New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #40

Happy Holidays to all the over 50 climbers!

Another birthday, Brad! They DO have a way of keeping coming… You must be so close to catching up with me now, right?? 😂

Bob Gaineswrote:

Happy Holidays to all the over 50 climbers!

Thanks, Bob! The very same to you and yours and everyone here 🎄

Sam Findleywrote:

Hiya! I usually only train one bird at a time. This is a juvenile Redtail. Over the years I’ve worked with kestrels, Cooper’s hawks, and Redtail for falconry, and have helped out local rehab and education centers by training broadwings, red shouldered, a black vulture , and a bunch of owls. Definitely my favorite to train was the vulture: she had a sort of sense of humor, and would regularly untie my shoes, look up at me, go to her “place” perch and bark once. I swear she was laughing.

A lot of birds are pretty smart, and I think animals can definitely enjoy a good joke.

I once watched a magpie carry on quite a long, and civilized, conversation with a cat we had that was white and black. 

Another cat, liked to sleep on the porch railing. A neighborhood lab, seeing him, would come up quietly, utter a single loud WOOOFFF!! then saunter off, happy as could be. 

My young son, had french fries, in a soft drink cup. We were about to walk out on a dock, so he carefully set down his french fries. When we turned around? A crow was there. Eyeballed the problem. Deftly flipped the cup and made off with the last fries.

We are far too self absorbed, much of the time, but it is always a joy to be reminded that we aren't the only ones living here, and in fact, there's a whole world of others, just going on with the lives, and, once in awhile, we get to see it.

Helen

So yes, YAY!!!, the daylight returns.

Greetings to all for that, most of all since were climbers and those long days coming up (sorry Carl). It gets pretty ridiculous here, in June, when days are really really really long. I had to get down my globe, to see where Carl was. Looks like about halfway between 30 and 45? Idaho Bob would be real close to 45, and Boise is not too far south of that.

Anyway, tonight I light the candles for the last day of Hannukah. It's a terrific holiday to have in December! Plus, even more brilliant to celebrate oil. Jelly doughnuts and/or fried foods. FRIED FOODS! DEAD OF WINTER!    

So once I manage to mobilize, i shall make some latkes. Start with the straight spud version. Then add some grated carrots. Then some with grated beets added. Just salted, and usually eaten sans silverware. Just drain on some towels, salt, and go for it.

Every now and then, I'll do tempura at home. That's a HUGE oil fest. But so so good! Plus, then I can do things like green beans, along with all the other veggies. Only veggies. Maybe some rice on the side.

But today?

Well. 

Time to peel me a few spuds.

Happiness don't need to be complicated. 

:-)

Happy Solstice everyone. 

Lori, sorry. didn't mean to pressure you. In the past you have taken the summers off from climbing because its too hot there and I was just prodding you to take summer road trip somewhere cooler.. 

I had to feed the rat..  Nice steep ice does the trick.   

Pictures don't do it justice. this is a full 60m pitch.

My friend Reed rappelling

Bill Lundeenwrote:

Another birthday, Brad! They DO have a way of keeping coming… You must be so close to catching up with me now, right?? 😂

I think I get closer every year. This year I caught up to you on MediCare.

Still, you remember my dad, of course? He'll turn 91 next month. And he still spends a couple days a week (week!) charging around the Central Valley and the Sierra foothills birding and doing birding things. Usually with a bunch of "kids."

"Well, dad," I ask. "how do you define kids?"

"Oh they're mostly in their 40s and 50s," he says.

So I suppose I'll be charging around for a while too.

When my wife’s father turned 100 a little over a year ago he said “I’m only 100, but I feel much older”.
Keep that in mind as us youngsters whine about being old!

Old lady Hwrote:

So yes, YAY!!!, the daylight returns.

Greetings to all for that, most of all since were climbers and those long days coming up (sorry Carl). It gets pretty ridiculous here, in June, when days are really really really long. I had to get down my globe, to see where Carl was. Looks like about halfway between 30 and 45? Idaho Bob would be real close to 45, and Boise is not too far south of that.

Anyway, tonight I light the candles for the last day of Hannukah. It's a terrific holiday to have in December! Plus, even more brilliant to celebrate oil. Jelly doughnuts and/or fried foods. FRIED FOODS! DEAD OF WINTER!    

So once I manage to mobilize, i shall make some latkes. Start with the straight spud version. Then add some grated carrots. Then some with grated beets added. Just salted, and usually eaten sans silverware. Just drain on some towels, salt, and go for it.

Every now and then, I'll do tempura at home. That's a HUGE oil fest. But so so good! Plus, then I can do things like green beans, along with all the other veggies. Only veggies. Maybe some rice on the side.

But today?

Well. 

Time to peel me a few spuds.

Happiness don't need to be complicated. 

:-)

Happy Chanukah!  I think I've perfected my latkes. Took me years, but I'm finally happy with them anyway. Did you know that grating/slicing some onion first and then adding the potatoes to that will keep the potatoes from turning gray? Neat trick! 

Very happy the days are getting longer too (sorry Carl). Happy Solstice everyone. 

GO

Funny story about aging… the setting was an assisted living facility in Longmont, Colorado where my father was at the time. There was a woman there getting close to celebrating her 105th birthday. I kept seeing this older gentleman coming in and out of her room, obviously caring for her in a loving way, so I asked, “Are you her husband?”

His response: “No, I’m her son.”

Ha! I neglected to consider that a woman of 105 could easily have a son in his mid-80s! She was in great shape and he… well in my eye he looked just as old.

Hey Nick! No problem at all and I hope this summer I can get out for some travel. It’s just the health issue has been going on now for six months and I have kind of danced around the subject. I thought I might as well get it out there.

We are having the most beautiful weather – – maybe too beautiful.  Sunny days where you can easily get down to a tank top while climbing.  Looks like we’ll be having rain this week and that’s always a good thing in the desert.

I ran into this post yesterday and thought it was wonderful for those of us who are now older, or who have been injured or sidelined.  It suggests that we shift our attitude to one of appreciation, and to recognize the strengths that got us here.

Lori, So sorry that you have to deal with health crap... 

Big rocks and little rocks. Where’s Waldo?

“Miniature golf of climbing”, Kris Solem.

Happy Solstice everyone!

Wonderful pictures, James--as always!!!

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah or whatever solstice holiday you celebrate everyone,  and a great New Year for all.

Thanks Alan!

Alan Rubinwrote:

Wonderful pictures, James--as always!!!

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah or whatever solstice holiday you celebrate everyone,  and a great New Year for all.

Given recent events his is especially appropriate (if you know you know)

"Stonehenge"

In ancient times
Hundreds of years
Before the dawn of history
There lived a strange race of people - the druids

No one knows who they were
Or what they were doing
But their legacy remains
Hewn into the living rock of Stonehenge

Stonehenge - where the demons dwell
Where the banshees live
And they do live well
Stonehenge - where a man is a man
And the children dance
To the pipes of pan

Stonehenge - 'tis a magic place
Where the moon doth rise
With a dragon's face
Stonehenge - where the virgins lie
And the prayer of devils
Fills the midnight sky

And you my love
Won't you take my hand
We'll go back in time
To that mystic land
Where the dew drops cry
And the cats meow
I will take you there
I will show you how

And oh, how they danced
The little children of Stonehenge
Beneath the haunted moon
For fear that daybreak might come too soon

And where are they now, the little people of Stonehenge?
And what would they say to us if they were here tonight?

Stonehenge was dwarfed by a dwarf!

Nick is that Blue Room?  Looking pretty good. 

Gorgeous photos, James! God, I miss the Eastern Sierra so much… We’re drowning in atmospheric rivers up here in Northern California. Thanks for the inspiration and light!