Spring 2011: Forest Hill Park

First day of Spring, and its about time. Winter in Richmond was not all that bad-certainly a big improvement over last winter (which was frankly pretty bad) but glad to see Spring here at last. It is a great and favorite time of year, and have enjoyed seeing the trees in bloom (mostly I believe Bradford Pears and Dogwoods here in Richmond). Nice to enjoy the season and to relax with a Sunday morning walk in Forest Hill Park. One of the oldest parks in Richmond I believe, and a real jewel. It has had a lot of work done to it in the last year or so, and a great many improvements have been made to this park. Seemed like a good place to walk on this day.
Walking at Forest Hill can be a good adventure. It features some steep climbs, but this is a good thing for a work out. Some people get gym memberships, but I enjoy a good walk outside in the air. There were a lot of people out, though being early not as many as I often see there walking, riding bikes, jogging, playing with dogs, and just generally doing the same thing I was. Got a lot of "hello there" greetings. I am always impressed on how friendly Richmond people are, and that is a nice thing on a Sunday morning, first day of Spring day. Perfect blue skies and a quiet urban park, it does not get any better than this. Have been getting over some kind of cold bug that has been going around work, so felt good for the first day in quite a few days to feel like getting out. Work has been a bear this week with that, so fits that the first day of spring I would feel good and be ready to get a good walk in among the beauty to be found there. I like a lot of parks in Richmond, which is blessed with some fine ones, but this in my opinion is the best of the best in the city.

Forest Hill Park has a trail which runs along a creek by the lake, and its really nice. Got a lot of big rocks there, and there are a lot of bicyclists who ride that trail (and a few of them went by me). I am not one of those people who dislike bicyclists; in fact I think its a great and very smart way both to get a workout in, and to commute (if possible for that matter). Though my favorite two wheel way to go ride now has a engine and Kawasaki on the side, I remember riding a few years ago, and have given some though to getting back into it again. Especially with the price of gasoline and the impact of those vehicles on the environment it sounds better and better. Very interested in electric bicycles but I am rambling here; that is for another post. Got to check out that electric Leaf last week (previous post) and that really has me thinking about the future. Going to a place like Forest Hill Park, you realize what a special and fragile thing this world really is; nothing at all like it at least in this solar system- and its the only game we have. If we mess this up, we are pretty well screwed.
View here is the restored and very beautiful lake at Forest Hill Park. I like going by there, watched a guy for a time playing with his dog in the lake. He would throw a stick, and the dog would catch it. He and the dog were having a blast, I like to play with my dogs in North Carolina, and look forward to doing that again very soon.
Was nice being out. Got my mind off of problems with the "gas billing company" at the apartment complex NWP Services Corporation. Weather has been warm (for winter) and I have not run the heat, but someone has and I got a bill for the "heat" this month. Pisses me off knowing I have not used it, and getting ripped off by the corporation. For the apartment complex it is easier for them, for the residents it often means questionable bills. Not meter reading, just "you owe this." My advice is that if you find when renting apartments that they use a "service" such as NWP Services Corporation run...don't walk...out the door and find another place to live. You will be glad you did.

Concord Views and The Brewery

Nice weekend in Concord; beautiful time of year with the trees turning white in that sort of magical way they do; sort of like they all get a sudden signal. From bare trees to blazing white overnight, its a very cool thing and a real sign of spring (which comes Sunday March 20). This was taken on the 13th, took my dogs for a walk in the neighborhood. It is fun strolling with border collies, and they really enjoy getting out and wandering the streets, woofing at other dogs, and smelling all the things that dogs find interesting on the ground. I would like to think they also enjoy the scenery, but can't be sure of that. Nonetheless, we had a great time.
Nice view of my motorcycle at the Vulcan Materials Quarry which is located near the Concord Regional Airport. Since it is a Kawasaki Vulcan, liked the sign there as well. Have taken that motorcycle on many great adventures and that is my favorite way to explore the Carolinas. I have been to a lot of different parts of the state though with the current working in Richmond situation the rides have been a lot shorter due to the fact my time in the state is a lot shorter. I do enjoy a few hours though on an occasional weekend in North Carolina, and always look forward to the next visit. It is a great place to ride and you see a lot of motorcycles on the roads.
Photo at left is Concord Mills (actually that is the food court). I have read that it is North Carolina's #1 tourist attraction which in a way is sort of sad, but its an interesting place for sure. It is BIG mall, with a whole lot of stores, and in fact there a a number of smaller strip malls around it. I can remember when Concord was this very sleepy little town, but this really put it on the map (well that and the Charlotte Motor Speedway which is just up the road. I don't go by there very often (went for the Nissan Leaf display which was the subject of my previous post) but do enjoy wandering around from time to time. It is laid out something like a racetrack...very interesting.
Final photo is not in Concord, but rather is the Red Oak Brewery which I believe is in Gibsonville, NC; sort of between Greensboro, NC and Burlington, NC. Took this photo on the way back to Richmond on March 14. Front of the brewery is glass and you can see the big tanks where they make the beer. Have not made a stop there yet on the way home (or to Richmond) but its in the future plans. Often I will make a stop at places of interest along the way; have been in Durham, NC, stopped at Tanger Outlet on the way to Concord this last trip..been a few other places I have checked out. Sometimes its a nice break to just see what is out there along the road. There are a lot of interesting places between Concord and Richmond, as well as many places in those areas.

Nissan Leaf Tour

During a motorcycle ride on March 13, went by Concord Mills to see the Nissan Leaf. They had a big event there, with a number of displays and even allowed test drives of the cars. The Leaf is all electric; it has a 90 mph top speed, and a 100 mile range before it needs to be recharged. The car is seen here (the flipped up part in the front of the car is where the car is recharged). Depending on the charger that time can range from "a few" to "around" 8 hours. That is the current drawback of all electric cars though I believe development will continue on these vehicles. In fact other companies are working on other variations of these cars as well as motorcycles.
The engine compartment is seen here. To be honest, if you did not know would be hard to tell this has an electric motor. Current cars have so many covers and protective housings that it is hard to tell what is under the hood at times. I happen to drive a Nissan (it is a Versa) and really can't get a good look at that motor either. What was interesting about it was the lack of a tailpipe and the lack of noise as it went down the road. Being used to internal combustion engines, it is a real change. Course there is a lot of maintenance that does NOT come with these cars; no tune ups, oil changes and a lot of other problems with motors. Electric engines tend to be pretty reliable.
Again the dash is really basic, and looks like the typical small car. Roomy in a small car way; the Leaf had a really good sound system. Braking the car at stops also puts power into the battery. The car would be a great commuter car with its range; for people who drive less than 100 miles at a day, or at work who would have access to chargers for the car, could save a ton of money on fuel. It had the typical fit and finish we all have come to expect from the Japanese; I found it to be a nice little small car. The one problem with it now is the price is very high as production is limited. If it catches on, I expect the price will fall, though there is a Federal Tax Credit to kind of cushion the cost a bit.
This is a look at the Leaf battery pack. That is also a matter of interest, not sure how long the batteries will last; over time most batteries tend to lose the ability to recharge/hold a charge. Also some question about how it will work in cold or very hot weather, but the car has been extensively tested. Nissan thinks a lot of it, and the tour brought a lot of people and cars to Concord Mills, and there was even early on a Sunday morning a lot of interest in seeing this modern version of the old idea of the electric car. It will be an interesting story to follow in the months and years to come. I believe we will see more electric vehicles not fewer.
This is a look at a charging station. With oil getting both harder and much more expensive to find, and as we have found in the last few weeks, very subject to rapid price rises due to events such as the problems in the Arab countries, and the disaster in Japan (and my heart goes out to the Japanese people in this time of trouble for them) such vehicles are on the way to being a viable alternative. Range and cost are issues now, but with development and more production, that could change, and will. It will be some time before they become a great alternative for the mass of people, but there are some interesting concepts and new ideas under development. Chevy's Volt will have both electric power from batteries and a gasoline engine generator to extend its range to virtually unlimited distances. As I have noted there are also a number of electric motorcycles out there which are doing some surprising things. Some of those vehicles have reached some amazing speeds..the idea that these are golf carts could not be more wrong. I will watch this developing industry with interest.
The ride took me to a number of places, and I will have some more photos in my next update from the March 13 ride. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Picasso Exhibit at the VMFA (March 5,2011)

Special day, in that my wife Patty made the trip up from Charlotte, NC to spend the weekend here. Always fun to take her out and show off this unique city, and we have a fun two days planned. Yesterday, we had tickets to the Picasso exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. That is one of my favorite places to visit in Richmond, and I have been a number of times. Normally free except for special events (such as the Picasso exhibit) tickets ran $20 each to see the works of this remarkable artist. The display covered all the different periods and styles he worked in during his long and very productive life. The crowd came from all over the US.
I noted the diversity of the crowd and had a lot of time to do that, because the line (as seen in the photo at left, and only partly seen at that, as it was much longer) took a good solid hour to get to the exhibit. Still though, as promised heard a number of languages in the crowd, and met some interesting people. As Patty noted in the course of the day, and I have a number of times, Richmond crowds and people are among the friendliest that we have come across in a number of places. It was a very fun event, and we enjoyed checking it out and can suggest it as an interesting thing to see. Unless you get to Paris, France where these are displayed; you may never see its like again!
Of course, the museum is normally free (and still is if you want to bypass Picasso) with just hours and hours of interesting things. Patty and I wandered and saw many (but not all) items in the museum such as this marble fixture which was in a garden in India around the mid-1700's. There is a wide variety of things to see at the VMFA and we enjoyed our visit there. I have posted a few more photos on the photo page from our visit there. The museum also have a very good web site with more information on the museum, as well as info on the Picasso display. That will be in Richmond for a limited time, and I believe this is the only city on the east coast showing it.
Following the museum, we stopped for food, refreshment, and some fine music at the Cary Street Cafe, located not far from the VMFA. One of my favorite places to stop and found by me not long ago, it is a nice place with friendly people. I like the vibes there, and have always have a very good time. Said to be "Richmond's oldest Hippie Bar", it is a fun place to relax, kick back, and enjoy yourself with some fine people.
Spent the rest of the afternoon exploring some around Church Hill and downtown seeing some of the sights. Patty noted that she enjoys seeing the older buildings in Richmond, which is not just a rare but nonexistent sight in Charlotte. It was a very fun and interesting day, and we had a great time, with another day to come this afternoon!

Views from Carolina (Feb 25-27)

I liked this photo, one of three I got which is one of the reasons why its always good to have a camera at the ready! Mollie, the border collie (which you can see at the lower left) heard a noise outside; there was a cat outside. It made it to the neighbors fence, and with some help from the neighbors dog; it was pretty well pinned on the pole. Cats like to wander the neighborhood, but the local dogs seem to take great offense at this; perhaps it is jealousy but whatever the reason thought it was pretty neat. No cats got hurt in this encounter (though to be honest, maybe its lucky no dogs got hurt!) but it was funny to see that classic confrontation we see so often in cartoons and other lore come to pass. Mollie is one of my two border collies, and is a constant source of amusement and energy. In fact the breed has a lot of energy bouncing from one adventure to another. In that, they and I are a really good match for each other. They make me smile, I make them go on great neighborhood walks, catch frisbee and tennis balls, and give them a lot of love in the meantime; which I get back in spades!
Mentioned in the previous post going to Stewart-Haas Racing; in one of the photos was a long shot of this bike. It was built by Orange County Choppers, which is actually based in New York. They have a show on the Discovery Channel; a rather wild family in a long running series. Conflicts are pretty funny, and in between the arguments (and now lawsuits) they manage to make some pretty good motorcycles. This bike was made in 2004 and is totally custom. The length of it was quite remarkable, and it would certainly be no fun on a twisty road. However, it is an interesting creation, and one of a kind (with I am sure a price to match!)
Sure looks different in the wintertime, but a favorite street in Concord is Union Street. In the middle is the "Old Downtown" but it has some very old houses, many of which have been updated over the years but still keep a lot of the old charm. Like the houses, the trees that line the street are also very old. At one time many of the movers and shakers of the region lived in these houses. One of the houses was owned by Mr. Cannon, who founded Cannon Mills, the former great textile complex in Kannapolis, NC. Each trip home I take some time to take a ride or a drive down that street. This was taken on Sunday morning February 27.
Previous post had a photo of Charlotte Motor Speedway, well this tent is in one of the giant parking lots, and will be the site of the latest Cirque DuSoleil presentation in the next few days. The group is a frequent visitor to the area, and puts on quite a remarkable presentation; a very fun and different sort of "circus". Much like with Richmond, the racetrack is home to a number of events, and not just racing. Although with the big track, the dirt track, and the new dragstrip auto events do dominate events that happen on the property. The race tracks are just up the road from the big Concord Mills Shopping Center, which is quite a sight as well.
Weekend was a very fun and interesting event. Coming up this weekend in Richmond will be going to see the Picasso exhibit with a very special guest; my best friend in the world, and the best wife a man could ask for. I will be bringing some of that in my next post!

Race Shop Rides (February 25+27)

Back in Concord, amazing pair of motorcycle rides, and as its NASCAR time, some race shops. The first one is new; First visit to Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis, NC. I sort of stumbled upon it; was getting around some Friday traffic (bad on a Friday night) and saw the building. Took some doing but found my way to it. Nice race shop, and these are some of the cars on display there. The shop itself is the glass area behind it where you can see the cars being built. Of note is the motorcycle at very far right; it was built for the team in 2004 by Orange County Choppers and is quite a piece of work. More photos can be found on my photo page of that bike, and more of the cars at the shop.
I rolled up (how else to get there?) NC-3 to Dale Earnhardt, Incorportated. Though the major team operations have moved to the "Earnhardt-Ganassi" shop near the Concord airport, the big building Dale built is still there and still has his cars on display in Mooresville, NC. They have
changed the photos but still have the "3" car in which he won his 7th Championship on display. Some really neat items to see there. Building with the sign in front was taken on February 26 (not a motorcycle ride, and is the shop of Wood Brothers Racing in Mooresville, NC. That team, one of Nascar's oldest, won the Daytona 500 this year with the youngest driver ever (Trevor Bayne...20 years old). The shop is located in what was an old plastics factory a few years ago.
Last photo was taken during a short one hour motorcycle ride around Concord, and is Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly known as Lowe's Motor Speedway). A fine track, and will be hosting three events this year; the All-Star Race, the Coca-Cola 600, and the 500 mile race in the fall. I have been on that track a few times with The Petty Experience; twice in a "ride along" and once driving one of the NASCAR replica cars (that was quite an experience; in fact they all were). As noted, a number of other photos can be found on the photo page from the shops I saw this weekend; and a few other photos of note will be coming up in the next post!

Along the Midlothian Turnpike

Went out on February 23 to get a few things done. While out, figured I would visit a few places on an early Wednesday morning. One of my stops was the Chesterfield Towne Center. I like this mall (though did see that they have replaced the Peace Frog store with another, a favorite of my wife when she comes to visit here). Photo at left is the food court. They have some good places to eat, and of course the big Barnes and Noble store is there. I wonder how long bookstores will exist; Borders is closing a number of stores and not sure how the others are doing. I like to visit them though, another I like is Books a Million which is further up the road near 288.
Got a kick out of this, took a walk though the Garden Ridge store at the Chesterfield Towne Center. I think everyone needs a suit of armor, and at left are three. Lots of interesting things to check out in there, and if the one in North Carolina is any indication, this is a great store to visit around Christmas time. It is more seasonable now though with a lot of garden and outdoor items, as spring is just around the corner. Weather has been sort of wacky, warm days followed by cooler ones, even some snow flurries following a few warm (mid-70's) and windy days. Still the signs of spring are in the air, and it won't be long till winter is a memory.
Took this photo during a walk on February 21 following a good weekend; some of those photos are on the previous post. Milepost 5 brown building) was a seafood place in a former older business (closed since I have been here) that opened last fall. Sometime in the last few weeks; Milepost 5 closed. Never got to find out if it was any good. What is good is the $3 Car Wash. Went there today actually, and got the car cleaned. I like it; its cheap, its fast, and the vac is included with no time limit. For the price you can't beat it, plus it does a good job. That was one of the things that I did today. Had a good time out in the area; lots of interesting things here to see and do. As can be noted in the photo, there was quite a breeze on the 21st when I took my walk along the Midlothian Turnpike. Hope everyone has a great day!