Hearts In Hawaii

You’re kidding, right? I understand that snowstorms are always a possibility in Duluth during April, but come on! We’ve been back from Hawai`i for only eight days and were hoping that we’d timed it so that the worst of our winter weather would be past us before our return. Guess not.

Nothing has happened…yet. But the forecast paints a bleak picture:

…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO
7 AM CDT SATURDAY…

A BLIZZARD IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AT THE HEAD OF THE LAKES
THIS EVENING…STARTING AROUND 7 PM…AND CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY
NIGHT. TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME DANGEROUS VERY QUICKLY THIS
EVENING. POWERFUL NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL DEVELOP
THIS EVENING…ESPECIALLY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. THE INTENSE
WINDS…COMBINED WITH SNOWFALL OF UP TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR…WILL
MAKE FOR TERRIBLE DRIVING CONDITIONS TONIGHT. WHEN THE STORM
HITS…IT WILL NOT MOVE IN GRADUALLY…IT WILL HIT SUDDENLY AND
WILL BE VERY INTENSE. VISIBILITIES WILL BE NEAR ZERO AT TIMES!

TOTAL SNOWFALL THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO REACH 10 TO 15
INCHES FOR THE TWIN PORTS…FLOODWOOD…KETTLE RIVER…POPLAR AND
SOLON SPRINGS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY IN
THE HIGHER TERRAIN ADJACENT TO LAKE SUPERIOR.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS…MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL…HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED…STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. WITH THE HEAVY WET SNOW…WATCH
FOR DOWN POWER LINES IF YOU MUST DRIVE….BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO
7 AM CDT SATURDAY…

A BLIZZARD IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AT THE HEAD OF THE LAKES
THIS EVENING…STARTING AROUND 7 PM…AND CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY
NIGHT. TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME DANGEROUS VERY QUICKLY THIS
EVENING. POWERFUL NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL DEVELOP
THIS EVENING…ESPECIALLY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. THE INTENSE
WINDS…COMBINED WITH SNOWFALL OF UP TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR…WILL
MAKE FOR TERRIBLE DRIVING CONDITIONS TONIGHT. WHEN THE STORM
HITS…IT WILL NOT MOVE IN GRADUALLY…IT WILL HIT SUDDENLY AND
WILL BE VERY INTENSE. VISIBILITIES WILL BE NEAR ZERO AT TIMES!

TOTAL SNOWFALL THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO REACH 10 TO 15
INCHES FOR THE TWIN PORTS…FLOODWOOD…KETTLE RIVER…POPLAR AND
SOLON SPRINGS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY IN
THE HIGHER TERRAIN ADJACENT TO LAKE SUPERIOR.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS…MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL…HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED…STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. WITH THE HEAVY WET SNOW…WATCH
FOR DOWN POWER LINES IF YOU MUST DRIVE.

So far, nothing has happened, although the winds have been picking up steadily. Gusts were reaching close to 40 mph this during the afternoon and are predicted to remain as strong or stronger as the snow moves in later this evening. Yippee!

Man, remind me why the hell we came back from Hawai`i again? Other than the obvious reason….money.

Recently, I received a comment, and instead of allowing it, accidentally deleted it.  My apologies to the sender!  It said basically that my story sounded interesting even though parts of it weren’t understood.  So, if you read this, I’d be happy to answer any specific questions you have.  Perhaps I can clarify whatever parts of it were murky.  Thanks for your interest!

It’s not that I needed something better; my Nikon D50 is one fantastic camera and does an excellent job in every shooting condition I’ve encountered (other than shooting hockey pics, but this isn’t the fault of the camera. I just need a faster lens.). The only downside to the D50 is that it’s large and slightly cumbersome. It isn’t the kind of camera you want to carry around with you everywhere you go, and certainly not in everyday life. For that purpose, I decided to find a small, compact point-and-shoot cam. One I could put in my pocket and carry around wherever I went. I can’t count the number of situations I’ve found myself in where I went “damn, I wish I had my camera!”.

After researching and rejecting three other cameras, my eyes landed on the Nikon Coolpix S500. It certainly is small and light enough (3.5 x 2.0 x 0.9 inches, and weighing 4.4 ounces without battery and SD memory card), and has a 7.1 megapixel sensor. The reviews on this camera were mostly pretty good, the primary downside being that it wasn’t a great camera in low lighting. Well, heck, very few P&S cameras are; due to the small sensor this type of camera has, boosting the ISO to overcome low lighting results in serious grain issues. Most of us understand that. If I know I’ll be shooting in questionable lighting, the D50 will come out. Simple as that.

So, I ordered it from newegg.com, and had it in hand within a week. My first impressions, after shooting 40 pictures, are that this will be a nearly ideal camera for everyday use. It’s something I’ll be happy to have in those “hey, I gotta get a pic of this” moments. I haven’t had the chance to test it in bright conditions because it’s been gray and mostly rainy in Duluth these past couple of weeks, but it went with us to the Bayfield Apple Festival this past Saturday and took reasonably decent pics. Overall, I’d give this camera a rating of 8 (on a 1-10 scale).

After watching the first debate between Duluth mayoral candidates Charlie Bell and Don Ness, I’m still not entirely clear on where my vote will land on November 6.  However, I’m leaning slightly closer to Charlie Bell after viewing this half-hour debate sponsored by WDIO-TV.  Donny appeared more polished and eloquent; Charlie stuttered and seemed at times to be searching for what he wanted to convey.  It occurred to me after the debate that Charlie came across as more down-to-earth.  Also, it seems clear to me that while Donny has experience in the political arena, Charlie has far more experience in the Real World, being a business owner.  Perhaps if Duluth had been run more like a business during these past two decades, some of the royal mess the city now faces could have been alleviated or avoided.

The first few walls are up on the hockey center!

When completed, this Center will be home ice to the Duluth high school hockey teams from East, Central and Denfeld. I think whoever uploaded the schools’ schedules to the Minnesota State High School Leagues website got a little bit ahead of themselves, however, when they showed this as the location for home games during the upcoming 2007-08 season. As you can see from the pictures below, the building of the new building hasn’t yet begun; demolition at the site of the old Clyde Iron Works is still ongoing. Still, when completed, this will fill a gaping hole in available ice for local hockey teams left when Peterson Arena burned down a few years ago. Let’s hope the work finishes quickly!

Out with the old…

…in with the new!

‘

Well, it had to happen eventually. The old trusty 1992 Toyota Corolla had become the victim of fairly serious rust issues over the past few years. One brake line had to be replaced last May, and the other one was failing. Most of the exhaust system had to be replaced recently. The radiator was fairly shot. It was a simple question; was I willing to put the amount of money into the car to keep it running reasonably well for another year until I bought a new car, or was it time to put this one to rest?

After test driving a 2008 Toyota Corolla at Kari Toyota’s huge sale at Wessman Arena last week, I was sold in an instant. When they offered the car to me at under what I was going to offer, it made the transaction a cinch.

Initial thoughts on this new purchase follow. Keep in mind that any comparisons I draw are between this car and my old car. Plans to test drive other vehicles such as the Honda Civic and Mazda 3 were blown up as soon as I drove the Corolla. I mean, what was the point? The alternatives were more expensive and didn’t afford the same level of comfort I’d found with the Corolla. I’ve had the opportunity to drive three 2007 autos during this past year (during our Hawaii trip last spring); a SubaruImpreza, a Chevy Cobalt and a Chevy Monte Carlo.

So….

1. The Corolla handled better than the other three vehicles, and obviously better than the old Corolla, even taking into account how comfortable I was with the old car.

2. Instrumentation was a snap to figure out and acclimate myself to. A couple of brief forays into the extensive owner’s manual answered the few questions I had.

3. Pick up is superior to the old car; the 1.8 liter engine (compared to 1.6 on the old car) had a lot to do with it.

4. I understand that some of these features are standard on many new cars, but c’mon, we’re comparing my experience to what it’s been for the past fifteen years with a ‘92 Corolla! The driver seat can be raised or lowered. There is a lockout feature on the trunk which prevents entry using the lever inside the car. The outside mirrors can be adjusted from the inside of the car without rolling down the windows. The rear seats fold down (60/40 split). Two cup holders in the front, two in thereae. Plenty of various pockets to store things outside the glove compartment.

The old car featured none of these.

5. Stereo system; my ‘92 Corolla came without a stereo system, which was perfect. I simply drove up to DADS the day I picked up the car and had a Alpine stereo system installed. This system has superior sound, due in large part to larger speakers. The single-disk CD player (which is standard) is nice, but there is no Pause button. This is a fairly significant oversight in my opinion. Other than that, the stereo system is very nice.

Overall, this car is a pleasure to drive. It’s a far quieter ride than the old car, with better handling and better gas mileage. I consider this an excellent buy for someone looking for economy and dependability without flashiness.

When I’m not sitting on the lanai at the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort looking at the island of Lanai in the morning and enjoying my breakfast, my second favorite place to be, my happy place, is the Willard Munger State Trail. This trail runs 70 miles from Duluth to Hinckley, and is fully paved…errr, except for where it crosses the Douglas Road in Carlton County. They tore up the pavement late last year and still haven’t replaced the blacktop, creating a minor hazard for road bicyclists and a not-so-minor hazard for roller bladers.

Anyway, I first “found” the Munger Trail during a two-month abstinance from smoking in 1993. My first ride took me from Duluth to Thomson, a 26 mile roundtrip excursion, and it was “love at first bike”. These days, my biking takes places from Carlton to points southward, usually a jaunt to Moose Lake (totally 45.5 miles). I prefer this section for two reasons: 1) most of this section is wider and in better shape and 2) it’s quieter.

Riding this trail has been extremely instrumental in staying smokefree for the past five years. I simply can’t understate the importance and what this trail has meant. It’s a place where I can kick up the speed, blow off whatever stress I may be feeling, and let my mind float from thought to thought. Some of my best ideas and inspirations happen on this trail. Probably some of my worst ones, also

You can see some of the pictures I’ve taken, especially the Duluth to Carlton segment, here. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Bubba, one of the two polar bears in captivity at the Lake Superior Zoo, died at the age of 19 last Wednesday.  This is a loss for all of us who had enjoyed his playful antics over the years.  Preliminary reports show his death was caused by liver disease.

Rest in peace, Bubba.

I’ve decided to delete a particular blog I wrote concerning the circumstances surrounding Adam’s murder, and have also deleted the responses to that blog. We’ll see how the court case goes before I decide whether to comment further.

For those who read my blog comments before I deleted them, I didn’t change my mind. I deleted this, regardless of my First Amendment rights, because sometimes some things are better left unsaid. I can’t say with any certainty that this was my motive for deleting my comments, or if there’s something else going on. Maybe I just want to see what happens and how this plays out in a court of law before I decide if comment is wanted or warranted.

I do this with some misgivings.