Category Archives: Colorado

Colorado, Environment, Fort Collins, Science, Space

MUSINGS FOR FRIDAY 31ST, JANUARY 2020

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“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” Robert Browning

“It is a terrible mistake to think that the future is somewhere off in a distance time. It is here – in embryo. We are creating it right now, with the decisions we make about the environment, with the attitude we take toward space exploration, with the education we are giving our children. Everything!!” Gene Roddenberry

“Nobody knows what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” Robert Goddard

When a place gets crowded enough to require ID’s, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere. Robert A. Heinlein

“Doing a task is usually easy. Thinking about a task makes it hard.” Ajahn Brahm

HEY!! I AM LOOKING AT YOU!! THAT’S WHO!! LOLOLOLOLOL

Well it’s the start of a new year!! And wow!! Where has the time gone?? Funny, as I have gotten older it has sped up. Or that is what it seems like. When I was in my 20s and 30s it just dragged by, but now that I am much closer to 60 than 50, the perception of time jumping forward seems almost palpable. I know that it is all perception, but still where has it gone? Oh well. If you find it let me know. Lol

This picture was taken on November 3rd, 2019 at around 5pm. It is only about a mile from my house. I was just running along and truly the old quote of being in the right place at the right time? Well this was an example. It is looking West by South West, across a golf course in Fort Collins.

So I was thinking what do I talk about for the first month of the new year? That was a good question. And I had to ask it several times over and over, again and again. I mean I usually talk about Marvin, or some book I read, or sometimes current events. And those are all good, and I will talk about them. After all it is what is going on in my immediate life. But this time I want to start out with something that is a little more intangible for most of us. I want to start out with something I think will be a game changer for humanity. And once I lay it out, you will probably be skeptical. But as a species, we need to be able to pull this off. OK, here it goes. As a species, we need to figure out a way to get out of earth’s gravity well without having to use chemical rockets all the time. To be able to lift large amounts of mass into orbit without riding a “Roman Candle” so to speak every time we do it. If this is not a reality in the near future, then the next best thing is what Elon Musk is doing with reusable rockets. I know what you are thinking (what have you been smoking in Colorado) and I would not blame you. But we need to be able to do this sooner rather than later. The survival of “us” – HUMANS – depends upon it. If you keep reading I will explain my madness.

This picture was taken November 15th, 2019. I was looking West across one of the River Bend Ponds. Late afternoon about 5pm in Fort Collins.

Elon Musk has the right idea about getting a million people to Mars. Around the middle of this month he made a series of tweets about getting 1000s of star ships to Mars by 2050. That is a huge claim and I really hope that he can pull it off, but I am skeptical. In order to colonize another planet in our solar system we have to be able to get a huge amount (megatons) of material in orbit. Especially if we are going to send 100s, 1000s and then 10s of thousands of people to Mars every year. Using a reusable rocket is a great idea but I am not sure if this can be scaled up to the degree needed. In my personal opinion the game change will be the development of an AG drive (Anti-gravity Drive). I do believe Musk will get us there initial, but not to the degree that he claims. By the way – if you know how or have a working model of an AG drive, please let Elon, or NASA know. I am sure it would be greatly appreciated. Lol

This picture was taken November 28th, 2019. Here I am looking West across one of Fort Collins Parks. It was about 4pm in this picture.

Now at this point you might be asking yourself why do we need to do this? Has Ed lost his mind? And the answers to these are yes and no. Right now the world population is at 7.8 billion and will continue to grow. The current estimate is 10 billion by 2057. (37 years from now) But I believe it will happen sooner rather than later. All it will take is one or two advances in health care that leads to a decrease in infant and mother mortality, and /or a break through in longevity research. And you also need to consider all the money that is being spent on curing cancer and heart disease. Not a matter of IF but WHEN will it happen. I know I sound like someone that might be arguing against these advances in medical treatment and care, but I am not. I think they will be great!! After all, who wants to die of Cancer or lose their child to preventable disease? Right?! But it is going to create a bottle neck in population growth vs available resources on earth. Imagine a balloon (the earth) that is being filled with air (people). At some point it will over fill and….. We all know what happens when a balloon gets too full. We need a relief value. And “space exploration and settlement” on a large scale is the answer.

A interesting web site to check out on population is called worldometer. Here is the link: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/#growthrate

This picture was taken December 10th, 2019. It is looking from a trail in Horsetooth Mountain Park called Tower Road. In this shot I was looking east at the rising moon. The city in the background is Fort Collins. It was about 5pm in this picture.

The 10 billion number is coming and it is not going to take 37 years to get there. So why does this really become a much more significant issue now as opposed to 50 years ago? Well for one, we did not have 7.8 billion people on earth. Two, health care was not at the level it is now. Three, Global Warming and increasing CO2 levels had only been talked about in small scientific circles. And CO2 was not at the concentration it is now (over 400 ppm). As the planet warms and some areas become more inhospitable to human habitation, the balloon gets smaller but the volume of air continues to increase and the proverbial “pop” is just around the corner. In my personal opinion we have already reached the point of no return with global warming. It is not a matter of if this will happen, we are already there and it is happening right now. What we need to be doing is looking at how we are going to survive the coming decades as a species living on a very crowded and much warmer planet.

This picture was taken December 24th, 2019 at about 5pm looking west. The picture is from the lake/pond in my neighborhood.

One of the things I see happening is that the United Nations or something like it becoming a much more powerful world governing body. As countries are over-whelmed with over population and environmental degradation and all of their associated ills (starvation, disease, poverty, violence, etc…) the world will need a central governing body. A United Nations on Steroids with a powerful Military / Police force that can step in any where in the world (and I mean anywhere – all first world countries included) as needed to bring order and more importantly Food, Water, Medicine, etc…

This picture was taken December 26th, 2019 from Horsetooth Mountain Park. Here I was looking South East toward Denver at about 4pm. Beautiful afternoon.

The concept of an all powerful “World Government” has been around for a long time. And depending on how you look at it and what your situation is, this will be the “Godsend” for some. Millions will be saved that would have otherwise died. But on the flip side there will be those that do not want meddling by any kind of central authority. Think “Super Libertarians”. They will fight it and I have no doubt, to the death if needed. Maybe this is how world/global civilizations end. After all, where are all the aliens from space? They get to a certain point in development and if they have not achieved sustained large scale space travel then they die. Their planets are over populated, resources all minded out. And in desperation they turn to draconian governmental and religious “myth” leaders that promise a way out of the debacle. When things continue to fail, they rationalize and rationalize their continue belief in this false path, turning away from the very science and technology that could save them. The end result is total societal collapse and the extinction of the “insert name of species/race here” as we know it.

This picture was taken on December 31st, 2019. It is looking east, along a section of the Poudre River at about 4pm.

I know this all sounds terribly depressing and it is. Most of us have no control in the world. We have no way to change what happens to us. The only control we have is how we respond to it. As the population booms and the earth shrinks, the potential of societal collapse becomes much more likely. One way out is the exploration and colonization of space on a large scale. So call your Congressman or Woman and let them know how important this is to humanity. Support NASA, support Musk, support Branson, support Bezos. Well we probably already support Bezos too much through Amazon. But seriously, even if it is just words of encouragement. Give them your support. And one last thing – support Science. It is the lone candle in the darkness that can be religious belief. And the only true path to getting out.

Well that is about it my friends. I hope you have had a great start to the new year. See you next month and in the mean time, “May you live long and prosper.” Adios amigos!!

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Family, Fort Collins, Grand Children, House and Home

MUSINGS FOR MONDAY 30TH, SEPTEMBER 2019

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“Don’t base your decisions on the advice of those who don’t have to deal with the results.” -Unknown

“The earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” – Konstantin Tsiolkovosky

“Nobody knows what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” -Robert Goddard

“Doing as task is usually easy. Thinking about a task makes it hard.” Ajahn Brahm

Well September has come. And now it is almost gone. Cannot believe that it is already Fall. Where did the summer go? I mean really where did the summer go? Lol. Oh well I am looking forward to ski season, especially cross country and back county. I do not think I will get to the “Downhill ski areas” as much this year – having a young dog changes things. Our last dog, Neige, was a part of our family while the kids were still relatively young and she participated in most of the outdoor stuff the kids did, like hiking, cross country skiing, etc… She was included all the time. My plan is to do the same with Marvin, minus the kids. Lol.

Janet and Neige – this picture was taken January 27th, 2018 along the banks of the Poudre River. Neige and one of her many sticks! Lol

As Neige got older and the kids moved out, things changed for both of us. I found myself with a lot more free time for “longer” outdoor activities, like ultra running and cross country mountain biking. For Neige, as long as she still got several walks down to the river each week she seemed to be content to sit the rest of the week out. So I could easily leave her at home for a longer foray into the outdoors a few times each week. Now fast forward to Marvin and that is not the case. He is a young and growing dog that demands lots of exercise but in moderation. At 8 months old his joints still need time to develop along with his social and obedience skills. So for the time being, if I want to include him in outdoor activities, it comes down to shorter walks and runs with several focusing on human and canine socialization. It’s a trade off, but one that I am willing to make.

This picture of Marvin was taken on Thursday the 19th, 2019. We are standing on the ridge between Spring Canyon Park and Pine Ridge open space in Fort Collins. He is just getting ready to turn 8 months! In this picture he is checking out several rabbits in the grass.
This picture was taken on Saturday 28th, September 2019. Beautiful afternoon looking south in the Pine Ridge open space.

So far this year I have done more walking with Marvin than running, again due to his young age. We are up to about 5+ miles at a time. I don’t walk/run him everyday, but alternate it with the dog park. Which seems to be good for him. Lots and lots of canine socialization at the dog park. And on the days he doesn’t walk I get in a bike ride at night. This has been fun and interesting to say the least. One aspect is just the amount of wildlife that you never see during the day. Owls, foxes, skunks, a multitude of raccoons, deer, frogs and toads, and one that is not really wild, but the most numerous, the proverbial house cat. I usually see several different cats on each ride. Lol.

This picture was taken September 16th, 2019 about 11 pm at night. Even in the city limits you never know what kind of wildlife you might see. I had stopped on the Spring Creek bike trail taking pictures of 6 to 7 mule deer in front of me and did not see these two guys behind me. About 30 feet from where I am standing! Lol

The “Marvin Schedule” has also allowed me to work on house projects this year. And that has been a good thing. I finished repairing the deck over the garage and added a roof to it. This space has turned out to be one of my favorite places of the house when the weather is cooperative. I have also been enclosing a back patio and tiling the floor of said patio. The goal of this is to eventually remove the dividing wall and open up the entire space. But that part will have to wait until next year.

This picture was taken October 5th, 2018. Prior to building the roof supports, I had to tear out all the rotted decking, rubberized roofing and plywood flooring due to water damage. Of course it all had to be replaced. This took up most of July, August, September and October of last year.

This picture was taken September 16th, 2019. It is almost a year later from the above picture. It took a lot of work to get to the point! Lol
This picture was taken on September 29th, 2019. Marvin checking out a cat in the open space from the garage deck. Lol. One of my favorite places around the house.
This picture was taken Friday 13th, September 2019. Always a process. Putting down large format tile takes times. These squares are 18 inches by 18 inches. What you don’t see is the 37 bags of leveling concrete it took to get the floor level. All of this is under the orange Schluter-ditra underlayment. My hat is off to the guys and gals that do tile work for a living. It is not easy.

The month of September has been one of little rain. In fact by the end of the month a lot of the state was consider to be in “drought conditions” to varying degrees. There were the usual afternoon thunderstorms but they were “spotty” at best for the Cities along the Front Range. It did seem like communities further east from the foothills did a little better. One bonus of this was not much cloud cover and this made for some beautiful sunset pictures.

This picture was taken September 13th, 2019. It is from the River Bend Ponds open space in Fort Collins looking West by North West.
This picture was taken on September 14th, 2019. This is from the large dog park at the West end of Horsetooth Rd. in Fort Collins. It is late evening and I am looking West by North West.
This picture was taken on September 15th, 2019. This is from the Poudre River and River Bend Ponds Open Space looking looking West.
This picture was taken September 19th, 2019. It is from the Pine Ridge Open Space looking North.
This picture was taken September 26th, 2019. It is from the neighborhood looking West. The whole month has had these incredible afternoon colors!

Sooooo, life is good and I cannot complain too much at the moment. And that is the truth. Good and bad things happen to us all, but living in the good old USA does have its advantages compared to some parts of the world. I guess for me the biggest is the ability to change as a country, for good or bad. A freedom that none of us should take lightly – as the last election proved depending on your point of view. It will be interesting to see how things in the next 5 to 10 years pan out. Some of us will still be alive to either say “I told you so” or to say “Well damn, I guess I was wrong.” For me, I am hoping that I am wrong about a lot of things….

Wow I am a Grand Father again! Welcome to the world RG! This picture was taken September 26th, 2019. As long as I am alive I will strive to make this a better world for you!
  1. I hope that I am wrong about Global Warming. That it is not going to get a lot worse, much faster, than any of us ever realized. That the death toll will be in the 100s of millions around the globe in the next 10 years. I hope that I am wrong and it was all a “Liberal Hoax.”
  2. I hope that I am wrong about the gun debate. That 1000s of innocent individuals will not lose their lives in the coming years due to continued civilian use of assault weapons.
  3. I hope that I am wrong that the rates of certain Cancers will dramatically increase due loosening of rules on exposure to toxic chemicals in our environment. That untold thousands will suffer a horrible, terrible, fatal disease all in the name of “profit.”
  4. I hope that I am wrong about America’s coming involvement in “another” conflict in the middle east. That 1000s and 1000s of kids right out of high school and college get suckered into a rich-man’s amoral war over fossil fuels.
  5. I hope that I am wrong about the Religious Right and their mythology. That they will not take us down an “Antiscience Path” that can only end in endless suffering and death for millions and millions of individuals around the world.
  6. I hope that I a wrong…. about a lot of things….
This picture was taken September 29th, 2019. I am at my daughters house holding RG for the first time. Only three days old! And of course one of the dogs, Lou, has to get in on the action! Lol

Well I could go on and on about this but I think you get the picture. We all have a vested interest in protecting the planet and all of its inhabitants. There is no sitting this one out. Take care my friends. Hopefully I will see you out there on the trail or more likely the dog park!! Lol

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Gun Control

MUSINGS FOR WEDNESDAY 21st, AUGUST 2019

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“Our love affair with guns has nothing to do with tyranny, or militias, or self-preservation. Just ask any NRA member the following: If Jesus Christ himself were to come down off the cross and grant you one wish, would you opt for a world without guns — or the one we live in now? If every gun owner truly feared for their life and liberty, the answer would be obvious. But it’s not about life and liberty. It’s all about the sheer hard-on of owning a gun.”
Quentin R. Bufogle

“If you’re one of those delusional 2nd Amendment types who believes you and your trailer park ‘militia’ might need to take on the Army, the Navy, the 101st Airborne and SEAL Team 6; not only should you be denied the right to bear arms — but the right to your belt & shoelaces as well … ’cause you’re stark, ravin’ batshit!!!”
Quentin R. Bufogle

There’s no such thing as a good gun. There’s no such thing as a bad gun. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a very dangerous thing. A gun in the hands of a good person is no danger to anyone except the bad guys. Charlton Heston

This is an old YouTube video about stronger gun laws but it is still one of the best ones out there. I am a strong believer in the second amendment. But I don’t think the “Founding Fathers” could envision the modern day assault rifle!!

This picture was taken Tuesday 6th, August 2019. It is looking West on the Poudre River at about 7:30 pm. The orange color in the lower part of the sky is due to Forest Fires out West. Which in and of itself is not good but does make for some spectacular sunsets. This 5 mile round trip walk/run has become a special treat for Marvin. He seems to love this section of the river! Lol

Well for me it has been a good couple of weeks since the last post. I have been doing some work on the house, finishing up the deck, painting the exterior, doing the framing of a back patio to add a little square footage, working on a water feature, or at least thinking about it, etc…. For a few months each summer besides tending to the front yard garden and other landscaping, I do house renovation projects. Last years major project was to redo the deck over the garage. This turned into quite the task, as I eventually installed a roof over the deck. Which required a lot of effort on my part to plan, design and complete. This year I have some major projects planned for the house but less involvement on my part, if possible. Lol. Our house is always in a stage of renovation or light construction. I know that this would probably drive some people crazy but for me it is just another form of art. And something, if done right can tie Art and Life together. Take framing as an example. It sounds pretty straight forward on the surface, but I see it as a functional form of sculpture. You are building the bare bones frame work for the house. The feel of the hammer, the drill, and the saw can be likened to the feel of a chisel on stone . And when you are finished, unlike a beautiful piece of art that is there to look at and ponder its significance, the house can be lived in as if it was living sculpture.

Little Marvin at 8 weeks or two months!! This picture was taken April 11th, 2019.

Marvin has been good. Training is going well. I had forgotten how much work it takes to train a puppy from scratch. Lots and lots of patience and repetition. We finished puppy class and now we are in basic obedience. Working on sit, down, come, stay/wait, heel, etc… All the usual dog commands. Plus we have continued with the socialization. Going to Old Town, hitting the dog park at least once a week, car rides, all kinds of things that you and I take for granted but are new and potentially scary for the dog. He goes for about an hour walk everyday with the opportunity to get in the water. And I have to say that is improving quite a bit. As a puppy he would not even get his toes wet, but now routinely gets in up to his chest. Lol. Still no swimming yet. He has gotten bigger. And we have the tendency to think of him as a adult dog but really he is quite the puppy still at just 6 to 7 months.

Marvin at 6 months and just shy of 75 lbs!! Hard to think of him as still a puppy. This picture was taken July 31st, 2019.

With the time required for the work on the house and the time required for the care and training of Marvin, I have not been able to do a lot of long distance running. I should have seen this coming with the time commitments but I didn’t or maybe I just ignored it. So with that said I am not sure if I will get in any Ultra distances this summer. But to some degree I am OK with that. I have started to ride my bike more at night, it is cooler and that is when I have the time. Lol. I do a lot of walking and some running with Marvin. He is now up to about 5 miles at a time. I do not want to take him too far too fast for fear of causing joint damage.

This picture was taken late Wednesday night, 8/7/19. It is looking South West from the Spring Creek trail in Fort Collins. It was a beautiful evening for a bike ride. We are lucky here in Fort Collins to have the bike trail system. I can ride a long distance if I want to with minimal exposure to automobile traffic. Even with the lessened exposure, I do ride with what I would call significant lighting by Night Rider. It was an expensive lighting system, but after using their products for a few years now, I am glad that I spent the money. You can check them out here: https://www.niterider.com/

Well another two mass shooting at the first of this months. I find it hard to put it into words. Just awful. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to be a family member of one of the victims. From the above quotes by Quentin R. Bufogle and Charlton Heston. You probably figured I would talk a little about this. Let me say up front that I am a supporter of the second amendment and our right to bear arms. But what I am not a supporter of is the insane right for Joe Blow citizen to own Assault Style weapons. As the YouTube video so aptly shows, I do not think that our founding fathers had any idea that weapons would advance to the point where they are today. How could they? There have been technological advances that even the smartest minds at that time would not have been able to fathom yet alone conceptualize what it would make possible. This is the same for all generations. A single discovery, new tool, etc…. leads to all kinds of possibilities that we would not even have the ability to imagine until said invention occurred. So with that, when they put down the second amendment the weapon of choice was a musket and/or musket like pistol. No comparison to modern day weapons. The designers of the Constitution would not have conceptualized the modern-day AR-15.

In my opinion these types of “Mass destruction” weapons should not be in the hands of private citizens. I know that some of you may disagree and if you do. I have one question. Where do you draw the line? A flame thrower, a bazooka, an atomic bomb of some kind? We can all suffer from what is known as “Temporary Insanity.” A job loss, a relationship break up, a death of a loved one, organic brain disease, etc…. The list could go on and on and on. It is not a matter of if, but when will it occur. And if you have access to something like an AR-15, well history speaks for itself now, doesn’t it.

We are all subject to the stresses of life. What you or I think is a significant event is not the same as what someone else thinks. A good reason why the public should not have access to these type of weapons.

The other issues with the gun control and I can see it coming down the line, is an increase in mass public surveillance. Which in and of itself I find ironic when you talk to some of the hard core gun rights advocates. Especially when they are worried about a “Tyrannical Government” controlling their lives and why they need an assault rifle. I hate to tell them but to some degree it is already here. If the defunct company Cambridge Analytica in conjunction with Facebook can come up with 5000 data points on each American Voter to target specific ads for controlling an election, how tough would it be to create a data set that would spot would be shooters before they act? Or control them so that they never act?! Weird! Like something out of the movie with Tom Cruise – Minority Report. What was yesterday’s Science Fiction is today’s re-imagined reality.

A good movie to watch. They use special humans called Pre-Cogs to tell the future so to speak. But in our world – you may just need data points and a good “smart” analytics program…..

Bottom line you will get to keep your assault rifle but you will be giving away more of your privacy. And increasing the ability for powerful governmental and corporate entities to control more of your life. I guess this is already to some degree more of a reality than I care to admit. But I see it increasing and the powers that be using the resistance to “common sense gun control” as a fulcrum to deepen the current level of surveillance and manipulation. I don’t find this necessarily a problem except for “who” controls the technology? That could make all the difference. Some in the gun rights group would say that is the reason we need Assault Rifles in the first place but I beg to differ. In the past, control of large populations was done through brute force and terror. Today it is different. Increasingly your mind and thoughts can be subtly shifted without firing a shot or throwing a spear. So the very thing the gun rights people think might keep them safe ( their assault rifle) is the very thing that will be used against them….

This picture was taken Friday 16th, August 2019. Marvin looking North West across one of the many quarry ponds in Fort Collins. It was a beautiful evening walk/run. Sometimes I just have to remind myself it is the simple pleasures that make a difference.

Well enough of that depressing line of thought. I guess it is inevitable as technology advances. Hopefully in the future there will be laws on the books that will prevent this kind of misuse of power. Can you say 1984 and George Orwell? Scary!!

Lots and lots of things to write about. Just not enough time. Lol. Take care my friends and I hope to see you out there!! Adios amigos!!

Book Review, Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Life and Meaning, Trail Running

MUSING FOR SUNDAY 16TH, JUNE 2019

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“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all this to happen: Room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” Pema Chodron

“…anyone who stands on the edge of the unknown, fully in the present without a reference point, experiences groundlessness. That’s when our understanding goes deeper, when we find the present moment is a pretty vulnerable place… completely unnerving and completely tender at the same time.” Pema Chodron

“To be fully alive, fully human and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no man’s land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again.” Pema Chodron

Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there!! Damn it has been a good couple of weeks. Great running in FoCo and the weather here on the Front Range has finally decided to stay warm for a bit . A plus to all this is I have had the luxury of staying part of this last week in Summit County. While some of the really high trails are not clear yet for hiking or running due to snow, the rest of the terrain around Breckenridge has been fantastic. I really, really should not complain!! Life is good!! Lol

Marvin’s first RV trip. This picture was taken the first night of our “camping out” and I am not sure if he is down with it yet?! This dog always seems to have a serious look on his face! Lol

In this blog I thought I would include a few quotes from Pema Chodron. They are from her book called “When Things Fall Apart.” I believe that these are timeless truths that echo a lot of what the Author Brene Brown talks about when she speaks of the power of vulnerability. I read the book from Pema a few years ago when it first came out, once as an audio book and once as an e-book. I felt that strongly about it. The thing that I have found interesting about the book is how the messages she lays out keep coming up over and over again and again. Or at least they do for me. Especially the first quote about how things come together and then fall apart. Nothing is truly “fixed” in life and for those of us that have a little trouble with change this can be very hard. It has helped me to see that there are no absolutes in life. That there are many, many shades of black and white. And that it is OK.

This picture was taken on Thursday 13th, June 2019. It is of Janet and Marvin on a section of the Colorado Trail that goes into Breckinridge. Beautiful evening of hiking with Marvin. Again what is it with the serious face?! Lol

Things come together and they fall apart and come together again and fall apart again. Whether it be families or vacations, jobs, buying a house or not buying a house, births, deaths, events, parties, the list could just go on and on and on. In my opinion that is just the way life works. One of the tricks to working with this fact, I think, is to just show up. Put the fear aside of what might or might not happen and just show up. Sometimes things will work out and sometimes they don’t but you will never know if you don’t show up. Just that simple. You have to show up. And I remind myself of this as I write. Part of the plan for being up in Summit county this weekend was to run the Leadville Trail Marathon. That was the plan. And I did NOT show up. Talked myself right out of it… Now I have to ask myself. What was that about?? Was it the weather forecast? It was suppose to rain and be cold all day. Was it the fear of not finishing? I had trained quit a bit this year and put in more running miles than I did by this time last year. Was it just fear in general? I always have a little underlying anxiety anytime I plan to run a race. This is nothing new.

This picture was taken at the Starbucks in Breckenridge on Saturday 15th, 2019. They usually do not allow dogs in the building but because Marvin was being so nice they made an exception for us. Lol. He seemed to enjoy it.

Or was it just a combination of all the above? I don’t know for sure but I have been in this situation before and I do know the solution no matter what the reason is. You just have to SHOW UP. Just that simple but OH so hard at times. All I needed to do was just show up and it would have all worked out.

It turned out the weather was fantastic, at least on the Breckinridge side. A few afternoon showers but very nice otherwise. Sure it is never easy running 26 miles at elevation but I had trained for it. You just have to see past the anxiety and fear and just show up. For whatever reason, this year I did not do that. And it is hard to admit this, but the “what ifs” got the better of me. Oh well you live and learn. On the plus side I did get to spend a fantastic day with Janet and Marvin. Things come together and they fall apart but not always as you might expect……

Hiking with Janet and “Serious” Marvin on Sunday 16th, June 2019. What a great day!!

Well that is going to be about it for me on this blog post. I hope everyone had a great two weeks and I hope to see you out there on the trails, whether it be biking, hiking, running, or just plain walking!! Adios amigos!!

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Politics, RVs, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 2ND, JUNE 2019

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“How the hell could a person enjoy being awakened at 6:30 AM, by an alarm clock, leap out of bed, dress, force-feed, shit, piss, brush teeth and hair, and fight traffic to get to a place where essentially you made lots of money for somebody else and were asked to be grateful for the opportunity to do so?” – Charles Bukowski

“Maybe freedom really is nothing left to lose. You had it once in childhood, when it was okay to climb a tree, to paint a crazy picture and wipe out on your bike, to get hurt. The spirit of risk gradually takes its leave. It follows the wild cries of joy and pain down the wind, through the hedgerow, growing ever fainter. What was that sound? A dog barking far off? That was our life calling to us, the one that was vigorous and undefended and curious.”
― Peter Heller, Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet’s Tsangpo River

“None of your knowledge, your reading, your connections will be of any use here: two legs suffice, and big eyes to see with. Walk alone, across mountains or through forests. You are nobody to the hills or the thick boughs heavy with greenery. You are no longer a role, or a status, not even an individual, but a body, a body that feels sharp stones on the paths, the caress of long grass and the freshness of the wind. When you walk, the world has neither present nor future: nothing but the cycle of mornings and evenings. Always the same thing to do all day: walk. But the walker who marvels while walking (the blue of the rocks in a July evening light, the silvery green of olive leaves at noon, the violet morning hills) has no past, no plans, no experience. He has within him the eternal child. While walking I am but a simple gaze.”
― Frédéric Gros, A Philosophy of Walking

Well it has been another great two weeks and I really cannot complain too much at the moment. Life is pretty good. The weather here in Colorado on the Front Range has seen some good days of near perfect weather and others that are much wetter and closer to what I would consider the Pacific Northwest. Lol. Running has been coming along as expected and the ski season has been extend at several of the major resorts. I have not seen this in a long time. Pretty amazing. In hindsight, I would have taken advantage of this extended season but having a new puppy has required a lot more of a time commitment than I first realized. Oh well I know that it will be worth it in the long run. Marvin has been great “therapy” for Janet and I both.

This picture was taken on Wednesday 29th, May 2019. Marvin was 15 weeks on this day and weighed in at 47.2 lbs. Again, what is it with the serious looks?! Not sure where that comes from. Lol

My next race or run for me is the Leadville Trail Marathon on June 15th. But after seeing the amount of snow that fell this past week makes me wonder if they are going to have to reroute some of the course. A few years back I did the Half Marathon and found that there was a significant section of the course that had been dug out by volunteers so that we could still run the original route. I am guessing that this year has even more snow present. So it will be interesting to see what the route looks like come race time. It might make for some unique pictures.

This picture was taken Saturday 25th, May 2019. It is looking West off of a spur of the Poudre River Trail. Just a gorgeous afternoon in Fort Collins that day. Could not have asked for better weather.

I have started the process of getting the RV ready for summer. It is a class C Bigfoot Motor home. We have now owned it for about 13 years this coming June. So far I don’t have much to complain about with it. It is a 30 foot diesel. The Bigfoot Manufacturing Plant is still in business but they only make slide in truck campers and trailers now. They temporarily went out of business like a lot of the RV manufactures did a few years back. When they reorganized and started up business again the Motor Home line had been dropped. It is too bad in a lot of ways because the MHs they were turning out at the time were very well built for the price. You can find features on ours that still only come with much more expensive units. My only regret with mine is that it has no slides. And in hind sight it would have been really nice to have that extra space. Oh well you live and learn. My plan for this season is to use it more this summer for short trips that involve trail running. I let you know how that goes.

This picture was taken Friday 31st, May 2019. We have now owned this RV for 13 years. A lot of good memories. My only regret with this purchase was no slides. Sure could have used the extra space at times, especially when the kids traveled with us.

Now I would like to write a little something that will verge on the political. Lol. I do not call Trump the president. My favorite name for him is the “Grand Cheeto.” I feel that he was significantly helped to get elected by the Russians. This fact was verified by the Mueller investigation. Sure, some will probably ask how much did the fake Face Book posts really help or not? And some will believe that it did not make much difference. I am of the opinion that it helped significantly. The fake negative adds on Hilary and the fake positive ones for Trump. And to back my opinion up, all you have to do is look towards the world of advertising. Think about it. Why would big companies spend billions and billions for advertising their products if it did not work. There are some estimates that this is about 100 billion per year. Let me say that again. 100 billion in TV ads alone per year. That is an awful waste of money if it does not work. What the Russians did was advertise for Trump. And they were very successful at it. I have friends and family on FB that still quote fake ads from four years ago. If that is not a definition of temporary insanity, then I don’t know what is.

This picture was taken Sunday 26th, May 2019. It is looking West from the open space called River Bend Ponds. Again perfect running weather, not too hot or cold, slight breeze so the air quality was good.

There is a quote by the author Neil Gaiman: “Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and adventures are shadow truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes and forgotten.” The Russian election interference is a perfect example of this. I am guessing that years and years from now there will still be people in the world that believe and refer to the “fake ads” as if they were the gospel truth. Crazy but shows a deeper insight into our human nature and how it can easily be manipulated. This has been known by conmen since time immortal.

This picture was taken on Thursday 30th, May 2019. It is looking South West at the Pine Ridge open space in Fort Collins. Things are really starting to green up a bit from just a month ago.

The other part of the Mueller investigation that I want to touch on briefly is what he said this past week. “If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” That pretty much says it all. The “Grand Cheeto” is guilty. Period. Now the question becomes what law or laws did he break? I am wondering if this will ever come to light. Maybe. The interesting thing is how many in the Republican controlled Senate still support him. To me it begs the question are some of them guilty too? Or are they just willing to over look his “law breaking” behavior because he can give them something they want? I am guessing that they believe there is enough “checks and balances” in our system to stop someone like him from going to far?! I hope they are right….

Damn! This says it all in one sentence!

I stopped getting worked up with all the “bat shit crazy” stuff being put out from him and his administration a while back. The trick is to see it for what it really is, a song and dance routine done for the masses. It encourages his supporters and riles up the left, but at the same time draws attention away from the important stuff. For me this has been the trick, to not get caught up in all the drama. It is an old ruse from the mythical play book called the “Conman’s Craft.”

This picture was taken Friday 31st, May 2019. It is looking West across the Pine Ridge Open Space. Marvin checking out the dogs in the dog park, from a distance. Lol.

Well that is going to be about it for me on this post. I hope the Mueller report causes you to pause and think, the Russian interference and that line by Mueller: “If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”

Whether you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, ask yourself, what are you willing to look the other way on when the next election comes around?!

Take care my friends, may your trails be they dirt or paved, be twisty and interesting!! Adios amigos!!

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Quad Rock 50, Trail Running

MUSING FOR SUNDAY 19TH, MAY 2019

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“If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other form of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life.” Charles Bukowski

Well it has been a good week. The weather the past few days has been beautiful. This is one of the reasons I moved to Colorado a long time ago. I do like to visit other places that have a lower elevation and a higher humidity, but that’s it. Just visit. Unless of course it was on the beach, say like Hawaii, or some place in the Caribbean. Now that would be pretty cool. To be able to live in both locations. Colorado for part of the year and the beach and “warm” ocean water for the other part. Some would say just move to the Pacific Northwest, but I never totally understood the appeal of the PNW. I have been there a few times and the forest are fantastic and the mountains beautiful. But I don’t think I could do the humidity, clouds, and rain for a majority of the year. I did grow up around water, whether it was in a pool or lake and did a lot of swimming. So that is another reason you would not find me long term in the PNW. The ocean water up there is cold. Too cold for me.

This picture was taken Sunday 14th, April 2019. Marvin at 8 and 1/2 weeks.

Marvin is growing as expected. Not sure how big he will be, but Janet and I are thinking some where in the 100 lbs plus range. Or maybe bigger? Lol. Puppy class is progressing along as anticipated. What was not expected is how he has changed in behavior from week to week. Thinking about it now in hindsight it does make a lot more sense.

This picture was taken Sunday 21st, April 2019. Marvin at 9 and 1/2 weeks.

At the very first class he was a little shy but now he is like one of the pack, running, jumping, playing with all the other puppies. Each week has been somewhat of a new experience to see how his confidence grows. Just like it would be in a human child but on a much shorter time frame. We are continuing with the socialization as much as we can.

This picture was taken Wednesday 1st, May 2019. Marvin at 11 weeks old.

He seems to be a very easy dog to work with in my experience. Pretty laid back most of the time. The only issue that is ongoing is the puppy bitting. But even as I write this, it seems like we have made progress in shifting his attention to chew bones and dog toys and less to his human companions. Lol

This picture was taken Tuesday 14th, May 2019. Marin, just one day shy of 13 weeks and already at 38 lbs. I can already see the adult dog he will be. Not sure what it is but he always seems to have a serious look on his face anytime I take a picture! Lol

Well I did not make the 50 miles in the Quad Rock again this year but I did do the first loop for 25 miles. It was a great run. The trail conditions and weather were much better than last year. Actually I don’t think you could have asked for better. Of course if you had tried to predict this on Thursday 9th, two days before the race, it would not have been easy. Rain and snow, and rain and snow. And did I say more rain and snow…. Lol.

This picture was taken on Saturday 11th, May 2019. Just before the start of the Quad Rock 50. Temperatures were in the 30 degree range and no wind. Here I am looking east towards Fort Collins. Clear skies can make fantastic running weather.
5 minutes before race start and we are all getting lined up. I am more of the plodder and not the gazelle. So to the back of the pack I go! Lol

Cold morning but a very nice afternoon in the high 50s and low 60s. Perfect for running. They did have to reroute some of the course to avoid a few very wet areas. Funny thing, I liked the reroute better than the original course. It did add a little more elevation gain/loss but not too bad.

Again, what a beautiful day for running the Quad Rock. This picture is looking South towards Denver.

As far as not finishing the whole 50 miles this year? I am not too disappointed. It is a hard route. Lots of ups and downs. 5000 ft plus of elevation gain and loss in each 25 mile loop. And as I have stated before, it is a little early in the year for me with the 50 mile distance. I was happy with my time compared to last year. This time I was about an hour and ten minutes faster or 6 hours and 40 minutes total.

This picture from the Quad Rock was about 20 miles in, close to the end of the first loop. It is looking West towards Rocky Mountain National Park. Lots of snow still up in the high country. The two large mountains in the back ground are Mount Meeker (13,911 feet) and Longs Peak (14,259).

A surprise that I got while running the revised route was to run the Westridge Trail in Lory State Park. As many times as I had been in the park this was the first time for me to actually run this trail. The views of Mount Meeker and Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park were beautiful. See the above picture. In my opinion, even if the lower valley trails were not wet, this was worth the reroute.

This picture from the Quad Rock is looking East toward Greeley, Colorado. The winds were such that most of the “brown cloud”, you can just make out in the distance, stayed there.

Well before I go I would like to thank all the volunteers and sponsors for supporting the race. Especially the volunteers. Without you this event would not happen like it does. Also this year I would like to thank the land managers for allowing the race to be run even with some of the marginal trail conditions. The conditions on race day were next to perfect but it would have been easy to cancel the event based on the weather occurring on Thursday. Thanks again for allowing us “nutcases” to run on Saturday in a very beautiful place. And last but not least I would like to thank Nick Clark and Brad Bishop (Gnar Runners Event Management) for putting on another fantastic event. If you would like to read and learn more about Gnar Runners and their future races, check out their web site: http://gnarrunners.com/

This picture was taken looking West with the morning sun shining on Arthur’s Rock in Lory State Park.

Well that is going to be about it for me on this Blog Post. The next race I plan to run is on June 15th. The Leadville Trail Marathon. I have done the half marathon in Leadville in the past but not the full. Should be fun?! Right?! Lol. So the training continues for working my way up to the bigger races in July and September.

Take care my friends and I hope to see you out there whether it be hiking, running, biking, or skiing. Adios amigos!!

Colorado, Exercise, Existentialism, Fort Collins, Life and Meaning, Meditations, Psychology, Quad Rock 50, Truth and Perception

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 5TH, MAY 2019

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“Relax enough, and your body becomes so familiar with the cradle rocking rhythm that you almost forget you’re moving. And once you break through to that soft, half levitating flow, that’s when the mooonlight and champagne show up.” Ann Trason (From the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall)

“I thought, man, if you could run 100 miles, you’d be in this Zen state. You’d be the f**king Buddha. Bringing peace and a smile to the world. In my case, it didn’t work. I’m the same old punk ass as ever. But there’s always this hope that it’ll turn you into the person you want to be. You know, like a better, more peaceful person. And when I’m out on a long run, the only thing in life that matters is finishing the run. For once, my brain isn’t going ‘bleh bleh bleh bleh.’ Everything just quiets down, and the only thing going on is the pure flow.” Jenn Shelton

“But the longer and further I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind – a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.” Scott Jurek

Wow another great two weeks. Marvin is getting a lot bigger!! When we first got him at 8 weeks he was 19lbs. This past Wednesday he was around 30.4lbs. We figured that he would grow but dang, always amazed at how fast it occurs. The socialization is continuing. He has probably surpassed the magical number of 100 different humans that he has met and countless numbers of other dogs. So I am hoping that this really pays off in the long run. It is interesting in that the fear factor seems to ebb and flow. One day he is fearful of the trash truck, or the Geese. Then the next day, they are not a problem. And vise versa? If Janet and I are both out walking him things are a little better. Not sure what that is about?

This photo was taken on Wednesday 1st, May 2019. Now 11 weeks old and 30.4lbs. I think that he has the sitting thing down for the moment. Lol. They say repetition and consistency are the key!

Finishing up some training ,in preparation for the Quad Rock 50. If I can do this it will be earliest in the year that I have run a 50 miler and that would be pretty cool. The last couple of weeks have been a slow taper so that I am fully rested and ready to go on May 11th. I have been fortunate to experience some wonderful afternoon weather the last 2 weeks. Just beautiful. Of course each week is different and it is Spring time in Colorado, so you still have to throw a little snow into the mix. Lol

This picture was taken Thursday 25th, April 2019. What an afternoon. Warm but not too warm. Clean air from a little bit of wind. Beautiful!

Watching the news over the last couple of weeks. There were two events that got me to thinking about the meaninglessness of life in general. One involved a person going to work on his motorcycle, just the average guy on his way to work, enjoying the beautiful morning, and bam, hit by a car and killed. Game over. The second one involved a wreck down by Denver on I-70 eastbound, coming out of the mountains. Guy driving a semi loses his breaks and plows into multi other cars, killing four people. Again, these were people on their way home, from work, from the store, from whatever. But again, bam! Game over. Both events awful. No meaning, no redeeming quality what so ever. A senseless loss of life in every respect.

This picture was also taken Thursday 25th, April 2019. It is looking West at the Prospect Ponds open space in Fort Collins.

At first I got depressed just thinking about them. And while this would not be unusual for anybody to feel this way. I started to obsesses about them a little bit. I think it had to do with the fact that both of these hit close to home for me. I have been that guy on the motorcycle, riding to work, enjoying the morning, but did not get hit by the car. And I have been that guy driving down I-70, coming back from a wonderful day of skiing, looking and seeing the semi’s in the rear view mirror and wondering if their breaks would hold? And they did.

This picture was taken Friday 26th, April 2019. It is from an open space called Pineridge. It is just west of town but still in town. I think that it gives a beautiful view of Fort Collins.

I know that there are those that would say it was some “supreme beings will” that it was not my time to go. But I don’t believe that. I believe it really is just a matter of chance and luck. A quote that sticks in my head from when I first moved to Colorado and took my first Avalanche class was by the director at the time, Knox Williams. And it goes something like this. “Remember the mountains are full of dead experts. You read about it all the time, he or she was an expert skier, hiker, biker, snowshoer, etc… and they are all dead. The mountain does not care.” To extrapolate this further. I would say that the “Universe does not care.”

This picture was taken on Tuesday 30th, April 2019. Hate to use an old cliche’ but dang, “What a difference a day makes!”

Some might find this really depressing, and I did for a very short period of time. But it soon gave way to a kind of liberation. To realize that all our worrying, our anxieties, our fretting in whatever we are doing to get all the “details” just right. Does not really matter in the end. You could have been the model employee for the corporation, the faultless parent, the ultimate spouse, the quintessential neighbor, etc…. And bam! Game over. None of it mattered, your dead. Wow! That does sound depressing, but is it?

This picture was also taken Tuesday 30th, April 2019, but in the afternoon. And that is what I love about Colorado. Most of the snow had moved out. The bike trail was clear and it was another beautiful Colorado afternoon.

I for one don’t think that it is. I put forth that it is liberating. There is no deity, no person, no organization that you are beholding to. No provisos, no dogma, no limitations that are written in stone. You are free to determine your own destiny. For good or bad there is no “big eye” in the sky watching you. At least not a made up “magical one.” At some point technology will allow this to occur but that discussion is for another story. Of course what I am describing here is Existentialism. And some may say that I am having an “Existential Crisis.” Lol. And I guess that could be the case. But I don’t believe so. I think last weeks events were just a reminder of how I have felt for a long time, down deep. This coming May I will have been in the health care field for 40 years with the majority of that time spent in Emergency Medicine. And it has shaped my perspective on life to say the least. I truly believe that there is no meaning to life. It is just a jumble of random events that happen to us. If you want meaning you have to bring it. You have to create your own story. Not the other way around. And with this comes freedom but at the same time a considerable responsibility. Some can handle this responsibility and some can’t.

This picture was taken Wednesday 1st, May 2019. What a beautiful evening. Had no idea that the sun and clouds were going to give such a beautiful sunset. This picture was taken from the Powerline Trail in Fort Collins and usually does not have such fantastic views. Being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference.

Finding our own meaning takes some significant digging. It is not for the faint of heart. The first step is taking the time to find out “who you are” and this takes a lot of inner work. But one place to start this process is with meditation. I know, I know. I can hear it now. “I am not going to do that new age bulls**t.” But in reality, this tool, and that is all it is, goes back 1000s and 1000s of years. You don’t have to become Buddhist, or sit for hours chanting “OM”. You can start the process in as little as 5 minutes per day and build up from there. I keep track of my time spent meditating with a phone app. Somedays it is a long one, depending on the time I have available and others it is just 5 minutes. Meditation helps to open a door or window into who your “real self” might be. And that my friends is powerful.

This picture was also taken Wednesday 1st, May 2019, but just a few minutes later from the one above. Unreal that the colors could change so dramatically.

Well I think that is going to be about it for me on this blog post. Time to move forward off of the soapbox and on to other things. Existentialism Crisis solved?! Lololololol. No, I don’t think so and that is part of the “struggle” in being human. Let me know if you have had these same feelings? And what your solutions might have been. I would love to hear from you.

I hope everyone has had a great two weeks and I am looking forward to the next two. I will let you know how the Quad Rock goes. Take care and I hope to see you out there! Where ever “out there” may be. Adios amigos!!

This picture and the one below was taken on Friday 3rd, May 2019. What a beautiful afternoon here in Colorado. A good breeze in the right direction so the air was clean. This picture was taken looking southeast from Horsetooth Mountain Park.
Again, same day as the one above, but looking West towards Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Beautiful!!

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Horsetooth Half Marathon

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 21ST, APRIL 2019

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“Life is a series of dogs.” George Carlin

“Everyone thinks they have the best dog and none of them are wrong.” W.R. Purche

I used to look at my dog and think “if you were a little smarter you could tell me what you were thinking” and he’d look at me like he was saying “if you were a little smarter, I wouldn’t have to.” Fred Jungclaus

Well, it has been an interesting last two weeks. I had forgotten all the work that goes into raising a puppy from scratch so to speak. Our last dog passed away in August of last year at the age of 12, so we have not had the “young puppy experience” in a while. I would like to say that Janet and I are both feeling a little sleep deprived these last couple of days. Actually that would probably be some what of an understatement. Lol

This is Marvin at 8 – 1/2 weeks.

Marvin, yes we named him Marvin and he has been an an “absorbing” experience so far. But I feel that we are managing for now. We started to watch a series of Dog Training Videos a few weeks before getting him and I think that they have paid off and will continue to do so. It was interesting to see how training has changed over the years. This will be our 6th dog in the last 35 years. Wow! Just thinking about that makes me wonder where did the time go?! Oh well I am getting off track a little bit. More about Marvin, we decided to go with a mixed breed dog this time due to all the continued genetic problems of pure bred dogs. Especially German Shepherds. Marvin is what is know as a King Shepherd. They are a mix of German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute and Great Pyrenees. Both of his parents, one a King Shepherd and the other a Great Pyrenees, were both tested genetically and received a clean bill of health. I will have Marvin tested by EmBark Vet to see if any significant genetic issues arose in the breeding.

Marvin at 9 – 1/2 weeks. He is making for great “after work” therapy. Lol

Right now as far as training goes, we are really concentrating on socialization. The current or most recent research suggest that this crucial window closes a lot earlier than first expected, some say by 12 weeks. With that said he has been to Old Town in Fort Collins, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Poudre Feed and Seed, Edora Park, Petco, the Vets office and the houses of friends. Also he will start a puppy class next week. One expert in dog behavior said that before 12 weeks your dog should have met and greeted at least 100 different people of all ages and types. That seems a pretty tall order when I think about it. Especially if you are working full time and have a family with children. For us it is not as much of an issue, so far. Lol.

The start of the Horsetooth Half Marathon, April 14th, 2019. This view is looking west toward one of the dams of Horsetooth Reservoir, about 10 minutes before the start of the run.

OK, on to other things. I did my first race of the season. Not an Ultra, that comes later, but a half marathon called the Horsetooth Half. It is a local race and has been held for a number of years. I have done it one time before and thought I would give it another try. We lucked out this year and received beautiful weather for the day. This is a point to point road race and transverse some of the most picturesque scenery around Fort Collins. There is about 1000 feet of elevation gain/loss, but 99% of this is in the first half of the race. Once you are past that half way point it is pretty much downhill all the way to New Belgium Brewing in Old Town, Fort Collins. A very nice course in my opinion.

Horsetooth Half 2019!! One big hill down and a few more to go!!

I felt really good for this race, even being a little sleep deprived with the new puppy. I finished the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 7 minutes and averaged about 9 minute miles. This was great for me. Much faster than my first time. Lol So maybe all the training is paying off? Oh, I so hope so! Next race is the Quad Rock 50!

More of the Horsetooth Half Marathon. This view is looking North, but further along in the course. Lots of cool rock formations.

I want to give a big Thank You to the Fort Collins Running club for again putting on a fantastic event. And I have to say that the sponsors and volunteers really did a great job of handing out water and making the race fun and entertaining. Without you this event would be just another “run of the mill” half Marathon. For a full list of sponsors and information about the race check out the web site here: https://horsetooth-half.com/

This picture was taken on Monday 15th, April 2019. It is looking West towards the foothills off the Power line trail. Just another beautiful afternoon here in Colorado.

Running this past week has been beautiful. Cold mornings with warmer afternoons. Just fantastic weather and great air quality due a series of small fronts that removed most of the particulate matter from the Front Range.

This picture was taken Tuesday afternoon, April 16th. Again looking West by North West off the Spring Creek Trail here in Fort Collins.

This blog post is going to be a little shorter this time. Marvin is still impinging on sleeping so I do not have as much time to write. The dog training course Janet and I are still watching is from the Great Courses. Pretty good. There are 24 lectures in the Course, each one being about 30 minutes long. We try to watch only one each night to help absorb all the information. I would also suggest to get the course book to help with going over certain concepts in the video lecture. Once we go through the entire series we plan to watch it a second time just to help with retention. So far things seem to be going along really well. You can find the link here: https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/show/dog_training_101

So that is about it for me. I hope to get more sleep this next week!! Lol. Oh well – still need to get in running in preparation for the Quad Rock in May. It is only about 3 week away. So if I am going to lengthen my distances a little more, I need to do it in the next week and then start the taper so I am fully rested on race day. I think that I will leave you with one more picture of a Colorado afternoon. They have been beautiful. Take care my friends and maybe I will see you out there on the trail. Adios amigos!!

This picture was taken Saturday, April 20th, 2019. Looking West by North West. It was a little cloudy this afternoon. But the temperatures were in the high 70s with a light wind. Just beautiful.

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Quad Rock 50, Run Rabbit Run, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 10TH, MARCH 2019

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“Running isn’t a sport for pretty boys…It’s about the sweat in your hair and the blisters on your feet. Its the frozen spit on your chin and the nausea in your gut. It’s about throbbing calves and cramps at midnight that are strong enough to wake the dead. It’s about getting out the door and running when the rest of the world is only dreaming about having the passion that you need to live each and every day with. It’s about being on a lonely road and running like a champion even when there’s not a single soul in sight to cheer you on. Running is all about having the desire to train and persevere until every fiber in your legs, mind, and heart is turned to steel. And when you’ve finally forged hard enough, you will have become the best runner you can be. And that’s all that you can ask for.”
― Paul Maurer, The Gift – A Runner’s Story

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
― haruki murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
― Dean Karnazes

“The pessimist is not guaranteed a tomorrow.  And, if tomorrow does come, the pessimist does not expect to feel better at the same point in the race…. indeed, it might feel even worse.  So, the pessimist plugs on and accomplishes their goals today.  And today is the only day that counts.” – Gary Cantrell

This picture was taken Wednesday 27th, February 2019. It was a couple of days before the weather really changed to a much more wintry mix. Still looks pretty cold out, but I think that the temps were in the 30s that afternoon. So not too bad for running. The photo is of Horsetooth Reservoir looking South towards Loveland. In this picture I am at the North end of the lake.

Well it has been another good two weeks!! Winter has made a comeback to the Front Range of Colorado and the mountains have gotten a lot more snow. That is always a good thing, both from a skiing perspective and from a water/moisture perspective. In Colorado we are considered a “head-water state”, meaning that the water we get only comes in the form of rain or snow from the sky. Nothing flows into the state. So the more rain and snow we get the better. It can be really dry here on the Front Range, but as long as the mountains get a significant amount of snow and rain, everything else can be irrigated. This snow/rain scenario also plays a role in fire season. I am hoping that this year will be better than the last. But you never know. Until long term weather prediction gets a lot better it is always a kind of guessing game.

This picture was taken Friday 1st, March 2019. Again this is Horsetooth Reservoir, but at the shoreline. In this picture I am looking West. The sun was just starting to set and the reflection off of the water was beautiful. Maybe it was the combination of light, clouds and silence. No lapping of waves due to the ice and to get to the shoreline you have to drop down off the trail and go down a little bit. Just beautiful. It was the quite before the storm. The next day the weather was very different as seen in the picture below. Lots of Mountain Bikers on the trail this day. Getting that last ride in before the ice and snow. Temperatures were in the 30s.

Running has been coming along nicely this year so far. No injuries and I do seem to be getting a little faster. I have three main ultras planned this year. First is the Quad Rock 50 in May. This is a hard run I think. I have done the 25 mile version multi times with the intent to do the 50, but I have either chosen to stop at the 25 mile mark or timed out. The location of the run is very nice for me because it is where I live and run. Just behind Fort Collins. It takes place in Lory State Park and Horsetooth Mountain Park. Very convenient. It is put on by the http://Gnarrunners.com. They always seem to do an excellent job every time I have competed. Weather can be a little iffy this time of year on the Front Range. Which in my opinion always makes the race a little more interesting. You can have mild temps with clear skies, heat and sun, cold and rain, or you can have snow. The best part, you can have all four in one day! Lololololol. Some might complain about this but I just see it as an added challenge. You make the 50 mile mark by doing two 25 mile laps. I am hoping that everything will come together just right so I can make the 50 this year!!

This picture was taken Saturday 2nd, March 2019. Wow, what a difference a day makes. I think we had 5 to 8 inches of snow and the temps were down in the single digits when I took this picture. Cold!! Oh well you make the best of it and as a instructor in a survival school once told me “It’s a character builder.” Lol This picture is of the Poudre River looking Northwest. You can see the bike trail on the left hand side of the picture. There were not a lot of people out on this day, but that came with the added benefit of solitude.

The second ultra planned this year is also put on by Gnar running. It is the Never Summer 100k. This one is located about 80 miles from where I live and is in the Cameron Pass area and the Colorado State Forest. I have signed up for this one a couple of times but due to other issues, injuries, work commitments, logistics, etc… I have not been able to even attempt it. Again I am hoping that this year will be different. The trails in the area are beautiful. Not a lot of development in the vicinity. Which has its own appeal. The race description from the web site says it best: “This is a mountain race in the truest sense of the term, with extended periods of high alpine ridge running, two alpine peaks, and five alpine lakes visited along the way. When above timberline, you will enjoy huge views of the northern Never Summer Mountains to the south, the stunning peaks of RMNP to the southeast, expansive vistas across North Park to the Park Range above Steamboat Springs to the west, and even north out to Wyoming’s Snowy Range.” If you want to check out more here is the link to the web site: http://gnarrunners.com/never-summer-100k/

This picture was taken Monday 4th, March 2019. It highlights what it is I love about Colorado. Two days later from the prior picture and the sun is out and shining. It is cold, in the teens, but the sun is out and trail is pretty much clear. I love this tree shot. Just the size and the shape with the sun shining on it. Beautiful. Lot of bikes out today even with the cold temperature. And of course a few brave souls out running.

The final ultra I plan for this season is again the Run Rabbit Run 100. I attempted the 100 mile distance last year but timed out at the 50 mile mark. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot. Up until last September (2018) I had only competed in one other 100 mile race. The Leadville 100. All my other races have ended at the 50 mile mark. In the Leadville, I did make it to Hope Pass but was short of the cutoff by 12 minutes and by the time I got back down to Twin Lakes, the distance was again 50 miles. In all, I think that I have done the 50 mile distance, on purpose or inadvertently, 6 times now over the last 7 years. I turned 57 this year and I am not getting any younger. So I want to get that 100 miler done. Lol. The people that put on the RRR in Steamboat Springs do a really good job each time I have competed. And I am guessing that it will be the same this year. Here is the link to the web site: http://runrabbitrunsteamboat.com/ The 100 miler is filled but I hear there are some spots open for the 50!

Well, the search continues for a new dog. We are now looking at King Shepherds out of Boulder. They seem to be a cross between Great Pyrenees, Alaskan Malamute and German Shepherds. Which makes for a fairly large dog with not as many genetic issues as the typical GSDs. This is a picture of one of the pups from the current litter at 3 weeks old. Big already!! Lol

Well this is going to be about it for me this week. I hope everyone has had a great weekend. These last few days I have felt a little bit under the weather and decided to take a few days off from running. But hope to be back in full form by Monday. Take care my friends and maybe I will see you out there on the trails or the ski slope!!

Artificial Intelligence, Book Review, Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Genetics, Science, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 24TH, FEBRUARY 2019

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“If an AI possessed any one of these skills—social abilities, technological development, economic ability—at a superhuman level, it is quite likely that it would quickly come to dominate our world in one way or another. And as we’ve seen, if it ever developed these abilities to the human level, then it would likely soon develop them to a superhuman level. So we can assume that if even one of these skills gets programmed into a computer, then our world will come to be dominated by AIs or AI-empowered humans.”
― Stuart Armstrong, Smarter Than Us: The Rise of Machine Intelligence

“A powerful AI system tasked with ensuring your safety might imprison you at home. If you asked for happiness, it might hook you up to a life support and ceaselessly stimulate your brain’s pleasure centers. If you don’t provide the AI with a very big library of preferred behaviors or an ironclad means for it to deduce what behavior you prefer, you’ll be stuck with whatever it comes up with. And since it’s a highly complex system, you may never understand it well enough to make sure you’ve got it right.”
― James Barrat, Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era

“Why give a robot an order to obey orders—why aren’t the original orders enough? Why command a robot not to do harm—wouldn’t it be easier never to command it to do harm in the first place? Does the universe contain a mysterious force pulling entities toward malevolence, so that a positronic brain must be programmed to withstand it? Do intelligent beings inevitably develop an attitude problem? Now that computers really have become smarter and more powerful, the anxiety has waned. Today’s ubiquitous, networked computers have an unprecedented ability to do mischief should they ever go to the bad. But the only mayhem comes from unpredictable chaos or from human malice in the form of viruses. We no longer worry about electronic serial killers or subversive silicon cabals because we are beginning to appreciate that malevolence—like vision, motor coordination, and common sense—does not come free with computation but has to be programmed in. Aggression, like every other part of human behavior we take for granted, is a challenging engineering problem!”
― Steven Pinker, How the Mind Works

This picture was taken on Sunday the 10th of February, looking North. It was a cold evening and air quality was just on the edge of the acceptable range. Not much air movement due to no wind. You can just make out some of the brown cloud that plagues the Front Range of Colorado. It does make for a beautiful sunset. LOL. Still a nice run during the afternoon. Saw a couple of healthy looking Coyotes on this trail run. I am guessing that they have been feeding on the plethora of rabbits in the area.

Well it has been a great two weeks I think. The weather has been cold and snowy, off and on here on the Front Range, but not enough to really make much of a difference with running. The snow in the mountains has been wonderful and the best part, it has continued to come down. I have gotten in a couple of days of skiing and both of those days were great. Excellent conditions compared to last year.

This picture was taken on Thursday 14th, February 2019 while walking with Janet. We have heard owls in this area quit a bit, but had not seen one this close up. It was pretty cool to say the least to see the bird hooting. The whole body was involved in producing the hoot. It was easy to identify the species on this one. A Great Horned Owl. LOL. Looking at this picture now, I can see why the Native Americans and early settlers made up stories about these birds. It does look a little creepy. Again, a cold afternoon walk but the bike path was clear of ice and snow and with some wind, the air quality levels were much better.

As some may know we lost our white German Shepherd Neige, back last August. She had Degenerative Myelopathy. A genetically inherited malady that is a progressive, incurable disease of the spinal cord in dogs. Similar to ALS in humans. To say that we were heart broken would be an understatement. But as they say, time heals all wounds. So we have started to look again for a dog. I think that we are going to stick with the German Shepherd breed. But it has been hard to say the least. We have owned four Shepherds in the last 30 years and they have all suffered some form of the most common genetic aliments of the breed. Neige lived to be 12 years old and was definitely enough dog for two people. Meaning that we had not really looked at what is out there in the market place for a while.

Neige in better times. Doing what she loved to do. This picture was taken about a year ago, last March 2018. Thinking back, wondering if I was in a hurry that day? Could I have thrown her the stick a few more times knowing what I know now…. Time is a lot shorter than you ever realize…. Always loved and never forgotten….

So I have been doing a little bit of “dog” research and my conclusions, “It is all about genetic testing.” First if you buy from a breeder – then you need genetic testing of the parents to rule out some of the common genetic ailments. Otherwise it is just a game of roulette, no matter what the breeder tells you. And if you decided to get one from the humane society or shelter of your choice – then you need to do some, you guessed it, genetic testing. A little more difficult to do when the dog is from the shelter. But possible, just not convenient. I found it interesting that some of the shelters are now starting to do this on their own. They have found that it makes some dogs much more adoptable to know the breed mixes in the dog and (for an added cost) if they are susceptible to certain common genetic diseases. If you think about how much time, effort, and money you put into a family pet. Not to mention, they truly become part of your family. And in some cases a very significant part of your life. I think it makes sense to go a step further in the selection process and do the genetic testing. Especially now that the technology to do this is available and has come down significantly in price. For me, it just makes sense to do it. I know that this will be a little controversial with a few people and that is OK. I hope it generates some good discussion and consideration the next time you look for a dog. A good recent article on this subject is from WIRED magazine: https://www.wired.com/story/dog-dna-kits-reviewed/?mbid=email_onsiteshare

This picture was taken Saturday 16th, February 2019, looking North West in the late afternoon. I have to say it was a beautiful sunset. Cold, in the teens, with a little wind. In Colorado we get what is know as “standing wave clouds” and this is an example. They can make for great sunset pictures. The colors do not last for long but can be quit intense for a few minutes.

Now on a totally different note, I have started to listen to a new audio book called “Life 3.0 – Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” by Max Tegmark. I am not very far into it yet but it really has gotten me thinking about A.I. and what that means for the future of humanity. Tegmark is a is a Swedish-American physicist and cosmologist. He is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute. I have read a previous book from him called “Our Mathematical Universe.” I am only a few chapters into the new book but I am already feeling that the true game changer for Humanity, good or bad, may be the development of an Advanced A.I. It might not even need to be “sentient” as in human terms to be this game changer.

You can find the book on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Life-3-0-Being-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/B0742JQF31/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550651814&sr=8-1&keywords=life+3.0+being+human+in+the+age+of+artificial+intelligence

We are becoming so complex as a society, billions and billions of people on the planet. There are some estimates that we will reach the 10 billion mark by 2030. With this many people we will have become, a true global community on a scale never known in human history, with all our usual human wants and needs. Resource allocation will not be something that can be left to chance. Housing, work, travel, food, medical care, security, energy, clean air/water, education, news, entertainment, social media, solitude, etc… will all have to be coordinated to a degree that we have never seen as a species. Second and Third world countries will continue to want to move up the ladder of prosperity and have all the things that you and I now take for granted. Just thinking about that, gives me chills. It will be a daunting task….. How will all this “complexity” be managed and coordinated? What “algorithm” will be sophisticated enough to help us deal with it all? My belief and others is that this increasing complexity of a burgeoning human population will give rise to a super intelligent A.I. Not a matter of if, but when. The big question that comes with this, is how do we want it to occur and who to manage it. Do we want society to become an Orwellian/Kafkaesque Dystopia? Big brother always watching, judging, today’s freedoms severely curtailed? Or the filling out of forms, after forms, after forms, after forms, in order to just buy a car, get married, go on a simple vacation, or even just traveling across state lines? Is there a better way?

Personally I don’t think this will take 100 years. I would not be surprised if it happened in the next 20.

A.I. or more importantly,the people that control A.I. will have the ability to push society to change, but will it be in the right directions. To give us more freedoms, to give us better and/or cheaper housing, work, travel, food, medical care, security, energy, clean air/water, education, news, etc… and advances in technology that makes today’s tech seem like rubbing two sticks together to make fire. This is what Tegmark talks about in his new book with the hope that he can get people from all walks of life involved in the discussion of A.I. His belief is that this will be one of, if not the “Monumental” question of the 21st century. I have not totally finished reading it yet but from what I have read so far, I felt it was important to put a partial review out. I highly recommend the book.

This picture was taken Saturday 23rd, February 2019. What a beautiful Colorado day! Sunny, cold but not too cold. Temp about 32 degrees F in the parking lot, and best of all there was some wind. So most of the brown cloud was gone. This picture was taken in Horsetooth Mountain Park looking South to South East. That horizon is at least 50 miles from where I am standing. Someday as we move away from fossil fuels, this might be the norm again and not just the exception.

Well I think that I am about done for this Blog post. I hope the last two weeks have been great for you dear reader. Remember your comments are always welcome. Take care and maybe I will see you out there on the trail or the ski slope. Adios amigos!!