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
=================================

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