SIGH.
Wednesday, January 30, 3013
I was really hoping to run this evening... if for no other reason than it's always a kick to be running in shorts and shirt-sleeves in January, and tomorrow the temperature's supposed to drop back to more seasonable levels.
Except - when I got to the Madison Avenue Pinelands trailhead for the Pine Bush, I discovered that the trails are covered with ice - and I didn't have my screw shoes. I went a little ways in but quickly concluded that it was simply too treacherous. So I beat a careful retreat and figured I'd hit the bike path instead.
Except - because it was warm I wasn't wearing tights, and it started raining fairly steadily as I was driving over to the trailhead. It became apparent very quickly that I would end up pretty chilled if I ran in the rain, despite the much-warmer-than-normal temperatures.
So in the end - no run for me tonight, as a result of circumstances beyond my control (icy trails and the rain) and poor choices on my part (not having my screw shoes or a pair of tights with me.)
Hopefully tomorrow night will work out better - I really would rather not jump into the Cast A Shadow race on Saturday after having last run almost a week before...
JMH
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
COLD RAIN... BLEAH!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I was hoping to keep some of the momentum I built up this weekend... but the last two evenings have been miserable, wet and cold. At least tomorrow it should be warm enough that even if it's raining I'll feel somewhat comfortable getting out for a run...
JMH
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I was hoping to keep some of the momentum I built up this weekend... but the last two evenings have been miserable, wet and cold. At least tomorrow it should be warm enough that even if it's raining I'll feel somewhat comfortable getting out for a run...
JMH
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
ONE REALLY TOUGH WEEK...
Friday, January 25, 2013
OK, Monday I had nobody to blame but myself... motivation was lacking. And I really should have taken the opportunity to get outside, because things went downhill fast after that.
Tuesday I spent the day buying a Shop Vac and a drainage pump and pumping, pumping, pumping sewage water out of the basement.
Wednesday I spent the day in a very cold classroom at work, then came home, waited for the guy from Roto-Rooter to show up, and then listened to him come up with a plan to fix the drain that wouldn't flood the basement. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the equipment here until the next night.
Thursday I spent the day in an even colder classroom, then came home early and waited... and waited... and waited ... until I finally found out that they were sending a new guy over to handle the clogged main line to the city sewer. Once he finally got here he was able to fix the problem without flooding the basement. Of course, now I'm left with a massive cleanup in the basement.
Friday - yet another day in a cold, cold classroom. I had hoped to get outdoors after work, but being cold all day long leaves me pretty drained - and on the tail of the last three days, tonight was even worse than usual. I ended up crawling into bed at 6 PM, both to warm up and to rest, and woke up about two hours later.
Next week's got to be better, right?
JMH
Friday, January 25, 2013
OK, Monday I had nobody to blame but myself... motivation was lacking. And I really should have taken the opportunity to get outside, because things went downhill fast after that.
Tuesday I spent the day buying a Shop Vac and a drainage pump and pumping, pumping, pumping sewage water out of the basement.
Wednesday I spent the day in a very cold classroom at work, then came home, waited for the guy from Roto-Rooter to show up, and then listened to him come up with a plan to fix the drain that wouldn't flood the basement. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the equipment here until the next night.
Thursday I spent the day in an even colder classroom, then came home early and waited... and waited... and waited ... until I finally found out that they were sending a new guy over to handle the clogged main line to the city sewer. Once he finally got here he was able to fix the problem without flooding the basement. Of course, now I'm left with a massive cleanup in the basement.
Friday - yet another day in a cold, cold classroom. I had hoped to get outdoors after work, but being cold all day long leaves me pretty drained - and on the tail of the last three days, tonight was even worse than usual. I ended up crawling into bed at 6 PM, both to warm up and to rest, and woke up about two hours later.
Next week's got to be better, right?
JMH
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
PLUMBING TURTLE... Or Should That Be DRAINAGE TURTLE?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
A couple of days ago I heard water running in the basement and went down to check it out - turned out a good part of the basement floor was under water and water was running out of an open pipe meant for attaching the outflow of a washing machine. Gah!
So I capped off the pipe after pouring a gallon of industrial strength drain cleaner and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't back up somewhere else (like my tub) instead.
Checked the next day - the cap seemed to be doing the trick bu the water level hadn't gone down. Not reassuring...
Checked this morning and it was evident that the water level had actually gone up. And the hot water heater had shut down. Really not good. Fortunately we didn't have classes today, so I was able to run around to Lowes, first for a shop vac that could pump water - after which I spent two hours filling the canister and then pumping the water outside, which got rid of the worst of the flooding near the water heaters and furnaces - and then for a pump that I could leave unattended, because using the shop vac was time consuming and tedious.
Unfortunately, even after much of the water was pumped away, it became clear that water is coming in via a large hole containing the pipe that carries waste water out to the street - I suspect a big problem somewhere with that pipe, since there was clearly some sewage in the water.
So I guess Drainage Turtle is more appropriate, since at this point that's all I'm capable to doing - trying to keep the water level down until my landlady can get someone here with better equipment and more knowledge to actually fix the problem.
So much for going for a run today after things wrapped up at work... but at least I have hot water again...
JMH
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
A couple of days ago I heard water running in the basement and went down to check it out - turned out a good part of the basement floor was under water and water was running out of an open pipe meant for attaching the outflow of a washing machine. Gah!
So I capped off the pipe after pouring a gallon of industrial strength drain cleaner and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't back up somewhere else (like my tub) instead.
Checked the next day - the cap seemed to be doing the trick bu the water level hadn't gone down. Not reassuring...
Checked this morning and it was evident that the water level had actually gone up. And the hot water heater had shut down. Really not good. Fortunately we didn't have classes today, so I was able to run around to Lowes, first for a shop vac that could pump water - after which I spent two hours filling the canister and then pumping the water outside, which got rid of the worst of the flooding near the water heaters and furnaces - and then for a pump that I could leave unattended, because using the shop vac was time consuming and tedious.
Unfortunately, even after much of the water was pumped away, it became clear that water is coming in via a large hole containing the pipe that carries waste water out to the street - I suspect a big problem somewhere with that pipe, since there was clearly some sewage in the water.
So I guess Drainage Turtle is more appropriate, since at this point that's all I'm capable to doing - trying to keep the water level down until my landlady can get someone here with better equipment and more knowledge to actually fix the problem.
So much for going for a run today after things wrapped up at work... but at least I have hot water again...
JMH
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
An Unexpected Sight
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Just before I crossed the border into Vermont this morning I saw a large dark bird fly up from a field next to the road - figured it was a turkey vulture at first (which makes no sense - I never see them around here in the winter, I suspect they migrate south) but then it banked and gave me a clear view of its bright white tail - definitely a bald eagle.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Just before I crossed the border into Vermont this morning I saw a large dark bird fly up from a field next to the road - figured it was a turkey vulture at first (which makes no sense - I never see them around here in the winter, I suspect they migrate south) but then it banked and gave me a clear view of its bright white tail - definitely a bald eagle.
Unfortunately it was far enough away that I would have needed my good camera to get a decent shot, and I left that home today... but here's a photo from Conesus Inlet last March which is similar to what I was able to see before I was too far down the road.
JMH
Friday, January 18, 2013
SPEAKING OF BRIDGES...
Feb. 1 Deadline for Public Comments Regarding Portageville Bridge ReplacementFriday, January 18, 2012
Ironically, I became aware of the demolition of the Hojack swing bridge after visiting the Rochester Subway site for an article about another bridge - the Portageville railroad bridge just south of Upper Falls in Letchworth State Park.
The Portageville railroad bridge was built in 1875 to replace a previous wooden bridge that had been destroyed in a fire. Since the park was created in 1907 (after William Pryor Letchworth gave his 1000 acre estate to New York State as public parklands) the bridge has been a part of the park since the beginning, and has long since become an accepted part of the Upper Falls viewshed. I may have only had two mediocre photos of the Hojack swing bridge - but I have many photos of the Portageville bridge.
In 2008 a study showed that the bridge is deteriorating and the state is currently looking at alternatives. Repairing and upgrading the existing bridge is neither financially nor technically feasible. Currently the state is looking at two main options: building a new bridge slightly south of the current one and demolishing the current bridge, or building the new bridge while leaving the current bridge standing.
As iconic as the current bridge is, I have to admit I like the proposed replacement:
(photo/visualization courtesy of NYS DOT)
A number of arguments can be presented for saving the current bridge, in particular the suggestion has been made to turn it into a pedestrian walkway similar to the very successful Walkway Over the Hudson. I think it would be fantastic to have a way for people to enjoy the view down the gorge from above Upper Falls without taking the risk of going out on the railroad bridge. On the other hand, I think the view with both bridges is kind of ugly.
(photo/visualization courtesy of NYS DOT)
Either bridge alone frames the view over the falls fairly nicely, but together they clash. I also suspect that it would take a lot of work and money to bring the current bridge up to the safety standards it would need to meet - the railroad bridge that was used for the Walkway Over the Hudson was in incredibly good shape to begin with. The same was true for the Rosendale railroad trestle, which was acquired by the Walkill Valley Land Trust in 2009 already decked for half its length, declared unsafe in 2010, and closed to pedestrians for almost 3 years while the Trust raised the 1.4 million dollars it needs to renovate the upper structure. Based on the 2008 inspection it seems likely substantially more work would need to be done on the Portageville bridge.
So I'm in favor of an alternate proposition - construct the new bridge and include some sort of walkway or viewing platform in the bridge support structure, and demolish the old bridge I've seen this suggested by several other people; hopefully enough will submit comments to that effect to the DOT will take it seriously and put pressure on Norfolk Southern. Having said that, a very convincing argument for keeping both bridges has been put forth by Donald Pevsner, a railroad preservationist, transportation lawyer, tour operator and former syndicated columnist for Universal Press Syndicate. Either way, my hope is that both the DOT and Norfolk Southern will take the creation of a new walkway/viewing area very seriously.
NYSDOT will make their decision based on the findings of the DEIS and public comments. Comments are due Friday, February 1, 2013 at the address below:
Raymond F. Hessinger, P.E.
Director, Freight & Passenger Rail Bureau
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Road, POD 54
Albany, New York 12232
-or-
JMH
Rochester's Hojack Swing Bridge Demolished
Friday, January 18, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
For 108 years the Hojack railroad bridge was one of the landmarks of at the mouth of the Genesee River, near the Port of Rochester. Built in 1905 for the New York Central railroad, the swing bridge was designed to connect track on the two side of the river but could rotate 90 degrees to allow boat traffic to pass through. It had been out of use since 1995 and was left in the open position. Starting in 1999 the Coast Guard pursued removal of the bridge and support column because they were hazards to navigation. For a variety of reasons, including a certain amount of public interest in saving the bridge, the demolition order was never carried out. A summary of the struggle to save the bridge can be found here (scroll down below the description of the book and proposed art exhibit.)
Apparently demolition was again pursued in the spring of 2011, but this time very quietly - the news took 6 months to reach the media, and the "Save Our Bridge" found their efforts stonewalled. Demolition of the bridge started in late October last year. Photos of the demolition can be found at the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum's Facebook page, and some of the most recent photos can be found on the Rochester Subway site.
I must admit to mixed feelings about this... on the one hand, the bridge was a rusting hulk in the middle of the river, and it's unlikely anything would have ever been done with it - the cost to renovate it for some other type of use (even if just decorative) would have been prohibitive (some versions of the story behind the current push to rmove the bridge state that CSX was the driving force, having finally realized they'd save more by no longer paying maintainence and insurance fees on a bridge that they'd never use - for that matter, they probably got a nice price for the scrap metal.) But at the same time there's something compelling about these relics of our past and it makes me a bir sad to see them torn down and thrown away - one more connection with those who came before us gone forever.
I think the biggest surprise was that when I dug through my photos I only had two that showed the bridge in any detail, both shot from a good ways away. I'm usually pretty camera-happy when it comes to relics like this. Only explanation I can offer is the location - the landings where the track came on shore is pretty out out of the way from both Ontario Beach Park and the Genesee Riverway Trail, which is where Ann and I would usually be if we were up by the mouth of the river. So this reinforces what I already knew - get photos when I can, since there's no telling when things will change without warning.
JMH
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A welcome sight after two tough days that saw me too tired and too buried under work to get my lazy backside out the door after work for a run...
OK, it's only supposed to be about 6 inches or so, but it's better than nothing... it was good enough to get us an unexpected day off, it means I'll be able to do some easy snowshoeing this afternoon, and it's probably good news for the snowshoe race scheduled for Saturday morning...
Besides which, it's winter and I like to see snow in the winter!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A welcome sight after two tough days that saw me too tired and too buried under work to get my lazy backside out the door after work for a run...
OK, it's only supposed to be about 6 inches or so, but it's better than nothing... it was good enough to get us an unexpected day off, it means I'll be able to do some easy snowshoeing this afternoon, and it's probably good news for the snowshoe race scheduled for Saturday morning...
JMH
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
HURRAY! WE HAVE A SNOWSHOE RACE TOMORROW!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Between the warm weather and the rain we're supposed to be getting, I was pretty sure it would be cancelled... I can't imagine that conditions will be ideal (if nothing else, we're going to be sweating bullets in the 40 degree weather... or else swearing at the rain!) but current word is that tomorrow's snowshoe race at Constitution Hill is ON.
Guess that means I'm getting my backside out the door tonight for a run - finally, after a week of being far lazier than I should have been, given what I have coming up this spring...
JMH
Friday, January 11, 2013
Between the warm weather and the rain we're supposed to be getting, I was pretty sure it would be cancelled... I can't imagine that conditions will be ideal (if nothing else, we're going to be sweating bullets in the 40 degree weather... or else swearing at the rain!) but current word is that tomorrow's snowshoe race at Constitution Hill is ON.
Guess that means I'm getting my backside out the door tonight for a run - finally, after a week of being far lazier than I should have been, given what I have coming up this spring...
JMH
Sunday, January 06, 2013
I LOVE MISSED WOODFORD SNOWSHOE RACE
3.4 Mile Snowshoe at Woodford State Park
Sunday, January 6, 2012
I went into this second weekend of snowshoe races both excited to be snowshoeing and a bit disappointed. I started snowshoeing seven years ago, as a way to keep running trails in the winter, and Woodford was the first race I did. I had purchased a new pair of Dion 166’s and managed to get in one or two short runs in the 6-8 inches of crusty snow that we had in Albany that December. Then right before the race Woodford picked up 18 inches of fresh snow – I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m pretty sure that was the hardest I’d ever worked to “run” 20+ min miles! But for some crazy reason I followed that up with another tough run at North Pond a couple of weeks later – and that was pretty much it that season for snowshoe races around here, most of the others were either cancelled or changed to trail races. And here I am, 72 snowshoe races later (including a snowshoe duathlon, a snowshoe triathlon, and more than a few races outside of the WMAC series…) At least now I know why I keep hauling my backside out of bed on the weekends to drive to the middle of nowhere and stagger around in the snow – partially the challenge and the workout, partially a love of the outdoors, and mostly the people I get to spend time with.
In any case, Woodford holds a special place in my heart, so I drove to Vermont this morning with a secret mission – to walk/run the usual Woodford course after doing the race at Prospect Mountain. Post-race I took a few minutes to chat with friends I haven’t seen nearly enough of this fall, then hopped in the car and made the short drive east to Woodford State Park. I found a parking lot filled with trucks and snowmobile trailers instead of chattering snowshoers – but I also found the best snow conditions I’ve seen at Woodford for the last 4-5 years. Deep snow, a well-packed trail through the woods and along the shore of Adams Reservoir – absolutely beautiful and one of the things I really enjoy about snowshoeing. Running at Pine Ridge and Prospect Mountain was fun, but for me groomed XC ski trails just don’t compare to singletrack through the woods.
After being laid up for much of November with an injury and 8 miles of races (including a steep climb or three, thanks to the Brad and Beth Herder and TiVO) my legs were definitely fried by the time I made the final climb away from the reservoir, and the “run” back to the park entrance had a more-than-passing resemblance to walking. But it was definitely worth it, both in the time spent running with our crazy but happy crew in Pittsfield and at Prospect Mountain and my trek afterwards along memory lane and the rolling trails of Woodford State Park.
Now one of these days I have to get here during a different season!
JMH
3.4 Mile Snowshoe at Woodford State Park
Sunday, January 6, 2012
I went into this second weekend of snowshoe races both excited to be snowshoeing and a bit disappointed. I started snowshoeing seven years ago, as a way to keep running trails in the winter, and Woodford was the first race I did. I had purchased a new pair of Dion 166’s and managed to get in one or two short runs in the 6-8 inches of crusty snow that we had in Albany that December. Then right before the race Woodford picked up 18 inches of fresh snow – I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m pretty sure that was the hardest I’d ever worked to “run” 20+ min miles! But for some crazy reason I followed that up with another tough run at North Pond a couple of weeks later – and that was pretty much it that season for snowshoe races around here, most of the others were either cancelled or changed to trail races. And here I am, 72 snowshoe races later (including a snowshoe duathlon, a snowshoe triathlon, and more than a few races outside of the WMAC series…) At least now I know why I keep hauling my backside out of bed on the weekends to drive to the middle of nowhere and stagger around in the snow – partially the challenge and the workout, partially a love of the outdoors, and mostly the people I get to spend time with.
In any case, Woodford holds a special place in my heart, so I drove to Vermont this morning with a secret mission – to walk/run the usual Woodford course after doing the race at Prospect Mountain. Post-race I took a few minutes to chat with friends I haven’t seen nearly enough of this fall, then hopped in the car and made the short drive east to Woodford State Park. I found a parking lot filled with trucks and snowmobile trailers instead of chattering snowshoers – but I also found the best snow conditions I’ve seen at Woodford for the last 4-5 years. Deep snow, a well-packed trail through the woods and along the shore of Adams Reservoir – absolutely beautiful and one of the things I really enjoy about snowshoeing. Running at Pine Ridge and Prospect Mountain was fun, but for me groomed XC ski trails just don’t compare to singletrack through the woods.
After being laid up for much of November with an injury and 8 miles of races (including a steep climb or three, thanks to the Brad and Beth Herder and TiVO) my legs were definitely fried by the time I made the final climb away from the reservoir, and the “run” back to the park entrance had a more-than-passing resemblance to walking. But it was definitely worth it, both in the time spent running with our crazy but happy crew in Pittsfield and at Prospect Mountain and my trek afterwards along memory lane and the rolling trails of Woodford State Park.
Now one of these days I have to get here during a different season!
JMH
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Friday, January 04, 2013
Sad News - Writer Peter David Had a Stroke
Friday, January 4, 2013
JMH
Friday, January 4, 2013
Peter David (PAD) is a long-time writer of comic books (back when I was buying comics on a regular basis I was a fan of several titles he wrote), television scripts, novels (both original fiction and TV/movie/comic book tie-ins), a regular column in Comics Buyer's Guide, and a blog which is both informative and entertaining - I check the latter pretty regularly. Unfortunately, I've been off the web for a while (because dial-up SUCKS when the rest of the world expects a fast connection) so it wasn't until I checked his blog today that I discovered that PAD had a stroke roughly a week ago while on vacation with his family in Florida.
The good news - he's still alive and, reading between the lines of the blog updates, seems to be all there, mentally. But it sounds like physically things are rough, and the doctor's are seeing enough things that concern them that's he's still in the hospital rather than moving to rehab.
No big surprise, when word broke, people asked how they can help - PAD has a lot of folks who love his writing. The Davids have health insurance but also have copays and plenty of additional unanticipated expenses will no doubt appear as PAD struggles to recover. They're currently requesting that folks who want to help buy one or more of PAD's ebooks, though several possible sites. These are the titles that produce the quickest and largest flow of royalties to PAD. Purchasing his older titles and trade paperback collections of comics he's written also helps, but in a smaller, slower way.
Here's the blog post with details on the ebooks, for anyone who wants to help. Having read some of his work (both in comics and prose form) I can definitely recommend his books - they are creative and fun and filled with great characters, and I for one am looking forward to reading some of his most recent prose work - I'm just sorry it took this to get me to get off my backside and order the books.
A while back I recommended holding our loved ones close and appreciating the time we have with them - the last few weeks seem determined to drive that point home in spades.
JMH
1.1 Mile Walk at Buckingham Lake
Friday, January 4, 2013
There was still a bit of daylight left when I got back, so I stopped at Buckingham Lake before coming home. There was a solid path packed down all the way around the pond. No ducks - they'll be gone until the ice starts to go in March or so - but I did see some crows and a few squirrels. Mostly though it was just nice to be outside for a little while enjoying a bit of nature, even if it's surrounded by Albany.
LOTS OF WILDLIFE ON A SUNNY WINTER MORNING
1.1 Mile Walk at Tinker Nature Park
Friday, January 4, 2013
Gorgeous morning (despite the wind, which was gusting well above 30 mph at times) so Ann and I went to Tinker Park for a short walk before I hit the Thruway for the drive back to Albany. As I expected, the snow was stomped down enough that we didn't need snowshoes. We spotted a number of deer hunkered down in the woods - the cold and snow over the past week and a bit must have made life more difficult for them! - and numerous birds, including both pileated and red-bellied woodpeckers, the usual chickadees, juncos, and cardinals, and - surprise- several bluebirds!
There was also a lot of activity in the fields near the park, with a regualr stream of geese descending from the sky to join flocks of crows already on the ground. My guess is that the wind had blown enough snow off the fields that it was fairly easy for them to find food. A little later a small group landed in the snowy field between the road and the woods, pretty much the same place we saw geese the other night on the way to Mendon.
All too quickly, though, it was time to get back in the car and head east...
JMH
1.1 Mile Walk at Tinker Nature Park
Friday, January 4, 2013
Gorgeous morning (despite the wind, which was gusting well above 30 mph at times) so Ann and I went to Tinker Park for a short walk before I hit the Thruway for the drive back to Albany. As I expected, the snow was stomped down enough that we didn't need snowshoes. We spotted a number of deer hunkered down in the woods - the cold and snow over the past week and a bit must have made life more difficult for them! - and numerous birds, including both pileated and red-bellied woodpeckers, the usual chickadees, juncos, and cardinals, and - surprise- several bluebirds!
There was also a lot of activity in the fields near the park, with a regualr stream of geese descending from the sky to join flocks of crows already on the ground. My guess is that the wind had blown enough snow off the fields that it was fairly easy for them to find food. A little later a small group landed in the snowy field between the road and the woods, pretty much the same place we saw geese the other night on the way to Mendon.
All too quickly, though, it was time to get back in the car and head east...
JMH
0.9 Mile Snowshoe at Mendon Ponds Park
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Headed over to Mendon Ponds near dusk to feed the birds... found the park very crowded. At one end there was a high school ski race going on - cars all along the roadside. And in most other areas more than a few folks out taking advantage of the snow to ski, despite the rapidly decreasing daylight.
We saw lots of deer on the move too, especially in the woods along the trail where we typically feed the birds.
Unfortunately - we must have gotten there too late and most of the birds had retired for the evening. Not one in sight the entire time we were there. Which wasn't for very long... it gets cold pretty quickly once the sun sets.
JMH
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