Good News, Bad News - Congrats, Des Moines!

Of course, the real point is Spokane's catapult into the top 10. Forbes magazine ranks our fair city # 9 in its yearly Best Places for Business and Careers. We've always been known as the biggest city between Minneapolis and Seattle. The good news is more people will take notice - the bad news is more people will take notice :) We don't have RAGBRAI but we do have a nice river plus riding trails.

You'll need to visit to discover the real secrets. Hint: mostly it centers around driving less than an hour in any direction! Let me know and we'll have a grand time. You can all stay at my house - only rule is we don't talk business!

Here's how the top 10 rolls out:

Raleigh NC
Boise ID
Fort Collins CO
Des Moines IA
Lexington KY
Atlanta GA
Richmond VA
Olympia WA
Spokane WA
Knoxville TN

It sure gets late early

Darn time change...here it is - the day after Election 2007 - and all I'm thinking about is how dark it gets. For right now, too dark to ride...

...and I miss it already!!!

Surely, I could find a light bright enough to break through the early nightfall...but have you noticed how crazy automobile drivers have become? Its dangerous out there. Plus the 24 degree morning last week just about knocked me out. So I'm taking the bus to and from this diversion called "work".

I set out this year to ride more than last. Why? Because - its a bike thing. Here's a quote from Rhea's Boomer Chronicles -

Why is biking so important? It addresses some of the most important issues of the day: reducing car exhaust, reducing our reliance on cars and other fuel-guzzling vehicles, curbing obesity, and economics (it’s cheap to operate a bike as opposed to a car)

This I can say...I'm cheap. I rode into November. Barely, but I did it! This season I logged just over 3100 miles on Stella Blue - my trustworthy vehicle of choice. And I feel better for it. Now its onto the trainer...at least thats the plan.

To break this minor dip into "post cycle season" depression, I've found a couple great cycling sites. 1 less car has some groovy t-shirts and other fun stuff and is based in Chicago. Cycling Spokane is written by a local cycling enthusiast, John Speare - he rides everywhere. John might suggest I continue riding through the winter...and he might be right. My excuse would be I'm a virgin. Plus my body is saying "take a break" and I'm listening for a change. Fancy that! Through cyclingspokane, I discovered a rider - David Blaine - who is training to ride the Continental Divide in 2008 - that's 2500 miles! This is a self-supported race that begins in Roosville, Montana and ends in Texas or Mexico near as I can tell. The record is 16 days and change. I'm glad I ride and not race...

Spokane River

A year of the Spokane River at Monroe Street

This is the mighty river that runs through my town. Its an everyday view on my afternoon walk. Click the image to view it in Picasa. I've set the slide show sequentially beginning with May 2006 and ending with April 2007. I only wish the roar could crush your ears like it does mine. Who knows? The way technology explodes it may already be possible. I just haven't found out how to do it.

This is the initial spot of generating electricity for a town on the brink of 300, 000 residents - or so I understand.

I took 2 photos each month for a year and recorded the flow in cubic feet per second. Tried to get close to the same angle but as you can see - it wasn't always successful. Remembering from one hour to the next is challenging enough - but month to month?!?! Memory...what a concept :) Thats just one difference between me and a professional photographer. Its my first attempt at showing "home" photos on One Reader. I tried music a little while ago. It didn't work all that well. But don't think I'm giving up on that one :) Why NOT bite off more than you can chew?