Video: Train plowing snow off tracks

The snow has to be removed from the rails and this video shows us exactly how it is done. Quite a dramatic video.

Going "home" again with Ken Burn's National Parks series

Image via Wikipedia

I am enjoying Ken Burn's National Parks: America's Best Idea this week. On Twitter I find myself describing it as "visiting old friends again." This is so true. While I have visited only a fraction of the National Parks I hold great memories of each visit. My wife is "done" with Grand Canyon, but each time I sit on the porch of Hermit's Rest and look out over the canyon, I feel as if I am home, Not home in some sense of a roof over my head, but "home" in the sense of a primordial feeling of belonging. Something in the canyon speaks to a very deep part of our psyche, the "lizard brain" that remains at the deep center of our evolved human minds. We all come from the earth and to the earth we shall return and the Grand Canyon reminds of the tie with great force.

Over the years we have visited many parks, including the large one in are own backyard, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. We have also been to Yosemite multiple times, including an amazing trip with some Italian relatives who braved the 6 hour drive for one night and two days in the park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Timpanagos Cave in Utah, along with all too short trips to Zion and Bryce Canyon. We made a special trip to Dinosaur National Monument, braving sub-zero temperatures to get there. Our latest National Park was the newly formed Cuyahoga Valley National Park on our recent trip back to our hometowns in Ohio.

One of the most interesting aspects of visiting US National Parks is how many international citizens visit. On a visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California we spent several hours hiking along the trial to Bumpass Hell without hearing a word of English. If only we could appreciate our own National Parks as much as people from other countries.

As my son, Joseph, grows, I sense it is time to return to our National Parks and other state and local parks, National Forests, National Moments and more. He has been added to our more recent visits and I am mapping out a whole new series of trips with him in mind. I have always wanted to visit to Yellowstone National Park and as I grow older it become more imperative that I make that trip regardless of the cost of time involved.

This Saturday, as the summer heat begins to ebb, I will get back out into the mountains by visiting Charmlee Regional Park near Malibu for a Full Moon Hike. We have visited there often to hike, hunt the St. Patrick's Day butterflies, see how fire and man have effected the property and look out into the Pacific from its high bluffs. You can join this hike, too. You'll find complete information on the web site at http://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/events.htm.

As the Fall begins, take some time to get out into nature -- out into the woods, the mountains and streams and re-engage with the world that surrounds you. I can guarantee that you will find your life lightened, your mood elevated and your world just a little more beautiful.

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Geocaching in Franklin Canyon

Joe and I spent a few hours this morning finding 6 caches in Franklin Canyon Park. I have been visiting this park since the late 80's and always enjoy a few moments there. There is a nice collection of geocaches in the park and you can easily walk from one to the other in a circular route. We had trouble finding one of the caches at the beginning of our walk, but we spent a little more time as we were leaving and that ended up making a perfect 6 for 6 day.

If you are interested in Geocaching, or just want to know what I am talking about, visit http://geocaching.com and find out. Geocaching is a GPS-based treasure hunting game where you locate hidden stashes which may include just a paper log for signing in or an opportunity to trade some small trinkets with out Geocachers.

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Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest - October 2009

Start gathering your photos for the Spirit of the Mountains Photo Contest! Submissions accepted from October 1 through October 31. Check website for 2009 category information.

Help celebrate 30 years of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. This year’s challenge category is Memories of the Mountains–share special memories of the Santa Monica Mountains in family or historic photos.

Info: National Park Service at 805-370-2301 or www.researchlearningcenter.org/samo/photo

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CareerCamp Fall 2009 Planning - Getting Started!

Join this discussion on the Career Opportunities Community Site

After we completed CareerCamp Online 2009, I knew I wanted to do it again in about 6 months. While it has been a bit longer than that, I am feeling the itch once again. This time I am undecided whether this will be an online CareerCamp, a face-to-face conference here in Los Angeles or, more likely a combination of both.

This is where you come in. I am looking for your advice and comments on what CareerCamp Fall 2009 should be. What talk would you like to present? What would you most like to see? Who should we invite to speak or should it be entirely an unconference? Where should we hold the event? When?

Let's use this discussion to get started. If we need/want to move to a wiki or some other planning tool, we can do that as we start to gain momentum.

Add your comments, questions, advice, recommendations as part of this discussion.

Let's get started!

Douglas

Join this discussion on the Career Opportunities Community Site

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Neat New Place: Cycleway Coffee, Hermon, CA

I had a new media consult in Montecito Heights today, so Rosanne rode along and we found her this great place to hang out in Hermon, a neighborhood just east of Eagle Rock, called Cycleway Coffee. Nice place with easy parking, comfy chairs and great coffee.

It is nice to see a bit of a resurgence in the independent coffee house scene in LA. While I must admit I visit Starbucks a lot, due to their ubiquity, a nice independent is definitely my first choice.

Cycleway Coffee
5526 Monterey Road, Los Angeles, CA
323-256-0200

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Billboard Cleanup

Returning from dinner tonight, I noticed that the billboard mentioned in my previous post, Clear Channel Clean up Your Billboard has been recovered. It is a new ad, for a new radio station, but it is certainly better than what was there.

Now begins the countdown to see how long it will go before being tagged. I hope that they put some thought in to preventing further access to the billboard.

Pictures of new billboard coming tomorrow. I will shoot them when I take my daily walk.