Got up early, did about 3 hours office work, then took off around 9 AM for the hills on my new mountain bike. I swear, this thing is like a motorcycle, a joy to ride. First stop was a pond of my acquaintance, brimming with recent rains. I stripped down and swam underwater to the water lilies, floated there for a few seconds. Cold, maybe 52-53°. Got out recharged, as always happens: when you get in cold water, your body goes into circulatory overdrive when you get out.
Miners’ lettuce for salad
Got to this impenetrable trail closure. (I’d already had to lift my bike over fallen logs a bunch of times.) Hadn’t been on this trail for years. It used to be clear all the way down to the paved road. I dragged my bike into the woods on both sides, looking for a way through — no luck. It’s rare that a decent trail gets closed down like this. Deer, coyotes, etc. will usually make a way around it. I had to backtrack, phew, by now tired.
From years of training in the 80s-90s, I remembered an alternate route. Otherwise it was going to an extra 10 or so miles, part of it down a trail with flapping nettles. Here’s the entrance, and what used to be a clear shot turned out to involve hauling my bike through thick brush at times, including poison oak, for a couple of miles.
I was really tired, but felt good. Had a chicken sandwich on home-baked bun, and miners’ lettuce salad.
And now I gotta get to work. The tiny homes book — whew! It is cookin! Everyone is on board. Some new pages from last week are spectacular.
Unofficial trailer for “The Bus,” a feature-length documentary film currently in production. “The Bus” is a celebration of the most iconic and beloved vehicle ever produced. It explores the history, culture and evolution of the Volkswagen Transporter from its Nazi heritage to its modern-day cult-like following and status; the film celebrates the 60th anniversary of the VW Bus and its vibrant and resonant place in modern culture. The film will be released in late 2011.
I had a ’60 VW bus with a 40 HP motor for about 7 years in the ’60s. It had a plywood fold-up bed, table, frig, closet (precursor of the Westphalia). I carried half the materials for a house I built in Big Sur on it, drove to NYC one December (wrapped in sleeping bags for the cold), drove down to Puerto Vallarta before the bridge and had to cross the river with a guy walking to show us the way. I probably put 100,000 miles on it. 40 HP!
As of now, the high bid of $1525 doesn’t meet the seller’s minimum. If you miss the auction deadline, you can contact the owner: SportsCar LA, 310-330-9909.
I get some really great comments on this blog from time to time. Last week, on the post about the old German diesel housetruck, came thus comment from acep hale:
“Just fell totally and completely in love. Did you ever see One Thursday in November – The Life of a Busker? I know google video has it up. Completely inspires me, I watch it about once a month and pass it along to as many friends as possible.
This sat in my in-box for a few days. and on this early sunny morning, I clicked on the link. It’s a wonderful 30-minute film about a remarkable guy. Make it full screen by clicking the little box to the right of the Google logo. (OK, OK, so I’ve been a little late in figuring this out…)
“The truck was manufactured in 1952 in Germany (frame, engine, drivetrain, etc.) and the Netherlands (body) for the Dutch government for the purpose of fire fighting in narrow inner-city streets. A total of 244 were built and they were in service until the mid 1970s when they were sold off to the general public. Many were converted to campers and some are still on the road as such in the Netherlands. I purchased this one in 2002 and had it shipped to Maryland. The original engine was a 75HP four cylinder air cooled (!) diesel with a manual, non-synchronized gearbox. My wife could not get the clutch to the floor and on the up-hill the truck was so slow that I replaced engine and gearbox with a Cummins diesel and automatic gearbox a couple of years later. 165HP works a lot better!…The interior was getting somewhat old and I started a make-over project with solid oak.…”
Starting bid $5000 (no bids as of 9:10 AM Pacific Coast Time 3/30/11.)
I’ve been many years developing the essentials and how to carry them . I may or may not have my L. L. Bean super capacious backpack with me, but I almost always have the fanny pack. This is what I have when out roaming NYC at night.
-2nd row up: pen / 3-1/2″ x 5″ Moleskine notebook (v. slim) / Swiss Army knife / reading glasses that fold up. Louie gave them to me, no idea where to get them, but they are great / slim magnifying glass / tiny LED light / wallet
-Other stuff: Canon Powershot S-90 (have shot almost 3000 shots on this great little camera) / Sony Cybershot DSC TX7 for shooting seamless panoramas / iPhone and stylus (way easier to keyboard with this.
This was mid-day Thursday, near Pacifica ((Calif.). A Comcast cable had fallen due to the storms and there were six (6!) guys on six cherry pickers raising the line back up. This disjointed collage shows 4 of them.
Spotted this on the way back from Santa Cruz yesterday. Looks smaller, more compact than many of the live-in type vans. Now if it had 4-wheel drive, you’d really have something. (When I first posted, I said it was a Ford, but got corrected.)
“The owner of this unique teardrop-style travel trailer has lived in it for a few months and is now selling it on eBay. She said it held up really well during the Canadian winter. It was built in 2010 and is 20 feet long. The trailer has been road tested for nearly 4,000 miles through high crosswinds and in extreme temperatures with no issues. You can view more photos at the owner’s website, Tiny Home Teardrop Trailer or on the eBay page.” (Starting bid is $10,000.)
Instead of driving straight down coastal Highway One, I cut across the coastal mountains on the Stewart’s Point/Skaggs Springs road. Of the 5 or so cross-mountain roads from Pt. Arena to Jenner, this is the nicest to drive. Not too many hairpin corners, lots of creeks, and the Gualala river was rushing; it was almost emerald green since it hadn’t rained in a few days — the time the steelhead start their upriver journey.
It was around 10 PM when I got into San rafael and I stopped at one of my favorite nightclubs, the 4th Street Tavern. You’d swear the place was in Bakersfield or Texas, for that matter, instead of all-too-precious Marin County. Different band 7 nights a week, almost always a group I’ve never heard of, and almost always good. Friday it was Buckaroo Bonet and Los Tres Borrachos, funky rock n roll, loud and kick-ass, with a rockin guest singer. $5. cover charge.
Got up early, did about 3 hours office work, then took off around 9 AM for the hills on my new mountain bike. I swear, this thing is like a motorcycle, a joy to ride. First stop was a pond of my acquaintance, brimming with recent rains. I stripped down and swam underwater to the water lilies, floated there for a few seconds. Cold, maybe 52-53°. Got out recharged, as always happens: when you get in cold water, your body goes into circulatory overdrive when you get out.
Miners’ lettuce for salad
Got to this impenetrable trail closure. (I’d already had to lift my bike over fallen logs a bunch of times.) Hadn’t been on this trail for years. It used to be clear all the way down to the paved road. I dragged my bike into the woods on both sides, looking for a way through — no luck. It’s rare that a decent trail gets closed down like this. Deer, coyotes, etc. will usually make a way around it. I had to backtrack, phew, by now tired. 
