Month: December 2012

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Redding’s population map

Here’s an interactive map that charts a single dot for every person counted in the 2010 Census. All 308,450,225 of us.
Population Map of Redding CA

It correlates well with the image from my post from a few weeks ago that showed U.S. lights at night from space.

That makes sense. Each of us humans has a light or two.

I love seeing maps and charts of our region, and the patterns they reveal. All the real estate there is.

Redding stands out, for both our light at night and these clusters of humans surrounded by less densely populated terrain. Yet we are connected in tenuous strands to larger clusters north and south.

Click on either image to get to the interactive map, where you can zoom in and fly around. Interesting stuff.
Population map

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Ascending Mt Shasta

Ran into this video of a couple climbers summit of Mt Shasta, our picturesque namesake here in Shasta County. Apparently a climb made in May. I was struck by the contrast in equipment to tales from locals who years ago would climb the summit in tennis shoes and jeans (not recommended). Anyway, it goes on for a while but is very well done.

Summiting the Volcano, Climbing Mt. Shasta in California in the Cascades from Ryan Commons on Vimeo.

HELPFUL: http://www.walkifornia.com/2012/03/mount-shasta-via-famous-avalanche-gulch.html

These are helpful Links:
* Best Map (good price and helpful): http://amzn.to/shastamap
* Planning Book (fun read and informative): http://amzn.to/shastabook
* Essential Gear Item: http://amzn.to/trekkingpoles
* Blog: http://walkifornia.blogspot.com/2011/06/mission-peak.html
* Guiding Service: http://bit.ly/shastaguide
* Weather Report: http://bit.ly/weathershasta
* Boot, Crampon, & Axe Rental: http://bit.ly/shastarentals

Get in touch with me if you have questions about climbing Mt. Shasta and pre-climb preparation. I'm happy to answer your questions in the comments section below.

Video Summary: I first climbed Mt. Shasta with my dad in 1999 as a preparation trip for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro; I've been wanting to share the Mt. Shasta experience with others ever since. This video is intended to show prospective climbers what it is like to leave from the Bunny Flat parking lot and climb to the summit via the Avalanche Gulch route.

Please let me know if you have good information or links that I can share here.

Best,

Ryan Commons

All video and pictures captured with the Canon 200SX: http://amzn.to/Canon200

Music Credits in Order (you can support the artists by clicking on my links to get the music):
* Don't Get Lost in Heaven by The Gorillaz: http://amzn.to/Lostinheaven
* Road to Nowhere by Ozzy Osborne: http://amzn.to/RoadtoNowhere
* Parachutes by Coldplay: http://amzn.to/CParachutes
* Tightrope Walker by The Hudson Branch: http://amzn.to/Tightropewalker
* Flume by Bon Iver: http://amzn.to/Flume
* Everything to Nothing by Manchester Orchestra: http://amzn.to/EverythingtoNothing
* Time to Pretend by MGMT: http://amzn.to/TimetoPretend

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Riverfront Playhouse gets everything about Christmas (and then some)

Every Christmas Story Ever ToldWe went for Realtor night to the final performance of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some), Directed by Russell Piette at Redding’s Riverfront Playhouse.
The cast consisted of Chris Gomez, Tyler Penn, Ian Dalziel, Amy Cicerello, Ben VanSickle and Jorin Antero-Towle. In their central role, Chris, Tyler, and Ian filled the frenetic 2 hours with rapid fire dialog and endless references to Christmas classics. It had everyone smiling and laughing the whole evening.
Every Christmas Story Ever told in Redding CAEvery Christmas Story Ever told in Redding CA shasta countyEvery Christmas Story Ever told in Redding CAFrankly, it looked truly exhausting for the players. Their timing and delivery was spot on, as one might expect for a 21st and final performance. I am always amazed at the high level of productions our local troupe achieves in their soon-to-be-former storefront theater. They are so creative and energetic. You can see about their next productions at the Riverfront Playhouse website. Here is the upcoming 2013 season:

January 26 to February 16: LEADING LADIES directed by Jennifer Levens

March 16 to April 6: PARADISE LOST & FOUND directed by Leon Compton

May 4 to May 25: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF directed by Samantha Clark (Fork)

June 22 to July 20: BELLES ON THEIR TOES directed by TBA

August 17 to August 31: WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE directed by Elizabeth Johnson

September 28 to October 26: A LITTLE MURDER NEVER HURT ANYONE directed by Maria Drake

November 16 to December 14: A CHRISTMAS STORY directed by Jonessa Brittan

Local theater, it’s Really Redding.

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Owl! A real “Angry Bird.”

I met this owl while blowing leaves off my mom’s back patio. Talk about Angry Birds.
Owl in ReddingOwl in Shasta CountyOwl in Redding CaKarry thinks this is a baby Great Horned Owl. Famous for eating skunks. We’ll just leave you be, then. Anger management.

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Unsettled weather

That’s what they call it on TV. I like to think of it as good cloud days. Here’s a couple of images I took yesterday while out in nearby Shasta Lake City.Unsettled weather in Shasta Lake CityUnsettled weather in Shasta County

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Art in Tapas

I took these shots inside Tapas the other day. That restaurant has a very engaging vibe. And such interesting culinary selections too!
Art in Tapas restaurantArt at Tapas in Redding CaliforniaTapas restaurant Redding CaliforniaEnjoy the food, and the art; it’s Really Redding.

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Astonishing lenticular cloud sunset over Mt Shasta

This was taken yesterday. So achingly beautiful, it brought a tear to my eyes. We live with these natural miracles every day, but it never gets old. Two glowing pink structures in snow and mist above the lake. This photo is my new screen background at 1920 X 1200 pixels, and if you click on it you can get it full size.

Shasta Lenticular Sunset 1920x1200 by Skip Murphy 2012.jpgSuch extraordinary beauty. Well ordinary, actually. It’s Really Redding.

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Bright lights, big city – Redding from Space at night

NASA recently published hi-def imagery of Earth at night. Redding is pointed out below. I was surprised at the brightness of our urban light, from miles above.
Redding at nightGrants Pass, Medford, Klamath Falls. Familiar places, from top to bottom, with Interstate 5 visibly leading down to Sacramento and the Bay Area. Like neurons and ganglia connecting a living planetary nerve system.
Often enough, the space scientists of NASA discover more truth and beauty of our Earth than of the sky. Click on the image below for a full sized view.Earth at night courtesy of NASAVisible patterns of our civilization (colonization?). So very interesting to see, and to ponder. The planet lit like an orbiting Christmas Tree. All these human made photons, flowing out into Space.
Click for video
Presented here with immense gratitude to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Yeah, it is rocket science. It’s Really Redding.