Archive for October, 2011

Holler!Ween IX

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

The Mini-Bicycle Touring Adventure!

Just how scary is it to go bicycle touring? I don’t know for sure. I’ve done multi-day trips camping out with my bike on jaunts like the Ragbrai and Grabaawr but bicycle touring is a different animal. On those big organized bike trips all of your camping equipment and whatever baggage you might have on the trip is conveniently schlepped over to your next overnight destination by trained gorillas who are aware of the fact that you signed a waiver before the trip.

But bicycle touring is not like that. True Bicycle Touring means YOU take all of your crap with you ON your bike! You ARE the gorilla on a bike! You don’t need no stinking waiver! You are a different animal. You are crazy!

No, I don’t think I want to do this, but recently I found a way to emulate the touring experience by 1) not riding too far away from home, and 2) camping for only one night. Sure, it’s October in the Front Range of Northern Colorado; It will be cold at night and it might snow. But for just one day, how hard could it be?

Happy Holler!ween

I happened to come across a notice about a music / costume party being held on some farmland northwest of the town of Wellington, Colorado.  Camping was encouraged and it was only 22 miles from home.

Michael (dressed as a skunk) with Bourbon Toothpaste

Michael produces a ‘happening’ called Holler!ween each year to benefit various organizations in the FoCo community; this time it was at Grant Farms near Wellington. We saw Michael and Bourbon Toothpaste at the Catalyst at the first FoCoMX back in April of 2009.

This event looked like the perfect way to try a little bike-tent camping so I made an advanced donation on-line and I packed my tent and costume and maybe a few other things I thought I might need and  headed off to the farm. I made it there around 4:30 in the afternoon.

The Hippie Bus

The route to Grant Farms was fairly easy from Fort Collins via Taft Hill Road. The last bit was a dusty farm road that (due to all the dust) made me miss the main entrance to the farm. I rolled in via a back road where I saw two of these hippie buses blocking the back back entrance. I had arrived.

Black Sheep with tent and equipment cart

I set up my tent (note three other tents in the background) and since I was early I left the tent and trailer and took a bike trip into Wellington to 1) have dinner and 2) find a flashlight! Damn, I knew it would get dark! And walking on a farmer’s field at night could be interesting if you can’t see where you are going! Duh!

Other Bike Campers were there!

It was very nice to see that I was not the only cyclist at the event. The first inhabitants to arrive at the farm were in SUV’s and camper vans; I thought I was the only one there with a bike at first, but these guys must have come in while I was in Wellington. I took this picture the morning after the event– they were all sleeping; I didn’t want to wake them.

Hay bales and pumpkins

The party was happening in a large tent located on the farmland east of the camping area. There seemed to be enough beer and treats to satisfy the 250 or so people who attended the party. And everyone there was  ready to party!

Even Frylock was there!

It was hard getting good party pictures. There were some great costumes but most of the pictures were way too dark except this one of a guy dressed as the Aqua Teen Hunger Force character known as Frylock. I’m sure the guy standing next to him is not  Meatwad nor Master Shake. Note: The Aqua Teen Hunger Force is now called the Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1; I don’t know why.

YetiCon?

Apparently I was not alone as far as your typical Yeti costume is concerned. I found another Yeti and we posed for a picture outside the party tent where there happened to be a few stage lights set up. I’m the one on the left in case you were wondering.

Yeti on a Black Sheep Bike

Somehow I survived the party and the camping experience (NO HOT TUB? WTF?) and was up the next morning to take a final pass on the bike while in costume (not recommended) before riding home.

Total miles: 64

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The Disneyland of Mexican restaurants

Monday, October 24th, 2011

It’s what Kyle says about Casa Bonita in season 7, episode 11 of South Park:

Why eat here?

Listen, don’t complain about spending over $12 for mediocre food– after all, there’s no extra charge for all the entertainment, splendid appointments and 300 smiling service persons!

The Black Sheep Bike was there

Unlike Cartman who had to do away with Butters in order to be a part of Kyle’s birthday party at Casa Bonita, my main problem was simply that Casa Bonita is about 68 miles away; going all the way via bicycle was not an option.  I needed some help via the Transfort and RTD systems to get me and my bike into Denver and then I could figure it out from there.

One of the Splendid Appointments

included this diving pool. If you get to be seated near the waterfall, you will have a great view of the entertainment and divers.

Where’s the fun in this?

There is so much musical entertainment and puppet shows and Black Bart’s cave, and the cliff divers, and the costumed dancing monkeys, and the gun fights that there really is no reason to jump into the pool.  And stuff happens every 15 minutes.

Lunch here was OK, I guess.

But it must be better at dinner time.  All of the ‘acts’ were phoned in performances and at times it seemed a little weird.  The guy in the gorilla suit just stood there for a while and then got chased around the restaurant for no apparent reason.  One guy came on stage unannounced and began to juggle three batons for about 30 seconds and then left the stage– What was that about?

I felt I had to go to this place; the media told me to do it. There was a report early in October about the Casa’s parent company filling for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Then in the CSU student paper there was an article about how important it was to make an annual pilgrimage to Denver to experience the place. Finally, when I went to the Second City show two weeks ago, the cast said that whenever they are in Colorado, they make it a point to go to Casa Bonita.  Heck, I HAD to be there!

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Fort Collins is Haunted!

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

By Haunted Ghost Tours this October:

Spooky Fort Collins, part one can be found Here and part two found Here. This is now part three:

Walrus Ice Cream

This popular ice cream store has a variety of flavors and in the basement there is 1: A Portal and 2) A secret tunnel. I kind of figured that was the case. Everyone loves ice cream… even the dead.

The Portal

I know, it looks like a sump pump but three out of four mediums claim it to be a spiritual portal that just happens to be in the Walrus basement. It’s claimed that the flowing water is an underground river with an unknown source. Four out of five city engineers say it’s the Poudre River.

Used to be bank auto teller

Now it’s … it’s… I don’t know. Exclusive covered parking spaces? But long ago, it was a transfer point for the dead. Embalmed cadavers used to travel from beneath this parking lot and up to a delivery area to be transferred to the hearse.

Spiral metal staircase

In the basement of the Walrus runs this tunnel south of the building where the bodies were moved. It’s not clear how they moved upwards… much of this end of the tunnel is sealed including the staircase.

Lori at the haunted basement bar

At one of the bars in town there have been sightings of a woman near the boiler. At this spot, the EMF “goes crazy” which to most measurement technicians means it’s time to calibrate the equipment, but to a medium it means contact Ghost Hunters TV.

A sighting of a woman in the basement

It looks like a picture, but it’s really another demon portal where this strange nude woman with big red hair comes to greet you.

The Rio

This is where the Larimer County Coroner/undertaker did his work back in the old days or so they say.  Believe it or not, the coroner’s name was Horace M. Balmer.

At last count there were three tours you can  check out in town. Seems a bit many for a town of this size, but what the hey?

Spooky places to go in town this halloween:

Terror Tours In it’s 11th season, the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center knows how to handle halloween right. Any other tour in town is just a copy.

Haunted Fort Collins This is the one from which this blog entry was taken more or less.

Haunted History After Dark Tour Yet another tour I just saw advertised.

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The U.S. Gran Prix

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

Of Cyclocross!

The guys at the starting line at this year’s Gran Prix.

On an unusual wet and cold weekend there was some kind of bicycle race not too far from my house. Apparently there is a U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclo-Cross where riders love to take their bikes over mud and grass and hills and other obstacles.  The concept is to emulate a style of free-form race that back in the olden days would run between European towns where the riders might have to cut through farmers fields, over fences, across rivers, high grasses and that sort of thing in order to get to the finish line first.

Black Sheep at the Finish Line

“Sorry, I’m not racing today!” but I rode my Black Sheep commuter bike to the track area and got to show it off a little.  Not too many people recognize the bike when I ride it in town, but at events like this I usually hear someone say “Hey, cool bike! Wanna trade?”

Not too much mud on the track today

Saturday was really wet, but  on Sunday it was not raining so it was a pleasant ride to the cyclocross area to see the racers in action. I thought it might be fun just to take the Black Sheep out for a test run on this track but then I’d have to clean off all the mud off the bike and that wouldn’t be fun.

Mr. Monk’s Bike carrier?

This water resistant cargo carrier should keep your bike clean and fresh for the next cyclo-cross event.  I won’t be getting one of these very soon– I don’t have a car to lug it around!

The Woman’s category 2-3 race finishers

Kristin Weber from Boulder Cycle Sport comes in first, with Laurel Rathbun and Sydney Fox following close behind. Fox and Rathbun may have actually tied for second place from what I can tell.

Here’s a short 44 second video of the event. The banjo music in the background comes from the old banjo that was broken last month; It’s amazing what a little bit of Gorilla Glue and a few clamps can do!

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The G.E.C. does it Again!

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Remember back in 2008 when WE SAW DEAD PEOPLE ? We were at the local cemetery and we talked to a man standing in front of the grave of Clarence Preston Gillette, the first entomologist in Fort Collins. CSU has a club named after professor Gillette called simply the Gillette Entomology Club, or G.E.C.

G.E.C. Homecoming Float

It’s basically Dr. Cranshaw’s old pickup truck with a giant caterpillar on top but it was given the first place prize in the CSU novelty division at this year’s homecoming parade. In the 100 year history of the G.E.C., the club float has always won first place in the parade, and this weekend was no different.

And Duncan Madog was there!

Much to the delight of the bug fans who came out to see the entomology club’s float, it was especially pleasing to see a Pembrokeshire Welsh Corgi run around dressed as a bee. I’m the guy in the white beekeeper’s suit and ram’s head hat who is keeping the dog-bee in line.

Duncan in Bee Costume

Yes, Duncan was a big hit with the children but he was more interested in what kind of food the parade watchers were eating. That’s fairly typical of a corgi but it didn’t matter. It was the cuteness factor that made it! Yes, that’s it!

Oh, and a video has been released on the YouTube of the G.E.C. Float:

Along with the giant caterpillar and dog-bee, there was a butterfly net drill team and a guy dressed in safari garb with a giant fly-swatter chasing someone else dressed as a cockroach. You just had to be there.

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The FAFSA and the Furious

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

It’s Second City:

In the Ballroom at Lory Student Center

Here the SCCT (Second City Comedy Troupe) is taking a poke at campus life and other stuff. FYI, FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Click Here for more information). Of course I’m with the SCCVP (Senior Citizen Class Visitation Program) which means that I can take CSU classes for free and use my student ID to get free or reduced price tickets for shows like the one above. Last night I scored free tickets to The Wayans Bros. on November 6th!

I first saw Second City when they performed at the Red Herring sometime in 1971 (I think). Jim Belushi was part of the cast at that time and I remember talking briefly with him about the College of DuPage, an institution we both attended way back in 1967.

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The Bike Trailer of the Dogs

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

Time for a Duncan Madog post

Some details about Duncan Madog’s trailer:

It’s an old Mongoose kiddie trailer that I purchased at a rummage sale for $20. The actual trailer was in fair condition, but it wasn’t designed for riding with a dog.  In order to make it dog friendly I simply cut a piece of quarter inch plywood into the proper shape so that it would fit snugly onto the fame and over the shelf that would normally be used as the baby seat in the trailer.


The plywood base (covered with the official Welsh Tartan cloth of the Madog clan) and water dish.

I cut a square hole in the plywood so that a plastic food container would fit. This becomes a “sunken” water bowl for Duncan and it insures that Duncan is properly hydrated. He gets to have a dab of vanilla ice cream in the dish when it’s really hot out and we are near the Walrus Ice Cream store.

When it’s all together, it looks like this.

There is a gray colored leash attached to the upper left to keep Duncan inside and safe from the occasional wandering squirrel.  On the right is a flag pole made from a curtain rod. The flag (outside of the photo) is Duncan’s Welsh family coat of arms.

Duncan Madog behind a Black Sheep as is natural for a herding dog.

We went to the local dog park for some face time (or butt time) with some of Duncan’s favorite canine friends.

Thanks for your time!

Duncan was rescued by the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of the Rockies (PWCCR) where he was found wandering alone in southern Wyoming.  He likes to have his belly rubbed and loves to travel around town in his little doggie cart.  Duncan Madog would be more than happy to be your face book friend. Check him out sometime!

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Byllynsgate What?

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

KRFC ?

It’s a music, art and film SPECTACULAR sponsored by KRFC  88.9FM radio

Music By WhiteCatPink below an anti-drug movie playing on screen

Perhaps Byllynsgate is the new independent film answer to Lionsgate Films and/or the area that was the old fish market in London.  The “Ball” goes on every other Thursday at the Lyric Cinema where this evening the feature was WhiteCatPink who is this drummer who is always seen around town dressed in a white cat outfit.  As noted by this I-Am-Bored blogsite, it really *is* difficult to explain. One thing for sure is that he is not from the planet Saturn; I know beings from Saturn and he’s not one of them!

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By The Numbers

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

For The Month of September:

One Month since the Car 4 Bike Trade-in

What does it all mean?

1  )  The first day. It was the Tour de Fat and I was chosen for the car 4 bike trade in. I rode the bike home on that day and on the way I stopped at the CSU oval to observe a wedding on the lawn. Total miles: 12.
2  ) The Foothills Drum Fire Circle. There were two circles in September and the black sheep bike got me there and back. Total miles:28.
3 ) The Fort Collins Sustainable Living Fair. OK, this was a no-brainer. How could I maintain environmental stewardship and not go to this fair. Total miles: 18.
4 ) Homecoming float building project. I made some trips to the secret location where the CSU Entomology Club was building the homecoming float.  Next door there were some bike fanatics who were really envious of my Black Sheep Bike. I just had to stop in several times! Total miles: 48.
5 ) Moving junk between home and  the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center. I volunteer at the museum and I donated some stuff for the take apart day. Total miles: 28.
6 ) Feeding the beetles at the bug zoo. I’m the assistant to the assistant zoo caretaker at the  arthropod zoo and I get to feed the crickets, beetles and roaches at the zoo. I sometimes clean out the taranchula cages too. Total miles: 14.
7 ) Bloco em Foco practice sessions. Sometimes we practice in City Park and then sometimes on the far northern side of town. The Magic Agogo belt does not fit in the panniers so I have to improvise a bit. Total miles: 36.
8 ) Parties! Some farther from home than others but well worth it. Total miles: 20.
9 ) It’s all about arthropods. It’s a CSU bug class held three times per week with special field trips to the CSU horticultural farms with professor Cranshaw. Total miles: 123.
10 ) The 2011 CSU homecoming parade featuring Duncan Madog dressed as a bumble bee.  I had to get his picture in here someplace. He’s a good dog! YES, he IS! Total miles: 14.
11 ) The “Alumni” bike rides. Just riding on the bike paths and viewing the scenery. Total miles: 47.
12 ) Attending Brazil Fest with Marcus Santos. Food and drink and music at Rodizio Grill. Total miles: 16.

Total miles without a car in September: 404

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