On our drive to work, we heard on the radio that one of the local hospitals is having a Dollars for Diapers campaign trying to raise $30,000 for families who cannot afford diapers for their babies.
Can't...afford...diapers?
We couldn't believe what we heard.
Hey, sage advice to all you families who cannot afford diapers, food and clothing:
STOP HAVING BABIES!!!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
ENGINEERING MARVEL
Before...
After (halfway there)...Well, maybe not, but it's partially done. All we have to do is fill in the cracks with mortar and cement to keep the sand from being washed away during the seasonal rains. Then there is the pergola and arbor and handrails to complete the project. We want to get this done before the Memorial Day weekend because we got some hiking to do in preparation for our trip to Japan to climb Fuji-san in July!
We have to admit it does look a helluva lot better than the wood! Even the in-laws were impressed.
It was fun doing this project. Thankfully the weather cooperated. We thought on Friday, April 24, we would get hit by the major storm that was moving through the area but it missed us to the north and south and all we got was a few sprinkles.
We still have one 60 pound sack of sand and three garden wall blocks left over! This will carry over to our next paver project when we get rid of the ugly peeler logs and railroad ties and expand the herbal garden (see the sage and terra cotta pot on the left behind me). We calculate we will need between 90 and 100 6-inch blocks to finish. Nothing like a good workout. It is just a matter of bringing up (or deliver) at least two and a half pallets of blocks.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
OPENING SOON
Fresno's new Social Security Administration Office will open soon on West Locust Avenue near the intersection of Herndon and Palm. The current office, located on Shaw and West, will be vacated after over 30 years of use.
The office spaces...The District Manager's office is on the right where the chair is. The Assistant District Manager's office is adjacent to the left. The remaining carpeted area will consist of cubicles for the employees.
The Main Lobby. The armed guard station will be located at the double windows.
The main entrance to the lobby looking back at a different angle.
The "windows" have electronic retractable windows. In case of a power outage, there is a backup power supply ensure all windows are secured.
The office spaces...The District Manager's office is on the right where the chair is. The Assistant District Manager's office is adjacent to the left. The remaining carpeted area will consist of cubicles for the employees.
The Main Lobby. The armed guard station will be located at the double windows.
The main entrance to the lobby looking back at a different angle.
The "windows" have electronic retractable windows. In case of a power outage, there is a backup power supply ensure all windows are secured.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
EARTH DAY 2009
Our new fig tree planted over a month ago is sprouting in our back garden...
Gilroy, CA has got its claim to garlic, now it is going to be our turn.
When I lived in southern California, I made it a commitment to commute by bicycle on this particular day no matter what. It would take me approximately 30 minutes to ride the 5 miles or so to work without breaking out in a sweat.
Now living in northern California, my wife and I commute 30 miles by car one way. We live too far from work to strap on our helmets, get on our bicycles and ride "downhill." Just the thought of going "uphill" at the end of a long day makes us cringe. We'd never make it home on time to get to bed!
Being off the grid, we have contributed in a huge way. Not just for one day, but for everyday. We feel good about that, because we are not alone. We are in good company.
So, do what must be done today. Take the time to smell the flowers.
Better yet, why not plant something?
Happy Earth Day!
Gilroy, CA has got its claim to garlic, now it is going to be our turn.When I lived in southern California, I made it a commitment to commute by bicycle on this particular day no matter what. It would take me approximately 30 minutes to ride the 5 miles or so to work without breaking out in a sweat.
Now living in northern California, my wife and I commute 30 miles by car one way. We live too far from work to strap on our helmets, get on our bicycles and ride "downhill." Just the thought of going "uphill" at the end of a long day makes us cringe. We'd never make it home on time to get to bed!
Being off the grid, we have contributed in a huge way. Not just for one day, but for everyday. We feel good about that, because we are not alone. We are in good company.
So, do what must be done today. Take the time to smell the flowers.
Better yet, why not plant something?
Happy Earth Day!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
FIRST CONFIRMED KILL
My wife and stepdaughter went to the garage to rearrange things in preparation for the "gar(b)age sale."
I was in the house when my wife had this "look" on her face. A face of fear.
She went on to tell me that when she opened up the main door to the garage, she saw something fall down in the corner. Jingles the Wonderdog went in to investigate and started barking. My wife went to the scene of the commotion and noticed a rattlesnake slithering around in the corner and then disappeared.
I went down to the greenhouse and grabbed the drain spade and walked over to the garage door area. JayMi was holding Jingles who was squirming and whining in her arms. I told her to put the dog in the enclosed garden area until I found the snake. As soon as she did that and walked away, Jingles started whining and barking more. My wife told JayMi to stay close to Jingles.
I got on my hands and knees hoping to spot the elusive rattler. I moved the air compressor out of the way to get to the other "stuff" that amassed in that corner where the snake was.
My wife said, "Maybe he is under the generator."
I reached down to grab the handle of the generator and pulled it back towards me.
Lo and behold, there it was all coiled up. Hissing and rattling. Approximately 18 inches in length. Western diamondback.
The first poke with the spade resulted in hitting its body. Now, it is really pissed. The next strike with the spade point resulted in decapitation. Body still moving and the head still flicking the tongue.
It was a meaty rattler. "Hey, let's say we gut it, boil it and de-bone it. Sautee some garlic with some extra virgin olive oil in a wok with some Chinese snow peas, bean sprouts, shredded carrots and some organic Asian noodles?"
My recipe suggestion was overturned by a majority of two squeamish faces.
"Throw it in the garbage can!"
"No, it will stink by the time the garbage man comes on Friday. I will throw the body down the hill."
"Throw the head away in the garbage?"
"Yeah, that's okay."
My wife grabs a spade to pick up the severed head. As I made my way towards the hill, I hear this scream.
Turns out the severed head flipped over in the spade and startling my wife and JayMi.
How that snake "fell" is anyone's guess. It had to be warming itself up with the heat reflecting off the garage door and concrete. Upon investigating, at the bottom of the garage door and the jamb, there is this small space large enough for a small animal to make its way into the gargage. Guess it got caught somehow when the garage door was opened. Who knows.
Everyone is safe and Jingles got a reward of bacon treats. Maybe I should have let him eat the snake. Jingles the Rattlesnake Killer! Probably a mongoose in his previous life.
One less rattler in the world. Where there is one, there will be others. It is that time of year again.
We will just have to be extra careful when we are outside.
I was in the house when my wife had this "look" on her face. A face of fear.
She went on to tell me that when she opened up the main door to the garage, she saw something fall down in the corner. Jingles the Wonderdog went in to investigate and started barking. My wife went to the scene of the commotion and noticed a rattlesnake slithering around in the corner and then disappeared.
I went down to the greenhouse and grabbed the drain spade and walked over to the garage door area. JayMi was holding Jingles who was squirming and whining in her arms. I told her to put the dog in the enclosed garden area until I found the snake. As soon as she did that and walked away, Jingles started whining and barking more. My wife told JayMi to stay close to Jingles.
I got on my hands and knees hoping to spot the elusive rattler. I moved the air compressor out of the way to get to the other "stuff" that amassed in that corner where the snake was.
My wife said, "Maybe he is under the generator."
I reached down to grab the handle of the generator and pulled it back towards me.
Lo and behold, there it was all coiled up. Hissing and rattling. Approximately 18 inches in length. Western diamondback.
The first poke with the spade resulted in hitting its body. Now, it is really pissed. The next strike with the spade point resulted in decapitation. Body still moving and the head still flicking the tongue.
It was a meaty rattler. "Hey, let's say we gut it, boil it and de-bone it. Sautee some garlic with some extra virgin olive oil in a wok with some Chinese snow peas, bean sprouts, shredded carrots and some organic Asian noodles?"
My recipe suggestion was overturned by a majority of two squeamish faces.
"Throw it in the garbage can!"
"No, it will stink by the time the garbage man comes on Friday. I will throw the body down the hill."
"Throw the head away in the garbage?"
"Yeah, that's okay."
My wife grabs a spade to pick up the severed head. As I made my way towards the hill, I hear this scream.
Turns out the severed head flipped over in the spade and startling my wife and JayMi.
How that snake "fell" is anyone's guess. It had to be warming itself up with the heat reflecting off the garage door and concrete. Upon investigating, at the bottom of the garage door and the jamb, there is this small space large enough for a small animal to make its way into the gargage. Guess it got caught somehow when the garage door was opened. Who knows.
Everyone is safe and Jingles got a reward of bacon treats. Maybe I should have let him eat the snake. Jingles the Rattlesnake Killer! Probably a mongoose in his previous life.
One less rattler in the world. Where there is one, there will be others. It is that time of year again.
We will just have to be extra careful when we are outside.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
STEP ONE TWO, STEP ONE TWO
Ah, the joys of home ownership...
We decided it was time to replace the rotting rickety wooden treads on the back steps leadint to the garage with retaining wall brick to give it that eco-friendly look. It was a safety hazard and we thought it was best to renovate with our own know-how. When you have elderly people around, the main concern is safety. And in between the treads, there is space big enough for a rattler to hide. All it takes is just one person walking down and they get bitten in the ankle.
The demolition was the easy part. The rotting wood made for easy work with the crowbar and pick axe. Some treads just split and fell apart with relative ease. Two treads held together. Those can be recycled for another project. The other rotten strips can be salvaged as well. The splintered pieces got tossed into the burn pile.
I had to break out the reciprocating saw to cut through some screws and some bolts. Other than that, pretty easy.
Then there was the hard part...thirty bricks weighing at least 50 pounds a piece and moving 12 60-pound sacks of sand. Set, move, adjust, set, level, move, tweak, sweat, cuss, re-set, measure, scoop, scrape, sweat, brush, cuss some more, water break, coffee break, more set, adjust...
We left the stringers in place so that we can add a handrailing.
The muscles are sore. My right shoulder and wrist hurt. My back is fine.
The pain wanes with every brick down and set in place. One brick down. One brick closer.
We will finish the project by erecting an arbor and a pergola.
At the bottom right of the picture, we will have our serenity garden with waterfall and small pond. The bottom left is still yet to be decided.
At the end of the day, looking good and still standing.
We decided it was time to replace the rotting rickety wooden treads on the back steps leadint to the garage with retaining wall brick to give it that eco-friendly look. It was a safety hazard and we thought it was best to renovate with our own know-how. When you have elderly people around, the main concern is safety. And in between the treads, there is space big enough for a rattler to hide. All it takes is just one person walking down and they get bitten in the ankle.The demolition was the easy part. The rotting wood made for easy work with the crowbar and pick axe. Some treads just split and fell apart with relative ease. Two treads held together. Those can be recycled for another project. The other rotten strips can be salvaged as well. The splintered pieces got tossed into the burn pile.
I had to break out the reciprocating saw to cut through some screws and some bolts. Other than that, pretty easy.
Then there was the hard part...thirty bricks weighing at least 50 pounds a piece and moving 12 60-pound sacks of sand. Set, move, adjust, set, level, move, tweak, sweat, cuss, re-set, measure, scoop, scrape, sweat, brush, cuss some more, water break, coffee break, more set, adjust...
We left the stringers in place so that we can add a handrailing.
The muscles are sore. My right shoulder and wrist hurt. My back is fine.
The pain wanes with every brick down and set in place. One brick down. One brick closer.We will finish the project by erecting an arbor and a pergola.
At the bottom right of the picture, we will have our serenity garden with waterfall and small pond. The bottom left is still yet to be decided.
At the end of the day, looking good and still standing.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
NORMAN CLYDE
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COUNTY OF INYO EASTERN CALIFORNIA MUSEUMMuseum Explores Legendary Life of Climber
Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2009
By Marek Warszawski / The Fresno Bee
Legendary Sierra mountaineer Norman Clyde leans on his ice axe in this undated photo. Clyde, who is credited with more first ascents than anyone else in the Sierra Nevada, is the subject of an extensive exhibit that opens Saturday at the Eastern California Museum in Independence. Nearly 40 years after his death, Clyde remains a bit of a mystery among an abundance of personalities in Sierra mountaineering and rock climbing.
John Muir, Clarence King, Royal Robbins. The history of Sierra Nevada mountaineering and rock climbing is filled with legendary names and legendary feats.
But when stories get passed around a campfire on cold nights at high elevations, one name towers above them all: Norman Clyde.
Simply put, anyone who stands atop a Sierra peak is following in Clyde's footsteps, whether they realize it or not.
Legendary Sierra mountaineer Norman Clyde leans on his ice axe in this undated photo. Clyde, who is credited with more first ascents than anyone else in the Sierra Nevada, is the subject of an extensive exhibit that opens Saturday at the Eastern California Museum in Independence.
Nearly 40 years after his death, Clyde remains a bit of a mystery among an abundance of personalities in Sierra mountaineering and rock climbing.
In a mountaineering career that spanned several decades, Clyde is credited with roughly 130 first ascents -- far more than anyone else -- and pioneered just as many new routes on peaks that had already been climbed.
But because Clyde was a recluse, had a gruff demeanor and didn't trumpet his own accomplishments, much less is known about him than other mountaineers of his stature. Nearly 40 years after his death, he remains a bit of a mystery.
That's where the Eastern California Museum, located in Independence, helps fill in the blanks. The museum's newest exhibit, "Norman Clyde of the High Sierra," opens Saturday and will be on display throughout the year.
"Norman Clyde was without question the most prolific climber in Sierra history," said Andy Selters, a Bishop-based climber, author and photographer who curated the exhibit.
"He climbed everything. It's fair to say that he climbed every significant peak in the Sierra, and some that aren't so significant."
The museum's display includes more than 50 photographs, numerous personal belongings, including his trademark campaign hat and ice axe, and a 7-foot-long satellite image of the High Sierra marked with 100 of Clyde's first ascents.
Just as notable as the number of peaks Clyde climbed is the manner in which he climbed them.
Clyde's customary 90-pound backpacks, stuffed with cast-iron skillets, canned food, fishing reels and hardcover volumes of classic literature, written in Greek and Latin, are as legendary as his climbs.
We're not talking about backpacks with fitted internal frames, foam-padded hip belts and load compression straps. The kind of pack Clyde lugged around was basically a wooden board with a duffel bag lashed to it.
He became known as "the pack that walks like a man."
"He was like a traveling Winnebago," Selters said.
Clyde spent his first summer in the Sierra in 1914 -- the same year Muir died. Following his wife's death in 1919 of tuberculosis, Clyde threw himself into mountaineering. To get nearer to the peaks he loved, he became principal of Owens Valley School in Independence.
In 1925 alone, Clyde recorded 48 climbs, 22 of which were first ascents. But while he felt at home in the mountains, he didn't fare as well in general society. On Halloween night 1928, Clyde fired a shot from his Colt .45 into the car of a local teenager who Clyde had reason to believe was on his way to vandalize the school. Under pressure, he resigned as principal and never again held a full-time job.
Included in the exhibit are articles from the local newspaper and minutes of the school board meeting that followed the shooting incident.
"They didn't file charges against him as long as he quit," Selters said. "He had a temper. That's pretty clear."
Clyde typically spent his summers at a high-elevation base camp in order to be closer to the peaks he loved. In winter, he found work as a caretaker of summer lodges and explored the snow-covered wilderness on skis.
Although Clyde was well known during his lifetime, he refused to capitalize on his fame by writing personal accounts of his climbs that surely would've sold well. Instead, his published works are focused entirely on mountains, their individual characteristics and the views afforded from their summits.
"It was very intentional," Selters said. "He did not want to write his story into the mountains, and it's not entirely clear why. I guess he felt the mountains were the story, and his personal recollections shouldn't detract from that."
Photographs of Clyde taken in his 70s show him with a straight back and crystal clear eyes. Even some of the surliness of his younger years is said to have faded.
When Clyde died in 1972 at age 87, just two years beyond his last climb, friends quietly scattered his ashes across the summit of an unnamed peak that Clyde used to gaze upon from his ranch outside Big Pine.
Later, it was christened Norman Clyde Peak. A fitting tribute for a man who dedicated his life to mountains as few have or ever will.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
EWD
I do it. My wife does it. I'm sure all of us have done it. I'm sure all of us do it everyday.
Guilty in the first degree...
EWD...Eating while driving. If you keep one hand on the steering wheel while you stuff your face I see no problem as long as you keep an eye on the road, too.
Now, here is what we witnessed this morning on our commute to work this morning.
An Acura merged on to the southbound 41 just north of the Fresno County line. I moved over to the number one lane to allow it to merge.
I caught up to the Acura. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a woman eating. Not a sandwich. Not a burrito. Not a banana.
She was eating a BOWL OF OATMEAL! My wife verified that discovery.
My wife and I have see women applying mascara while driving, we see people STILL talking on their cellphones, dogs riding in the driver's lap (I actually witnessed a parrot on a driver's shoulder just last Saturday), but never, and I mean never, had we ever seen anyone eating a bowl of oatmeal on their way to work.
What compelled this driver to eat her breakfast on the road? I do not know. Maybe she hit the snooze button on her alarm one too many times. Maybe it was a way to enjoy a meal in solitude while listening to talk radio. Maybe she does it all the time. Who knows? Anyhow, I wished I had my camera to record this event.
Anyhow, where was I? Oh yeah...
While cruising at 70 mph (yes, I was speeding), she had her bowl perched in the center of the steering wheel above the airbag. Her little fingers were holding the steering wheel while her forefingers and thumbs were balancing the bowl. She was eating with her right hand. She was eating as if she were sitting at the breakfast table. Whether she had a crossword puzzle, raisins and cinnamon, and a glass of orange juice to go with that breakfast is anyone's guess.
I passed by her as she slowed down, then she speeds up and passes me in the number two lane. I was still going 70 mph and she had to be doing 80 while still eating. We started to come up on slower traffic and she almost rearends a white Honda. Oh no, there goes the gene pool. I pass by the slower traffic and noticed in my rearview that she moves over to the passing lane with one car between us.
Maybe I should slam on my brakes? Naw. Maybe she is done eating? I wonder if she packed along a toothbrush.
Anyhow, my lane proceeds along and when we got into Fresno where the freeway becomes three lanes I stayed in the middle lane and I see the Acura in my rearview. Yes, she is still eating. I didn't ask my wife how big the bowl was. Must be a slow eater. Cold oatmeal. Yuck.
As we make our way to the Shaw exit and she comes whizzing by me STILL EATING!
A chuckle for the day.
Now, what if she spilled that bowl of oatmeal in her lap? What if she was going to meet with a very important client at 8:00 a.m.? Try explaining the blob of oatmeal on your dress!
Cellphones. Texting. I bet "eating" hits the lawbooks in California.
A bill is being proposed in the state of Texas. It is HB 738.
"Inattentive Driving."
Hmmmmm...
What is "interacting with a vehicle passenger?"
Guess that is what the rest areas and turnouts are for!
I am going to leave it at that!
I'm hungry...
Maybe a breakfast burrito from Whole Foods!
Guilty in the first degree...
EWD...Eating while driving. If you keep one hand on the steering wheel while you stuff your face I see no problem as long as you keep an eye on the road, too.
Now, here is what we witnessed this morning on our commute to work this morning.
An Acura merged on to the southbound 41 just north of the Fresno County line. I moved over to the number one lane to allow it to merge.
I caught up to the Acura. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a woman eating. Not a sandwich. Not a burrito. Not a banana.
She was eating a BOWL OF OATMEAL! My wife verified that discovery.
My wife and I have see women applying mascara while driving, we see people STILL talking on their cellphones, dogs riding in the driver's lap (I actually witnessed a parrot on a driver's shoulder just last Saturday), but never, and I mean never, had we ever seen anyone eating a bowl of oatmeal on their way to work.
What compelled this driver to eat her breakfast on the road? I do not know. Maybe she hit the snooze button on her alarm one too many times. Maybe it was a way to enjoy a meal in solitude while listening to talk radio. Maybe she does it all the time. Who knows? Anyhow, I wished I had my camera to record this event.
Anyhow, where was I? Oh yeah...
While cruising at 70 mph (yes, I was speeding), she had her bowl perched in the center of the steering wheel above the airbag. Her little fingers were holding the steering wheel while her forefingers and thumbs were balancing the bowl. She was eating with her right hand. She was eating as if she were sitting at the breakfast table. Whether she had a crossword puzzle, raisins and cinnamon, and a glass of orange juice to go with that breakfast is anyone's guess.
I passed by her as she slowed down, then she speeds up and passes me in the number two lane. I was still going 70 mph and she had to be doing 80 while still eating. We started to come up on slower traffic and she almost rearends a white Honda. Oh no, there goes the gene pool. I pass by the slower traffic and noticed in my rearview that she moves over to the passing lane with one car between us.
Maybe I should slam on my brakes? Naw. Maybe she is done eating? I wonder if she packed along a toothbrush.
Anyhow, my lane proceeds along and when we got into Fresno where the freeway becomes three lanes I stayed in the middle lane and I see the Acura in my rearview. Yes, she is still eating. I didn't ask my wife how big the bowl was. Must be a slow eater. Cold oatmeal. Yuck.
As we make our way to the Shaw exit and she comes whizzing by me STILL EATING!
A chuckle for the day.
Now, what if she spilled that bowl of oatmeal in her lap? What if she was going to meet with a very important client at 8:00 a.m.? Try explaining the blob of oatmeal on your dress!
Cellphones. Texting. I bet "eating" hits the lawbooks in California.
A bill is being proposed in the state of Texas. It is HB 738.
"Inattentive Driving."
Hmmmmm...
What is "interacting with a vehicle passenger?"
Guess that is what the rest areas and turnouts are for!
I am going to leave it at that!
I'm hungry...
Maybe a breakfast burrito from Whole Foods!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
EASTER 2009
Happy Easter from all of us to all of you.Front (l to r): Some guy, my BroHammy-in-law, my beautiful wife, BriTt, NaNa, JayMi, PaPou, TheeOs, NaTaLe, TomMy, Tre, ChrisTn. Jingles the Wonderdog was off-camera searching for orts.
We had our fill of lamb, potatoes, salad, Easter bread, deviled eggs, ambrosia, feta cheese, olives, green beans, carrot cake, and strawberry shortcake.
Decided to clean the weapons in preparation for the feral pig hunt. Nothing like feral pig sausage for breakfast, not to mention feral pig ham steaks and ribs. Doesn't get any more organic than that.
It was a great Easter.
Hope yours was great, too!
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