Not All Snow Is Equal

  While I always want more snow to ski on, I also want property owners to clear it off their sidewalks.  And after they clear it, and the city plows more back on so there's parking for all the precious cars, I want it cleared again.  This is one of the several properties along my commute that were ticketed when I submitted pictures to the Building Department.  The Streets and Facilities Department didn't get ticketed for our uncleared sidewalks, nor did they clear private properties and bill the owners as it says in the city code they will do.  But at least the streets are clear and there's plenty of parking.

  I bet when Carl Sagan lived here, he shoveled diligently.  The Upstate scrap metal tycoon can't be bothered now that he owns it.  I've started throwing all the scrap metal I find on my commute over his wall.

  City sidewalk.  Free parking, difficult walking.

  

City sidewalk.  At least you can drive 30 mph before hitting a pedestrian on the sharp curves at both ends of the stretch.

  There used to be a day when hanging shoes on power lines meant something.  Now, the students take it as their right to discard worn out footwear.  The utility companies don't take them away with the lines when they put a new one up.

    

Did this tire look like this before the car was embedded in a snowbank, or did they try the Long Island School of Driving technique to get your car unstuck by burning the tire until all the snow is melted.

    

Stewart Avenue was passable.

  

More salt in five feet of sidewalk than I've used this winter on the two properties I clear.
 

Great Skiing

   The best December of skiing I can recall in town had to come to an end.  It happened in a classic fashion when it got warm enough to soften the snow, followed by a deep freeze to give us two weeks of frozen footprints.  It was a good opportunity to get out and do some trail work that didn't get done before the early snow.

   I don't think I've ever waited until January before I had to drive out to Caroline to find skiable snow.  Gail and I went out a couple times.

  

  After a brief spell of bare ground, this crazy storm put us back in good shape with enough fluffy snow to get back to the local trails.  

  The day before the storm, we had some crazy lake-effect where Ithaca actually got snow for a few hours, but just five miles east and west got none.  I couldn't help but take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime event to gloat to the Caroline crowd.

 

  Wipe out on the pond.  Hurt my elbow by falling from a standstill.  Nice conditions though.

   The cold has persisted, and Fall Creek backed up behind the ice.  I alerted the authorities and they put up the chain alerting visitors to dangerous conditions.  A couple days later I stepped over the chain and stepped through snow that had filled a chasm and got a wet foot.

   But I got a good picture.  And I have a spare set of shoes at work so didn't have to wear a wet shoe and sock the whole day.

   At last, I got to Treman State Park and skied the Rim Trail (and a little creek skiing).  It's as sweet as I'd hoped it would be, but I lost the fob to the car so it's costing me almost $400.

   Keep in mind, as an out-and-back ski, it's up hill both ways.  And down hill both ways...

   All the way from Buffalo, Amy spent a night with us and I got to show off the forest of Six Mile Creek to a professional land assessor, and someone with a couple more years of skiing experience than me.  She questioned the sensibility of the trail to see this white oak and another on the just out of the picture.  It's the turnaround spot.  I like to go to make sure they are still somewhat vertical; a couple big red oaks came down recently and obliterated a trail.

   One more post about lake-effect.  While Lake Erie might be frozen and not producing any more this season, to the great relief of those from Cleveland to Buffalo, Lake Huron is still open and produced this band one morning.  Pittsburgh is not known for its lake-effect storms.

Out With '25, In With '26

   I continued my pirate radio gig and combined it with a New Year's Party.  CJ consisted of the entire in-person party by walking up the hill from his place downtown.  Several others joined and put in requests from afar.  I didn't make it to midnight, but I thought 10 was a good effort.

   Gail and Becca continued their New Year tradition by doing a 10,000 yard swim.  It wasn't linear in the lake (you can see the frozen Inlet behind them).  They went to the pool at Island Fitness and some of their swimming buddies joined them for part of the morning.

   After leaving the WVBR studio on the first, I found a fire escape on East Hill that has a decent view of the towers at Ithaca College.  Maybe next year I'll remember there's a clear view from the apartment complex on State/ MLK Blvd.

  One of my first projects of the new year was to finally try out widening the treads on the basement steps.  Vastly improved and I no longer need to turn my feet at an angle.  It's a big deal.

 

  The Bills played their final game in Rich Stadium, though I'm told it wasn't called that anymore, I don't care.  I went to many games there in the 80's, and a few in the 70's and 90's.  Pat went to the final game and got some swag.  Our family and the neighbor's rode together for decades to the games, and Scott and I exchanged texts the day of the last game to compare most memorable events.  He picked the one where the van we used got stolen.  I picked these this one, particularly the moment one of the goalposts was carried through the parking lot, and this one (read the comments to find one of two I've ever posted to youtube).

The Dogs Are In

 

  

  Gail convinced me to go to the intramural level of agility competition she does with Roxy.  It was pretty entertaining and action-packed, but more than a few barking dogs and neurotic owners.

   Once the course is set up, all the handlers walk it to plan out their directions for the dogs.  It took a lot to not run out there and pretend to be a confused dog.

   Dogs of all sizes are involved.  I had flashbacks to skiing with Bean watching this competitor.   I'm not planning to go to the full competition when there are three times as many dogs.  And there's no truth to the rumor that the last-place team has to compete under the name The Old Yellers at the next event.

Pirate Radio

  

  More opportunities have arisen to take up air space at WVBR, 93.5 on your FM dial.  With the students away, I offered to keep the sidewalk shoveled (no, there's no connection to those points).  I figured while I was up there, and they weren't broadcasting regular shows, I could take over and play whatever music I wanted.  I adhere to the tradition of the Salt Creek Show and stick with music people expect to hear on it.  My first order of business was perfectly acceptable for Salt Creek, a few of the John Prine albums in the library.  I did two or three hours a night Christmas week and had a good time.  Listeners checked in from the Upper Peninsula to Florida.  I played more than Prine, but plenty of him too.

   I forgot to play this one night, and ran out of time another.  Maybe next year.

   Here's the inside cover of ZZ Top's album, Tres Hombres.  I played a few tracts from this and others of theirs. 

People I've Known and Seen

 

  A trip to see family in Erie County resulted in finding some old pics.  my parents were always optimistic the Bills could win district and dressed for it, but resigned to the reality too.  Some of our dearly departed, and a mid-90s version of yours truly.

 

I made a stop in Black Rock to see Pat, Helene, Will and Henry.  It was my lucky day to be there for the annual deer skull boiling.  Could become an annual excursion.  No pictures from the family gathering in Hamburg, or breakfast with the Raukers, but it was good to see everyone.

  Talia made it into the country despite having me in her contacts.  She ran the Turkey Trot on a cold, windy day.  Somehow, she managed to get Nafisa away from her books for a visit.

   More students, past and present.  I considered riding with Nano to visit NYC, but didn't go.  Still haven't been there since before COVID.  She had a good time and has the benefit of a free place to stay.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is not the time to get a hotel deal.  Without identifying current students, I present the old dish soap challenge and see if you can spot the teacher's hand amongst the students.

 A basketball trivia calendar caused all kinds of trash talk and bragging rights at work.  Greg is enjoying his retirement job at IHS but trying to stay humble doing it.  Probably should have written in Bubba Gary to get anyone to recognize him from his Bona's days.

I've never been to Spain, but the Collins have.  They hoped to visit Ithaca, but this trip was a higher priority.  Probably a good choice.

   Shannon paid the price for having a birthday.

   Gail and I couldn't make it to Chicago for Colleen and Quill's wedding, but with the texting going on by my siblings that weekend it was almost as if I was there.  Nice to get photos too.

 

Alan and Marylin are in Florida, walking on the beach.

  Amy had her cookie extravaganza at the inn to celebrate the holidays.  Always worth loading up on steroids to ward off the reaction to gluten.  Leigh was two balls down in pocket pool but not giving up.