Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!

Brrr... it's cold. Dress warmly and keep on moving!! Jack has some fun activities planned- see below!


From Jack Welch...

Notes on Coming Activities - Please Read

If you are interested in doing the snow shoe "stuff" and don't have a pair of shoes you can rent them at several places around town. My favorite is the Kick Stand/Nordic Nook Cafe which is located at 719 North Humphrey's. You can rent the snow shoes there or go to the Nordic Center web site and place an order which will deliver the snow shoes to the Kick Stand location. You need to give them a few days to accomplish this so place your order a few days ahead.
Call the Nordic Nook for details: 928 779 5393

ALL OF OUR SNOW SHOE SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO THERE BEING ENOUGH
SNOW. We can still do a walk/hike from the start locations if the snow is diminished or completely gone.

We have until next Tuesday (4 January) to turn in our Healthy Heart Exercise Calendar Sheets.

We are definitely making plans to be in the Flagstaff Winter Parade of Lights next year. We are looking for a baton thrower to lead us. We don't expect bare legs and/or flaming batons plunging into spectators, but it will help us to have that person in the lead and keeping us on track. Several folks with this skill would be even more helpful. I wonder where retired baton throwers disappear to?
Also, we have agreed to feature battery inspired Christmas lights (nobody would agree to be hooked up to the nearest electric outlet) cow bells, glo sticks, jingling bells,lighted umbrellas, Santa Hats, a banner. We hope our "resident" dogs will agree to Participate also. Our agreed upon marching "rhythm" have to be practiced so we'll do that in the late fall of 2011. If you have additional ideas please e-mail me ADILLLO at aol dot com

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH - LEARN TAOIST TAI CHI
Please contact Alice Hagerman for more information at 928 699 6076 or248 935 1109 or go to the web site: http://www.arizona.usa.taoist.org/ There will be an Open House on Saturday 8 January 2011 at 10:00 AM at the Marshall School which is located at 850 N Bonita Street or A New Beginner Class which starts on Tuesday, 11 January 2011 at 5:30 PM at the Ponderosa High School which is located at 2384 North Steves Blvd
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WALK THE WALK OR SNOW TO SNOWSHOE SCHEDULE
JANUARY 2011

REMAINDER OF SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER 2010

THURSDAY 30 DECEMBER 2010
Table Tennis/Ping Pong Play
Location: Adult Center - In the Big Room to the right of the front desk
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
We'll have three tables going. Both recreational and serious players welcome

FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER 2010 - The morning Friday Walk at the Flagstaff Mall will not be held.
Next scheduled Friday morning walk at the Mall is January 7th 2011

FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER 2010 - Evening - NEW YEAR'S EVE
NIGHT SNOW SHOE AT BUFFALO PARK
Start Location: In front of the Big Buffalo at Buffalo Park in the Parking Lot. (Say that fast 3 times!)
Time: 7:00 PM 7:00 PM
We'll have several leaders. Some Fast. Some Slow and some like me. CC Skiers welcome.
Hot Chocolate afterwards and after that:
New Year's Pine Cone Drop at 10:00 PM in front of the Weatherford Hotel or
Same Activity, Same Location but at midnight!

JANUARY 2011 SCHEDULE Welcome to the New Year

SATURDAY 1 JANUARY 2011 - NEW YEAR'S DAY
GREAT PINE CONE CLEAN UP
Start Location: Sustainability & Environmental Building
Corner of North Beaver and Cherry Ave
Address: 101 West Cherry Ave
Enter Building at the South Entrance
Time: 9:00 AM 9:00 AM
We'll gather inside the building for Hot Chocolate, a small raffle, greetings of the season and then gather up our trash bags, gloves and along with a positive attitude head over to the streets surrounding the Weatherford Hotel to pick up all the litter left over from the New Year's Eve celebration.

SATURDAY 1 JANUARY 2011 - NEW YEAR'S DAY
GREAT FLAGSTAFF POLAR BEAR PLUNGE
Location: Upper Lake Mary Boat Dock
Time: High Noon
This should be interesting. Who in Flagstaff is willing to plunge into Lake Mary on New Year's Day?
A couple of hunters got so excited they did their plunge into that lake a few days early. No word on how much fun they had.

SATURDAY 1 JANUARY 2011 NEW YEAR'S DAY
SNOW SHOE ON McMILLAN MESA
Start Location: Meet at the Bike/Ped/SnowShoe Bridge (north side) that
crosses over Cedar/Forest
Start Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
Great views of snow covered Flagstaff, surrounding mountains and the peaks

SUNDAY 2 JANUARY 2011
SNOW SHOE THE TWO LAKES
Start Location: Along Old Walnut Canyon Road near the first lake.
Old Walnut Canyon Road is off County Club Drive near the golf driving range
Time: High Noon
Lots of wintering ducks (haven't seen any eagles for several years) and
just a nice flat place with open water that makes this a good place to snow shoe.

TUESDAY 4 JANUARY 2011
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood
Everybody Welcome! Please do bring a friend.

WEDNESDAY 5 JANUARY - Afternoon
SNOW SHOE 164B AREA
Start Location: Parking Area at the corner of Snowbowl Road and Highway 180
Time: High Noon
2 to 3 total miles of snow shoeing. Great Exercise
This Snow Shoe will be scheduled for every other Wednesday. Snow Shoe Only. Walks not an option.

WEDNESDAY 5 JANUARY - Evening
TABLE TENNIS/PING PONG PLAY
Location: Adult Center
Time; 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
We'll have three tables going. Both Recreational and competitive players welcome

THURSDAY 6 JANUARY
Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting
Location: City Hall upstairs in the Staff Conference Room
Time: 4:30 PM 4:30 PM
Discussion of local bicycle issues

THURSDAY 6 JANUARY
TABLE TENNIS/PING PONG PLAY
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
No you're not seeing double. Starting this January we will be playing Table Tennis/Ping Pong on Wednesday evenings and Thursday evenings at the Adult Center from 6:00 PM until 7:45 PM
No Play on the third Thursday of the Month.

FRIDAY 7 JANUARY
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot
Time: 9:00 AM 9:00 AM
We'll walk 3 miles outside if possible and inside the Mall if the weather is really bad. 7 times around the enclosed Mall = 3.1 miles

SATURDAY 8 JANUARY
SNOW SHOE FUTS TOWARD FISHER POINT
Start Location. The John Wesley Powell Dead End East of where Lone Tree Road joins John Wesley Powell
Time: High Noon
Variehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd distances available. Expect a few hills. You don't have to go all the way to Fisher Point to have a good day.

SUNDAY 9 JANUARY
SNOW SHOE FT TUTHILL
Start Location: Parking Area across the County Parks and Recreation Building (next to the Fair Grounds)
Time: Noon
Lots of trail possibilities in our most popular county park

A little break...

Going on the road again, for a few days. So I will be taking a break from posting anything. Keep on moving!

Flagstaff Fridays!

Season's Greetings! No time to slow down, plenty of walking to do! Bring your family and friends! And we have snow!

from Jack Welch

SATURDAY 25 DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS DAY
Snow Shoe or Walk The Walk
Fisher Point Route
Start Location: Dead end of John Wesley Powell east of Lone Tree Road
Time: 3:00 PM
Distance Optional. We'll start together from the Pine Canyon FUTS (behind the John Wesley Powell dead end and go toward Fisher Point. If you have limited time or get tired you can turn back at anytime.
The route is plain to see.

SUNDAY 26 DECEMBER
Snow Shoe or Walk The Walk
Bow & Arrow Wash
Start Location: Community College Parking lot (On Lone Tree Road)
Time: 3:00 PM
We'll walk down a canyon into the Bow and Arrow Wash and use the trail to the Waste Water Treatment Pond behind Sam's

TUESDAY 28 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

THURSDAY 30 DECEMBER
Table Tennis Play
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM
We'll have two tables going in the big room next to the Front Desk
Adult Only please

FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER - NO WALK INTO WINTER WALK AT THE MALL

FRIDAY NIGHT 31 DECEMBER - NEW YEAR'S EVE
Snow Shoe or Walk The Walk
Start Location: Buffalo Park
Time: 7:00 PM 7:00 PM
Mark Your Calendar - More details coming!

SATURDAY 1 JANUARY 2011 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY
GREAT PINE CONE CLEAN UP
Start Location: Corner of Beaver and Cherry
Time: 9:00 AM 9:00 AM
Join me in a walk about of the streets near the Weatherford Hotel as we seek to make our downtown litter free to start the new year right! Please bring gloves and dress to meet the demands of the weather.

SATURDAY 1 JANUARY 2011- NEW YEARS DAY (afternoon)
Snow Shoe or Walk The Walk
McMillan Mesa Views
Start Location: Buffalo Park
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles as we see all we can see from the McMillan Mesa FUTS

SUNDAY 2 JANUARY 2011
Snow Shoe or Walk the Walk
Exploring the Loop Trail
Start Location: Mormon Ranger Station located on Lake Mary Road across from John Wesley Powell
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles as we explore a new section of the Loop Trail

This and That- Gifts of Hope

One of my favorite journalists/bloggers is Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. He travels around the world and highlights what is going wrong but then takes it one step further and addresses what can be done about it and who is doing the tough work. Every year he has a contest to bring along an aspiring student journalist. I always wonder if he would notice on my application that a. I am a little older than his other applicants and b. that I am a student, but not of any particular university :)
Anyway, last Sunday he had an alternative gift giving list that I thought I would pass along to you, in case you were looking to buy some last minute gifts and had no idea what to give. These of course would be donations to organizations that make a big difference, but they are not the usual ones you hear about. Here is the link to his article: The Gifts of Hope.

Wednesday's Walker- Sheila Lamb

Here is another installment of Wednesday’s Walkers!

I have known Sheila Lamb for many years now. We met when we worked together at Lowell Observatory and have kept in touch through talking about writing. She is now living in the Washington, D.C. area, broadly speaking, and is busy teaching and writing. I love how she tells stories of her family. You can check out her writing at her blog:

Blog: Pagans, Saints, and Potatoes

What do you do? What keeps you busy? What is your passion?
I teach, I write.
Twitter keeps me busy so occasionally I have to pull the internet plug :-)
Writing - fiction.


Fill in the blank. I walk because ….
I love to be outside. I run as well. However, walking is the time when I can really appreciate the surroundings. It's a little more meditative than running. I prefer to walk or hike on a trail. But I've taken some fun city walks.


What do you do when you walk?
Let the mind wander. Usually I notice something beautiful in nature - the way the sunlight filters through the branches of a tree, sounds of a stream. This summer I took a few nice hikes along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC also has a peaceful trail behind the sand dunes.

In a city, I love to people watch. There's always somebody doing something :-) Art walks are fun. So is checking out some historical architecture.


What do you like about walking?
Walking for me is meditative. I relax. I enjoy being right where I am, especially if I'm out on a trail.


Describe a walk where you found something special or something that
made you happy or something surprising.
On various walks in Arizona and in Virginia, I've found shards of artifacts - obsidian points, pottery. Of course, I leave it where I find it (you're not supposed to take that stuff home if you're in a National Park!). It's always amazing that something hundreds of years old turns up right at my feet.



What is your favorite walk?
Too many to count!

In AZ - Forest Service road 141 (I think) near Parks. Goes out past old cabin remains. Another FS trail goes to Keyhole Sink.

In Virginia - the Appalachian Trail near Bears Den, Manassas Battlefield - the Stone Bridge Loop.

In West Virginia to DC - The C&O Canal

Any tips to get people walking? View it as a way to relax to get outdoors for a short time. Go only as far as you want and soon, you'll be walking farther than you ever imagined.


The two photos are Sheila's. One is a shot taken on the Appalachian Trail and the other at Jockey's Ridge State Park in North Carolina (looking over Roanoke Sound).

Solstice

Today is the solstice- a day for celebration. Today is the shortest day of the year and from this day on our days will get longer, minute by minute. This change usually sneaks up on me. Suddenly, one day while preparing dinner I will look out and say, “hey, it’s light outside!” But I always look forward to that time.

Last night I went outside, joined by my husband and son, and looked at the lunar eclipse. The moon was orange-red. And straight overhead. I would have liked to watch the Earth’s shadow glide off of the moon, but I was tired and the eclipse was long. I was glad I got to see the moon, as well as some stars. (As a side-note it was clear outside, maybe a thin veil of clouds, only to make everything look a little blurry, but that may have been my sleepy eyes. We have had cloudy skies for five straight days now- in normally, sunny Flagstaff- so it was a big break to see the eclipse. It’s cloudy again today.)

Many of the headlines read that this was a rare eclipse. Oh how they love to grab your attention. Lunar eclipses, where the Moon, Earth and Sun line up and the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, are quite common. I have seen many full lunar eclipses. I remember my mom waking me up, when I was just in grade school, to see a copper penny moon hanging in the sky.

What was rare about this lunar eclipse was that it landed on the solstice, the date was rare. Probably this would have meant big things for people who use to keep track of what went on the sky- good or bad, I don’t know. But for me it was just a chance to see something amazing, our Earth’s shadow on our Moon, coloring it red.

Happy Solstice! Here is to longer days!

Lunar Eclipse

". . . and on the night of December 11th, the moon was long into the night as though all bloody, and after, it was darkened. Also, on the night of December 16th, the heavens were seen to be as red as though they were burning."

Refers to a lunar eclipse of 1117.
From: The Anglo Saxon Chronicles translated and collated by Anne Savage, CLB Publishing Ltd.
via Mr.Eclipse.com

LUNAR ECLIPSE ALERT: Viewable across North America, check out Sky and Telescope's web site for details

Flagstaff Fridays!

Some wintry activities from Jack Welch.

The following is our Walk the Walk schedule from Friday 17 December through Friday,
24 December 2010

We never expect anyone to drive to a start location when the weather and/or driving conditions are not trustworthy.
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DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?
"I've always wanted to be in a parade but nobody has ever asked me"
Consider yourself asked! I would like to participate in next year's Northern Lights Parade in Downtown Flagstaff and we are having a planning meeting to gage your interest in being a part of this activity. The date for the meeting is Tuesday, 21 December at 6:00 PM at the Adult Center.
All you have to do is: Attend this meeting, bring your ideas and suggestions plus
Anybody who is accompanied by Christmas Cookies (baked this year please) will get our full attention.
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The Great Pine Cone Clean Up is New Year's Day. We'll start at 9:00 AM from the corner of Cherry and North Beaver and pick up all the litter we can find around the Weatherford Hotel. Everybody Welcome! Please do Bring a Friend! Hot Chocolate for participants.
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Have you heard the rumor that someone is planning a Polar Bear Plunge into one of our local lakes on New Year's Day?

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FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking. Outside if the weather is good. Inside the Mall if the walking conditions are not so good.

SATURDAY 18 DECEMBER - Looks like the snow wont be deep enough to Snow Shoe So
Walk The Walk
FAA Facility
Start Location: End of road for John Wesley Powell near the Airport.East of the intersection of Pulliam Airport Road and John Wesley Powell.
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the strange looking FAA facility east of the Airport.
Expect some muddy conditions. Great views of the surrounding mountains.

SUNDAY 19 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
Jay Lively Loop
Start Location: Jay Lively Parking Lot
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking. Expect a few hills and some muddy conditions

TUESDAY 21 DECEMBER (morning)
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

TUESDAY 21 DECEMBER (evening)
Outdoor Meeting - What about next year's Winter Parade?
Location:Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM
Someone suggested we either watch or be a part of the Downtown
Winter Parade next year. I would rather be in the parade and moving
than standing along the route watching. If you are interested in
becoming a part of the parade please attend this meeting and bring
your ideas as to what we should do (other than just walk), Stomping
Walking Sticks? Cowbell Serenade? Red Nose Lights?

THURSDAY 23 DECEMBER
Table Tennis Play
Location: Adult Center
Time; 6:00 PM until 7:45 PM
We have three tables going and would welcome more players.

FRIDAY 24 DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS EVE - NO WALK INTO WINTER AT THE MALL

+++++++++++++++++
Our friend Alice Hagerman is forming a new Taoist Tai Chi Class
So, what is this activity all about? The Taoist Tai Chi Society internal arts and methods incorporate stretching and turning into a sequence of movements that improve the health of body, mind and spirit. This practice reduces stress, improves circulation and balance plus increases strength and flexibility.

New Beginner Class: Tuesday, 11 January 2011 at 5:30 until 7:00 PM
at
The Ponderosa High School
2384 North Steves Blvd (South side of the tracks)

Or attend an Open House on Saturday 8 January 2011 at 10:00 AM at the Marshall School which is located at 850 North Bonita Street (corner of Thorpe Road and Bonita)
For More information call 928 699 6076 or 248 935 1109
Web Site: www.arizona.usa.taoist.org

This and that- Earth Observatory!

One of my daily visits on the web is to the Earth Observatory’s Image of the Day. This site shares images from NASA research including images from the space station, satellites and research models (predictions, mathematical calculations, on what is going to happen using previous observations). I have seen images of where Pakistan was flooded, how lakes get created during flooding events, where big sections of ice have broken off from Antarctica, where the ozone hole is for the season and how the temperature of the Earth has increased. Yesterday, December 15, they showed how plant use has increased around the globe.
Take a look.

Wednesday's Walker!- Mary Ellen

It’s time for another Wednesday Walker, and I love this section. Every response has been different!

This week will be an entry from my friend and fellow writer, Mary Ellen.

One of my most memorable walks:

On the afternoon of September 11, 2001, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I knew I had to stop watching the television and listening to NPR for every last horrific image and tidbit of information. Obviously returning to my home office to work wasn't going to happen . . . I was too overwhelmed with shock, terror and sadness. I called a good friend and asked if she could escape her desk and go for a walk. She worked for the USGS, and all federal offices had been closed. We headed for Buffalo Park, a place where I had often walked my dog, trained for my first marathon and always took visiting family to. It was eerily quiet. No one else was there, despite the beautiful late summer weather. We normally never noticed the air traffic overhead, but somehow that day (yet unaware that all commercial flights had been grounded) we were acutely aware that the sky was empty. No planes, no contrails, no clouds. We didn't yet know what it all meant or how much the world had changed - we just knew many things would be different. It was comforting to walk with a good friend, in a familiar and beloved place, a Flagstaff landmark and centrifuge for gathering. It was comforting to do something so simple when the world had just multiplied in complexity. Buffalo Park and its familiar vistas were a refuge that day, a place to feel safe.

Walking- thank you

I believe that when I first started this blog I talked about why walking is so important to me and that sometimes I really don’t have any other choice but to walk, even if it is to walk to get to the bus stop. And that’s because I have a seizure disorder, or epilepsy. I am fortunate in that my condition is easily controlled by medications. You would never know that I have a seizure disorder unless I told you. But I had a grand mal seizure, the scary type you see in movies and on tv, fifteen years ago and then another one this past September.

I won’t go into the details (and if any of you have seizures I found great comfort reading forums on epilepsy.com and coping-with-epilepsy.com) but the result of this latest seizure, and the first, was that my driving privileges were taken away. And I totally understand that- it takes time to figure out the correct medication to control the seizure and before that time you don’t want to be on the road. No problem. In Arizona, the time is three months; other states might be five or six months. I think in Utah it was five months.

In any case I have been without a car since September. And it’s been no problem. Let me list the reasons why:
1. My husband and friends have been so helpful in getting me places I hardly have to ask- it’s more like: “Cecile, are you going to so and so? Okay. I will pick you up at blank o’clock. See you.” I thought maybe I could lose some of this excess weight I have, but no luck. :)
2. Mountain Line Transit, our bus system, is pretty darn good and thorough. The bus drivers are very kind and helpful. I can get just about anywhere in town and their web site helps me figure out which bus I need to take. My only complaint is that the bus pick up times are spread out so far apart (one hour during the day) that you have to plan very carefully. I know they run on an as needed basis, they don’t have the budget to run more frequently so I understand their limits.
3. I really can walk to many places to get what I need. And it’s good for me.
4. I really don’t need to go to that many places. Sorry shopping centers, but my visits have been seriously curtailed. I plan my visits very carefully.

So a big thank you to my husband and friends for carting me (and my son) around. Thank you to my son for being so patient, and adventurous. Thank you to Mountain Line for providing the bus service. Thank you to the FUTS trails. Thank you to my legs, feet, and, in general, my body, for getting me around. Thank you to the residents who keep their sidewalks clear. And thank you to the drivers who look out for pedestrians. (And thank you for the nice weather we’ve been having lately…)

Singing Stars

"The stars are especially fine tonight, aren't they?" she said.

"They certainly are," said Delver.

"Indeed," said the lady mouse, "it's almost like singing, you might say, the way they glimmer and shine, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Delver, "I think it is..."

from The Mole Family's Christmas by Russel Hoban pictures by Lillian Hoban

(I don't have a photo of stars so snow will have to do...maybe of the forest where the moles lived)

Flagstaff Friday

There is a whole bunch of activities going on to keep you moving during this cold, dark season. The Holiday Lights Parade in downtown Flagstaff on Saturday at 6 p.m. and don't forget the Luminaria walk on Sunday (see below).

Here is Jack's list of events.

SATURDAY 11 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk or Snow Shoe
Marshall Lake
Start Location: Along the NPOI Road in front of the Forest Road that leads into Marshall Lake
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles on a route to Marshall Lake

SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER (afternoon)
Walk The Walk or Snow Shoe
Picture Canyon
Start Location: Along the Paved Road between the El Paso Gas Company and the Wildcat Waste Water Treatment Plant
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles on a route that will be around the new meander restoration area.

SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER (EVENING)
Luminaria Night Walk In Coconino Estates
Start Location: Marshall School Parking Lot
Corner of Thorpe Road and Bonito Street
Time: 6:00 PM 6:00 PM
About 2 total miles of walking through the Cocoon Estates Luminaria. Only GOOD way to
see this wonderful effort by that community. If you drive you lose all the "flavor" of the activity.
Meet the neighbors responsible for the show

TUESDAY 14 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER (afternoon)
SNOW SHOE ONLY IF WE HAVE SNOW NO WALK THE WALK Option
Start Location: Parking Area corner of Snowbowl Road and Highway 180
Time: Noon

WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER (evening)
Outdoor Meeting
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM 6:00 PM
Subject to be Announced

THURSDAY 16 DECEMBER - NO Scheduled Table Tennis.

FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot behind Sears at the Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
If the weather is decent we'll walk about 3 miles outside. If the weather is bad
we'll walk 3 miles inside the Flagstaff Mall

SATURDAY 18 DECEMBER
Snow Shoe or Walk The Walk
FAA Facility Loop
Start Location: Dead End for John Wesley Powell Near the Airport off Pullian Airport Road
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles as we explore the FAA facility.

SUNDAY 19 DECEMBER
Snow Shoe or Walk The Walk
Jay Lively Loop
Start Location: Jay Lively Skating Rink Parking Lot
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles on the Jay Lively loop using the FUTS

This and that- in the sky!

I wanted to share with you some sites that talk about atmospheric optics: rainbows, fogbows, moonbows, sundogs and all sorts of other cool phenomenon that occur when you see light and color in the atmosphere. Here’s a hint: anytime you see a thin layer of clouds in the sky around the sun (or moon), find something to obscure the sun like a basketball backboard and take a look at the clouds. Sometimes you will see iridescence (rainbow of colors), sometimes you can see a complete halo around the sun with arcs (half circles) radiating from the edges, sometimes you will see a sundog or two (bright spots in the clouds, next to the sun that kind of look like the sun). People are passionate about these phenomena, and I can see why. They are very special.

Earth Science Photo of the Day often has photos of atmospheric optics.

This web page, Atmospheric Optics Effects, has a listing of all sorts of web pages for atmospheric optics. I visited one site, a blog Atmospheric Phenomenon with nice photos of all sorts of effects.

And then there is this site, Weatherscape: Atmospheric Optics, that provides a comprehensive guide to atmospheric optics, just click on each term to get examples. This is a good place to start.

Wednesday's Walker!- Jack Welch

I am excited to start something new today- Wednesday’s Walker. I have asked a whole different assortment of people to respond to some questions about walking and I have already received some terrific responses- and all of them are different. I will be sharing these with you each Wednesday, along with other stories of walkers, as I collect more responses. If you would like to share your thoughts on walking, please contact me at my e mail account cleblanc46 at gmail dot com (only write it like you would an e mail account, I am trying to avoid getting spammed or whatevered). I would like to hear from folks from all over the country (and world!).

I am kicking off this series with Jack Welch, Flagstaff’s walking/bicycling/ etc. advocate. I am sure I first met him at one of his events, ages ago. But I do know I worked with him to try to get a trail through the woods, down to the elementary school, from near where I live. And now that trail exists, thanks mainly to him- I just attended a meeting here and there. He writes a terrific column, Flagstaff Trailheads, in our local paper and advocates for trails, bikes and pedestrians.

Name: Jack Welch – e mail address: ADILLLO at aol dot com (he sends out a wonderful update on walking and other events in Flagstaff, Arizona)

How do I know you?
I know Cecile because we have been on different committees together and have participated in outdoor activities. Currently we both are on the Pedestrian Advisory Committee which is a part of the City Transportation Commission.

What do you do? What keeps you busy? What is your passion?
I am interested in local trails. The FUTS, Flagstaff Loop Trail, County Trails, Arizona Trail and Forest Service Trails. I am also involved with the Friends of the Rio de Flag. Our goal is to promote the route of the Rio de Flag through Flagstaff as a Greenbelt. I also am on the board for Flagstaffbiking dot org. Our goal is the promotion of bicycle use. As a member of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee I am interested in promoting
the walk mode as a viable means of transportation.

Fill in the blank. I walk because ….
I walk because it’s a good and easy way to maintain my general health and I like being outdoors in this wonderful and great place in which we live.

What do you do when you walk?
I like to organize my thoughts while walking or if I'm involved in a scheduled walk I like to converse with the other participants. Never know what you will learn from just the most casual of conversations.

What do you like about walking?
I like walking because it's such an easy way to exercise and see what's going on around the community. Also, it keeps me out in the weather - bad or good - it's great to be that close to the natural ways of our great outdoors. I also like to look at the mountains. Never the same thing twice.

Special places or things I have found while walking. A wetland in the Rio de Flag waterway near Harold Ranch Road. An overlook of Lake Mary on Anderson Mesa while walking the Arizona Trail near the NPOI. The remains of a brick kiln found in the Rio de Flag just east of the pond behind Sam's. The unusual sight of 5 doe elk running with 4 fawns at Picture Canyon. So many, perhaps I should write a book!

Favorite Walk: Sinclair Wash FUTS behind Willow Bend. Picture Canyon trails. Arizona Trail from Snowbowl Road to Bismarck Lake. Loop Trail from John Wesley Powell to Fisher Point Trail. Pumphouse Wash. Maybe I should write another book!

Any tips to get people walking?
To get people to walk I tell them their front or back door is a trailhead and no matter which exit they choose it will always lead to something or someplace interesting. Destination walking is the most fun. Even a simple out and back route provides two different views of the same things.

Tracking time

I have been walking in the morning lately and have been getting acquainted with when the sun rises. I kind of like that. I might not like that I will soon be walking in darkness, but I like that even though I am walking at the same time every morning, something is changing. This morning I needed a headlamp to see the rocks on the trail on the way to my destination; I could barely make out their outlines without it. Blazing overhead was Venus and stars were scattered here and there.

I know it will get darker. December 21 is the shortest day of the year and today is only December 7. Last year, my husband printed out the “Sun and Moon Rise/Set Table” for me. I noted that the sun rose later and later all the way until January and the rise date won’t be the same as today until some date in February, that was last year. You can see for yourself- it’s about the same this year.

While I am confounded by the dark and want it to be light already, I appreciate how time is marked outside of human conventions. I use to work in the public program at Lowell Observatory and would sometimes do night programs. Those were my favorite programs. Every season brought its own collection of constellations. I would mark the changing of the season not by the calendar but by the rising of Orion or the position of the Big Dipper.

I miss that, I get sucked in by the warmth of my house. Mmm, cozy. But maybe these morning walks will get me back outside and back to tracking time with the stars. Still, it’s very cold.

Kindness

One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb

Flagstaff Fridays

Friday 3 December
First Friday Art Walk! Downtown and around! Always fun!

The following list is from Jack Welch. Last year my son and I went on the Luminaria Walk. We were able to stop and listen to a garage band (playing Christmas music), enjoy hot chocolate, and take our time to appreciate special light displays- it was a lot of fun.

SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk or Snow Shoe
New Open Space Purchase
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles we'll use the FUTS behind the Adult Center to access the new piece of Open Space that was recently purchased by the City.

SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk or Snow Shoe
Sechrist/Coconino County Property Loop
Start Location: Sechrist School on Ft Valley Road
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles on the beautiful piece of county property behind Sechrist
School. Expect some hills and in places the trail is heavily populated with rocks

TUESDAY 7 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER
Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting
Location: City Hall in the room behind the City Council Chambers
Time: 4:30 PM
Discussion of pedestrian issues and our plans for the new year

THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER
Table Tennis Club PlayTime
Location: Adult Center in the big room to the right of the front desk
Time: 6:00 PM until 7:45 PM
We will have two tables going. Adult Only Please

FRIDAY 10 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot at the Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
If the weather is good we'll walk about three miles outside. If its bad we'll walk
inside the Mall. 7 Times around equals 3.1 miles

SATURDAY 11 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk or Snow Shoe
Marshall Lake
Start Location: Along the NPOI Road in front of the Forest Road that leads into Marshall Lake
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles on a route to Marshall Lake

SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER (afternoon)
Walk The Walk or Snow Shoe
Picture Canyon
Start Location: Along the Paved Road between the El Paso Gas Company and the Wildcat Waste Water Treatment Plant
Time: 3:00 PM
2 to 3 total miles on a route that will be around the new meander restoration area.

SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER (EVENING)
Luminaria Night Walk In Coconino Estates
Start Location: Marshall School Parking Lot
Corner of Thorpe Road and Bonito Street
Time: 6:00 PM 6:00 PM
About 2 total miles of walking through the Cocoon Estates Luminaria. Only GOOD way to
see this wonderful effort by that community. If you drive you lose all the "flavor" of the activity.
Meet the neighbors responsible for the show

Our Small Ship

Today I was trying to find a neat (but disturbing) video that showed all of the artificial satellites circling our planet. I couldn’t find the exact video I was thinking of so that will have to wait. I did find this video from the American Museum of Natural History. I think it is amazing, so I am sharing it with you.

We have all probably seen videos like this before, but, wow, it just reminds me of what a small, wonderful ship we are on.

Let's do this!

As I get back into this blog swing of things I am trying to formulate a routine, just so I know what is expected of me (just for my own use) on what days. So so far I have: Monday’s Musing (missed that this week)- and that will usually be a quote, statistic, or something to think about; Tuesday’s Thoughts- this will be where I get my writing practice and share with you a brief thought about something, typically walk, health or nature related; Wednesday, hmmm- I want to do “Wednesday Walkers” and I am working on this, profiles on walkers from all over (I am going to need help on this, wink, wink); Thursday’s Surprise- just something that I like or want to share from the web or from what I have seen or heard (or what you have share with me!), and then, of course, Flagstaff Fridays, where I will try to keep you posted on what’s happening, “walkwise” in Flagstaff, Arizona.

I was really tempted to let this blog slip, it’s easy to do. But I know I have at least 2 readers, because they would tell me, “you haven’t posted anything, and you are stuck on ‘grey.’” So, “thank you” to you readers. I enjoy writing this blog. And I love walking. And I love this planet. So, let’s do this- one step at a time!