Warm day, cold paddle

Yesterday was warm--very warm. The air temperature topped out at 76 degrees. Yesterday was also windy--very windy. The peak gust measured at the Harrison Street crib was 50 knots.



Yesterday, in other words, was an interesting day to paddle on Lake Michigan.

Alec looks back before paddling past the "dolphins."Yes, that's what those pilings are called!

The water off North Avenue Beach was calm because of a jetty and the shape of the land, and the stretch south to Navy Pier was similarly protected (meaning the wave height didn't correlate with the wind speed). The water was bumpy, and we could see gusts on the water before they hit us. It was one of those days when you put into practice what you've read about paddling into the wind. If your casual sightseeing speed is about 3 knots but the wind is reducing that to 1.5 knots, then cranking up your effort to a 4.5-knot pace will effectively cut in half the time it takes to get to your destination. Talk about a good trade-off.After we passed Navy Pier, such thoughts blew off with Alec's hat and all we could think about was, "Is this such a good idea?" That's when the wind reached its peak speeds. The water was cold (38 to 40 degrees), there was lots of clapotis, and a quick check over our shoulders confirmed that we weren't making much progress. Fortunately, we had options, and the one we chose was turning around and returning to the lee of Navy Pier. We checked out the Chicago Fire Department boat, which was built in the 1940s and still boasts on its side in bright yellow letters, "We're there when you need us." Barry, who was on duty that day, was out enjoying the weather and appreciating a job that apparently consists of long periods of calm punctuated by moments of absolute urgency.

Barry, with beverage and books, gently informed us that we were paddling in a restricted area.

Then we flew back to North Avenue with the wind at our backs.

City Spring

Spring in the city can be a little messy. This is the aftermath of the 'Winter Wonderland' in Princes Street gardens.

Fort Larned

Time for another trip to Albuquerque. With Spring weather, I wanted to play "tourist" a little on the way. Also, I have unfinished business at Palo Duro Canyon. With the help of the National Park Service I found Fort Larned National Historic Site about half-way between home and Amarillo.

Fort Larned was one of the forts guarding the Santa Fe Trail. The fort was established around 1860. The original buildings were constructed of adobe. Starting about 1866, the fort underwent a extensive construction effort. Buildings were replaced with those of sandstone and timber. Those buildings are the ones still standing at Fort Larned.

Stark contrast between the adobe ruins of Fort Union and what I saw today at Fort Larned. It was not just the construction. Fort Union had been abandoned and vandalized. Many buildings at Fort Larned were maintained and used as a ranch.

Fort Larned is a very interesting window into the life the soldiers along the Santa Fe. Most of the building are furnished with period furnishings. Many looked like the troops were just out on maneuvers, and might be returning any Day.

While in the area, stopped in at the Santa Fe Trail Center. Fort Larned tells the military story of the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Trail Center concentrates on the transportation route, migration, and cultures.

If you find yourself in the area of Fort Larned, I recommend the Roadway Inn, Larned, KS. Room rates are reasonable. Large rooms, with mini fridge and microwave.

Today's photo was taken from the porch of the Officer's Quarters.

Cascade River Waterfalls

Here are a couple of waterfall shots during our outing to Cascade River State Park earlier this week. We had a perfect day for exploring the river and looking for flowers. The sky was overcast which makes for ideal photography of waterfalls and flowers.

OASIS!

Alright, so some of the sound equipment made it difficult for me to get a shot of the whole band. It was still an awesome night. Anyone who doubts the status of Oasis as one of the greatest rock bands of all time clearly hasn't seen one of their live shows. Many claim that the mark of a good live band is whether they can sound as good live as they do in their recordings. I think Oasis actually sounded better playing live -- and there were other observers who concurred.
Then there are the songs, and over the years Oasis have written some great ones. I had actually forgotten what a great song Live Forever was, not to mention Wonderwall, champagne Supernova, Morning Glory or more recent offerings like Guess God Thinks I'm Abel, Songbird and Turn up the Sun. Of course, nobody would forget the crowd's reaction when Noel led the band through Don't Look Back in Anger (which Noel dedicated to "your shit cricket team"), arguably their finest moment.

About the only possible complaint anyone could have might be the songs they didn't play (I would have liked to have heard them do Stand by Me). That said, I can't think of any songs I would have omitted from the set list as it was, and I suppose a concert can only last for so long. The other notable quality about the concert was the fact that the band didn't waste any time. Once they started, Oasis went full tilt for the next 100 minutes or so. There were no long pauses punctuated by pointless "banter" with the crowd (apart from the occasional wisecrack), there were no frilly bits, just great music -- much like the band itself.
I'm not sure when Oasis will be touring next, but I think I'll make an effort to be there.

Checking Out Manawa

For several reason, yesterday I decided to ride a Lake Manawa. I had not ridden the trail bike (Trek Fuel EX7) since the end of September; Full Moon Ride is coming up Friday; Needed to ride some dirt; Had not ridden in Manawa in over a month; A little gun shy with all the flats on the hybrid.
Most of trail is in good shape. A couple of soft spots. Fast Track again has standing water and muddy spots.
Tree down across the trail in Riverside Real Estate. A couple branches were across the trail. Some tree debris clean-up could be done at the wet spot in Fast Track.
So, if the showers (forecast for today) miss Manawa or a light, we could do the Full Moon Ride to Manawa Singletrack?!

Plant Your Own Flowers