We happened upon this old grist mill purely at random and stopped to have a look see and learn how it worked. The structure has a storied past exemplified by this snippet: “…in the midst of the Civil War, the mill was sold to Phares and Roxanna Yates, James Penny’s son-in-law and daughter. Penny’s involvement in the murder of a Mr. Franklin may have brought on the sale. According to legend, Franklin was a Northern sympathizer who Penny killed for not paying a $700 mill debt. In 1865, Franklin’s widow supposedly told Federal troops occupying Raleigh that her husband’s death was due to his support for the Union. The soldiers tried to burn the mill by setting fire to the entrance. Charred wooden beams today attest to the unsuccessful attempt.” An historic building, this mill now enjoys a park setting with daily tours available. Knowing that the offered 1 hour talking tour could be condensed into a 3 minute read on Wikipedia mobile we were happy to wander free about — discovering a nature loop trail around the conservation pond and watershed in the process.
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Alice in Wonderland
| With buzz and hyped anticipation of the new Tim Burton 3D movie it was fun to review the story line in this excellent 1999 iteration. Granted that the new 2010 release will have state of the art graphics and special effects, the 1999 remake exceeded expectations by virtue of the Jim Henson (effects) Company and creative art design. It must be noted that the acting and actors’ lines were top rate; in particular, “Off with their heads!” Miranda Richardson as the Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter – Martin Short, and the performance by Gene Wilder as Mock Turtle. The plot line adaptation drew heavily from the dream aspect of the Wizard of Oz story, i.e. characters from Alice’s real life were assimilated into her wonderland escape. This helped to complete the plot and make sense of this classic fantasy. |  |
current state of the art
FAQ: What do you use to keep track of and journal your outdoor exercise?
Use Nike Plus with an iPod Nano for repetitive routes. If you like, the iPhone 3G already has the receiver/software built in. You will still need to acquire a sensor for the shoe. Nike brand shoes are not required if you buy or fabricate a pouch to hold the sensor that typically attaches to shoe laces.
There is an excellent utility on the Gmaps Pedometer website. You can calculate distance by strategising beforehand or mapping your path after the fact — saving the route for future reference. These days high-end smartphones feature Global Positioning which means that an expensive Garmin or Magellan accessory for that function is no longer necessary. With smartphone software to manage GPS one can record a trek in real time. There are quite a few applications of this genre from which to choose. I use this app when I want to map a new trail I’ve not previously explored. This app uses the built-in GPS to track waypoints and even allows for picture snaps along the way. Tap a button and the whole shebang uploads to the cloud thusly.
Highbanks Metro Park
The last time I ran the Dripping Rock Trail the ground was bare and dry. Winter brought record snow this year which made for a picturesque scene. Evidently folks use these trails regardless of season as the path was well packed. Traction at 35 F was fair to poor especially on the steeper inclines. The park is named for the 110 foot bluff that overlooks the Olentangy River. There are more trail settings on this river downstream but the environment is decidedly urban.
Wright-Patterson Area B
Pictured is one of the more unusual aircraft at the National Air Force Museum; a Northrop YC-125 Raider. It must be said however, that there are many very interesting retired machines here that I’d never seen before — not to mention knew about, e.g. Douglas A-20G Havoc of which 2,850 copies were built. Very cool looking: a B-36 Peacemaker, the sleek and sexy B-58 Hustler, and bizarre: F-82 Twin Mustang “Betty Jo” ( last of piston propeller fighter planes delivered to the military at the dawn of the jet age ). All of this hardware presentation is enclosed indoors along with historic memorabilia and display from early aviation, War time and Cold War years. A single day is not long enough to take it all in.
Flame and Citron
Flammen & Citronen (2008) foreign w/subtitles [spoiler]
Intrigued when listening to my friend Henrik and his discussion of his Uncle and others involvement during the Second World War, it was cool to find and view this film. The principle characters, upon whom the drama is based, were part of the Danish underground: Holger Danske. The movie itself describes moral conflict and uncertainties of struggling against an opposition not necessarily identified by uniform.
shameless plug for
Mark Hinebaugh, accomplished Flight Instructor, who also happens to be published. His book Flying Upside Down: True Tales of an Antarctic Pilot offers a first hand flying narrative from an environment that most pilots will never experience.
historical connections
While browsing a dusty photo album I was pleased to find an early photo of my Uncle and Aunt taken in the Spring of 1946. The backdrop airplane, a Spartan Executive Model 7W, was owned and flown at the time by movie consultant and stunt pilot Paul Mantz. Uncle was a licensed Airframe and Powerplant mechanic and may very well have turned wrenches on the aircraft. Impressively, a search reveals that NC17656 S/N 25 (N47W) survives to this day.It was built 10/31/1939, the 25th of the 34 produced. First sold to Luziers of Mississippi. It was one of sixteen Spartan 7W’s impressed into service as Staff transports as a UC-71 (USAAF 1942 serial 38288) during the war years. It was returned to civil registry in 1945 as you see it here.
Eagle Spur
This trail was once part of a rail system which ran from Durham to Duncan it is orphaned from the better know ATT and not well traveled. The trailhead sign gave pause and we did see a man walking out with rifle slung. According to this reviewer, the area is managed by NC Wildlife Resources Commission, so I guess guns are okay. Not used to taking exercise with the hunters though.
Bayside Trail
Taking in the scene at the salt marsh I read about the delicate balance of nature, the sensitive Eco system and how this wetlands was now protected and being reclaimed by plankton, fish and fowl. From the 1920’s the area had been in environmental decline; zoned for industrial and disposal usage. Just behind me was a large hump of a hill . Its sides grown over with brush and shrub. Its flat sloping shaved top green with grass now has a golf driving range park perched upon it. Who would know that until 1987 this innocent looking mountainous lump was the city landfill dump? I was pausing at the Sanchez Lagoon section of the Bayside park. The trail is parallel to its better known parent the Bay Trail which offers a cleaner view of the San Francisco Bay as opposed to the obtrusive Bayshore 101 Freeway on the other side of the mud flat. I’d not traveled it before so it was nice to cover new ground and discover the (former) identity of the area. BTW, I can recommend Gabrielle & Daniel’s (gourmet) Mexican Grill at the Golf Center; not holding its restored location against it.