Well. it's a new day

South Road, Dixmont Maine 2011 - click to enlarge
Photo by Linda Grant on our way to the orchard last year

  Well, well...looks like I picked the winners of both games, but.  There's a lot of controversy over a call in the Atlanta v St. Louis game.  An apparent bad call by an umpire may have resulted in a different winner.

  I did my walking yesterday just as illustrated a day or two ago (who keeps track?) on Union Street, and Stillwater Avenue in Bangor.  Today, who knows, I'll walk but probably in Brewer - but, don't count on that either; it may be raining by then.

  Another rainy day?  That's what's in the forecast.  I am not a happy camper with that one, but we take what we get.  Kind of like eating at the mess hall, right Wilbur?  You take what they got.

1224 sometimes feels like a lot

Dexter, Maine   Bangor Daily News photo

  1224 really can seem big, that's how many time I've sat here writing this blog.  But enough about that, it's playoff time for Major League Baseball.
  First, other baseball news (or old by now):  The Boston Red Sox fired manager Bobby Valentine yesterday, just a little too late but at lease he is gone.  None of the players wanted to play for him, I don't know why.  The large money on the payroll is gone; Beckett, Gonzales et al are Red Sox history.  Rebuilding will be a puzzle but recently hired Assistant to the GM Jason Veritek will be helpful in that process.
  Now the playoffs; tonight there will be the "Wildcard Games".  This year each league has two wildcards instead of the usual one.  Those two teams have a one game playoff, the winner continues as usual the loser plays golf at home.
  Tonight we have the Baltimore Orioles playing the Texas versus the Rangers.  A difficult game to pick, I'll take the O's.
  Also the St. Louis Cardinals meet the Braves in Atlanta, another hard to call game, I'll stick with the Cards on this one.
  Now, we just sit back and watch, first game on MLB Network at 5:00PM tonight!

I didn't even mention politics.

Every step counts

The first 3 miles walk - click to enlarge
google maps

  Most days I walk the first 3 miles on Union Street in Bangor, from the upper left corner on the photo to the bottom right corner.  That is 1.5 miles or 3 miles when I go back to my car.  It's fairly east, the sidewalks in place are a challenge, if you don't know them well.  I don't meet many people just a couple of regulars on their way to work before the buses run and the occasional stranger.  On Monday of this week I came across a stranger, a black man with very long hair pushing a grocery cart with all of his treasure.  I stepped back into a parking lot a step or two to let him pass, he jumped beside the little cart and spread his arms.  In his right hand was a large soda bottle filled with water, his club.  I assured him that I wouldn't touch any thing and he left yelling loudly, words I can't print here.  Clearly a man with a mental problem.
  That's a rare event, I never carry my wallet on that walk, I have my Drivers License in a small folding leather case which I do carry.  And I make sure to take my cell phone, and my watch that counts my steps.
  Then it's time to walk a couple of times around the Airport mall (upper left not shown) that adds about 1180 steps for each turn.  There are 2000 steps in a mile.
Time for coffee.

A half-mile plus, upper right to lower left on Stillwater Ave. - click
google maps

  After coffee, I walk either on Stillwater Avenue, above, or in Brewer (next map).  This is about the same distance as walking around the airport mall (not shown).  This is on an 8 foot wide paved bicycle/pedestrian sidewalk in the Bangor Mall Area.  It's reasonably level too, a plus for the geezer.

Thee-mile, or less, on Dirigo Drive (not all shown) - click to enlarge
google maps

  Sometimes after coffee I go to Brewer, especially if I need to buy gas - it's cheaper in Brewer.  I walk on Dirigo Drive, it fairly new, has a good sidewalk is mostly level, uphill at the end (or downhill going back.  It's 3 miles end to end.  I walk from the start, upper right, and go to Sparks Avenue and back once or twice, it's a mile each time.  Sometimes I park (past the upper right) and walk to Sparks Avenue then to Wilson Street in a kind of circle for two and a half miles of walking.

  In the end I walk 5 to 6 miles a day, seven miles yesterday while I waited for Staples to open.

New topic:
There was a debate last night between two of the presidential debates.  I don't watch them - they're just bullshit!  Each participant speaks his practiced piece.  They only will say what other people have written of them, things they think people want to hear.  There is no real debate - it's all an act!  Even if you were to read a poll of how many people changed their minds some will say it changed their mind others won't.  Most of the polls are not put together well either.  Just my opinion.

At the river when the sun came out

Sebasticook River looking west - click to enlarge

  On our way home from the orchard we went to Newport for a snack.  We left Newport on Route 7 and turned toward home on the County Woods Road.  This particular road has access to the Sebasticook River and the Newport/Dover Railtrail. 
  It's a small country road, but there is a parking area at the bridge across the river.  It had been a cloudy day but the sun was breaking out in spots.  The photos were taken minutes apart but one is cloudy while the others show some sunlight.

Looking west again with the sun out - click to enlarge

Look east without full sun - click to enlarge

We needed some apples

The Stand at Mainely Apples - click to enlarge

  We needed some apples, good ones, and a check at www.mainelyapples.com, the web site for out favorite orchard revealed that Spencer's were ready for sale.  Quick! Get in the car!
  We drove over the "regular way", you know...the Wing Road, Annis Road, Klatt Road, Newburgh Road, North County Road, Kennebec Road, Hog Hill Road, Garland Road, Western Avenue and finally Maine route 7.  By then we were all tired out.  It takes about 20 minutes.
  Indeed the Spencer's were in, we got a peck and a half-peck and a half-peck of Fuji's too.  Ummmm.
That orchard is owned and operated by the Olsen family, wonderful people who work hard all year long so we can have the best apples available anywhere.  They continually grow different varieties I think the Fuji and Cox Orange Pippen are new this year.  The orchard is large, by Maine standards, and includes the store, a cider mill (300 gallons last weekend), and a pick your own section.  There is also a one-mile walk through the woods and fields that surround the orchard.  A fun day for families with children (like me).
Continued tomorrow:

The geezer hisself is acting strange! Yessuh! - click

I named this "Linda is on the right". - Click to enlarge

 

Wrap up

Rangeley Lake - click to enlarge
You have seen this one before I cropped it

  Harry and I really enjoyed the trip and I got to see some things that had gone un-noticed before.  The large greenhouses of Backyard Farms and the Field of Rocks.
  Checking the satellite imagery on Google Maps I can even spot that Field of Rocks from space!  I'm thinking maybe a lake bed before the glaciers went through, or just trailings from those glaciers.  Anybody got a geologist?
  New topic:  The Boston Red Sox have finally settled in last place - where, in my mind, they wanted to be.  The players don't like the manager so....the way to rid themselves of him was to totally embarrass themselves.
  New topic:  Rain.  I don't care much for the stuff, but I do realize the importance of it.  'Nuff said.

A closer view of the Field of Rocks - click to enlarge

Coos Canyon in Byron Maine

Without much water it's hard to see the wonder of the place - click to enlarge

  Our last stop to see places was in Byron Maine, on route 17.  Coming from the north it's near the southern end of Byron, but it's hard to miss.  Watch for an old one room school made into a Town Office and a building on the other side of the road.  An intersection with the (I believe) Weld Road and a bridge.  There is parking on either side of the road and you can walk to see the view.
  On our day here the water was low and that made it easy for us to see how smooth the rock is from all of the years of water rushing by. In the top photo look to the lower left and on the right near the bottom there is a "dent" in the rock that's smooth.  It's easier to see smooth rock on the south side of the bridge if the water is low.
  People come here on the Swift River to pan for gold in the area of Coos Canyon too.  It's worth a visit especially if the water is high in the spring after the thaw.  If you Google it you will see photos people have taken in the winter too.

Smooth rock on the south side of the bridge. - click to enlarge