California Newt Up Close

Cascade Creature, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

This little guy was basking in the sun next to a wonderful mossy waterfall in Las Trampas. Newts are so cool, and seeing them move about means that spring can't be far away...

Fungophile (or not)

I thought this fungus would be fairly easy to identify, but not being a true fungophile (or at least not an educated one), I apparently neglected to perform important field tests.

I didn't touch it, so I'm not sure if it was tough, brittle, or pliable. Was the surface felty, soapy, smooth, or otherwise? I don't have a clue.

I didn't sniff it - did it smell typically mushroomy, or more like newly-dug potatoes? Or perhaps like beans? I'm not even sure how "mealy" smells.

I sure as heck wasn't about to taste it. So it may or may not be bitter. Or peppery.

I didn't try to collect spores. I didn't cut a sample to see if it dried a different color.
So all I had to go by were visual clues and a knowledge of the habitat.
I thought it might possibly be Clavicorona pyxidata, but that one grows on rotting logs, and this one didn't appear to... though the log could have been beneath the leaf litter. I should have checked.
Clavaria fumosa was another possibility, but the habitat does not seem to fit. That one grows in open places, and mine was in the woods.
I briefly felt certain that it was Ramaria acrisiccescens, but that one's only in the northwest US.
Then I found Lentaria micheneri. The only description that lists "salmon" as a color possibility. Plus it mentions oak and beech and leaf litter, which was spot-on for the habitat. So that's my best guess.
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So, what's the word meaning "mushroom lover"? I thought fungiphile, but Google kept asking me if I meant fungophile. Online dictionaries don't recognize either, and all my real dictionaries are still packed up in boxes somewhere.

The First Time I Drank Coca-Cola

Upon our arrival in beautiful Hong Kong in 1961, we were taken to the Ascot Hotel in Happy Valley. It will have been demolished long ago, but it was a nice family hotel and well used to having bewildered, pasty children and parents dumped upon them while apartments and school places were found. I was almost eight, my older brother, Steve was twelve and a half, Ian was less than a year old. My father was a civilian who worked for the RAF doing highly secret things. Life was too exciting for me to ponder upon that for too long.

We did, and saw, many memorable things during those early days, among them was being allowed to drink my very first ever coca cola! They were different times, a drink like that was a treat to be savoured. I can still remember the ice cold, greenish glass bottle, condensation dripping down the sides and two straws (the paper type) it felt like the height of sophistication and luxury. The taste did not disappoint!

Borrowed image

A Sophisticated Young Girl About Town

The illusion was helped by the fact that we were sitting in the bar, on high bar stools. It was so exciting. We were having a drink before going into dinner. We only stayed there for ten days, but I know that the waiters used to be highly amused because each evening I would order exactly the same meal...spaghetti bolognese with lashings of parmesan. No matter the other tempting dishes, I had found a dish that I liked and stuck to it. I wonder how long that would have lasted had we been there for three months.

Borrowed image

As we settled into our new apartment and our schools, we began to explore the island. We had lots of wonderful experiences which always involved stopping off somewhere for a drink.

Another memorable one was the 7up float - 7up with a scoop of ice cream. I didn't really rate that, as it seemed a waste of both 7up and ice cream! Oh how I loved those beautiful green bottles with the red and white label.

It was an exciting time, riding in rickshaws as a treat, visiting fabulous parks, botanical gardens, the Tiger Balm Gardens with the weird and wonderful statues, the visions of Hell, grottoes and pavillions displaying effigies of Chinese mythology. We travelled up The Peak on the Tram, got to play on some very beautiful beaches, visited a variety of parks, and crossed to the Mainland on the Star Ferry.



It became an established routine to go to Kowloon, on the Mainland, every Saturday. We would go to the YMCA to buy our English comics and magazines - Bunty, Judy, Princess, Eagle, Dandy and Beano - according to what was available, then we'd settle down for a drink in the cafe. I'm not quite sure why, but we always drank tinned milk. Ice cold tinned milk. I think it was called Tongala - but I may be wrong. I was always fascinated at the triangular punch holes which were made in the top, then a straw was popped in. It was sterilised milk, but after the heat and bustle of the journey it tasted wonderful!

Quite often we'd go the Victoria Barracks Swimming Pool and after swimming and splashing all afternoon our drink would be Green Spot Orange Juice. Glass bottles, paper straws, ice cold. It was wonderful.

One of the lovely parks which we visited regularly had a big pond in the middle with a cafe to the side. After running around and letting off steam we go there for a drink. We always had the Apple Float. This was actually a pineapple float and was totally delicious, a mix of pineapple juice, fizzy water, tiny ice cubes, and pineapple pieces.

One drink I never got to try, but which always intrigued me, was a dirty milk coloured drink which came in the ubiquitous glass bottle of the time. I think it may have been a type of soya bean milk, but I could be mistaken. My mother was quite adamant that I wouldn't like it and that was the end of that!

So there you have a whistle-stop tour of beautiful Hong Kong, via some of the soft drinks we enjoyed. I could also have done a version describing the smells, but I thought this was more fun. Without doubt, the best drink was that very first coca cola - not because of the taste - but because it marked a complete change in my quiet English life.

One of these days I shall have to buy a bottle, see if it still tastes the same as in my memory.

Can you remember your first taste of coca-cola?

How to make it rain

Install drip irrigation.

New Bloom

A new bloom on my Agrostemma githago plant.

Riding in Kenosha

Wednesday and Thursday were my days to ride. Have been in Kenosha this week to visit my mom. First, it was a ride on the North Shore Trail.
The trail is the old North Shore commuter line. The trail passes just behind my mom's apartment. Rode from there north into Racine.
The southern end of the trail (also known as the Kenosha County Bicycle Trail) starts at 35th St, between 22nd Ave and 30th Ave. At the county line, it becomes the Racine County Bicycle Trail.
In Kenosha County, the trail surface is crushed stone. In Racine, its asphalt. In Racine, the trail ends it Northward direction at the junction with Root River Pathway. Without a map in my jersey, i did not want to get lost trying to follow the pathway. It disappears into the street at about 16th St.
The county trail heads West toward Sturtevent. Not sure just hoe far. I rode less than a half mile and started back toward Kenosha. A nice 15+ mile ride. As you can see from the above photo, it was a beautiful day for a bike ride.
When i got back, called my Aunt Audrey and we met for lunch at Bonnies Diner before visiting with my mom.

The weather was warming up, so Thursday was a good day to ride along the lake. Starting on the streets for a mile until I picked up the Pike River Trail, At this time, the trail starts at 18th St and Birch Road. Then through Alford Park and on to the Carthage College campus. From there South along the Lake Michigan shore.
There is a break in the trail getting off Simmons Island. Pick it back up at 62nd St. The trail brings you past the Southport Marina to Eichelman Park. The trail ends in the park at 3rd Ave. About 5 miles from Alford Park to Eichelman Park. Another beautiful place to bike on a early summer day.

Outdoor Craft Fair

Last Saturday, we stumbled on an outdoor craft fair... Jackie loved the hand finished wood flower vases...



I especially enjoyed this guy selling wooden serving dishes, he had beautiful cutting boards as well.



But the real star of the show was this display of orchids.

Christmas Around Our House

12 months ago today

As I still can't ride right at the moment, I've decided to devote another post to crapping on about a past ride. This one was between Nikko and the mountain village of Tone, in the Japan Alps, on my tour last year. I had actually planned to visit the temples in the Nikko World Heritage area the day before, but I ended up spending too much time talking with an Iranian cycle tourist on the way into Nikko and ran out of time. It mightn't have been a bad thing, as it meant I arrived in the morning and avoided the crowds.




After spending quite a bit of time wandering around the temples and shrines in the area, I set off on the ride, and the climbing started immediately. As with most of the climbs I did in Japan, the gradient was quite pleasant, as was the mountain scenery as I climbed higher. The objective at the summit of this climb was Kegon Falls, which represents the start of Nikko National Park, a massive area of waterfalls, forests and lakes. Being close to Tokyo, the crowds had arrived by the time I got there, but with a large area for them to spread out, I never really felt overcrowded in the area. Of course, it helps that people in Japan have a capacity to be respectful toward everyone else that nobody else in the world has managed.




I spent quite a bit of time strolling around the various attractions of this area, but eventually the time came to set off on the final climb of the day, over the pass I have long forgotten the name of. At that stage it was the highest pass I had done to date, although that mark would soon be overtaken by the 2,702 metre Mt Norikura a few days later. Yet given the size of some of the surrounding mountains, the pass didn't really feel that high. In fact, the summit was marked by a tunnel through the mountain itself.



The day ended with a descent into the valley, and after a conversation with one of the locals, a campsite near a beautiful, if mosquito-infested stream. At the end of the day the village's audio system decided to play some traditional Japanese music over the loud-speaker, a little interlude to end what had been a memorable day. You can read a more in-depth ride report at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=176390&v=5V with more pictures. Better yet, go to http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/japan-10 and read the whole thing.

Manawa Trail Day

Thankfully, we got some clouds this morning. Instead of normal Saturday Ham Radio breakfast, I attended the THOR Lake Manawa Trail Day. Stopped by Panera Bread to pick up a dozen of bagels for the crew.

I headed to the second section of the trail with my loppers. I had not been down there since late April. WOW, have the weeds have been growing! This photo depicts the hemp "forest" that the trail cuts through.

Didn't cut much. Mostly, I wanted to check out the trail and get a couple photos. The are section of the new trail that a lined by 10+ foot weeds, some sections of flowing singletrack in the woods, and some fine (silt) sand.

Met up a trail crew group rerouting a section of the trail. By the time I made it trough the trail section, I had enough for the day. While a nice breeze today, there was just no air moving in the woods.

It was ther first time I rode the full section of the trail. Did not check my computer then I headed into the trail section, but the times I looked, guessing there is over 1.5 miles of trail in there.

Brought the older point&shoot camera with me. Should have brought the newer one. Another day. Need to get out there to check out the first section of the trail and grab some photos.

Another trail day tomorrow morning at Manawa. Supposed to be hotter. Think I am gonna skip it and do normal Sunday morning at Panera.