End Pavement

Jim Langley has cleaned up and posted some great vintage bicycle adverts from the turn of the century before last:

Through the magic of scanning and Photoshop though, perhaps for the first time, I’m able to present these ads the way the artist intended them: big, bold and bright (and far, far more impressive than the tattered and tarnished originals).

And be sure to check out his other materials, with

…great examples from my bicycle collectables, nameplates and ads, which I’ve accumulated over a twenty-year period.

Thanks so much for sharing!

Now this is awesome. Talk about your perfect ideas — LAist has the story on a pair of kayakers on a mission, “Kayaking in the LA River”

Hell, this may be illegal, but if the LA River plan is going to crawl upstream at a snail’s pace, screw it — the time to play is now! Not when we’re 75 years of age.

We caught this father/son urban adventure duo in Sherman Oaks paddling downstream towards Studio City. “Is this a tradition?” we screamed down. “Nope, it’s our first time,” the dad yelled back.

Pictures included. Legalities aside, this just might be a glimpse into the future of the famous LA waterway.

On a late walk with the poodle around the neighborhood last night, I happened to glance up to the southeast just in time to catch a pretty shooting star flashing in the sky.

Today, the Planetary Society reminds me that it’s that time of year for a beautiful summertime occurrence: “Check out the Perseids this weekend!”

Meanwhile, the Bad Astronomer helpfully lists the “12 things you need to watch the Perseid meteors Sunday night”.

Closer to the ground, we espied a fat raccoon poking his head out of a sewer drain.

In an effort to highlight California conservation organizations, I thought I’d begin a series of posts (with accompanying links in the sidebar) on various folks working hard to keep the outdoors strong and safe. Sort of like Stephen Colbert’s “Better Know a District” but publicizing cool people doing good things rather than making fun of politicians. ;)

First up, a group working to help the only mammal that truly flies — the awesome bat. From what I’ve read, there are over 900 species of bats, and California has 27 of them. There’s a reason Batman chose his awesome mascot. :)

The California Bat Conservation Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of bats. The Fund’s major activities include:

• dispelling widespread misconceptions about bats through informative presentations and live-bat displays at schools, libraries, museums, and community centers
• restoring injured and orphaned bats to health and returning them to the wild
• working alongside major conservation efforts to replenish shrinking bat populations

Have a suggestion for a California conservation group? Please get in touch.

A pair of cool introductory entries from the BirdNote podcast for the auditory birder, not to mention general outdoor folk wondering who’s screeching at them on the trail.

Bird Sound Types and Qualities Part I

What words do experienced birders use to describe the sounds of birds? There’s “whistle” to describe the Quick, three beers call of the Olive-sided Flycatcher. And the “rattle” of the Belted Kingfisher. The Dark-eyed Junco delivers an almost perfect “trill,” while the House Wren—like this one—lets go a “cascade.” Experts at birding-by-ear call the Downy Woodpecker’s song a “whinny.”

Bird Sound Types and Qualities Part II

Birding by ear is a great way to identify birds. Listen for qualities of the sound as well as the pattern. Western Meadowlarks have a song that is “liquid” and “clear.” Quite a contrast to the “dry” notes of this Chipping Sparrow often found in the same habitat. The Spotted Towhee has a “metallic” quality to its trill, while the Purple Finch uses a “sweet” and “slurred” cadence. The American Dipper belts out a “ringing” song.