Musings of a Mad Macedonian

The Cycling Dude and Santiago Creek Bike Trail

I first, briefly, wrote about the Santiago Creek Bike Trail, in Santa Ana, and Orange, Ca., in March 2009, on my bike blog, then more extensively in the spring of 2010, on this blog, as part of a month long challenge I learned about from my friend, Randy Eady, who sent me a heads up about a fascinating exercise being encouraged by the Kamana Naturalist Training Program, and the Wilderness Awareness School.

It is called the 30-Day Sit Spot Challenge, and was from April 10 to May 10, that year.

  

I spent all month in the only section of the Creek trail that existed, between Main St. on the west, and Tustin Ave. on the east, and took many photos that accompanied the daily, thought provoking, and personal, essays I wrote, related to the writing prompts for each day.

That adventure had an unexpected ending as, a few days before it ended I had a seizure at work, and it was a few days before I was able to finish the challenge.

The beginning = Can You Sit in the Same Spot for 20 min., for 30 Days Straight?

Recently I discovered that, in the year since I broke my ankle, the city of Orange had, at last extended the trail eastward,  along the creek, into Villa Park, connecting with the dirt trail into Santiago Oaks Regional Park. (Map of the full 8 miles of paved trail, and unpaved section, available here)

I sallied forth to check it out, camera in tow. :-D

The trail begins west of this spot, on the other side of Main St., where Broadway dead ends at the Main Place Mall.

This section is also used by cars to reach a parking area near a small playground & picnic area that is overrun with squirrels.

The trail then heads east to Hart Park, and once past the park eventually reaches Tustin Ave.

 

 

From Tustin Ave. you ride past the varied natural environment of the trail ecosystem, and Yorba Park, go over a bridge to the other side, and  reach another bridge to change sides again, at Grijalva Park.

Depending on the season the creek can get flooded with water.

The varied Duck population, as well as a surprising variety of other water fowl, is a year round part of the scene.

 

Eventually you reach the Santiago Creek Recharge Basin, and the trail takes you along Prospect, and Bond St.....

With the basin hidden along the Bond St. stretch....

 

 

Before viewing it again along Hewes St.

The Hewes section dead ends at Villa Park Ave., where the trail picks up across the street, heading east along Santiago Canyon Rd.

 

PYTW 36: 50 Specific, & Particular, Things My Heart Loves

Prompting Yourself  To Write 36

1. My Cats

2. Scrambled Egg & Bacon, or Sausage Links, Sandwiches...The first thing I learned to cook for myself while in Middle School. :-D

 3. Sunset at Inspiration Point in Newport Beach.

4. Macaroni & Cheese 5. Writing a new poem, or story.

6. Riding my bike along a trail, or on lengthy rides on city streets.

7. The Three Stooges 8. Abbott & Costello 9. Laurel & Hardy

10. Merrie Melodies Cartoons 11. Classic Looney Tunes

12. Addams Family & The Munsters 

13. Hot Chocolate 14. Mincemeat Pie

15. Tuna Casserole 16. Visiting Museums 17. Visiting Art Galleries

18. Visiting Zoos 19. Red Suspenders

20. Brown Suspenders W/ paw prints

21. My own Crock Pot Dinner creations

22. Spaghetti & Meatballs 23. John Wayne Films

24. A Plane ride 25.  A Train ride 26. Urban hikes

 

I Know a Cracker When I See One, & I Ain't It! This Is!

I'm the Family Genealogist, and can trace my roots back to KY, IN., and PA., on my Mother's side.

That being said....I know a Cracker when I see one....unlike some folks I could mention. :-D

Journey Toward Future...Resumed - A Year After the Accident

 

A year ago, the day after the May 22 event, Nikita, & Elvira Mistress of Felinity, announced to the world that I had suffered a, um, Boo Boo. :-D

 

 

I had spent the Fall, Winter, and Spring, of my unemployment, taking a series of computer classes, to add marketable skills to my resume...then an encounter with a Black Cat put a major crimp in my plans for a year.

 

 

The Power of the Purr truly is a wonder!

My ankle has healed, reasonably well, I do exercises at home, and at the local Fitness 19 Gym, and I have been cleared to return to work, if I can find it, and so change is coming to my life, this summer, and some friends in, and out, of the Cat Blogging Community, know of my worries, and concerns, hopes, and dreams.

I want to share a few of the many pictures taken, over the past year, however this post will not  be a "Woe is Me" affair, but a celebration of those positive events, reported on both Musings, & Meowsings, that occurred inspite of everything, and my thoughts, and hopes, for the future. :-D

It is a round-up that features many sides of my writing, and that of Nikita, & Elvira Mistress of Felinity, as well. :-D

We invite you to explore the collection, at your leisure, if you are so inclined. :-D

I also wish to thank everyone, Human, and Critter, for your continued support, and encouragement, and interest in both our blogs!

 

 

June 26, 2011 = Twinkle, Twankle, My Poor Ankle: A Poem

July 23, 2011 = Daddy Kiril Meets Sparkle Cat's Human!

 

Aug. 8, 2011 = Daddy Kiril At Large: Cats For Cats - Introduction (My Night on the Red Carpet, at a play & an after party, alongside some fellow Cat Bloggers - There exist 2 filmed interviews of me, and one photo of me on the Red Carpet, but, sadly, I've never seen them.)

Sept. 6, 2011 = Prompting Yourself to Write 23: An Excercise in Word Association (Writers are...)

Sept. 27, 2011 = The Mad Macedonian and The Foot Whisperer

 

Experiencing an Annularism at UC Irvine

Yesterday evening I decided to hang out on a hillside, at the UC Irvine Campus, with hundreds of people, young, and old, that I don't even know!

For 2 hours!

 

What possessed me to do THAT?

The opportunity to somehow witness a partial, or "annular," Solar Eclipse that began at 530pm, and peaked at about 635pm.

 The UC Irvine Observatory hosted a "Visitor Night", encouraging the public to come with their own equipment, or view the event thru fancy telescopes they had on hand, or using special sunglasses costing $2 a pair.

 I took a bus to the campus, that dropped me off a mile from the Observatory, and walked up a narrow dirt path to reach it.

 There were old people, and young people, families with their kids, even some parents pushing Baby Utility Vehicles with their babies, & toddlers, college students, and young couple on a date night.

 It was an interesting evening in which I got to see the eclipse under several different conditions, using different types of equipment, homemade, and professional.

 I even used my own camera, an opportunity brought about by the incoming cloud cover that severly diluted the sunlight off, and on, including during the 10 minute window before, during, and after, the peak of the eclipse itself.

 This collection of photos shares my experience.

A young lady, in her 20's, brought the above homemade contraption.

The hole in the foreground projects the image onto the "Screen" in the backround.

If you look closely, just beyond where the arrow points, you can see my first glimpse of the eclipse, around 545pm.



Standing nearby was a man with a pair of binoculars, and a piece of cardboard.

My 2nd glimpse.



My 3rd view came while observing the eclipse projected onto a cardboard screen by a fancy telescope.

 

Slate Reports on Balance Bikes Almost 5 1/2 yrs. After Cycling Dude's 1st Story

In the Fall of 2006 I received an e-mail

from a man with a company that makes a very unusual bicycle.

He submitted a series of e-mails that led me to write about him, and his product on my bike blog, The Cycling Dude.

It was the beginning of a friendship that has changed my life, in many positive ways, and I've even had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times over the years on his trips to Ca.

Randy Eady introduced me to the "Balance Bike", and not just the idea of such a bike for pre-schoolers, but models made for adults, specifically seniors.

Dec. 2006 = Raising A Cyclist In 21st Century America

Nov. 2007 = Raising A Cyclist In 21st Century America Part 2

Sept. 2009 = So Easy A 3 year Old Can Do It!

In Oct. 2009 mainstream journalism, in the form of the NY  Times,  finally did a major story on the subject. :-D

New York Times Reports on Balance Bikes 3 Yrs. After Cycling Dude's 1st Story

Now, in 2012, Nicholas Day, writing for Slate Online,  posts a lengthy, fascinating, and entertaining, essay proclaiming "Down With Training Wheels!"

In this essay he shares the more than 150 yr. old history, and science, behind such a concept as a "Pedaless Bicycle", and the practical, and healthful, benefits behind them, especially for the youngster just learning to ride.

 

Thoughts On My Mind This Mother's Day

The other day I went to Forest Lawn, in West Covina, to pay my respects to my parents (Mom in the upper left, Dad in the lower right), and I had a lot on my mind.

On a  clear day one can see Mt. Baldy, & the San Gabriel Mountain Range, in all their magnificent glory.

That day was not one of those days.

Partly cloudy, breezy, warm, & I'd just hauled ass, by foot, up 3 levels of the hillside, to where my Mom & Dad are laid to rest, a row apart.

Change is coming to my life, and I felt it important to stop by.

I should have been sad, and tearful, but I wasn't.

I feel a love for my parents, especially my long suffering Mom, who raised my sisters, & I, alone except for the assistance of some remarkable neighbors.

I feel a sense of pride in who I am, & what I've accomplished in my life, & believe that Mom, & Dad, are looking down upon me in pride as well.

My Father struggled to get to America, from wartorn Europe of the 1940's, Mom traveled by car from KY, as a young adult, with her brothers, & 1/2-sister & her husband, to Ca., and worked the seasonal packing plants circuit, in the late 40's & early 50's, before settling down in one place.

Now, here I am, having moved from Pomona, to The OC, & living here for over a decade...and change is coming yet again...

I think, and believe, my parents would understand, applaud, & encourage me, every step of the way, as I continue my life's journey.

So I was there, on that hillside, at their graves, to pay respects, say thank you, ask for their blessing, and for their spirits to watch over me, and guide me, until that day when I am called by God, and my fate, to at last join them in eternity forever.

 

PYTW 35: Write About a Used Cane

Prompting Yourself To Write 35

Write About a Used Cane...

( Set a Timer for 15 minutes, and write non-stop. )

***Written on 4/28, while at lunch at Phillippe's the Original, in LA, a couple  hours after having reluctantly bought a Cane, as suggested by my Orthopedist who thought I should consider getting one, and use it in my left side to take the stress off the right ankle which is always painful, in the aftermath of my breaking it, and healing, due to Early Onset Arthritis of the Joints....

My name is Watson...I'm a Cane, a Leopard Spotted Mapplewood Cane with a smooth brown, hardwood, Derby Handle.

I'm light brown, with dark brown spots and, after 50 years of service I can safely, proudly, say that I've just about seen it all, & been places no Cane has been before.

My employer is 102 yrs. old, now, and gets around only a little slower than when I first met him, but I remember that day like it was yesterday.

I'd been hanging around the Horton & Converse Pharmacy in W. LA for weeks, waiting to be "Discovered", just like dozens of my compatriots shipped out to LA, & Hollywood, the "Land of Opportunity", "The Big Chance", & "Dreams of Stardom Come True"...

Every one of my neighbors on the shelf had dreams of being the Cane of the next "Charlie Chaplin", or used as a prop in the lates Sherlock Holmes film, or TV Movie, or Mini-Series...

Yeah, right, silly dreamers.

Me? I was more realistic, & settled in to patiently bide my time.

I wasn't goint to rot, or accidentally get snapped in half, like my some of my wooden counterparts might, so settled in for the long haul, figuring that when the right person came along we would both know we wer right for each otehr, & I'd be set for life.

Finally, one day in late April 2012, a middle-aged White Man, in a snazzy black fedora, with American Flag, & Don't Tread on Me pins, & a cute winged, and & haloed, Cat one, too, walked hesitantly up to the display, and looked with askance at my companions, and I.

Oh no, I thought, a Newbie!

I'd heard stories, most of them horrific, about the fate of Canes in the hands of the inexperienced but, but there was something about this man that struck my fancy, & as I watched him fondle, & examine, the others, I just had a feeling, & so waited to see how things developed.

 

"Building a Platform" Challenge - Day 30: An Ending, & a Hoped For Beginning

Robert Lee Brewer, author, writer, editor at Writer's Digest, Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, and blogger extraordinaire, has set forth a challenge for budding, and experienced, writers alike, this month, and I began this journey, here.

Day 30 is about going forward, and taking what we did, and learned, in this Challenge, and finding ways to put it all to use to build a platform for ourselves as writers.

It is also about sharing our thoughts about the experience.

I began the month with hopes of learning some new things, making new friends, and connections, among people with similar interests, hopes, and dreams, and end the month with a lot to think about.

"Did you like it? Was it too much?"

Up until the last week, when events in my life took precidence for my time, I was having a fine time, even made some friends, as I tiptoed into the FB group, and began to use Twitter again.

"Do you feel like you're in a better place now than you were a month ago?"

Yes, and no, as I've not been able to get as involved, in activities, and discussions, and connecting with my fellows, as I might have wished, on FB, or the LinkedIn Group.

I've learned some new things, have some new websites, and presentations to check out.

The truth remains that I'm still as much a Newbie at the game of Platform Building as when I started, just a little less so.

As for daily/weekly tasks related to my writing, and platform building, in May...I am determined to do some new things, and re-ignite some old things, related to my blogging, especially the Cat blog, but my personal life will take up most of my focus....

I thank Mr. Brewer for the chance to go thru this experience.

It was something I felt was important for me to attempt and, despite everything, I'm glad I did. :-D

 

"Building a Platform" Challenge - Day 29

Robert Lee Brewer, author, writer, editor at Writer's Digest, Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, and blogger extraordinaire, has set forth a challenge for budding, and experienced, writers alike, this month, and I began this journey, here.

Day 29 is about making a "Task List of things you are going to do on each day of May". Brreak down 31 days with 31 tasks for each day....

Mr. Brewer encouraged us to "focus on blog posts, commenting on other sites, linking to articles, contacting experts, or whatever it is that you are going to do in May to keep momentum building toward an incredible author platform....Somewhere near the end of May, you should have a day set aside with one task: Make a task list of things to do on each day of June. And so on and so forth. Keep it going, keep it rolling, and your efforts will continue to gain momentum and speed. I promise."

My tasks for the month won't be all about my writing, and there are other things going on right now in my life that need to be taken care of as I begin to move forward, my bloging will be there to keep me focused on my hopes, and dreams.