Hiking

There Was Gold In Them Thar Hills

The Post Offices still seem too far away, but the weather was too nice not to take a drive with the top down. So instead of our usual walk in the close by Hitchcock Woods we took a drive to Parsons Mountain near Abbeville.

A long time ago, back when Donna and I used to mountain bike, we came up here because someone said they had a really great trail to ride. Turns out it we didn’t think it was great. The trail (which is now closed to everything but hikers) starts out going up and then after about 3/4 mile starts really going up, not only up, but rough and rocky. I don’t remember it explicitly, but I’m thinking we did a lot of pushing our bikes.

The first part of today’s walk was still up, but we enjoyed a lot more. About 3/4 mile up there are four squares of chain link fence surrounding holes in the mountain that used to be a gold mine back in the late 1800’s. Further up the trail is a fire tower that used to be open to the public for a spectacular view. But now it is surrounded by that same chain link fencing as the gold mines. The fence doesn’t seem to be a major deterrent to some folks judging by the top of the fence and the graffiti on the tower, but it was enough to keep us out.

Started down, still down.
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What Next?

The Home Shopping Network is going to start showing movies? First MTV, AKA Music Television, stopped playing music. Then CNN Headline News started doing stuff besides continual 1/2 hour news shows. The Weather Channel has stopped doing the weather 24/7. And now, tonight, the Cartoon Network is showing Jurassic Park 3. That’s not a cartoon. Although I guess some argument could be made that the CGI dinosaurs are and Bill Macy has a face that only a cartoonist could love…

We went for a nice walk in Hitchcock Woods this morning. It has only been a little over a week since our last visit and the woods have been transformed, all the dogwoods and the wild azaleas are flowering, plus all the other trees are budding and turning green. I took a couple dozen photos on our walk and I learned two things: 1) I suck at photographing flowers and 2) the add an image thing isn’t working in WP 2.5. Fixed.

Totally forgot about the FRS playing on TV this afternoon. Stumbled on the game in the top of the ninth inning and watched them go down in a ball of flames to the Jays for the 3rd straight day. Plus it just seemed so wrong to hear voices I associate with Braves baseball on a channel that used to do every Braves baseball game calling an American League game. Their record now stands at 3 wins and 4 loses, not a great start. At least the MFY are only 3 & 3 and we can blame the rocky start on the whole 3 country, 12 time zone road trip. Tuesday is the home opener where the players will get their World Series rings and the 0-5 Tigers are in town. Time to wake up and start looking like you want to repeat as WS Champs.

Started up, went down, still down.
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Flowering Vine

Flowering VineWhat is this flowering vine? I Googled “Yellow Flower Vine” and didn’t get a definitive answer.

Instead of taking a hike in the woods this morning we decided to take a walk downtown to the Old Aiken Market where we can get fresh baked bagels and fresh squeezed orange juice for our Sunday breakfast. It is definitely springtime here in Aiken because on our 5 mile meander we passed by numerous plants and trees in bloom and stopped at several spots so I could take pictures of the azalea, dogwood, wisteria, cherry and whatever that yellow vine is blossoms. We also stopped for a while at the Aiken Training Track and watched the thoroughbreds go through their morning exercises. We stopped at a railroad overpass and watched the local 5 car work train pass by. On the way home we ducked into the library to read a magazine. By the time we got home we had killed the entire morning.

Update: Two years (March 31, 2010) after I posted this, I got an email from someone asking if I ever did find out what this plant was called. He has a big bush of it in his backyard and was trying to figure what it was. He did manage to find out what it was with zero help from me and emailed me the name, Rosa Banksiae ‘Lutea’. Cool. So that is where the old home that dates from the time of the Civil War War of Northern Aggression, Banksia, and currently houses the local county’s museum got its name.

Started down, went up, still up.
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Weekend Wrap Up

We went downtown last night to get an ice cream. The place was hopping. That was to be expected because the middle jewel of Aiken’s Triple Crown, the Spring Steeplechase, was yesterday and it routinely attracts 30,000 people and a lot of them hang around town long after. The restaurants were packed and there were several venues with live music. We arrived at the Sweet Cow Creamery at just the right time, we were next in line to be served and by the time I paid for our ice cream there were a half dozen people storming the door to get in.

This morning after watching last Thursday’s episode of Lost with breakfast, we went out and got lost in Hitchcock Woods. As usual, we were not really lost, we just didn’t know exactly where we were. The map hasn’t been updated in a long while and there are quite a few new trails that can confuse us for a short while.

To help you through the next few dark days until April 24th, go to the Lost Island Video and see want some talented Losties have created.

So far I am 31 of 48 in my March Madness picks leaving me only 20 points behind the leaders and next round games are worth 15 points. That’s the good news, the bad news is that there are still 15 of the 21 people entered ahead of me. Unlike last year when I watched none of the games, this year I have actually watched a few of the games. The b-ball players these days love their tats. There was one guy playing for Memphis who I could have sworn had the whole Declaration of Independence tattooed on his upper arm.

We are taking the day off from work Tuesday because the BMW’s are coming to town. We can’t start driving until 9:00AM, but that is OK because I have the perfect way to spend those pre drive hours — baseball. The FRS open the season in Japan against Oakland and the game starts at 6:00AM on ESPN2.

Started down, still down.
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Jump

Jump At Your Own RiskThe photo to the left is proof that Donna and I went for a walk in the Woods today. OK, not really proof, I could have taken the picture months ago, but I wouldn’t say it on the Internets if it wasn’t true, would I?

The sign(s) is posted at the entrance to Crawford Fences where the kindly caretakers have placed stacks of large logs at intervals in a clearing for the horse riders to jump over. There are lots of actual fences and other log piles placed on trails throughout the 2,000 acres, but in all the time we have been walking in Hitchcock Woods we have never seen a horse and rider jump one. They always take the little alternate path around these obstacles.

I think next time we pass that way I will rip down those two pieces of wood, it is scaring off all the perspective jumpers, more people would take advantage of the jumps if they knew they could sue someone if they get hurt doing it.

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Quicksand

QuicksandLet’s see, it rained most of Wednesday and it rained cats and dogs on Thursday, today is Sunday, it should be safe. It was, we only sunk in up to our insteps.

I wonder how Miles is doing with that hand grenade in his mouth? I wonder if his jaws getting are tired yet.

It has been 78 days, but we have once again broken out the state map with the colored dots on it. Next weekend we are going on the first Postal Safari of 2008.

Started down, still down.
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Weekend Update

Car News: For some reason the BMW 6 Series convertible is back at the house down the street. The 5 Series sedan is gone. This guy must sell BMWs for a living or he has big repair issues with the 7 Series and swaps around loaner cars.

Other Car News: Halfway between here and there, some one traded in their Hummer H2 for a BMW Z4. It is an M edition no less. So I guess I was right about the Z4M, just off by a couple houses on the location.

Outdoors: Although we do enjoy laying around the house doing nothing, it can’t be the only thing, as we found out yesterday. By early last evening we had cabin fever, so today to stave off the late in the day boredom, we went for a walk in Hitchcock Woods around mid-day.

Komen’s Coming: They have got the BMW Ultimate Drive map for 2008 online. Shiny new BMWs with pink vinyl accents will be stopping in Augusta on Tuesday, March 25th. Donna and I will be putting in for our vacation day tomorrow.

Innings Pitched. Yesterday was the first official workout of Spring Training for pitchers and catchers in Fort Meyers. The FRS title defense begins soon.

Everthing Happens For A Reason: Only two of the famous numbers were picked in Saturday’s PowerBall drawing — 4 & 8

Sunday Night: And it is time to go watch some Law & Order: Criminal Intent on Bravo.

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