Pachelbel for the Potomac

This pic was taken on vacation just two weeks ago. 

You'd think we were white water rafting on the Colorado River, or the New River Gorge. 

Nope. Believe it or don't, this is the Potomac. Not the nice tranquil part you see going through DC. Not even the churning part near Harper's Ferry. 

This is Great Falls, VA. About a half hour from DC. 

Who knew?

I mean, who besides 710. But he grew up on and around the Potomac, so.........he kind of knew. But not to the extent of what we would see. 

Hiking in the area is not bad. The climb onto the rocks where I took those pics weren't easy for a man of a certain age. And of course once you get up there, barriers appear. However, the need for selfies, the barriers are meaningless. 

Couples (or singles) up and over the barriers / fences / whatnot and standing in all kinds of stupid "I'm an influencer" poses. 

The signage saying and average of 21 people die there per year is probably not from the rock climbers in the title image, or the kayakers below. 

I'm not 100% sure I'd even report it if someone went over trying grab that IG pose they need so bad. 

It was completely wild there. I'm not sure how the hikers got out to their rock formation. What you can't see is on the right of those rocks is just more raging river. 

This was something new and different for us. It might be a one and done. At least for the next few years. The George Washington Parkway into the city from there is under massive reconstruction. It took forever to get into town on single lane traffic. 

That seemed more dangerous than the park. 

Song by: Laura Sullivan

Northern Lights

It seems we here the 216 had an opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis last night. 

Opportunity does not equal actuality. 

Like the last few comets or alignment of planets and / or starts,  weather a little closer to home is fucking with a natural wonder a bit father from here. 

There was a big-ass solar flare the other day and well, it's going to result in the northern lights being seen farther down into the U.S.  (and Europe). 

It's been grey for a few days - and rainy. So, if I ever want to truly see the nothern lights, I might actually have to go north. 

That's an excuse to hit norther Europe some time.  But at least now I can go to bed at a reasonable time. 

Song by: Paul Hardcastle

Walk Between the Raindrops

Torrential downpours in California are nice, but not enough, of course.  San Francisco had its wettest October day on record the other day. 

That is seemingly very specific, but not to the point if they said the date was a prime number or not. 

Souther California is getting it too, but they might have a bigger issue than drought.  Now the issue is mudslides with all the bare hills after fire after fire. 

But in Yosemite - and by all means, if you've never been, you should go! - finally has enough rain to have water going over Yosemite Falls. 

Lack of rain or snowfall has left the falls dry as a bone. 

In person, it's something to see. When we were there almost 20 years ago (!) , it was May-ish and the snows higher up were still melting. Some of the roads still impassible due to snow. But due to the melt, all the falls in the park were roaring. 

Due to climate change, that has not been the case as of late. 

There is already snow in the upper areas, so hopefully they'll get a lot to sustain not just the falls, but all of the areas that are dying for some water.........literally. 

Song by: James McMurtry

Hanging Tree

In the never ending quest to do new things and to stay get fit, 710 and I did something we had never done last Saturday.

It was a beautious day, so after I got home from yoga, we got a quick lunch and then headed east - to Holden Arboretum.

It's part of the park department and they've done some great things with grounds - and not just the plants and trees.

Before we got there, we did stop at Penitentiary Glen (which seems like an odd name). It's nearby to Holden. One could say we wanted to see it too. Or one could say I had to stop there....if you know what I mean. But since we were there, we did a few mile hike and went down into what they called a gorge. The stream / river was nice and clean - and it was a hike. The going down was easy enough - the coming back up???....well.....that was a work out.

We did go to Holden for a specific reason and not to see the yet-to-bloom rhododendrons.

Nope. As of late last year they had two new attractions - as much as a botanical garden can have "attractions".

The first is what you see in the title image - a 20 story tower that is above the treetops.....that is, once you climb to the top.

Admittedly, we were probably a few weeks early. I'm sure it would be great when trees are in full bloom, or better yet, in Autumn.

And hooo boy, that tower sways when you're atop of it. I didn't care so much, but I can see how some might.

The other site to see was their canopy walk way.

As suspended (and swinging) walk way through the trees.

Again, probably something better once the foliage has appeared. Still it was cool. I imagine once things are all greened in, it takes longer to get up there, as the crowds are no doubt greater.

All tolled, we walked about 9 miles and did the equivalent of like 53 flights of stairs. Going up - as Mr. FitBit doesn't calculate down.

It's safe to say my calves were on fire - even as of last night. Going up stairs isn't a bother, but walking down?  Ouch.

It is no wonder I got drunk Saturday night. All the fresh air and exercise and no food for like eight hours. It was a recipe for easy inebriation.

It was a cool day. Something new. Something fun. I suspect we will be back - but maybe for fall colours.



Song by: Counting Crows

King of the Mountain

13 more dead (so far) on Mount Everest.

More avalanches - though this time from an earthquake.

Mother Nature: 13.  Humans: 0.

53 weeks ago, avalanches on the mountain cost 16 others their lives - all Sherpas. These climbers can't catch a break, as they had to abandon their climb due to the living Sherpas walking off the mountain.  ....and I'm kind of ok with that.

Long time readers (well, who have retention abilities) will know my love and fascination for Everest and its stories. Now and again, I will claim to be over my OCD about it, but in reality, each year, I read about the climbing season - which started a few months back and normally goes until through the second week of May. Just acclimatizing to Base Camp 1 can take up to nine weeks. After that, the trek seems to be expedited. At least relatively so.

The problem is - and has been - that while clearly a tough mountain, you don't have to be a professional mountain climber to take the trip. Just have like $65,000 in fees, plus hire a few Sherpas to tote your gear, set up your tent - and yes, carry you up the fucking mountain because you are unprepared and unable to do it on your own.

If there is karma, the mountain is getting revenge on the humans. The refuse and debris they leave on the way up and down is astounding. Nepal finally requires climbers to bring up as much garbage (by weight) that they take up.  Read: the Sherpas have to pick up their mess.

That is great for on-going trash, but not the accumulated over the last few decades. And it's just not empty oxygen cans, food packaging and poop we're talking about. Nope - bodies. Lots of them. And now 13 more.

I totally get this one of Nepal's only sources of income. But if they want less garbage, less deaths, they need serious, experienced climbers. I say, raise the climbing rate up by double. Make it $120k. Nepal won't lose a dime and maybe even save lives from stupid fucks whose bodies should never ever ever be recovered.

And I get that weather and circumstances take experienced climbers. But it's the 'thrill seekers' who literally walk over bodies - some of them not even dead - that make me cringe.

I believe there is a special place in hell for folks like that.

But maybe the mountain, and their gods, are exacting revenge.



Song by: Kate Bush

No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature

On Saturday, I "surprised" 710 by going on a hike with him.

For the last few years, he's wanted to go up near "the lake" (that's Erie, for you folks) and hike around Dike 14.

Yes, make all the lesbian jokes you want - lord knows I did.

The area is now controlled by the Ohio Dept of Natural Resources and the Cuyahoga County Port Authority.

I *think* the latter comes into play because the actual land is sludge that was taken when dredging the Cuyahoga River and basically making a change to the shore when they dumped it further east.

I've been hesitating to go up there, not that it's far, and always use my normal excuse:  where do you poop?

If you've ever seen a video of something like Glastonbury Festival, Times Square on New Year's, people climbing Everest, or hitchhiking Europe that is always my first question.  Where do you poop?

I do not think it is an unreasonable question to ask. And have answered.

Since Dike 14 is a bit out of the way, but oddly right off a freeway, there aren't many people there and I would go out on a limb to say not many know about it at all. 710 is just one of those kinds of people who know things about cities.

To get to the strip you see in the title image, one must pass through a full body turnstile (think the NYC subway). We assume it is so one cannot bring dogs or bicycles back there, though none of the signage prohibits them.

We only passed three people and one was from the ODNR - and she was, I kid you not, counting butterflies. As her job.

The long loop around the preserve is only 1.8 miles. The way the paths are cut, people can take shorter routes, but......c'mon, it's only 1.8 miles.

Looking West. If you enlarge, you can see downtown on the left. 

Looking North, out to Lake Erie. (the shallowest of the Great Lakes, don't ya know.)

Looking East - towards Bratenahl. It's rich up that way. 

So I did a good deed by taking 710 to do something he has wanted, and without giving him the head's up first. So I have earned more Husband Points that are unredeemable and worth nothing - just like Bitcoin. 

Song by:  the Guess Who

Calling the Moon

Last night at 23:34 was the rising of the so-called Super Moon.

The moon was to appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter.

CNN says that the perigee moon is an "annual phenomenon occurs once per year".  ....which I suppose would be annually.

I captured the title image while at my sister's house as the moon began to rise above the horizon.  It was so much more impressive than the iPhone shot.  To be fair, the moon was 221,000 miles away.  No telephoto or zoom is really going to get me that much closer or clearer of a shot.

That was taken maybe around 20:00.  Don't get use to this view, they're moving.

Then I waited around till well after Blobby's bedtime to take a snap of Luna at just the exact time the astronomers said was the peak:  23:34.

I may as well have taken it with a Kodak Instamatic.

The view I had was great - right in between tall trees, which you can almost make out, it looked very artsy, but alas, it did not translate from eye to camera lens.

While the moon was indeed incredibly bright, it looked bigger and closer at 20:00 than it did at this time. However, I feel like I just wasted a huge opportunity after I closed the door, set the alarm and slipped into bed.

I went out to take a picture of the moon, but I hadn't seen the moon.  I was so wrapped up in getting the image, I didn't take the actual time to look at it's beauty and seeing details of the craters they said you could see.

I was out in the cold (seriously, it was almost 90 degrees a day before and now it was in the low 50s) and missed the actual show while still out there "seeing" it.

I suppose I'll have to wait another year and then skip the blog post on the event and just view it for myself. 




Song by:  Dar Williams