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Thaddeus Kosciuszko

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Everything posted by Thaddeus Kosciuszko

  1. I'm surprised at you DH, and don't understand this at all. Instead of turning down all these invitations to parties and weddings, why don't you just invite them to have their party or wedding while they ride with you? I mean, you could go a little easy on them on the downhill sections so they could catch up, couldn't you?
  2. I'm impressed! You expanded your usual daytime activity!
  3. I spent the weekend on New York's west coast on the shores of Lake Erie. Check in time was 3pm at the campground and I arrived in the area around one. Having a plan to keep myself gainfully occupied for just such an occurance, I took a short trek to Forestville to view Walnut Falls. Many of the creeks in the area were dry so my chances of seeing anything at all were very slim. However, I found some water still in Walnut Creek, which in turn flowed over the falls Next order of business was to check in and set up camp. My campsite was perhaps a couple hundred feet from the lake. Later in the afternoon I strolled over to the shore. Here no beach existed; the 'shore' consisted of a 25 foot rock cliff. Later that evening I returned to the shore as the sun set Saturday I rode the century (another thread), and afterwards spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading. Sunday I packed up camp early and left for a short tour of western NY before heading home. My first stop brought me to the location for Buttermilk Falls. The waterfall guides said the falls dried up in the summer. But I was in the region, and it had rained recently so I took the chance. This is Eighteen Mile Creek, which I crossed to get to the trail for the falls. After a short walk I found the falls. Not much water flowing over the falls, but better than a dry cliff. In the small pool at the base minnows swam. Next stop led me to Williamsville and to Glen Falls. To the town's credit they preserved the falls and surrounding area in a public park The restored mill that used the water for power. If you look below the lowest window, you'll see the concrete shaft that conveyed the water into the mill. The water came out the opposite side of the mill and the tailrace eventually rejoined the creek. Today it forms several ponds and a small stream that meanders through the park. You can see the mill in the background. It's tiring work being a duck, and so one must tuck the beak under the wing and nap... On to Akron Falls, where the guidebooks' predictions came true. Hardly a garden hose worth of water dripped over the upper falls, not even worth a picture. The path leading to the 'falls' was a pleasant walk After this disappointment I drove a few miles east to Indian Falls. And yet another disappointment. While water flowed over the falls, the land was heavily posted and there was no way to get a picture of the falls without trespassing. As compensation near the falls I found a historical marker. It is not well known that the person who helped draft and who wrote the surrender articles signed Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee was a native American assigned to General Grant's staff. There are other falls and historic places in western NY, but the day was getting into afternoon making it time to get on the Thruway for the drive home.
  4. It's probably no worse than what gets on your hands when you open the door to leave a public restroom, touch the handle on a shopping cart (and then touch all the food you put in it), or use equipment at a gym. Then unthinkingly touch your face, or rub your eyes, or break open the lunch you brought to work and start eating.
  5. This past weekend I traveled to Evangola State Park (more later) and rode the MS Great Lakes Getaway. The ride started in Evangola State Park, followed the Lake Erie shoreline on Route 5, then turned around and came back on Route 20. Pretty flat, really, almost an out-and-back. Where I live Route 5 and 20 are no fun for cyclists, but at the far west end of the state traffic was light and drivers were far more courteous. This guy half-wheeled me for the first ten miles. Every time I tried to ride next to him he sprinted ahead. Typical view across to Lake Erie A thing of rare beauty - a power plant. Although from what I can find this one has been shut down even though it would have been converted from coal to natural gas. Another view of Lake Erie One of two pictures I actually stopped to take. This is the Dunkirk lighthouse, built in 1875. The original lighthouse was built in 1827 but had to be replaced due to erosion. The lens and lantern were installed in 1857, and were made in France. They still serve on the lighthouse today, and the lighthouse still serves as a Great Lakes navigation beacon. Barcelona Harbor (also known as Portland). Once a busy Great Lakes port, a storm damaged the port facilities and the railroads proved too great a competitor so the port was never rebuilt. The Barcelona lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1829. Later, the light was powered by true natural gas. This gas seeped up from crevices in the ground, was collected and piped two miles to the lighthouse in wooden pipes. The gas supply proved fickle, so the light reverted to oil when the gas failed. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1857 because it was no longer needed for navigation. About ten miles after the lighthouse, the route turned and headed back. For the next 35 to 40 miles I had a pretty good tailwind! Never have I had a tailwind so consistent and strong! The miles really started clicking away. I kept drinking lots of water during the ride, but I think I should have been drinking something stronger. About mile 60 I started seeing pink elephants. The double steel arch in the town of Brockton, built in 1913, and on the National Register of Historic Places. Typical of the many farms along the route. In some places grapes grew in rows and rows, reaching farther than the fields shown here. Definitely wine county. This tank was parked - quite sensibly - outside a VFW post in the town of Sheridan. A picture for Kirby! I did not photoshoppe this! Honest! Back at Evangola State Park, overlooking Lake Erie. The flag gives you an idea how strong the tailwind was. With only 2800 feet of elevation this ride was comparatively flat to the previous ride, so I'd set a goal of trying to average 15mph. I finished with an average of 16.4. I'm rather happy with that, even with giving credit to the tailwind.
  6. I especially like the sixth picture, with the trail cresting then down out of sight, with the mist hanging in the trees! Nominated for the Forum 2016 Picture Hall of Fame!
  7. Well, you're going to be in a crapton of trouble because you're never going to be able to fill out enough paperwork to make the NYS Education Department believe it actually happened.
  8. I thought a pimanti was that red thing stuck in the middle of an olive...
  9. On the plus side, if it's a city you've never visited there's a slight chance your reputation hasn't preceded you.
  10. You've got no worries. Anybody who can command a pack of Airedales can certainly command a puny incident.
  11. I do like that picture of the bear on the shore with his reflection in water...
  12. I apologize, but I think that dress makes you look fat.
  13. I stomped on someone's ego recently in a public meeting. A member of a municipal board wrote in a public document some entirely unjustified unflattering comments about my parents. I attended the next meeting of that board and during the privilege of the floor took that board member's statements apart piece by piece, exposing his ignorance and his childish behavior, while portraying him as a sneak who'd attacked two quiet, respected senior citizens. All done, of course, in a polite and gentlemanly manner so that my own behavior was above reproach. Mr. Nasty just stared at the table during my statement and made no rebuttal. When I finished, one of the other board members applauded.
  14. No sympathy from me. It's not as if there aren't any internet cafes in Nigeria where the soccer team could grab a few credit card numbers to pay for the flight. I find their lack of enterprise astounding.
  15. Get thee to a doctor. That was almost funny, so you're obviously not yourself today.
  16. Wasn't Kirchoff a navigator guy in those Star Trek documentaries about the NASA space program?
  17. That would depend on how many points a water bottle cost, and how cool the water bottle looked. Would the water bottle be shipped full of water, or would it be the kind of water bottle we'd have to go through the trouble to fill all by ourselves?
  18. The guy on the treadmill is a poser. Look how heavily he leans on the upright supports of the treadmill to take the pressure off his feet.
  19. I do spend time here... But I spend most of my time on the forums at EngineersGoneWild.com because the rip-roaring debates about LaPlace transforms, negative sequence fault currents, and utility pole anchor testing requirements will rivet a person to the computer for hours.
  20. Happy birthday! I bought you a personal rendition of 'The Happy Birthday Song' presented by the New York Hilpharmonic Orchestra:
  21. True. But it would waaaay more awesome-er if we had a SquareWheels Shoppe where we could redeem our reputation points for nice prizes and gifts.
  22. He is. Everybody else has the wrong jersey on.
  23. At least they match, so I'd say you're still ahead of the game.
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