First Night Ride

Took E out for a little night riding action. He has been bugging me to do this for a while. Just Pioneer park to get his feet wet.

He liked it.







Saw four rabbits and two raccoons.

Spruce

For my birthday ride, took the big bike up Smith Ravine, to Spruce lookout, down 307 long, up 307 short, and back down. Finished in 3.5 hours, and I am worked. That is a lot of tough climbing.













The bike remains very satisfying, to the point of unbelievable. It descends like an anchor. Climbs deliberately, but precisely. I can get up anything I have the legs for.

Explain to my why I got another bike as a birthday present to myself?

Mini review: First ride on Lake MX 165 shoes and they are really really nice. Fit great, no hot spots, and superb for hike-a-bike not that I would admit to doing such a thing (Dave: you listening?)

Cub Scouts

I am actually enjoying Cub Scouts more than I expected. The big meetings are a bit of a drag, but the den meetings have been great since nearly all the parents are really involved.

I was in charge of the Biking den meeting and we were able to get all the kids their biking badge.

All they needed to know were the basics, but we actually had a fun time talking about the history of the bike from push bikes (like the toddler bike we have) on up to Penny Farthings, fixed gear safety bikes, and geared bikes. Pedals/cranks and gearing are really the two quantum leaps that occurred in the history of biking, the rest is just refinement. They really seemed to get it.

On to the fun. We went up to a street behind the house where I had a little obstacle course to get them used to turning, and braking. Then we did "slow" races, followed by fast drag races.



All in all, a great time was had by all (including parents who I forced to participate on my loaners). How can you not have fun on a bicycle.



Another parent arranged for us to get a Kayak lesson at the YMCA. This was awesome. Ethan totally dug it.





I could not get him out of this thing. All the other kids sort of got bored after 1/2 hour, but he stayed until they closed the pool down on him (1.5 hours).

Once some other kids were done, I was able to get in for a while. They are quite fun, but driving a keel less craft is very different from the canoeing I have done. My legs were very cramped in the boats available, and I ended up with a partial peroneal nerve palsey for about 24 hours. Fact is, I was having a great time, so I ignored my numb feet.

After about 5 tries, working with one of the instructors, I was able to do a complete Eskimo roll, so that was cool. Doubt I could do it in a moving current though. I think the years of swimming really helped with this because I don't much care if I am stuck upside down in the water for a minute or so, and even with failed attempt to right myself, could at least grab a breath before flopping back upside down and giving it another try.

It was funny, once to come up after flailing around for a minute or two and see the lifeguard standing over me about ready to jump in. I absolutely felt fine, but nust not have looked too great.



We may have to explore this sport a bit more, especially given Ethan's obvious interest. I never took to outdoor watersports because I simply hate being cold and wet. This could be a good family outdoor activity for us though, as the kids get to be competent swimmers. I know Heather would love it.

Movie Reviews

The Visitor

It sucked. Don't bother unless you are super sympathetic to the plight of really, really, nice illegal aliens who get deported. Oh how unfair to deport nice people who have broken the law. It had a few redemptive moments, but overall a loss.

Kung Fu Panda

Best animated Dreamworks picture by far. Watched it again on video, and found it entertaining with a compelling story, amazing animation, great action, and very, very funny at times. This is the first Dreamworks movie I would put up against Pixar, mainly because they took time to get the story right which is what is ususlly lacking in animated pictures.

Little Granite

Did the big loop up the little Granite Trail to 40 to 41 to contreras, and up the moto trail.

Ran into some unexpected snow, but things were beautiful. The trail was a little wet, but I did not run into any killer mud.



Did fine on all the tech stuff, but did not clean it.



Got lots of great photos:


Fog north of skull valley





Artsy Granite Mountain shots.



Saw these paw prints and my heart jumped to my throat a bit.





Definitely a Cougar, definitely fresh (it rained last night). They were headed downhill as I was headed uphill, but I obviously never saw the cat that made them. This is the first sign of the lions I know are out there that I have ever seen in seven years in these parts.

Edit: I have been informed that this is definitely a black bear left front paw print. I did a little research, and have to agree. The main difference is the bear has five pads as opposed to four for the lion. I thought the lack of claw marks ruled out a bear and did not bother to count them. Apparently, front paws frequently do not show the claw with black bears.

It was a good ride.

Why I hate the index finger

"Obviously I don't like arrogant disabled index digits and believe they should be removed if they cannot be restored to a functional status. There is no in between with index fingers.

To me, index fingers portray a hideous personality reflecting conceit and pantywaist attitudes. In essence, they are smart-ass digits we can often do without.

If I had to lose a finger and had my choice, I would choose first my nondominant hand index ray and next the other index. I find index digits easy to hate and sometimes hard to love."

This is sort of a hand surgeons inside joke. And yes, I hate injured index fingers.

Full article here

Prescott in the News

Fox Attacks Jogger.

We have fairly bad ass joggers out here.

I maybe need to watch out for those bobcats more.

A Sad Day for Life

Washington voted for Physician Assisted Suicide 59% to 41% joins Oregon.

Michigan amended constitution to allow embryonic stem cell research 52% to 48%. Most ominously, the amendment overrides any past, present or future laws that would:

• prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by the provisions of this section;
• or create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with such research or therapies or cures.

Initiative to outlaw abortion except in cases of incest, rape, or life of the mother was defeated in South Dakota 55% to 45%

Colorado defeated a measure that would define life at conception 73% to 27%. (just when does it start then?)

California defeated a proposition that would require parental notification before a minor's abortions 52% to 48% (but still requires consent for a tylenol at school for the same minor).

In addition to the above, we have voted in overwhelmingly a candidate with a perfect voting record according to NARAL, who has opposed any sort of federal or state restrictions to abortion, and who opposes "conscience rights" for physicians: that is, opposes a physician having the right to refuse treatment to a patient that they find unethical.

What is the outcome of all this? Either the majority Americans are either completely clueless about what these votes mean, or the long term implications of their votes, or they are simply, overwhelmingly in favor of a culture of death. We will sow what we reap in these matters.

I used to think there was a majority of life honoring, but silent people in this country. The results of these votes reveals to me that this is not so. This is extremely sobering to me.

I'll leave you with a Quote:

"Despite the formidable obstacles before us, we must not lose heart. This is not
the first time our country has been divided by a Supreme Court decision that
denied the value of certain human lives. The Dred Scott decision of 1857 was not
overturned in a day, or a year, or even a decade. At first, only a minority of
Americans recognized and deplored the moral crisis brought about by denying the
full humanity of our black brothers and sisters; but that minority persisted in
their vision and finally prevailed.
"They did it by appealing to the hearts
and minds of their countrymen, to the truth of human dignity under God. From
their example, we know that respect for the sacred value of human life is too
deeply engrained in the hearts of our people to remain forever suppressed."

--Ronald Reagan, “Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation," Spring, 1983

Vote

Today.

Consider McCain's record on abortion yet again.

Do not vote in fear, but in righteousness.