Tornado Day- A Few Photos From the Post-Storm Ride

Back on the road again...

Talk about catching a break. In the weather. Sort of. Took a Tornado to do it. Took a tornado and a super cell to lower the temperatures by 20 degrees.

End result, nature's air conditioner went turbo nuts; mayhem in the Bronx; hundreds of torn up trees in the metro area; a few million gallons of rain deposited in its wake, and a brief window of perfect 75 degree riding weather ... for now.

Sky looks a little wild, and the road is strewn with debris and wet sandy grit. Hopefully there are no more super cells left in this front's arsenal of tricks.

Apologies to my best bike,

but the road grit is not that horrendous, just a few wet sandy patches, tree debris, puddles and mini lakes. Nothing even close to MTBing in the mud, or cyclocross that's for sure.

VACATION WHEELS UP
I suppose vacations come in all shapes and sizes, and this one was a catch as catch can, jamboree of history, touring, surfing, windsurfing and ... at long last, road biking.

Post-tornado sky at Sands Point, buzzing by the water at 15 mph after the Tornado passed. Across the water is the Bronx, where the twister touched down. This side we just got 50-70 mph winds that tore up trees at will. For the most part however, the damage was limited this side of the sound.

So why has the riding been so sporadic?

Excuse No. 1: I'm a late night type, and have mostly utterly failed to get up anywhere early enough to ride before work, in the relative cool of the morning.

OK, Once or twice here and there, and sure, it's beautiful, it's cooler, but it's torturous on the diurnal rhythms of the night owl. I much prefer the afternoon.

Road, rough and ready for rolling your own ride.

Excuse No. 2: A generous assortment of leg, knee, neck and arm injuries, conditions and ailments have kept me off tdly after the he bike for way too long. When one subsides, another kicks in. it's been that way for longer now than I care to remember.

Excuse No. 3: I've pretty much got a sport to suit the weather at any given time, so as long as the body is willing, I'll go with the one that makes the most sense, or which satisfies the exercise/adrenaline/endorphin craving du jour — or one that caters to the last body systems functioning at the time.

Cycling had been bottom of the list, while the neck and the knee were acting up. The heat wave of June and July put the kybosh on it. Then there was the inflammation in the prostate along with a need for an antibiotic, that totally sealed the deal.

Golf hit the skids next with the arm/neck numbness and pain flaring up badly after "The Tournament."

But somehow, I recovered just in time for vacation.

That and a heavy dose of willpower to "break the duck." [That's an English cricketing term for "getting off the schnide," or finally scoring a run.] .. and some external inspiration.

DC RIDERS
Back from DC/MD/VA, and envious of the riders I saw "wheeling it up" while I was there.

OK I wasn't that envious — it was mostly somewhere between 93F and 99F (33-38C) the whole week.

One totally kitted-out, bandana'd beast on a Specialized Tarmac or some such road eating machine, did the Alexandria-Mount Vernon ride in 97 degrees, and just killed it. The guy seemed to be easily mashing 25-30mph like some Tour Pro. Made it look effortless, and of that, I was truly jealous...and beginning to think I could handle it, if the temps dropped to a more reasonable pair of digits.

So, the first morning back, I saw the temp widget speak of a balmy 85 (29C) and, sure enough, it felt like a cool spell in comparison.

well-watered Sands Point lawns the tropical downpour way

OUT OF SIGHT
I leapt into my favorite RBR Voler "Lounge" bibs, aired up the tyres/tires, and tried to put all thoughts of doctors, MRI's, ultrasounds, urinalysis, aches, pains, numbnesses, bulging discs, neuropathies and other assorted ailments out of my mind and hit the road for the first ride in a month and a half. (See Sands Point Looking North West - Ride's Reward 7/21/10)

Wheel blur

Relief and release, what a tremendous weight off the shoulders to finally ride smooth, and enjoy the whirr of wheels on the road without a hitch, or too many apparent physical ills attached.


HOLDING PATTERN
Then the heat returned, and more heat, and more endless heat and humidity. The kaput — and very expensive to repair/replace — thru-wall air conditioning unit rendered downstairs a no-go zone. The fan blew more hot humid air in. Confined to quarters on vacation.
No way!!

SURF ACCOMPLICE TO THE RESCUE
Multi-sports have their blessings and curses. On the positive side sometimes biking, sometimes the fine art of dog-walking are the only options. Sometimes there is only one option; if it's windy — windsurf. Sometimes many choices if it happens to be in that "in between zone," or just right for a few different activities. When the surf is good you'll put up with a little too much offshore wind, especially if you haven't surfed in a while. When the temperatures are cooler, but windless, golf and cycling compete.

But in the 95+F temps, golf and biking were off the menu—again.

SURFIN' RM2
Fortunately, though, Robby expressed the desire to get wet, cool off, hit the beach, and I had an instant surf accomplice for the next two days.

Modify that slightly — surf and windsurf accomplice. He got multi-sported, too.

The day after our trip to RM2, take liberties in the rather gnarlsome shorebreak, showing him how to belly ride the 9'6" Ricky Carroll (fresh coat of duct tape on the dings).

The ocean was brisk at first but as we struck for outside the lineup the bloodflow warmed up the body, to the point where the ocean was the perfect cooling elixir. Ahhhh. Back on the North Shore it's a humid, rainy soup.

The next day, Sunday, the wind picked up and it was time to teach the ritual of windsurfing uphauling and falling off.
The bay, in contrast was a warmer bath, but still just cooling enough.

ALL BEAT UP-NOW WHAT?
So with the first cycling, surf, and windsurfing sessions in a few weeks coming all in quick succession, there was not much left in the energy and pain-resilience tank.

Neither the stomach nor the blood pressure tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) very well, so it was cold turkey with the pain, unless absolutely necessary.

P.W. Fire Dept swings into action post-storm

What we needed was a cool spell, some natural healing, and a bit of resolve.

Then along came that tornado-storm that inspired this whole multi-sport rambling. The crisp cooling air that came in its wake, had but one message. "Grab bike::ride!" The body presented a suddenly window of "willing and able." Take it.

MORNING AFTER
OK, so a wiser prostitis (if that's what it is) patient might wait until the next day to pronounce a ride a success. Let's just say that while the leg and knee pains were bearable, some of the effects on the recently more tender interior parts were a little more uncomfortable. Not the average post-ride butt pain of the novice, this one's a little deeper. Gnnnnngh. Ask Lenny, he knows.

It seemed with the evening, things were improving and that surfing was once again on the radar. But butt has a mind of its own...

Since When Are We in Tornado Alley, on Long Island N.Y.?

Used to be that a tornado warning seemed to be a once in 5-to-10-year occurrence down here in maritime southeast New York State, now it seems every summer we're getting more and more.

Here's screenshot of the radar from last Friday's Tornado Warning conditions.


This afternoon (Sunday) we had some freakish weather yet again.

[Got that dog walk in just in time, as the skies began to darken]

But hey, at least it cooled pleasantly for a moment from 92 down to 90... Woo-hoo! Ah, clouds! ... blissful relief from a week of sun-bludgeoning.

And then the cell erupted in a hubris of wind, rain, leaves, twigs, and whatever else was caught in the the vortices.
The sky out the back door to the northwest was specked with leaves and debris swirling in the microbursts from a T-Storm cell.

Huge trees (70 ft+ old growth) a-blowing sideways. Sheets of water cascading from the roof. (Uh oh, gutters must be clogged).
Flash flood conditions, the backyard is now a swimming pool.

RADAR THIS ORIFICE
I'm going to indulge in some pseudo science. And although I did geography, geology and geomorphology to A-Level, it was seriously interrupted by far too much guitar playing.

While I don't doubt radar imagery of orifices in the ozone layer that expose parts of the planet to greater degrees of undesirable effects (for humans and some animals), I'm still a little more disposed, for now, toward the stronger influence of macro weather cycles on this kind of weather, not to mention shifting continental plates.

Further on down this page, in an extract from the San Diego Natural History Museum, there's an interesting turn of phrase, it reads like this "As the Ozone Layer forms..." Who'd have think it — once upon a time we had no ozone layer at all. Whose fault was that?

TROPICAL NY & RED HERRING
It's easy to forget that once "this area" was a lot warmer and wetter.

Trouble is here wasn't always here and I'm not sure where "here" really was, back when here was somewhere else, if you get my continental drift ).

Anyway, it's interesting to note that New York has, in its past, owned its fair share of coral reefs. Right now I'm looking outside to see if any are forming in the street as a result of this passing mini typhoon-monsoon.

I'll admit, however, this is a bit of a red herring in global warning, since what was to become North America was closer to the equator, and what's more relevant is whatever was the prevailing climate on the land mass at the same latitude/longitude as present day New York. Not even, since geography, ecosystems, topology, and ocean currents would influence that climate in fundamental ways, anyway.

ANYWAY
"The abundance of fossilized corals in some regional rock formations confirms that most of Western New York was once covered by a warm, shallow sea." http://www.westernny.com/geology.html

"A coral bed in the Skaneateles Formation of central New York, here designated the Case Hill Coral Bed, attains a thickness of 1½ to 2 feet. Although it is apparently restricted to the Tully Valley region (Onondaga County), its exact areal extent is not known with certainty. The fauna of the Case Hill Coral Bed, a mixture of corals and other invertebrates, is especially significant in that it includes Hamilton favositids previously unknown below the Ludlowville Formation in New York. The range of Favosites argus is extended downward by at least 355 feet in the Tully Valley." c Journal of Paleontology. v 42, No. 1, 1968 by Thomas X. Grasso, Chevron Oil Co. New Orleans

Carboniferous Period (354-290 million years ago)

"Two major land masses form: Laurasia (North America, Greenland, Eurasia, and Scandinavia) to the north of the equator, and Gondwana (South America, Africa, peninsular India, Australia, and Antarctica) to the south. Collisions between Laurasia and Gondwana form major mountain ranges. Coal-forming sediments are laid down in vast swamps.

Global climatic changes occur, changing from warm and wet to cooler and drier. The result is a long interval of glaciation in the southern hemisphere."
© San Diego Natural History Museum
www.sdnhm.org

Devonian Period (417-354 million years ago)
"Europe and North America collide, forming the northern part of the ancestral Appalachian mountain range. Europe and North America straddle the equator. Africa and South America are positioned over the South Pole.
The climate is generally warm and moist. This period is dominated by various forms of fish—armored fish, lungfish, and sharks.
Ammonites evolve from nautiloids and become one of the dominant invertebrate forms.

As the ozone layer forms, the first air-breathing arthropods—spiders and mites—evolve on land. Amphibians evolve and venture onto land.

Plant life, including lowland forests of giant psilophyta plants, develop and spread over the planet."

NOT ALL MAN's DOING
As such, not convinced that the sole responsibility for global warming lies in the hands of man-made effectors such as increased CO2.

But the longer these anecdotal and empirical flip-flop weather events continue, the more they provide food for thought that man-made accelerants may be (or have been) exacerbating nature's own macro climate cycles, and/or other periodic climatological occurrences, such as a present El Nino.

EL NINO - NOAA

El Nino: Astromet 2010 Forecast & Teleconnections, **Updated 2010/2011 Climate Outlook

Well enough pseudo-science from me, time to make a pot of tea and see if the Yankee Game is back on.

It's too hot for bike riding, and I'm totally spent from Saturday's surfing and Sunday's windsurfing efforts.

Stop Presses -- it's now 75F ... I'm going bike riding, before global warming resumes!

The DC, NCIS, Vienna, Mount Vernon and Manassas Gang

So, it's not all wind, water, bikes and snowboards. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Sometimes the gang likes to get outside with the rest of America and catch up with a little history in person, carved in stone, in the dirt, and on the battlefield. This includes Koda, who will not be left in a kennel for such jaunts. (Maybe next time, but not this time.) And with no functioning A/C in the bottom half of the house, one-a-day dog-sitting visits were out of the question.

Marg did her research, spoke with Park Rangers, and pre-screened hotels, and we decided to put pet-friendly places to the test.

With El Robbo in DC for a conference, it was a perfect opportunity for M, G, and Kodog — yes that's right Kodog, who is fast becoming the most historically well-traveled mutt on the East Coast — to visit a few places of interest.

LOOK MA NO GPS
Destination Arlington Cemetery.

A modest test of my nav skills, sans GPS, sans detailed map, going by memory and hotel-supplied chartage. Well, we got there, coming from relatively unfamiliar Vienna, Va., through Fairfax and Falls Church with no problem. Aiming for the National Cemetery via Route 50, we ran into Fort Myer as more or less expected, detoured around until we found a side street to park in (N. Meade St.). We unloaded into blistering (93-95 F) heat and headed for the the Iwo Jima monument, the Netherlands Carillion, and the Arlington side entrance.



Across the road and down a steepish incline lies the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Monument. It is as majestic as imagined. Having a few ex-Marine buddies, this is a special place. Charlie, Al, Dennis, Hank...

We'd hoped to visit the grave of Capt. Yuri Tarlavsky, USA, in Arlington — a hero, and a relative of a friend — but it was not to be, as our point of entry was too far for the combined heat, the pooch, and the missed timing of my BP medication, which was getting somewhat critical in the heat.

DC WATERFRONT AND MALL
Then onward for a drive around trip of DC, with a few stops along the way.

We're huge NCIS fans, so a drive past the Washington Navy Yard was a must-do, even if we know Abbie, Gibbs, De Nozo, McGee, and Co. are not really in da house!


The history mutt is shown here at the Jefferson Monument accompanying Marg and Gordo. Sadly, however, this is the limit for pooches, whose paws are not permitted past this point.

For me, personally, the stop at the George Mason memorial was the most enlightening moment. I hadn't realized this person was a pioneering thinker in concepts of liberty, and that the world's free democracies, and free men owed him such a debt of gratitude.

George Mason, Defender of Liberty

By Richard E. Miller, April 16, 2009 courtesy of www.hmdb.org

GEORGE MASON — THE INSCRIPTIONS

“This was George Mason, a man of the first order of wisdom among those who acted on the theater of the revolution, of expansive mind, profound judgement, cogent argument ...”
--Thomas Jefferson, 1821.

“Regarding slavery, that slow poison which is daily contaminating the minds & morals of our people: every gentleman here is born a petty tyrant, practiced in the acts of despotism & cruelty. We become callous to the dictates of humanity and all the finer feelings of soul, taught to regard a part of our own species in the most abject and contemptible degree below us. We lose that idea of the dignity of man which the hand of nature had implanted in us for great & useful purposes. ...” --George Mason, July, 1773.

“I recommend it to my sons ... never to let the motives of private interest or ambition to induce them to betray, nor the terrors of poverty and disgrace or the fear of danger or of death to deter them from asserting the liberty of their country and endeavoring to transmit to their posterity those sacred rights to which themselves were born.” --George Mason, March, 1773.

HOUND OF HISTORY (historischehund)
Not to be deterred however, the Hound of History set out to prove, in the name of all Dogs of War before him, that black dogs can indeed handle 95+F degree heat on a Virginia Civil War battlefield if given enough cool water to drink at regular intervals and every opportunity for shade and rest is taken.
Kodog "vogueing" it up with Gen. Stonewall Jackson "See, I am just like his horse, only smaller."

Getting there was easily half the fun, as we succeeded in missing a poorly marked turn and having to creatively wing it with a seat of the pants countryside detour.

That turned out to be through "Historic Clifton" which is a highly recommended a detour as we can possibly, well, recommend.

Classic old Virginia, virtually unscathed. I imagine this is not exactly common in the near metro DC area, unless you are willing to venture off the beaten track.

As for the hour on the battlefield, and the heat of the pounding afternoon sun, I wasn't so sure about myself, but was fine. It was later that the car's A/C was tested to the limit as the temp approached 100. I didn't discover the air recycle button fast enough, I'm afraid, and we were on the ragged edge of being microwaved in the broiling Dodge.

Manassas, Va. (near Bull Run)

The Manassas Gang
El Robbo is a history buff and a Civil War scholar, so he was in his element, and Gordo knows a thing or two, he just doesn't let on. M is representing with the NY Rangers hat (Lundqvist model), and also comes from a line of Civil War historian(s) on the paternal side.

In the evening, the pooch tested out ingenuity. Although the Sheraton Premiere is dog-friendly, there is no such thing as a dog-friendly restaurant that we know of, anywhere nearby.

Dinner was a bit of a conundrum. With room service horrifically expensive and somewhat gastronomically pedestrian for the price (Kodog had no complaints about the size of the Tuna steak, though, which I shared with him), we brought in from a variety of name-brand casual dining (NBCD) haunts.

This was the dinnertime view, from our room -- Virginia at night... a sweet sight.



The following day on a massive detour prior to the drive home the Monument Mutt discovered that Mount Vernon just may be the most pet-friendly National Park imaginable.

The staff were fabulous and helped us in our efforts to keep Kodog well suplied with cooling fluids and, between that and the judicious use of shade, trees, and rest stops, we enjoyed a fantastic visit.

Mount Vernon's original entrance
By Roger Dean Meyer, February 4, 2007 courtesy of
www.hmdb.org

Kodog was petted and pampered at every turn. His highlight, however, was GW's livestock. The sheep brought out his inner Collie, and his sheepdog instincts awoke from the midday torpor. Tail up for the first time in an hour or two, nose pointed, "Let me herd them!" Not a chance, old friend. Short leash for now. Sheep not for Koda, moving on ...

No phil photos, I goofed and left the camera behind. It was that mind-blastingly hot.

Well, we'll just have to go back when they have GW's own recipe whiskey in stock. For now, it's the America's finest whiskeys blended together in a tiny bottle, at least until George distills a fresh batch of his own.

Sands Point Looking North West - Ride's Reward

7-21-10 Ride's Reward.

A quick, Sands Point morning road ride yields this view at the WNW corner of the turnaround.

The view toward the Throg's Neck Bridge was clear as a bell, but in the photo it's only as clear as a cell-phone can deliver.

Good spot to enjoy the hearty whiff of low tide, if it's out, and let it fill your lungs.

As a kid I never liked the odor of sun-baked seaweed, but as an adult I'm well pleased by its strong briney tang that's reminiscent of fine highland and island single malt whiskeys.

More shaded riding, as the camera adds cell-phone fisheye distortion to the view.

Just a sweet shaded ride for a scorcher of a morning. About to enter a blinding patch of reflected sun by the Golf Course entrance.

Heading back toward town, the road offers shade to combat the 80-90 degree days of strong July sun. Campagnolo brifter in hand, rolling by the golf course, enjoying induced wind.

Keeping an eye out for stray Titleist Pro V1s to add to the shag bag!

Sand's Point - the Curve

Rest and enjoy the view, and a swig of water. Few bother to look back,here, since the Sound vistas looking forward are spectacular, but road-riding lovers also appreciate the road. It's always part of the conversation.
--
Sent from my Virgin Mobile