Beagles

Just One More…

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Just one more day, Lord. Just one more day. I am petty and I am small and I always come to you and I always ask for things that are petty and small,for I am human. I am a child of the Most High God, and I will ask and I will plead and I will beg you for things that are beyond my grasp because I believe they are not beyond your reach. I will make deals with you that will fall through and I will make promises I won’t keep. You know that. I know that.

But, Lord, he’s my dog.

And if you can’t do that, then give me just one more hour. I don’t want to be the adult and put on a brave face and be the strength my son needs to get through this. I want to cry. I want to break down and be adrift in sorrow because my best friend for the last ten years is leaving me and I will never get to see him again. He’ll never greet me at the door. He’ll never steal my pizza. He’ll never take up all my bed and snore and pass the most horrendous gas ever. And he’ll never be my responsibility again.

But, Lord, he’s my dog.

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General Aviation

Sporty’s offers refurbished Cessna 172s

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Jim Moore has posted over on the AOPA about Sporty’s 172LTE refurbished Cessna program. Sporty’s announced the program back in December (you can read about it HERE). From the article:

Sporty’s refurbished Cessna 172LITE project caught on fast.

A used Skyhawk with an overhauled engine, new interior, and a fresh coat of paint (among other improvements) will rent for $99 an hour at Sporty’s Academy at Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio. The announcement in December got the phone ringing and Charlie Masters’ inbox filling. Masers, vice president of aircraft sales at Eastern Cincinnati Aviation, the Sporty’s fixed-base operation, said a 172LITE currently in the paint shop will be available in mid-February for $132,900, with more to follow.

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Hiking - General, National Forests

Update on the fundraiser to save Sturtevant Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Last weekend was a great fundraiser to help save the historic Sturtevant Camp.  KCET did a follow up, titled “Friends of the San Gabriels Mount Fundraising Efforts to Save Historic Sturtevant Camp”

From the article:

Sturtevant Camp — which contains the country’s oldest surviving USFS Ranger Station in its original location and a historic main lodge built as the open-air Swiss Dining Pavilion in 1897 with all original wood — is the last of five resorts that once flourished in Big Santa Anita Canyon but has since been lost to floods and fire (including Hoegee’s Camp, Robert’s Camp, and Fern Lodge). There was at one point over 200 cabins just like the ones at Sturtevant. But despite its historic significance, Sturtevant has never received landmark status. Although Angeles National Forest is protected from being developed, there’s nothing preventing Sturtevant’s structures from being demolished or languishing in disuse.

You can read the entire article HERE.

Day Hikes, National Forests

fundraiser at the historic Sturtevant Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Friends of Echo Mountain have posted on Facebook about a fundraiser this Sunday, January 25.  From Facebook:

Busy Sunday? There will be a fundraiser at the historic Sturtevant Camp in the Santa Anita canyon area. The camp is located approximately 4 miles from the chantry flat station. It is a easy to moderate hike through some beautiful woods. Come see the last of the great hike-in resorts! They will be serving a light lunch. Your donations are also tax-deductable! The pack train will leave Chantry at 7:30.

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National Parks, Wildfire

The Rim Fire – a new video on YouTube

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A hat-tip to Bill Gabbert over at wildfirtoday.com who penned a post about a new video titled “the Rim Fire” that appears on YouTube today.  The video was posted by yosemitenationalpark, who put up the following description:

“The 2013 Rim Fire was the largest forest fire in California history, and the largest fire in Yosemite history. Burning 400 square miles, the speed and size of the fire was unprecedented. As these unnaturally large fires become more commonplace due to previous fire suppression and climate change, Yosemite National Park is seeing the benefits of carefully allowing smaller, controlled fires on the landscape.”