Arsène Dupin and his artist friends had a couple of hours to kill last week between performances at the Texas Renaissance Festival. So they played 3 hours of pétanque and then showed off their juggling skills. Among others Clan Tynker and Flourish & Fool.
Amazing!
Unfortunately Arsène cannot make it to the Open due to commitments at the Festival until November 29... We'll miss him!
But two excellent teams from Austin will represent Heart of Texas pétanque: Jeanne & Drew and Amine & Saïd.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Pétanque jugglers
Arsène Dupin and his artist friends had a couple of hours to kill last week between performances at the Texas Renaissance Festival. So they played 3 hours of pétanque and then showed off their juggling skills. Among others Clan Tynker and Flourish & Fool.
Amazing!
Unfortunately Arsène cannot make it to the Open due to commitments at the Festival until November 29... We'll miss him!
But two excellent teams from Austin will represent Heart of Texas pétanque: Jeanne & Drew and Amine & Saïd.
Amazing!
Unfortunately Arsène cannot make it to the Open due to commitments at the Festival until November 29... We'll miss him!
But two excellent teams from Austin will represent Heart of Texas pétanque: Jeanne & Drew and Amine & Saïd.
Canadian champions coming!
Serious heavyweights are coming in from Canada:
Mario Latour was part of the Canadian national team in 2003 and this year again. Three times vice-champion in the shooting contest, plus a number of national awards.
Alain Brunette was Canadian champion in the 2009 shooting contest, part of Mario's national team in 2003, and with others in 2005 & 2008.
Mario and Alain will team up in Amelia Island.
Then there's also Pascal Héneault, Yves Chenette (who many know from his days in Chicago), and a series of top players we all know very well, because they often play in South Florida: Roger Arpaia w/ Claude Laulhé and Ben Gauthier w/ Claude Lopez.
Laurent Mirabeau from Ottawa is still looking for a partner but already has his ticket.
I hope I didn't forget anyone!
There is no doubt that there has never been a pétanque contest of this high a level in the history of pétanque in the USA.
Mario Latour was part of the Canadian national team in 2003 and this year again. Three times vice-champion in the shooting contest, plus a number of national awards.
Alain Brunette was Canadian champion in the 2009 shooting contest, part of Mario's national team in 2003, and with others in 2005 & 2008.Mario and Alain will team up in Amelia Island.
Then there's also Pascal Héneault, Yves Chenette (who many know from his days in Chicago), and a series of top players we all know very well, because they often play in South Florida: Roger Arpaia w/ Claude Laulhé and Ben Gauthier w/ Claude Lopez.
Laurent Mirabeau from Ottawa is still looking for a partner but already has his ticket.
I hope I didn't forget anyone!
There is no doubt that there has never been a pétanque contest of this high a level in the history of pétanque in the USA.
Canadian champions coming!
Serious heavyweights are coming in from Canada:
Mario Latour was part of the Canadian national team in 2003 and this year again. Three times vice-champion in the shooting contest, plus a number of national awards.
Alain Brunette was Canadian champion in the 2009 shooting contest, part of Mario's national team in 2003, and with others in 2005 & 2008.
Mario and Alain will team up in Amelia Island.
Then there's also Pascal Héneault, Yves Chenette (who many know from his days in Chicago), and a series of top players we all know very well, because they often play in South Florida: Roger Arpaia w/ Claude Laulhé and Ben Gauthier w/ Claude Lopez.
Laurent Mirabeau from Ottawa is still looking for a partner but already has his ticket.
I hope I didn't forget anyone!
There is no doubt that there has never been a pétanque contest of this high a level in the history of pétanque in the USA.
Mario Latour was part of the Canadian national team in 2003 and this year again. Three times vice-champion in the shooting contest, plus a number of national awards.Alain Brunette was Canadian champion in the 2009 shooting contest, part of Mario's national team in 2003, and with others in 2005 & 2008.Mario and Alain will team up in Amelia Island.
Then there's also Pascal Héneault, Yves Chenette (who many know from his days in Chicago), and a series of top players we all know very well, because they often play in South Florida: Roger Arpaia w/ Claude Laulhé and Ben Gauthier w/ Claude Lopez.
Laurent Mirabeau from Ottawa is still looking for a partner but already has his ticket.
I hope I didn't forget anyone!
There is no doubt that there has never been a pétanque contest of this high a level in the history of pétanque in the USA.
The Rest of Everest Episodes 114 & 115: My favorite Podcast is Back!
I'm still catching up on all the things that happened while I was out of town last week, and that includes the return of The Rest of Everest video podcast, which has taken a bit of a break in recent weeks while show creator Jon Miller prepared to take us on yet another Himalayan adventure. That adventure began last week with a new episode, with this week's really kicking things into gear.
As many of you probably know, this past Spring, Jon and Chris Marquardt of Tips From The Top Floor fame, hosted a photography/videography workshop that took place while trekking to Everest Base Camp on the south side of the mountain. Episode 114, entitled The Highest Photography Workshop In The World, serves as an introduction to that trek, giving us an overview of what we can expect in future episodes of this new "season". The episode also serves as a bit of review of the past seasons as well, setting the stage for what has come before, and what is ahead, as we make the trek to EBC along with the lucky few that got to go on this trip back in April. If you've ever considered making that trek for yourself, as I have, you'll really want to jump into this show, as it'll no doubt really give us some insights on what to expect on that journey.
This week's new episode, number 115 of the series, is called "Kathmandu: Exactly The Same...But Different", and really kicks off the new trekking adventure in style. Regular viewers of the show know that Jon doesn't like to just chat by himself while he explains what's going on, and in this case, he's joined by several of the trekkers that were part of the team last spring. The episode opens gets rolling with the participants arriving in Kathmandu and preparing for their adventure. Throughout the show we see the arrival of the trekkers, with everyone eventually heading out to do some sightseeing in various parts of KTM. The video shows us all kinds of interesting elements to that city and Nepali culture, even for those of us who have made this trip two previous times before with the show.
These two episodes kick off the trekking adventure in fine fashion, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. I'm actually strongly considering the trek to Everest Base Camp for next spring, so this should make for a great primer for what I can expect on that journey. As usual, the video is high quality and the subject matter is great. Jon serves as an excellent host, and the guests offer great insights. Can't wait for more!
Grab the videos directly from the Rest of Everest website or make life easier on yourself and just subscribe to the show via iTunes.
European Commission on Streets and Cities
Reclaiming city streets for people - Chaos or quality of life?
There are many traffic management techniques and approaches and any given city will probably need to develop a package of measures to manage traffic effectively. This new handbook sets out some case studies where road space has been reallocated for other uses. New, attractive and popular public areas can be created on sites that were once blocked by regular traffic jams. If these are properly planned, they need not result in road traffic chaos, contrary to what might be expected.
Great stuff.
European Commission on Streets and Cities
Reclaiming city streets for people - Chaos or quality of life?
There are many traffic management techniques and approaches and any given city will probably need to develop a package of measures to manage traffic effectively. This new handbook sets out some case studies where road space has been reallocated for other uses. New, attractive and popular public areas can be created on sites that were once blocked by regular traffic jams. If these are properly planned, they need not result in road traffic chaos, contrary to what might be expected.
Great stuff.
Critical Mass San Francisco - New Website
The granddaddy of all Critical Masses in the world has launched a new website.
Critical Mass San Francisco - New Website
The granddaddy of all Critical Masses in the world has launched a new website.
Adventure Travel: Riding The Silk Road
This was the subject of my story today over at Gadling as well, but thought I'd mention it here too. I've written about the Tour d'Afrique before, discussing how great of a cycling adventure I think it would be, riding from Cairo to Cape Town, and crossing through much of Africa in the process.
Now, the organizers of that cool event are preparing for another long distance ride, this time going from Istanbul, Turkey to Xi'an China, over a 6600+ mile course that will also cross through Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan as well. That may sound like a bit of a random ride, but it actually a very historic path, as participants will be covering the length of the Silk Road, an ancient and vital trade route that once connected East and West.
The event will get underway on May 22nd of next year, and will take roughly 16 weeks to complete. Those weeks are broken up with 92 days of riding and 22 rest days, with one travel day across the Caspian Sea thrown in for good measure. The trip will be highlighted by a ride up the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, with cyclists climbing above 15,000 feet, only to later plummet to depths below sea level while camping in the western desert regions of China. The road will vary from well paved to cart paths, with just about everything in between, and the riders will average about 70 miles per day across the length of the ride.
Unfortunately, not all of us have 16 weeks to dedicate to such a ride, but that doesn't mean we'll be left out in the cold, as the road is broken down into seven separate legs that can be ridden singularly or in an combination should you decide to not go for the full on experience. The cost of the Silk Route ride is currently set at €8500, but there is currently a promotion in place that will cut €400 from the price if you book the trip before November 15th. The prices for the individual legs can be found at the bottom of this page as well.
This looks like an amazing experience, with an incredible mix of physical challenge, high adventure, history, and culture. I can't think of a better way to explore this unique part of the world than from the back of a bike, which will let you follow in the footsteps of some of history's most mesmerizing characters, like Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, and Genghis Khan. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go start training!
Car-free cities: an idea with legs
A quarter of households in Britain – more in the larger cities, and a majority in some inner cities – live without a car. Imagine how quality of life would improve for cyclists and everyone else if traffic were removed from areas where people could practically choose to live without cars. Does this sound unrealistic, utopian? Did you know many European cities are already doing it?
Guardian UK
Well done Steve and Carfree UK!
Guardian UK
Well done Steve and Carfree UK!
Car-free cities: an idea with legs
A quarter of households in Britain – more in the larger cities, and a majority in some inner cities – live without a car. Imagine how quality of life would improve for cyclists and everyone else if traffic were removed from areas where people could practically choose to live without cars. Does this sound unrealistic, utopian? Did you know many European cities are already doing it?
Guardian UK
Well done Steve and Carfree UK!
Guardian UK
Well done Steve and Carfree UK!
Judge Rules That Laura Dekker Should Stay in Port
Remember Laura Dekker? She is the 13-year old (now 14) girl who wanted sail solo around the world a few months back, but had the Dutch government step in to prevent her attempt. At the time, she was placed in temporary custody of child protective services while her case was reviewed further, and today, a judge further ruled on the affair.
According to this story over at the Guardian, Laura has been ordered to remain under the supervision of child protection authorities until next July, when her case will come up for review once again. It is quite possible that at that time, they'll rule that she is indeed ready to take on the high seas, and she will be allowed to go and make her bid for the youngest person to ever sail solo around the world.
There is no doubt that Laura is an accomplished sailor. Both of her parents have sailed for years, and she grew up on a boat while they sailed the globe. But her mother and father are currently separated, and while dad is happily encouraging her to go on this adventure, mom has raised fears about allowing the young girl to travel solo.
I've weighed in on this topic a few times already, and I've always said that she's too young for this journey, no matter what her skill level. I have no doubt that she is technically fit to make the trip, but there are other factors to consider as well. In an earlier post on the topic a commenter said that she clearly has the skills to circumnavigate the planet and should be allowed to go, but I still believe now what I wrote then. I know plenty of 14 year olds that can technically drive a car, but that doesn't mean I'd let them go on a cross country road trip by themselves. This would be potentially far more dangerous than that.
I applaud the court for stepping in and preventing her from going. Something has to be done about these extremely young people going after records for accomplishing a given task just so they can be the youngest to do so.
J Street: Much more than a "safe space"
On Day 2 of the J Street conference, a student who had attended my panel on the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement, engaged me in conversation. He told me how wonderful he felt at the conference, which he called a "safe space" in which he could talk about Israel in a way that wasn't tolerated in other Jewish communal frameworks, such as his synagogue or family table.
But for J Street to fulfill its mission, it needs to be more than a "safe space".
As I imagine it, a "safe space" is where a minority of non-conformists gather together for solace, and to take a breath of fresh air. A "safe space" is a refuge - a shelter from the storm, a place for mutual support.
More importantly, a "safe space" is an inward-looking locale, whose denizens are primarily seeking the camaraderie of the like-minded.
A "safe space" is an attitude of self-defense, of self-preservation, of respite. The connotation of "safe space" is a desire to ward off - not take on - the world.
The pro-Israel pro-peace movement has had an abundance of "safe spaces" for dozens of years. What it hasn't had - and what J Street has brought us, and what J Street needs to be if it is to succeed - is not a new and bigger "safe space", but a political movement that confidently and assertively looks outward into the wider community, not inward towards the "already converted".
Success will therefore require not only time, energy, creativity and other resources. Success will require that we, J Street's supporters, recalibrate our expectations.
J Street is not only a place to take comfort. It is a coalition for creating real change.
Often the reaction of those shunned by what's perceived as the mainstream is to shun that mainstream in return. J Street's challenge is to avoid that trap: To make it work, its supporters must slowly wean themselves of the psychology of the underdog, the outcast, the pariah, and take on a new attitude that seeks to build bridges with those who might have feared us in the past.
Clearly, there will be a need for smaller, more ideological organizations to continue their work in pushing the limits of the American Jewish debate. But J Street's role, more than to carve out radically new swaths of territory, will be to bring a growing number of American Jews, and others, into the ideological territory that has already been carved out, but desperately and urgently needs to be reinforced: Two states, 1967 borders, the illegitimacy of occupation and settlement, the legitimacy of Palestinian national rights, and serious, unswerving American commitment and involvement to make it all happen.
In the terminology of American expansionism, J Street needs to be the homesteader, not the frontiersman-explorer. Its work needs to be prose, not poetry.
If J Street's supporters expect J Street to be just another "safe space", this time for the Facebook generation, then the real potential for creating something immensely important - and powerful - might be lost for years to come. And there's no guarantee that Israel will still have a two-state option by that time.
But for J Street to fulfill its mission, it needs to be more than a "safe space".
As I imagine it, a "safe space" is where a minority of non-conformists gather together for solace, and to take a breath of fresh air. A "safe space" is a refuge - a shelter from the storm, a place for mutual support.
More importantly, a "safe space" is an inward-looking locale, whose denizens are primarily seeking the camaraderie of the like-minded.
A "safe space" is an attitude of self-defense, of self-preservation, of respite. The connotation of "safe space" is a desire to ward off - not take on - the world.
The pro-Israel pro-peace movement has had an abundance of "safe spaces" for dozens of years. What it hasn't had - and what J Street has brought us, and what J Street needs to be if it is to succeed - is not a new and bigger "safe space", but a political movement that confidently and assertively looks outward into the wider community, not inward towards the "already converted".
Success will therefore require not only time, energy, creativity and other resources. Success will require that we, J Street's supporters, recalibrate our expectations.
J Street is not only a place to take comfort. It is a coalition for creating real change.
Often the reaction of those shunned by what's perceived as the mainstream is to shun that mainstream in return. J Street's challenge is to avoid that trap: To make it work, its supporters must slowly wean themselves of the psychology of the underdog, the outcast, the pariah, and take on a new attitude that seeks to build bridges with those who might have feared us in the past.
Clearly, there will be a need for smaller, more ideological organizations to continue their work in pushing the limits of the American Jewish debate. But J Street's role, more than to carve out radically new swaths of territory, will be to bring a growing number of American Jews, and others, into the ideological territory that has already been carved out, but desperately and urgently needs to be reinforced: Two states, 1967 borders, the illegitimacy of occupation and settlement, the legitimacy of Palestinian national rights, and serious, unswerving American commitment and involvement to make it all happen.
In the terminology of American expansionism, J Street needs to be the homesteader, not the frontiersman-explorer. Its work needs to be prose, not poetry.
If J Street's supporters expect J Street to be just another "safe space", this time for the Facebook generation, then the real potential for creating something immensely important - and powerful - might be lost for years to come. And there's no guarantee that Israel will still have a two-state option by that time.
1960's EAGLES VISIT
Yuengling hosted a group of champions last week at America's Oldest Brewery! The surviving members of the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles football team took a trip to Pottsville, PA. The team met up in Hershey and traveled to America's Oldest Brewery for a private tour and lunch with owner Dick Yuengling, and other members of the Yuengling Team. The group totaled 14 players, and 3 of the team members are in the NFL Hall of Fame! Everyone who came out had a great time seeing the sites of the brewery. After the tour they headed to Maroon's Sports Bar & Grill for lunch. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this successful outing at the Yuengling Brewery!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Himalaya Fall 2009: Summits!!
It appears as if the Fall Himalaya Season for 2009 is rapidly coming to an end, with teams reporting successful summits on a variety of mountains, while others prepare to go home empty handed.
Field Touring Alpine has an update on their blog stating that their team has reached the top of Island Peak yesterday, with six climbers topping out on the 6186 meter mountain. All of them have also successfully returned to base camp, where they got some much needed rest and celebrated their success. Today, they left the mountain, heading back to Dingboche. The team isn't done yet however, as they intend to head to Pumori next for a little more action.
The IMG blog has also been updated with news of their success, although they were climbing on Ama Dablam. Their summit also occurred yesterday, with the team setting out from C2 at 4 AM and proceeding up to the top by 10 AM. They then made the descent all the way back to BC, ending their day at 8:30 PM. Whew! What a long day. On a good note, the guides report that the route to the summit is in good shape and the stage is set for others to go up too.
The word is not so positive from Pumori, where the Peak Freaks are packing it in after an attempt on the summit that was halted when they came across a large ice shelf high on the mountain. After testing it for stability, they determined that it may or may not be safe, and the "may not" part was enough for them to call of their bid and head back to BC. The team is happy with what the accomplished this year, but weren't willing to go further and put themselves at risks, so as of today, they are preparing to pack up and go home.
They weren't the only team to call it a day, as the Climb With Us Team is also coming home. An audio update on their site says that despite great weather conditions over the past few weeks, the ice found on the upper peaks, formed from the melting of snow during the day, and the re-freezing at night, has caused them to also call off their expedition. They are also happy with what they accomplished, but a bit disappointed that they won't stand on top of the mountain. They'll be back in the Himalaya next spring however, with their eyes on Everest, and an even bigger prize.
Why Wasn't My Dorm Like This?
Another cool photo from the Wend Blog today, this time showing us a dorm building at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. From the front, it looks like any other dorm, for the most part, with some slightly interesting architecture. But move to the side, and you'll find an impressive climbing wall that is nine stories tall and features more than 2500 hand and foot grips.
Now, I'm not sure what your dorm was like, but mine certainly didn't have a climbing wall. It barely had plumbing! Granted, it was a low rise building that was getting on in years, and mostly lacked any defining characteristics that would actually make it cool, but it was home, sweet, home for a couple of years. If it had a wall like this one though, I might have stayed in school longer. Maybe gone for that Masters or PhD. Anyway, check below for a shot of the wall itself. Very cool stuff!
How non-profit organizations go Google
In addition to the thousands of companies and schools that go Google every day, more and more non-profit organizations are choosing Google Apps to help remove the cost and complexity associated with traditional IT, which can often challenge the limited resources of 501(c)3 organizations.
Learn more about the special discounts available for accredited organizations with Google Apps for Non-Profits and read about how USA Water Polo made the switch to Apps and was able to provide 35,000 staff, volunteers, and players with improved email and collaboration tools while re-allocating costs toward funding for their players, teams and members.
Google Apps helps organizations of all kinds improve the way they work by minimizing on-premise hardware, increasing uptime, and making it easy for users to get productive fast. This is especially helpful for non-profit organizations, who can direct their focus away from IT maintenance and put their talents toward what they do best: doing good.
Posted by Miriam Schneider, Google Apps for Education and Non-Profit teams
Learn more about the special discounts available for accredited organizations with Google Apps for Non-Profits and read about how USA Water Polo made the switch to Apps and was able to provide 35,000 staff, volunteers, and players with improved email and collaboration tools while re-allocating costs toward funding for their players, teams and members.
Google Apps helps organizations of all kinds improve the way they work by minimizing on-premise hardware, increasing uptime, and making it easy for users to get productive fast. This is especially helpful for non-profit organizations, who can direct their focus away from IT maintenance and put their talents toward what they do best: doing good.
Posted by Miriam Schneider, Google Apps for Education and Non-Profit teams
The 7-in-7 Challenge: Hiking New Zealand's Great Walks in a Week!
National Geographic Adventure tipped me off to this story earlier today when they posted it to their Adventure Blog. It seems that New Zealander Malcolm Law, an adventurer and ultrarunner, will attempt to complete seven of the country's "Great Walks" in just seven days, in an effort to raise money for Leukemia research. If all goes as planned, he'll cover 223 miles over the course of a very busy week.
Law covers the basics of his plan on his 7-in-7 website, which begins with the very apt tag line "It's going to hurt!". The challenge will get underway on November 29th, when he'll take on the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk, a 26.5 mile trail that typically takes 3-4 days to complete. From there, it is on to the Tongariro Northern Circuit, which is 25.4 miles of mountain trail, before moving on to the Abel Tasman Coast Track (32.2 miles), the Heaphy Track (48.7 miles), Routeburn Track (20 miles), the Milford Track (33.2 miles), and finally ending at the 37.3 mile Kepler Challenge, a mountain run that is a yearly competition in Kiwi-land.
In order to accomplish his goal, Malcolm will be assisted by a team of support crew, that will help arrange rides to and from each of the daily routes, as they are spread out in different parts of New Zealand. Each day he'll also be joined by a fresh group of support runners that will help pace him as he goes. If successful, Law's website says that this will be the equivalent of running 9 off road marathons, while climbing Mt. Cook twice, in just seven days time.
In all, New Zealand has nine great walks, and the seven that Malcolm will attempt all fall on the mainland. The other two include the Rakiura Track, a 22.3 mile trek through Stewart Island, and the Whanganui Journey, which is a 90 mile kayaking route, and not a "great walk" at all.
For more information on the 7-in-7 Challenge, head over to the official website, where you'll find a bio of Malcolm, who is 49 by the way. You'll also find info on his support runners and ground crew, as well as ways that you can get involved with the challenge too by either joining him on the trail or donating to the cause.
Good luck Malcolm!
Course Analysis: Ross Smith at the US Champs
Here is an excellent and very informative course analysis by Ross Smith, CSU, silver medalist in M21 at this year's US Championships in Greenbush, Wisconsin.
Conditions
-11:03 start time. Patrick Nuss 11:05, Boris Granovskiy 11:07
-4 poptarts (easy to eat) and a mug of tea (superstition) before the race, singing and positive mood.
-Chilly and damp, wore a buff, mesh USA top, trimtex ¾ length pants, underarmour ankle socks, lucky reindeer boxer briefs and inov8 x-talon 212s while running. Bit of a sore back from sleeping funny so took some Ibuprofen 30 mins before start.
-Warm up of running around, up to the start and back a bunch, to the bathroom and back, etc. -Nothing structured or special. Thinking about how I should be thinking about something, and about having a clean 1st control.
-Had felt great at the model the day before, very excited to race. Anticipating that a good race would be a win.
Start - 1
When I saw the first leg I was worried by the green forests. I saw the trail and latched onto the relative security of following a path for a bit and then running through white woods. I quickly cut out to the parking lot and then along the trail… the footing wasn’t great on the trail and I was having a hard time reading the terrain around me as I ran along. I cut into the woods only vaguely knowing where I left the trail because I was feeling rushed and I got lucky to pass over #17. Once again assured of where I was, it was easy to go over the hill, skirt the three pointed depression, and go up over the ridge. Hesitated a little bit coming down to the knoll, as visibility was low.
1-2,2-3,3-4
- 2 first mistake. Left without a clear enough plan, only vaguely aware that I wanted to avoid the darker green. Big problem in viewing the contours to the north of the control as a hill, not a depression. Off by 15 degrees on my compass leaving 1. worried too much about running fast, not enough about keeping contact with the map. Very quickly along the way knew that I was out of contact with the map and then pushed on in hopes of hitting the powerlines and rebounding. Which is what I did.
- 3 just go straight, visualize down, up, down into the control
- 4 just go straight, saw the black ‘x’ then it was down into the big depression, up the other side into the depression on the far rim
4-5, 5-6
- 5 a long leg, and I depended too much on seeing the indistinct path 2/3 of the way along. I didn’t see the path, but did recognize the reentrant just before the path from having come that way before. I once again was fortunate to see control 18, as I was able to quickly adjust my route which had started to drift (unconscious desire to hit the path maybe?). Was supposed to hit trail and follow along until cutting past the hill along the smaller trail. Instead dropped down out of 18 into the round depression, and followed the hillside for a bit and then realized that it was tucked into the green, so cut back over.
- 6 straight, visualized going up steep hill, long reentrant with control at the far end. Don’t remember the ‘X’ here.
6-7, 7-8
- 7 saw the large hill 2/3 of the way as my target, just get there and then follow along into the flag. Knew that it was a big hill and so I aimed a bit off to the left (more than I wanted to) to be sure to hit it. When I saw that I was coming up the little saddle in the hill, I altered my plan and ran along the left side of the hill instead of the right. Then, I went down and up in the last reentrant, because it looked faster than going around. As I climbed the last saddle before the control I had a lot of confidence that the flag would be right on the other side.
- 8 follow along the hill, around the round depression and along the long depression, up and into the green.
8-9
- 9 another long leg and this time I again saw the hill I had used for 7 as being a good waypoint. Once I got to the tip of that hill, I just aimed rough compass for 9, aware that there wasn’t much of a backstop if I missed the flag. Saw the black ‘X’ and was relieved again. Down into the green reentrant and up the hill on the other side. Judged the slope of the hill and knew that I needed to go farther north when I got to the top.
9-10, 10-11
- 10 saw the large shallow depression 1/2 way through and wanted to skirt either left or right. Woods were better to the right, so I did that. Saw the large green hill, and contoured around, came down the spur on the other side and saw Ken [Walker] going in to punch the control. Score!
- 11 wanted to get ahead of Ken, and left the control on a rough compass with the idea of skirting below the first peanut shaped depressions. Lost focus a little bit and saw the green hill just before the control before I recovered my place exactly.
11-12, 12-13, 13-14, 14-15
- 12 out to the road, and then I had decided to follow along the ridge and over the saddle into the control. I cut into the forest after the first big depression, but got bogged down a bit in the next little depression. Saw the pair of boulders, then kept to the plan.
- 13 meant to go right of the hill, but the vegetation pushed me left. I had my eyes up, scanning the forest and so when I saw the hill a bit to my right I knew that I just needed to get to the saddle.
- 14 reminded me of a control on the model the day before. Follow along the string of depressions, used the last hill to aim for the pit.
- 15 wind out to the road, came past the triangle hill to the road, so knew where I was. Then I cut around the north at the base of the ridge and into the control.
15-16
- 16 the long leg. Scary at first and then I realized that I could use the same big hill as a pole star at the end of the leg. Then there was a ridge that brought me most of the way there, and finally I could take the trail until that ridge. So I cut out to the trail, not really caring which way I went, followed along to the ridge, kept contact as I went down into the depression and up over the little green hill, followed up north to the base of the big hill and here I decided to change my plan a little bit and instead of following the hillside around, tried to cut across the hypotenuse. This might have worked had I not then lost focus and I tried to read a small hill in the flat area as the large hill my control was behind. I checked behind that hill and didn’t see a reentrant, then I charged across to another hill that I saw… still nothing making sense. Feeling very panicked so I started heading back towards the hill to relocate (though my garmin shows me running more south than west) here I saw Clem [McGrath] and that helped me realize that I hadn’t gone far enough, turned around and chased back up to Clem, and finally up over the hill and into the flag.
16-17, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20, 20-F
-17 a bit angry, a bit relieved, I just wanted to be done. Had seen this control before and could recall a bit what the terrain around it looked like. Came down the hill, saw the depression to my right and then knew to turn left and into the flag.
-18 aimed straight at the flag, saw Ken again from when I hit the trail and was able to chase him into the flag. Also had been to this one before too.
-19 around the first depression, then along the side of the big green hill, out the spur and down into the pit on the other side.
-20 out to the road, scanned along the side to see if there was an opening in the green, saw the cairn and then saw a gap. Cut through the field.
-F still had some left for the final sprint.
Strengths
- Ran very fast. Physically the fastest guy racing that day in those woods. Even the green didn’t slow me too much.
- Able to keep my eyes up, get information and use it quickly to adjust my route
- Able to simplify really tough terrain and find the minimum necessary to navigate
Weaknesses
- Did not have a full plan before setting out on some legs. This cost me a lot on 2, but I got lucky on other controls.
- Did not mentally stay focused on the long leg, 16, long enough. Can’t “coast in” to the finish, need to stay sharp the whole way.
- Changed routes trying to save a few seconds. Better to choose the correct route then stick to it.
Miscellaneous
- Interesting to see how much my drawn track differed from my GPS. Plus the fact that I couldn’t draw the routes in at all for some of the legs. A positive sign of simplification? A negative sign of lazy map reading?
- Won splits at the beginning and at the end. A good sign that I didn’t go out too fast or run out of energy. Did not take any gu or water for the course (80 mins) but the race seemed short.
Results
- 2nd place (80:00), 2:31 out of 1st place Will Hawkins (77:29), 3rd place Leif Anderson (84:02)
7:05/k, for 11.3k and 426 meters of climb
- 11 fastest splits, 6 seconds or less from the fastest split on all but 3 controls (two big mistakes and Erin Schirm was blazing fast to 12)
- WinSplits “without errors” puts me at 73:58 (6:33/k)
Conditions
-11:03 start time. Patrick Nuss 11:05, Boris Granovskiy 11:07
-4 poptarts (easy to eat) and a mug of tea (superstition) before the race, singing and positive mood.
-Chilly and damp, wore a buff, mesh USA top, trimtex ¾ length pants, underarmour ankle socks, lucky reindeer boxer briefs and inov8 x-talon 212s while running. Bit of a sore back from sleeping funny so took some Ibuprofen 30 mins before start.
-Warm up of running around, up to the start and back a bunch, to the bathroom and back, etc. -Nothing structured or special. Thinking about how I should be thinking about something, and about having a clean 1st control.
-Had felt great at the model the day before, very excited to race. Anticipating that a good race would be a win.
Start - 1
When I saw the first leg I was worried by the green forests. I saw the trail and latched onto the relative security of following a path for a bit and then running through white woods. I quickly cut out to the parking lot and then along the trail… the footing wasn’t great on the trail and I was having a hard time reading the terrain around me as I ran along. I cut into the woods only vaguely knowing where I left the trail because I was feeling rushed and I got lucky to pass over #17. Once again assured of where I was, it was easy to go over the hill, skirt the three pointed depression, and go up over the ridge. Hesitated a little bit coming down to the knoll, as visibility was low.
1-2,2-3,3-4
- 2 first mistake. Left without a clear enough plan, only vaguely aware that I wanted to avoid the darker green. Big problem in viewing the contours to the north of the control as a hill, not a depression. Off by 15 degrees on my compass leaving 1. worried too much about running fast, not enough about keeping contact with the map. Very quickly along the way knew that I was out of contact with the map and then pushed on in hopes of hitting the powerlines and rebounding. Which is what I did.
- 3 just go straight, visualize down, up, down into the control
- 4 just go straight, saw the black ‘x’ then it was down into the big depression, up the other side into the depression on the far rim
4-5, 5-6
- 5 a long leg, and I depended too much on seeing the indistinct path 2/3 of the way along. I didn’t see the path, but did recognize the reentrant just before the path from having come that way before. I once again was fortunate to see control 18, as I was able to quickly adjust my route which had started to drift (unconscious desire to hit the path maybe?). Was supposed to hit trail and follow along until cutting past the hill along the smaller trail. Instead dropped down out of 18 into the round depression, and followed the hillside for a bit and then realized that it was tucked into the green, so cut back over.
- 6 straight, visualized going up steep hill, long reentrant with control at the far end. Don’t remember the ‘X’ here.
6-7, 7-8
- 7 saw the large hill 2/3 of the way as my target, just get there and then follow along into the flag. Knew that it was a big hill and so I aimed a bit off to the left (more than I wanted to) to be sure to hit it. When I saw that I was coming up the little saddle in the hill, I altered my plan and ran along the left side of the hill instead of the right. Then, I went down and up in the last reentrant, because it looked faster than going around. As I climbed the last saddle before the control I had a lot of confidence that the flag would be right on the other side.
- 8 follow along the hill, around the round depression and along the long depression, up and into the green.
8-9
- 9 another long leg and this time I again saw the hill I had used for 7 as being a good waypoint. Once I got to the tip of that hill, I just aimed rough compass for 9, aware that there wasn’t much of a backstop if I missed the flag. Saw the black ‘X’ and was relieved again. Down into the green reentrant and up the hill on the other side. Judged the slope of the hill and knew that I needed to go farther north when I got to the top.
9-10, 10-11
- 10 saw the large shallow depression 1/2 way through and wanted to skirt either left or right. Woods were better to the right, so I did that. Saw the large green hill, and contoured around, came down the spur on the other side and saw Ken [Walker] going in to punch the control. Score!
- 11 wanted to get ahead of Ken, and left the control on a rough compass with the idea of skirting below the first peanut shaped depressions. Lost focus a little bit and saw the green hill just before the control before I recovered my place exactly.
11-12, 12-13, 13-14, 14-15
- 12 out to the road, and then I had decided to follow along the ridge and over the saddle into the control. I cut into the forest after the first big depression, but got bogged down a bit in the next little depression. Saw the pair of boulders, then kept to the plan.
- 13 meant to go right of the hill, but the vegetation pushed me left. I had my eyes up, scanning the forest and so when I saw the hill a bit to my right I knew that I just needed to get to the saddle.
- 14 reminded me of a control on the model the day before. Follow along the string of depressions, used the last hill to aim for the pit.
- 15 wind out to the road, came past the triangle hill to the road, so knew where I was. Then I cut around the north at the base of the ridge and into the control.
15-16
- 16 the long leg. Scary at first and then I realized that I could use the same big hill as a pole star at the end of the leg. Then there was a ridge that brought me most of the way there, and finally I could take the trail until that ridge. So I cut out to the trail, not really caring which way I went, followed along to the ridge, kept contact as I went down into the depression and up over the little green hill, followed up north to the base of the big hill and here I decided to change my plan a little bit and instead of following the hillside around, tried to cut across the hypotenuse. This might have worked had I not then lost focus and I tried to read a small hill in the flat area as the large hill my control was behind. I checked behind that hill and didn’t see a reentrant, then I charged across to another hill that I saw… still nothing making sense. Feeling very panicked so I started heading back towards the hill to relocate (though my garmin shows me running more south than west) here I saw Clem [McGrath] and that helped me realize that I hadn’t gone far enough, turned around and chased back up to Clem, and finally up over the hill and into the flag.
16-17, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20, 20-F
-17 a bit angry, a bit relieved, I just wanted to be done. Had seen this control before and could recall a bit what the terrain around it looked like. Came down the hill, saw the depression to my right and then knew to turn left and into the flag.
-18 aimed straight at the flag, saw Ken again from when I hit the trail and was able to chase him into the flag. Also had been to this one before too.
-19 around the first depression, then along the side of the big green hill, out the spur and down into the pit on the other side.
-20 out to the road, scanned along the side to see if there was an opening in the green, saw the cairn and then saw a gap. Cut through the field.
-F still had some left for the final sprint.
Strengths
- Ran very fast. Physically the fastest guy racing that day in those woods. Even the green didn’t slow me too much.
- Able to keep my eyes up, get information and use it quickly to adjust my route
- Able to simplify really tough terrain and find the minimum necessary to navigate
Weaknesses
- Did not have a full plan before setting out on some legs. This cost me a lot on 2, but I got lucky on other controls.
- Did not mentally stay focused on the long leg, 16, long enough. Can’t “coast in” to the finish, need to stay sharp the whole way.
- Changed routes trying to save a few seconds. Better to choose the correct route then stick to it.
Miscellaneous
- Interesting to see how much my drawn track differed from my GPS. Plus the fact that I couldn’t draw the routes in at all for some of the legs. A positive sign of simplification? A negative sign of lazy map reading?
- Won splits at the beginning and at the end. A good sign that I didn’t go out too fast or run out of energy. Did not take any gu or water for the course (80 mins) but the race seemed short.
Results
- 2nd place (80:00), 2:31 out of 1st place Will Hawkins (77:29), 3rd place Leif Anderson (84:02)
7:05/k, for 11.3k and 426 meters of climb
- 11 fastest splits, 6 seconds or less from the fastest split on all but 3 controls (two big mistakes and Erin Schirm was blazing fast to 12)
- WinSplits “without errors” puts me at 73:58 (6:33/k)
NeighborWorks America Adds Two New “Green” Courses to its National Training Institute Curriculum; Offerings Designed to Help Communities Go Green
NeighborWorks America expanded its curriculum of energy efficiency and healthy homes courses to include two new classes designed to help community leaders engage residents in creating greener communities, and to help non-profit managers improve the green footprint of their organizations.The new courses, Taking Green Action in Your Community, and Greening Your Organization” bring the total number of “Green” courses taught at the upcoming NeighborWorks Training institute to six. In all, NeighborWorks America offers 16 green courses. The next NeighborWorks Training institute is December 7-11 in suburban Washington, D.C. Registration is still open at http://www.nw.org/network/training/training.asp.
“These courses are great additions to our existing offerings, providing important information for nonprofit leaders that will help them reduce the carbon footprint of their organizations, and help educate residents on how to ensure that the communities in which they live are healthy and sustainable,” said Thomas Deyo, director of green programs at NeighborWorks America.
Greening Your Organization is supplemented by a guide released earlier this year by NeighborWorks America, Greening Your Nonprofit From the Inside Out. Produced in conjunction with Strategic Sustainability Consulting, the 84-page guide contains case studies that non-profit organizations around the country can follow to lower their energy usage and increase the health quality of the places they work and the housing that they build.
“All of the courses and the guide are part of NeighborWorks America’s program called, “Think Green, Act Green”, a commitment to advance environment responsibility across the community development industry,” added Deyo. More on this commitment can be found at www.nw/green.
Couple Sailing Around The World Possibly Captured By Pirates
British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler have been on an around the world cruise aboard their ship the Lynn Rival for some time now, and they've even been blogging about their adventures on this website. But last Friday, the couple went missing, and their online tracking system failed to send any new updates, while the ship was off the coast of Somalia, an area that has become infamous for its pirate activity. The last known message from the couple was an ominous sounding blog update that simply says: "PLEASE RING SARAH".
Since that update there has been no trace of the Chandlers, and little news at all. A few days back, a Somali pirate leader named Farah Abdi released a statement saying that they had captured the pair, but there has yet to be any kind of confirmation that they are indeed in the pirates hands.
Today, the New York Times is reporting that seven pirates believed to have been involved with the adduction have been taken into custody by European Union ships operating in the area. The pirates were making a raid on a fishing vessel at the time, and were said to have the Chandler's 38-foot yacht in tow, as they were making their way back to pirate town of Xarardheere.
Capturing these pirates is a good start of course, but we still don't know where the Chandlers are or what their current condition is. Lets hope that we get confirmation of their good health soon, and that they'll also be released soon as well. One can't help but wonder though if the blog updates and real time satellite tracking played into their capture at all. Anyone know if Somali Pirates have the Internet?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
2009 Sahara Race is Underway!
I know this is a few days old, but I'm still trying to catch-up form my down time last week. Last Sunday, this year's edition of the Sahara Race got underway, with 130 competitors from 30 countries setting out across 250 km (155 miles) of some of the harshest conditions on the planet. The Sahara is the largest non-Polar desert on Earth, and it will test these racers, who will cross through three to four checkpoints each day, as they cover stages varying in length from 10-50 miles.
As of today, the race, we're through three stages of the six stage event. The overall leader at this point is 40 year old Tobias Frenz of Germany, who is followed by Christian Schiester of Austria, and Paolo Barghini of Italy in second and third respectively. The top female competitor is Erica Terblanche of South Africa, who is currently running in 12th place over all.
Over the next three days, the racers will face several more tough stages, including a grueling 87.6 km (54.4 mile) trek dubbed the Black Desert March, tomorrow. That one will likely run into Friday for a number of the competitors, but thankfully things get better on Saturday, when they'll finish up with a short run that completes the event by arriving at the finish line in the shadows of the Great Pyramids of Giza. What a way to end a race!
Having been to the Sahara and seen those Pyramids first hand, I can tell you that this has to be an incredible event for these runners. The desert is demanding on many levels, with an oppressive heat that I've never felt anywhere else on the planet. And if that wasn't challenging enough, think about all that sand getting into every part of your body. Yes, I said every part!!
As always, this is a great event, and is just one pillar of the 4 Deserts series. Good luck to all the competitors. Be safe out there!
Finding our way on 'J Street'
Most of Meretz USA's active leadership attended J Street's inaugural annual conference, Sunday evening through Tuesday. This links to the historical view that our executive director Ron Skonik took on the eve of this event.
Attending with us were an announced total of 1500 registrants. Most sessions were mobbed; twice I could hardly find a piece of wall to lean on, let alone a seat or (in one case) even floor space to sit on.
J Street has been whacked from right, left and center, yet has tried to conduct itself in a polite and even welcoming manner. Most sessions that I saw were informative and uplifting. A few others seemed more about showing how far it has gone in a mere 18 months of existence, but it deserves to crow about itself.
As our former executive director and now Meretz USA board member, Charney V. Bromberg indicated to me, "The peace movement has now found its center of gravity." Describing itself as the "political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement" (I take "political" to mean that it strives for influence in Washington), J Street welcomed the participation of Meretz USA and at least 19 other peace-oriented Zionist or dovish organizations in the US and Israel as "partners" --- as written on the conference badges that participants from those groups wore on their necks to facilitate access.
It has grown from a founding staff of four, a year and a half ago, to 30 today. Its initial two legally distinct entities, J Street and J Street PAC, have multiplied to five: there is the J Street Education Fund and an on-campus university student group called J Street U; the latter existed for several years as the Union of Progressive Zionists, which Meretz USA helped found and took the lead in fostering with staff time; and there is the brand new merger or alliance with Brit Tzedek V'Shalom as J Street's "grassroots" or field arm (with a possible new name still to be determined).
J Street's positions are nuanced and often misunderstood, if not deliberately distorted. Hence, today J Street U has felt it necessary to deny the claim that J Street U has dropped the "pro-Israel" part of its central slogan and organizing principle as "pro-Israel, pro-peace."
Attending with us were an announced total of 1500 registrants. Most sessions were mobbed; twice I could hardly find a piece of wall to lean on, let alone a seat or (in one case) even floor space to sit on.
J Street has been whacked from right, left and center, yet has tried to conduct itself in a polite and even welcoming manner. Most sessions that I saw were informative and uplifting. A few others seemed more about showing how far it has gone in a mere 18 months of existence, but it deserves to crow about itself.
As our former executive director and now Meretz USA board member, Charney V. Bromberg indicated to me, "The peace movement has now found its center of gravity." Describing itself as the "political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement" (I take "political" to mean that it strives for influence in Washington), J Street welcomed the participation of Meretz USA and at least 19 other peace-oriented Zionist or dovish organizations in the US and Israel as "partners" --- as written on the conference badges that participants from those groups wore on their necks to facilitate access.
It has grown from a founding staff of four, a year and a half ago, to 30 today. Its initial two legally distinct entities, J Street and J Street PAC, have multiplied to five: there is the J Street Education Fund and an on-campus university student group called J Street U; the latter existed for several years as the Union of Progressive Zionists, which Meretz USA helped found and took the lead in fostering with staff time; and there is the brand new merger or alliance with Brit Tzedek V'Shalom as J Street's "grassroots" or field arm (with a possible new name still to be determined).
J Street's positions are nuanced and often misunderstood, if not deliberately distorted. Hence, today J Street U has felt it necessary to deny the claim that J Street U has dropped the "pro-Israel" part of its central slogan and organizing principle as "pro-Israel, pro-peace."
Tips For Long Distance Hikers
Trailspace.com, which has always been an excellent resource for backpackers and hikers everywhere, has begun a great new series of articles designed to help long distance thru-hikers to tackle any of the long distance hikes in the U.S., such as the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide trails. But even if you don't intend to tackle one of those 1000+ mile long monsters, the information is helpful for shorter treks too.
The planned four part series begins with this article which focuses on planning your hike. Author Barbara Egbert starts with some details on the Triple Crown of thru-hiking, laying out what you can expect on the three major trails linked to above, and how they all differ from one another.
The article then goes on to examine the gear that you'll need, with an emphasis on lightweight but durable equipment. Tents, sleeping bags, and packs are all important considerations on any trip, but especially on one that will go for hundreds of miles. Choosing the right clothing and shoes are also very important as well of course.
From there, it's on to some suggested training methods to get in shape for the miles ahead. Several thru-hikers give tips on their approaches to preparing for the trails, with strong recommendations of being in great shape before you go. The story also recommends that if you're going to hike alone you should train alone in order to get use to the conditions you'll experience while traveling miles on end by yourself.
Finally, the article concludes with a list of great books that cover each of the major trails, offering up resources that will be invaluable for long distance thru-hikers as they prepare for one of these major hikes. The suggestion being that if you're considering one of these hikes, you'll want to pick up the guide now, read it in the winter months, and begin collecting your gear and training for a 2010 epic hike.
This look like it's going to be a great series, and a must read for anyone wanting to backpack anything longer than a weekend escape. Good stuff so far.
N. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY HALLOWEEN EVENTS
Don't be afraid of the dark this Halloween, come on out and enjoy Yuengling Black & Tan! There are several Halloween parties happening in Yuengling's home county and our representative in Northern Schuylkill County, PA has compiled a list below full of Halloween fun. So get out your best costume and come join us at any of these exciting events.
Where: Who's Place in Shenandoah
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Pitchers $6 and Black & Tan Can Bucket Special
Prizes for best costumes and Yuengling Giveaways and DJ Party Time from 10pm-2am.
Where:The Golden Spike in Tamaqua
When: October 31, 2009 9pm-1am
Drinks: Black & Tan Pints $1.50 10pm-12am
Prizes and Giveaways and DJ Cheryl Lee
Where: The Wooden Keg in St. Clair
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Specials
Music by Badd Monkee starts at 10PM
Where: Thunder Road in Shenandoah
When: October 30 and 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Buckets 5/$8
Music by DJ Twisted on Friday and Field House on Saturday. Costume Contest Friday and Saturday.
Where: Silver Spoon in Mahanoy City
When: October 31, 2009 4pm-close
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.50 All Day
Giveaways and Prizes
Where: Club 54 in Mahanoy City
When: October 31, 2009 at 9pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.50 10pm-12am
$100 Prize for best costume and giveaways.
Where: Club Paparazzi in Frackville
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Yuengling Specials
Free Buffet, Prizes, and music by the band SYRE
Where: Black Diamond in Frackville
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.75 10pm-12am
Karaoke 9pm-1am and Prizes for Best Costume
Where: McGuire's in Mahanoy City
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Pints $1.50 9pm-11pm
$100 Cash Prize for best dressed, Music by DJ ROB, No Cover
Where: RJ's in Shenandoah
When: October 30 and 31, 2009 9pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Buckets 5/$8
Prizes for best costume.
Where: Hambones in St. Clair
When: October 30, 2009
Drinks: Premium Pints $1.00 9pm-11pm
Maximum Karaoke 8pm-1am, $2 Cover ID a MUST, Prizes for best costume
Where: Chicks Cafe in Gordon
When: October 31, 2009 8pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Pints $1.50 9pm-11pm
Prizes for best costume
Where: Sandcastle in St.Clair
When: October 31, 2009 6pm-Close
Drinks: Black & Tan Draft Special
Prize for best costume and Food and Drink Specials
Where: Amberdeens in Frackville
When: October 31, 2009 10pm-1am
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.50 10pm-Midnight
Entertainment and Prizes for best costume
Where: The Wagon Wheel in Ringtown
When: October 30, 2009 9pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.75 10pm-12am
Prize for best costume. Entertainment by Harry and Bill Acoustic
Where: Who's Place in Shenandoah
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Pitchers $6 and Black & Tan Can Bucket Special
Prizes for best costumes and Yuengling Giveaways and DJ Party Time from 10pm-2am.
Where:The Golden Spike in Tamaqua
When: October 31, 2009 9pm-1am
Drinks: Black & Tan Pints $1.50 10pm-12am
Prizes and Giveaways and DJ Cheryl Lee
Where: The Wooden Keg in St. Clair
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Specials
Music by Badd Monkee starts at 10PM
Where: Thunder Road in Shenandoah
When: October 30 and 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Buckets 5/$8
Music by DJ Twisted on Friday and Field House on Saturday. Costume Contest Friday and Saturday.
Where: Silver Spoon in Mahanoy City
When: October 31, 2009 4pm-close
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.50 All Day
Giveaways and Prizes
Where: Club 54 in Mahanoy City
When: October 31, 2009 at 9pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.50 10pm-12am
$100 Prize for best costume and giveaways.
Where: Club Paparazzi in Frackville
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Yuengling Specials
Free Buffet, Prizes, and music by the band SYRE
Where: Black Diamond in Frackville
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.75 10pm-12am
Karaoke 9pm-1am and Prizes for Best Costume
Where: McGuire's in Mahanoy City
When: October 31, 2009
Drinks: Black & Tan Pints $1.50 9pm-11pm
$100 Cash Prize for best dressed, Music by DJ ROB, No Cover
Where: RJ's in Shenandoah
When: October 30 and 31, 2009 9pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Buckets 5/$8
Prizes for best costume.
Where: Hambones in St. Clair
When: October 30, 2009
Drinks: Premium Pints $1.00 9pm-11pm
Maximum Karaoke 8pm-1am, $2 Cover ID a MUST, Prizes for best costume
Where: Chicks Cafe in Gordon
When: October 31, 2009 8pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Pints $1.50 9pm-11pm
Prizes for best costume
Where: Sandcastle in St.Clair
When: October 31, 2009 6pm-Close
Drinks: Black & Tan Draft Special
Prize for best costume and Food and Drink Specials
Where: Amberdeens in Frackville
When: October 31, 2009 10pm-1am
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.50 10pm-Midnight
Entertainment and Prizes for best costume
Where: The Wagon Wheel in Ringtown
When: October 30, 2009 9pm
Drinks: Black & Tan Bottles $1.75 10pm-12am
Prize for best costume. Entertainment by Harry and Bill Acoustic
NHS of South Florida Installs Green, Hurricane Ready Home in Four Hours
With a grant from the NeighborWorks Innovations in Factory Built Housing program and assistance from other funding partners, NeighborWorks member NHS of South Florida has completed the first green, hurricane ready Royal Concrete house in Miami. The home is all concrete and can withstand up to a category five hurricane. It is energy efficient with heavy insulation built in, all Energy STAR appliances and a solar water heater. It took took just four hours to install.
Watch this brief, minute and a half video of the installation below. If you have trouble viewing it, go here.
Watch this brief, minute and a half video of the installation below. If you have trouble viewing it, go here.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Reformation & Revival Volume 4 now on-line
The following articles are now available on-line in PDF:
Volume 4.1 - Theme: Spiritual Warfare
John H. Armstrong, "Editor's Introduction," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 9-10.
Tom Austin, "On the Demonisation of Believers," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 11-28.
Waynje A. Detzler, "Myths About Spiritual Warfare," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 29-42.
Chuck Huckaby, "Spiritual Warfare in the Book of Numbers," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 43-56.
Scott Souza, "Is It War, Or Is It Life?" Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 57-68.
Robert H. Lescelius, "Revival and Spiritual Warfare," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 69-84.
Steven Fernandez, "The Deliverance Model of Spirtual Warfare," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 85-114.
Gary Johnson, "A Review Article," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 115-140.
Annotated Bibliography, Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 141-146.
Book Reviews, Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 147-171.
Volume 4.2 - Theme: Holiness
John H. Armstrong, "'What Makes God So Totally Different?'," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 9-13.
William Still, "The Holiness of God and His Redeemed People," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 15-40.
Tom Austin, "The Glory of God," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 41-57.
Douglas Wilson, "Doctrine and Holiness," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 59-62.
Tom Wells, "The Holiness of God and Assurance That I Am a Christian," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 63-71.
Samuel A. Owen, "The Providence of God," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 73-79.
Joel R. Beeke, "Cultivating Holiness," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 81-112.
George M. Bowman, "Trying to Please Men: A Practice Filled with Danger," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 113-123.
Anonymous, "Annotated Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 125-131.
Anonymous, "Book Reviews," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 133-175.
Volume 4.3 - Theme: Revival: The First Great Awakening
John H. Armstrong, "Editor's Introduction," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 9-14.
John F. Thornbury, "Another Look at the First Great Awakening," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 15-23.
Robert H. Lescelius, "The Great Awakening: A Pattern Revival," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 25-38.
Kenneth E. Lawson, "Who Founded Methodism? Wesley's Dependence upon Whitefield in the Eighteenth-Century English Revival," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 39-57.
Tom Wells, "Thinking Critically About Revival," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 59-64.
Michael A.G. Haykin, "Jonathan Edwards and His Legacy," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 65-86.
John K. LaShell, "Jonathan Edwards and the New Sense," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 87-97.
Doreen Moore, "Jonathan Edwards: Ministry and the Life of the Family," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 99-120.
Daniel I. Block, "Reviving God's Covenant with Levi: Reflections on Malachi 2:1-9," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 121-136.
Anonymous, "Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 137-142.
Anonymous, "Article in Review," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 143-165.
Anonymous, "Book Reviews," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 167-196.
Volume 4.4 - Theme: Music
Editor, "Editor's Introduction," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 9-14.
P.J. Janson, "A Reason to Sing," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 15-29.
James Correnti, "In Search of a Good Hymn," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 31-36.
Frank Griffith, "The Role of Singing in the Life and Worship of the Church," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 37-60.
W. Robert Godfrey, "Ancient Praise," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 61-63.
John Mason Hodges, "Beauty Revisited," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 65-78.
Terry Yount, "Musical Taste: The Ultimate Sacrifice?" Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 79-90.
Denis D. Haack, "Having Ears that Hear: A Practical Guide to Discernment in Contemporary Music," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 91-104.
Leonard R. Payton, "Music Technology and Worldliness," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 105-115.
P.J. Janson, "Congregational Singing and Acoustics," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 117-124.
Anonymous, "Annotated Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 125-126.
Anonymous, "Book Reviews," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 127-155.
Anonymous, "Announcement," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 157-158.
Volume 4.1 - Theme: Spiritual Warfare
John H. Armstrong, "Editor's Introduction," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 9-10.
Tom Austin, "On the Demonisation of Believers," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 11-28.
Waynje A. Detzler, "Myths About Spiritual Warfare," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 29-42.
Chuck Huckaby, "Spiritual Warfare in the Book of Numbers," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 43-56.
Scott Souza, "Is It War, Or Is It Life?" Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 57-68.
Robert H. Lescelius, "Revival and Spiritual Warfare," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 69-84.
Steven Fernandez, "The Deliverance Model of Spirtual Warfare," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 85-114.
Gary Johnson, "A Review Article," Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 115-140.
Annotated Bibliography, Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 141-146.
Book Reviews, Reformation & Revival 4.1 (Winter 1995): 147-171.
Volume 4.2 - Theme: Holiness
John H. Armstrong, "'What Makes God So Totally Different?'," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 9-13.
William Still, "The Holiness of God and His Redeemed People," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 15-40.
Tom Austin, "The Glory of God," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 41-57.
Douglas Wilson, "Doctrine and Holiness," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 59-62.
Tom Wells, "The Holiness of God and Assurance That I Am a Christian," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 63-71.
Samuel A. Owen, "The Providence of God," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 73-79.
Joel R. Beeke, "Cultivating Holiness," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 81-112.
George M. Bowman, "Trying to Please Men: A Practice Filled with Danger," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 113-123.
Anonymous, "Annotated Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 125-131.
Anonymous, "Book Reviews," Reformation & Revival 4:2 (Spring 1995): 133-175.
Volume 4.3 - Theme: Revival: The First Great Awakening
John H. Armstrong, "Editor's Introduction," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 9-14.
John F. Thornbury, "Another Look at the First Great Awakening," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 15-23.
Robert H. Lescelius, "The Great Awakening: A Pattern Revival," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 25-38.
Kenneth E. Lawson, "Who Founded Methodism? Wesley's Dependence upon Whitefield in the Eighteenth-Century English Revival," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 39-57.
Tom Wells, "Thinking Critically About Revival," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 59-64.
Michael A.G. Haykin, "Jonathan Edwards and His Legacy," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 65-86.
John K. LaShell, "Jonathan Edwards and the New Sense," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 87-97.
Doreen Moore, "Jonathan Edwards: Ministry and the Life of the Family," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 99-120.
Daniel I. Block, "Reviving God's Covenant with Levi: Reflections on Malachi 2:1-9," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 121-136.
Anonymous, "Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 137-142.
Anonymous, "Article in Review," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 143-165.
Anonymous, "Book Reviews," Reformation & Revival 4:3 (Summer 1995): 167-196.
Volume 4.4 - Theme: Music
Editor, "Editor's Introduction," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 9-14.
P.J. Janson, "A Reason to Sing," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 15-29.
James Correnti, "In Search of a Good Hymn," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 31-36.
Frank Griffith, "The Role of Singing in the Life and Worship of the Church," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 37-60.
W. Robert Godfrey, "Ancient Praise," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 61-63.
John Mason Hodges, "Beauty Revisited," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 65-78.
Terry Yount, "Musical Taste: The Ultimate Sacrifice?" Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 79-90.
Denis D. Haack, "Having Ears that Hear: A Practical Guide to Discernment in Contemporary Music," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 91-104.
Leonard R. Payton, "Music Technology and Worldliness," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 105-115.
P.J. Janson, "Congregational Singing and Acoustics," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 117-124.
Anonymous, "Annotated Bibliography," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 125-126.
Anonymous, "Book Reviews," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 127-155.
Anonymous, "Announcement," Reformation & Revival 4:4 (Fall 1995): 157-158.
Conquering Manaslu on Skis!
Mountain Hardwear has an excellent story on their Hardwear Sessions blog about Guy Willett, a high altitude climbing and skiing guide, who made what could be the first descent of Manaslu on skis back in September.
The 8156 meter (26,758 feet) Manaslu is located in Nepal, roughly 40 miles east of Annapurna. It is the eighth highest peak in the world, and was first climbed back in 1956. It was later skied, at least to some degree, back in 1981, although a complete descent has never been verified, hence the reason Guy's recent drop may be the first.
The story from Mountain Hardwear is written by Guy himself, who offers details on both the climb and the descent. There is good information on the various stages of the climb, and approach to the top, followed by some personal insights on the harrowing descent, which included him avoiding a crevasse in white out conditions. That sounds scary on a rope, and even more so on skis!
It should be noted that Guy was joined by Emma Jack for all but 350 vertical meters of the descent. The team reached the summit of the mountain at 9 AM on Sept. 28th, and were back in BC by 4 PM. If there is one thing to be said for these ski descents, its that they do indeed get you back to base camp in a hurry.
Rare White Lion Cubs!
The West Midlands Safari Park in Worcestershire, UK gave us our first sneak peek at the latest additions to their lion pride today by letting three rare while lion cubs out in public for the first time. The 12-week old cubs frolicked and played with their new pride, and seem to be fitting in very well. There are believed to be just 30 of the rare species in existence, and zoos are actively working on breeding more of the rare cats.
Thanks to the Outside Blog for this one, and they picked it up from TreeHugger.
Thanks to the Outside Blog for this one, and they picked it up from TreeHugger.
Lunar Spelunking!
Spelunkers across the globe have to be a little excited by the news that Japanese scientists have discovered what is believed to be an open lava tube on the surface of the moon, which could potentially offer access to what is believed to be a vast cave system under the lunar crust.
According to this story from National Geographic, this "skylight" could eventually be used as a safe haven for a permanently manned lunar base, providing shelter from the hostile environment above. The cave found underneath would also allow for a cheaper, larger, and more stable living and working environment for explorers sent to the moon.
Finding a hole, such as this one, on the surface of the moon has not been easy, and scientists have searched for a long time. It is the result of a lava tube that was created roughly 3 billion years ago, during a period of violent volcanic activity, on the small planetoid. The opening was discovered after scientists painstakingly examined a number of high resolution images of the moon's surface, sent back to Earth by the Japanese spacecraft Kaguya.
Of course, before a permanent base could be built on the moon, the cave system would have to be explored more fully, which could mean that NASA will soon be in the market for some experienced spelunkers who have yearning to be the first to go underground on the Earth's natural satellite. Sure, they can use space probes and robots to do some of that exploration, but where is the fun in that? Anyone want to visit the moon and go for a little adventure underground?
Google's Brin give $1M to aid immigrants
This is one of the ultimate immigrant success stories in this country. And everyone knows what he has accomplished, since it is happening now. - - Donna Poisl
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin is giving $1 million to the group which helped his family escape anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union 30 years ago.
Brin told The New York Times he is donating the money to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin is giving $1 million to the group which helped his family escape anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union 30 years ago.
Brin told The New York Times he is donating the money to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Making New York 'Immigrant Friendly'
New York City is home to people with more than 170 languages, Mayor Bloomberg knows how important immigrants are to the city and he is encouraging more to come. - - Donna Poisl
by Larry Tung
Elick Bloomberg, a native of Balvan, Russia, moved to the United States before the turn of the 20th century. According to his World War I draft registration card, he settled in Chelsea, Mass., and was employed by Metropolitan Life as an insurance agent.
His experience was shared by tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe at the time. However, it was one of his grandsons, Michael, who gave the family name a household recognition. Mayor Bloomberg is proud of his immigrant heritage in a city where 40 percent of its residents are foreign-born.
"Immigrants are why New York City became America's economic engine," said Bloomberg in a recent press conference where he announced his campaign platform for immigrant communities.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
by Larry Tung
Elick Bloomberg, a native of Balvan, Russia, moved to the United States before the turn of the 20th century. According to his World War I draft registration card, he settled in Chelsea, Mass., and was employed by Metropolitan Life as an insurance agent.
His experience was shared by tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe at the time. However, it was one of his grandsons, Michael, who gave the family name a household recognition. Mayor Bloomberg is proud of his immigrant heritage in a city where 40 percent of its residents are foreign-born.
"Immigrants are why New York City became America's economic engine," said Bloomberg in a recent press conference where he announced his campaign platform for immigrant communities.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Himalaya Fall 2009: Summit Bids Begin on Ama Dablam
I'm jumping back into my blogging duties, as I get back to my normal schedule at last, and I'll start things off by getting caught up on the ongoing events in the Himalaya, where teams are setting the stage for summit bids on Ama Dablam, Pumori, and more.
The IMG Team has updated their blog this morning with news that the climbers have reached Camp 2, and are now in a position to make the push to the summit tomorrow, skipping their stay in C3 altogether. They say the weather remains good, and the conditions on the mountain are excellent as well, but they are making one final alpine style push because of falling ice at Camp 3 in the past. Stay tuned for updates tomorrow, as it looks like they'll be topping out.
Field Touring Alpine has updated their blog as well, reporting that their team arrived on Ama Dablam Base Camp late last week, with the team heading over to Island Peak to make an acclimatization climb. Everyone is reportedly in good spirits, although they have suffered a few bouts of GI, as has been known to happen when traveling in a foreign country, especially at altitude. Look for more updates from FTA soon with news on their progress as well.
The Adventure Consultants are also on Island Peak, and today's dispatch says that they are continuing their trek through the Khumbu, which helps serve as an acclimatization exercise as well. A number of the members of the team are planning on heading up to Everest BC today, which makes for a scenic trek, but they'll find it deserted when they arrive, as it has been a quiet place this Fall.
Switching mountains, we'll jump over to Pumori next, where the Peak Freaks are reporting that lead climber Tim Rippel was hit by a large chunk of ice last night while sleeping in his tent. The ice managed to break several of Tim's ribs, and while the team has elected to carry on, he won't be joining them as they go up the mountain. He has instead been replaced by Norwegian climber Lars Haugen, who will lead the team up to C2 today. They are currently looking to reach the summit as early as tomorrow. Check out the Peak Freaks video below for more information on the mountain and the climb. Good stuff.
Finally, The Peak Freaks aren't the only team on Pumori of course, as the Climb With Us Team continues their efforts as well. The latest news from that bunch includes a blog post by Rock Climber Girl Sara Lingafelter, who gives a personal account of her own issues with dealing with altitude. Unfortunately for her, the altitude caused her to have to back down the mountain and recover from some AMS symptoms. She has since rejoined her team, which is currently in in ABC, and will be heading up to C1 tomorrow. From there, they'll wait to see what the weather conditions look like before beginning their own assault on the summit.
Take your deer camp in the road
Take your deer camp in the road
Parks cater to hunters
Many of us enjoy fall camping – finding that perfect, peaceful spot to watch squirrels scurry through fallen leaves gathering their winter supply of food, or strolling through nature’s beautiful color palette. But there are others among us campers, who use fall camping time to experience deer hunting in other areas of the country – deer camp on wheels.
Now, I grew up in northern Michigan, so deer season was always like an extra holiday for us. Opening day of gun season was a school holiday when I was kid, although that’s changed a little now and it’s an excused absence with a copy of a deer license. It also meant family coming in to hunt, eat, tell stories and hunt some more. My grandma and mom may have liked it more if these hunters had considered taking their hunt to the road with their campers.
Today, there are several parks that welcome the fall hunters. And for those non-hunters who enjoy the fall season and camping out in the brisk weather, there’s still plenty to do at the campground or RV park while the hunters are out.
Here are a few ideas from which to choose:
Parks cater to hunters
Many of us enjoy fall camping – finding that perfect, peaceful spot to watch squirrels scurry through fallen leaves gathering their winter supply of food, or strolling through nature’s beautiful color palette. But there are others among us campers, who use fall camping time to experience deer hunting in other areas of the country – deer camp on wheels.
Now, I grew up in northern Michigan, so deer season was always like an extra holiday for us. Opening day of gun season was a school holiday when I was kid, although that’s changed a little now and it’s an excused absence with a copy of a deer license. It also meant family coming in to hunt, eat, tell stories and hunt some more. My grandma and mom may have liked it more if these hunters had considered taking their hunt to the road with their campers.
Today, there are several parks that welcome the fall hunters. And for those non-hunters who enjoy the fall season and camping out in the brisk weather, there’s still plenty to do at the campground or RV park while the hunters are out.
Here are a few ideas from which to choose:
- McCaslin Mountain Campground, Silver Cliff, Wis. – The 300-acre campground borders the Ncolet National Forest in northeastern, Wis., making it an idea spot for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Trout streams and the nearby Governor Thompson State Park also make it an outdoor haven. In addition, there are nearby ATV and snowmobile trails, as well as hiking and biking trails. And hunters can find guide service for guided deer, bear and turkey hunts. For the times when you are not out and about or hunting during season, the park also offers a game room and mini golf course. The campground offers 80 primitive sites, both wooded and open, and 48 water and electric hookup sites.
- Four Seasons RV Park, Herrin, Ill. – This park offers peaceful, spacious shaded sites, with full hookups. With an abundance of wildlife, the family-owned park welcomes hunters and fishermen. For those times you are back at camp, there is WiFi access available and laundry for the 30 sites.
- Moosehead Family Campground, Greenville, Maine – Located in the heart of Maine’s north woods and just minutes from Moosehead Lake, this campground welcomes hunters, as well as nature lovers who can watch the deer and moose walk freely. Just minutes from Greenville with its golf, public beaches, restaurants and shopping, the campground is nestled in a stand of apple, spruce, fir and pine trees. With 20, 30 and 50-amp sites, RVers are also offered a game room, playground and modem hookup at the camp store.
Reservations are a requirement in today’s camping
Reservations are a requirement in today’s camping
What happened to those first-come, first-serve days for procrastinators like me?
Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, has come and gone. But it wasn’t unnoticed. Although AAA reported fewer people would be traveling for the holiday weekend, the roads we traveled were filled with RVs and campers.
The weather was wonderful for camping, but sometimes if you leave the planning to someone else, it doesn’t get done and then you’re scrambling at the last minute. Earlier this year, we had planned to be in Tennessee camping and partaking in a family reunion. However, a death in the family that brought everyone from around the country together earlier, kept them from making the same trip in September. So, we were going to change our plans.
The problem is, we didn’t get the changes made in time. And, as often as I remind everyone here to make reservations early – we didn’t get ours made. And calling around just days before the holiday weekend left my husband and myself looking at each other knowing that for the first time in years, we had no camp site for Labor Day weekend.
We frantically called around to private and public parks, only to get the same message – no open sites. Finally, we found one, but there was a problem, the only open site couldn’t accommodate our 29-foot travel trailer.
So, you guessed it; we had no place to go. There used to be a time when reservations were considered odd in the RVing and camping sector of the industry. People got out of work on Friday and took off to the nearest or most desirable campground and put up camp. For the most part, those days are gone.
It makes sense that campground owners and operators want to know they have a full park for any weekend, but especially the holiday weekends. But planning too far in advance takes the thrill out of the open road and finding a destination by chance. While that can be done, for the most part, on other weekends throughout the summer, don’t leave the holiday weekends to chance. Learn from my lesson – MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY!
Now here are some campgrounds that take reservations and would love to open their sites to you:
What happened to those first-come, first-serve days for procrastinators like me?
Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, has come and gone. But it wasn’t unnoticed. Although AAA reported fewer people would be traveling for the holiday weekend, the roads we traveled were filled with RVs and campers.
The weather was wonderful for camping, but sometimes if you leave the planning to someone else, it doesn’t get done and then you’re scrambling at the last minute. Earlier this year, we had planned to be in Tennessee camping and partaking in a family reunion. However, a death in the family that brought everyone from around the country together earlier, kept them from making the same trip in September. So, we were going to change our plans.
The problem is, we didn’t get the changes made in time. And, as often as I remind everyone here to make reservations early – we didn’t get ours made. And calling around just days before the holiday weekend left my husband and myself looking at each other knowing that for the first time in years, we had no camp site for Labor Day weekend.
We frantically called around to private and public parks, only to get the same message – no open sites. Finally, we found one, but there was a problem, the only open site couldn’t accommodate our 29-foot travel trailer.
So, you guessed it; we had no place to go. There used to be a time when reservations were considered odd in the RVing and camping sector of the industry. People got out of work on Friday and took off to the nearest or most desirable campground and put up camp. For the most part, those days are gone.
It makes sense that campground owners and operators want to know they have a full park for any weekend, but especially the holiday weekends. But planning too far in advance takes the thrill out of the open road and finding a destination by chance. While that can be done, for the most part, on other weekends throughout the summer, don’t leave the holiday weekends to chance. Learn from my lesson – MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY!
Now here are some campgrounds that take reservations and would love to open their sites to you:
- River Trail Crossing RV Park, Butler, Ohio, is on the Clear Fork Mohican River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The campground offers 44 total sites, from primitive tent sites to full hookup sites with 50-amp service for “big rigs.” Amenities include fishing, biking and hiking, a playground and even the chance to pan for gold in the river.
- My Brother's Place Campground, Houlton, Maine, is just two miles from New Brunswick, Canada. With 80 total sites, guests can stay in tents or RVs, or rent a cabin or 5th-Wheel Travel Trailer. WiFi is also available in the park, along with fishing, hiking and biking trails and nature trails, and swimming in a lake, pond or the ocean.
- Pioneer Trails RV Resort & Campground in Anacortes, Wash., is located among tall evergreens and including an adult spa, sports courts and 60 campsites. There are also six cabins and 24 RV rentals. WiFi is available throughout the resort, as well as a playground, basketball courts, regulation horseshoe pit and covered picnic areas.
- Indian Point RV Resort, Gautier, Miss., is surrounded by the Sioux Bayou that leads to the Escatawpa and Pascagoula rivers, leading to the Gulf of Mexico. There are 100 total sites and 16 cabins for guests without RVs. Amenities include cable TV, Internet access in the park, fishing, mini-golf, a playground and a swimming pool.
DISCOVER OUR DARKSIDE
Don’t be afraid of the dark this fall; embrace the Halloween season with Yuengling! Fall is the perfect season to discover the darker side of the Yuengling portfolio. America’s Oldest Brewery offers two uniquely original dark beers. Yuengling Black & Tan is a pioneer brand that models a traditional English Half & Half. It is the perfect blend of Yuengling Premium Beer and Yuengling Porter that makes up this delicious fall favorite! Yuengling Dark Brewed Porter is an authentic craft-style beer that delivers a rich full-bodied flavor. It is brewed with caramel and dark roasted malts, which makes for a fine brew that pours dark and finishes smooth. Next time you are at your local retailer or your neighborhood pub, give in to the temptation to discover the dark side of America’s Oldest Brewery!Please enjoy Yuengling responsibly this Halloween season.
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