felix navaho
Well I am back after another weekend in Kansas visiting family. We went back to pick up Zeke and go to the Rocco family extended Christmas where there were 3 babies and 2 toddlers and they were all sick with flu, temperature, etc. I think Zeke was better, he was sick last week. Judah has been sick with another ear infection (thank you Luthers) Last night he slept really well (from 6:30 pm to 5:50 am and then till 7:30) he woke up hungry and happy more like Judah. That was the first full night sleep in a while I just realized, I don't really keep track anymore. I did work on the trail some, cutting back brambles and planning more routes. This is a good time of the year to do that since it is not overgrown. It rained on Friday so I didn't get to ride, Zeke and I took a walk several times. He keeps campaigning to hold the machete when we go, but I have to much fun with it... plus he only 3. Both the boys love being outside. Angie and I talked about starting a yearly bike race out there to benefit youth horizons boys home and have a grass fed beef dinner to advertise for the Rocco Ranch. "Grass fed beef flat tire festival". More of a family day than the usual bike race, we could have kids races and unicycle bike trail races. Maybe even get the 4 wheeled fantasy island bikes from Norman to have spectators teams race down the creek. We talked about it all the way to oklahoma and had some really good ideas, I brought up an old idea of having masked people in the trees wearing sumo outfits that would try to tackle riders when they pass, kind of an extra obstacle to look out for. We thought that cow skulls that mount on the wall would make great trophies. We might start out with a few core riders going out there to ride and evaluate the trail this spring to get some feedback, trail design is rather interesting to me. you have to design the trail to flow to be more enjoyable for the rider. My problem at the Rocco's is that there are so many paths and possibilities that it is hard to pick. We have worked about 5 hours on the trail and are no where near capacity, we haven't even gone across the RR tracks. Mr Rocco has a rail bed going across his land that the RR took the tracks off and now the rails to trail people want it, this does not settle well with Vinnie. State mandate (or so I am told) says that the land has to go back to the land owner after the RR is done, but I guess the RR gave it to the Rails to trails people so there is a lawsuit brewing. Mr Rocco has gated up his section and vowed to shoot anybody on his land. I think that the rails to trails idea is a good one and kind of neat, but I have to agree with Vince that the way that they are going about it (using lawyers, nasty letters, and threats of lawsuits) is not right. they should invite the farmers to be a part of it not threaten them. (Kind of a communistic what is better for the people mentality) I told Vince that if they force his hand he should put up billboards along his land so that the hikers and bikers can't see anything. He is afraid of people being walking and camping so close to his house and the fact that the rails people have not kept up any of the fences or gotten rid of any of the weeds along the trail. I am not opinionated so you will not read much about my opinions on this blog but there is one for you to think over. I also don't think that bikers (I am talking mostly to the road bikers) should be on the road in town when there is a sidewalk. Also let me just say that horses wreck the landscape much more than mountain bikers. Ok I am done.
Here is a picture of my new racing jersey, took a good look cause you will see these everywhere in a few years. Yes it is a classy Hawaiian shirt with the sleeves cut off my classy name stitched on the back. Angie is very jealous of this particular article of clothing she always wants to take it and hide it for herself. Someday it will be in a showcase on my wall commemorating my mountain bike days.
Well believe it or not I have to do something, my boss is back in town after a year of sabbatical and I am trying to get used to it. I have to start writing my dissertation to convince my committee that my research is worth having.
posted by Flippo @ 6:54 AM
4 Comments:
it is the bikers who, in their heart, believe that they are a car and take up the whole lane like it is owed to them that I am talking about. They are a hazard.
We will have to agree to disagree on the rails to trails thing, I agree that it is a neat thing but that land next to the tracks is the farmers livelihood and home. The trail is just one more access people would have to his property. People can walk the dirt roads just as easy, maybe not as pleasant. This whole government thing of them choosing where the land goes bothers me also, sounds like China. The towns probably do like it and it may be good for them but from a farmers standpoint I don't see why they would want people having free access across their land.
What I am saying is it should be up the farmer whether he allows it or not, if he does fine it is a neat thing. if he does not then he should not be forced to do so. since he legally owns all the land around it I think the priority should go to them. They should have the choice of being a part of it or not. Angie and I tried to ride on the trails once (the rocks didn't work well for bikes) and it was fun to see the land that way and it would be fun for a family to go from town to town that way, but it is not a necessity like a road. So it should be up to the landowner, Vince's land is landlocked so he has to use the trail for cattle crossing and such. Well there you have it sis.
Is that true mom? be honest, don't be afraid of hurting her feelings.
Gail I have work to do...how much do they pay?
What an asset you are to your company. I must say gail those are quite catchy.
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