Saturday, December 26, 2009

From Evergreens to Palm Trees

Winter Break came like a steam roller to Omaha this year. Finals were madness for everyone. "The wind it was howling and the snow it was blowing," Bob Dylan sang in his song Isis. And it certainly was. As I write this a good friend of mine is snowed in at his parent's house near Crescent Iowa. The snow was up to their door knob and it took a whole day to plow a path down the driveway.

Meanwhile, I am in the Rio Grande Valley enjoying 60-70 degree weather, my family and trips to South Padre Island. To get there from Harlingen, Texas, where I am you have to drive east on Express Way 83 to the South Padre exit that takes you down another road through small speed trap towns and the coastal plains to Port Isabel. From there you cross the Isabella Bridge, over the Bay to South Padre Island. This is the only way in and out by car.

The Island runs north and south. South Padre is only part of a chain that runs up the Gulf Coast of Texas. When you enter the Island you have two choices: left or right and south or north. If you go south a small fee has to be paid. This is worth it. The south opens on to the lower tip of the Island and traveling a short distance to the end takes you to jetties on the bay. This is a great area to fish and see dolphins. But if you do see dolphins do not plan on catching anything.

Turning left and heading north takes you through the town of South Padre. This is the area that becomes utter madness during Spring Break. There are plenty of restaurants,hotels, shops and other things to browse. At the end of the town's strip is the Turtle Sanctuary. This place takes in injured sea turtles and nurses them back to health and then releases them. I love this place. They have a great variety of sea turtles. They even have a loggerhead.

When you continue north from here the road is buffered by huge sand dunes. To the west is the bay. To the east is the Gulf of Mexico. When you head north you pass several beach access points. But the real fun is driving to the end of the road. And the road does end. It stops a few miles out and sand dunes are on the east, west and north sides.

From here the Island is as it always was. The dunes and sand stretch for miles up the coast. It is here that I like going. It is here that civilization stops.

I know that this is miles from and a world away from Omaha. But it is a place that I love deeply. Everyone should come visit but I suggest not doing it over Spring Break. The idiots come in droves and the Island is thick with drunken morons. But don't let that discourage you, it's good for the Island's sleepy economy I just suggest another time of year to come enjoy all that Port Isabel, the Island and the ocean have to offer.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Falls to Winter



It's been a while since I posted. Fall was still gracing us with her presence when I did. She did not over stay her welcome, though her stay was longer than usual, winter finally ushered in and now fall is gone again.

Snow came late this year and when it came it came in throngs. The University of Nebraska at Omaha, where I work, learn and live was shut down for two days. The wind was plunging the temperature to negative twenty at times. The snow came down hard, piled up quick and froze. The landscape altered to a new reality for the next four months.

The sun is far more interested in the southern hemisphere than the northern now. The days are shorter, cloudier and more dreary.

However, all though the sun dried up; the semester is at an end. I will go to Texas and enjoy the sun, beach, fishing and my family.

On another note, this web site was started for a class. That class, for all practical purposes, is now over. This web site will no longer masquerade as a kitsch, chic, digital age, trend follower or update to the "newest" in the digital world. Forget all that.

This web site will go back to what I had always intended. It will be a place for images captured on walks, bus rides and other adventures. The images will be accompanied by appropriate words. And, that is all that it will be.

Regardless of followers, number of hits, retweets, facebook posts, being linked to Reddit or Digg the value of writing, taking photos and connecting the two will be prominent. This blog is more of an outlet for me than any of you. If people enjoy the content, fine. I like it when people enjoy good writing and captured moments in time.

I am not going to pretend that I am anxious for my place in the blogosphere. I am not. I am anxious to write and take photo's and so, that is precisely what I will do.

And now, a cat:

Monday, November 9, 2009

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...


Hello everyone.

Omaha Natural Distractions is going to undergo some changes. Well, basically there is going to be one major change. I am no longer going to solely focus on parks in and around Omaha. I feel that is a limitation. Anyone who has wandered the alleys of downtown for any amount of time should know that the city offers beauty as well.

I am not going to cut parks out completely. Not at all. However, I am an expert pedestrian and I don't really like being in cars which I need to be in to get to many of these parks. Not having a car may seem like a limitation but it's really not. I find little things that people can't see from their cars. And I want to offer up, completely, how I feel about cars:

Cars are a ton of metal, plastic and glass that are hurled at high velocities in proximity to other cars. Sometimes I think they are death machines. This is just my opinion. I do know, one day, I may have to break down and get one or I could just move to a city with a functioning public transportation system.

Anyhow, this is my announcement. This is the change. I can't ignore urban beauty just like I can't ignore rural beauty.

So for the rest of the year I am going to go out into the city for my photos. I am going to go into alleys, city parks and neighborhoods to bring you all the beautiful things I see around us in our city.


Remember the road most often traveled offers visual surprises even though the road less traveled by makes all the difference. From now on it will be a mixture of the two. And for one final quip, Roads often traveled have roads less often traveled within them. It's just a matter of getting on your feet and looking in a different direction.

And Now for good measure a kitty:

Monday, October 26, 2009


Robert Frost wrote a poem called "The Road Not Taken". In perhaps one of his most famous lines he writes:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that made all the difference








Indeed. There is much truth in this. Well I was thinking when people take roads and routes that are often traveled, these roads, leave seldom noticed beauty.
I thought of this while walking through the University of Nebraska at Omaha's campus and while riding in the passenger seat of a rented car with my Dad heading west on Interstate 80. The Sunset was remarkable off of this often traveled road.

So on your morning commute or during the drive home in the afternoon when traveling those roads that are so often traveled day after day; keep your eyes open for the beauty that always surrounds us.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Urban Hiking Failure

Hello.

So I got up on Sunday and prepared to walk from UNO to St. Cecilia. The sky was gray and the air was stupid cold. I did the walk anyway.

BUT I could not find my camera and so I have no real post besides this. I was so mad. I tore my room up looking everywhere. I couldn't figure out how my phone would have gotten out of my room. I left my house flabbergasted.

Well, I found my camera. It was right where I left it, on my tripod.

New post next week: probably the urban hiking post.

Thanks

Sunday, October 11, 2009

This is what it's going to be

OK. So I am going to do something a little different tomorrow. The title of my blog is Omaha's Natural Distractions.

For my Omaha natural distraction, tomorrow, I plan on walking from the University of Nebraska at Omaha to St. Cecilia's Cathedral.

I will arrive there and help my friends from Food Not Bombs prepare food and take it to Gene Leahy Mall, downtown across the street from the library.

It should be fun. It should also be cold. And there will be pictures.

Tomorrow: Urban Hiking

Friday, October 9, 2009

Fall is here

Hello

Fall is here. The seasons are changing. Hopefully winter won't muscle fall out this year though it seems as if it is trying. Possible snow on Saturday the 10th.

As fall arrives and leaves fall my focus in parks shifts a bit. See as I child I knew nothing of leaves changing colors. Miami and San Antonio never provided me that experience. Well, I have been in Nebraska for some time and now I know: leaves fall and change colors.

Where are some good places in and around Omaha to see fall foliage die? heh heh.

As for this weekend. I am not sure what park I will got to or if I will go to one. I may do Memorial Park. We shall see.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sunday in Elmwood Park


I went to a classic Omaha park today. At least it's a classic in my opinion but I am not native to Omaha.

Elmwood Park is located right off of the University of Nebraska at Omaha's campus. You can get there by traveling east on Dodge Street and taking a right onto Happy Hollow Blvd. or by going east on Pacific and turning left onto Happy Hollow blvd.

Elmwood Park is definitely an urban park. It's situated by UNO and in the Dundee area. The park stretches a few blocks. There is a large open space for picnics, play areas and a ball field. It's a good place to gather.

The park offers a few nice trails. They snake through a small creek area and offer some nice greenery for eyes wary of concrete. However, the endless noise of vehicles and people persists unless you choose to walk later at night. I prefer night walking but that is me.

For the sake of some photo's I went during the day. Just a note: I like city parks at night and country parks in the day.

Elmwood has history:

In 1889 H.W.S. Cleveland recommended that Omaha acquire a park large enough to shut out city sights and sounds in order to refresh the senses. Elmwood Park, founded in 1889 at 802 South 60th Street, was one of Omaha's largest parks through the 1950s.[6] Soon after the city acquired an initial 55-acre (220,000 m2) donation of land for the park, the Omaha Bee described it as a "wild and romantic place... containing a wooded ravine that followed the course of a small stream." They continued ...

This is taken from Wikipedia.org and is more than adequate as a start to learning about Elmwood's history.

All in all Elmwood is a great urban natural distraction. It's a great place to spend some time.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

OK

So that last post was really long. It's interesting if read though.

This weekend. I want to go somewhere, outside, off the beaten path that is cool.
I am not sure where I will go. But I need to go. MARK NEEDS NATURE.

Anyhow I will update when I know.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Pittsburgh Riot Police used force against Pitt Students and G20 protesters

My sister is a 21-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh. Her name is Elizabeth Reagan.

The G20 Summit was held in Pittsburgh this weekend. As always with the G20 or the WTO protesters showed up. The protesters range from varying degrees of anarchists to the free Tibet people.

Here is Elizabeth's account:

The City of Pittsburgh as represented by its Police, and the Federal Government as represented by the National Guard and other federal law enforcement violated the First Amendment rights of hundreds of students and protestors during the G20 summit this past weekend. As a student and tax-paying citizen of this great city, of Pennsylvania, and of the United States of America, I demand accountability.
The following is an account of the flagrant denial of my freedom to assemble on the streets of Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, 2009.
Around 9:30 p.m., five friends and I set out to purchase alcohol in order to celebrate the coming of the G20 and enjoy the brief freedom of cancelled classes accompanying the summit’s stop in our South Oakland neighborhood. On our way to a the O, a local hot dog joint, we walked through the wake of destruction – earlier that evening someone (some said “a group of anarchists in black”) smashed the windows of several storefronts and set alight a dumpster along Forbes Ave. Sirens still screamed down the street by the time we got to the scene, so we walked a block up to Fifth Avenue to skirt any trouble still happening on the streets.
We reached our destination trouble-free just in time to see and hear a fire truck rumble up to the next block, where a crowd of onlookers gathered. The growing number of law enforcement vehicles, as well as the steadily growing crowd streaming toward the Cathedral of Learning, a landmark at the center of campus, persuaded us that this was no ordinary riot. Unruly and sometimes drunken student riots marred Pitt’s reputation in the past, but the destruction of local businesses and city property after the Steelers 2009 Superbowl victory led to a severe University-enforced crackdown on student violence. Students were forewarned that similar actions during the G20 would not be tolerated, and could be grounds for immediate dismissal.
That in mind, we walked up Forbes to the Bigelow Boulevard intersection. A line of police in riot gear cut off all through traffic. Dozens of law enforcement vehicles choked the street behind them, peppering the air with sirens. Helicopters searched the area, awash in blue and red light, with intense spotlights. Soon after we crossed Bigelow, a disembodied voice announced: “By order of the Pittsburgh Chief of Police, I declare this an unlawful assembly. If you do not leave the immediate vicinity, you will be subject to police action.” The voice repeated itself over the bullhorn as the lines of policemen donned gas masks.
The first canister of OC gas fired caused a wave of panic within the crowd, and pushed us back across the street to the student Union lawn. As we moved back, still more police vehicles arrived. Black SWAT trucks beetled towards us. Teams of black-clad helmeted men swarmed out to surround undercover policemen making arrests across the street. Budget rent-a-trucks full of National Guardsmen stopped in the middle of Forbes. They exited the rent-a-van to kneel in the road and strap on gas masks. As we watched from the Union lawn, a contingent of mounted police raced across Bigelow to disperse a crowd gathered in the street in front of the Cathedral.
The massive police presence now gathered began slowly but steadily pushing the crowd back down Forbes, intermittently throwing gas canisters. Once each white cloud of noxious vapor dissipated, part , but not all, of the crowd surged forward again. These waves of moment occurred over and over. Some people fled, coughing. Others took up their previous positions on the sidewalk or in the street as soon as the air was clear. High frequency sound cannons punctuated the scene throughout the night
A few friends went up into a pedestrian bridge connecting an academic building to the residence halls across the street to get a better vantage point of both sides. Two friends and I decided to stay at street level. We stuck to the sidewalks and avoided the SWAT teams, who earlier had menaced us away from the steps up to David Lawrence Hall by pouring out of their trucks batons in hand. Another friend arrived; he had been working on Russian homework and came out to see what the fuck was going on. Two more, freshly off work at a Quiznos that had been vandalized that night, later joined us in the street.
As the riot squads pressed forward, we took up a new watchpost on the green in front of Barco Law Building. By this time, a larger crowd of students had gathered and began chanting “Let’s go Pitt” in the middle of the street. A small group of protestors and media, numbering no more than 15-20 people, stood at the head of the crowd, chanting: “Hey! Fuck you! Take off your riot suits!” They kept a respectful distance, as none came within 8-10 ft. of the police. One cameraman was threatened by an officer for kneeling in between the crowd and the riot squad in order to get a picture of the police, but immediately backed up as soon as he was told to do so. The rest of the crowd behind them consisted of curious students who were already out and about, going to and from work, the bars, parties, or the library.
The police drove students out of the pedestrian bridge as the line of protesters and police came in sight of our vantage point in front of Barco. Police trapped some students in a stairwell and let off a canister of gas in the confusion. My two friends who had been watching up there had fortunately already gone home to escape the chaos. Jeff, Carly, Andy, Brad, Patrice, and I stayed to watch. After the bridge was cleared, police threw another canister of gas into the crowd gathered in front of Barco. It exploded, and the six of us leapt off the concrete ledge and ran down a side street to escape the night’s signature white cloud enveloping the sidewalk. One man tripped or was tackled as he jumped, and smashed his head on the ledge. The police pinned him to the ground while he bled profusely.
The crowd thinned considerably after this last gassing, splintering off into side streets. Citizen medics yelled “Is anybody hurt? Does anyone need medical attention?” as we backed down Bouquet. From them I learned how to avoid the gas: “Don’t swallow when you inhale it, and spit once you get away.” To them both students and protesters owe many thanks, as no ambulances joined the flotillas of law enforcement vehicles at the scene.
No more than 30 of us stood in a parking lot down the street from Forbes. The police squads continued their advance down Forbes. Jeff went home, disgusted and coughing. The rest of us hurried up the street parallel to the police to catch glimpses of the riot squad sweeping past. Carly, Andy, and I decided to walk up the next block to get a closer look. We were half way up Atwood Street when the police reached the corner. They stopped advancing, so did we. One broke off from the line and pretended to throw a canister of gas at us. When we didn’t immediately run back, he approached the fire men stationed there on the corner with their truck. In a split second they closed their doors. In another, yet another white cloud enveloped the street. We ran. We coughed. We hurried down to Meyran, Semple, and McKee Streets only to see the same scene three more times. On McKee we stopped across the street from a gas station. One man filled his car’s tank, indifferent to the police in riot gear surrounding the station. A news vehicle raced to the scene after a girl was tackled; we couldn’t tell if the police or another assailant had done it. Just after this two more of our group left for home. Moments later another line of police swept down the side street parallel to Forbes, the route we had just abandoned. They advanced across the empty parking lot behind the gas station. We went the other way, down a back alley, and swung back up to Forbes from behind the CVS.
The four of us left stood in front of the “temporarily closed” CVS and talked with the store’s employees. A woman wearing a bandana to conceal the lower half of her face rode up on a bike. She asked if any of us were having trouble getting back home. They had pushed everyone down the street, against the proper flow of traffic and would not let anyone walk back down the avenue. Police had also been patrolling Fifth and side streets in order to dispel any remainders of the original crowd. One guy said yes, and she went to scout Fifth to see if it was safe for him to walk back. We offered him our couch, but he set off alone to ask if he’d be able to cross Forbes and take another route to bed.
In the parking lot of CVS a group of people defiantly danced to music blaring from their car stereo. Five minutes later, another SWAT vehicle lumbered up in front of the store. I decided I’d had enough, it was time to go home. I talked for a while with my roommate and friends about what we’d seen. Patrice got a ride home from my roommate, and Andy texted me “Home safe” not long after she and I started reporting the night’s events. Sitting there, I realized I was exhausted. I left them and went downstairs. After the crowd that night, being alone felt strange. I kept my back to the wall, and laid awake in bed for a long while in the dark.
When I woke up the next morning for work, I was livid. I still am, two days later. My rights, my friends’ rights, and my fellow students’ rights were grossly violated and our well-being jeopardized by the law enforcement sworn to protect us. The volunteer street medics exhibited more “Accountability, Integrity, and Respect” than the police force paid to follow that motto. I have the right to assemble on public sidewalks and on private property owned by the University I pay to attend. The students who live in dorms adjacent to Forbes Avenue have the right to look out their windows without being subjected to noxious gas and screaming sound cannon. Friday’s peaceful protesters retain their freedom of speech and assembly past 10 p.m. despite the city’s awarding them a time-limited permit. The anarchists who gathered in Lawrenceville Thursday afternoon and the crowd of students and protestors in Oakland that same night differed on only one point: intent. Yet police denied both groups their freedom of assembly indiscriminately.
Free speech does not come in zones. The First Amendment protects all of it, every hateful peaceful accusatory laudatory inflammatory biased unbiased praising or cursing word of it. The First Amendment protects the anarchists, the capitalists, the communists, the pacifists, the students, the business owners, even the racists in our country. In Pittsburgh, this Amendment was flagrantly flouted by the City government, who tried to set up “free speech zones” to contain protestors and denied permits to all but two groups. It was stomped upon by the police who forcibly dispersed the many peaceful members of the public who chose to watch or participate in protests outside of these zones. While I recognize that the visit of world leaders warrants extra security precautions, I am appalled that those happy few were over-protected to the detriment of hundreds of American citizens. They control global economic policy, so their human rights are more important than mine? I disagree, and am afraid I must protest.
I protest the violations of the First Amendment that occurred here in the name of national security. I protest the violent actions of a minority of protestors, and the violent reaction of the police toward people exercising their freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. I protest that in a nation such as ours, founded on the idea of “certain, inalienable rights,” that some protesters and the police chose to alienate one another’s rights. Police do not have the right to harass citizens assembled peacefully, and citizens do not have the right to harass police assembled to protect their freedoms. I may say whatever I like to an officer, and he to me, as long as we do no physical harm to one another. I am willing to comply with the police within reason. The declaration of unlawful assembly, the denial of permits to protestors, and the very idea of legislated “free speech zones” are all unreasonable, and in my opinion, illegal.
I demand the City and the University be held accountable for these violations. I implore the student body to join me in demanding that the integrity of these institutions be upheld. I do not respect anyone, police or protestor, who chose to violate another person’s rights by acting violently this weekend. I laud the street medics, journalists, and firemen for their exemplary conduct under duress.
I would like to thank the riot police for treading on my freedoms with their bootheels. Without you, I would still believe in a self-regulating government attuned to the rights and needs of the people that support it. Now I know I must demand my First Amendment rights, lest they be taken from me again. Don’t tread on me! I’ll bite back to the fullest extent of the law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT HAPPENED ON FRIDAY NIGHT?
The following is an account from an anonymous Pitt student who attended the protest in Schenley Plaza Friday, September 25th. The gathering, a peaceful crowd of a few hundred students, media, and community members was held in response to the violence perpetrated against Pitt student activists and Pitt students the preceding Thursday by the police.

Violence perpetrated against student organizers and uninvolved students is not a singular event or a symptom of increased police presence due to an event like the G20. Police violence occurs in many communities across the country and throughout the world every day. It is a sign of the privilege of the educated class that the media and community pay attention and express their outrage about our being abused when low income communities, people of color, and other marginalized groups with less privilege are attacked or harassed everyday. The police state is not just this week, it is all the time, and students need to start looking around and raising your voices everyday to protest the violence of the state.
A Firsthand Account by a Pitt student
 By 10:00, a group of a few hundred people had formed and the perimeter stretched to 3 sides and started getting thicker. Helicopters were overhead, and someone said they'd heard snipers were on the Hillman Library. Riot police outnumbered protesters at least 5 to 1 at this point, and they looked like they didn't know what to do. Groups of people sat playing Duck Duck Goose and laughing or, like us, stood around tensely waiting for something to happen. 
Eventually, the riot police surrounded the plaza. Local filmmakers roved around interviewing people. Some protesters shouted into megaphones, trying to engage the cops in a dialogue and when that didn't work, mocking them. The police started closing in on us, forcing us into a corner and out of the plaza - we ended up with them in a perimeter facing an empty lawn. They formed a blockade between us and Bigelow Boulevard - at this point we were on Forbes Avenue in front of the Cathedral lawn. We were also blocked at Bellefield, and were essentially trapped on the street. People started panicking and running at this point. As the police moved in, we backed up onto the Cathedral lawn. There were about 40 of us backed into a corner. 
We headed up towards Fifth Avenue on the opposite side of the Cathedral, but the police there told us to go back the way we came, grabbing us by our shoulders and pushing us back. When we expressed confusion, they threw a canister of tear gas at us so we backed up quickly. They started closing in on us on the lawn, beating their shields with their batons in unison. Even though we asked over and over which way they wanted us to go, because we wanted to leave peacefully, they refused to answer. 
Eventually they ordered all 40 of us to lay face down on the ground. They told us we would all be taken into custody, and the officers came around using zip ties to handcuff everyone. We were separated and marched to a series of police cars and vans along Fifth Avenue. Their system there was incredibly disorganized and the officers were crude. "You know, I'm kind of disappointed," one remarked. "I was hoping I would get to beat you guys down, but you guys were pretty peaceful." They searched and confiscated our belongings and took down all our information - most of us were being charged with failure to disperse - and tossed us all in some vans to wait. After a while, they pushed us up against the side of a bigger bus, patted us down, and loaded us on the buses.
 Apparently there were too many of us to process properly at the jail, so we ended up driving to SCI Pittsburgh. We sat outside the penitentiary for maybe half an hour or an hour. Outside, we could see dozens of National Guard and riot police officers swarming around. Someone noticed that somebody else's hands were turning blue from the zip ties, so after a few attempts we got hold of the officer in front, who told him to "wiggle them around.” Several people requested to use the bathroom, which was ignored. Eventually, they started letting us out one at a time. 
The one who took me into custody put real handcuffs on me, cut off my zip tie cuffs, and patted me down. When she brought me inside, there were temporary partitions set up everywhere. I had my picture taken and was fingerprinted, then taken to wait to give my medical information, "in case you go to prison." Afterward we were put in chairs and told to sit quietly, with National Guard guys watching us. One of them seemed slightly sympathetic; he made sure we all got water and food. "Please don't talk," he told us, "when you talk one of us has to come over here, and that means that it slows down the process." When we asked where we were going, he told us, "I don't know where you're going, or whether you'll be charged. For now, you're just waiting till they decide what they're going to do with you." So we waited. And waited. Aaaand waited.
 More people kept coming in, and we discreetly asked them what had happened. One guy was shirtless with welts all over his back; after seeing the protest on the news, he'd ridden his scooter into Oakland. When he got there, police told him to turn around. He did, and they shot what he assumed was paintball guns full of pepper at his back. He was covered in huge welts and shell-shocked. He refused medical attention from the police and sat staring blankly at the wall. The guy sitting next to me had been walking home, and they'd snatched him off the street.
 Eventually they started calling names. They brought us out into the courtyard, where we sat and could talk quietly. We overheard the officers saying that we'd all be released. Each of us had a police officer on our arm, and we went in batches of 4 or 5. They walked us over to a van, still cuffed, and we waited to reclaim our stuff. The cops walking us out harassed us about protesting, to which we responded less than enthusiastically. When we got our stuff, we were told not to go through it until we were off the premises, and escorted to the sidewalk in front of the police station. We were uncuffed and told to leave, and to “stay in groups, this isn‘t a nice part of town.” There was a legal team waiting with food and rides for us. We were all miles away from home and the place we were arrested, but we were lucky to be let out so early; some people are still in custody now. 
Welcome to surreality.
 Questions? Comments? Email pittprotest@gmail.com, visit http://bit.ly/DD75i and join the Facebook group "Pittsburgh's G20: a Police State in Oakland" If you have police harassment or repression to report, call the ACLU G20 hotline : (412) 562-5015




>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are some videos:

http://rnc08report.org/archive/1189.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZT3O5m0EIs

Unnatural Distractions in Pittsburgh

I was not able to go to the forest this weekend. Sad Day. My history homework and some other reporting this weekend filled up my time. I do however, plan a post that I hope to have up by the end of the day concerning Pittsburgh's recent less than natural distractions.

One would think the right to assemble granted by our constitution is just what it says: A Right to Assemble. The truth is it's not that cut and dry. I think that this part of the constitution is interpreted by most cities as a right to assemble pending approval by city hall and without the approval of city hall it is an unlawful assembly. If the unlawful assembly does not disperse the police have the ability to forcefully and often times negligently disperse the crowd.

Be looking for a number of youtube videos to be posted later, some personal testimony from my sister who lives in the area undergoing protests, riot's and heavy handed police reactions,; and testimony from someone who was arrested by police in Pittsburgh.

I should have these up after I finish a little more homework and attend a couple classes.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

What's Next?

I have six wonderful followers now. Thank you all. I feel very powerful indeed. I feel like a twentieth century dictator. My options are not limited. The sky is a choice not a limit and I want a fancy uniform.

This Weekend I think I will go to Fontenelle Forest. Any suggestions or is there anything in particular about Fontenelle that you may know? I may not know. I often find I know far less than most people so let me know.

Happy Tuesday!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Pedestrian Bridge

If you're ever going downtown for a Friday or Saturday night on the town leave home early and walk over to Iowa on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The foot bridge connects Nebraska and Iowa over the Missouri River.

Aside from the pleasant walk over bridge to Iowa there is a little known trail that twists north along the river bank. To get there, follow the bike trail. The trail will be to the left of the bike trail. When walking down the bike trail look for the graffiti that says LomasX3 [I have no idea what this means] or something like that. The trail is to the left from that point.

I think it is probably an ATV trail so it's not safe to walk with headphones on and you should pay attention just in case an ATV does come down the trail. I am sure you'll hear it if it were coming. The trail is marked by vertical wooden posts that have wire running horizontally through them.

After sometime walking down the trail you come to an opening where the ground is bare and dirt. It's a central point on the ATV trail. There is a neat alcove on a hill surrounded by trees there. To get to the trail that goes along the bank go to the right. Then maybe twenty to thirty feet down the trail there will be a smaller foot path beyond the fence on the right.
This is the trail that snakes along the river. It runs parallel to the bike path but is deeper in the strip of woods along the east bank of the river. After following this path for sometime you'll come across an opening in the woods and the bike trail will be to your right and accessible. You can't see it because it's on the top of a hill but it is there. Just walk up the hill.

I really like this trail. It's quiet and there are some good views of marshland and the river along the way. Those views will get better in winter because the forests are full of thick foliage right now. And there are several little foot paths that lead off this trail toward the bank. It's a pleasant walk, not busy with people and not very far out of the way.

This trail is definitely not the only reason to go to the Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge is cool. It's aesthetically friendly and offers great views of downtown Omaha and the Missouri River. The bike path crosses into Iowa there.

At night the bridge is illuminated by lights. It's a great place to take a date before dinner downtown during the evening. It's a great place to spend time outside enjoy the day, river and downtown Omaha. It's a great place to bring friends and relatives from out of town. It is a very nice place to spend an afternoon.

If you're curious about what is going on at the Pedestrian Bridge Check this out:

http://www.pedestrianbridgecam.com/webcam.html

Other Links of Interest

http://parksandrec.councilbluffs-ia.gov/projects.asp


http://redd-shift.blogspot.com/2008/09/bob-kerrey-pedestrian-brige-linking.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Z-rViX1I0&feature=related
(Lighting of the Bridge)

Maps

http://www.visitomaha.com/listings/index.cfm?action=display&listingID=59364&menuID=125&hit=1

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Pedestrian%20Bridge%20Omaha%20ne%20maps&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl


Hummel Park

I went to Hummel Park last Saturday. I enjoy this park and try to visit it as often as possible.

Hummel Park is on the North Eastern edge of Omaha and skirts the Missouri River. The park has quite a reputation. Some people say it is dangerous at night because of gangs. Others are concerned about paranormal activity. Even others are concerned that they will come across a body and that they just don't want that. And there sometimes seems to be an ever present threat that hikers will come across Satanists sacraficing a kidnapped child and having orgies in order to please their Dark Lord.

There maybe some criminal activity in Hummel at night and there is definitely graffiti that comes easily across with a not so discreet gang affiliated feel. And the park can feel very eerie or even paranormal. But WHATEVER.

Go during the day. There are some nice trails and during winter the view on some of the high points is very nice. Many are blocked by huge weeds and grasses during the summer.

When walking in Hummel bring bug spray and be prepared for a little bit of mud from time to time. The forest there is very pretty and trails skirt the bluffs offerring satisfying views of sunlight filtering down through trees and shining on yellow, orange and golden leaves.

A note on the Urban Legends

1. I have heard people tell me about an albino settlement within the park.

2. The are the stairs that can't be counted. They lead to where Satanists supposedly meet and perform animal sacrifices.

3. Screams that can allegedly be heard that are associated to victims of lynch mobs.

4. The park is on an ancient, Indian burial ground and drums can be heard at night.

5. Strange lights.

And I am sure that there are more that I am missing. Please feel free to leave me comments concerning urban legends at Hummel.

Fun, Interesting and Informative Links

http://omaha.ne.us.towncommons.com/Hummel_Park

http://www.co.douglas.ne.us/omaha/parks/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/275321/hummel_park_in_omaha_nebraska_has_a.html?cat=16

http://www.ghosts.org/hummelpark.html

http://www.doyouseedeadpeople.org/inv_hummel_park_omaha.html


Maps

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=12000+John+J+Pershing+Dr,+Omaha,+NE+68112&ll=41.365794,-95.959611&spn=0.012132,0.020262&t=h&hl=en


http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=Hummel%20Park%20omaha&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Monday, September 7, 2009

Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge


Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge is a nice little park just north of Omaha and near Ft. Calhoun. The park is basically a collection of trails that snake through prairie grasses, forests and along the Missouri River. The park is great for bird watching, photography and short walks.

The purpose:
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established to recover fish and wildlife habitat in and along the Missouri River. The purpose of the Boyer Chute Restoration Project is to restore essential wildlife habitat that became scarce when the Missouri River was "improved" for navigation half a century ago. River channelization, wetland drainage, and conversion of river bottom floodplain areas to agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses had resulted in the loss of over 500,000 acres of habitat along the navigable stretch of the Missouri River floodplain.

This information was taken from the park's government website. Check it out for more detailed info!

Stuff to do:
  1. Educational Programs
  2. Fishing
  3. Hunting
  4. Wildlife Observation and Photography
http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/profiles/recEdMore.cfm?ID=64640



I enjoyed this park. It is small and easily navigated. This is a good place to kill those beautiful hours in the afternoon or morning. The trails are shorter; the longest being 4 miles. The park is clean. People who want a park they can get lost in for hours may find Boyer Chute lackluster. But the park is perfect for a small, short excursion out of the city for your weekly dose of nature!



Here are some photos I took:





How to get there:

Boyer Chute NWR is located on the west side of the Missouri River, 3 miles east of the town of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, and 15 miles north of Omaha. From Omaha or Blair, follow Highway 75 to the southernmost street (Madison Street) within the Fort Calhoun city limits. Watch for the Boyer Chute NWR sign. Turn east and proceed to the stop sign at the "T" intersection. Turn right onto County Road 34 and proceed approximately 3 miles to the Refuge main gate.



I would recommend Boyer Chute for persons looking to spend a few hours outside of town. Another thing about Boyer Chute is its close proximity to
Ft. Atkinson State Historical Park for those who may be interested. But this park may not be for all especially people looking for long hiking trails. Boyer Chute all in all is a good place to take a family out fora few hours.



And finally I just had to add this photo of a local name Conan(in red) that I know and his Art Car:




Thanks!