The Animals at Pickleball for Paws Tournament

I can't share about the tournament, without sharing some pictures of the animals that we were raising money for. They were so sweet and so mild mannered, I saw quite a few I'd have loved to take home with me.

This guy cracked me up. I can just see him thinking, Pssstttt...hey you.....wanna help me break out????

Living the life in warmer Florida!

Morning in Devil's Garden

After a good night's sleep in the tent we woke to a clear blue sky over the desert. I couldn't resist the morning light being so close to an interesting area, so I got up early to walk back down to Devil's Garden and make some more images amongst the hoodoos. This is such a fascinating place no matter what time of day you visit. It was fun watching the first light of day catch the tops of the hoodoos then slowly work its way down towards the ground. I found several interesting things to photograph that morning, but the image shown here was my favorite by far. After a little bit of photography it was time to head back to camp for breakfast and get ready for our day-long hike to Zebra and Tunnel slot canyons.

N.O.S.

Oh, that sweet acronym that makes collectors tremble with anticipation! NOS stands for "new old stock." Parts that survived generations unused and untarnished. Parts that look and function now as they did on the day they were new.




It is not often one sees the status NOS preceded by a date in the 1930s. But the things I have seen appear in the hands of collector Chris Sharp over the past week... new old stock chased rubber grips, rod brake handlebars, carbide lamps, original roadster bells, sculptural quadrant shifters... Stunned out of my wits I could only wonder where on earth such things come from 80 years past their hey day.




Up until a few years ago there were bicycle shops in Ireland and the UK that still had spare parts left from way, way back in the day. Usually these shops were run by generations of the same family, never changing owners or locations, which is what made such stockpiling possible. Bikes that went unsold and parts that went unused had been piling up in the cellars and back rooms of these shops for decades, undisturbed. Then one by one, these places closed. And when they did, they would liquidate. Local collectors would then buy out a shop's entire inventories of parts from specific periods or manufacturers. Some bike shops owners were themselves classic bicycle enthusiasts, in which case unsold inventories from decades past turned into personal collections.




It was sad to learn about the last of the old bicycle shops closing in Northern Ireland. But also good to know that there are locals who are dedicated to preserving the things salvaged from them.




I used to think that the purpose of the NOS market was to feed a collector's high, and did not really appreciate NOS bikes and parts myself. After all, I ride all my bicycles, so anything NOS would be wasted on me - its status immediately obliterated through use. But now I understand that new old stock has value: It affords a rare opportunity to appreciate vintage bicycles not just from our current perspective - as old, well-used things covered in mud and rust - butin their original splendor,as the highly coveted machines they once were.

Ingalls Peak

It was like a garden between Ingalls Pass and Ingalls lake. Danielle wants to live there.











The mountain goats were pretty friendly.













Snow on the edge of Ingalls Lake.

Dani exploring the shoreline. Mt. Stuart in the background.












Climbing Mt. Ingalls, North Peak.















Dave, Nicholas, Mark, Mike (and Doug) on the summit.














Nicholas rappelling down.









Ingalls Lake and Mt. Stuart as seen from Ingalls South Peak.

Tar Spot on Maple

I love when I find this disease on Red Maple (Acer rubrum).
It doesn't show up until late summer or early fall and it usually only affects a small portion of the leaves. But the spots are large and very distinctive- and they look like tar, hence the common name.

The fungus is Rhytisma acerinum. The specific epithet indicates that the fungus will only infect the leaves of Maple.

When you run your fingers over the leaf, it feels rubbery, as if a dollop of tar dried on the leaf.

Tar Spot can cause premature defoliation, but unless the infection is bad you won't notice.

If your Maple has this disease, the best way to manage it is to rake up the leaves in the fall so they can't cause reinfection the next year. I wouldn't bother unless the trees are being grown for sale.

Wow, right?

Anastasia Island :: Fresh Catch!

Tuesday March 14, .. - - On my way back to the campsite from the beach I saw this bird perched on the highest limb of a nearby tree devouring its catch of the day!

Covered Bridge Number 4

Tonight the guys went to pickleball alone, and Mira and I stayed behind. She made dinner for all of us when they returned. It was spaghetti, and we all voted it to be the best sauce we ever tasted!