This blog has closed!

Friends,
This blog has officially closed. I'm still keeping the archives open, which you can access at right. Otherwise, if you have bookmarks to me, please relink them to eastbayenvironment.blogspot.com. Thanks

Skiing in Tahoe

Last weekend I went up to near Lake Tahoe with some friends to go cross-country skiing. It was a beautiful weekend. The sky was clear blue the whole time, temps up to 60 (in the mountains), and a relaxing healthy activity in the high elev. woods. We skiied trails at the Royal Gorge "cross country resort", which is a huge, 9000 acre system (the "largest in North America") with over 300 KM of groomed cross country ski trails. The conditions were pretty ideal: high 50s, sunny, and not too many people. (it might have been too warm, but not being very expert skiiers, it didn't bother us). I'm not sure if the price of tickets discouraged people from coming (they cost $29 per adult on a weekend, to use the trails). Anyways, we brought all our own equipment and shared the cabin together (found it privately) so the trip was still a bargain. The skiing itself was good but not great. It was a little too warm and thus the snow was slushy. I had to switch to my "ribbed" skis, which are slower, so I could get up the inclines. Having done cross-country skiing for many years, I was often waiting for others in the party to catch up. This gave me a chance to enjoy the surroundings. Also I noticed a lot of people "skating" on those trails. That is a special technique (as opposed to what most people practice, that is the "normal", or classic, nordic technique). "Skating" is really like roller blading on snow, with poles and light skis. Done correctly, it looks very graceful. I resolved to try it out ... next year.

And with that, friends, I conclude my last post on this blog. I think it's time to turn the page and close this chapter of my existence! It's been nearly 2 years of blogging with "blogger.com" (the first post was May 2005). The service has not disappointed. However, I feel this blog has achieved everything I think it can, and, speaking honestly, I just don't feel like maintaining it anymore. Plus, my name now is getting out to more and more people in the East Bay due to conservation activities I am involved in. I feel this blog has just a little more personal information than I care to share with the public. Besides, it's not like I don't already spend enough time on the computer! so Adieu, Sayonara, and Auf Wiedersehen. You can always check my alternate blog, which I intend to keep up, for the time being.

Word ... to the Mummy

ODE TO THE MUMMY:

Oh Mummy, how old art thou
With your golden face
Ever raising your eyebrows
From behind the glassed case

Your mask of cool restraint
Belies your inner torment
As you try through ink and paint
A signal to your master to send

For looking at your new environ'
Concerned you are become
At the lack of order, of clean, and of light
It looks very much like a slum.

But no fear, my Mummy, you are safe
in good hands have you arrived
in Oakland I treat guests well
have some Zinfandel and enjoy the ride.