Oh nooo...

One of my referrals yesterday - the phrase that someone searched on to find this blog - was "Middle Age Blogger".

In fact according to Google I'm currently #1 for "Middle Age Blogger".

Talk about your dubious distinctions.

I made the South Park me above with the South Park Character Generator a while back, and had titled it "Hard Day". (Note the bags under the eyes, grim expression, and dirt.) In light of the above I guess I should change the hair color though.

Owl

A big hoot owl and to the side is a bird.

FYI...ski specific.

Hu!? 117mm under foot. Nice! Who would have thought?










I've spent much of the winter skiing different skis and boots from several manufactures. Most of them with at least some touring application built in.



Over the last week as I have been going back through my notes on ski performance. I'vealso made a point to lookup other online reviews of the same skis. Much to my surprise more than once I have to wonder if the other reviewers were even on the same skis!



It is all opinion of course. But geese, louise, it is really worth looking around before you buy skis these days. As I often say, "what works for me may not work for you." If I bought skis by the reviews I have been reading wouldn't likely be on any of the skis I have come to really treasure.



And more than once those same reviews have kept me off a ski. Same skiIhavecome to appreciate.

Same ski another reviewer found so flawed. I was encouraged tolookat anotherboot by a review but then failed torealise just "how bad"my other boots were. Orhow "bad" they were for the other reviewer anyway.



In the climbing world I have seen 8000m down jackets used and reviewed for cold weather bouldering. But I haven't seen seen rock shoes reviewed used for ice climbing. Some times I think that is what happens when a lwt touring boot gets reviewed as a full on free style/big mountainboot.



If you don't know what the item was designed for...it pays to do some research as to the the original design process behind the piece of gear you want to buy. Make sure your use is the same as the reviewers is a good place to start for worth while info.



I have literally no cluewhat influences ski testers any more than how climbing gear gets by that is sub-par on performance. I'd bet somesimply don't noticeadifference. Or that particular piece of gear doesn't enhance their experience. Fair enough. Others I suspect simply don't care as long as the newest gear keeps coming their way.



And may be a few simply get stuck on some arbitrary numbersthatdecide "THIS" is the ski. "The" ski they should be on or the closest thing to it. "The" next piece of rad gear. Trust me not every new piece of gear is so "rad".



Many of theskis I thought mightimpressme this winter simply under whelmed me more times than not. The skis I wasn't expecting much from have time and again, simply Wowedme. Ski modelsare included in the comment, but thesize...both width and length, has as well.



Two issues I find really important in all these skis and boot tests while using tech bindings is "ramp" angles and ski mount points. More on both coming soon. If you are looking to get the most performance from your own gear set up. Both issues are worth knowing a lot more about.

Quick, Healthy, Brazing-Inspired Dessert

The main thing you are taught when learning to braze a bicycle frame, is temperature control. For instance: When brazing a lugged joint, the tube, the lug, the flux (gooey stuff the joint is smeared with) and the silver you add all heat up at different rates - and what you try to do is get them to the point where they are in sync. I thought about this as I eyed the pile of fruit and berries I'd brought home from the grocery store. I wanted to make dessert for the husband, and his request was something healthy and light. I decided to keep it simple and approach it as I would brazing: First I'd heat up the thick, heavy ingredients, adding the delicate, leaky ones after the overall temperature was sufficiently hot. Here is the result:



Autumnal Fruit and Nut Medley



Ingredients:

apples

cranberries

blackberries

blueberries

walnuts

lemon

honey

bourbon



Preparation time:

7 minutes



Instructions:

In a bowl, mix a bunch of hard sliced apples with a fistful of crushed walnuts and a fistful of raw cranberries. Add a spoon of lemon juice, a spoon of honey and a shot of bourbon. Heat in microwave for 2.5 minutes or in oven (in appropriate container) until apples turn soft. Alternatively, if preparing in workshop, you could use a brazing torch (held upside down and pointed at the bottom of the bowl - as you would heat a bottom bracket). Let sit for 30 seconds. Add blackberries and blueberries. Heat for additional 1 minute or just long enough for berries to release colour onto the rest of the concoction. Remove, let cool for a bit, and serve with tea.



This dish is basically like a fruit tart, only without the dough. Tastes surprisingly good, looks festive and takes very little effort to prepare. Want to make it less healthy? Add whipped cream.



Enjoy your Sunday evening!

A Light in the Forest

Sunlight penetrating the forest depths in Redwood Regional Park.

I highly recommend this park to anyone who lives in or visits the Bay Area. Definitely worth a side trip.

Illston circular - Kings Norton, Little Stretton, Burton Overy, Carlton Curlieu

Led by me, with Gordon, Barry and Maureen, Cloudy at start, then v hot. Dry underfoot. Eight and three quarter miles.




Mostly the same as two recent walks done on Thursday 18 July, and Thursday 11 July, but this time anticlockwise, and with a short extra loop.



We take the right hand path after the small field in Illston, hugging the hedge, then through the wheat and behind Illston Grange, over the pasture, with a small stand of trees on our right and the house on our left. When we leave the field at the crossroads, we turn right and walk a short distance along the road before taking the byway to Kings Norton.



The views of the church from this path are magnificent, and Gaulby Church is visible as well. The byway goes in a straight line to the road, and then uphill to the church and the village.



At the road junction we ignore the road to the right and carry straight on. The footpath goes to the left past a farm, and through the farmyard. We follow the way marks over a couple of fields and across a bridge through the hedge to a road, where we turn left, and just after the junction to Little Stretton, we pick up the path at a farm gate, near some large agricultural buildings.



There are a fair number of butterflies on the wing, and around the thistles.

Hmm - just closed its wings!

Over a few more fields, and the odd stile, and we arrive at Little Stretton. As last Thursday, the church porch is a pleasantly cool place to sit for a while.



We follow the path, past the old Manor House and the pond, along the avenue of trees to the road. We turn right and find our path just after the junction towards Stoughton. We turn left and walk along the edge of a field of wheat. At the far end a quick read of the map sets us on the right route and we follow the path past The Cottage, across the road and over pastures towards Burton Overy. The pub appears to be closed today.



I offer two alternative routes - one of about 2 miles, one of 3. Barry says decisively, "Oh, I think the longer one!" Suits the rest of us, so we walk uphill from the village on the Carlton Curlieu road. When the road turns to the left we continue through a farmyard and fields directly to Carlton Curlieu - we can see the church on the hill ahead.



This village has a tempting bench so we take another rest - Maureen and I almost have a nap. But we must onwards. From the Illston Road theres a bridleway to the left, which swings right between two hedges as far as Carlton Curlieu Manor.

Gordon strides ahead

Here's Maureen, with Barry as lanterne rouge.

Ha! caught this one just before it closed its wings!

Across the road the path takes us below the Manor, beside the hedge, then uphill and through a large wheat field. We reach Illston before too long - quite pleased to get away from the heat.

Big and Little

Our smallest horse, Stormy, who is a bit to big to be a true Miniture Horse, and our biggest horse, Sunny, is isn't really all that big compared to BIG horses. And our Border Collie, Tuffee