We found this new art sign on Lake Blvd at Finishline Collision.
It’s very well done. Nicely painted too. An iconic upgrade to entire neighborhood.
We didn’t go around back to check if it was anatomically accurate, like the Merrill Lynch bull sculpture on Wall Street. Better left to the imagination.
SWEAT for fun
We found ourselves walking amidst a late summer fun run yesterday on the River Trail. Numbered humans padded by us in their running shoes.
I stopped and spoke with the gentlemen handing off cups of water to runners about midway, a Mr. Parks. It seems this race was one of the the last of the Summer season. One of the Sunset Through the Trees series.
For this run of about 6 miles, they run a loop across the ribbon bridge and end up at the pavillion near the Aquatic Park.
Runners were intense in the 90 degree evening, but everyone was smiling, so I guess it was a fun run after all. You can learn more about the venerable Redding area runner’s club at their website. Click on their logo.
What? A Whiskeytown 50K run? Yikes, that’s like 31 miles. Participants of that run all have my admiration.
Local AT&T network is apparently overwhelmed. Warning.
At our staff meeting today, it came up how many people are suffering with bad AT&T service. Even text messages take much longer than they should. This is causing a lot of frustration among real estate agents who need to be timely. It was a loud chorus of unhappiness. I was thinking I was alone in having problems. No way. It got loud fast. All the AT&T users.
According to this NYT article, our local area is not alone. Apparently the Unlimited Data Plan is limited by actual ability to handle data. “Crushed, ” it says.
I came over from Sprint because the iPhone had some nice features. At first it was OK. But locally AT&T is now having severe problems. Sprint was MUCH BETTER even if their phones weren’t glamorous, and Verizon people at our meeting today report nothing but good results too. Be warned.
Beguiled by bridge busker
I meet RS Editor Silas Lyons for the first time
I finally met the current editor of my usually-beloved/occasionally-infuriating local newspaper, and it turns out he’s a decent guy. It’s hard to believe we’d never actually met.
He seemed to know who I was. He reminded me about that time last year I photoshopped his head onto the body of a young girl on this blog. Oh…yeah. To tell the truth, I’d forgotten all about that. I felt my face redden with embarrassment. It’s easy to sort-of disrespect a public figure online, but when you are face to face, it’s a different story. Plus, I sometimes just get carried away, heh. I apologized to Silas, but he said he had a good laugh over it. I hope he wasn’t just being polite.
He was speaking to the Shasta Association of Realtors about some new programs and stuff. More interesting to me was the glimpse into the things that keep a small town newspaper editor awake at night, while their business model is rapidly changing. Ironically, there was a new online classified ad website being promoted at that same meeting. The new site trumpeted their “localness” but seems to be more of a a statewide business. Another new competitor for the RS revenue stream. Silas and his crew face huge challenges. I want them to be successful. We need a strong newspaper.
Silas was kind enough to let me take a few photos if I promised not to photoshop him again. In return, I was reluctant to bring up my pet peeve about the RS continually running and re-running cartoons in the Sunday paper penned by the long-dead Charles Schulz. Okay, so my dismay about Peanuts is more of an obsession than a pet peeve, but I kept a lid on it. Like I said, Silas seemed like a real nice fellow. Anyway, after looking over the photos, I can see why he’s very comfortable with our newspaper running Charlie Brown cartoons over and over…
More evidence of our new local Harvest Economics
I never really thought of Redding as an agricultural community, but evidence of our new economic basis is popping up all over. I was surprised by this interesting little all-terrain dump truck on display inside a Redding Raley’s supermarket yesterday.
The sign says Harvest Special. What in the world would you harvest with an ATV dumptruck?
Oh.
Yeah, that makes sense. This vehicle looks darn handy for packing in and out of those backcountry grows. Redding Yamaha knows their market. A marketplace fueled by agriculture, apparently.
Slightly confused Jewish Marijuana harvester for hire
Folks, you just can’t make this stuff up. Found this ad in local Craigslist yesterday:
Well it is harvest season here. And that harvest is turning late Summer into our new local holiday season, even if it’s a long way till Hannukah. Gotta plan ahead I suppose. And since apparently the underground pharmacological economy has now grown larger than the aboveground economy, it’s given new meaning to the term Big Pharma. You can’t blame somebody looking for work, even if Hannukah dude seems more eager to partake of the ‘meds’ than a pharma farmer might like. Good help is hard to find in harvest season, you know.
Big MF for sale
Massey Ferguson, that is. That’s what is says on this big truck seen for sale on Lake Blvd in Redding.
Here’s a view of the back of the truck. Around here, they say go big or go home. Yeah, that’s one big exhaust pipe, alright.
Putting a camper shell on here is probably not recommended. Looks like a smokestack from a cruise ship to me. Call (530) 410 9143 if you’re interested. He’s asking (or she’s asking) $15K. It would make an impressive ride.
Pat Karch Band at Sundial Bridge Cafe photos
We went for a walk to the River Trail yesterday evening, down from Hilltop, a nice short cardio walk. We didn’t know there was a band playing. Approaching from the north side, we could hear Pat’s unmistakable keyboard licks from a mile away. I knew who it was after just the first few bars. Pat Karch is an awesome player.
Joe Catanio joins the trio to sing the standards. Pat is such an amazing player. Even though his singing and keyboard chops are so overwhelming, he is the kind of player who brings out the best in others around him. That’s why he plays in so many bands around here. Talent and class, the rarest combination in musicianship. Plus he’s really nice. A true Redding treasure. Upright bass player Bruce Calin, and percussionist Bobby Viramontes laid down the the groove nicely. They showed their skills and fit the bill.
Then a leisurely stroll back to the bridge brings the color.
What a great evening stroll. The river-cooled air carried waves of jazz aloft, and was perfume for all the senses. Does it get any better than this? Did I mention they are playing there again tonight?
It don’t mean a thing if it aint got that swing. The bridge was totally swingin’.
JW's Big Weenie inserted into Bug Museum
Longtime readers will recall this was once the home of Redding’s only Bug Museum. No more.
Owner/Chef Diane displays the completely renovated, and eat-off-the-floor kitchen. No bugs here. It’s bigger than I remember inside the diminutive galley.
Menu please. Mlle. de Joie pondered this for a while. Oops sorry, wrong blog. Ahem. Alongside handwritten daily specials, the expansive regular menu reveals that the venerable tube steak has been taken to soaring new culinary heights. No wine list, but hey, what’s that down there towards the bottom? “Tiger’s Blood” flavored Snow Cones. Well okay then. That sounds Redding enough.
OMG the #6 tasted every bit as good as it looks. Exquisite. Delightful. Must…stop…at…one……argh!
Ah, but I wax nostalgic for our lost Bug Museum and the cheaper gasoline prices back then. It was a true Redding original. Driven out of business by a jealous Turtle Bay Museum, no doubt. Still, this new destination restaurant for discerning diners awaits the gourmet palates of our community. It seems likely that JW’s Big Weenie will rise to…no. No! Bad Blogger. No more weenie double entendres. You are better than that. Anyway JW’s Big Weenie comes highly recommended.
JW’s Big Weenie is located at 1100 Hartnell, just east of the 4 Corners at Churn Creek Road. Call 222 2417.