OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS in LOS ANGELES!

What a thrill to be an official volunteer for the Olympic Trials!  The fastest men and women in the United States ran their hearts out on the streets of downtown L.A.  All athletes who participated are the cream of the crop, but only the top three finishers today will represent USA in Rio de Janeiro this summer at the 2016 Olympics.

It proved to be one of the hotter Trials. (I wonder who came up with the brilliant (literally) idea of a 10:00 am start time?)  Men started a little after 10:00 am and the separate women's race gun fired about 20 minutes later.   I can empathize.  I thought back to the year 2000 when I ran the Trials and the temperature soared to over 80 degrees.

My friend MaryJane and I were stationed on the USC (University of Southern California) campus right in front of the popular Campus Bookstore.  A block away from us, a group of spirited USC students gathered to cheer on the runners.

Getting pumped for the coming runners

Maryjane and I were assigned the job of making sure the marathon route on the street in front of us was kept clear for the runners.  You would be surprised how many people think they can just ignore the yellow "Do Not Cross" tape.  We had to tell several students that, "Yes, we realize the bookstore is right across the street, but you can't go there from here right now.  Sorry."  Most people understood.

The runners ran by us four times, on this multiple loop course, which is ideal for spectators, but is kind of crappy for runners, most of whom prefer a single circular course with varied scenery and terrain.

We were excited when the first pack of elite male runners ran by.

A press truck first appeared, and then this pack of runners.

All of these talented runners, living their dreams.

 And then we saw the women...It brought back fond memories for me.  I was privileged to run in the 2000 Olympic Trials in Columbia, SC.  I wore bib #91 and finished 87th overall.  I was 40 years old, and the 12th of the 16 Master Athletes (age over 40) to finish the race.    One of my proudest moments.

The women came by.

What a group of strong fast women.  Hats off to all of them.

Everyone is a winner in my mind, even if they are not in the lead pack.

It got more exciting as the runners did their third and fourth loops.  They became more spread out.  A few of the faster women and slower men ran in a pack.  We saw more stragglers and solo runners.

Woman on left, slightly behind the guy on the right.  They are in this together. 

Here is Meb on his final round  (He finished 2nd in 2:12:20.)  YEAH!!!

The women runners that whipped by us were to me like poetry in motion.

The blonde is Shalane Flanagan, who finished 3rd with a time of  2:29:26.

I respect all the athletes and their work and sacrifices that got them here.  I know it takes much dedication and hard training to make it to  the Trials.  But once you arrive at the Olympic Trials, you ARE a hero / heroine whether or not you make the team.  The difficult work occurred months before, when you ran hundreds of miles, trained and qualified.  I view (and viewed 16 years ago) the Trials as a wonderful Celebration.  It's the icing on the cake!

Congratulations to each and every one of the athletes. It was my pleasure to do my part to make your marathon a safe experience.

Maryjane and me.  We're a bit tired, but happy and loved working together.

The Hollywood Sign - More Popular Than Ever !

It's become a bitter pill,
those letters on the hill.
They come from near and far,
and mostly in their car
while they get their perfect shot,
our Park has gone to pot.

The "Sign" viewed from a hiking trail.

The Sign is below Beachwood Drive
whose residents did certainly strive
to do all that they possibly could
to rid the tourists from their "hood."

Living where they do has its perks,
so why do they behave like jerks?
New Yorkers must grapple
with life in the "Big Apple"
Those who live in Paris are not dour
because they live near the Eifel Tower...

So our city came up with a "Traffic Plan",
(which is not entirely in the can)
Citizens can weigh in on the MND,
and they certainly should, believe me!

The Plan wants to foolishly anoint
One singular "Viewing Point."
Let our voices be heard,
That this is absurd!

It gives me indigestion,
when I think of the congestion,
There is no saving grace
to bring all to ONE place!

Many tourists smoke,
and this is no joke,
The danger of a fire,
revs up much more ire...

But opportunity knocks,
If we think outside the box,
Rec and Parks should concentrate and look hard,
For a site south of Los Feliz Boulevard.

The view would be better,
To see every letter
It's a far better solution
With lesser pollution.

I could go on and on and scream
but instead I won't, I'll dream
that an answer is close and near
to this great Park I hold dear.


Please weigh in and submit your comments for the record on the Traffic Plan.  

HOLIDAYS, DECEMBER 2015

Happy New Year!

It was a memorable holiday season.  My mother spent a full week with us, Sunday Dec 20th through Sunday Dec 27th.  It was her first visit to our newly remodeled home.  I think she had a good time.  We certainly did. 

We kept a busy, but fun schedule.  We toured multiple museums, played many games of scrabble, shared laughs and meals together.

Monday we toured the Natural History Museum as well as the Museum of Tolerance. 

The Natural History Museum featured a special exhibit, Mummies, New Secrets from the Tombs.

We viewed hundreds of ancient mummies, mostly from Egypt and Peru.

We didn't allow enough time to see everything the museum had to offer, but we did take a tour of the gardens.

My mom, after a brief stroll of the NHM Garden

Tuesday, we returned to the west part of L.A., near UCLA to visit the Hammer Museum.  It was a cold and drizzly day, perfect to spend a few hours looking at Armand Hammer's fabulous art collection, which included the works of  van Gogh, Rembrandt, Goya, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas and others.

A unique chair was also on display.  Gerry couldn't resist a "spin."

 

Later, he was reprimanded by Nideha Akunyili Crosby, the Nigerian-born artist with a temporary exhibit in one of the galleries.

"Gotcha", she seems to scold.

Wednesday was a picture-perfect day, ideal for a visit to the Getty Villa.  We took advantage of two 45-minute docent-led tours:  the architecture tour and the garden tour.  We also attended the spotlight tour, a 30-minute talk with an in depth focus on one specific piece of art.

Harpist, early Cycladic II (ca. 2500 BC)
This was our focus piece on the spotlight tour 

The villa is a reconstruction and adaptation of the ancient Roman Villa dei Papiri, built outside the walls of the city of Herculaneum on the Bay of Naples.  It is believed to be one of the largest villas ever built in the Roman Empire.  It was buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.

The gorgeous details in the ceilings and floors were pointed out on the architecture tour

My favorite tour was the Garden Tour.  We were fortunate to have a well-versed exceptional docent, as well as a beautiful day to enjoy the lovely grounds.

Mom stands at the side of this spectacular fountain in the garden.

I join her on the marble bench for a few minutes.

Christmas Day we walked from our backyard over to Fern Dell, (Griffith Park.)  It was a 3 mile walk, and a good way to kick off the holiday.

The three musketeers - Coors Light, the Silver Bullet, and Coors Beer - enjoy Fern Dell

After our walk we exchanged gifts and ate a delicious brunch.

A festive egg bake, with tomatoes, spinach and cheese and roasted potatoes, plus english muffins.

We took a few more pictures to record the day later in the afternoon, shortly before sunset.

In front of our house, with the focus on us.

In front of our house, with the focus on the house!

In the downstairs patio in front of our prolific orange tree.
Fresh picked oranges with breakfast each day.

Chef Gerry roasted a small turkey on the Weber Grill for Christmas Dinner.  The feast included rosemary roasted potatoes, green beans, and cranberry-orange relish.  It was delicious!!!

We are about to begin a very tasty meal. 

It was a fine week.  Plenty of museum visits along with many games of scrabble.  In the photo above, the red box on the chair at the top left is a scrabble game.  Below it is a scrabble dictionary.  I think we used them both every day.

Happy New Year to my dear family and friends. 

PETROGLYPHS GALORE!

We are familiar with petroglyphs.  We've seen them at various sites in CA, AZ and UT, and were duly impressed.  But what we saw this past weekend on our Petroglyph Tour blew our minds!    It is on a naval base, about an hour drive from  Ridgecrest, CA.   (TIP: If you are interested, it is imperative you book this in advance.) 

Our tour  began at 6:30 am sharp Sunday morning at the delightful Maturango Museum.  They briefed us, and then we went through a high-security check which took time...

It was nearly 9:30 am before we were at the trail head for Little Petroglyph Canyon. We hiked  this pristine canyon, 1 1/2 miles.

We're glad they have preserved this canyon.

Beautiful plants abound.

As well as colorful lichen.

  The hike was treacherous at times, for someone like me who doesn't have a good sense of balance.

Quite the rock scramble here.

I understand why they insist you wear sturdy shoes.

Gerry took advantage of his telephoto lens, and took some amazing contest-award winning photographs, in my (admittedly biased) opinion.

Numerous etchings upon this rock

As well as this one.

This is truly art!

No one knows for sure how old these petroglyphs are. A broad range of dates can be inferred from archaeological sites in the area and some artifact forms depicted on the rocks. Some of them may be as old as 16,000 years, some as recent as the 1800s. Designs range from animals to abstract to anthropomorphic figures. Opinions vary widely whether the petroglyphs were made for ceremonial purposes, whether they are telling stories to pass along the mythology of their makers, or whether they are records of hunting hopes or successes, clan symbols or maps.

 Everywhere we looked, there were petroglyphs.  I can imagine doing this Petroglyph Tour dozens of times and still seeing something new each time.  The sunlight and the reflections change the appearance of the drawings.  We noticed the views as we walked into the canyon differed from the views as we walked out.

Petroglyphs on two adjacent rocks.

I wonder what these symbols mean.  What story is the ancient artist trying to tell us?

Is all this done by one artist, or several?

Was this drawing left alone, out of respect for the artist and the beauty of his work?

Many questions, few answers.  It is fascinating.  We can use our imaginations to try to understand this glorious art which ancient civilizations left to us.

Even the birds are in awe.

In the words of Arnold...."I'll be back." 

HAUNTED HAYRIDE

When is Griffith Park NOT Griffith Park?  The month of October.   This is when TenThirtyOne Productions puts on the Los Angeles version of The Haunted Hay Ride.   An interior area of Griffith Park is transformed from a tranquil respite to a theme park.

Yep, this is scary.   The idea of taking away precious open space from hikers and passive recreational users in order for a private company to gain financial profits horrifies me.  I like to think that Colonel Griffith agrees.  I picture him turning over in his grave, unable to sleep, as he says to himself, "This was not my intention when I bequeathed this land for the citizens of Los Angeles to enjoy!"

The Haunted Hay Ride takes place Thursday through Sunday, but TenThirtyOne leaves the infra-structure in place on the "off days."   Gerry and I visited the site this past Wednesday, cameras in hand, to view and document what we witnessed.  Better documentation, of course, would be provided if we actually paid admission for the "Ride."  But there was no way I would fork over $35 for the Haunted Hay Ride.  In fact, I wouldn't even go if they paid me $35.

This is the fifth year of the event, which has expanded it's footprint each year.  It started out with perhaps 5 acres being taken away from the general public each October.  The current 2015 version occupies approximately 15 acres.

With Gerry in the foreground, you can get an idea of the size of this monstrosity.

The Hayride goes thru this "tunnel

And somewhere along the "Ride" participants see a red school house (?) and a human meat-cutter (?) at Death Row. 

Too bad this structure is on an otherwise lovely open space, with native Oak trees

Death Row...I wish it was death row for the Haunted Hay Ride. 

I misspoke in my opening paragraph of this posting.  The Haunted Hayride is not only October.  It  actually includes the last few weeks of September (for set up) and the first few weeks of November for the tear-down.

This area of the park always looks worse afterwards.  Vehicles, including trailers, tractors, trucks and wagons,  parked "off road" for a month is not good for the land.

Half-a-dozen coaches, wagons or whatever.

Not sure, why Big Red can't park in the parking lot 100 yards below.

The final insult - The Hay Ride vehicle.

Twelve of these Hay Ride vehicles are staged in what is considered to be a wilderness area.

Money talks, and with a loud voice.   $1,350 is what it costs to rent this sucker for your own private Hay Ride for you and your select group of friends.

Isn't this why Universal Studios, Knotts Scary Farm, etc exist?  I kinda get the concept of a Halloween attraction in a theme park.  But why Griffith Park? 

I draw the line when the theme park encroaches Griffith Park.  Let's make the Griffith Park Haunted Hayride R.I.P.

Please contact your council person David Ryu and Council District 4, and let him and his staff know that this is not what you want Griffith Park to be....  If they allow Haunted Hayride in Oct, who knows what other "holidays" will be commercialized in the future?   Think about it.  There is a twelve month calendar.  We have a holiday nearly every month. Do we want private enterprises to take over our park? All the time?   My answer is an emphatic NO !!!!

My Camino in Spain - Section 6 (Leon to Ponferrada)

Gerry and I walked a portion of "The Way of St. James," a 500 mile journey from St. Jean Pied De Port in France west to Santiago, Spain.  "The Way" is broken down into 8 sections, or 33 stages.  Gerry and I did the final 3 sections (13 stages) of the journey.  We walked from Leon to Santiago over the course of 13 days, a total of 215 miles.  It was a wonderful experience.

We arrived in Leon Thursday afternoon, September10th.  We stayed in the historic center of the city.

The view from outside the 2nd floor of our hotel, the Hotel Real Colegiate, in Leon.

Watching the world go by, as we sit at a cafe in the center of town.

The Cathedral at night.

Friday, September11, our first day on the Camino, we walked over 20 miles from Leon to Villavante.   It was a beautiful day, with temperatures in the mid-70s.

Shortly past Leon, we pass this interesting building.

Fellow pilgrims on this long flat stretch

A few patches of sunflowers greet us.

The town of Mazarife welcomes us after 13.2 miles.

The tall bell tower in Mazarife.
The storks have built their nests at the top.  It's one of the highlights of the walk.

A welcome site at the end of the day -
a lovely guest house in the tranquil countryside.

It was a privilege to stay at this guesthouse, Molino Galochas, on the outskirts of Villavante.  Two Italians, Franco and Fabio, were also guests.  We enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal together, prepared by the proprietress, a friendly woman named Mercedes.

The following morning, Saturday September 12th we were off to Astorga, a 13.4 mile trek on the Camino.  Of course, we had to explore this ancient city, so we walked an addition 1 1/2 miles.  It was another beautiful day.

I pause to rest, and gaze at the rio Orbigo, from atop the bridge.

The bridge is the medieval Puente de Orbigo,
a famous bridge that dates from the 13th Century.

A long flat stretch of the Camino.  We will soon reach this canopy of poplar trees.

An elderly man harvesting green grapes by hand.
We find a patch of green grapes further down the road,
which we harvest - directly from hand to mouth!

A spiritual maze of stones.

Taking a rest in the shade, adjacent to the spiritual maze.

Astorga lies below, so close but yet so far away - about 3 miles to go.

Standing in the archway of Astorga's Pacios Episcopal.
(This Cathedral is too grand in size for me to capture in a photo!)

The adjoining Museo de Catedral.
We didn't go inside, as it was closed when we walked by,
as most places are between 2:00 and 4:00 pm for siesta. 

Sunday, September 13th we walked 13.7 miles on the Camino to the town of Rabanal, a tiny and hospitable village that boasts a population of sixty.    We passed through beautiful rural countryside.  We got our first taste of rain, and were rewarded with a few blisters.  Yet we remained happy pilgrims.

After 5.5 miles, we approach the thriving town of Santa Catalina
(population of 50.)

We stop for a very brief rest,
and before we know it, we are making our exit back onto rural trail.

About 2 miles later we reach the even smaller town of El Ganso
with this ancient stone church.

El Ganso is home of the "Cowboy Bar", a quirky place.
With rain on its way, we decided it is a good idea to step inside
for a cup of coffee to perk us up. 

A bizarre display of cowboy paraphernalia greets us in the Cowboy Bar. 

The next few miles the sky clears and
 we walk through some beautiful fields of heather.

Then it is time to don our rain ponchos. 

We arrive in Rabanal cold and wet.  We stop into a cafe and I order a Spanish omelette.  I am served a generous slice of what I can best describe as a potato onion pie.  It was delicious, but not exactly what I expected.

Monday, September 14th, was our longest day on the Camino, as we walked 21.7 miles from Rabanal to Ponferrada, with a few stops along the way.  We had some minor aches and pains, but the beautiful scenery made it all worthwhile.

We had been walking 30 minutes when we were treated to this breathtaking sunrise.

At the Cruz de Ferro, near the highest point on the entire Camino
at 4,934 feet elevation.

A simple iron cross stands atop a pole.  It is the tradition for pilgrims to place a stone from their homeland at the base of the cross.  Gerry and I upheld the tradition, and I added two stones we had plucked from our backyard.

Not sure what these ground flowers are, but I do know I like them.

You can't help but enjoy Mother Nature's display.

These bushes are loaded and just begging to be picked.

We stop and pick berries several times each day. They have become part of our daily diet.  Oddly enough, we seem to be the only pilgrims that do so.  Everyone else walks right on by, but not us!

An idea of what we gaze at as we walk along between towns.

Quaint town of Molinaseca.
We crossed a medieval footbridge to enter this charming historical village.

Finally, after 21 miles, the Castillo de Los Templarios is upon us.
 It is a magnificent 12th Century Castle.

We have arrived in Ponferrada.  The first thing we do when we check into the Aroi Bierzo Plaza Hotel is soak our feet in ice cold water.  Then we lie down to rest.

We have now completed Section 6 of the Camino!  We have walked nearly 72 miles in 4 days.