Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 15:36:16 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: Was!! now that it's Friday! Now: Rant!!
In-Reply-To: <JHEHKLEAKBLMKEJMBNOOIEHNDBAA.jeff@tssgi.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
I'm glad to hear it. At least some communities got it right!
Anchorage, Alaska extended the walking trials system to include a summer
walk/jog/bike trail over to the next town .... Eagle River. In winter it
serves for x-country skiiing. By now that trail should have expanded
even further. It is my hope that it is never compromised.
I'm becoming more of an activist in this region. The geogrphy, geology,
and natural environment here is incredible. Greater Birmingham, AL, just
to the northwest of my community, sits in a basin where the Little
Cahaba and Big Cahaba Rivers come together. The city has grown over the
Cahaba River and now there is a battle royal going on the preserve the
rivers, and avoid making sewers our of them. The Little Cabaha is the
home of the Cahaba Lily, a beautiful white lily that grows with roots
submerged in the shallow rocky water, where turbulance keeps the water
super oxygenated. It is an endangered species, and grows nowhere else
except about a 3 mile stretch on the Little Cahaba. All the polution
from all the growth up river is threatening the river and the Cahaba
Lily. And also a miriad of other plants and animals.
I have gotten more active in organizations trying to do something about
all thes problems. The walking thing is a part of my changing life
style. A realization came over me last year as I was walking on day. It
happened to be a moment in time when seemingly there was nothing in the
background making noise. I was walkig slow, and could see butterflys,
passion flowers, a male Anole courting a female by extending his bright
red throat skin, and I could hear the creek running down the bank in the
trees, and a woodpecker drilling on a tree trunk. It was a marvelous
moment in time........ then a logging truck came roaring by with
ruptured muffler, making so much noise I had to cover my ears as it
passed. I could not help but wonder what civilazation is progressing to.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Jeffrey Schwaia wrote:
>Around here (Sacramento), developers are required to build bike trails,
>parks, even elementary schools. The city will not give them a permit unless
>they put in this type of infrastructure.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Jeff
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
>Of David Brodbeck
>Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 10:56 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Was!! now that it's Friday! Now: Rant!!
>
>
>On Fri, 27 Feb 2004, John Rodgers wrote:
>
>
>
>>Here where I live there is a nice commuity park within 1/2 mile of where
>>I live. The parke has an excellent walking trail. Not big, but big
>>enough, trail is 0.6 miles long through the woods, down a hill, through
>>some nice hardwoods, along a stream, then up into the kiddy area with
>>the kiddy toys, then back to the start. If one walks around the parking
>>lot, one adds 0.1 mile. Five laps yields 2.8 miles, Do two more laps on
>>the parking lot and you have 3 miles. I do this almost every day. Three
>>miles. It makes me feel good, keeps my circulation up, lowers my blood
>>pressure. It is a safe walk, no vehicular traffic. But guess what? I
>>have to drive the half mile to get there.
>>
>>
>
>Boy, does that sound familiar. There are some lovely bike trails in my
>area, within a few miles of my apartment. How do I get to them? Well, I
>throw my bike on the roof rack and *drive* to one of the trails. Absurd,
>but it's the only safe way to do it.
>
>
>David Brodbeck, N8SRE
>'82 Volkswagen Diesel Westfalia
>'86 Volvo 240DL wagon
>
>
>
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