This free program will be held on August 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at Dayton State Park.

A limited number of handheld GPS units will be available for the program, so participants are encouraged to bring their own GPS unit.

Please call 687-5678 to reserve a space. Everyone will meet in at the group pavilion.

Dayton State Park is located in the town of Dayton, one of Nevada’s very earliest Comstock settlements. The Carson River flows through the park and offers fishing and bird watching. The Rock Point Mill, built in 1861, was once used to process rich silver ore from nearby Virginia City—remnants of the mill are still visible within the park. Picnicking, camping, hiking and group use facilities are available. Dayton State Park is located on U.S. 50, 12 miles east of Carson City.

The first thing we noticed (on the completely unnecessary shuttle busride there from the Willits Point subway stop!) was that the park was bisected by the highway. Our speculation that it was the doing of Robert Moses was correct, though he was also responsible for building the entire park up from the dumping ground (literally) that it was, just in time for the 1939 World's Fair. The next thing we noticed about the park was the crazy Mad Max style crumbling structures (later found to be the Observation Towers) next to the Unisphere. Again, our speculations were correct, in that they were left over from the 1964 World's Fair. Still - ultra creepy looking, especially with the elevator still attached halfway down one of the towers. We're fairly certain the towers are being kept there because they're housing wigs, a la the Spring Break episode of The Simpsons.

So, anyway, I told my mother about our outing to Flushing Meadows Park and she excitedly informed me that she and my father played at the '64 World's Fair with their high school band (they're from Upstate NY). Later she emailed me this website, which houses a ton of pictures from the 1964 World's Fair. I thought I'd put it up here since it's pretty interesting to see how the structures were supposed to look. So far I haven't found any pictures featuring my parents on that website, but I'll keep my eyes open!

-Jaime

My mother spent her afternoons in the parks; every day, rain, hail or shine – only fog kept her in. Fog wasn’t good for the chest. She and her sisters met in various parks around the city and we cousins splashed, jumped and snow-ball fought to our hearts’ content; those of us too young for school, until we moved out to the great suburbs on the very edge of civilization and country.

Alexandra Park up Denistoun way; The Botanic Gardens in the West-end, with Kelvingrove Park; Glasgow Green and The People’s Palace on the South-side.

When we moved to Carnwadric there was the wonderful Rouken Glen Park with its waterfall and wooded paths; the lake had three islands, a motor launch and rowing boats – every trip there was like a full-blown holiday. We’d play crazy golf, swing, twirl on roundabouts, eat in the cafes, feed ducks and swans, fly on the see-saw, hide and seek in the woods, Pooh Stick in the river from the little wooden bridges – all this within walking distance of home, through the remains of the old internment camp.

My Aunty Jean had a veranda; now in my mind that was the most exotic thing in my life. And, they lived on the other side of the train tracks; the tracks had long been ripped up but the sleepers were still there. Arden was a much more modern and exciting place to live; oh, the adventures we had sliding down The Red Hill on a piece of cardboard or linoleum. I yearned for Arden, even the name was magnificent, and the fact that it had a ghost-train track and hills put it top of my list along with London and my father’s ferry boat.

Everything was outside in my early childhood; being inside was only necessary to prepare for going out, and sleep came and went so quickly that it seemed invisible. Fog, the most magic of all, called to me but my mother pulled me back, always.

Good Morning!

Well, the hiking gods conspired against our trip out to Cumberland this week as, while the family and I were out on our test run of the trail out at Cumberland Community Forest last Saturday we ran into a few unfriendly bits of poison foliage and bugs that, while they shouldn't discourage you from heading out to that gorgeous forest yourselves, kept me from wanting 60 kiddos and their parents to cope with the usual Summer hazards on the trail.

I really love the CCF and encourage you to check it out on your own. You'll be in awe at the history and scenery along the many different routes that take you through those woods.

We ended up this week at a most loved CVK standard - the Main Beach Trail at Seal Bay Nature Park just north of Courtenay.

Which reminds me that I need to do a full, updated post on this great trail. So, look for it to be featured soon as a Sunday Morning Walk.

Huckleberries most definitely dominated the day, as the trails were packed with deliciousness.

Many of us adult types watched on, a bit teary-eyed, as the kiddos munched and wandered and chased each other down to discover the next huckleberry bush popping out of a nurse log.

It was one of those times when you realize the magic of living in the Valley, on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia - when you imagine your kiddos sitting around 20 years from now talking about those Summers in the forest picking huckleberries, skinning their knees, discovering slugs.

Very cool.

Our morning and afternoon walk groups have evolved into their own styles of nature kids and it's always amazing to me to see how the exploration of forests and beaches is wildly different from one moment to the next.

Just the shifts in tide and position of the sun change the way you see and experience things.

The tiny person and I are also finding our groove with these very long Wednesdays - picnicking, managing our time and energy. But, I have to tell you that I shake my head at how much energy that kiddo has. She literally ran (and I mean ran) up and down that big hill leading to the beach four times yesterday and still found herself smiling at the end of the day.

I, on the other hand, could barely make it home with my eyes propped open, and have come a big fan of the sushi dinner and 6 p.m. bedtime seven hours on the trail induces (for both of us).:)

We are exploring a little-known path at the Lazo Marsh next week. With vacations still in full swing, drop-in spots are plentiful. If you'd like to try out the walks or have a couple of hours open next Wednesday, just drop me an e-mail and we'll get you all hooked up. The morning walk is at 10 a.m., the afternoon at 1 p.m.

I know this may not sound like extraordinary news, especially since in, let's say, 98% of the country most people own at least one car, if not several. But here in the city? Not so much. I sold my last car over 10 years ago when I moved here.

And I've been just fine without one. Sure, there have been plenty of times when the freedom a car offers has been a longed for and wished for luxury, but until recently, it just hasn't been possible or necessary. That said, I'm very excited to have that flexibility back in my life. And of course, I've already named him, Oliver, in honor of my favorite episode of the best show on television.

So, you might be asking yourself, "Well gee Ann, what's going on?" Well, you see, there are some changes afoot chez Granny Cart that necessitate the owning of a car. I don't feel 100% comfortable sharing those changes with you yet, but I can say a few things. One: we are not leaving the city, never fear! And two, when everything is all set and done with, I probably won't be able to talk about anything else, so sit tight friends!

The whole buying process was a little fraught. So when the weekend finally rolled around, it was time to take Oliver out for a drive. There are so many interesting places to go when you own a car in New York. We could finally go to Storm King; 500 acres of monumental sculptures and rolling hills. Or, we could head north and take a kayak tour of Bannerman Castle. Or, we could drive to Philadelphia to satisfy that decade-long pretzel craving I've been suffering. Or, we could drive to New Haven to finally figure out what all the fuss is about.

But, we decided not to do any of these things, at least, not at first. Instead, we popped over the Verrazano Bridge and went to Staten Island. Poor Staten Island... It's definitely the most beleaguered borough. To wit, on Monday, one of my co-workers asked me what I'd done on my first weekend as a car owner. I told him where we'd gone, and with a pained look on his face he said, "Ann, don't you realize, most people buy a car to escape Staten Island?"

Well, that might be true, but we had a blast. We went hiking in the Greenbelt, an amazing 2,500 acre park in the middle of the island. No, that's not a typo, two thousand five hundred acres of untouched virgin woods and hills and swamps and ponds with 35 miles of trails (pdf) weaving in and out and up and down smack-dab in the middle (okay, slightly on the periphery) of New York City. That's pretty amazing when you stop to think about it.

I used to have a lot more time in my life to sit around and surf the web looking for cool things to do with my copious free time. And even though those times are long gone, sometimes I'm able to recall a nearly forgotten post, like this one, that I'd filed away in that "maybe, someday" corner of my brain.

We hiked for nearly three hours and never saw another person, and only occasionally was the reality that we were still in New York City forced upon us. If you can't make it to the Catskills or to the Adirondacks, seriously, this is a next best thing. Beautiful, chockablock with nature, quiet, solitary and simply gorgeous, I can't recommend the Greenbelt highly enough. What an under appreciated treasure!

But, that wasn't it. Oh no. Staten Island had much more to offer us than just the woods. After a quick stop to refuel with a slice from a pizza joint in a strip mall that seemed to have not been touched by the passing of time since, oh, they filmed Saturday Night Fever, we went to the beach, because, remember, Staten Island really is an island!

Great Kills is part of the National Park Service's Gateway Recreation Area, which is made up of coastline in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. We only stayed for a few minutes, just long enough for me to pad about in the water and make a cursory pass of beach combing. The sky was threatening rain, and we had to get home with enough time to make dinner and do the laundry. I was sad to leave, but, I have a car now! I can go back anytime I want!

I was craving steak for dinner, but due to a few driving snafus, we didn't make it home before all the neighborhood butchers had closed. So, I had to make do with what was lying around the house. I had some eight-ball squash, two frozen sausages, eggs and olives. Yeah, I could make dinner with that!

I chopped and scooped and sautéed and stuffed and came up with stuffed squash to serve with the minted white cabbage slaw that had been planned for. It was a wonderful dinner, but as often happens, we found that the squash are even better a few days later, as leftovers, with a chopped tomato salad of heirloom tomatoes, basil, garlic and dressed with good balsamic and olive oil spooned over top. This was my dinner last night, and it made me positively hum with delight.

It was a great end to a great day. We were sore and tanned from our adventures and full and happy from our dinner. I don't know what all the fuss is about. I found the other (not Manhattan), other (not Long Island) island to be a quite pleasant place.

So, hang in there Staten Island! You've got at least one friend on the outside.

Head below the jump for the recipes for In-A-Pinch Stuffed Squash & Minted White Cabbage Slaw.

In-A-Pinch Stuffed Squash

prep time: 30 minutes ~ cooking time: 1 hour

• 3 large Eight-Ball Zucchini, washed
• Olive Oil
• Garlic, to taste, minced
• 2 Sweet Fennel Sausage, casing removed
• Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Lemon, juiced or Lemon Juice, about 1 tbsp
• 1 large handful mixed Olives, pits removed and chopped
• Chile Flakes
• Salt
• 2 Eggs

Halve the squash. Set one squash aside. Hollow out the two others, reserving the flesh. Place the four hollowed out squash halves in a baking dish. Chop the reserved squash and squash flesh into bite-sized pieces.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large sautée pan and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant and add the sausage. Cook until browned. Add the squash. Season with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and the lemon juice. Cook until the squash is tender and most of the cooking liquid is gone. Season aggressively with chile flake and a little salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn the heat off.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Crack the two eggs into a bowl and whisk until scrambled. Add the eggs to the squash mixture in the pan and fold in until creamy. Spoon the mixture into the four squash halves and place the baking dish into the preheated oven. Bake 20-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Serve one to each person. Enjoy!

Cook's Note: This recipe would also be delicious with cheese or cream in it. For ultimate flavor, allow the squash to cool and stash them in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat the squash just before serving in the oven then serve with a tangy fresh tomato salad spooned over the top. Enjoy!

Minted White Cabbage Slaw

prep time: 30 minutes ~ cooking time: none!

• 1 head Savoy Cabbage, washed and finely shredded
• 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 tbsp Date Syrup or Honey
• 1 tsp ground Mustard of your choice
• 2 cloves Garlic, very finely minced
• Salt
• Chile Flakes
• 2 Limes
• Lemon Juice
• Sherry Vinegar
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• 1 very large bunch of Mint, washed, picked and chopped

Place the cabbage in a very large bowl.

Add the fennel seeds, coriander, sweetener, garlic, mustard, a pinch of salt, a pinch of chile flake and the juice of the 2 limes in a bowl or glass and stir, whisk or froth to combine. Add an additional glug of lemon juice, a healthy glug of rice wine vinegar and a wee glug of sherry vinegar. Add enough olive oil to make a balanced, tasty emulsified dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste. Pour the dressing over the cabbage at least 30 minutes before you plan to serve the slaw. Turn to coat the cabbage in the dressing and do so every 10 minutes or so. Just before serving add the mint and turn to incorporate. Enjoy!

P.S. This does not keep very well in the fridge so eat it all if you can!

Recipe adapted from Greg & Lucy Malouf's fabulous cookbook, Artichoke To Za'atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food.

For video on hiking to see the flowing lava, please go here.

Halema`uma`u appears laid back but . . .

In contrast to the spectacular incandescent explosions and springtime spatter showers at the Halema`uma`u Overlook in March and April, the eruptive vent at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano seems to have adopted a laid-back summer attitude, with a steady plume rising from a dull glowing hole at the base of the southeast wall of the crater.

The 40-meter-wide (120-feet-wide) opening of this still-fuming chimney provides a partial view into the bright abyss beneath the crater wall that broadcasts the clatter of frequent wall-rock collapses and extends to depths within earshot of splashing and sloshing magma.

During the spring 2008 eruptive period, this hot, gargling vent coughed up an interesting mélange of "pyroclasts" - rocks, dust, and gravel from the collapsed crater floor and conduit walls, mixed with a small portion of bombs, spatter, Pele's hair, and tears that were molten or near-molten when erupted. (The latter fragments are referred to as "juveniles" in volcano parlance because they are first-timers at the earth's surface.)

Pyroclasts can tell us the conditions of their formation. For example, we know that the Pele's hair, tears, pumice, and glassy spatter are identical in composition to the hottest Kīlauea lavas recently erupted along the east rift zone. The composition of the gases from Pu`u `Ō `ō and Halema`uma`u are also similar to each other, showing that, after nearly 25 years of near-continuous volcanic eruption, magma pathways throughout Kīlauea's shallow volcanic edifice are full of new magma from depth.

Subtle clues as to whether the summit eruption will either cease or perhaps become ominously hazardous could be found through further study of the pyroclasts. We have found that a sordid lot of pumice-like glass fragments were, prior to their springtime expulsion from the vent, baked in a fumarole on the sides of the conduit, in a fashion akin to creosote build-up in a stove pipe. Collectively these and similarly recycled material are evidence for subterranean build-up of debris-talus and spatter deposits within the eruption conduit.

Close examination of spatter and large lava droplets (lapilli) reveals dense, relatively cool crystal-mush clots contained within hotter bubbly lava. This is a clear sign that cooler magma was disrupted by hot, effervescing magma prior to eruption.

For the past two months, there has been a scarcity of unquestionably fresh glassy material from Halema`uma`u. The plume is only lightly ash-laden, and newly formed glassy particles that are presently being erupted cannot be readily distinguished from previously erupted material plucked off the ground by strong winds.

Steady summit gas emissions and the small quantity of Pele's hair and tears being erupted indicates that summit magma may have temporarily receded or may no longer be as well-connected to the atmosphere. The Halema`uma`u chimney may be partially sealed by a mix of collapsed wall rocks and choked by recent deposits of lava spatter, pumice, bombs and ash. If magma stops moving within the conduit, it will cool and thicken into a partially molten plug resembling the springtime chunks of relatively cool crystal-mush.

The longer that plug cools, the more likely this recent period of summit activity will slowly come to a close. It is most likely that a balance will persist. A lava plug beneath a subterranean pile of talus and spatter would provide little resistance but plenty of explosion fodder for the next time fresh, hot magma rises beneath the Halema'uma'u Overlook and gas pressure builds up!

Activity update

Kīlauea Volcano continues to be active. A vent in Halema`uma`u Crater is erupting elevated amounts of sulfur dioxide gas and very small amounts of ash. Resulting high concentrations of sulfur dioxide in downwind air have closed the south part of Kīlauea caldera and produced occasional air quality alerts in more distant areas, such as Pahala and communities adjacent to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, during kona wind periods.

Pu`u `Ō`ō continues to produce sulfur dioxide at even higher rates than the vent in Halema`uma`u Crater. Trade winds tend to pool these emissions along the West Hawai`i coast. Kona winds blow these emissions into communities to the north, such as Mountain View, Volcano, and Hilo. Incandescence continues to be observed at night inside Pu`u `Ō`ō and suggests minor activity from vents within the crater. There was a small explosion within the crater that deposited small rocks around the east rim of the cone; seismic and tilt data suggest that this occurred on the evening of July 26.

Lava continues to erupt from fissure D of the July 21, 2007, eruption but no breakouts have been observed in the past week on or above the pali. Lava, however, continues to flow through what remains of Royal Gardens and across the coastal plain to the ocean in a well-established lava tube, active now for several months. Minor-to-moderate explosive activity continues at the Waikupanaha ocean entry, and there have been a few new breakouts immediately inland from the delta. A small (2.5 acre) delta collapse that probably occurred between 5 and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, scattered large rocks up to 100 meters (yards) inland from the collapse scar.

Be aware that lava deltas could collapse at any time, potentially generating large explosions, as happened this past week. This may be especially true during times of rapidly changing lava supply conditions, as have been seen lately. Do not venture onto the lava deltas. Even the intervening beaches are susceptible to large waves generated during delta collapse; avoid these beaches. In addition, steam plumes rising from ocean entries are highly acidic and laced with glass particles. Check Civil Defense Web site (http://www.lavainfo.us) or call 961-8093 for viewing hours.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Three earthquakes were located beneath the summit this past week. Continuing extension between locations spanning the summit indicates slow inflation of the volcano.

Two earthquakes beneath Hawai`i Island were reported felt within the past week. A magnitude-2.4 earthquake occurred at 00:55 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, 2008, H.s.t., and was located 2 km (1 mile) southwest of Kilauea summit at a depth of 2 km (1 mile). A magnitude-2.7 earthquake occurred at 12:20 p.m. on Monday, July 28, and was located 7 km (4 miles) southeast of Ho`okena at a depth of 14 km (9 miles).

Visit our Web site (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for daily Kīlauea eruption updates, a summary of volcanic events over the past year, and nearly real-time Hawai`i earthquake information. Kīlauea daily update summaries are also available by phone at (808) 967-8862. Questions can be emailed to askHVO@usgs.gov.

For more information on visiting Hawaii in general, or touring the Big Island in particular, please visit www.tourguidehawaii.com and www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

6:45 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Free Sunset Yoga
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Anne Loftus Playground
Category: Athletic Events, Free, General Events

8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Nighttime Nature Walk with Mike Feller
Location: Inwood Hill Park, Meet at the flagpole at the Corner of Seaman Avenue and Isham Street
Category: Free, General Events, Nature, Tours

Thursday, August 7, 2008

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Fitness Walking Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Athletic Events, Free

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Alpine Garden Tours with the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Meet at the main entrance to the Cloisters
Category: Free, General Events, Nature, Tours

6:45 p.m.–11:45 p.m.
Summer Sprints: Free Evening Mountain Bike Race Series
Location: Highbridge Park, Start at Corner of Dyckman Street and the Harlem River Drive
Category: Athletic Events, Free, General Events

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Friday, August 8, 2008

7:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Saturday, August 9, 2008

8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Inwood Nature Walk with Mike Feller
Location: Inwood Hill Park, enter at 218 Street and Indian Road. Meet on the small bridge on the east side of the salt marsh. Category: Free, General Events, Nature, Tours

8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Saturday Fitness Walking Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Athletic Events, Free

10:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Free Introduction to Rowing
Location: Sherman Creek Wetlands, at Dyckman Street and the Harlem River Drive
Category: Athletic Events, Free, Kids

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Sunday, August 10, 2008

1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Highbridge Water Tower Tours with the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Highbridge Park enter at 174 Street and walk east to tower terrace
Category: Free, General Events, Tours

1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Fort Tryon Park Garden Walking Tours
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Free, General Events, Nature, Tours

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events, Must See Events

Monday, August 11, 2008

7:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Fitness Walking Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Athletic Events, Free

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

7:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

6:45 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Free Sunset Yoga
Location: Anne Loftus Playground, Manhattan
Category: Athletic Events, Free, General Events

7:00 p.m.
CityParks Concerts: Toby Love and DJ Lobo
Location: Highbridge Park, enter at 174 Street & Amsterdam Avnue
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free

Thursday, August 14, 2008

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Fitness Walking Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Athletic Events, Free

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Alpine Garden Tours with the Urban Park Rangers
Location: Fort Tryon Park Zone 4, Manhattan
Category: Free, General Events, Nature, Tours

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Friday, August 15, 2008

7:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Saturday, August 16, 2008

8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Saturday Fitness Walking Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Athletic Events, Free

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Electronics Recycling Days
Recycling Days: Saturday, August 16 & Sunday, August 17, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Lt William Tighe Triangle, Manhattan
Category: Free, Volunteer Events

10:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Sunday, August 17, 2008

1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Fort Tryon Park Garden Walking Tours
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Free, General Events, Nature, Tours

8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Gorilla Repertory Theater Company: Hamlet
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Lawn
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free, General Events

Monday, August 18, 2008

7:00 a.m.
Bally’s Free Spanish Fitness Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Dongan Lawn enter the park at Broadway & Dongan Place
Category: Athletic Events, Free

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Fitness Walking Program
Location: Fort Tryon Park, Entrance to Heather Garden
Category: Athletic Events, Free

7:00 p.m.
CityParks Concerts:Shino Aguakate & DJ Lobo
Location: Highbridge Park, enter at 174 Street & Amsterdam Avnue
Category: The Arts, Cultural, Free

Bud Geitner Rotary Park - Hickory, NC

Bartow-Pell mansion is tucked away. Driving around Pelham Bay Park (New York's largest park) you could miss the entrance to this quiet Shangri-la. There's an unassuming gate overshadowed by the surrounding woods to indicate by gone era grace is just down the driveway. Once you park the car and silence the engine all you can hear are cicadas and the quiet chatter of blue haired tour bus goers.

The manse is masculine in its meticulous stone construction. The small gardens beyond the solarium pleasing but in no way ostentatious. The interior is classic center hall federal design and it contains the usual assortment of antiques, wide plank floors and paintings of fox hunts and portraits of forgettable notables.

The Observer likes to swing a club. The Observer likes history. The Observer likes a cooling swim. If you're like The Observer he can suggest a fantastic way to spend a Sunday. Walk the mansion's grounds. Cross the street and play 18 holes at the Split Rock Golf Course. Nip down to Pelham Bay Park's Orchard Beach and cool off in Long Island Sound.

Good times.

A home's location can be as vital as the house itself. Checking out the rental community or mobile homes parks should be as important to you and your family as making sure there are enough bedrooms and seeing that the house is safe. Aside from finding out the distance to work and shopping centers, drive around the neighborhood to get a feel for the area.

Before making any concrete plans, be sure to talk to the mobile park's manager or owner for the information that you require. Often, whether a park is secure, safe and clean depends largely on the manager. Responses to questions and reservations you may have should give you a good ideas about his dedication to doing his job. Contact the local police and find out how often they visit the area, and ask what their opinion is about the community. Be certain that you also discuss your concerns and questions about the manager and the area with other residents in the park. This is where you're considering bringing your family to live. Do your homework, ask questions, but always trust your instincts.

Mobile home parks' appeal is expanding. As with nearly any community, these parks can have people from all walks of life. Use the knowledge that you receive from doing community research to make your final and more educated decision about the place you are thinking of moving.

The ban will form the next phase of the municipality's smoking regulation enforcement, which has covered hotels, restaurants and cafes, malls and sports halls to date, reported UAE daily Gulf News on Tuesday.

Smoking in public parks will now be banned because of the many family areas, including children's playgrounds, swimming pools and beaches.

Ahmad Al Shammari, acting director of the Public Health Department said malls should have indoor areas for smokers to prevent shoppers having to walk through smoke to enter a shopping centre.

BurJuman Centre has an indoor smoking room on the third floor, while malls such as Ibn Battuta and Mall of the Emirates have provided smoking areas outside entrances and exits. Smoking in undesignated areas of shopping malls carries a 1,000 dirham fine for individuals.

To date, no individual smokers have been fined, while around 25 restaurants and cafes have been penalised

Brought to you by Danielle Hoffman / Christine Nadonza, Reuters.

I know how they feel. The other day an older gentleman on the No. 2 train must have noticed my desperation, because he nodded in my direction to get my attention. “You know how hot it is?” he asked me, quoting an old Johnny Carson routine. “I saw a dog chasing a cat, and they were both walking.”

When I was growing up in New York, this phenomenon was mostly hidden from me. Every summer I was shipped off to a camp in Maine, where each camper was provided with not one but two heavy woolen blankets because at night the temperature dropped into the 40s.

The lake was freezing, and the cruelest injustice, I remember thinking at the time, was that we were forced to go swimming twice a day — once for instruction, and once for free swim, when at the minimum you had to jump in and get your hair wet. (We were somewhat consoled by the fact that we were required to shower only every other day.)

If you swam naked before breakfast every morning for a week, you were granted membership in the esteemed polar bear club, and received a special patch to be sewn onto your jacket. The patch was a picture of a polar bear standing on a glacier. So the idea of an infernal New York summer was an abstraction to me, a fanciful story I read about in letters from my parents, “Hot as hell again” being the familiar refrain.

I haven’t been to camp since 2000, when I was a counselor. But every year, from the last week of June until the last week of August, I still can’t help feeling like the kid stuck in detention while everyone else is out at recess.

If only my boss would order me, twice a day, to get up from my desk, drop everything, and go swimming in a freezing lake. “You don’t have to stay in for the whole swim period,” he’d say, “but we’d appreciate it if, at the very least, you got your hair wet.”

“Sir,” I would reply, “I’m a team player. If this is what best serves the organization, I can assure you I will stay in for the entire duration of the swim period.”

•

It took eight years, but this summer I finally decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and try to find a cure for the summer sickness. New York may not have freshwater lakes, but it does support an institution as hallowed and cherished as the summer camp: the public swimming pool, often cited as the refuge for those who can’t — or won’t — leave the city over the summer.

It’s one of New York’s few enticements this time of year, especially when life at the city’s public beaches is dominated by reports of drownings and jellyfish infestation.

The public pools open on June 27 — the same day I used to board the bus to Maine — and represent a civic legacy that dates to 1911, when the city’s first outdoor pool was built in Coney Island. Today there are 54 outdoor pools, and it’s likely that wherever you live in New York, you’re not far from one of them.

I didn’t expect to be able to visit all 54, but I hoped at least to go down trying. I was already familiar with the pool nearest to my Cobble Hill apartment, the Red Hook Pool, one of 11 Roman-scale swimming complexes built by the federal Works Progress Administration, and overseen by Robert Moses, then the city’s parks commissioner.

Red Hook’s pool is roughly the size of a football field. It has the benefit of being next to Red Hook Park, where, on Sundays, street vendors sell bags of mango mixed with hot pepper, salt and lime juice, along with homemade pupusas, arepas and, for those brave enough to eat it in the severe heat, ceviche.

But I wanted to move on to unfamiliar waters. Each public pool, after all, has its own eccentricities, and not just those tied to the life of its neighborhood. The pool in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, for instance, operates under a single rule of paramount importance, one that is painted repeatedly on the ground around the pool: “No Diving.” More than a dozen lifeguards are charged with enforcing this directive.

Some of them sit lookout in their lifeguard chairs, like guards atop a prison watchtower, while others patrol the pool’s perimeter. Whenever they spot a transgressor — something that occurs several times a minute — they blow their whistles and point to the perpetrator until he or she climbs out of the water and slinks back to the bleachers that surround the pool.

Also on pool patrol are two city police officers, both carrying guns. When someone is caught diving a second time, an officer escorts him through the locker room and out of the facility altogether. The condemned swimmer is left to stand alone on the sidewalk, soaking wet and separated from his friends.

On a recent Friday afternoon, the pool was mobbed with several hundred students from nearby public schools: Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn International and Lillian Rashkis. The girls were dressed in bikinis, the boys in shin-length trunks.

Some of the teenagers swam, though most of them sat in cliques on the bleachers. There being just the one rule — “No Diving” — there was just one game to play, namely, “Dive Into the Swimming Pool as Many Times as Possible.”

Before long the teenagers had devised a strategy that baffled even the most vigilant of the lifeguards (who, in all fairness, were high school students themselves). With a wild war whoop, several kids broke from the bleachers; spontaneously, hundreds of kids rose and sprinted across the concrete, swarming from all sides, somersaulting and back-flipping and spread-eagle-diving into the pool.

It looked like a cockeyed version of the invasion of Normandy, only in reverse, with the troops racing into the water rather than out of it. The lifeguards could only watch helplessly, their whistles fixed in their mouths, their cheeks red and puffed from blowing.

The police officers expelled several scapegoats, and order was soon restored. But every 15 minutes or so, out of nowhere, another full-scale invasion took place. After the fifth time, park security shut down the pool entirely.

“We won’t let the teenagers in from now on,” one security guard explained. “They’ll just have to take their nonsense on to the next pool. We got families trying to swim here with their kids.”

•

I next took my nonsense to the Hamilton Fish Pool on Houston and Pitt Streets on the Lower East Side, another of the W.P.A. pools. There I met two people who shared my public pool obsession.

Marco Lorenzetto is a 24-year-old Italian from Faenza who, aided by the plummeting dollar, is taking a yearlong vacation in New York, his goal being to improve his English. He can’t practice English at the swimming pool, but he has been driven there by the heat.

“I love summer,” Mr. Lorenzetto said. “But in the middle of the day, walking down the street, I want to kill myself.”

A competitive swimmer as a child, Mr. Lorenzetto does laps at Hamilton Fish most weekday mornings, a feat that is difficult to imagine on the weekends, when it is impossible to take a single crawl stroke without swimming into someone else’s chest.

But the heat is not the only reason to go to the pools.

“I can’t work, so I come here,” said Marie Lipp, 24, another Hamilton Fish regular. Originally from Nancy, France, Ms. Lipp has just married her American boyfriend, but must wait three months until she is granted a work visa. She figures she might as well wait poolside.

“In New York, everyone has their own crowd, their own group that they hang out with,” she said. “I like to observe the other people with whom I share the city, especially the mommies and the babies. There’s so much life here.”

•

Three o’clock is a sorry hour for the city’s public swimmers, as most of the pools close then so that the staff can have lunch and the pool can be cleaned. Exiled, the swimmers stand aimlessly on the sidewalk, damp and at a loss; the transition from an aquatic wonderland to, say, Avenue C can be disorienting. It was in such a befuddled state that I decided to make my way to the Tony Dapolito Pool on Seventh Avenue and Clarkson Street in the West Village.

Yet walking past Tompkins Square Park, I noticed, tucked behind the basketball court, an elevated pool. A chain hung on the entry gate, but there was no lock, so I slipped inside.

I was about to jump into the water when a lifeguard called out to me. He explained that it was closed until 4 and, furthermore, that the pool, which was only 3 feet deep and 40 feet long, was in fact a minipool reserved for very young children and their nannies.

The look of abjection on my face may have made him reconsider, because he granted me 10 minutes of pool frolicking. When I finally boarded the cross-town M14, wearing just my bathing suit and flip-flops, a young boy screamed and told me to put on my shirt. I’m pretty sure he was jealous.

I wasn’t the only one visiting pools outside my own neighborhood that day. Alejandra Aguilera and her two children, 12 and 14, regularly travel from Ozone Park, Queens, to Tony Dapolito, which features a nine-foot-deep diving pool (the most popular type of dive being the cannonball). Next door to the pool is the Hudson Park Branch Library, where Ms. Aguilera’s children read books after their swim.

“The environment is perfect for my children, the water is clean, and the transportation is good,” Ms. Aguilera explained. The trip to the pool from her neighborhood takes an hour on the A train, but in Mexico City, where she’s from, she had to take a four-hour bus trip just to get to what she described as a “dirty beach.”

•

One man standing next to the pool seemed uncomfortable in his new forest green bathing suit, and peered into the water with trepidation. “I don’t like cold water,” said Richard Sasso, 49. “I’m not in any hurry to get in.”

It was his first visit to a public pool, even though he has lived in New York his whole life and at one point even worked for the Department of Parks and Recreation. When he was a child, the fuse box in his family’s apartment didn’t supply enough energy to run an air-conditioner, but he never considered going swimming. “We just suffered,” he said. “We stayed as still as possible, and we bore it.”

This year, however, the heat and the noises of summer finally got to him. “Children are home from school and they don’t have homework, so they play loud music,” he said. “All day, all you hear is boom boom boom.”

I wondered why he had decided to come to the pool, of all places, since it was filled with hundreds of young people, screaming and running and tossing one another in the water, not to mention the continuous whistling of the lifeguards.

“I don’t mind it if the sound affects the whole neighborhood,” Mr. Sasso said. “I just don’t like it reverberating around the walls of my apartment. It’s different here. We’re all sharing in it.”

Thirty minutes later, Mr. Sasso was still standing in the same spot. “I think this water’s only around 75 degrees,” he said. “I prefer it to be in the 90s, or at least the mid-80s.”

He promised he would get in eventually, but I couldn’t stay long enough to find out. I had just received a call from some friends, who, as it turned out, had spent the day at the majestic Astoria Pool, one of the city’s largest public pools, perched on the Queens side of the East River.

We decided to meet at a pool at an intermediate location, but we couldn’t agree on which one. Should we head to Asser Levy in Kips Bay? John Jay at 77th and York? Perhaps the Metropolitan indoor pool in Williamsburg would be a nice change of pace. There were so many pools to visit, and we began to worry that, before we knew it, the summer would be over.

By NATHANIEL RICH

New York Times

There were several groups of New Jersey crabbers at Pier A Park this morning, all hoping to take home baskets and coolers full of the Hudson River's blue crabs.

Crabbing season starts in June and if the weather stay warm, goes through October or November, they said, adding that, on a good day, they can haul back three or four dozen crabs.

To catch a blue crab, the crabbers use a four-door cage with a piece of chicken or fish inside as bait. They toss the cage into the water (the doors lower) and tie the cage to the pier's railing with string. When they pull the cage up and out of the water, the doors close, trapping whatever might be inside.

Lysa Chen/Hoboken NowHere's what a cage looks like. When it's being pulled out of the water, the cage's doors lift up. No crab this time.

"And then it's just luck," one crabber said.

Annette Beauvais of Lodi in Bergen County said she's here every Sunday from 6 a.m. to noon. By 11 a.m. this morning, she'd already caught about 20 blue crabs.

And what is their fate? They are all going back to Lodi to get bagged and frozen, Beauvais explained as she poured water into the basket of crabs to keep them happy and wet. (Enjoy it while it lasts.)

"We bake ours; we don't boil," Beauvais added.

by Lysa

Hoboken Now

I remember driving across this old 9th street bridge when I was younger. Now it is for foot and bike traffic only. This bridge has been serving Boise in one form or another for almost 100 years.

For an interesting day of driving, head north out of Kona on Hwy. 19. About 4 miles out of town we come across the Kaloko-Honokohau Historic Park. There is a new visitor center giving info on the significance of this area to ancient Hawaiians. Tour Guide has an extensive narration about this area. The adjacent Honokohau small boat harbor is an excellent spot to find hiking trails, beaches, snorkeling, whale watching and deep sea fishing.

Kaloko-Honokahau National Historic Park is an amazing place, containing an immense wilderness beach on the fringe of the Kailua Kona Metropolitan area, which features bathing springs, hiking trails, ancient villages, good snorkeling and better surfing. For a video about the park, go here.

Continue driving north past the Kona International Airport, you will be viewing lava fields dating back to 1802. Another 10 minutes brings you to the turn off for the Hualalai resorts. The Kona Village and Four Seasons resorts are surrounded by the beautiful Hualalai Golf Course, home of the PGA MasterCard Championship. Tour Guide lists every golf course on the Big Island. This whole resort area was built to be nearly invisible from the hwy.

After the Hualali Resorts, there is about 20 minutes of driving to reach the Waikoloa resorts. Tour Guide will you give info on some secluded beaches along the way. For most of these you will have to park on the hwy and hike to the shore. Since these beaches are so secluded, there will be no facilities. My favorite of these is Kua Bay. Here there is parking near the beach, restrooms and water available, but no shade. Since there is no sign on the hwy, Tour Guide will tell you where to turn to find this family friendly beach park.

Super tip: Hawaii is much closer to the equator than you may be used to. Even when it’s cloudy, the sun will burn the skin quickly. Your friendly staff at Tour Guide recommends you use sunscreen liberally and re-apply often, especially after swimming, snorkeling or hiking.

Next, as we head north, is the Waikoloa Beach Resorts. This beautiful resort area is cut right out of the jagged lava rock. It boasts the Marriott and Hilton Waikoloa which have shops and fabulous dining. Many coupons and much 9information of the restaurants and shops in this are can be found in two Big Island magazines, here and here. Hilton Grand Vacations operates a huge timeshare resort here and there are numerous condos all centered around two championship golf courses. Tour Guide will give turn-by-turn directions to the resorts and golf courses in this area.

The King’s Shops and Queen’s Marketplace, on Waikoloa Beach Drive, offers mid to high end shopping with some famous brand name stores. If an ultimate dining experience is what you’re after, world famous chef’s whip up their culinary delights to tempt your palate. There is also a food court for more casual dining. Tour Guide will take you to all of this, plus family activities like sun bathing, swimming, snorkeling, wind surfing and dinner cruises, focused around the most photographed sunset spot on the island, Anaeho’omalu Bay.

For more information on visiting Hawaii in general and touring the Big Island in particular, go to www.tourguidehawaii.com and here.

Believe it or not, I took the above picture last week. The toque and heavy rain jacket made me shudder when I pulled them out of the closet - very much not ready for cold, rainy weather to return.

Here's a bit of what's happening around the region this week:

- Check out the last day of the Filberg Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Filberg Park in Comox. With entertainment, art and good times for all ages, this is a great way to wrap up the long weekend. Tickets are $15 for adults and kids 12 and under are free.

- The Third Annual Comox Photo Fest is this week at the Comox branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and Pearl Ellis Gallery in downtown Comox. The show and sale is August 9 and 10 and admission is FREE.

- Here's the Activate The Arts schedule for this week. Programs run daily in the courtyard of the Comox Valley Art Gallery in downtown Courtenay:
Activate the Arts at CVAG plaza!
12Noon – 3pm, free admission, come by and see or participate!
If you are in the downtown area, come by and enjoy your lunch on one of our lovely benches and take in some art, music & creativity!

Activate the Arts seeks to engage the community (that’s you!) with creative people and the creative people would love to meet you and chat about their work, get your feedback, or have you join in and have some fun. CVAG sets up a tent for shade and you can also come inside to enjoy the climate controlled exhibitions.

Wed August 6: Diane Knight, painting; Helen Austin and daughter Daisy, musicians
Fri August 8: Dorothy Jarvis, painting and showing works
Sat August 9: Alan Jossul & Leslie Eaton, musicians will do a Finger Guitar workshop – FREE of charge!
Mon August 11: Erik Eriksson, musician (keyboard and vocals)
Tue August 12: Shelly Combs, painting
Fri August 15: Christina Duncan, violin; Judy and Bruce Wing, singers / songwriters

- The Campbell River Museum is hosting Puppet Theatre every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. through August. The cost is $2 per person and FREE for kiddos under 2. This fun historical presentation is a great way to introduce young kiddos to local history and plug them into the museum.

- The Parksville Beach Festival Canadian Open Sand Sculpting competition is this weekend (August 7-10) at the Community Park off of the Old Island Highway in Parksville. This is one SERIOUSLY good time and it is AMAZING to watch these artists at work. The building gets started Thursday with judging throughout the weekend. Then, August is Beach Festival Month with the sculptures on display from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily until Sept. 1 and beach good times. So, head out. But, prepare for the crowds!

The Eclectic Ride Presents A Live Musicial Tribute to the Originators Stevie Wonder & Prince. For one night only, Eclectic Ride is leaving downtown and coming uptown to Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. Bringing a reputation for ultimate musical exploration, Eclectic Ride will salute two of music’s greatest artists: Stevie Wonder and Prince. Join “ER” for a night of true inspiration as hosts, Forrest Renaissance and friends illuminate Marcus Garvey Park with a brilliant array of special guest musicians, vocalists, and dancers who will honor the work of these masters.
DJ EVIL DEE spinning the classiquest of classics!!!!

some of the confirmed artists include:
Maiysha
Alia Marie
Shaliek Rivers
Chanj
TL Cross
Kimberly Nichole
Raye 6

and some VERY SPECIAL GUESTS!

plus..
Nate Jones on Bass
Sharief in Burgundy on Guitar
Leron Thomas on Trumpet

The Fountain is a historical restaurant in the city park in Olomouc. It was founded in the 19th century and it used to be a good place to sit and have coffee while strolling down the parks: it has been closed for years. Somebody is said to have been reconstructing it, but so far you can only see a surveillance camera (top right) and little or no activity around. Given the numbers of young families, couples, or pensioners that you can see in the park on a nice day, it is a surprise that nobody has been making money on them already.

Well, to tell the truth, one of the reasons might be the rigid Office for Landmark Protection. These people won't object if a building is kept in THIS condition, but they will start yelling if you paint it red, or any color they do not find appropriate...

I love it here, but I'd hate it if it were in SimCity.  I will have an uninterrupted grid pattern!  My current city is perfect, and it even makes frequent use of those trains with which my Sims have some strange infatuation.  SimCity 3000 Unlimited's Asian building set really makes my city much more impressive, too.  This means things are taller and shinier, which is what really matters.  SimCity 4, on the other hand, will not let control freaks (the only people playing this series) place their own side-roads.  You have to be tricky with the zoning to fool the computer into putting things where you want them.  Also, it is too complicated.  This is why I cannot be bothered finding out who I am lending my copy to, and then reclaiming it.

My bicycle has had a full servicing from a friend of mine who has an intimate knowledge of bicycles bordering on the concerning.  I hope I will remember how to do everything.  He assures me that stores would charge about $60 for that, and I assured him that the Mi Goreng he got in return was worth that. =)
Aligned brakes and an oiled drive chain mean that my bicycle is now like a ninja - silent.  But less deadly, as the brakes are no longer fail.  "Fail" is an adjective, if you missed that.  It does of course make that quiet clicky noise (not unlike power lines on a humid day) when I'm not pedalling.
I have neglected it for years, but there is no damage, apart from inconsequential corrosion from riding on the beach.  It's still a good bike, except for the shock absorbers, which will not accept the ring thingies.  This could mean any number of things, but do not fret.  Explanations are a courtesy that you must earn, but you can be assured that this one is not important.

I have new boots, in which I can wriggle my toes.  This is a plus.  I like being able to do that.
There is nothing like new footwear to remind you that your feet are different sizes. Any sneakers which I've worn for years have been trained (like bonsai) to fit perfectly.  Also, ankle support.

It is very easy to think (or be distracted) while looking at a waterfall, so I spent about 45 minutes sitting in that park, watching the water.
Also, ducks are cute.

I think that is all.  No, I don't need to use segues.

A mystery object, large and perplexing! I'm not sure what this is.  It could be a cog - and the only things large enough to take that would be the epic-scaled mining mechs and hydroelectric dams.
On the other hand, it could be a pier for a bridge. A segment of a pier, that is.  And by pier, I mean massive column rather than jetty.

If you know what it is, or have a source, do share it.