With the emergence on 9-9-09 of remastered Beatles tunes and the new Beatles Rock Band game, it’s been a Beatles weekend around here. If you’re not quite Beatled-out yet, I offer you an excellent cover version of Let it Be, from Russia with Love. Well worth a view.
We love kitsch art advertising signs
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.
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…
Missing. Have you seen my imaginary friend?
Spotted this poster at the Holiday Market at the corner of Shasta View and Hartnell.
“Frequents discount sushi bars and polka raves.” But then, who doesn’t?
On the other hand…I love my hometown, but soon I start thinking that seems awfully snarky and clever for a random poster at a Redding supermarket. So I Google “My imaginary Friend Steve” and get 89,000 hits. HERE is the top of the list. So much for originality.
What could it all mean, though?
Exciting race day planned, Saturday at the Redding Dragstrip
The Redding Dragstrip is hosting a race for very powerful drag cars with skinnier-than-average tires, which makes for interesting and challenging racing. Also racing will be the street legal cars. Allowing street racers to run their cars at the strip helps keep them from racing the streets, and that’s a good thing. This kind of racing is really fun to watch. First one across the line is the winner. Plus, they’ve added a grudge match between two 7 second dragsters that should be breathtaking. Gates open at 4:30 and racing starts at 6 pm. Spectators pay only $5 each, and that’s an entertainment bargain, by any measure. If you’re a fan, you’ll be there, and if you haven’t been out to the track before, this is an opportunity for an experience you just won’t get anywhere else. The people running the track have made big improvements to the facility over the last couple years. Redding’s car culture has always found it’s full realization at this track since the 60’s. It is the longest continuously operating NHRA dragstrip in the US, and maybe the world. Come check it out. Be there!
Last week of freedom for kids, back to school next week
Some teachers are going back to school this week, and the kids start next week. Summer went by fast. It always does….
There’s lots for kids to do all summer here. The Aquatic Center is a great place to spend a day. We’re lucky to have it. Redding is such an idyllic place to live if you are a kid, or just a kid at heart. Sorry about that approaching school thing, kids! (and teachers!)
A short trip to Hell can be heavenly
Bumpass Hell in nearby Lassen Park is just a short hike off the main highway. Fleeing the hot summer days in the valley below can lead to a different kind of heat. Geothermal.
The trail leads to a magical part of the Caldera of long vanished Mt Tehama. Walking in, we met people from Belgium, Germany, Australia, and Japan. We are reminded this is a world class hike, so near to home. Bumpass Hell is named after a man who was burned walking where he shouldn’t. Hell, indeed, Mr. Bumpass.
Fumarole vents and boiling water are evidence that you are near the powerful forces deep in the earth. Sulfurous gases vent with a roar.
It’s beautiful and sort of terrifying all at once.
This bird didn’t seem to mind any of it. Did life itself spring from primeval cauldrons like these?
A trip to the Farmer's Market leaves Karry speechless.
Today’s sojourn to Redding’s Certified Organic Farmers Market next to our City Hall was fruitful in several ways. Here is some of our haul. I love those Thai Peppers, but a few go a long way. These few yellow onions represent the last of the Walla Walla onion season, we’re told.
We needed some Olive Oil, so we stopped at the Olinda Ridge guy’s booth. He insisted we try several varieties from tiny cups on bits of bread. To tell the truth, a lot of the subtlety was lost on me. Grassy, buttery, whatever. Its all good. We liked the idea of the Pomegranate Vinegar. A couple of funny parts: One variety of oil he said was Doni Greenberg’s favorite, and he asked if I’d heard of her. In fact I have. Who knew she was endorsing olive oil?
At one point, he turned to Karry and asked, “ So what do you think of that variety?” A bit of silence ensued. I looked at her face and realized she had swallowed it wrong or something, and temporarily couldn’t speak. That’s when 30+ years of marriage kicked in.
“That works great. I’ll take a half gallon of whatever she had.” 😉
