Thunderbird or Big Bird?

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.

Inukshuk?

On Sunday's ride I found another monument. This one was small, about 1/2 meter tall.
I don't know what to call them. A friend from Canada suggested to call them "Inukshuk" even though these are found 10 degrees north of the equator instead of 70 degrees north. I like them whatever they are and appreciate whomever is making them.

"Navel of the Universe: this place and Easter Island"

Sliding back into Silver City, the Navel of the Universe. This place is such a surreal place. Growing up here, you kind of take things for granted but when you grow up and move away, see other parts of the world, you realized how unique of place it really is. Sure, places like Sedona, Durango, and Santa Fe get all the press, but the Gila is the true Navel of the Universe...this place and Easter Island.

Yesterday did a euphoric ride on the trail system on the north side of Gomez Peak and then finished up by riding back into town via the Continental Divide Trail "South". Its really an interesting thing to straddle the continental divide. For portions of the ride we are on the Pacific drainage and on other parts of the ride were are on the Atlantic side. I've done these trails dozens of times, but I've never gotten tired or bored of them. They are so fun to ride. (sorry no pics right now...waiting for a new camera.) Total distance ridden was about 25 miles with 15 of it on genuine single track!!! Nice!

Today I milled around town on my trusty Univega Gran Turismo (1981). This is the bicycle I rode from Mexico to Canada in 1981. It is still a great riding bike. In the afternoon I ended up at Dave's were we walked down to the brew-pub and quaffed 3 pints each. I.P.A....aaaaaah! Tasty!

Dave, the Swami.

More later...

Helmet Forensics

Since Oscar was riding solo, we've been trying to piece his ride together. Today we were looking at his helmet. He can't remember if he was wearing it or not, but my wife said he walked into the apartment with it in his hand, so He had it with him.

Last summer I brought him down two helmets; a Bell Venture (what I wear) and a Bell BMX/downhill full-face. He prefers the full-face style wise, and that is what he had with him.

This is all speculation, but looking at the forensic evidence, it looks like he was wearing the helmet, and I am glad it was the full-face.

1.) Looks like the point of impact was right on the face-guard. He probably would have broken/lost some teeth (happened to me once) if he hit face first with a regular helmet. The helmet saved his face.

2.) There are also chips on the top left of the helmet, so it looks like momentum carried him over in a somersault and he hit the top of his head too.

3.) There are some scratches barely visible inside the helmet. The polystyrene did not break, therefore did not dissipate the the impact's energy. The semi-hard shell, took the brunt of the punishment.

4.) Looking at these impact marks, looks like his brain was sloshing around in his skull pretty good. Probably the first impact, the brain's frontal lobe hit the front of the skull, the second impact probably just sloshed things around a bit more.

I will replace this helmet when I return from the USA in July. He also wants some body armor. He got a few scratches on his right leg and right arm.

Coincidence or Something Else?

On Friday I got word that my grandmother had died. I wasn't surprised. I had been preparing myself mentally for this for a while.

Around 3:00 local time I got a phone call from my sister giving me the news. I asked what time did Grandmother die? About 11:45 MST. That puts it at 2:15 Venezuela Standard Time.

I asked for the time of death because I wanted to see if there was some kind of "message" from my grandmother.

Do you know what I was doing at that exact moment of 2:15? A few minutes before 2:15, I was showing my 5th and 6th grade science class a PowerPoint presentation on weathering and erosion. Around 2:13, I opened the file on my laptop from Christmas 2007 because there were some photos of the Mississippi River in there and I wanted them to see the meandering features of the river. BTW, I was watching the clock because the students were scheduled to go back to their regular classroom at 2:15.

We never got to those photos, instead, as I was scrolling through the photos, my students, mostly girls, saw the icon pictures of my grandmother and asked who it was. I stopped and opened the pictures and we looked at my grandmother for a few minutes. I told them she was 101 years old. They were in awe.

We then looked at photos of the rest of my family that I had taken that Christmas morning in 2007; my mom when she was crying because she opened a gift she wanted, my younger sister who made the phone call to me, my mom's husband who was close to my grandmother. It was all connected somewhat.

The little girls in my class were amazed looking at my grandmother. I'd like to think it is because my grandmother was always one of them, a sophisticated little girl deep inside.

I guess scientifically/psychologically you could say, I've been preoccupied with my grandmother's condition, I opened the file subconsciously. Or was it something else? Was it a way of my grandmother contacting me, giving me her final send off? I am not sure, but I'd like to think so.

This is the third time weird stuff like this has happened when a family member died. At least two mysterious things; almost unexplainable things associated with my dad's death, and now this.

I try to think of myself as a science person. Things that are explained supernaturally are written off as pseudo-science. Perhaps...or perhaps we haven't found a way of measuring certain things (energies??) yet. I want to believe in String Theory and how everything is connected. I would like to think we are all connected and that the connections between family members is greater since we share DNA.

I've experienced some really strange things in my life...way more strange that looking photos at a certain time. That being said...I am going to believe that my grandmother was sending me her final good-bye to me though the eyes of my 10-year old girl students.