Al's Blog-o-Sphere

Here’s a safety question for you:

Q.: When a pickup truck cuts in front of you and stops dead in the road to make a right turn into a driveway, and you are traveling downhill at about 30mph on a bike, what is your proper response?

A.: Pass the pickup truck on the right and hope he sees you and doesn’t drive over you as he turns.
B.: Pass him on the left, and hope there isn’t any traffic in that lane that will make you a meat pancake.
C.: Crash into the rear end of the truck to let him know you don’t appreciate his cutting you off.
D.: Squeeze your brakes for all you’re worth, while yelling at the top of you lungs: “NO! You @$$#Ø13 Don’t stop here!”

Continue Reading…

I went for a ride yesterday with the NFBC, a 50-miler called the Alabama Ramble. It wandered from Clarence out into the Alabama swamps, on through Akron Falls Park and back. It was a hot day, but not as hot as the past week and it felt good to get out and be riding. As usual, I kept with the group for the first half of the ride, then rode the second half with a couple who were taking it more leisurely. Only the last 5 miles or so, I rode alone. When I got back to the parking lot where we started, my vehicle was the only one there.

Somewhere along the ride, I lost my SuperFlash taillight. It was on and blinking, so it might be out there somewhere, still blinking in the grass. I probably hit a big bump and it popped loose. It’s a bad design, the batteries, electronics and lens are all in the front half of the clamshell case. The back, which fastens to the bracket on the bike, is empty. All the weight is in the front, detachable part of the light. All that weight is working to open the case with every bump. Most lights have everything in the back and only a light lens cover comes off to change batteries. Continue Reading…

I’m still walking regularly along the canal in Lowertown. Not always every day, but I’ve been using the walks as fill ins between other activities, like cycling, now.

I took a few photos on my walk last Thursday. This boat was docked at the Exchange Street docks in Packet Park. That’s all I know about it. It looked cool, though, but I have no clue what it was doing here or where it was going. Continue Reading…

After pouring all night and a dark and cold day most of the day, it cleared up in the evening enough for a after-dinner walk. My wife and I walked the usual two and a half mile loop around the canal.

I snapped this picture of a weed that had flowered along the canal banks, on the state-owned “Canalway Trail” side of things. I don’t know what it is, but it was very large and pretty. It also was gone the next time I went bye. Glad I caught it, even if it was just my cell-phone camera.

One of these days, I’m going to carry my good camera along. I often see things I think would make a good picture, but just can’t capture them with the cell. Of course, if I have a good camera, nothing will be seen worth shooting.

Did you know there was a lighthouse at Nelson C. Goehle Marina/Park (Widewaters)? I didn’t. I took this photo a month or so ago. I don’t remember seeing it before, but it might have been there for years.

It’s a scale model of a lighthouse standing maybe 6-8 feet tall at the edge of the canal near the marina docks. Someone put a lot of work into it. I think it may actually light up, but I haven’t been there after dark to see.