Dead Trees

Here is a shot of two of the cottonwood trees that were killed by the fire but haven't been carved into figures yet. The sandhill crane on it's tree trunk can be seen in front. If you look close you can see Coors Blvd behind the park with the housing develpment that is to the west of Coors Blvd. The parking lot for the park can also be seen along with a distant view of the eagle.

Budget Bikes: What's Your View?

As more beginner cyclists are in the market for new bicycles, I receive more and more questions from readers asking what I think about various makes and models listed on the Budget Options page. People want nice bikes, but, understandably, they also want to save money - and myvintage bicycle recommendationis not for everyone. What about a simple, basic new bike that is classic and comfortable, at a reasonable price? After all, it seems that more and more manufacturers are starting to offer exactly that.



[screen capture of video via tankww2]

The latest that has been brought to my attentionin that regard, is this promotional video from Bikes Direct - an online seller of extremely inexpensive mass-produced bicycles. The video shows cyclists riding colourful mixtes along a path lined with palm trees. The caption reads:"single and 3speed Windsor retro city bikes, style which was popular in the 50s, 60s and early 70s". These are not on the Bikes Direct website yet, but I imagine they soon will be - most likely priced in the $300s. What do you think - Do they look good to you and would you consider ordering?

I am always torn when asked for my own opinion: While I want to be objective, I simply don't like most of the lower-priced bikes that are out there at the moment.I have tried 80% or so of the bicycles on myBudget Optionslist, and so far very few of themhave made me feel that they are worth the price. It's one thing to spend a couple hundred dollars on a bike and not care, but a price tag in the range of $500-600 is a lot of money to me -too much money to spend on something that I believe is shoddily made, will likely require upgrades, will not feel entirely comfortable even with those upgrades, and may fall apart on me within a year. In the long run, I believe that such a bicycle may costmorethan an "expensive" bike. And I am especially surprised to hear of people choosing the lower-end bikes, and then buying Brooks saddles, leather grips, fancy lighting and expensive pannier systems to go with them. By the time they are done upgrading, the cost of the bike can reach a price point at which they could have gotten a higher-end bicycle - with many of those upgrades already included, not to mention with a better frame and higher quality components.

Beyond that, I am not really sure what to say when asked for suggestions. I believe that a well-made, comfortable bicycle can be mass-produced at a reasonable price in the Far East. But I don't think it's happening yet.What has your experience been and what are your views on "budget bikes"?

Archery Range Fun

Since Aric arrived here, he has wanted to try out the archery range. We finally got down there to try it yesterday. One of the best aspects of The Villages is that there is a group for almost anything and everything you could want to do, and that means you can try a bunch of new things.



I would not ever think to do archery on my own and even if I had an interest, like Aric, rarely would I be somewhere where it would be so easily available with volunteers willing to teach me.





Since we had all of that available to us, we soaked it up. The volunteer instructor has been doing this for five years and she was a great teacher.



In the two hours we were there, different groups came and went, so I got to see many different people try archery. Aric was the most accurate out of all of those people. He seemed to have a natural talent for it.








I did not seem to have a natural talent for it and worse than that, managed to hurt myself by hitting my arm with the bow string. Over and over again because I didn't realize how badly it hurt until after an hour or so of doing it. I would love to try this sport again, without the pain, because I think I'd really enjoy it.



So glad we did get out and try this. It showed me that even though new things can seem intimidating to begin with, they are great to push the limits of what I think I am capable of and get me out of my comfort zone.

Happy Birthday to the Original Big George

Tomorrow is my father’s birthday, and we all have a hard time believing he is in his ninth decade.
Greeks in general have solved the problem of growing old, and it’s not the Grecian Formula. It’s the tradition of Name Days. Your Name Day is set by the saint you are named for and by that saint’s feast day which is set by the Orthodox calendar. Traditionally, parties are held, but no numbers are involved. I know my Papou and Yiya didn’t take the age thing too seriously when they arrived in America. Either they didn’t remember, or they didn’t want to remember their true ages. Papou was much older than Yiya, perhaps by twenty years. The gap grew larger as he aged, according to Yiya. He probably shaved a few years off for her. He was also younger for the insurance agents, and in 1930, he gave himself at least ten years off for the census taker.

When he was about eighty, he had to go take the newly implemented driver’s test at the DMV on Indiana Avenue. My Dad drove him down there and watched him scratch his head through a little window where he was taking the test. After a few minutes, Dad gestured at him to ask to go to the bathroom- then, oh so subtly I’m sure, Dad went into the bathroom with him, and they got the thing done. (Dad proudly recounts that “they” got a 98.) Next came the driving portion which involved a lot of orange cones. Papou hit every one. Fortunately, the inspector was a customer at Churchill’s, the family restaurant. Dad took him aside and told him that Papou would only be driving to St. Sophia’s, and his daughter’s house on Sundays, and could he please pass him. He did. At that point, Papou was wielding a Cadillac. He had a tiny garage so he hung tires on the walls to bounce off of when he parked. Dad says he often drove right over the curb into Aunt Catherine’s yard, and she would yell at him from her kitchen window. But he kept driving well into his eighties, and as far as we know, he didn't kill anyone.

My father is still driving as well, and still passing all the tests. He was born right here in DC where we have birth certificates and birthdays and eventually- with the advent of my mother, the American birthday tradition was established.
(My mother, by the way, solved the age thing her own way by joining in with Jack Benny and remaining firmly lodged at thirty-nine.)
Way back when, back in his childhood, Dad remembers his big present would be a five or ten dollar gold piece.he has given them all way now, but he wished he kept one. His favorite present, however, was the birthday gift that he bought himself at age eighteen: a used 1932 maroon DeSoto with black fenders. (So much for all the junk we bought him all these years)
We celebrate Dad’s birthday tomorrow- on April 18th, but I discovered a few years back that his birth certificate says April 17th. I said, “Hey Dad, look at this. You’ve been celebrating the wrong day all these years.”
And he said “Too late.”

Happy Birthday, Dad. Whenever.

Crazy Horse Volksmarch - out on a limb

A volksmarch is a "peoples walk" they are usually 6.2 miles long. Once a year the family that is carving Crazy Horse Memorial opens up the sculpture to people and allows them to walk up to and out the arm of the sculpture. I was working 7-3:30 and Gary was scheduled 2-10 so the Manager let me go shortly after 10 a.m. to go and do the walk. It was an amazing experience.

Entry to the event is 3 cans of food for the local food pantry and a $3 registration fee.

and we're off!

The walk goes through the woods and you catch glimpses of the Monument. You can just make out the people out on the arm

Signs point the way -- or you can just follow some of the other 6,000 people

They do a few blasts a year. They are bringing in some people from Canada to work on the hand and horse's mane starting tomorrow.

There are 4 check points along the way with water and snacks.4 boxeson the card are marked at each checkpoint. The first box was A the 2nd N the 3rd N and the 4th E. It spelled out ANNE thename of Korczak's daughter who passed away suddenly a couple weeks after we arrived. I thought it was a beautiful gesture.

We're getting closer and getting differentperspectives of the Mountain





We pass aMountain Goat grazing

We're almost there!

Ta Da!





The Head is 87.5 feet tall

The armis 263 feet long. The horses head will be 219 feet. The sculpter will be 641 feet long and sculpted in the round. Overall height 563 feet. What a tremendous undertaking.

The view goes on forever

What an incredible experience but now it's time to go back to work

Poor cowhas probably been trying to cross the road to greener pastures all day!

How true.

My favorite Hike ever!

To learn more about Crazy Horse Memorial go tohttp://www.crazyhorsememorial.org/

Gloucester VA to Myrtle Beach SC

We are so happy to have a moving day today! Since our time in the OBX was cut short, we purposely looked for a beach area to stop off at on our way to Florida. Neither one of us had ever been to Myrtle Beach. There was a Coast to Coast park there so it was a perfect fit.



We saw this one our way there:



And we saw lots of touristy things like this when we arrived:



It is really hot here. More so than we were expecting. We are curious to see if we will love it here or not.



Living the life in South Carolina!

El Toro (bull) heads

The Spaniards will never ever become vegetarians. They love to adorn their restaurants and kitchens with real embalmed toro heads. Do you find it charming? A bull's head watching above your shoulders while you eat?



The Italians are worse, they hung hairy swine’s heads in their delicatessen shops. Fortunately though not in their restaurants. Now that would be insane. I am sure many people will just be so grossed out.



Um, why is it that pigs are more repelling than cows?



PETA and Partij voor de Dieren (Animal Party) stay away here! Just to let you know, there are actually real people in the Netherlands that vote for the rights of the animals. They even have a political party here, and even more, they have 2 seats in the lower house and 1 seat in the senate. 1 seat is equivalent to 60,000 (up to 65,000) votes. I am not joking.



I am still working on my Madrid fotos but will soon post about food, and food and more food!

No idea!

Polaris Vegetaris?

I have no idea what these are. Answers in the comments will be gratefully received..

To Court Street for lunch and back.

Along Fifth Avenue as far as Carroll Street, and down to Court Street.

Carroll Street crossing of the Gowanus Canal

And back along Bergen Street.

Houses along Bergen Street

Fabulous warm weather - walk just over five miles.

Lyveden Way from Wadenhoe

With Harry. Some sun, some cloud, but fine and warm. Some mud underfoot in the woods. Just over 7 miles including Lyveden New Bield itself.

Millenium sundial at Wadenhoe church.

From Wadenhoe church we followed the path over a couple of cattle grids to the road to Aldwincle, turned left along the road, then right on a path which took us to another small road.Here we turned left through a metal gate and walked along a wide grassy track, which used to be part of the road from Thrapston to Oundle.



A shaggy inkcap fungus on the grassy track.







Just over half a mile down the track, a footpath goes to the right, heading for the woods. When we were there we noticed masses of crab-apples on the ground.



The path through the edge of the woods is quite narrow and overgrown in places, and can be muddy. In the sunlight we had it was a lovely place to walk.After another half-mile or so the path became wider, and joined a track, which we followed to the right almost through the woods. The sign for the next turn-off is slightly hidden, but if you come out of the woods on the big track, you'll need to retrace your steps for a hundred yards or so. The small track cuts through to the right, and we emerged at the edge of a field. The marker posts are clear and the path now goes behind Lyveden New Bield, with its car park and on Wed- Sun from 10.30 - 5, you should be able to get a drink and snack, even without making an official visit.

Lyveden New Bield is an uncompleted building - it was intended as a hunting lodge, or more probably as a 'summer house', and built for Sir Thomas Tresham in the early 1600s. More info about the building and the Treshams.



The mound in the picture is a 'snail mound', created when the garden was made, as Elizabethan and Tudor gardens were designed to be looked at from above.















This is one of the 'canals' constructed as part of Tresham's pleasure garden.

The orchard has been replanted using many of the original old varieties of fruit - apples, pears, and plums.





From the New Bield the path goes across a field and directly through Lilford Wood. At the other end of the wood, we crossed a small grassy field, then a footbridge, walked uphill through another field, until we reached a metalled track. This took us for a couple of miles or so back to the small road we crossed much earlier in the walk. Here we turned right, then left soon afterwards, taking a footpath alongside a hedge full of blackberries.

The path is well signed and leads into `Wadenhoe village, coming out between two houses and on to the main street.









Walk route - thanks to 20 best local walks, by Nicholas Rudd-Jones.