Bike Logs

Went online today-oh what a surprise! Found a bike logging program to try out at http://www.programfiles.com/. It will let me export the log file to a text file so I think I will post that so I can track my progress online. For right now I don't have the average or top speeds because I haven't stolen karin's computer from her bike yet. Once I do that I should have acurate numbers for the log. Log file will be at http://home.gwi.net/~jmwarren/log.txt

Boy's with Sifu Tony at Kung Fu
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No School

Snow Day
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Everyone Aboard
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McKenna showing Daddy her booboo she got while sliding.
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Calvin's Class

Calvin is showing the little ones some raccoon tracks he had spotted while on our morning hike. I was surprised at how much he knew about raccoons. He explained about the print and how he knew it was a raccoon, he explained about their habit of washing their food and even what they ate.
Muddah

Carvings by George

This pic from The Northwoods Sporting Journal. This is George Snedden from Hermon he is a wildlife wood carver. I chatted with him during the sportsman show in Orono and found him to be very interesting and entertaining. I saw his completed wildlife carvings and watch him carve on his current project and I was stunned to find out he started carving just a few years ago. I expected to hear him say he’s been carving since Christ was a corporal or something not that he just started. After he retired from Pepsi Cola he took a class down near the coast one winter and…. walla-Unbelievable You can read an article about him and his other hobbies at http://www.sportingjournal.com/main16.shtml George Snedden 121 Mountainview Drive Hermon, Maine 04401-9616 207-848-2375
Muddah

Not so sanitary sap operation

If anyone wants to borrow my state of the art sap boiling equipment-feel free. I know I have a lot of money invested in this equipment but I don’t feel I have the time this year. In the past I have tapped approximately 20 trees and spent the better part of a weekend boiling down sap. That’s pretty much a 24-hour a day operation with this equipment. Again I know I must have $3 or $4 invested and hate to see it sit idle so please feel free to borrow it. If you want to tap trees, I’d certainly sit around and drink beer while you boil it down to syrup.
Muddah

Losing Battle

I’ll have to admit I’m beginning to think in terms of my own mortality. Turning the big four-O this May is bad enough but to have a week when two classmates fall prey to the Grim Reaper and you’re beaten up by an eight year old, is too much. One classmate lost a long battle against cancer and the other lost a battle with drug addiction. One a bit more noble a death than the other, but both leave you just as dead. Neither where actually friends but we did run in the same circles or knew the same people at different times. When we passed there was always that familiar nod with at least a name. To be honest not being close friends doesn’t really matter- I’m not one that likes a whole lot of change and there is something very comforting seeing people you know while driving through town or stopping into the corner store. Even when I don’t actually like someone I like to know they are around. It’s better to know an ass, than to have one around and not know it. Know your enemy and keep them close, I guess is something like how the saying goes. As for the eight year old beating me up? Yeah, Calvin did some kind of funky Kung Fu move and spun around and caught my thigh with an elbow strike last night. My left thigh muscle immediately went into a spasm and ended in a full contraction. I hobbled to the couch and eventually hopped up the spiral staircase to bed. This morning I was able to ride my bike but the muscle is still very sore when I stretch it out- like while I’m kneeling or putting on socks. Raising two sons…. I’m a dead man!

Snow Girl
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Printing your Digital Pics

Today I have been playing with Wal*mart dot com You can upload your digital photos and then pick up the prints within the hour from your local Wal*Mart. very cool, very handy...I like it. This pic was taken down at fort Knox last summer by Karin.
Muddah

Gotcha

Went to bed wrestling with the idea of going out snowshoeing with Jack tomorrow instead of going to work. To be honest the snowshoeing all but won out, I just didn’t want to tell Karin yet. There actually was very little “wrestling” going on about it. 12:30 sleeping soundly- Calvin wakes me up sporting a vicious ear ache. I was under the impression once you go thru the toddler year’s earaches stopped-wrong! Poor little bastard I know those hurt. Looks like I won’t be doing either work or play today. I’ll be taking Cal in to Bangor and having that ear looked at.

Calvins Picture

Calvin sat out in the snow today to get this one. Click to enlarge
Muddah

Hawk Sighting

I was out in a pile of brush this morning-Yes sitting out in another snowstorm, (everyone knows I’m not to bright). Any-who, I was sitting in and amongst 20-30 birds snapping pics with the Cannon Rebel, some birds where almost sitting on my lens. When all of a sudden without warning the whole flock starts chattering and flew off into the thicket. I stood up and said,”What did I do?” Then as I turning I saw the reason- on a low glide path about 7 feet off the deck comes a hawk. He glided within 20 feet of my head and perched on a tree not far away. I took a couple of snapshots but I had a 28-80mm lens on so I couldn’t zoom very well. I was hoping that he would return and even thought about running back to the house to get Calvin’s Chihuahua to use as bait- but didn’t. It’s hard to prepare for those moments. If I were quicker I would have had a wonderful picture as he glided by. Oh well, so sad. Hey, cal said I could use his dog as bait. He said take his cage out and leave the dog in that. The hawk will still come but can’t get his dog. Smart boy- all that Animal Planet and National Geographic are paying off.

What You Lookin at?
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I'll try and not get so close next time but I just couldn't help myself.
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This is a pic of Mr.Dirtybeak. Both pics are a bit fuzzy because he let me walk up to close so I couldn't focus.
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Mean-Ole-Uncle-Jack
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Me Trying out some Yukon Jack snowshoes. Very nice....
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A few snapshots from our snowshoe trip today. I actually went out twice- Once by myself and once with Mean-Ole-Uncle Jack.
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I worked part time washing dishes here. Also kind of hung out there a lot.
Muddah

Too cool!! I was thinking about going snowshoeing today. Then got to thinking about how great the hiking was in Roslyn, Wa. when I was out there as a teen. I actually came across a picture of my old house on the net. Looks exactly the same.
Muddah

Elijah Wheeler McKnight

Elijah Wheeler McKnight
Born march 1st at 10:14 am....8lbs 3 oz.....22"Long
Muddah

Bike Trip

Proposed 50 mile loop for the July 4th bike ride up in Jackman. This will include a couple mile hike threw the woods to reach Holeb Falls for the first night. If anyone is interested in joining in let me know. Those Green dots are some waypoints I put on for notes.
Muddah

Free Topo Program follow up

After spending some time with the program I have found a small problem. Ok a rather large problem!!

The program gets aerial photos from Microsoft's Terraserver and some how converts or makes topos from those. But the photos have to be in a certain size and format and unfortunately there are rather lager gaps in the area photos. Which means I can't get some topo maps for some of the areas I'm interested in, (Jackman area).

I was almost ready to donate some $$ to the programs author but now may have to find another program. I haven't found any gaps yet for the Central Maine area so it will work for some areas just fine. I would still download it and try the program out for your home range- it may work well for you.

I have a new team member for the Fighting Chickadees!!!!

Cameron has stepped up and asked to ride with Dad this year in the Trek Across Maine. I couldn’t be prouder of the little man. For all of those who want to ride but are afraid, just remember a 6 year old plans on riding and I’m sure he will finish- YOU CAN TOO!! Help raise money for the fight against lung cancer and asthma and ride in the Trek Across Maine. All of that and have a good time, meet wonderful people and get in shape at the same time. I will have Cameron's pledge page up soon. I beleive he will have to raise the $450 pledges minimum in order to ride.

Finally....he has arrived!

Congratulations and many wishes for joyful days ahead to Chip and his wife on the much anticipated addition to the family....Elijah Wheeler.....he is absolutely perfect and beautiful and to quote his father, "a darn fine looking man!"

This is what happens when you drag a kid on a sled behind a 4-wheeler at high speed.
Muddah

Modern Day Aviator

After just watching The Aviator I found the current news article about Steve Fossett’s solo non-stop flight around the globe interesting. Fosset is a 60-year-old millionaire if not billionaire that have spent a good deal of his life in search of records to break and adventure. Sounds an awful lot like Howard Hughes doesn’t it? I also believe Fossett owns an airline-Virgin Atlantic. That's another similarity, I wonder how crazy he "really" is. It's no Spruce Goose but you can track his current adventure online at http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/ . There is information about his plane, live video feed and even some games for kids and contests.

Female Northern Cardinal. Chip was correct that those Pine Grosbeaks are infact Purple Finches. A good source for birding info is http://birds.cornell.edu/bow/ . This pic is very fuzzy because it's snowing to beat hell out there today and this little girl is a bit skiddish
Muddah