on too.) All traffic on CO-86 came to a stop while I, and the guy in the SUV behind me, picked up the bike and pushed it into the driveway. The guy on the tractor came down to help too.

The tail gunner caught up with me about the time traffic started moving again. He had pulled off the road a mile back. He had already decided to abort his trip and had been trying to signal me for several miles to pull off. He came on down when he saw the traffic stop. While we were discussing what we should do, we saw the lead rider pass us by heading back to Franktown. He didn't see us because his eyes were glued to the road - I'm not sure he would have been able to stop anyway.

We were offered a ride into Elizabeth or we could stay at the farm house. We opted to wrestle the bikes up to the farm house and call a friend in Denver to come and get us; we left the bikes at the farm house. Assuming they don't get any more snow, we will go out on Sunday or Monday and ride them back (getting out of the muddy driveway could be a problem).


Lessons learned:

• Everyone is responsible for their own decisions. No one forced me to go on the trip. I knew the weather was questionable; another rider had already opted out. We all share a degree of responsibility for each other but each of us is ultimately responsible for our own skin. Ride your own ride.
  
  This wasn't a weather or planning issue - it was a safety issue. I rode into an unsafe situation and didn't react quickly enough. I had ample opportunity to react. I could have opted not to go, I could have backed out at Parker, or I could have pulled off at Franktown when we got into snow.
• Know your limits and ride within your limits. I know someone who rides his motorcycles the year around; it's his only mode of transportation. He has ridden motorcycles his whole life - he rode mini-bikes and dirt bikes when he was a kid. His skills and reflexes are in top shape - my skills and reflexes are nothing compared to his. He is able to ride a motorcycle on snow packed streets in sub-zero weather - I can not.
• Be prepared and have a plan. I had the right gear, but I don't have towing insurance or road side assistance for the motorcycle - I need to get some.
• Get off the road at the first sign of trouble, if only to wait it out.

We might have missed the snow if we had delayed our start by two hours. The storm has already left Colorado and is now over Kansas City, Kansas. We might try again later in the summer.

 

Is this train smiling?

Steam engine at Leadville Colorado.

Nuts! I have to go back to work tomorrow

A very Baptist affair

My mothers funeral was last Tuesday. It was held at the First Baptist Church in my home town. Both of my parents were very active in that church until they moved away many years ago. She was interred, after cremation, next to my father. A lot more people attended than I expected; not all of her peers had died, moved away, or were infirmed. I was really surprised when several people, I assumed had died, showed up alive and well!

It was a simple Baptist service. After an opening prayer and some singing the preacher read her obituary, then asked my brothers and sisters and I to come forward and recall a fond memory of our mother. One spoke about our parents involvement in building the new church, one spoke about her prom dress, another spoke about singing the special music in a church service. I spoke about a memory of mother playing the piano one afternoon, while my father and I napped, when she stopped playing (after an hour) we both got up to find out why she had stopped. After a long incoherent sermon the service concluded with the old Baptist standard hymn: "In The Garden".

We had a police escort to the cemetery. One good thing about my home town, they take really good care of the cemetery. At the grave site there was a prayer then we placed roses next to mom's Urn. The ladies of the church provided lunch after the service.

My mother died Thursday October 2, 2008 (updated)

My mother, Frances, died very early Thursday morning October 2, 2008. My sister and brother were both present when she died. Below is a draft (slightly edited) of the obituary my sister wrote (I am the only non-theist in the family; the rest of the family identifies as Christian.)

Frances R. H. peacefully returned to the loving arms of the Lord on Thursday October 2, 2008 where she joined her beloved husband, Doctor Joe.

She came into this World in on March 18, 1920, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the eldest daughter of Clyde and Alice R. She grew up in Cheyenne surrounded by music. Her parents were both professional musicians and music remained an important part of her life. She enjoyed playing in string quartets, and played First Violin with the Casper Symphony for many years. Occasionally she played with the Billings Symphony and later played several seasons with the St. George, Utah Symphony. She gave piano and violin lessons, and was organist and choir director at First Baptist Church for many years. She attended Park College in Parkville, Missouri from 1938 to 1941 and graduated from the University of Wyoming 1943 with a degree in Music

While attending Park College in 1938 she met the true love of her life. The first time she saw Joe H. she was attracted to the tall handsome curly haired gentleman. He was a Senior and she was a Freshman. When they discovered they were both from Wyoming, a romance which lasted a lifetime followed. They were married in Cheyenne, Wyoming August 30,1943. After Joe’s residency in St. Louis, and his stint with the military following World War II they made their home in Wyoming. Five children were born of this marriage.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Joe H., her parents, Clyde and Alice R., her only sister, Mae Fern Jay, and her infant daughter Alice.

She is survived by her sons, Frank, (wife Elizabeth) of Wisconsin, David (wife Kit) of Wyoming, and Clyde of Colorado; her daughter, Jeannette of Montana; four grandchildren, Marci, Jessica, Patrick, Robert (wife Pam) and one great grandson, Teague.

Cremation has taken place, burial will be at Mt. Pisgah in Wyoming.

A funeral service will be held at the First Baptist Church (Wyo) at 2:00 PM Tuesday October 7, 2008; the service is open to the public.

Mom has entered her "final days"

My sister telephoned; Mom has entered her "final days". Over the weekend Mom went into a deep sleep and could not be roused. The nursing staff predicts that she will pass within a week.

Mom has been on a long slow decline for ten years. She hasn't known my name for the last four years and she hasn't even recognized me the last two years.

I've already said my goodbyes and let go of her. That flesh is not my mother. I will feel relieved when it is all over.

I completed the Basic Motorcycle Rider Course

I successfully completed a 2 day Basic Motorcycle Rider Course over the weekend. The course was conducted by ABATE of Colorado Motorcycle Rider Education. Successfully completing the course makes me eligible for a motorcycle endorsement on my drivers license.

There were 12 students in the class; some had prior motorcycle experience but some did not. We spent most of the time on the motorcycles on a riding course set up in a parking lot. It was very hot both days. It reached 95F/35C degrees Saturday. Sunday hit 100F/37.8C degrees. I was too busy to take any pictures but did manage to squeeze off one snapshot.

The course assumed the students had never ridden a motorcycle before (but could ride a bicycle) so they went over all of the controls and how to shift gears. I use to ride motorcycles during the 70's but had forgotten which lever was the clutch and how the gear sequence worked. The field work was followed by a couple of hours of classroom time.

Saturday we learned to power walk the bike, how to start off and stop, how to shift gears, basic turns, and stop-and-go (commonly called a "California stop" in the USA.) Sunday we learned to fast-stop, take curves, swerve, and make U-turns.

The course concluded with us being scored on 4 riding exercises then a 50 question multiple choice test. All 12 of us passed the course. I scored a 100% on the written test but was marked off a few points on 2 of the riding exercises. In the fast-stop I should have stopped in 14' but took 15' to stop. In the taking curves exercise I rolled off power and was too slow going through the curve. But, I did well enough to pass.

While I was miserably hot and totally exhausted I still had a lot of fun and got a lot out of the course. I would recommend this course to anyone thinking of taking up motorcycle riding, or just for fun. There is a similar 1 day course designed for experienced riders.

Trip to Roxborough State Park

I went to Roxborough State Park just south of Denver Colorado Where I took a lot of pictures and some video.

Roxborough is a nature preserve with a lot history, plant and animal life, and is one of the most beautiful displays of the Fountain Formation which is a red colored sandstone that has been tilted 45 to 60 degrees. I arrived too late in the day to see much wildlife but I got a reasonably good picture of a Spotted Towhee.

The park offers many hiking trails to choose from; I chose the Fountain Valley trail. It was really hot that day and being an inexperienced hiker I didn't think to bring any water. Halfway around the loop I was getting dehydrated and starting to get dizzy but I made it back after much effort. Lesson learned.

A blast from the past

My 1973 bowling team (standing.)
Standing left to right: Ted, Jerry, Mike, Lance, Clyde.
Kneeling, singles and doubles events, left to right: Mark, Steve, Ken, George.

Unfortunately, I lost contact with all of these people not long after this picture was taken. I do know that Mike (standing center) and George (kneeling far right) are both dead now. I also know that Ted (standing far left) was alive and well 8 years ago, but I do not know the whereabouts or welfare of the others.