November 26, 2005
Brothers - 25 years ago in Denver
What a vacation that was... In August of 1980 my brother Todd and I went to Denver to visit my brother Kirk and his wife, Lynn. [Left to right in photo.]
We'd had dinner at a restaurant in Denver with western theme rooms - like silver mines, old west saloon, pueblos, etc.
As we were leaving, I handed my camera (Rollei mini-35) to the waitress and asked if she would try and take our picture on the small stage. She took this ONE photo. In the days of film, it'd be two weeks before I found out what a great snapshot she got! I hope we gave her a good tip as she certainly deserved it!
Great vacation... got to see a mountain - climb one, too - for the first time.
We'd had dinner at a restaurant in Denver with western theme rooms - like silver mines, old west saloon, pueblos, etc.
As we were leaving, I handed my camera (Rollei mini-35) to the waitress and asked if she would try and take our picture on the small stage. She took this ONE photo. In the days of film, it'd be two weeks before I found out what a great snapshot she got! I hope we gave her a good tip as she certainly deserved it!
Great vacation... got to see a mountain - climb one, too - for the first time.
Boring Bar Presetter - 1980
25 Years ago... what more can I say?
November 20, 2005
Houses for Sale in Beloit
I discovered these homes for sale during bike rides in the past couple of months and they piqued my interest.
We went through the Harrison location today during an open house.
We went through the Harrison location today during an open house.
Nice house. Living areas are nice, well done decor, and well maintained. LOTS of room for such a small site. Suzie did not like the kitchen area or the driveway with no usable garage.
Not sure we could afford it anyway.
November 16, 2005
Entering Beloit from the northwest
I ran across this old photo from last August today so I'll bring it up again...
Just look at how prominent the water tower in downtown Beloit is in this view as you enter the city on Madison Road. It sure would be nice to see it dressed up a little with a nice, bold BELOIT sign or logo?
How about something like this modified City of Beloit logo from a few years ago?
November 12, 2005
Mr. City Manager, tear down this wall!
Try to imagine a time when there was no fence and you could ride a bike through and through this huge cemetary and the adjoining park areas. No fences to stop you, no speed bumps to ruin your rims and interrupt your ride.
I remember such a time. It was almost 30 years ago.
Now... I understand the need for speed bumps and vehicle barriers, but THIS is not a solution. It fails on so many levels.
1 - It's ugly.
2 - It looks temporary.
3 - It's easily damaged.
4 - It breaks up the esthetics of the park. (Did I mention it was ugly?)
5 - It totally inhibits the riding experience of bicyclist.
6 - It punishes the many for the sins of the few.
Solution: Speed bumps with a small gap centered in the lane and/or along the sides of the roadway. Vehicle barriers with gaps for pedestrians and bicycles. Remove the fencing from the grassy area between roadways and open the green spaces back up. If you need to stop vehicles on grass, use berms and trees instead of chainlink.
Now imagine miles and miles of open road, ideal for bikers looking to burn off some calories on a "closed course" free of the usual traffic.
Ahhh... bliss.
I remember such a time. It was almost 30 years ago.
Now... I understand the need for speed bumps and vehicle barriers, but THIS is not a solution. It fails on so many levels.
1 - It's ugly.
2 - It looks temporary.
3 - It's easily damaged.
4 - It breaks up the esthetics of the park. (Did I mention it was ugly?)
5 - It totally inhibits the riding experience of bicyclist.
6 - It punishes the many for the sins of the few.
Solution: Speed bumps with a small gap centered in the lane and/or along the sides of the roadway. Vehicle barriers with gaps for pedestrians and bicycles. Remove the fencing from the grassy area between roadways and open the green spaces back up. If you need to stop vehicles on grass, use berms and trees instead of chainlink.
Now imagine miles and miles of open road, ideal for bikers looking to burn off some calories on a "closed course" free of the usual traffic.
Ahhh... bliss.
