Leaderboard

Thursday night hike in Hickory run...sans tourists

After selling all my waverunners, boats, and my fishing stuff tucked away in the attic growing dust, i feel the same about the beach. Go take a swim, thats cool, but sit on the beach in the blazing sun? No thanks.

Yes, making our yearly 1 day trip to The Jersey shore. Brother and his family are there, and we get to see him about 3 times a year. I can only do the beach for about 4 hours, then I’m totally bored.

Umm ok. I think I'm being completely logical but thanks. The fact that you have to think about going out west seems illogical to me.

Nice! We leave on Sunday to OCMD for our annual beach trip. I'm not really a beach guy but my wife does cold weather stuff with me so I gotta do the give and take.

Have fun..

This weekend is going to be beautiful.

Or proctologists wearing Vans.

Wait. That’s not normal? I knew I should have been suspicious of the proctologist’s van appointments.

Going West: press buttons on computer, drive to airport, sit in metal tube, get rental car, check in at hotel, go skiing. Going North: press fewer buttons on computer, drive 6 or more hours, check in at hotel or sleep in car, go skiing.

You’re welcome and anytime.

You'll just miss Michael Jordan who is fishing in the White Marlin Open down there. He showed up in his custom painted jet with the Nike Air logo on the tail and is currently fishing on his boat, the "Catch 23".

Have fun. Take a good beach beer.

Are the leaves changing yet?

Rhus Ovata or Sugarbush is an evergreen shrub to small tree that grows in chaparral in dry canyons and south-facing slopes below 1300 m in Southern California, Arizona and Baja California. Rhus ovata ranges in height from 2–10 m (6.6–32.8 ft) and it has a rounded appearance. The twigs are thick and reddish in color. Its foliage consists of simple, dark green, leathery, ovate leaves that are folded along the midrib. The leaf arrangement is alternate. It blooms in April and May, and its inflorescences which occur at the ends of branches consist of small, 5-petaled, flowers that appear to be pink, but upon closer examination actually have white to pink petals with red sepals. Additionally, the flowers may be either bisexual or pistillate. The fruit is a reddish, sticky drupe, and is small, about 6 – 8 mm in diameter. Rhus ovata looks similar to Rhus integrifolia, but Rhus ovata can be distinguished by its leaves generally being folded rather than flat and more pointed than blunt as compared with the leaves of Rhus integrifolia. The main Rhus ovata population range is from the central and Pacific region Baja California north into Pacific coastal Southern California, and also in the central Arizona region of the Mogollon Rim. Rhus ovata prefers well-drained soil in a sunny location, with little water once established, being a very drought-tolerant plant. It does not respond to formal boxed pruning well; however, as needed for wildfire fuel reduction or rejuvenation, occasional autumnal cutting, down to above the base crown, is done for new basal sprouting. My advice would be to pick another plant or perhaps think about growing indoors, Sugarbush are not a good choice for our climate and growing season.

I didn’t mean to infer that it wasn’t logical. Your logic is what you decide it is and how your brain works. I don’t think an extra hour would deter me because I’m used to 9.5 hour drives to get up to VT anyway. I have to think about going out west because historically I haven’t been in a financial position to do so, and it’s much cheaper for me to hop in the car on a minutes notice and drive to Sugarbush for two weeks than to go out west for two weeks. I find going out west to be difficult because I’m not a planner. Figuring out where to fly from, how much it is to leave the car, where to fly into, where to get appropriately priced passes and lodging, and if I have to rent a car, is all exhausting, not to mention expensive. On top of that, I need to remember to bring all my gear home from VT ahead of time, and with work, I just don’t know when I’m going to need to attend a meeting. Unfortunately, complex issues arise all the time in development, construction, and leasing. It’s much easier for me to hop in the car, pound some coffee, and drive home, than it is for me to have to leave early and fly home in case of emergency. The financial stakes of leaving VT early and driving home are much less than a full outlay for a trip out west as well.

The mind isn’t always logical, and sometimes we use that flawed logic to create illogical walls that aren’t logical in and of themselves. I completely understand your thinking. I think it’s about pushing through that “wall”. I often find myself thinking more and more about going out west, but the amount of planning and logistics it takes for a trip out west often scare me away. You may think that SB and MRG are past that mental point, but the reality is that it is still easier to hop in the car, drive 6 hours, and book a night in a hotel on a whim, than it is to go out west. I appreciate WF for what it is. Unfortunately, even on the best years, I haven’t found the coverage in the woods to be very spectacular. It’s just as cold at Sugarbush as there, so that doesn’t scare me away. I’m not a huge town person, so LP doesn’t have that draw for me that it does for others. Regardless, I’d rather drive 6.5 hours to SB and make it skiing, than to say “ah, it’s almost easier to go out west,” and then not do either. Nothing wrong with WF. Can’t fault you for going there even if I prefer Gore.

Ok. So what beer are you taking to the beach?

Thanks Salty