Stopping By The Woods

Michelin Man

Phil — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:37:29 +0000

Michelin Man, originally uploaded by me.

Recently, I had occasion to celebrate another year of birth on the planet. A very good friend presented me with a framed poster that I am really quite fond of. It is an early advertisement featuring the Michelin Man.

After receiving it, I did a little research on the subject. The sign on the Michelin man’s back, loosely translated, says “The best and the least expensive.” The cigar was actually part of the Michelin man’s trademark at the time. Evidently, the Michelin man’s “name” is Bibendum, and he was introduced in 1898. The same artist who created him did this poster, sometime around 1910. His name is Marius Rossillon, but he used the name “O’Galop.” The Michelin man is said to be the world’s oldest trademark, and is of course still being used today.

This is a truly fascinating piece of history to me…and quite a frightening and intriguing figure! It’s a wonderful present, which I absolutely love. I found a spot for it right above the mantel.

The Hawk Rescue

Phil — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:18:41 +0000

Back on September 13 of this past year, my friends Linda and Dean were with me on a 40 mile bike ride around the Indiana countryside. It was a great day to ride; sunny, crystalline blue skies with interspersed, puffy, cumulus clouds, the kind of late-summer day that I absolutely love to go riding in. I am not much of a “group” rider, but I do enjoy having a few close friends around, people who know me, and will not necessarily take offense when I do not say a word for miles, or when I seem to be in a daze. When I really get into a ride, I tend to get lost in my own thoughts and feelings, and the surroundings. Sometimes riding to me is just a shade shy of mystical that way.
This particular ride was one of those rides. I don’t remember much of it, other than the event I will be shortly describing. I know that we rode out past Memphis IN, out almost to Henryville IN, then made our way back. I wore my Garmin watch that day, and I have the route recorded, which you can see by clicking this link.
When I first saw the hawk, Linda and Dean were a short distance in front of me. I was looking off to my left on a road called Bud Prather Road. I am very much a lollygagging, take-in-the-scenery kind of rider. One of my favorite things to do, on rural rides especially, is look off to the side of the road at the tall grass rushing by in a delicious golden blur.   Sometimes I enjoy looking at my shadow on the rolling grass, cast by the sun, if it’s low enough in the sky and I am in the right position. At this particular time, there was no shadow, but I was still grooving on the colors, the smell of sweet farmland, and the sounds of the wind with the soft purring of my freewheel, gears and chain.
Suddenly up ahead, I noticed what I first thought was a brown dog standing by the side of the road. I always have a sixth sense “radar” operating for dogs or any other creatures that may give chase or dart out in front of me, but as Linda and Dean had both ridden past it and it had not given chase, any such worry was practically non-existent. I was more curious than anything else.
We were all going slightly fast, about 26 mph, on this one little stretch with a very slight decline in elevation. As I sped past, I realized it wasn’t a dog at all, but a large bird. Its eyes met mine as I rode by it. I immediately got the feeling it was in some kind of danger or distress, and my heart just leapt inside my chest. I hollered out “A bird, a bird!” and Linda and Dean slowed.   “Stopping, stopping,” I called out, and they both stopped with me. I told them there was a bird back there, a big one, just standing by the side of the road. I may have sounded like I just saw a UFO, but they know me I guess, and understand my idiosyncrasies. At least I am sure Linda does, as she has known me longer. She knows if I see a large bird just standing there, it’s something worth getting excited about.
We all rode back, slowly, and we all saw it. At this point, I will call it “him,” because I believe it to be a juvenile male red-tailed hawk. We did not ride up directly to him, but instead dismounted and walked very, very slowly, to not disturb him or appear as a threat. He let us get really close, about eight to ten feet, before he flapped his wings and sort of fluttered back a bit towards a fence behind him.
We stood there and speculated. What could we do? What was wrong with the bird? Was he injured? Old? Ill in some way? On one side of the road, the one opposite the bird, is a large electrical substation. It is the only really industrial looking site in an otherwise scenic and rural locale, and often when I ride by it I can “feel” the electricity in the air, as well as hear a noticeable hum and crackle. I speculated that perhaps the big bird had received a shock of some sort, but how were we to know. The main thing was, what could we do for him?
We decided to use my cell phone to call Raptor Rehab, a volunteer organization devoted to providing aid and rehabilitation to injured birds. We dialed 411, got the number, and left a message. There was nothing more at the time to do. My heart sank as we rode off, leaving the bird behind. There was something about him. You could look right into his eyes. I know it sounds strange, but it was as if he was telling us to help him somehow. I am predisposed to feeling a strong connection and kinship to animals, I suppose. I can never sit through a viewing of Winged Migration without getting emotional. I am a big sap in that way.
Anyway, we made our way back, as there were still ten miles to go at that point. And every one of those miles, I thought about that bird. Was he going to hop into the road and get hit by a car? Was he going to be the victim of some stupid redneck with a gun? All sorts of outcomes regarding the bird popped into my head, most of them not good. (Yeah, one of my “curses” is that when confronted with a problem, I tend to go through a negative risk analysis and worse-case scenarios.)
When I got home, I immediately called Raptor Rehab again. No answer but I left another message. Then I grabbed a bite to eat, still thinking about the bird. After an hour or so, the phone rang. It was the rehab place. The woman on the other end explained that if I were to capture the bird and bring it to them, they would take it, that afternoon. Capture the bird? That’s something I didn’t feel too sure about. I had naively thought that they would come out to retrieve the bird, but it made sense that they could not possibly do that. How could they know the bird would still be there? The woman explained to me that if I got a box and a towel, and some gloves, a capture would be quite easy. All I would have to do is throw the towel over the bird and it would quietly allow me to put him in the box.
Well, I promised that I would go back and try. I called Linda and Dean because I know they wanted to help that bird, too. I grabbed a box and some gloves and a small blanket, and off I went, meeting them there. At first, we saw no sign of the bird, but then we spotted him atop a fence post about a quarter mile down the road.   We approached from different sides, towels and blanket at the ready.   The bird hopped off the post and tried to scramble away as we got closer. Fortunately, there were two large telephone poles on their sides near the substation, obviously there was some construction about to take place at that spot, and the bird tried to get away from us by attempting to go under one of the phone poles. This made it easy for me to throw a blanket over him, and I then swallowed hard, took a deep breath and grabbed for him with Dean right next to me blocking the bird’s escape path if he tried it. And the woman had been right. There was no struggle at all.
We placed him in a box and drove him to the rehab facility the woman had told me about on the phone. My heart was pounding the entire time. Once there, we were met by a man who took the bird out and examined him. He identified him as a red-tailed hawk, perhaps a juvenile. We filled out some paperwork and he promised to have the bird looked at by a vet the following Monday. Then he gave us a tour of the place. It was awesome.
A few days later I emailed the facility to inquire about the bird. In a reply, the woman told me that that bird was doing great, had gained weight, was eating everything that they put in front of him. If all went well, they would release him back into the wild in the spring. I was overjoyed! I have not written about this until now, because I am in the process of contacting them again to inquire on the bird. I sent along a small donation to their cause. If you are so inclined, please feel free to do the same. It is one worthy organization!
Looking back, it just tickles me that we were able to do something for the little guy. Even if he had not have pulled through, or if something else still could happen to him, at least we did what we could for him. The very next day, the remnants of Hurricane Ike tore through here like you would not believe, with 70mph+ winds. I was glad that the bird did not have to struggle to make it through that.

Iroquois Hill Runners Thanksgiving Day Run - 2008

Phil — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:50:03 +0000

Well, despite the fact I have-ahem-not been dieting as well as I should be, and I also have not been running as much as I should be, I once again ran the Iroquois Hill Runners Thanksgiving Day Run today. It was a beautiful day to run, despite starting out on the cool side. So cool, in fact, that I decided to wear mittens, which by two miles in, were much much too hot. The event is a scenic run up the hill in Iroquois Park, around the top, then back down. I first ran it back in 1999, then again in 2000, and I can’t remember running it again until last year. But I hope to start doing it every year from now on out. A truly nice event.

Old stuff on You Tube

Phil — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:35:24 +0000

Well, whenever I get in a mood to surf the web, I often find myself on You Tube, bouncing around from one video to another. I like looking at somewhat obscure performances of groups I listened to as a kid, especially from the late 60s and 70s. Sometimes, people just take the audio and put together their own montage, sort of “interpreting” the music. But what i really enjoy are the rarities from old TV shows. So, in an effort to put an obligatory You Tube link on my blog, here is one I found of the Guess Who’s “Laughing,” evidently from a pilot of a Canadian TV show. The title says it’s 1970 but I think the song was actually out in 68 or 69. The video is grainy, with a countdown timer embedded onscreen, and the audio is crackly, but there is something about it I like. I chose it as one of my “favorites” on You Tube.

Bicycle ride to Clark State Forest

Phil — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:40:20 +0000

I decided to document, with photos, a typical bike ride in Southern Indiana. This was a 45 mile trip to the Clark State Forest on Sunday, November 2, 2008. More details on the route can be found by clicking this link.

In the table below, you can click on the thumbnail images for a larger photo. Or you can view the originals on flickr.

Starting at County Line Road, make your way to Payne Koehler Road, then out 60 to Bean Road, next to the Clark County airport.
While on Bean Road, be sure to pass directly under the pair of Fila tennis shoes someone threw over the line directly above the railroad tracks.
About five miles out, take in the scenic beauty of the Sellersburg Stone Company and asphalt plant. Oh, so that's where all those huge trucks are coming from (unless you go on a Sunday).
Ugh. I hate this particular railroad crossing on East Utica Street in sleepy old Sellersburg.
A close second to railroad crossings I don't like. These always give me the feeling of a potential pancaked front wheel.
If you are going to rendezvous with the Southern Indiana Wheelmen, you might find yourself pulling out of this parking lot at Silver Creek High School.
Once you head down 31 a little bit, take a right on Webber past the "see-mint" plant.
Climb a little incline on Brick Church Road and get greeted by the Silver Creek Cemetery. You've got promises to keep and miles to go before you sleep.
Nice little farm on Brick Church Road.
Take a left on Stricker. You can build up some speed on the few little rollers but you might as well not, just coast as much as possible. This is not the Tour de France, and you aren't even Walter Mitty.
Head due East on Stricker. That's kind of a cool lookin barn on the right.
Once you turn off of Fox onto Trealor, had you done this ride before the election, you might have noticed the lone Obama sign in a seemingly endless sea of McCain-Palin signs.
So peaceful, a nice scene along Hansberry.
The same farm. Nice spread you got, whoever you are.
The crop's all in, but this is still a spectacular view. Beats riding in downtown Louisville and fighting traffic any day.
Keep going on Hansberry. I see a lot of Bluebirds out on this stretch at the right time of day.
You can't see it very well in this photo, but there's a nice smiley face on this barn.
Get ready to do the little incline up Murphy to Caney. There are buffalo on the farm to the right once you get to the stop sign.
Take the nice downhill on into Henryville. Oh Lyle Lovett did a cool song called "Up In Indiana" that mentions Henryville.
Get off 31 and take a left into the Forest entrance. As soon as you can. Those cars on 31 can be kind of cruel sometimes, at speeds over 60 often.
Welcome to the Forest. Congratulations. You made it.
Oh man, the trees. The leaves.
Take a left on White Oak and head past the lake. The one-way road makes it a very nice cruise.
Leave the lake area and just past here, if you want, go on and take the Fire Tower Challenge. Not for me, on this day.
So long, nice forest area. Head back to 31.
At the four way stop, take a right on 160.
This stretch of 160 is not too pleasant, so why not make a stop at the Sprint store for a snack?
There is a bench, and may I recommend a Zagnut bar and a Sunkist soda, in lieu of a Clark bar and an Orange Crush (which they do not have). From here, you can go on out 160 to Henryville-Bluelick and make your way back, or simply turn around and go back the way you came. That's what I did.

Catching Up

Phil — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:17:30 +0000

Well, I really don’t know where to begin. I doubt if I can really catch up just in one post, but I will try, for those two or three people who stop by now and then to see if I am still on the planet. :) My year started out good. I had some goals. I have achieved a few of them, and I have not achieved a few of them. I was running races trying to prep for the Mini Marathon. I think the last one I logged here was the Anthem 5K. Then after that, I did the Rodes City Run 10K, the Clover Leaf 10K, and the Papa John’s 10 miler. That was on March 29. I kept training after that, but a week or two later, I sustained a fluke injury, a bruised rib. At work. Sitting in my chair, lol.

But it was a bitch. Every step I took was like someone poking me really rather severely in my right rib area. Actually, it was like that with every deep breath I took. I couldn’t believe my dumb luck. For a while, I thought I was not going to be able to run the Mini. I didn’t really make my mind up until about two days before the race, which was April 26. I managed somehow to complete the race, a whole lot slower than I had originally planned, but considering the circumstances, just finishing was an accomplishment for me.

During that entire time, and since then, I sort of withdrew into myself a bit. It’s not like I have become anti-social, but I didn’t really feel like I had much to say in terms of keeping this journal up. I still am not quite sure if I have enough going on that’s worthy enough to write down, but maybe there is. We’ll see.

After the mini, I stopped training. I have only run two races since then, both 5Ks, the Thru the Zoo race on May 10, and the Race for the Cure on October 12. I am in piss poor running shape, but I am going to get back into the swing of it. I felt like I could barely finish the Race for the Cure, but all I had to do was think about my friend Diann who is recovering from breast cancer, and whatever pain I was feeling during the run seemed trivial.

So, what I have been doing, a whole lot since about June, is riding bicycles. I had not been doing much riding in the past few years, but back in June, I bought a Cannondale Synapse. Since then I have been totally and completely hooked. I have picked up a couple of old Schwinns, too, and restored them. I made one into a singlespeed with a flip-flop hub for fixie riding, and the other is an aqua colored 1984 Schwinn Traveler 12-speed that is now in it’s original glory.

I have been putting miles in. It’s sort of addicting, like running is, when you get into it. Since June 13, I have ridden over 1500 miles, which of course is not a whole bunch but considering I am a working stiff and I don’t really commute because I can’t bring myself to fight the Second Street Bridge traffic on my bike all alone, twice a day, I think the miles I have accumulated so far are good miles. By that I mean they are miles that for the most part have been exceedingly freeing and supremely satisfying. I wish I could think up some more superlatives to use. Bicycling is great. It doesn’t help me lose weight like running does but that’s not why I do it so much. It’s very hard to describe but it’s kind of spiritual for me.

More to come…I shall attempt to document the rides I did this weekend, but in a different post.

Haven’t been posting, but I am alive

Phil — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:56:24 +0000

Yeah. I haven’t been doing too much in front of the PC at home lately. Not for a few months in fact. To catch up, I ran the mini, started riding my bikes again, bought a new bike, started riding it, started fixing up some old bikes I got, started riding them. And so on. I will have to get my act together and start blogging again, it’s cathartic. But so are a lot of other things. More to come.

Anthem 5K

Phil — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:06:23 +0000

I have gained a little weight (4 pounds over 2 weeks), getting slower on runs, and generally feeling crappy so I didn’t have high expectations today at the Anthem 5K. I did not get a PR, but looking back over race results I managed to save since 1999 (I took a multi-year hiatus from 2003 to 2007 while turning into a couch potato), there was only one 5K I ran faster, the Colgate 5K in 2000, at 25:06. So not bad for an old, still-overweight guy who just got back into running again:

Chip time: 25:49
Pace: 8:20
Numbers from my watch:
First mile: 7:55
Second mile: 8:20
Third mile: 8:10

Ohio Falls Bridge Painting, Part II

Phil — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:34:33 +0000

Ohio Falls Bridge Painting, Part II

Okay, I was not able to work on this all week. I only had time today to put on a little more wash, and begin blocking out some of the patterns on the bridge structure. At this rate, it might take me seven weeks. But hey, I’m enjoying it!

Oh, this Part II in a series. It’s a painting I am doing from a photograph I took of the Ohio Falls Bridge, also known as the Fourteenth Street Bridge, on December 26, 2007. I will post more photographs as the painting progresses. Part I was done exactly one week ago.

I am starting on this by doing thin washes and mostly working from the top down. At this point, I am just using a lot of burnt umber, some yellow ochre, raw sienna, cerulean blue, french ultramarine and Permalba. I am mixing it with Turpenoid, which I do not like only because I cannot smell it. I would actually rather work with something I can smell. That way, I know if I am inhaling too much of it.

Today I brought the painting and easel in from my garage to my living room and painted for a couple hours, taking my time. Then I sealed up my palettes (a couple of Chinet paper plates) with some Press’n Seal and moved it all back out into the garage. Most of the paint I had from many years ago was no longer usable, but the brushes have held up well. If “real life” work is not too much of a killer this week, I hope to do some more work on this throughout the week. That way, when it comes to posting Part III next week, there will be more to look at!

Groove Me

Phil — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 20:09:00 +0000

Today I completed a 13 mile run, in keeping with my training plan for the 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon. It was the longest I have run since April 28, 2001 (last time I ran the mini). I am pleased that I made it through the run, but I now know that my goal of completing the mini in under 2 hours is probably not achievable. I thought I ran fairly strong, and I took a one minute walk break every 9 minutes, carried water with me and hydrated correctly, ate a bowl of Kashi hot cereal beforehand for energy, etc. But I must have bonked somewhere around mile 10. All I know is that by the time I had gone around 11.6 miles, it seemed like I was running in slow motion, maybe because I was! The last two miles seemed killer to me.

I kind of felt this coming, psychologically. I have not been losing weight like I was, in fact, I have even gained a couple of pounds in the past couple weeks [lousy diet lately], and I have been having the winter/gray skies/all work and no play blues. So building up to this day, I just felt a little anxiety. I woke up around 4 in the morning last night feeling like I needed to have some new music on my iPod to just get me through the run. I downloaded about 10 songs, most of them old funk/R&B classics. I have a huge weakness for early 70s stuff, especially soul funk. Then I created a playlist on my iPod called “Get me thru” and loaded the new songs into it, without listening to any of them because I wanted sort of a “surprise” factor, and mixed in some stuff I already had, enough to last 2.5 hours. All I can say is thank god I did. I really don’t think I could have done this run if it weren’t for the music. And I know for a fact I would have just walked the last uphill half-mile if not for King Floyd’s “Groove Me.” What an awesome, awesome song! From the moment it starts out with a grunt, all the way to the very end, just absolute beauty.

And so, I title this post in honor of that song. King Floyd died a couple years ago but I owe him big time. For those of you interested in the song or maybe want to listen to it, click on this link to a page on the NPR website about it, and about Mr. Floyd. You can then click on another link to listen to the full song, in all its funky splendor. Maybe you will see what I mean, how it carried me up the hill and through the last half mile, and why I love it so.

Obligatory numbers (Yeah, I know. Slow.):

Total Time (h:m:s)	2:21:45	10:45 pace
Distance (mi)	13.19
Moving Speed (mph)	5.6 avg.	9.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+967 / -964
Temperature (F)	30.8 F avg.	32 F high
Wind Speed (mph)	N 6.9 avg.	N 8.1 max.

Total Time (h:m:s) 2:21:45 10:45 pace

Distance (mi) 13.19

Moving Speed (mph) 5.6 avg. 9.4 max.

Elevation Gain (ft) +967 / -964

Temperature (F) 30.8 F avg. 32 F high

Wind Speed (mph) N 6.9 avg. N 8.1 max.