Commission Impossible

Lon, it saddens me to think that you are giving this up.

As someone who blogs often 2-3 times daily, I know the commitment of which you speak.

Let me say this: You do a SUPERB JOB

What you write, how you present it, and the thoughts it provokes are all top notch. You do indeed say what needs to be said, but as I've learned from my brief venture into local politics, people in the political climate here aren't much interested in truth, but more in appearances.

I would say you could still make equally valuable impact on our community by blogging once a week, rather than daily. Plus, it gives you time to think it through and do even better work, honing the prose.

Whatever you decide, a debt of gratitude is owed you for telling it like it is, and making us laugh at the same time.

Quitter...I was hoping you would at least post the names of those slimeball apartment owners that voted Ceres Park down before throwing the towel in. But seriously, happy birthday to Ruby. Ruby shares a birthday with my daughter Erin, 3285 days old, as well as my wedding anniversary, 5475 days of wedded bliss (not counting leap yrs). It's been a fun ride, thanks for your service to the community.

I agree, you should just do fewer of them, and make them count. There are too many bizarre things going on that need a little reconsideration.

I had the same thought about our new Neighborhood Snitch Program. I always think it's scary when Larry Wahl is the only one who says exactly what I'm thinking. I wouldn't want seven Larrys on the City Council, but it seems we do need at least one.

I just found out that the Art Commission will be proposing a $180,000 project at the Humboldt Park site where I already had a similar one approved and funded a few years ago for around 20,000. Someone is not providing them with important relevant information, again, or someone is trying to sabotage my project, again. Or Both. I still need to check into this a little more.

Then there's The Great Sherwood Forest Star Thistle Massacre and the anonymous heros that did most of the work. This restores my faith in humanity.

Oh, I almost forgot. The Chico World Music Festival, which is now held at Laxon and has been the most successful local arts event for many years, is being recommended to lose its entire $10K City funding. When other programs just got a few percent trimmed, why does this this one completely get the axe? Is it too popular? Is it too free and accessible to the public? Does it make other Fall related arts events look like a waste of money in comparison? Maybe it brings too many weekend visitors to the Downtown. Maybe Dan DeWayne doesn't kiss up to the right politicians. People need to write in and support the things that do work and reconsider other things that cost several times more.

Anthony,

Thanks a bunch.

I may take your suggeston and head that direction. I had Richard Ek stop by my office and tell me that with a little work I'd be a very good journalist. Unfortunately, I'm an electronic engineer, so working on being a good journalist is kind of heading down the wrong path of progression. But coming from Ek I thought it was a very nice thing to say.

All I know is that the last couple of weeks of completely ignoring public access TV has made me very happy.

Lon

Sean,

Thank you for getting my products shipped and delivered on time. I think we ought to take the kids disc golfing at Sherwood and corn dogging at Big Al's.

If this blog can't develop more disc golf/corn dog friendships then it truly has been a waste of time.

Lon

Gregg,

Disc golf and veggie corn dogs for you.

There really is no end to screwed up things going on, as well as people just ignoring the screwed up things.

But the mystery starthistle puller shall forever remind us that there is good in this world. Unless it was done by the "friends" in order to prevent us from garnering "weed consultant" status and horning in on their lucrative contracts with the university. That would be evil.

Lon

Lon, to which specific "lucrative contracts with the university" are you referring?

Last I was aware, "Friends of Bidwell Park" have had none, lucrative or otherwise. Zilch...zero.

Just curious. Hoping to keep it real.

Jd

Dude--

I totally understand.

--Ax

Lon....You hit the nail on the head about spending time with your kids, and the blog. I respect your views, kidding around, but we need it to keep thinking about what we want for the city, kids, and recreation. "I would rather be in the arena, than being in the stands; Teddy Roosevelt..................DOC

Specifically, which "lucrative contracts" between "Friends" of Bidwell Park and The Univeristy are you referring to?

Just wondering, and hoping to keep it real.

John Dittes

John,

You can't be ignoring the billions of dollars in contracts awarded to the Friends of Bidwell Park in the starthistle to ethanol program?

Of course I was just kidding, the most lucrative "weed consulting" is illegal. However, the movers and shakers at the Friends do all seem to make a living consulting or running various environmental programs.

For example, I recall seeing somewhere that Susan Mason had a title like invasive plant consultant associated with the CSU foundation. Was it for the Lindo Channel project? I don't remember. And Dittes & Guardino Consulting was listed as a potential partner in some invasive plant management paperwork at the Park Department.

http://www.friendsofbidwellpark.org/vegmgt2007rpt.pdf

But the reality is that nobody will get rich off of local government work... unless you're EDAW or Land Image.

Lon
Invasive Recreation Consultant

Doc,

The important thing is that I'll have all sorts of time to work on my new groovy facial hair. I'm thinking handle-bar mustache! I might even start a new facial hair advocacy group.

Lon
Friends of Groovy Facial Hair

Alan,

Righteous... I'll see you around town.

Lon

Good luck and good health for you and yours whatever you decide to do. Who says a blog must be updated daily? Is there a law? Ann Coulter writes one column a week, why not blog once a week?

Lon,
I'm sorry to hear about your decision but I can totally understand it. I've been thinking about blogging for 2 years now but haven't been willing to make the commitment.

Your blog is excellent - well written, well researched, informative, palatable. Although I remain a flaming, tree-hugging liberal, your blog has been a delight with every post. Lingering over morning coffee with CI has been a wonderful beginning to the day.

All the best to you and your family. I hope you will feel the urge to write again, at least occasionally. I'll keep checking.

The blogging world is better with you in it!

David,

There's no E-R law regarding how often a blogger blogs. I've found that generating regular readers requires regular posts (probably not daily though).

There is also a mix of information, opinion, and entertainment that I've tried to add to keep people interested. This evolved into custom images and videos, as well as the CI challenge, over the last couple of years. Every month or two I would include a "mini-series" that related to a post and provided continuity over a short time period. "The Cupcake Saga", "Sustainable Lon", and "Bet on It" are all examples.

The blog was very much a creative outlet for me. But the time committment is just too much for right now.

Lon

Shatzi,

Some of my best friends are tree hugging liberals. I just like to remind them that hugging trees is impossible if they've all been fenced off.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Lon

Jason,

You had me at hello.

Lon

Lon, I was late to the party and will miss you. You are an excellent writer, a thoughtful commentator, and a heckuva nice guy. And you know the real priorities which include the premise that kids are more important than blogs. I certainly do not begrudge you spending more time with the people who depend upon you the most and less on the rest of us who enjoy your take on things. Bless you and your family, it was a slice of life reading your blog. Thanks and good fortune to you and yours.

Dear Lon,

You have the most creative and interesting blog. I like your sense of humor, and I appreciate all the time you spent writing and adding all the dazzling bells and whistles on this blog.

I understand you need more time with your family, and that is always admirable.

What are we going to do without CI Challenge?

Maybe if I get some nut rolls from Stuckey's for you, you will come back and entertain us once in awhile?

David,

Thanks, I appreciate the comments.

Lon

L.A.

Thanks to you as well. Nut rolls, cactus candy, or a genuine rubber tipped spear with dyed feathers would likely drag me back.

Lon

Lon,
EWE is still looking for someone to fill their PTA secretary position.

Tina,

I'm not very good at dictation. Now dictator-ing, that's something I'm good at. Is there a PTA Overlord position available?

Lon

Ok it has been a week now, it's calling you, you can feel it. "Blog me...blog me....blog me" the little voice cries.

The other little man on your shoulder then chimes in "nevermore...nevermore".

Tick tock, the pendulum swings. Will he or won't he?

Following Hillary's lead;

http://www.HillaryGrassrootsCampaign.com

we could all start a grass roots effort to get Lon back in the writers seat.

so I propose:

www.LonAlmightypleaseblogalrighty.com

where we can goad him into writing something.

Anthony,

Perhaps I can just change this comment section into a blog. That way nobody realizes I'm actually blogging again.

Blog1: I didn't read the story, but from the headline it looks like police union accepted the 1% limit in pay increase over the next couple of years. That's great news for the budget problem, and realistic position for the CPOA to take. I would expect the fire union to follow.

Blog2: I'm glad the city will be footing the bill for the American flag to fly in Chico. We'll also soon be able to fly any flag we want on the city poles. Now we just need to raise a few thousand dollars and get a hundred "Wrangler Butts Drive Me Nuts" flags made. Fly high wrangler butts, fly high....

All right it is out of my system again.

Lon

Pretty sneaky, blogging in the comments section. As(s) for flags, why not convince the city to rent out the flag poles? It could become a lucrative source of income and help defray the cost of training the volunteer code enforcement brown shirt snitch squad.

And speaking of rentable property, why not turn the downtown plaza into a skateboard park? Whip up a cyclone fence, set up a few ramps and thrill features (Shoot-The-Shell could be a major attraction), charge an hourly use fee, and set up some overpriced concessions. The plaza could pay for itself.

What the heck is this, I get the last post? Do you really think I, of all people, deserve such distinction? C'mon, Lon's followers can do better than that. You chickens. You ingrates. You weenies. Who is walking tall?

Hmm. I've thought about this. Maybe this "family time" could be a cover.

Lon may be a victim of the Schwabbinator. I'm sure that "sustainable Lon" series pushed her over the edge.

I think the Vegas Mafioso that runs the California Indian Casinos dosed him with some kryptonite.

I just hope he can shake it off before the forces of darkness prevail.

Maybe Lon just needs to get stuffed into a phone booth.

Seems pretty obvious to me that Lon has been spending a considerable amount of time with his campaign manager, Mr Gascoyne, in preparation for his council run.

Ok I think it is time we all did an "intervention" for Lon, who's in?

Bet on it!

It seems like you guys are doing fine without me posting something new everyday. Here's this big wonderful blog that anyone can post a comment on, so have at it.

We could talk about Gregg's art project that was approved years ago, and then the city forgot all about it. Or did they....

We could discuss the limited 1% COLA increase that city employees have been asked to volunteer for. I find it interesting that the unions that agreed to it have said they'd accept it as long as the other unions do. If there is a hold out I wonder if the whole thing will unravel. There are something like 9 unions at the city.

Or somebody could do a salary comparison between Chico and Vallejo. I'd like to see how close we are. Then maybe a budgetary comparison.

Or perhaps someone could discuss in detail the fact that Debra Lucero has walked into two budget meetings and walked out with something like $50K+ for art events. She totally screwed the world music festival (or perhaps it would be more honest to lay the blame at the Council's feet). I'm starting to think she has video tape of a Council orgy, or something.

I think I need to have an intervention to get you folks back to discussing important topics.

Did anyone notice that the Greenman stopped writing for the Beat when I quit blogging. Is it possible we are the same person? Intriguing bi-polar thought.

Lon

I'm still trying to get a straight story on my art project. So far I haven't heard the same explanation twice.

Back by popular demand, the Chico World Music Festival received it's full funding after all.

Debra Lucero's Artoberfest funding is for marketing OF arts events, not funding FOR the events. The events have already been happening for several years or are independently funded.

The idea is to rebrand a lot of existing separate arts events into one big new identity during the month of October.

There is always some difference in philosophy about the importance of funding marketing vs the importance of the funding the product. People who produce art and events think the quality of the product is the most important. Marketers think that the marketing is the most important. Art and advertising are both based on creating illusions. In this case the marketing campaign has become the arts event.

This also shows how marketers are much better at marketing themselves than artists are.

Are you saying there is no video of the Council having an orgy? Because that would have been something to blog about.

Lon

Actually "green man" stopped two months ago.

Two weeks now...

It's calling, beckoning, demanding in whispers.

Blog me, Blog me, Blog me....

Greenman no longer belches fumes at the Bleat? He will be sorely missed by someone, I am sure.

Congratulations Lon!

Lon won the 1st. Annual Father's Day Open Disc Golf Tournament last Sunday right in front of his boy. He was up against some of Northern California's best talent but fought his way into the lead during the last few holes while the competition bonked in the mid day heat and smokey skies. It may have helped a little to have a home course advantage but it was so hot the buzzards weren't even circling.

Of course some of us wished he would have just stayed home and wrote on his blog instead.

To all my fans, I'd like to say that I couldn't have done it without you. At 41 that was probably the last nationally televised disc golf tournament I'll have the opportunity to play in.

The competition was fierce, with several bouts of fisticuffs breaking out during play. The heat blazing off of the lava cap was enough to cause the discs to go maleable during flight. Plastic splatters on targets and discs drooling over upthrust minerals was the result. This was especially true over areas where thin native soils (Comanche soils... I think) had been worn away by recreators.

Of course all of this was just a training camp for the upcoming Sorta Solstice Summer Slam Disc Golf Tournament of Champions Who Never Rest and are All American (SSSTDGTCWNRAA).

7 people, 4 courses, 2 days, 1 winner. Fear me, for I am practicing every day now!

Lon

cricket....cricket.....

well I am tuning in because our paths crossed yesterday. We been doing a lot of disc golf daytrips and vacations lately, and tell the truth, we almost been waiting for you to pop up around any corner.

So when he called to see about arrangements, Mrs. Toney says to my husband on the phone, "there's another group from Chico, coming up today." My husband, who remembers when Chico was such a small town you knew everybody, says, "Oh, who?" She says, "Fellow by the name of Lon is bringing a group. Do you know him?" Andy cannot tell a lie, but he can embellish. "Oh, uh, yeah, he's, uh, a friend of my wife!"

He had already promised the kids, but he asks me, "How are you and Lon getting along these days?" I says, "just fine." So we went.

When we arrived, at a leisurely 11am Sunday morning, she said, "Well, Lon and his crew were 'On A Mission.' They pulled outta here early, sorry you missed them." I rubbed my toe in the dirt, "Oh, damn the luck," I said.

So, of course, we played through the hottest part of the day - certainly not as bad as the 32 course at 11 am, but challenging. Oh boy, over hill, over dale, I love that place. Toward the ninth hole I ate s--- down a hillside trying to retrieve my pink disc, got a road rash all over one side, saw poison oak all the way down. But hey, I came away with my disc, that's a good day for me. The boys lost one a piece, but made good out of the used bin at the pro-shop.

We had a swim in the cement pond, bid adieu to the lovely family and their adorable pitbulls, hit Grass Valley right before the dinner rush and enjoyed a meal at the restaurant where my grandparents had dinner on their honeymoon. We all decided we want to camp there overnight soon.

Good for you buddy, on the kids thing. When mine were Ruby's age, we were a threesome, geez we had some great times. Now that my husband has realized same, we are a foursome. Mrs Toney said the disc course and other lifestyle choices they have made have brought them closer to their teenagers - I know life will be easier for you when yours are teenagers.

But get ready, they are going to kick your ass anyway. Love hurts.

Cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon, when you coming home dad - I'm home right now! Let's go hot tubbin'!

Juanita,

I'm glad you had fun. Toney's is brutal disc golf. If a public course was designed that way nobody would play. I've been there three times and the family is always very welcoming.

We rolled out around 6:30AM, then played Grass Valley's Condon Park and Penn Valley's Hanging Oak course yesterday. Both are great courses. On Saturday it was Oroville's south course and Toney's. I think my arm's going to fall off.

Lon

If you don't start writing again soon word has it that, well, you get the picture...

http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/10/24/kill%20this%20dog.jpg

Tom,

Just remember, guns don't kill people. Bullets do.

Lon

okay, that's creepy. My family has been, uh, stalking you. We were literally right behind you all week - who does your scheduling?

Penn Valley is fantabulous. We didn't go to Condon Park, maybe next time.

While I was wandering at Penn Valley, I couldn't help but notice the incredible trees. My husband pointed out a huge old oak with numerous frisbee scars. The tree seemed otherwise proud and healthy. I can't understand why certain people in Chico are so down on disc golf - our course is the least intrusive I've seen in my recent travels. The Oroville course is laid out with cement sidewalks and pads - that's pretty intrusive.

Frankly, I think disc golf is one of the best uses of public land I've seen. Whenever I'm out there, I see lots of happy nature. We watched a nuthatch couple feed their babies in an old tree stump, I mean, they didn't even care that we were there. We watched a mother squirrel move her babies, one at a time, there and back, down to the river bank for a drink, it was so human like. She rolled them in little balls and carried them in her mouth. When one scamp tried to follow her, she turned around on her back legs and cussed him out. I swear, she waved her finger at him - "Get right back in there!" And he did.

I've done more nature watching playing disc golf than anything I've done lately. And my husband always says, "if the course weren't here, they'd sell it to developers." To me, disc golf is like a taking back of the land by the people.

Sorry to wax on, I just tuned in to see if you are making good on your exit from Bloggalulia. Nothing is absolute, mah Brutha.

Lon,
Happy Independence Day. While hiding from the smoke and work over here in Fort Bragg I came across this http://www.mendocoastrec.org/aquatic_center.html
Kind of embarrassing that a town of 7000 can build an aquatic center but a city of 100k cannot.

Hey Sean,

You missed a fine July 4th here in Chico. It was all pancakes at 1 mile, a swim in Sycamore pool, a barbecue, and then illegal sparklers with minimal neighborhood fatalities.

Our city was able to spend $4.2 million on a Plaza reconstruction that included $250,000 for an art component. There's no doubt that we could have built an aquatic center if our priorities were different.

There are a few important differences between a small town of 7000 and a town the size of Chico. Our market size is large enough to support a number of health clubs. One of those private clubs has produced what could be considered an aquatic center, it's just not open to the public. There is, and probably should be, resistance to the city competing with local private health clubs.

That being said, I was once told that the city spent $300,000 on a architectural design for an aquatic center on Humboldt. Of course that money was a waste. More recently I was told that the 8th street reconstruction has gone up an additional $2 million.

It seems like the city could have completed repairs to Sycamore pool and built a public swimming complex with some of the funds spent overbuilding a couple of their bigger projects. It's just a matter of priorities.

Lon

Hey Loon,wait? Hey Lou, that's not it. Hey Lawn, darn sounds like your name,but? Oh wait I got it.

HEY LON,

I had heard that the firefighters are now being asked to leave their hotels to go sleep in tents at the SilverDollar Fair Grounds. Is this true? And if it is, why hasn't the cities Chico and Oroville set up a list for host families. Families that would feed, house and give these guys a place to lay their head when not fighting fires.

I know of a few people that would like to be on that list, but they do not know how to get it started. If you know of a list or how to get a list started could you let me know.

Thank you, Steve

P.S. I think that you are a Loon only part of the time.

Hey Steve,

I'm not sure about all of that but I do know that some fire fighters are staging at Fit One althletic club here in Chico. I think others may be over at the University.

Here is the Cal Fire web site that has contact information and other stuff related to the Butte fires (scroll all the way down to the bottom)...

http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents_butte.php

When fighting fires while in the Army I noticed that at the start of the exercise there was significant funding. As the fires wore on the amenities changed, probably due to the prolonged cost of fighting the fires.

We started with catered meals and staying in hotels, and by the time we left we were staying in campgrounds and eating sandwiches with questionable meat products.

I suspect that the cost of fighting the fires has risen to the point that hotels are no longer affordable. With over 3000 fire fighters engaged, and a cost of $42 million, I think the logistics for staging firefighters in homes is probably not feasable.

However, helping out evacuees that way might be something that could happen.

I'm almost always a loon.

Lon

After the ER editorials this week, I thought sure you'd be moved to blog again.

Alright, time for the big guns:

Disc Golf Causes Global Warming

Disc Golf Causes Global Warming

So do forest fires, perhaps we should ban lightning.

It's really hard not to write about some of this stuff. But I'm holding my ground for now. And to make things worse there's some rumor of a big story in the next day or two. If I was updating this blog I'd have to get to the bottom of it.

Oh well... just remember, you didn't hear it here first. But you almost did.

Lon

Lon,

I have written a letter in reply to Laura's recent editorial to set the record striaght!

Here is a copy, of what I sent. Please note it may not end up exacly word for word if they publish it.....

See you at the big meeting, Mark

Dear Laura,

Your recent editorial makes it sound as if $500,00 was set side from the beginning of the Bidwell Park Master Management Plan Update Process (BPMMPUP). The City did not originally set aside $500,000!

When the Federal land was acquired by the city well over ten years ago, disc golf advocates worked with the parks department to evaluate 5 different locations, from Lower Park to Middle Park of which none were approved. Following completion of a required $50,000 EIR process, the city council approved the course and allotted $206,000 for a disc golf course and upgrades for safe parking.

In 2003 the Friends of Bidwell Park (FOBP) questioned the EIR, and if disc golf is an appropriate recreational activity within Bidwell Park.

Because of the FOBP’s legal pressure, $274,000 more was needed for a BPMMPUP. The City then shifted the $206,000 for disc golf and combined it these BPMMPUP funds.

Because of this we are still in that process today whereas we could have been done and any further impact mitigated.

So originally things should have been completed with$256,000 and the course and infrastructure would have already been installed.

Instead of that, to date we have the following:
$50,000 (DISC GOLF SITE EIR) + $206,000 (DISC GOLF FUND) + $274,000 (BPMMPUP) + $100,000 (Review BPMMPUP) = $630,000

It is important the public knows that the FOBP responsible for $374,000 extra due to their legal threats and interference.

Mark,

Just some notes on the dollar numbers...

Dennis Beardsley doesn't cite the exact amount spent on the Master Management Plan update that the Friends of Bidwell Park demanded (via lawyers - see here http://www.chico-outsiders.com/TheOutsiders/Documents/dg_info/lawyer_friends.pdf ). The city has allocated $600,000 for the plan's update.

A memo released to the city council states that nearly $500,000 has been spent ( http://www.chico-outsiders.com/TheOutsiders/Documents/dg_info/bpmmp_$600K.PDF ) and requested $100,000 to answer EIR questions .~160 pages, or 2/3 of the total pages of questions, come from 2 people associated with the FOBP. Most of the remainder come from local environmental activists associated with the FOBP.

In an article published by the Butte Environmental Council the FOBP blame disc golfers for the cost of the plan update (see here http://www.chico-outsiders.com/TheOutsiders/Documents/dg_info/friends_dg_fiscal.pdf ). They ignore a number of facts in this finger pointing, the most glaring being that they demanded the plan update, and are responsible for the majority of the questions related to the EIR.

The cost to plan disc golf before the Friends got involved is not entirely known. The city paid for an EIR, a cultural study, and a course design by Land Image. I think your estimate of $50K is in the ballpark, although CARD did the same last year for $9,000.

The City Council allocated $206,000 for disc golf and parking improvements, where probabaly 75% of the money would have gone to parking. In 2003 after the FOBP hired their lawyer the City Council transferred the $206,000 into a Bidwell Park Master management Plan update fund, along with some trail improvement funds. The total of that fund was $274,000.

So the $206,000 and $274,000 are partially same money.

Somehow the Park Department increased the $274,000 allotted for the plan update to $499,000 by 08-2007 (see memo above). At that time they asked for an extra $100,000 to answer the lawyer the FOBP hired again in 2007(lawyer's 2003-2007 comments are both in link above), and the 160 pages submitted by Randy Abbot and Josephine Guardino.

So the total cost is something like $50,000 for original disc golf studies and plans + $500,000 for the plan update as of 8-2007 + $100,000 to answer the questions posed by FOBP.

It is important to state that of the $650,000 there is $150,000 (cost of original studies and last allocation) that nobody can be sure of the number.

Still, only in Chico would they spend $600,000 to find out if they could build something that has already existed for 19 years.

Lon

Well, that is good to know. I guess it is a bit too late as my letter was sent in earnest to David. Even though I screwed up the exact dollar amount the point I wanted to make still holds up in my mind. FOBP are responible for sending us down this rabbitt hole and it keeps getting darker. Randy Abbott, hmmmm sounds alot like Rabbit if you blend the first and last name together to make one word "Rabbott"....

Unknown fact: A Rabbott is an essential part of every envio-nazi's groups campaign, they use them to dig the deepest holes.....

Mark,

I don't think Randy is a member of the FOBP board any longer. He did write a whole bunch of EIR comments about disc golf. But to be honest I didn't read any of them.

The exact dollar amount of the plan is not even knowable at this point. You made some good points, and specifically pointing out that the city already spent money on an EIR and disc golf course layout before this master plan update is important. There's very little diffence between the two EIRs, in my opinion.

While the FOBP did demand the Master Plan update in 2003, and in 2007 demanded that it be re-done (well , only the disc golf parts they didn't like), they should only get partial credit for the cost.

City officials also deserve credit for giving the OK to spend of $600,000 on a paper product that few people will read.

Lon

We saw a whopper of a big daddy rattler at hole 3 at Five Mile last night. EEEEEEEK! We had a 12 year old at our place a couple of months ago, this one was at least 15.

did I mention, he was biiiiig! But he sure seemed in a hurry to get the h outta there, how considerate of him.

Actually, I don't know if it was a 'he' or a 'she,' I am ignorant to snake parts.

I love snakes, they eat rats. But watch your step on hole 3. To think, that's my best hole, but now, the back of my leg feels a little naked up there. Makes me do the what-oo-sie, can't concentrate. Plus I ride the kids - "watch out! don't step on that! Tiiiiick cheeeeeck!" We may just avoid that hole. I get a little jumpy after a close encounter. Like the lady in Jaws, when Roy Scheider shows her the shark book - "Get OUT of that boat!!!"

you know, the babies are scarier, you don't see them so good. oh here I go, freaking myself out again. A guy at the course said he lives a few blocks away, and he found one on his front steps the other day. Oh, great, I said, and went home to remove all the potted plants from my front porch (my friends in Manton say they love to lay around your clay pots!)

We have never seen a snake at 32 Course, in fact, there are so many baby quail up there, maybe there just aren't than many snakes. Of course, there's not as much ground cover.

In other news, I'm still shooting par 8, that really works for me! glad you are still here Lonster - Toodles - Juanita

Speaking of snakes, Jennifer and I just saw two coon tails on the Upper Park road this eve. They had big rattles but neither one rattled at us even after getting picked up with a stick and flopped around. There must be some truth to the notion that Rattlers that rattle are getting killed off by people, and the ones that don't rattle, don't get noticed and live on to breed new generations of quieter and more dangerous snakes.

This goes to show that people shouldn't kill them any more, especially if they are considerate enough to rattle at you.

Juanita,

Where on hole 3 was the rattlesnake (near the tee, fairway, or by the target)? And what time of the night was it? I might go see if it's hanging around or if it was just in the area hunting.

I've run across rattlesnakes on the highway 32 course, although not often (short course and long course). They were at tee or target areas. It makes me wonder how many I've walked over or past in the years that I've been playing. In fact I've seen more rattlesnakes in the park than any other snake.

Lon

August 25th is when the Park Commission will deal with the Bidwell Park plan update that cost so much money.

I'm of the opinion that they will recommend the removal of the disc golf courses off of highway 32.

Lon

The Norcal blogs web site had some problems and they restored the content from last Friday.

It looks like a comment from Anthony and Juanita were lost when they did it. Sorry.

Lon

I think I was telling you that the snake was right between 2 and 3, curled around a rock below the trail. I think Gregg is right about evolution. Snakes are timid, I think they will run when given the chance. I say, watch your step.

We'll probably see you at the BP&P meeting.

We just had a nice disc golf vacation. Truckee stunk - what a tourist toilet! But Penn Valley was nice as always. And we took the back way home, the scenery was incredible.

As we drove through the Yuba Gap, a young bear shagged across the road, hellbent for leather. I never saw so many bucks, with big racks. It was like a scene from Bambi. We realized Hwy 70 was still on fire.

oh boy oh boy oh boy!

I got the afternoon free and I'm going to take in the Sustainability Task Force meeting.

Oooooo, ooooo, a Task Force! Is that anything like a Chuck Norris movie? "Task Force One To Navarone...."

I bet it's not even half that exciting, but none the less interesting. No minutes, very abreviated agendas, no tape, no DVD. I hate that. I don't think any committee that influences city policy ought to be able to operate around the Brown Act.

Here's the agenda, I love this: they are having a "Discussion Regarding Developing a Strategy to Prepare a Climate Action Plan."

I know there's a changing a light bulb joke here, just give me time, I'll come up with it.