This is Mimbres Man

Happy Trails 2011

2011-12-30T00:20:00.001-04:30

Almost the end of the year. Its been an interesting one. Hope to make it back to the USA in early 2012. Though I like Venezuela, I really don't want to be here any more. Got to move forward.

My biggest deal in 2011 has been the birth of my son in January. He is growing fast and is a great little guy.

He's expressive...

and casually cool!

*****

Looking forward to 2012!

Pandion haliaetus

2011-12-18T22:32:00.000-04:30

This osprey (Pandion haliaetus) has been hanging out lately. According to Wikipedia, the osprey here in South America are non-breeding migrants.

So I guess he is just here for vacation.
Link: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

Clouds on the Sea

2011-12-06T11:11:00.001-04:30

Always when I ride my bike, I try and take time to really appreciate where I am. Now carrying a camera all the time, gives me the opportunity to try and capture some of the things I see and experience when riding. Yesterday I was doing usual ride, and noticed the cloud reflections on the sea. I thought that was pretty cool.

Shadow and Light

2011-11-18T13:01:00.001-04:30

Was walking my son this morning when we walked past this. It stopped me in my tracks and had to go back and take a few photos. I like the contrasting shapes in light and shadow is somewhat of a brain-teaser.

Coragyps atratus brasiliensis

2011-11-16T10:37:00.001-04:30

a.k.a. zamuro (Venezuela) or black vulture (USA). Not as big as its cousin the turkey vulture, these are quite common on El Morro here in Anzoategui, Venezuela. Their wings are also shorter and broader than turkey vulture, therefore they don't soar as gracefully as a TV; there is a lot more flapping of wings and more perching.

Saw these guys at my usual spot on El Morro while mountain biking this morning.

Happy Nigel Tufnel Day 11/11/11

2011-11-11T10:39:00.001-04:30

Classic!

Isla Borracha

2011-11-08T13:22:00.000-04:30

In 2000, I had been in Venezuela for about two weeks when I took my first trip to Puerto la Cruz. It is when I first saw Isla Borracha looking like this; late afternoon shadows highlighting the valleys, drainages, and sea-cliffs. Very striking in my opinion.

About 2 blocks from our condo, I took this the other day while walking Benjamin.
(click on the pic to make it larger)

Nova no va!

2011-11-03T14:36:00.002-04:30

This is a common sight here. These guys will rebuild the car on the street.

Lecheria Bike Path

2011-11-03T11:45:00.000-04:30

Shot from the hip while walking Benjamin.

El Morro Fun

2011-11-02T16:07:00.002-04:30

Did a fun bicycle ride this morning. Rode to the top of El Morro via "La Pared" ("The Wall"), which is very steep as the name implies. I rode to this ridgeline and paused for a few minutes. This is a SE view from El Morro.

Lecheria and its high-rise condos. The long coastline is mostly Playa Lido (our condo is one block off of Playa Lido), and the beach on the other side of the causeway is Playa Muerta (named because it doesn't get much wave action).

Cathartes aura

2011-10-31T10:11:00.000-04:30

Nice turkey vulture, Cathartes aura, this morning. Not sure if these are permanent residents of El Morro or migrating transients. I see them all the time when riding my bike.

Gymnomystax mexicanus

2011-10-29T09:17:00.000-04:30

Saw this oriole blackbird, Gymnomystax mexicanus, at Parque Gen. Francisco Miranda (formerly called Parque de Este) in Caracas yesterday.

Be Happy

2011-10-29T00:11:00.001-04:30

Back in Caracas and back at SAIME trying to solve my visa mess. No progress yet, but made progress on Benjamin's VE passport. Took a few pics this afternoon. My favorite is this one. Saw this statue while riding in a taxi. It is of Gen. Francico Miranda and his base is saying, "Be Happy" and "Infinite Love". Nice message from the generalissimo.

Be Happy!

My Family

2011-10-24T22:43:00.001-04:30

I love my wife and son!

Baby Blanco is Back

2011-10-09T22:21:00.002-04:30

I bought Baby Blanco new for about $7000 cash in Nov. of 2003. She's been a great car and she is the car I've owned the longest. Recently I spent of bit of money getting her fixed; brakes, clutch adjustment, new ignition wires/tune-up, etc. Shortly after that, she stopped working due to an electrical failure of some kind. I took it to a battery place and the guy said it was a bad alternator, so not wanting to spend more money I let her sit for about 6 weeks.

Finally, yesterday, I had contacted a one of our old ELA families who has an electric auto shop. They came over with a technician and he determined it was simply a bad battery. Doh! We got her started, drove it to the shop where they tested the electrical system (okay), and put in a new battery, cleaned the cables, etc.

So now Baby Blanco is running great! We've ridden in a lot of taxis over the weeks and some have been really uncomfortable. I find Baby Blanco, as basic as she is, a very comfortable car. No weird vibrations, fairly smooth ride (for a car in its class) and kind of peppy (fun).

She's a little rough around the edges.

Ride Pic of the Day

2011-10-08T22:44:00.000-04:30

Ride pic of the day: assessing the morning's catch.

Pelecanus occidentalis

2011-10-08T14:09:00.001-04:30

These are brown pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis, which were shadowing a couple of fishing boats in Bahia Barcelona. Though they don't look like it, these guys are some of the most graceful birds in the sky!

Icterus nigrogularis

2011-10-07T14:24:00.000-04:30

South American yellow oriole Icterus nigrogularis seen on this morning's ride.

Garro!

2011-10-07T00:13:00.001-04:30

Team Mutant founder.

photo credit: Team Mutant (circa 1988)

Coconino master builder

The Mockingbird and The Ship

2011-10-05T13:40:00.000-04:30

Took this pic yesterday when riding. Cropped it, and it turned out okay.

Leucippus fallax richmondi

2011-10-04T14:33:00.000-04:30

On my morning ride came across this little buffy hummingbird, Leucippus fallax richmondi, just sitting on this bush. I was able to get a bit closer and get a decent shot (considering the camera).

Utility Riding

2011-09-23T09:37:00.000-04:30

Car needs a new alternator or something so I've been using the bike more for utility riding. Fun stuff!

Sicalis flaveola

2011-09-17T21:22:00.002-04:30

These birds, the saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola), are very common. I see them all the time and always want to get a photo of one. Saw a mating pair as I rode today. They were picking gravel and stayed fairly close to the trail and I was able to get a few shots. Was wishing I had the G11 instead of my usual SD1200IS.

Torre America

2011-09-11T20:49:00.000-04:30

Torre America in Caracas.

Signs and Lettering around Caracas

2011-09-08T10:18:00.001-04:30

Caracas had its heyday in the 60s and 70s. Its architecture and sign lettering reflect this period. Its all very interesting.

Caracas Hell

2011-09-05T14:17:00.008-04:30

Inspectoria de Servicios, is where I was ordered to report too on Monday morning (this morning) or I'd be in trouble.

Go back 5 years, when I was issued a Venezuela residency visa. I thought I was a lucky guy. No worries for 5 years. The visa got me in and out of the country without problem. So when it was set to expire on Sept. 20, I figured I better get a new one.

Tania and I went to the SAIME office in Puerto la Cruz, did the proper application, left my passports (old and new) and after 5 days, went back expecting things would be okay. Turns out things were NOT okay. Turns out the visa which Quality Schools International (QSI) got me was bogus, a fake, fraudulent. So now I am on the Venezuelan government's radar and was told that I better be honest and in Caracas on September 5 or I'd be in trouble.

Before Benjamin, travel to Caracas was no big deal...now with Benjamin, everything is a big deal. We decided to go by bus to Caracas. After an air conditioning failure in the first bus, then switching the second bus, Benjamin did pretty good the first 3 hours of the trip. The second 3 hours were not so good. Its hard enough for an adult to keep their patience on a long bus ride...but Benjamin wasn't whiney, but he was not comfortable.

After a night in a decent hotel, we make our way to the proper SAIME building in Caracas. A Hollywood set-designer couldn't think of anything more hellish. An 8 story government office building with no working elevators. Plenty of security and red-shirted workers everywhere. Tania, insisting on wearing heels this morning, up the stairs, carried the front of the stroller, while I controlled the back part while Benjamin was still seated. The office we needed was on the 3rd floor, but the stairwell we chose goes from the bottom floor, to the 2nd floor, to the 5th floor. We didn't know this until we got to the 5th floor, asked someone there, and had to use a second stairwell to go back down to the 3rd floor to find the proper office.

Glock cutaway view

The 3rd floor office door was barred, but there was a little barred window off to the side and Tania showed the document we got from the SAIME office in Puerto la Cruz. We were let inside to the waiting room/foyer kind of place and it is truly bizarre! On one end is a red wall that says "Chain of Command" (in Spanish). Arranged in a descending diagonal is a photo of the president of Venezuela, then the minister of interior, and finally the vice minister, and there was a long broad sword as part of this arrangement. That was a strange wall, but the most weird was the "art" on the walls of this waiting room; near the door leading into the interior office was small plaque of a map of Lebanon, the kind you'd buy at a tourist shop. Then on that same wall were 2 framed posters of cut-away views of a Glock automatic handgun. I looked behind me and there was a framed poster for Beretta handguns, but with patches of the branches of the US armed forces; US Navy, US Marines, US Army, US Air Force, and US Coast Guard. It was really strange because the United States is the sworn enemy of President Hugo Chavez. I wanted to take pics of all this, really thought about it, even got my camera out (hidden from view) and was going to try to take a few, but then decided I better not. I put the camera away.

Tania talked to the guy...of course the documents from Puerto la Cruz hadn't gotten there, and they told us to come back Wednesday or Thursday...and here I was expecting to be detained and put on a plane back to the USA today. Pffft! These guys can't even catch an illegal alien when he walks through their door!

Tropidurus hispidus

2011-09-02T20:42:00.003-04:30

On my birthday bike ride this morning. Saw this little guy catching some sun. My friend Gunnar Berg did a web-search and identified it as a Tropidurus hispidus also known as a "lava lizard". This is the closest I've ever been allowed to get to one. Very cool!

Riding in Big Bend National Park, Texas; 1997 & 1998

2011-09-01T12:58:00.001-04:30

Back in 1997, 1998, and 1999 for Christmas and New Years, I toured the Big Bend region solo. In 1997 I went out of desperation and sadness, 1998 I went for jubilation, and 1999 I went for Y2K. Big Bend is one of my favorite spots in the world and these trips confirmed that. I have a special bond with the place. I haven't been there in post 9-11 America and I'm sure its changed some.

Today we were cleaning out the file cabinet, purging old papers that didn't need to be in there any more and I came across these photos. I took these on my 1998 trip, a completion of the 1997 trip.

I took a similar pic in 1997 at the Black Gap road junction and I wanted to repeat to see how I changed in one year. In 1997 I was still mourning the death of my dad and failure of my business. I was fed up with everyone in my family, especially after a fiasco during the Thankgiving holiday, so when I got my Christmas break (I was teaching again) I drove the 6 hours to Silver City, still had the key to my brother's house, so I got in and got my camping gear stored there, made a sandwich, got a Coke, and left without seeing anyone.

It was cold; a arctic cold front had settled in the Southwest and I was still in my mucks when I left Silver City. I didn't take off my cold weather gear until I got to Las Cruces. Its a 12 hour drive from Silver City to Terlingua and I got there right when Desert Sports was closing. My friend Mike Long was surprised to see me and invited me for Christmas dinner (it was Dec. 24) with his parents. They were full-time RVers and we drove down to Lajitas and 7 people were crammed into a 5th wheel travel trailer. It was cozy but really good!

The next day, Christmas day, I headed to the park. I got to the visitor's center 5 minutes before closing (at 12:00 noon) and got my back country permits, loaded my bike with gear and took off. Each day was something different. Riding was cold. It was spitting snow a lot, and I did not have a tent to hunker down in. All I had was a bivy sac and my sleeping bag. Anyway I met all sorts of characters and people in the desert. It was really therapeutic and I feel I was healed of my funk while riding my bike.

On the last day, I rode up the Black Gap road to get back to the VC and my car. When riding up the Black Gap road, it kept climbing and getting into more and more remote country. I starting thinking of "The Heart of Darkness". This thought just kept coming to me and I kind of started freaking a bit. Finally I reached a pass made a turn and got off the Black Gap road and headed back to the highway where I could ride to the VC.

When I got back to Desert Sports, I told Mike of my trip. I told him about "The Heart of Darkness" and his jaw just dropped. He said something like, "Boy if there's anyone who needs to live down here, its you! You're tuned into this place. That is exactly was we call that place, "The Heart of Darkness". Trippy!

I finished up that 1997 trip across the border in Mexico where I camped and in the morning met a little girl named Marina and her little sister Serina. In 1998, I met them again, took them Christmas gifts in my panniers and was invited to stay with the family for a couple of days and nights. It was really neat. They heated their home with a tiny stove made from car rims. They were proud they had running water.

My First Attempt at Rock Balancing

2011-08-16T08:18:00.001-04:30

...Or in my case, rock stacking. I finally met the artist (or one of them) that builds the rock towers at El Morro. I was riding yesterday and decided to pause and try one myself. Not exactly what I had in mind, but my riding companion was supervising (interfering).

My next attempt will be more balancing-like instead of stacking-like.

Treads

2011-08-13T22:43:00.001-04:30

Back in the day, there were so few mountain bikers, we could track each others movements by our tread because all had favorites (still do). I still like looking at tread on the ground.

Benjamin takes a stand

2011-08-11T13:15:00.000-04:30

Benjamin has taught himself how to stand the last two days. He is able to pull himself up and hold on to the rails of his corral. Crazy!

Jupiter

2011-08-02T22:42:00.000-04:30

Last night I was up late and happened to look out the window and saw a planet. I hardly ever look at the night sky here, because 1.) I live is a city with lots lights. 2.) I spend more time indoors 3.) it is usually cloudy. Anyway I went to the first bedroom where I have a Celestron reflecting telescope and checked it out. Turned out to be Jupiter with its bands of clouds and Galilean moons all in a row. Very cool!

Unfortunately I couldn't get my Canon SD1200 to take decent picture of what I was seeing through the eyepiece and this is the one of the "better" shots. Jupiter is over exposed, but the moons show up nicely. You get the general idea.

I miss the dry desert air! Great for viewing the sky...

Tour Divide 2011: The Gila to Antelope Wells Recap

2011-06-29T11:45:00.005-04:30

My recap...(I originally posted this as a comment on a friend's blog).

It was a great finish! The Gila my home turf, and I can imagine what these guys experienced riding through there. Matthew Lee, 5-time winner and race director/creator, says New Mexico is the most beautiful and the toughest part of the race. I'd have to agree with him.

The western part of New Mexico is sparsely populated and there are not many places to resupply. We are talking places like El Rito (pop. ~1100), Abiquiu (pop. ~1,300), Cuba (pop. ~550), Milan/Grants (pop. ~11,200), Pie Town (pop. ~190), Pinos Altos (pop. <100), Silver City [my hometown] (pop. ~10,500), and Hatchita (pop. ~90). It you combined the population of those places, you might come up with 25,000 people. Only Grants and Silver City have 24 hour services.

The Gila is very tough territory. Hilly forest, but hot and dry. This year there was a reroute after the North Star road (Beaverhead to the Mimbres) that takes the riders up the Continental Divide Trail from Sapillio Creek to Meadow Creek (climbing all along a ridge). From Meadow Creek, riders took a USFS road that climbs to the NM 15. NM 15 is mostly downhill, but there is a steep climb into the village of Pinos Altos. After P.A. is a climb over the continental divide then a 1000 ft drop in 6 miles to Silver City. Apparently Kurt and Jefe both ran out of water and food on the CDT and they were able to make to Pinos Altos where they recharged at the icecream parlor.

From Silver City there is about 15 miles of pavement of US 90 to the Separ Rd. The Separ Road is the last section of dirt of the TD route. This road is notorious with sand traps and washboard sections. It has claimed more than one rider over the years and this year it was Jefe who lost. One of his fork-mounted waterbottle cages broke and fell into his front wheel breaking two spokes and causing a flat. It probably set him back at least an hour.

Kurt rolled into Antelope Wells around 5:00 AM according to his call-in. I am estimating Jefe rolled in about 8:00 AM, so it was close. Definitely the closest finish that I can recall.

Big hats off to all the riders who started and to those who finish.

Again, big thanks to Matthew Lee!

Just Riding Along

2011-06-29T00:02:00.004-04:30

Today I did a good ride despite my creaking bottom bracket. Kind of the same as putting electrical tape over a warning light, the sound of crushing gravel masks the creaking noise. Taking the Merlin to the shop tomorrow.

From a new section of "La Falla" trail. This section goes along the rim for ways and gives a pretty good view.

Had a pinch flat shortly afterwards. I knew I had too little air in the rear tire.

I was riding on a flat section and evaluating my position on the bike (I do that still) and thought this would make a neat photo. In my left hand in the camera case. Also I've discovered that same thing that ranchers have; long sleeves keep you cooler.

Finally, lately I've been wrapping up my rides at Panino's bakery where I get a post-ride coffee and breakfast pastry. Today's pastry was a 'cachito', which is a bread roll with ham and cheese baked inside. Cheap! About a $1.00 USD.

Tour Divide 2011: One for the Books

2011-06-26T09:42:00.000-04:30

What a finish! Kurt Refsnider took advantage of the rolling hills on US 90 south of Silver City to overtake single-speeder Jefe Branham and once they hit the true desert there are no more hills, and its just motoring. Kurt rolled into Antelope Wells at about 6:00 AM MDT. Jefe is about 30 minutes out as of 7:45 MDT.
Northbound rider Paul Attalla is closing in on Banff and should finish sometime this morning.
What a finish for these guys! Congrats to all finishers!
The Tour Divide is a great event! Big thanks should go to Matthew Lee as the director/organizer.

Tour Divide 2011

2011-06-10T14:12:00.000-04:30

Best cycling event of the year started this morning; the Tour Divide! Over 100 participants started. The majority left from Banff, Alberta, Canada, but new for this year, was an Antelope Wells, New Mexico start with about 20 starting there. Doing the route from south to north is suppose to be more challenging. I see there might be an advantage of possibly less snow by the time a rider reaches Montana and Canada. The Antelope Wells group will have to deal with heat and smoke from the Horseshoe 2 fire and the out of control Wallow fire just across the Arizona border. Good luck riders!

Fire on the Mountain

2011-06-09T10:29:00.000-04:30

The Wallow fire is still 0% contained. I am conjuring up the ghost of Jerry to help out.

Hooray Silver City

2011-06-08T21:05:00.001-04:30

Video made to promote the downtown merchants of my little hometown. I am really liking this vid. Enjoy!

Fire Season

2011-06-08T09:36:00.000-04:30

My home territory is on fire! The Wallow fire in eastern Arizona is burning out of control. This is in my hometown's backyard. Just last summer, my brother-in-law and I spent a few days in that exact area camping and trout fishing on Big Lake. Awesome territory.

The smoke is billowing out across New Mexico as seen in the latest satellite image. My friends in Albuquerque are restricting their outdoor activities due to the smoke. At least two planes were diverted from the Albuquerque Sunport yesterday.

It is still early in the fire season, still no significant rainfall, so things don't look good.

Merlins

2011-05-27T15:12:00.007-04:30

Back in the day, I rode with a good group of guys from Albuquerque. We were all in our late 20s to early 30s and we were passionate about mountain biking. We pushed our bikes to the limit and we broke them. Finally one of us got a Merlin and that changed everything. Soon, all of us were riding them.

Merlins in their prime were hard to beat. Beautiful, light, strong, and fun to ride.

As far as I know, all of us still have each of ours; Jim's is now SS with its original steel fork and sits mostly in his shed in Corrales. He has since moved on to an Ibis Mojo SL.

John's is also reborn as an SS and a Russian Ti fork is presently running around the streets and hills of Salida, CO.

Mike's is still configured with its original stuff; rigid Ritchey steel fork and 3 x 8 gearing but it sits in his garage in Albuquerque because he is now riding a custom 29er SS. .

Mine is with me here in Venezuela as my prime bike and currently configured as a 1 x 9 with a carbon fiber fork. It will probably go back to SS mode when it moves back to NM later in the year since I will have the Litespeed and Rocky Mountain as geared bikes.

Technology and innovation plows ahead, but original Merlins will always be considered the ultimate to me. Classic!

Erythrodiplax berenice

2011-05-23T10:37:00.002-04:30

Yesterday I did one the most enjoyable bikes rides in a while. I rode with a friend who is the science teacher at another international school in Barcelona, VE. We were both working in the Gallup, NM area at the same time, but never crossed paths that I can recall.

Anyway, as science teachers, we had a lot to talk about and share when riding. I showed him some trails he wasn't familiar with. We stopped at several places along the ride including at a point overlooking the sea and watched wave phenomenon from above (100 meters up) and related it to our classroom lessons.

The highlight of the ride was near the end when encountered thousands of dragonflies. I've been riding the El Morro area for about 10 years and had never witnessed an emergence of dragonflies. I was curious about them. I kept thinking about a water source where the nymphs would live. There were no freshwater sources in the area, so my only conclusion was the sea. These must be marine dragonflies, so that's what I Googled ("marine dragonfly") and I came up with Erythrodiplax berenice. Good match! The specimens flying around yesterday looked very much like the gold and black variety shown in the the photo and link. Very cool!

Mountain biking gives me the opportunity to get to places to observe nature when I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise. I enjoy the challenge of singletrack climbs and descents, and the social aspect of it is a bonus.

Surreal Ride

2011-05-21T23:30:00.001-04:30

Had a very surreal moment on the bike today...short section of single track, a tiny lizard runs for its life getting out of the way of my front wheel, seconds later a small bird zooms in low from behind and passes diagonally in front of my wheel about pedal high, then insects were buzzing leaving visible curvy streaks in their wake. Went back a few minutes later in the opposite direction and their was a iridescent green lizard in the middle of the trail.

This is why I like mountain biking...you never know what you're going to see or experience.

Gamera: the flying turtle

2011-05-14T22:51:00.002-04:30

I like things that fly; birds, planes, helicopters, and rockets. I also like bicycles and human powered vehicles. The students at the University of Maryland made a human powered helicopter that actually got off the ground. Congratulations to them! I think this is a really cool project. Even though flight is theoretically impossible with a human powered helicopter, the Gamera did get off the ground for a few seconds.

When watching the students work on this, via their live stream video, I kept thinking of two things; bumble bees, and JFK's famous "We do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard" speech at Rice University.

They'll be attempting to win the Sikorsky Prize in the fall.

Cycling Solidarity

2011-05-05T13:00:00.000-04:30

A fellow cyclist needs help.

NO!

2011-05-04T10:20:00.001-04:30

This morning I officially said NO to a ridiculous contract offer to teach at El Tigre next year.
Time to move forward! Yeehaw!

The Sewer Canal

2011-05-03T21:58:00.001-04:30

Had a three-day weekend which was nice. I got out on my bicycle on Sunday and Monday. Both days I really enjoyed the ride. Monday's ride was particularly fun. We have a limited number of trails to ride in our area, so when I saw some guy on a bike the other day riding a single track along a sewage canal, I had to go check it out. Yes, it was smelly, and unpleasant, but it was a new single track trail...that headed straight into the sketchy-est barrio in Lecheria. I probably would have been okay riding through the barrio, but I decided to cut it short and took a safe route back into the primary residential area I was in. I rode back to the panaderia to buy some breakfast.

Took this photo when riding at El Morro that morning.

The Tour of the Gila!

2011-04-29T14:58:00.001-04:30

The SRAM Tour of the Gila is going on right now in my hometown of Silver City, NM. Weather looks like its been great and riders seem to be enjoying themselves (if you can call that kind of suffering enjoyment [yes you can!]). Here is a video of co-director/friend, Jack Brennan, talking about what it takes to make the race happen. Yeehaw Jack and Michelle (Geels...the other co-director/friend).

This Job is Killing Me

2011-04-28T15:56:00.001-04:30

I'm coughing again...another respiratory infection. I am blaming the apartment that the school provides for me. I never had any kind of lung problems until I moved into that place three years ago. Now Benjamin is experiencing the same thing. He is hacking and coughing. The pediatrician says it is not a cold but an allergy. He recommended that we take him to an allergy specialist ASAP.

Damn this place!

Posting Again

2011-04-25T22:06:00.001-04:30

January 13 was my last post before this one. I stopped for a couple of reasons. 1.) Facebook sucking up my "creative" expressive energy. 2.) Benjamin Eldon was born on January 22. Though he's a good, happy and healthy baby, he's still a lot work in the care and feeding of him. In fact I just had him sleeping on my shoulder for nearly 30 minutes listening to Neil Young and when I tried to put him down, he'd wake up and get all wiggly and squirmy.

He's grown a lot in the 3 months he's been around. He's a good boy!

Other changes in my life is I got a "departure letter" back in November or so from QSI, my employer, so I will no longer be a teacher for them. I am not really sad about it, just wondering what's next. I was never interviewed for QSI, I was grandfathered into their system when they bought ELA in 2004. I never really got used to their way of doing things and I got burned out and complacent working for them, and I'm surprised I lasted as long as I have. Probably will try to take a year off of teaching before diving into it again. I have some other projects to work on. I currently have zero debt and money in the bank so we are doing fairly okay...better than a lot of people these days. I think...

Thunderbird or Big Bird?

2011-01-13T22:42:00.003-04:30

In the summer of 2008 I was on a short bicycle tour in Missouri with a couple of friends. We were riding the Katy Trail, a railroad bed converted to a bike path with state park status. We rode along the Katy for 2 days and 2 nights, (on the 3^rd day we caught the train in Hermann, MO).

On day 1, we rode from Clinton, MO to just beyond Rocheport, MO. (You can look up the route on Google maps by putting in Clinton, MO to Hermann, MO and hitting the bike route option.) By the time we got to Boonville on the Missouri River the sun was setting. We crossed the river at Boonville and pressed on to Rocheport where we had camping reservations.

We were on the north side of the Missouri R., riding along the path. I was riding faster than my friends because I was on my old Univega touring bike and I didn’t have the gear ratios of the other guys. I had to find a gear and just go with it, so eventually I got about a ½ mile or so a head of my buddies.

It was getting to be dusk, light fading, and I saw a large bird perched on a telephone pole about 100 yards ahead. I kept looking at the bird because I think eagles and raptors are cool. Its a rare treat to see an eagle , I hadn't seen one since leaving the Navajo Indian Reservation in 2000, plus this bird appeared to be very large; bigger than the average golden eagle. I would estimate the bird was at least 4 ft tall, maybe even 5 ft. As I pedaled I kept looking at it because it looked massive from where I was. I got about 50 yards from it and it took off flying toward the bluffs to the north. The wings were enormous! I’d estimate a wing span of greater than 10 feet. It was a really big bird! I watched it fly north towards the bluffs, where it disappeared into the shadows. I slowed down and let my friends catch up and told them about the huge eagle I had just seen.

Anyway, I kind of forgot about this encounter until last year. Here on the History Channel, they have a show called “Monster Quest” and there is an episode about the Thunderbird. It seems most recent “sightings” have been in the Ohio valley, central Illinois, and Missouri areas. That surprised me.

The skeptic/science guy in me says it was just a normal eagle and I overestimated its stature. The fantasy part of me wants to believe.

Once I encountered what I truly believe was a skinwalker (a Navajo shape-shifter) between Crownpoint and Borrego Pass. I hadn’t thought much about the bird, but to me, it seemed abnormally large for a golden eagle.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T20:55:00.000-04:30

Haven't been posting much of late. Not much to post about. Just been waiting for Benjamin (our pending kid) and then while on vacation, getting things done around the apartment (I love my little condo). There is always something to fix. Tonight we had a impromptu New Year's party. We went downstairs to have a BBQ with Tania's cousins, and ended up entertaining a couple of other apartments as well. I met some new people, got to practice my Spanish, and generally enjoyed the fun.

I've decide we are moving back to the USA this year. After an evening like this, it makes it difficult, and I know the USA is difficult right now, but I feel I can make a difference so I am going for it.

Once in a Lifetime...

2010-12-22T00:29:00.005-04:30

A link from Adventure Cycling on Facebook got me reminiscing. Lately I've been encouraging my senior students to go out and have some kind of epic adventure early in their lives. Anyway, in my recollecting of my 1981 Mexico to Canada Bikecentenial (now called Adventure Cycling) adventure, I remembered this photographer guy, Art Wolfe, who helped me when my Suntour freewheel exploded on Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park. It was early morning, we had to get up to the pass before 10:00 AM or the NP sweep wagon would take us off the road, to our starting point. Apparently this guy Wolfe was out chasing the morning light, but he stopped and offered help because I was basically dead in the water. My riding companions took off, continuing up the road, where I had to stash my bike off the road, and hid it behind a fallen log out of sight of vehicles, hoping a grizzly bear would not find my food stash in the panniers. Mr. Wolfe and I stuffed my rear wheel among large format cameras and tripods into the crammed Porsche 924. Art took me back to Whitefish, I fixed my bike, he got his car fixed (a wobbly shift lever) and he went for a swim in Whitefish Lake. Eventually he drove me back to my bike when the road reopened to cycling after 5:00 PM. I had put a new axle on the bike which turned out slightly too long or I had misaligned it or something and I had to hacksaw about 3 or 4 mm off one end. Mr. Wolfe had a 1/2 of a hacksaw blade in his car and I eventually trimmed the axle with that primitive tool. Now it was about 6:00 PM and he took off leaving me alone. I pedaled alone up the highway. Beautiful scenery, awesome ride. I made to the Canadian border via the Chief Mountain highway at midnight, where I kept thinking I was going to run into a grizzly in the middle of the road. I crossed the border in the morning and caught up with my group in time for breakfast...pancakes if I remember correctly.

I remember where I was...

2010-12-09T00:01:00.000-04:30

I was a free 20-year old on an adventure. It was the late afternoon and I was driving my vintage open top Jeep down I-84 in southern Idaho heading towards Salt Lake City. It was intensely cold without a heater or top (I lost the top in a roll-over 3 days before). I had installed an AM radio which I rarely used, but to take my mind off the severe cold, I had it on. Through the tinny speakers about three or four John Lennon songs played without interruption which I thought was a little unusual, when the DJ came on announcing that John Lennon had been shot and killed at his condo in New York City. Hunkered down behind the windshield, trying to stay out of the wind, I think I felt the same way I did when John Belushi died a year or so earlier...I was disappointed, sad, and a little angry. I pondered this as I headed south. I was too young to remember the assassination of JFK, but I knew this would be one of those significant events in modern history.

A Trip to the Scheduled Launch STS-133

2010-11-08T21:03:00.004-04:30

My sister has a friend who works in External Affairs at the Johnson Space Center who was able to get us three VIP passes to the scheduled launch of STS-133, the space shuttle Discovery. We were to watch from Banana Creek, some 3 1/2 miles from launch pad 39A. The only way to be any closer is if you were part of a rescue team sitting in an APC a half mile from the launch pad.

Despite the shuttle still sitting on launch pad 39A as I type, it was still a great trip.

It was Air Force Week at Cocoa Beach so we went to the airshow. Saw several demonstrations including a F-15E (the baddest F-15 there is).

And a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet. Both jets were badass, but the F/A-18 was super bad.

On Halloween night we went to a party hosted by Michael Coats, director of the Johnson Space Center.

There I got to meet a few astronauts including Mike Good (STS-125, the last Hubble repair mission, and STS-132).

Plus I got to visit with Nicko McBrain, drummer for the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He was funny.

On to the KSC we drove around the VAB (vehicle assembly building) and had a photo op outside. This pic was taken from inside the bus, hence the glare. I liked this angle better than the photo op they gave us. Last time I was there (1978) my brother and I got to go inside the building, but that was during the transition between the Saturn rockets and the space shuttle system.

Mobile launch pad for the space shuttle. (Endeavor will use this one on its last launch next spring.)

Launch pad 39A and there sits STS-133. (taken through the bus's window)

This pic was taken from the bus as we drove around launch complex 39A.

The orbiter is hidden away behind that gray room-like thing. It is swung away prior to fueling and launch.

My sister and brother-in-law

And as far as I know, STS-133 still sits on the launch pad having missed its launch window, plus finding a crack in its ET (external fuel tank). Launch has been rescheduled for November 30.

Views from the Castle

2010-10-24T22:14:00.001-04:30

Just messing with the G11 and learning how it works.

There is a small fort on El Morro that everyone calls "the castle". It is maintained by the city of Lecheria and is rented out for various functions. One of our bicycle routes zooms right past it so I stopped today with some friends and took a few from that vantage point.

Waiting for a Load of Oil

Lone Cyclist

Bahia Barcelona

Condos Across the Bay

La Falla Fun

2010-10-24T21:56:00.001-04:30

Got out on the bike this morning. I rode a lap of El Morro and then worked my way up to La Falla (an area on El Morro). I had to fix my Pauls chainguide and once I figured that out I did one lap of the course (1km) and then took some pics. I got a few that I liked.

Pedro always a good subject.

Alfredo and Eduardo climbing to the start/finish

Some guy I don't know his name. On a new Kona full suspension bike.

The guys at the start/finish area.

Hot Lap

2010-10-10T12:35:00.000-04:30

Negro and Pedro do a hot lap.

Today's Ride

2010-10-09T12:30:00.000-04:30

Got out this morning for a little while. Took my new Canon G-11 to try and get a few action shots.

Fabricio's shot turned out the best.

Pedro is always a good subject. I used a fill flash, so I got some reflection from his Bell helmet logo.

Things That Fly: the Delta Dart

2010-09-30T22:10:00.000-04:30

Delta Dart

I have an after school club with a few students and its called "Things That Fly". Right now we are building Delta Darts. I built one beforehand so I'd know where the technical parts of the build are (mostly the cutting of balsa wood) and to motivate the students.

This afternoon I wound up the rubberband a couple of hundred twists and let her fly!

climbing

turning

easily clearing the basketball court covering

It climbed to altitude, higher than the basketball court covering (about 8 meters/25 feet).

saved by the tree

Thought I lost it on the roof but it came gliding down and got snagged in a tree where I recovered it.

my assistant

landing

recovery

It took a few more flights after that. Good fun!

The Golf Course

2010-09-27T14:33:00.000-04:30

Last night, while waiting for election results to be announced, I had a dream....

I was on a golf course. I climbed a hill and looked to my left and looked at the fairway. The grass was yellow and dying, and scattered with weeds. Suddenly I am in the clubhouse where I recognize a man. He is the golf pro. He is older than I last remembered him and more haggard looking. I ask him point-blank if he likes this communism stuff. He peers out the window to the yellow golf course, looks down at the floor and walks out of the room.

I woke up (at 3:40 AM) thinking about the Venezuelan National Assembly elections.

Like golf or not, golf courses are works of art. Each one is unique. They take design and planning. They require work and constant maintenance. Without it, golf courses die…much like a building or a country. I believe my dream was a metaphor for what has happened to Venezuela. Countries are can be like golf courses too. They require work and constant maintenance. Without that, they die.

The opposition candidates won 52% of the popular vote yesterday, but they hold only 40% of the seats. That is because of illegal gerrymandering by the government. Hopefully this will be enough to stop Chavez from taking Venezuela down the path of communism. This ruling party no longer has 2/3 majority in the legislative body. The downside is, Chavez still has until January 1 before the new assembly takes their seats and this may be plenty of time for him to implement some of his most evil plans.

Chavez has not said a single thing on TV or radio that I know of. He knows he’s been caught red handed. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for him.

A Journey Through Rural Eastern Venezuela

2010-09-26T09:41:00.000-04:30

Had to attend a teacher's workshop at ISM in Maturin. A few the better pics from a rapidly moving Chevrolet van showing some of the stuff you'll see along the way.

I love this country for all its rural funkiness.

old man and the market

PDVSA facility

oil worker commuting by bike


casabe (cassava bread) drying

coastal range

waiting for the bus

The Dirtbombs

2010-09-21T00:27:00.000-04:30

These guys have been a recent discovery of mine since the whole youtube revolution. They rock! This some kind of documentary on their website.

An Extremely Small World

2010-09-19T19:49:00.001-04:30

So I head out for a bike ride this morning and do my usual route; up El Cerro, up La Falla, past Punto Caribe, down El Fausto, then bomb down The Rails. As I was descending The Rails, I caught the glimpse of a pair of bicycles below heading to the northern end of El Morro. Down on the main route, I also head north (part of my original plan anyway) and intercept the cyclists. One bike is pulling a Trail-a-Bike with a little girl. The captain, is wearing a K-TAOS T-shirt. I cautiously come around them and ask in English if they are from New Mexico. Startled and surprised the dad say yes. They were "mainly from Gallup" and we had several mutual friends including my best bud, Steinar. They are new to the area, a teaching couple working at the international school in Barcelona. It also turns out we were living in the Gallup area at the same time and never crossed paths that I can recall. Trippy!

The Facebook Wars

2010-09-16T00:26:00.006-04:30

I've been defriended by two people now on facebook.

The first was, Fred, a friend from New Mexico, who came to Venezuela a couple of times. He stayed with me and my wife for a few days on his first visit. He liked it here so much and liked the revolutionary process of Hugo Chavez, he decided to move to Venezuela for a few months. Tania and I visited him on Margarita Island when he settled in on his second stay. We had an okay visit, but we obviously weren't on the same page when it came to Hugo Chavez.

Facebook came about and this guy was one of my first "friends". I was still learning the ropes and etiquette of the whole facebook-thing when I started contradicting what he was posting about the positives of Hugo Chavez. My friend, an artist, was/is extremely leftist in his views. It was probably rude on my part and perhaps not my place to go to his "wall" and post negative comments when he wanted to paint rainbows and butterflies about this so-called revolution. He defriended me. We had been friends for only about 2 weeks. That might be some kind of facebook record.

Disenchanted with the whole fb nonsense, I turned it off for a while until one of my Venezuelan friends ran into me and said he was trying to send me something on facebook but my account was not turned on. I pondered that for a few days and decided, okay, I'll give it another shot.

On my second time at fb, it has become a time-suck for me. I spend too much time on it and it has taken away from this...my blog. I like my blog. I feel this blog is me...kind of weird and eclectic. A collection of my random thoughts, but kind of centered around the mountain bike cultures. That's my brain...

On this second gig at facebook, my friends list has expanded greatly. Facebook has been great in getting to know and reconnect with family I haven't seen in 30 or more years. It has been great in getting to know family members (children of my cousins) I've never met. One of my friends was my 1st cousin, Tommy.

Tommy and I have always had a good relationship. We are basically the same age, we always had similar interests and therefore liked each other when his mom and dad brought them out to New Mexico or if we went to Louisiana. Anyway, like I said, it was great getting to reconnect with him. We shared a lot of stories and such.

One thing we didn't share was our political view. He a "conservative/libertarian", me a "left-of-center/liberal-light/libertarian-light/anarchist-light"...really I am not really sure...but its not with his views, nor is it with Hugo Chavez's bullshit. Got to be somewhere in the middle I suppose.

Tommy didn't like me posting "political" stuff on my facebook page. What???? Apparently he just wanted rainbows and butterflies too. Don't we live in a free society?...These Tea-Party types are sounding more and more like Hugo Chavez and shooting the messenger. He would make long, long replies to my fb posts that I would skim over. I could see his point, but it wasn't necessary. I feel I am an intelligent guy and can make my own decisions...good or bad.

The last piece I put up that broke the camel's back was an article published in Psychology Today about how liberals are more intelligent than conservatives. I posted it because it made sense to me. Not because I think I'm more intelligent than my conservative friends, but I think my liberal friends are more intelligent than my conservative friends. Maybe its my bias, but the most intelligent people (I am referring to I.Q.) I've met have been more left in their thinking (don't get me wrong, I do have conservative friends that I find intelligent and we have great conversations, but politically we don't see things the same way). I didn't explain that when I posted that Psych Today piece, I just posted it without comment. My cousin blew a gasket on it and defriended me. Oh well. I kind of laughed that day. I still do laugh about the absurdity of it. And this is the reason I haven't been back to Louisiana since 1996 and probably won't go back. My upbringing and experiences have brought me to another place. Louisiana will always be part of who I am. I look in the mirror and its hard to deny those Cajun roots, but I don't think like that part of my family and I'm glad.

So, I've been defriended by both ends of the political thinking spectrum.

Moving Pictures o Los Autos de Caracas

2010-09-14T14:32:00.000-04:30

Found this on The Caracas Chronicles.

Moving Pictures o Los Autos de Caracas (1/4) from Chris Moore on Vimeo.

A Song for the president and the Party in Power

2010-09-11T11:01:00.001-04:30

Elections are coming up on Sept 26. The president is in higher than normal bullshit mode. I 'll let Mose Allison (one of my favorite musicians) tell you what I think of him and his candidates for the AN.

Mimbres Man Gila Five-O cycling shirt

2010-09-08T23:09:00.003-04:30

This was my original idea for Mimbres Man. A cycling shirt for casual cycling. This shirt was probably 15 years ahead of its time. I designed and produced them in 1995 to 1997. Made in California. Pulled from retirement, I still love this shirt both in form and function.

The Gila Five-O in one of its many functions...

Details:

Classic design, 100% cotton from a domestic (USA) manufacture (same supplier of authentic Aloha shirts), coconut buttons

Rear pocket for cycling things (sunglasses, wallet, etc.)

Logo on sleeve

Manufacturer's (me) label

(this one was a second)

Ride The Divide; The New Mexico Premier

2010-09-05T19:43:00.001-04:30

Ride The Divide, the award-winning feature-length documentary about the world’s toughest mountain bike race, continues its debut tour when it makes its New Mexico premiere on Tuesday, October 12 at the Silco Theatre in Silver City. The film chronicles the story of several mountain bikers who attempt the 2,711-mile race named the Tour Divide along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains, ending at the Mexican border after passing through Silver City. The movie was named the Best Adventure Film at this year’s Vail Film Festival.

Ride The Divide embraces the inspiring stories of three of the racers who experience the immense mountain beauty and small-town culture as they attempt to pedal from Banff, Canada, to a small, dusty crossing on the Mexican border. There’s Mike, a 40-year-old family man who uses this challenge to chart a new course in life; Matthew, a leader in extreme endurance racing who’s competing for his fifth time; and Mary, the ﬁrst female rider to race this route. As they set out, they will attempt to accomplish what very few have been able to. Over the course of a few weeks, they’ll attempt to climb over 200,000 vertical feet along the backbone of the Rocky Mountains.

They’ll experience mental breakdowns, treacherous snow, hellacious blisters, and total fatigue. Above all, they’ll race with no support – at times in total isolation. The tests of endurance and the accomplished moments throughout Ride the Divide prompt us to reﬂect on our inner desires to live life to the fullest.

Ride The Divide made its debut at the Vail Film Festival and was named the best adventure film at the event. Outside Magazine proclaimed that “(t)he toughest bike race in the world is not in France,” after reviewing the film.

Ride The Divide will be shown at 7:30 p.m. at the Silco Theater in Silver City. Tickets are $10 and will be made available in advance about a month prior to the show. Gila Hike & Bike is the presenting sponsor and will have advance ticket information when announced.

Media contact: Garry Harrington 603-209-5010 gharrington3165@hotmail.com

Virgin del Valle

2010-09-04T15:56:00.001-04:30

It is time for this year's Virgin del Valle festival. I am not catholic, but this happens on the beach in front of my condo, it is kind of cool. I don't know the whole story but the Virgin del Valle is the protector of the local fishermen.

My first year in Lecheria, the Virgin statue was just adobe mud. Each year in preparation for the festival, they improve the statue. She is a work in progress.

There are actually two statues, a big one...

And a little one.

Its My Birthday

2010-09-02T13:54:00.001-04:30

Guess which one.

The Best Part of One of my Favorite Movies of 2009

2010-09-02T11:58:00.004-04:30

Mr. Fox: [in a cellar with many of the other animal characters] Allright, let's start planning. Who knows shorthand?

[Linda raises her hand]

Mr. Fox: Great! Linda! Lutra lutra - you got some dry paper?

[she holds up some paper]

Mr. Fox: Here we go. Mole! Talpa europea! What d'you got?

Mole: I can see in the dark.

Mr. Fox: That's incredible! We can use that! Linda?

Linda Otter: Got it.

Mr. Fox: Rabbit! Oryctolagus cuniculus!

Rabbit: I'm fast.

Mr. Fox: You bet you are. Linda?

Linda Otter: Got it.

Mr. Fox: Beaver! Castor fiber!

Beaver: I can chew through wood.

Mr. Fox: Amazing! Linda!

Linda Otter: Got it.

Mr. Fox: Badger! Meles meles!

Badger: Demolitions expert.

Mr. Fox: What? Since when?

Saturday Skimboarding

2010-08-31T15:20:00.002-04:30

Was on the beach in front of my condo on Saturday and watched these boys skimboard. Simple fun.

School has Started

2010-08-30T21:58:00.000-04:30

Off to another school year. Its gonna be a good one, I can feel it. Been finding and listening to a lot of music lately to help my mood and creativity. My friend Barry found this Leningrad Cowboys cover of Uriah Heep's "Easy Livin'". Awesome!

About to Leap

2010-08-08T21:35:00.001-04:30

Did a great ride today with Daniel. We went about 22 miles.

Daniel is about to head off to Ukraine to work at one of our sister schools. He and I have become good friends over the past few years. His mother, Sally, was my adopted mom. Big changes for all of us when she passed away last summer.
Anyway, best wishes for Daniel and his family! I know he will do great!

Daniel on the edge of South America

Riding with Daniel

2010-08-07T13:37:00.001-04:30

Daniel is heading off to greener pastures Kiev, Ukraine. It was good to get out with him. We dinked around El Morro and saw a few interesting things.

Visibility was good. No haze, so we could see Isla Cachicamo (Armadillo Island). My favorite island in the local archipelago.

Daniel comes down the trail.

Nice grass on the bluff.

A burrowing owl out in the daytime.

DEVO

2010-08-02T13:41:00.000-04:30

I remember seeing this live on SNL. It changed everything I thought about music.

The Rooster

2010-08-01T21:58:00.001-04:30

Tania and I went to the Puerto la Cruz central market to buy a duck (to eventually eat). As Tania was negotiating and deciding, I pulled out my SD1200IS and took a few pics of this rooster. I considered him a very beautiful and regal looking bird.

I Fought the Car and the Car Won

2010-07-26T20:24:00.001-04:30

I must have ESP or something...today after riding offroad, I decided to do a little urban riding to just have more saddle time. While riding suddenly a thought popped into my head about my helmet. It is several seasons old and I probably should have replaced it this past summer. I was thinking, about my helmet and its job, etc. I kept riding.

I was also thinking about breakfast. I was hungry. I was thinking about riding to a Zuliano empanada stand (empanadas are Venezuelan pastries that are stuffed with all sorts of stuff, i.e., dried fish, ham and cheese, ground beef, shredded beef, cheese, etc. Zulia is a state in Venezuela which is like Texas. Everything is different in Zulia...even the empanadas.)

Anyway on the way to the empanada place, I had to ride in traffic. A small car passed me, then swerved into the curb towards me, trying to go around a car. I banged on the car's window but that made things worse. I hooked my handlebar under the door handle of the car and the car gave me a judo flip. I hit the pavement rolling, my beloved Merlin bouncing on the pavement with me. I immediately got up, mostly pride that was hurt. I skinned my right knee/shin pretty good, have some kind of lump on my lower left shin, skinned my knuckles where my half-finger gloves exposed the skin, and a must of bruised a rib. I was shaking a bit.

Damage to my bike was minimal. My handlebar/stem was a bit out of alignment from the fork and a broken drive-side spoke so I had a wobbly wheel on the way home. No damage to the carbon fiber fork or handlebar as far as I've looked.

I apologized to the driver for being overly aggressive, and that I had broke her door handle. (I should have braked and not been so aggressive/assertive, but that's how I ride on the road.) I feel bad for that. Law in Venezuela favors me, the cyclist, so I think she was happy to get away with a broken door handle.

Ultimately I could have been mangled worse, especially if I had been thrown under the wheels of a truck. I was lucky this time.

Be careful out there.

My Hometown

2010-07-24T22:53:00.002-04:30

I am back in Venezuela with my wife which is good. I was going through some photos this evening what I took while in the USA. I came across this photo which is somewhat interesting to me.

...mainly because of where I live now. I find this photo interesting because of the vacancy of the scene. The photo does not capture the sounds, but behind me is the Javalina coffee house where they were having a slam poetry/open mike night, so there was interesting sounds and voices emanating from there. Across the street at Isaac's was karaoke night, so there were people sing off-key in there. The Harley Davidson owner was probably next door to my left in the Buffalo Bar, but I don't know for sure. The VW van belongs to the slam poetry coach. My hometown is an interesting little place. Its always been that way. I liked growing up there and going back is always enjoyable. I miss it.

Albuquerque Pedi-Cab Guy

2010-07-17T20:32:00.001-04:30

Andrew, the Albuquerque Pedi-Cab guy.

Friday night Albuquerque...

Basal-Cell Carcinoma (skin cancer)

2010-07-14T12:59:00.002-04:30

When we got off the river the other day and drove up to Cliff Dweller's restaurant, I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was shocked and surprised to see the little mole-thingy under my left eye was bleeding.

I walked into my hometown dermatologist this morning and he diagnosed it as a basal-cell carcinoma (a.k.a. skin cancer). He removed it by using a local anesthetic, digging it out, then zapping the roots of it with an electric needle, then covered with a band-aide.

Hopefully this will be it. Just got a long-sleeve cycling jersey (which I used on the river), and will use more sunscreen on my face.

Wear a hat and sunscreen!

Lee's Ferry with the Garros

2010-07-14T02:31:00.002-04:30

Took a great 3-day/3-night trip up the Colorado River from Lee's Ferry (AZ) with the Garros. Amazing beauty in the landscape, the fish, the fishing, the paddling, the food, and the company. Great fun!

The Route

Denise assembles the Long Haul Mark II (amazing boat!)

Denise and Steve fishing. Steve caught (and released) over 30 trout. We kept only the trout which were injured (gill mouth, swallowed hook, etc.)

Camp 1 at 6-mile. The U.S. Park Service only allows camping at designated places.

Incredible lunch on Day 2 at Lunch Lady beach (7 1/2 mile)

Fresh guacamole

Fresh trout fillets sauteed with onions

Where is Anthony Bourdain?

Fresh Mexican rice

Tasty trout gordita: fresh trout sauteed in onions, fresh guacamole, fresh Mexican rice, habanero hot sauce, on a small flour tortilla. Best food ever! We drank a big portion of our Tecate supply at this lunch stop.

When ferrying across (a paddling technique) a riffle, I miscalculated, came up short, and was still in the riffle (barely) and had to get out of my kayak. In doing so, I rolled the kayak and my camera got wet so no pics until it started working again the next morning. Here is a test shot.

Barry in the canyon. FISH-ON!

Camera stayed stowed, so no pics until the end. Denise breaking down the Long Haul, and we are drinking beer.

Camp 3 was away from the river in an area of big rocks. Incredible night sky! I've never seen the Milky Way quite so bright.

Incredible trip! Just want to say thanks to Steve, Denise, and Barry for the great experience.

Garro

2010-07-09T23:47:00.000-04:30

Garro is a badass...and he builds badass bicycles. Took this pic of him today and it pretty much captures his attitude.

Road Tripping

2010-07-09T11:38:00.000-04:30

Finally got out of Silver City and on the road. First stop was Black Canyon City, AZ to see my friend Mike. Mike and I laugh a lot when we are together.

Traditional stop one, Javalina Crossing where we had a couple of beers before going off to eat ribs.

Ribs.

Nice CJ-2A (being towed by a tractor)

On to Flagstaff and the Garros. Steve makes some of the finest bicycle frames on the planet. Hours of meticulous work goes into making a single frame.

At Steve's I made myself a smoked trout burrito! Very tasty. Fresh ingredients...homemade salsas, organic red onions, avocados, and the trout had been out of the Colorado river for less than 6 hours.

Did a great bike ride with Gullo. Dusty due to horses.

More to come.

My Sister's Class Reunion

2010-07-05T01:24:00.001-04:30

My little sister organized her 30th high school class reunion. It was a huge success!

I crashed the party Saturday (she told me I could) to see some old friends. I hadn't seen "A" in 30 years. She was very funny!

My sister is great!

Independence Day Ride

2010-07-05T01:07:00.003-04:30

Me and my friend, Kyle, from San Angelo, TX, rode the "Extreme South" trail and the "CDT South"on July 4. It was a blast!

We did about 20 miles total. Scenic and fun!

Happy Independence Day!

Gila Proven

2010-07-04T02:52:00.000-04:30

An Internet friend showed up today, Kyle from Texas, to ride mountain bikes in the Gila. Great to meet him face to face finally. Great guy and he rides a nice custom Coconino!

I took him on a introductory ride of the Gila and I think he's seen the light!

The Buffalo Soldier

2010-06-30T12:06:00.003-04:30

The Buffalo Soldier...

...probably the most incredible racing bike on the planet.

It has taken Matthew Lee to at least two Tour Divide victories...
(correction: The 2009 bike was aluminum and the 2010 bike is carbon fiber...2 different bikes)

...and I rode it across town yesterday to deliver it to his motel room. Yeehaw!

Matthew Lee wins the 2010 Tour Divide

2010-06-30T00:45:00.001-04:30

Had a surreal night last night with the Border Patrol hitting the lights and questioning me in the middle of the boot heel of New Mexico.

Matthew motors across the desert.

Matthew Lee wraps up and wins his fifth Tour Divide race. He reached the border at 1:10 AM on Tuesday, 29 June.

Congratulations Matthew!

Oil Slick From 40,000 ft

2010-06-28T02:06:00.000-04:30

I flew from CCS to IAH last Tuesday. As we approached the TX/LA region of the gulf, I started looking down and this is what I saw.

Note: I've tweeked the contrast on these photos for the oil spill to be more visible.

737 at 40,000 ft.

A line of oil stretching out on the sea.

Several blobs of oil...

Orange booms to corral the oil as it approaches the coast. The plane was descending into Houston at this point.

Some of the wetlands on the LA/TX border area vulnerable to the spill.

First Gila Ride of 2010

2010-06-27T23:04:00.001-04:30

Back in the USA for a month and did my first Gila ride today. I had planned on doing the CDT [Continental Divide Trail] South, but ended up veering off at the actual continental divide and heading up Eighty Mountain...mainly because I didn't want to miss breakfast with my mom.

This is the start of the dirt climb. The Berg trail was a pirate trail built by one of our local mtn bikers in the early 90s. Now it is part of the Gomez Peak trail system and it connects with CDT. Smells like tobacco probably due to the large amounts of mountain mahogany in the area.

North and south slopes are big deals in the Southwest. South facing slopes will be dry and deserty, where as the north slopes will be more lush. Heading up the NE flank of Eighty Mountain with thickets of oak.

Views to the northwest looking towards the Mogollon range in the far distance. In the foreground is some wild area which isn't easily accessible anymore but used to explore in my CJ-5 when I was a teenager and later in the early 90s by mountain bike.

Switchback near the top of the Eighty Mountain loop trail. I was able to clean this whole section of trail, but walked the switchback, mainly because I figured it was a good spot for a photo. I suffered on the climb due to the altitude. Living at sea-level, now riding at 7,000 ft.

A rocky section before the real rocky, steep, and technical section. The Litespeed performed well. My technical skills on stuff like this are a bit rusty, but I did pretty good. I stopped about 10 meters from the end (I didn't know the end of the rocky section was only 10 meters more) to rest my forearms. Getting soft in the old age...but in my defense it was really technical rocky stuff and hard to get restarted on once stopped.

Good ride...it'll get better as I acclimate.

Uberbike; 2009 Rocky Mountain Vertex Team RSL

2010-06-04T00:32:00.000-04:30

I bought this frame yesterday. I bought it used from a friend, a Rocky Mountain aficionado. This deal has been in the works for about a year. It is a limited production, Rocky Mountain Vertex Team edition RSL. Super light at 1.25 kilos (2.75 lbs), but made of super strong 40-ton carbonfiber. It was his "spare" RSL frame. He had bought both the Vertex 70 RSL and the Vertex Team RSL, built them both and decided he liked the 70 better (lower modulus carbonfiber gives a gentler ride).

This bike will be my first carbonfiber mountain bike. I am sold on the strength and ride characteristics of carbon, having been riding a carbon fork on the Merlin for about a year now. The fork completely changed the ride of the Merlin. It improved everything about it.

It will be built with a XT drivetrain, XT wheels, SID Team fork, Avid BB7 brakes, and other goodies. XT isn't the lightest, but its bomber.

BTW, I still haven't bought a brand-new out-of-the-box bicycle since 1992 when I bought my Bridgestone.

R.I.P. Dennis

2010-05-30T19:04:00.004-04:30

Somewhere in New Mexico

I don't know much about Dennis Hopper other than I've enjoyed the characters he created on-screen. His creative masterpiece is probably Easy Rider (just learned there is a new version coming out which I think should be against the law) where he directed, acted, and edited the film. I also know that Mr. Hopper was fond of New Mexico. That's cool too.

One of more disturbing and memorable characters, Frank in Blue Velvet. (Dean Stockwell is good in this scene as well.)

R.I.P. Dennis!

The Water Tank

2010-05-24T23:22:00.005-04:30

Venezuela does not have reliable fresh water supplies. The infrastructure is in a such a state of disrepair, that there is probably a 40% loss through leakage. Condominiums will have large underground water tanks and pumps to serve the building's residents, but even that is sketchy at times. Therefore, years ago, Tania and I bought a large 120 L plastic trash barrel to store water in. This is the way we always had an emergency stash on hand.

We carried our plastic water container from our rental to our purchased home in 2007. Late 2009 and early 2010 has been a year of drought, and there has been daily water rationing for about 6 months. This means the water in our building is turned on only from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon to 2:00 PM, and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. As a result, we've had to plan all our water-based activities and chores during these times, i.e., take showers, get loads of laundry washed, wash the dishes, etc. Sometimes a shower means using a bucket of water and a sponge. I've never liked bucket showers. I started using a bicycle waterbottle to brush my teeth...same way I do when I go bicycle camping.

About three months ago, Tania and I looked into the possibility of an auxiliary water tank for our condo. I had seen these systems in a friend's apartment in Caracas, so I knew they existed. We started researching and found a complete system; 520 L tank, base, float valve, and a 1/2 HP pump at our local mega-hardware store. Eureka!

We debated for a week or two, wondering if we could afford it, and if we actually needed it. Finally, frustrated from taking a bucket shower after a bicycle ride one Saturday I decided I was going to spend the money and buy one. There were only three left, so we bought the system and it was delivered where it sat un-installed for another month.

We finally got the system installed about two weeks ago and boy howdy is it great! We now have water and water pressure, including hot water, on demand during the hours when the building's water is turned off. We open and close the appropriate valves, flip the power switch, and listo! Water as normal!

I Hardly Knew Ya Rocky!

2010-05-09T19:39:00.004-04:30

I sold my 2008 Rocky Mountain Vertex Team to a friend a couple of months back. Problem was, the bike was in New Mexico, and we are in Venezuela. Well I went up to New Mexico last weekend for personal reasons, and brought back the bike.

I acquired the frame and fork,on a whim last year, for a good price from the RM sales rep in Vancouver, and actually only rode the it 3 or 4 times last summer, before it went into storage, so I was never really attached to it. To build it, I bought a set of wheels for it (nice American Classics), a Race Face crank, Cane Creek Aheadset, and some Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes. The rest of the parts came from my Litespeed after its extensive overhaul last summer, so it was built fairly cheaply.

Yesterday and today, I got to ride it on trails that I can do in my sleep and focus on the bike instead of the trail. Conclusion...super sweet bike! Climbs like a goat, descends straight and true, corners wonderfully, and is one of the most perfectly balanced mountain bikes I've ridden. The scandium frame smooths out the bumps and vibrations. Definitely a sweet bike!

Riding with a friend this morning who also has a Team issue.

This bike will eventually end up in Kiev, Ukraine where my friend has taken a teaching job at one of our sister schools. I hope it gets a lot of use there. It is a huge improvement on the POS bike he was riding. Everyone deserves to ride a good bicycle.

Now I want to retrofit disc brakes on the Litespeed and Merlin!

Update: I have a line on a 2009 carbonfiber Vertex Team! Yes!

Home for a Few Days: Tour of the Gila, Stage 4

2010-05-04T23:14:00.001-04:30

I missed stage 3 due to a doctor's appointment, but stage 4 is the Downtown Criterium! The big spectator day! Always loads of fun.

Started the day by taking my mom and Ed (my mother's husband) to breakfast. We all ordered the same thing...New Mexico style red chile huevos rancheros. Tasty!

The downtown criterium has always been part of the Tour of the Gila. One year the race directors caved to the pressure of the downtown business people and moved the crit onto the campus of WNMU, but it was a spectator flop and I guess the downtown merchants realized the amount of walk-in business during the race outweighed the normal car traffic business on a Saturday.

That said, the downtown course is quite simple. It is a rectangular course of left hand turns. It starts by going north on a slight uphill on Bullard St, Silver City's main street, then into Turn 1, a left hand onto College Avenue which is also a slight climb. It turns left again, south, onto Cooper Street at the public library, where it is a steeper climb still to 6th street where it crests, then bombs downhill to Market Street, only to climb again to the Grant County Courthouse and turns left again, east, onto a long downhill down Broadway. The racers finally hit turn four at 40+ mph, a 90-degree turn north back onto Bullard and up to the start/finish line to complete the 1 mile circuit.

Let the race spectating begin! I tried to get creative with my little Canon SD-1200IS point-n-shoot camera. I got off a few interesting pics. Most of these are unaltered except a couple have been cropped. I got some interest effects happening just by panning the camera as I took the picture.

I got some interesting pics. Here are my favorites...

Tune-Town in the Cat 4-5 race.

Approaching the Start/Finish line.

Into Turn 1.

Little Shop of Horrors

Charlotte, of El Paso, TX, looking on.

A view of the Pros/Cat1 from David's porch.

A rad shot of the Pro/Cat1 from the roof of the Vacuum Cleaner Center.

The Pro/Cat1 zoom past.

1 more lap.

Crit racing is fun!

Ghost Bike for Dan Potts

2010-05-04T22:24:00.000-04:30

Dan Potts was a friend of mine. He was a long time cyclist, older than me, but we'd ridden together off and on for about 20 years. He had just retired from his job at the power company and was out on his bicycle on a spring day in 1999 when he was struck from behind and killed by a minivan driven by a distracted mother. Tragic.

The Duke City Wheelmen erected the ghost bike on Thursday afternoon, in honor and memory of Dan. Present at the dedication was his wife Lucy, and a hand full of friends and supporters.

Stage 3 of the Tour of the Gila is named his honor; the Dan Potts Tyrone Time Trial.

Home for a Few Days: Tour of the Gila, Stage 2

2010-05-04T21:51:00.003-04:30

Showed up at the start of Stage 2 of the Tour of the Gila and my luck would have it, I was walking past the Mellow Johnny's (Team Radio Shack) RV just as Levi, Lance, and Jason came out to check their bikes.

Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong's long time team manager. Actually I didn't know who this guy was until my sister, who is a huge Lance fan, told me.

Details of Lance's bike. A long-time friend, a guy who I grew up with, had the responsibility of signing the UPS delivery tag for Lance's three bikes. Two were insured at over $10,000, and the third bike (the TT bike?) was insured at over $30,000.

Lance came out of the RV to tweek the seat of his bike and this is when I said, "Hey Lance...You and I rode together in one of your first races as a pro...down in Lajitas, TX" His reply, "...That is the place where they have a goat as the mayor." That was about all I could get out him, but I guess that's pretty good for a non-reporter.

I rode with my friend Lonnie in Support 2 where we followed the lead break-away in the Cat 2 race giving them wheels if needed. Lonnie and I used to be THE big dog mountain bikers in town. We had a real friendly rivalry for several years. Now both middle-aged, we enjoyed watching the race from the inside of a Toyota as we talked about the good old days of mountain biking, and the time we did the Tour of the Gila as Cat 4s twenty years ago, like a couple of geezers...

Most of my pics from Supp 2 are the rear ends of the cyclists...not very appealing. I did manage one decent shot that I was able to crop and get something I liked. This is the break-away group heading down the Mimbres River valley with a dust obscured Cooke's Peak in the background.

The race finished where it began 79 miles later. I saw many friends including Amber and little mellow Kyra waiting for Amber's husband and Kyra's dad, Nathan, racing in the Cat 3 race. I mentored Nathan when he was 13 years old in mountain biking.

It was an extremely windy stage, but it was great to be back in Silver City and watch it happen.

Home for a Few Days: Post #1

2010-05-03T23:27:00.001-04:30

Some pics from my quick trip to New Mexico. These are CCS to IAH.

X-ray scanner at CCS

737-400 coach section

Over Grand Cayman Island (note the how the clouds are the same outline as the island)

You Know You Have a Crooked Mechanic When...

2010-04-22T14:50:00.001-04:30

One day you take the car in to the mechanic you've been using for years for a tune-up, e.g., new plugs, wires, fuel filter, and clean the injectors. After a few thousand kilometers, the car runs terrible. Dissatisfied on the mechanic's work, you go and find a better one...an honest one (impossible?). By word-of-mouth we learned about "Chivo". I told my wife to take the car there to get it road worthy again. Besides having a real diagnostic computer, he seems to be an honest guy. This is what he found in our car's engine from our last "tune-up".

Three of the four spark plugs are of different manufacture. Unbelievable!