Yeah, it’s fun to watch the custom cars go around in the parade, but then come on out to the dragstrip for some action!
I took these shots in 2010.
The Redding Dragstrip is the oldest continuously operating NHRA dragstrip in the known universe. They make most of their yearly operating funds on this one big weekend, so come on out and support this Really Redding tradition! Here’s a 3 minute video we did in 2009 of the jet cars, shot handheld with a cheep-o camera. Big flaming fun!
Drag Racing adds another level to Kool April Nites fun
It’s great to see the custom cars come from all over on display at Kool April Nites this week. And it’s always a blast to attend the parade on Friday evening, as the cars slowly drive by. But to fully experience the power of these machines full on, you should make plans to spend some time at the Redding Dragstrip on either Friday or Saturday. Especially after dark when the dueling jet cars light up the night. You’ll feel the heat!
Kool April Drags. It’s Really Redding.
Sacred Heart Church in Anderson
This lovely example of Mission Style Architecture is the Sacred Heart Church in Anderson California, a few miles south of Redding. The Sacred Heart Parish also operates a school of the same name at this site. A Catholic group, it notably posts information in both English and Spanish at their website.
According to Wikipedia, “The Sacred Heart (also known as Sacred Heart of Jesus) is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus’ physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity.”
From the Parish website I learned that there is a a Labyrinth at the site, for prayer. Construction seems to be an ongoing project, funded through donations and built by community volunteers. It’s a spiritual walk that unfolds in three phases. This day in age, many parishes find that they heavily rely on donations to continue with maintenance on their churches. With technology from companies such as Tithe.ly, churches can receive donations from their congregation using https://get.tithe.ly/church-app or something similar. This can help them to raise the money to cover the costs of the church reconstruction. Whilst this reconstruction is currently being done by volunteers, the church could always get help from a church construction management company if they find that the work isn’t progressing as quickly as they’d like. Church reconstructions are a big job, so it’s surprising that the church isn’t using professionals. However, there are always services available if they need expertise for their reconstruction. Hopefully, the church will be ready soon.
Purgation: Letting go – the path inward.
Illumination: Clarity, insight, and openness to receive – the journey center.
Union: Integration of what is learned from the prayer experience into action in the world – the path outward.
The Labyrinth Journey
You have only to enter and follow the path.
Open your heart
as your prayer filled walk embraces life’s journey.
It may be joyous.
It may be somber.
It may be used as a walking meditation,
a prayer of sacred movement
along your spiritual journey with Christ
Street Legal drag racing this Saturday night
Kool April Drags are scheduled for next weekend, but Street Legal racers will kick off the 2011 season this Saturday April 9 at 6 pm with a special “General Motors versus Ford” event. Musclecar racers get their street race on in a safe-to-speed, pedal-to-the-metal blowout! Click here for the Redding Dragstrip.
This week we’ll be seeinglots of Hot Rods here for the Kool April Nights event, but you can’t forget that these cars are really all kinetic sculptures that must be seen at speed to be appreciated. Imports, hot rods, ALL-OUT RACING VEHICLES PERMITTED! Admission just $5, and you can race for $10. Be there for the first Street Legal Event of the year!
Redding Dragstrip. The longest continuously operating NHRA sanctioned racing facility in the known universe!
“Star Dive” at the State Theatre in Red Bluff
Craig Padilla recently uploaded a video made at his benefit concert performed at the State Theatre in Red Bluff from 2000. The show was intended to benefit both the State Theatre restoration project and the Red Bluff Skateboard Park, which was fundraising. The video, Star Dive, is classic Craig, and is fun to see again. Along with Venita Philbrick and others, I helped Craig produce the stage show, and did some lighting and soundwork. The video brings back some fond memories. The music stands the test of time. It still sounds great.
At the time, the State Theatre was not much more than a building with seats. The rescued remains of an old movie house. The stage had no lighting. We built a small setup structure out of ABS pipe (yes, sewer pipe!), and put up our usual low-budget lightshow. I suggested to Craig that he wear all white, so as not to be lost on the dark stage in dim lighting. At the last minute, Craig was able to talk Morpheus Lighting of Redding into donating some lighting for the show, and it made a huge difference. The videographer, whose name I don’t recall, sorry, mixed in the effects and projected it onstage. Awesome in person. The show was well attended, and we later got a nice thank-you letter indicating that the Skatepark had been built, along with the donations of many others. It was very gratifying.
State of the art back then, it looks pretty retro now. Crank it up!
Today, I see the State Theatre is still under restoration. Learn more at the State Theatre Restoration project. It’s a worthwhile project. The Cascade Theatre in Redding was in similar condition, and it’s subsequent restoration has proven to be the cultural spark that fires up the old downtown. We hope the same for Red Bluff.
Dry Creek misnamed apparently
The sign says Dry Creek. It’s not.
In a few more days, if the sun comes out this creek will run through verdant green fields blazing with Shasta County wildflowers. This is a stunningly beautiful creek in the Springtime, as it winds down from Jones Valley to Bella Vista. Driving up Dry Creek Road from Highway 299, you catch glimpses of what the valley must have looked like 200 years ago, with laughing creeks splashing over green hill and dale on their way to the Bay. Don’t miss the wildflowers this water year…
Bella vistas in springtime Bella Vista. It’s Really Redding.
Aurora Borealis in time lapse
Gorgeous video of the Aurora Borealis from Norway. Well worth your 2 minutes if you haven’t seen it. Having done some minimal time lapse photography myself, it becomes even more impressive. Every short bit of imagery took an entire evening (in snow) to shoot, This year, old Sol is quite active, so the charged particles are intense. Wow. Kudos to artist Terje Sorgjerd, who used 22,000 photographs to make this stunning video.
The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.
From Astronomy Picture of the Day. Not Really Redding, but really beautiful. Really Earth.
A Bench in the Sun at Riverfront Playhouse
We took in some local theater at Riverfront. They had some awesome finger food before the show served up by Jewel’s Catering. And dessert at intermission.
Excellent wine pours by longtime thespian Jet Thomas.
“A Bench in the Sun” is about a couple of grumpy old guys vying for the attention of an aged actress who comes into their lives.
Ha ha! We know they’re old because one of them is reading a newspaper. I found I couldn’t identify with the humor…much.
REALTOR Affiliate night at the Riverfront. This longtime local theater troupe is seeking to raise funds for a new location on Pine Street. Check out this funny show through April 16th, and spend a few dollars towards their new facility. It will be a much nicer place to catch a play. More at their website, RiverfrontPlayhouse.net.
All the world’s a stage; it’s Really Redding.
Boot Hill graveyard…
…became the Buckeye Pioneer Cemetery. A rainy day seems appropriate for a few images.
There’s only this one marker. The names date from the late 1800s. The entire site is just a parcel amongst homes on Irish Road just north of Redding.
Hardscrabble lives came to rest here on Boot Hill. Ghosts in the live oaks…
Heroes of Fukushima
“The good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about the heroes of Fukushima Prefecture in their battle to restrain the invisible fire of radiation from the damaged reactors. As of this writing little is known about what is really going on there, except for one thing. The people going in and staying to work on taming the runaway reactors are heroic.
Take a few minutes to read the riveting description of the Chernobyl disaster in Wikipedia. A story worth knowing today. The names of their heroes are posted here. Again, worth reviewing.
Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus have been burdened with the continuing and substantial decontamination and health care costs of the Chernobyl accident. More than fifty deaths are directly attributed to the accident, all among the reactor staff and emergency workers. Estimates of the total number of deaths attributable to the accident vary enormously, from possibly 4,000 to close to a million.
Knowledge is power, against the unseen.
Downwind, it’s Really Redding.