The Carnegie Public Library in Redding

Click to enlarge. Alas, it is no more.

carnegie-public-library

From Wikipedia: “A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. A total of 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems. 1,689 were built in the United States, 660 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, 125 in Canada, and others in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Serbia, Belgium, France, the Caribbean, Mauritius, Malaysia and Fiji.

At first, Carnegie libraries were almost exclusively in places where he had a personal connection, namely his home-town in Scotland and the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Beginning in 1899, Carnegie substantially increased funding to libraries outside of these areas.

In later years few towns that requested a grant and agreed to his terms were refused. By the time the last grant was made in 1919, there were 3,500 libraries in the United States, nearly half of them built with construction grants paid by Carnegie.

What a legacy!  He touched many lives. Andrew Carnegie’s Library Motto:

andrew-carnegie

Presumably, Redding didn’t just casually make the decision to remove it.

But if you are reading this from beyond the pale, Andrew Carnegie, Redding in 2016 is very sorry about that. Here is how the site looks today:

library-park

Our present Redding Library is also quite beautiful. In a different way.

redding-library
redding-library1

Posted in Architecture | Tagged | Comments Off on The Carnegie Public Library in Redding

Historic Hawes Farm

Just southeast of Redding is Hawes Farm. They have the farm setup for country style amusements, and Fall is their busy season. Took the grandkids along for an agrarian afternoon, and captured a few images.
hawes1

hawes2

hawes3

hawes4

hawes5

hawes6

hawes7

hawes8

hawes9

hawes10

hawes11
In the evening it’s quite different, with a Corn Maze and various Haunted House and Zombie themed attractions. But in the afternoon with little kids, it is just entirely pleasing and inexpensive fun. They have a website with more activities, and you can click on the image below to see more.
hawes12

Posted in Things to do | Tagged | Comments Off on Historic Hawes Farm

Gironda’s Chicago Style Italian Food in Redding

We hear Gironda’s is now open for lunch, and decided to check it out.
girondas3

Above, our attentive server Garret serves up Sautéed clams with garlic butter and shallots infused with fresh herbs and lemon, deglazed with white wine and chili flakes. Superb.

Below, a very fresh seafood salad. Shrimp, crab, cherry tomatoes, on a bed of mixed greens served with homemade Louie dressing and lemon wedge. Click any image to enlarge.
girondas9girondas2

Above, house lasagna for lunch gets some added Romano. Layers of pasta, mozzarella, ricotta and homemade meat sauce baked to perfection. Surprising to find fresh tomatoes in the lasagna, which add subtle texture to an often overdone and bland dish.

Black granite tabletops lend an understated elegance, coupled with black napkin table settings. The bare concrete floors look somewhat rough in the photos, but all that texture adds a post-modern touch of style when experienced in person.

girondas5girondas4girondas11girondas7a

Easily recognizable art from Redding artist Armando Mejorado graces the boldly colored walls. His work suits the space very well. Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and music in a similar genre completes the scene. Entirely appropriate.girondas6
girondas10Soup of the day was a creamy chicken artichoke. Very Tuscan.

Now open for lunch. Located in a nondescript building in a semi industrial neighborhood, one which might comfortably host a more working-class diner, Gironda’s exceeds all expectations Link to their comprehensive menu: http://girondasitalian.com/ and friend on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirondasItalianStyleRestaurantandBar/girondas1I’ve spent no small amount of time in Chicago. Girondas accurately captures the Italian cuisine often seen there, but spins it with an authentic Neo-Redding vibe. You should check it out, too. You won’t be disappointed. Gironda’s is Really Redding.

Posted in Restaurants | Tagged | Comments Off on Gironda’s Chicago Style Italian Food in Redding

Hummingbird hunting

Just a Preying Mantis hunting for Hummingbirds. Not something I’d seen (or photographed) before.
hunting-hummingbirdsAfter posting this, I was sent an image of a successful capture. It was brutal looking, so I’ll spare you. Who knew these critters were so aggressive?

Posted in Wildlife | Tagged | Comments Off on Hummingbird hunting

Anthony’s Mediterranean Food in Redding

Located in a former Quiznos on busy Eureka Way (aka Highway 299w) in Redding, Anthony’s Mediterranean Food is not your typical northstate road food.

anthonys1Featuring a menu packed with mainly Greek delights, Anthony caters to those looking for authentic cuisine.  The menu boasts such items as Zaatar Manakeesh, Tabouli Salad, Babaganouj & pita, Beef or Vegetarian Dolma, and of course, Baklava.

But for me, the main thing to enjoy from Anthony’s is the Lamb Gyros, like the one below. I fell in love with tasty Gyros years ago during an extended stay in a Greek neighborhood in Chicago. Since then I’ve had more than my share of California Gyros that didn’t even come close. I was thrilled to see a real vertical broiler in use at Anthony’s, since that’s a requirement for the real thing that you don’t always see. The super fresh Hummus and salad with Kalmata olives and Feta cheese rounds out the plate.

anthonys2 anthonys3

The lovely Karry picked Chicken and Kefta (beef) Kabobs served on rice.

Anthony’s is a family run business, and the owner also runs the Greek Shack across town on Hartnell, and Xanders on Churn Creek. You have to admire their entrepreneurial spirit and optimism. But its not just their enthusiasm, they are relying on seriously good and fresh food to perform the magic.

anthonys4

For a state that often declares it has a Mediterranean Climate, California sure doesn’t seem to have enough Mediterranean food. The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are well known. Get some here. I didn’t find a website for them, but there is an Anthony’s Facebook page you can like.

Thanks Anthony’s, you’re Really Redding.

Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Anthony’s Mediterranean Food in Redding

Fantasy Fountain at Kid’s Kingdom in Redding

Took grandson out to the Fantasy Fountain at Kid’s Kingdom located in Enterprise Park of Redding California. This was the last day of the 2016 season as they shut it down for the winter and maintenance. It was a beautiful day, and we pretty much had the run of the place.

Thank you City of Redding Parks and Recreation! We had a blast.

You should know that the Kid’s Kingdom park is currently raising funds for a much needed rebuild/makeover. Anything helps. Click on this link to go to the Redding Parks and Recreation website to learn how you can help.

jump-river
uozmp5y-imgur

Posted in Phllanthropy | Tagged | Comments Off on Fantasy Fountain at Kid’s Kingdom in Redding

Slide the City comes to Redding

The hill on Placer Street yesterday became a giant urban waterslide for a day.

slide-the-city slide-the-city2 slide-the-city3

Portions of the money raised here will go toward rebuilding the facilities at Kid’s Kingdom, a park in east Redding we’re very fond of. Judging by turnout, the event was big success. I’m told there were over 4000 participants.

Active Norcal presents a bunch of images of Slide the City Redding collected from social media at the link.

Close off a major street for a giant urban waterslide, that’s Really Redding.

Posted in Events | Tagged | Comments Off on Slide the City comes to Redding

My new car sent me an email

We recently traded our fully electric Nissan Leaf for a plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. Unexpectedly, the Volt sent me an email yesterday.

Our 2017 Volt with our 2013 Nissan Leaf in the background.

Our 2017 Volt with our 2013 Nissan Leaf in the background.

It let me know how well I was doing at driving it around (and compared me to others), how much air was in the tires, and some other interesting (to me) facts. I have never received an email message from my car before. We purchased a 2017 Chevy Volt about a month ago to replace the Leaf, which we had driven all electric for the last 3 years. The Volt has been shockingly good, a big leap ahead as a plug in hybrid. It is also a 4GLTE wi-fi hotspot, so it can communicate with the internet of things (IoT). So it makes sense that it would send me notes.
volt1
If you are a nerd like me, driving modes in the Volt gives you some mad-scientist tools to use to achieve maximum driving efficiency. In addition to the different driving modes meant to optimize distance and terrain, there is a paddle switch on the steering wheel that lets you apply regenerative braking. That uses the inertia of the car being slowed to slightly recharge the battery. Much more efficient than friction braking, and if done well allows you to almost drive with only the accelerator pedal alone.

Point being, I’m sure I can improve on the 159 miles per gallon we’ve gotten since we bought it with better technique. I’m not the only driver though, and my wife tends to drive it like any ordinary car, ignoring any efficiency options. Which you can certainly do. But where’s the fun in that? True fact, we have driven more than 1000 miles in this vehicle, and have not put a single drop of gas in it. We are still driving on what gasoline the dealer left us in the 9 gallon tank.
volt2Cars have really changed over my lifetime, and now the changes promise to be rapid and breathtaking. Could this be the last car I’ll ever buy? I like cars, but I don’t see the idea of ordering up a self-driving ride on my phone as a bad thing. In fact, self driving car technology is coming up pretty fast into the mechanical world and it seems like they may become the new norm if all testing and maintenance come out perfectly and safely for all to drive.
volts-keys

Posted in Green | Tagged | Comments Off on My new car sent me an email

Have Kayak, will shoot

Shoot photos, that is. Redding photographer Jim Duckworth jumps in his kayak to get up close and personal with the beautiful scenery and wildlife to be found in the Northstate. Here are some samples of his work.

Duckworth Osprey

Duckworth Eagle2
Duckworth bird
Duckworth Pelicans2Duckworth young bird1

We are blessed in Redding in that we are located so near to so much natural beauty and wildlife. Several of these shots seen here were taken at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, which is located about 80 miles east of Redding. Ahjumawi is not well known across the state, so you can find yourself some real solitude and glimpses of the natural world without much civilization.

Getting good results in wild places is truly challenging. It’s one thing to make the commitment to going where the subjects can be found, and bringing your equipment. Quite another thing to capture the moment with clarity and intention. Here, we see the high quality results speak for themselves. You can see more of Jim Duckworth’s fine photography at his Facebook page.
Self portrait Jim Duckworth
Thanks for letting me share these images here, Jim. It’s Really Redding.

Posted in Photography, Wildlife | Tagged , | Comments Off on Have Kayak, will shoot

Bistro No. 107 in Mt Shasta

Recently stopped in for a pleasant lunch at the new Bistro No. 107 in Mt. Shasta.

It’s wedged into the triangular lot at the conjunction of Mt Shasta Boulevard and Chestnut Street.

Bistro 107 Patio

This was the Billy Goat Tavern for a long time.

Always a great place stop for a beer after a long day of skiing. The new owner has given it his own touch, and we liked it a lot.

Bistro 107 proprietor Serge Margot.

Bistro 107 proprietor Serge Margot.

Found this online at MtShastaNews.com
The opening of Serge Margot’s Bistro 107 earlier this month in downtown Mount Shasta is due in part to the city’s Community Development Block Grant program.
“It’s great that the city is assisting business owners who are trying to make Mount Shasta a better place,” Margot said.
Bistro 107, located in the old Billy Goat Tavern building at 107 Chestnut St., was made possible when Margot qualified for a microenterprise loan through Mount Shasta’s CDBG program, according to a press release from Great Northern Services.
Bistro 107 trees
There is a lot of outdoor seating in the front and back patio. We sat beneath the tall trees on the shaded back patio, and watched the world go by on Mt Shasta Boulevard.
Bistro 107 FoodA very creative menu with several specials. I had the Halibut Burger, and the lovely Karry chose the Panko Crusted Snapper sandwich with garlic fries. A Fresh Squeezed IPA and a Hexagenia hit the spot. Nice shade out here on the patio on this Mt Shasta summer day.

Bistro 107 trees2

They post their Bistro 107 Specials menu and ever changing tap lineup at their Facebook page.

You can just catch a glimpse of Mt Shasta itself in the background, below.

Bistro 107 wide

Bistro No. 107. you should check it out. No need to wait for Bistro No. 108.

Just about an hour of a gorgeous drive north of Really Redding.

Posted in Restaurants | Tagged | Comments Off on Bistro No. 107 in Mt Shasta