Change of Mood

Dust of Snow

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Robert Frost
American (1874-1963)

Flagstaff Fridays

La Nina is being true to form. We have had a dry winter here in Flagstaff, maybe some snow next week? I wish we could take a little bit of the snow from you up in the NE (just a little bit).


From Jack Welch:

The Snow Shoe activities are on hold but will begin again if and when it snows! Most of the Walk The Walk routes can be changed over to snow shoe routes if the weather delivers snow.

JANUARY 2011

THURSDAY 27 JANUARY 2011
Table Tennis/Ping Pong
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM until 7:45 PM
We'll have three tables in play. Recreational and competitive players Welcome. Adults only please

FRIDAY 28 JANUARY 2011
Walk Into Spring
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking. We'll walk outside if the weather is good or inside the mall if the weather is terrible.

SATURDAY 29 JANUARY 2011
Walk The Walk
Ft Tuthill County Park
Start Location: Park along the road that runs next to the County Fair Site
Time: Noon
About 4 miles of walking as we use the Archery Road up to the range

SUNDAY 30 JANUARY
WALK THE WALK
Picture Canyon - east side
Start Location: At the end of Rain Valley Road near the mail boxes
From the new Home Depot on Route 66
Drive past the Wild Cat Treatment Plant road about 1/2 mile. Rain Valley Road is about a 1/2 mile further on the left hand side of Route 66
Time: Noon
About 3 total miles of walking as we explore the other side of Picture Canyon and gain a different view of the recently restored meander

MONDAY 31 JANUARY 2011
Adult Ice Skate at the Jay Lively
Location: Jay Lively Ice Skating Rink
`650 North Turquoise
Time: 10:00 AM
Cost: Less than $10.00 for entry and skates
Call the Jay Lively for complete details at 774 1051

FEBRUARY 2011
Don't forget to turn in your Healthy Heart December calendar page

TUESDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2011
Walk Into Spring
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles in and around the surrounding neighborhood

WEDNESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2011
Table Tennis/Ping Pong Play
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
We'll have 3 tables going. Recreational and competitive players welcome.
Adults Only

THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY
Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting
Location: City hall upstairs in the Staff Conference Room
Time: 4:30 PM
Discussion of Bicycle Issues

THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY
Friends of the Rio de Flag Meeting
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM 6:00 PM
Discussion will be about the Friends of the Rio plans to participate in the fall Science Festival.
We would welcome your ideas and suggestions. Everybody welcome. Please do bring a friend

THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY
Table Tennis/Ping Pong Play
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM until 7:45 PM
We'll have three tables going. Both Recreational and Competitive Players welcomed. Adults only please

FRIDAY 4 FEBRUARY
Walk Into Spring
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot behind the Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking. We'll be outside if the weather is nice and inside the mall in the weather is nasty.

SATURDAY 5 FEBRUARY
Walk The Walk
Campbell Mesa
Start Location - Park in the cemetery lot across from the trail head which is located off County Club Drive on Old Walnut Canyon Road. The trailhead is about a mile from County Club Drive. 1/2 mile of paved road followed by 1/2 mile of Forest Road
Time: Noon
We'll explore some of the 5 loops located on that mesa

SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY

Walk The Walk
Downtown Wall Murals
Start Location: Flagstaff City Hall - west parking lot
Time: Noon
About 3 total miles of walking as we take a closer look at the downtown murals

This and that- "Friends of..."

Friends of…
When I lived Eureka, California I helped with Friends of the Dunes. We worked to restore the local dunes to their natural ecosystem. From Eureka we moved to Salt Lake City and I met a group of people working with the Friends of the Great Salt Lake. They had a huge task- to restore, protect and defend the ecosystems of the Great Salt Lake. From Salt Lake City we moved to Flagstaff.

Here in Flagstaff, I have heard of many “Friends of…” organizations. Because I am a walker I hear mostly of Friends of the Rio de Flag. Rio de Flag is an intermittent stream that runs through Flagstaff. We have a nice trail system (Flagstaff Urban Trail System) that runs next to it for a large part of its course.

These “Friends of …” groups are advocates for places (sometimes it’s a building) and habitats. They listen for legislation that might impact the area, brainstorm on ways to protect the place and get the word out about why the site is important to protect. As a group they can clean up an area, raise funds and develop coalitions with other groups. Without these groups special areas might be lost.

So here’s a toast and a big thumb’s up to “Friends of…” groups.

Wednesday's Walker- Linda and Don

The following is from Linda and Don. I met Linda and Don when I started going to a small church here in Flagstaff. They were very kind to us (and many others). We had great fun playing dominoes and Chinese checkers. Sounds like they have found a terrific community in Oregon.

Well, the first things we purchased when we moved to OR four years ago were rain pants. There's no excuse for NOT walking here! Our favorite motivation for walking in McMinnville is our "Walk 'n Talk" group of about 15 senior citizens in our 70s and 80s. We meet every Tuesday-Thursday morning at 8 AM at the Linfield College track, whatever the weather. At our own paces, some slow and some fast, we walk the safe track for 30 minutes, equaling 1.5 miles. Our reward follows indoors at Jake's Deli where we gather for coffee and conversation at a large, round table. During that 30 minutes we share jokes and much laughter. These fun days highlight our weeks and years as we're becoming "seasoned citizens!"

Treasure Blogs

One of the big joys of the internet is getting to read blogs from people around the world. I am constantly amazed at what people are writing about out there- and I mean amazed in a good way. I have found so much beauty and compassion in some of these blogs, so much heart, and yet they aren’t going for the book or the tv show or any glory. Some have a large following from around the world and some are just quietly documenting their piece of life. I have sometimes been saddened with the thought that we are really missing placing a history together when we just communicate through email, texts and tweets. But maybe those do count. And some of those blogs are like the long, thoughtful letters of yesteryear.
I bring this up here because of one of the blogs I have in my blogroll, Walking Prescott. This was written by a woman with a sharp eye and sharp wit. She carried her camera with her everywhere and it seemed that she noticed everything. I was never one of her regular followers, but when I did visit I always enjoyed her post. The other day I thought I would catch up on her travels only to find out that she had passed away last spring. I was shocked to feel such a loss for someone I had never met. Her readers from around the world expressed their condolences and her daughter posted a wonderful photo of her mom and dad in their younger years.
You can still see her blog with her fun photos

.

La Nina

"La Niña is expected to continue well into the Northern Hemisphere spring 2011...Impacts in the United States include an enhanced chance of above-average precipitation in the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies (along with a concomitant increase in snowfall), Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley. Below-average precipitation is favored across the southwestern and southeastern states. An increased chance of below-average temperatures is predicted for much of the West Coast and northern tier of states (excluding New England), and a higher possibility of above-average temperatures is forecast for much of the southern and central U.S. ... While seasonal temperature and precipitation patterns in the U.S. are strongly influenced by La Niña, these signals can be modified by other factors, such as the Arctic Oscillation (AO)/ North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)."
From EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO)
DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION
issued by
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/NCEP (National Weather Service)
6 January 2011

I hope that all of you feeling such bitter cold temperatures find some relief... Weather geeks, be sure to click on the link for the full discussion.

Flagstaff Fridays

Activities from Jack Welch, please contact him if you have any questions. The snow has been melting fast so maybe more walking, less snowshoeing.

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.

SATURDAY 22 JANUARY
SNOW SHOE TO THE FAA FACILITY
Start Location: Dead End of John Wesley Powell just east of Pulliam Airport Road
Time: High Noon
Interesting walk with a few decent hills into a meadow just west of the Airport

SUNDAY 23 JANUARY
SNOW SHOE INTO PICTURE CANYON
Start Location: At the end of Rain Valley Road near the mailboxes.
Rain Valley Road is located just past the Wildcat Treatment Plant Road (El Paso Flagstaff) off Old Route 66 (about a mile past the new Home Depot store on the left side of Old Route 66)
Time: Noon
We'll use the Arizona Trail to reach Picture Canyon for a different view of the newly restored meander

TUESDAY 25 JANUARY
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY
TABLE TENNIS/PING PONG PLAY
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
We'll have 3 tables in play. Both recreational and competitive players welcome

THURSDAY 27 JANUARY
TABLE TENNIS/PING PONG PLAY
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
We'll have 3 tables in play. Both recreational and competitive players welcome

FRIDAY 28 JANUARY
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot at the Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk about 3 miles outside if the weather allows or inside the mall if its bad outside.

SATURDAY 29 JANUARY
SNOW SHOE AT FT TUTHILL
Start Location: Parking Area across from the County Parks and Recreation Building next to the County Fair Grounds
Time: High Noon
We'll stomp one of the many trails in this the most popular county park

SUNDAY 30 JANUARY
SNOW SHOE PICTURE CANYON
Start Location: Between the El Paso Facility and the Wildcat Water Treatment Plant on Flagstaff El Paso Road
Time: Noon
Picture Canyon is a great winter time visit. Expect to see (or find evidence) of local wildlife. The restoration of the meander is a wonderful addition to our community.