Manhasset Bay Sunset Walks

With some "sunnier" though not warmer (what happened to the 75 degrees the other week?) weather — in particular a relatively windless day in the 40s last weekend and a similar one, but breezier: 5.7 to 6.5 square meters sail size in windsurfing terms — I took Kodog on some fresh routes I hadn't walked in years. Biked them, yes, walked no, not in a long time.

The snow, frigid winds and sidewalks slick as ice rinks didn't exactly encourage exploration this winter, and the walks had tended to stay in the tree-sheltered streets and away from the water.

Getting down toward the bay the views are worth the effort. This is a look down Prospect toward Louie's Restaurant Dock and out to the bay.


The first and last photos are taken closer to sunset in the Town Dock area.

And the last one rounding the corner by the bandshell park, past the harbormaster's control tower.

It's about a 3.35 mile circuit with some hills thrown in for good measure, about 200-300 ft of uphill and downhill for a decent workout over an hour and a bit.

Gordon came along for the second bay-side walk the following week, and I doubt we stopped talking the whole way. Politics were at the forefront of his mind. He's very keen on finding solutions, and struggling with the logic/illogic involved in the way political groups and power brokers sabotage "reasonable" efforts that he thinks might have a chance of working, and just how much gub'mint people need in their lives.

The dog didn't seem to have a problem with any of it. Ducks, geese, squirrels, other dogs and more curious scents, made for a primo dog stroll.

supermoonandfriend

supermoonandfriend, originally uploaded by PhilMcPhilly.

Coming back from a dog walk at somewhere around 10:54 p.m. I grabbed the D70 with the 28-135 already attached in anticipation, and snapped the so called "Supermoon." Sometime today it was expected to be in "perigee," and as a result 14 percent larger-looking and 30 percent brighter.

Once again, another celestial object of origin unknown to me, muscled in on the photo op., appearing lower down and to the right, just as another one had done during the Halo moon last year.

I couldn't see the other object in regular vision nor in the viewfinder, but with the help of the 135 mm lens it shows up in the final photos, tracking across the various shots.

Better photos here: SPACE.COM
including some real beauties form around the world.

Just a Walking the Dog

Nothing like a good dog walk -- almost felt like spring out there, but for a little bite in the brisk wind.

3.2 miles around some of the quieter and more well-spaced out parts of Port Wash / Sands Point. If there's one thing about living near to a high-zoot neighborhood, it's that it often makes for most excellent walking.

Nothing in bloom yet, so good visibility through the trees still. Plenty of hills, and some steep ones at that. 419 ft of elevation gain is a halfway decent workout in 3 miles.



Sports note: With the cervical discs still seriously aggravated, there's no golf*, no surfing and no windsurfing anywhere on the horizon.
* OK maybe some putting but even that's in question.

Incredible: A neuratonomist talks about her experience of a stroke ... being, liberation, pain, connectedness, recovery, and... Nirvana.

This can be tough to take for the queasy, like me. But it's a rare recollection from someone as adept at describing it as Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor.

Maybe many other survivors have not been able to bear witness in the way she does. I don't know. It is not something I'd normally gravitate to watching as these are formidable fears to confront for many at "our" age. I've been on the ragged edge of consciousness several times, and it wasn't fun.

However, this was forwarded to me by a member of Long Island Bicycle Club (LIBC) (with whom I once rode a little before my neck injury), since a member recently had a stroke and is recovering.

It is truly a remarkable, sometimes tense, and a bit scary, but incredibly illuminating series of insights in a narrative that the word compelling does not do justice to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

Uh oh, New Hat

What's not to like about a mom/mum who sends you new hats — especially when they are from your Breton past. Yes, I acutally did once spend a lot of time living on the Breton coast ,and sailed a small boat out of LeConquet harbor, so I just about qualify.

But no one carries off wearing this hat like:
David Carradine?

Robby, now wants one. Guess he will have to make nice with Grandma. This one is nice and warm and perfect for Spring and Fall.

Stunning photo by ojisan jake

Photo by Ojisan Jake

Best viewed at his blog URL below:

http://ojisanjake.blogspot.com/2010/05/vacation-2010-day-canalwalk-final-part.html

A photo such as this by ojisanjake should be seen by as many eyes as possible. From a canalwalk during his recent vacation in England.

Back on the Feet, Owl Flight, Missing the Wheels

Back on my feet today, with a Kodog walk.

Rare sight tonight — a large owl hunting in the dark, very active on the chase after something. Darting across the road at high speed.
Photo by Nikographer Jon http://www.flickr.com/photos/-jon-/

Saw the wing feathers backlit by a street lamp as it flashed by. Low flying, a little alarming, I wondered for a moment if it might go after my fleece hat behind the hedge, or even Koda, it was so low, so close and so definitely on a mission. I swear I heard some vocalizations but which creature they came from, I have no idea. (I'm assuming our local red tail hawk doesn't hunt at night).



After two weeks laid low by a type of bronchitis, this was a welcome outing. The prednisone had become necessary, last Monday, about 5 days into the Levaquin, as the cough was still off the hook.

Resumed physical therapy for the neck today, hard to tell if it helped or hindered. The muscle work definitely makes the muscles sore, and that in turn compresses the discs more, and increases the nerve aggravation. Should be less harsh tomorrow.

Lots of arm and finger tingling when walking or getting up and vertical. The legs really felt it today during just a short 3-hill walk. A touch wobbly. Still good to be out and about even if only for 20 minutes.

TERRYB's Blogs
Checking up on cycling forums read a great blog at:

tbaroundtheworld

Pick just about any spot in Terry B's travels in China and enjoy a fine writer, avid cyclist and traveler.

Here's one of his photos from Chengdu. Can't recommend highly enough for a good read.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-HbCvUyx13msMe1V5iuDcngspD0sqFPtjai_wle83oRXdpdaBAbnMTxnhML8Id8aoM068B2-w_NVNMG-GJPYzE49LY0OBFQC-pct3bJUUxkfNYTYLW0kdCWdHeE4U02P-_dlWf_wOKk/s1600/IMG_6116.jpg