Hurricane Gustav

Louie is having bad flashbacks tonight. Only three years ago I rescued him from the left lane of I-40 westbound in Albuquerque during a pounding rain storm.

He and his human family had evacuated New Orleans ahead of Katrina only for him to be lost on the highway when a luggage strap failed. Now he's good buddies with all the other bears and critters in the Bears' Home Front Brigade.

He also has played a key role in the rescue of Lightfeather in Travel Schlepp's novella. Should be another podcast uploaded this evening.

Meanwhile, Schlepp, Louie, and other bears have been watching the Weather Channel and hoping that Hurricane Gustav doesn't do too much damage. In the photo above TS and Louie look at the Saturday AM model tracks from the Weather Underground. Louie has seen what a big hurricane can do and he's urging everyone to evacuate as ordered and make for high ground.

Postscript: Turtle weigh in. Terrance came in at 278 gm today, his heaviest weight ever. Its a good thing, too, with only six weeks or so until hibernation.

Valle Grande Walkabout

This weekend Schlepp and friends drove up into the lovely Jemez Mountains north of Albuquerque and hiked the Valle Grande. The Valle Grande is the largest of the huge high mountain calderas in the very center of the Jemez. They mark the site of what was once a lake in the center of a collapsed volcanic uplift, much like modern Crater Lake in Oregon. The lake drained 11,000 years ago into the East Fork of the Jemez River, leaving wide grassy bowls surrounded by mountains up to 11,500'.

In the panorama above you can see the expanse of the Valle Grande from the roadside viewpoint at the east end. Taking the gravel road out to the Valles Caldera National Preserve visitors center gives one a much better vantage.

Most hikes require reservations and a scheduled van ride to and from the trailhead, but three shorter hikes are available without prior arrangements. The scenary is superb and our short flower walk around Cerro la Jara was a joy, even if short. Its rare to come across a hike at a park site where one is instructed to strike out across the grassland without a trail.

Valles Caldera is a jewel. As a unique "national preserve," they are attempting to be economically self-sufficient by 2015. Currently they are at 20%. Every lesson they learn can be eventually applied to our other National Parks, Monuments, and Historical Sites. They deserve your support.

Visit their website (even if a bit awkward to use) and then visit the Valles Caldera. If you sign up for one of their scheduled events, note that Albuquerque to the Staging Area for meeting your van will take 2 hours. This gives you a little leeway for unexpected delays, getting you to the parking area 15 or so minutes ahead of time for administrivia and loading gear.

Schlepp plans on going back soon. He's signed up for the Heart of the Valles tour on Sept. 21. This will get him into the Redondo Border, an area that is not visible from any vantage outside the preserve and said to be extremely scenic.

Big Schlepp Goes Traveling

In a surprising turn of events, Travel Schlepp isn't the one traveling this week--Big Schlepp is. Caro is flying home to Myrtle Beach 'cuz Aunt Frances is sick. With Miss Frances in the hospital and not doing so well, Big Schlepp has his work cut out for him.

Here TS gives Big Schlepp some pointers on the use of airline headsets so he can watch the movie ("Kung Fu Panda"--pretty much a bear's kinda movie, don't cha think?)

Because Aunt Frances is ill, the Bear's Home Front Brigade decided to recruit a special bear for remote assignment. Just like we sent Cousin Brown Bear to stay with Bill in the hospital, we've found a special Gund bear for Frances.

He/she is still in the box with its big message of "Follow your Dreams" and has graciously agreed to let Miss Frances name him/her.

Here you can see our Special Agent Bear getting briefed on Bear's Home Front Brigade Security and Safety by Big Schlepp, Newport, the Beautiful Roberta, and the Cat with no Name.

We'll have more updates from Myrtle Beach as soon as Big Schlepp gets there late Thursday and probably a new podcast this weekend.

Bears on Mars to be Baked in Ovens

Its true! The Phoenix Mars lander has identified three bears on Mars. The team at JPL plans to scoop them up and bake them in ovens.

If this sounds like some mixed up and terrible extra-terrestrial Brothers Grimm fairy tale, you're right. Papa Bear, Momma Bear, and Baby Bear are just the names for the first three sample sites for the Mars probe to dig. The soil will then be placed in a tiny on-board oven and slowly baked to analyze vapors that come off at different temperatures.

One of the most fun things to do with this lander is to follow its activities via Twitter (http://twitter.com/MarsPhoenix). That way you can get answers to your questions or just follow all the excitement, step by step.

Terrance Update

We spotted Terrance this weekend after three weeks and he's put on 15 gm. With his discriminating tastes, of course he turned up in the Hidden Garden, the very moist and lush courtyard garden that Caro has created on the west side of the house. Its shaded by the high fence on the south and a 20-year old stubby spruce. My four old cats, Oreo, Yoda, Tigger, and Paco are buried there. After all, it was there private yard when we first moved into the house.

Terrance immediately scarfed down some strawberries we set out for him and he has spent most of the weekend comfortably nestled in among the cedar bark mulch behind the lupines. This evening as the shadows grew long, he ambled off towards the other side of the yard. Eventually he reached the big Rosemary by the Bodhisattva Fountain and seems to have settled in there.

Prius Training

Today's Washington Post has an interesting story about a phenomenon that Schlepp has long been aware of: how Karl's Prius trains you to drive more efficiently. We knew about that long ago when Karl was graphing the mileage of his new Prius with every tank of gas. Mileage kept increasing (to a point) as Karl responded to the two engine-battery performance screens that could be displayed on the console.

Caro went so far as to describe the Prius as a video game disguised as a car. The object of the game was get the highest mileage possible. Fill up at the corner gas station and nearly coast home so you can park it overnight in the garage with 83 mpg on the computer. Drive up to Los Alamos and back (90 miles and 2,000' vertical feet) while not falling under 50 mpg.

Today we came back from a quick weekend trip up to White Rock to visit the parents and help out around the house. We came back via State Road 4, the Valle Grande, the Ponderosa pine nursery at milepost 34, and High Country Gardens in Bernallilo. Even going over a 9,000' pass up by St. Peter's Dome Road, we scored 53.4 mpg.

Hooray, we win!

Back from Turin

Well, as quickly as we were gone; we're back. About 44 hours dealing with travel compared with 20 hours of KMS meetings at UNICRI plus another 12 hours of formal socializing. We got out for a couple hours late on Friday afternoon in a light drizzle for a bit of shopping: perfume, chocolates, and a glass paperweight.

Dinner was at a nearby restaurant called Kipling for reasons that are still unclear to me, but the food and wine were excellent. The starter was beautiful tray of three seafood appetizers: salmon with mango chutney, a whitefish (Baccalà) with capers, and black pepper-encrusted tuna with a balsamic reduction sauce. For the first plate, I had gnocchi in a very fresh and light tomato-basil sauce. The second plate consisted of seabass filets wrapped around asparagus with a butter sauce and the slightest drizzle of balsamic. Combined with a fine Barolo, it made an excellent repast.

But Saturday morning, after a restless night with poor sleep, we were up at 4:00. We were off to the airport around 5:30 after a bit of a struggle getting a taxi. The flight to Paris left at 7:00 and only took an hour or so. After a three-hour layover in CDG, we were off again, this time to Atlanta.

At first blush it could have been horrible--I was seated next to a small infant--but she was amazingly well behaved and quiet the entire trip, even on descent when ear-troubles bother most children. The furry one quickly made friends and the long flight across the Atlantic was a pleasant one.













After a dash through passport control, customs, and ATL, we caught our flight home with about ten minutes to spare. Even though only 3-1/2 hours long, we were in a window seat and that always makes for a claustrophobic flight despite the view. We much prefer aisle seats.

Next thing we knew, we were home in Albuquerque, about 24 hours after we had awakened and it was only 6:30 PM Saturday. Like Dickens' ghosts of Christmas, we had done it all in one day.

Another day of the UNICRI Knowledge Management System meetings. We were finished and back at the hotel by 3:00, in time for a nice lie-down. At 5:00 the bus picked us up and we headed out for a tour of the city before winding our way up one of the highest hills in town with wonderful vistas even with cloudy, cool weather. At the top was the Basilica di Superga.














Turn around and there's a magnificent view of the city with the Po River running through it. Alas, the day has been cloudy with a bit of rain. Here's Schlepp and Laura, our workshop coordinator, who did such a great job of feeding us, arranging for buses and airport shuttles, and generally keeping everything moving smartly.














Afterwards we made our way to the nearby Trattoria Bel Deuit where we enjoyed the local wines and again many, many courses. After finishing the meal, there was of course, espresso (no cappucino after 10:00 AM!).














The drive down was in the fog, which made the blind curves all the more fun. Here we are loading onto the bus, which gives you an idea of the visibility. Lower down the mountain things improved considerably as you can see here on YouTube.

Arrival in Turin

Twenty four hours after leaving Albuquerque, Schlepp is in Italy. It was a long but uneventful trip. Got to the strangely named "Jolly Hotel" around 4:00 PM European time. After a brief lie down, it was still sunny outside, so we took a walk, had our first gelato, and basically tried to keep from falling asleep too early.

Here's a chocolate gelato, before...
















and after...

Travel Schlepp on the Road Again

Travel Schlepp and his human, Karl, are off on another jaunt this week. Monday they leave for Turin, Italy via Delta Airlines, Cincinnati, and Paris. It promises to be one of those weeks with little free time and more hours spent in airplanes than in meetings.
Turin looks to be a beautiful city full of cathedrals, ancient architecture, and historic facades. More importantly, it is the birthplace of solid chocolate. Schlepp's entire Tai Chi class is eagerly awaiting Karl's return with a suitcase full of Italian chocolate.

This trip is to attend a meeting with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Institute (UNICRI). Although a small agency, they work hard to stop illegal activities like drug smuggling, slavery, and the illicit transport of chemical-biological-radiological-nuclear weapon and equipment. The conference is a kickoff meeting regarding their knowledge management system, which will likely be built upon a Plone framework. For now though, its a time to listen and to understand their needs--what they need to do to accomplish their mission.

Its a little scary for Schlepp--the last time Karl and he did a knowledge management workshop, it was in Bonn, Germany... Sept. 10-12, 2001. Knowledge management will always be linked with 9-11 and the awful events of that day.

As a side note, Terrance is doing fine, wandering about mostly in the Vinca. Yesterday he happily snacked on some shrimp we left out for him. He has such refined tastes.

Schlepp Conquers the Faulty Trail / Terrance is Back

Today Schlepp, Kent, Ric, and Karl went up to Tijeras and followed the Lower Faulty Trail until it met the Upper Faulty Trail and then returned by the South Crest Trail. 4.3 miles and about 1000' of elevation. Kent lent the furry one his camera. Perhaps tomorrow Kent will e-mail the resulting photo this way.

Meanwhile, Terrance has responded to the near-80 degree weather and started rumbling about. He passed on a plate of strawberries and a dish of water, but not to worry -- he weighs 12-½ oz. That turns out to be exactly what he weighed last Oct. 6th when he was last weighed right before he hibernated. After I took him off the scales, he scampered into the Vinca and hung out at the edge of the porch for awhile. But now he's scooted off deeper into the tangle of vegetation and is nowhere to be seen. TTFN, Terrance.

Terrance Spring Update

Its April 19 and Schlepp has been worrying about Terrance. Last year he was up and about by mid-April, but this year he's nowhere to be seen. Well, as bears are wont to do, he rustled around in the leaves under the Vinca where he'd seen Terrance burrowing in last October. Sure enough, just under the surface was Terrance, all squinty-eyed and sleepy but OK. He had turned himself around from last fall when he was about 6" deep and was only under the very loose leaves lying on top of the ground. Suspect he'll be up and around one of these days when he decides its safe and warm enough to come out.

The last two years he dug in within 15' of the swimming pool. Schlepp thinks that when Karl turned on the pool heater in early April those years, it warmed up the ground and got Terrance jump started. For now, he's in a safe place and we're glad to know he made it through the winter.

Teddy Bear Marches for Tibetan Autonomy

Today a brave Tibetan teddy bear and his human set out for their homeland as part of a symbolic march home by 100 Tibetans as part of pro-independence protests ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

"The youngest marcher was 19-year-old high-school student Tenzen Pema, who carried home-made cookies, a bottle of water and a teddybear."

Schlepp and all the Bears Home Front Brigade support this teddy bear's stand for freedom.

Travel Schlepp on the go again

Its traveling time again for Travel Schlepp. This time its to Seattle, a favorite town, home ofBarb, PC, and Gus. We'll be just in time for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show plus we'll have time to catch up with John Olsen, who retired from Sandia last year and relocated to Whidbey Island. Expect photos and podcasts from the Great Pacific Northwet in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, the latest installment of Schlepp's novella has been posted. Enjoy!

Travel Schlepp's Technical Side

You don't travel all over the world building databases, designing web portals, and such without picking up a few tricks. Head over to my technical blog at Plone Metrics. Also, be on the lookout for my third installment on the novella this weekend.

New Arrivals--New Podcasts

Over the holidays we picked up a polar bear named Chili Bear aka Chilly Bear and a striped cat. The cat apparently has amnesia and that, along with Chili Bear, will roll into the novella's story line in Chapter Five. Below is a Christmas photo of Lady Jenny, Miss Maddy, Chili, Big Schlepp, Travel Schlepp, and the cat with no name.















For my birthday I received a takaan, a wooden teddy bear that was designed to be a papier-mâché mold. He's about 15" high and has a rather rigid pose, but looks to be a formidable part of the Home Front Brigade. He too will be worked into the story.

Speaking of which, another section of Chapter One has been recorded and we hope to have another podcast online this weekend.

New Podcast

As promised, I've uploaded chapter 1, part 1 of Schlepp's new novella. Can a small bear originally from Seal Rock, Oregon rescue his friend Lightfeather? How 'bout save the world? If that's not enough, he's got to save the entire galaxy! Good thing he's got lots of help--Terrance the Tortoise and Louie, a silver leaf monkey from New Orleans, not to mention the entire Bears Home Front Brigade.

More to come on approximately a weekly basis.

Fish & Wildlife Drag Feet While Interior Sells Out Polar Bears

From today's New York Times comes this scary little bit. Chili Bear, the new resident polar bear in the Home Front Brigade wants to bring it to everyone's attention.

The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service has announced that early next month it will sell oil and gas leases on nearly 30 million acres of prime polar bear habitat in the Chukchi Sea. Meanwhile, the department’s Fish and Wildlife Service has postponed a long-awaited decision on whether to place this iconic and troubled animal on the list of threatened species.

This means that Bush and Cheney will give their buddies in the oil industry first whack at sensitive polar bear habitat while their Fish and Wildlife friends drag their feet on protecting polar bears. Yet within a few decades two thirds of all polar bears will be gone, including _all_ of Alaska's.

The Passing of a Great Beekeeper

We bears have an especially tender spot in our hearts for beekeepers, those selfless men and women who provide us with honey. Today the world is sadly without one of the greatest beekeepers ever, Sir Edmund Hillary. Its not every day that a beekeeper gets knighted, you know. Here is a photo of Sir Edmund along with Tenzing Norgay, the Shepa. Together they were the first climbers to ascend Mount Everest.

Not only a beekeeper and a climber, Sir Edmund was deeply committed to helping the Sherpa people. He built hospitals, schools, and airstrips throughout Nepal and dedicated himself to improving their lives. The Bears Home Front Brigade wishes to salute the passing of Sir Edmund and extends their condolences to all those who mourn his death.

He will not be forgotten.

Travel Schlepp Book Now Online

For New Year's Day, Schlepp is posting the first four chapters of his new novella. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for the podcasts of the same.