The Ridge and Beyond (Bouldering Part 4)

... looks like the weather is finally going to break for some warmer (albeit rainy) conditions this week... anticipate that all the "bros" and "bro-ettes" will be out and about hittin' up many of the local boulder fields which are pretty abundant along the heights of SWPA's 'Chestnut' and 'Laurel' Ridges...

... two good links for some good information along with some additionally good maps, photos, videos etc.. to most all of the areas are the 'Colls Cove Facebook Page' and the 'Southwestern Pennsylvania Climbers Coalition (SWPACC) Facebook Page' -  still haven't figured out how to activate web-links herein' (haven't really tried to be honest) -  just Google-search 'em (they're both readily available without havin' to subscribe to 'Facebook)... these guys have really expanded the majority of the old areas along with exploring and developing a bit of new... man, where were all these guys/gals 20-30 years ago when we coulda' used 'em... probably not born yet... still want to get out and check out the new development (with trails!!) up at 'Colls Cove' - last time there it was the usual viper-infested bushwack - so it looks like fun... we see they even got a 'Colls Cove Bouldering Guide' in the works - it looks pretty cool as well... good work!...

... speakin' of books, we self-published a photo-book years back during the height of all the new development up at the area known as 'The Ridge' - was gonna' post it up on the website somehow so you could view it just like an ebook - but - seems like work (without having even looked into the process) - so, "for your viewing pleasure", following we figured we'd post a page-by-page copy of the 'softcover/ebook' edition...

... if you're interested, there's a generalized map of the 'Ridge' if ya' view the previous 'Bouldering, the Ridge and the People in the Woods' post...

... funny story... Tim stuck that small 'Wizard' statue on a rock shelf next to the 'Wizard' boulder problem (where it remains to this day) - that subsequent hunting season I ran into an older member of the local gun club who came across it (an "omen" - his words) while hunting - he was convinced that there were "devil worshippers" roaming the local woods... the following summer the same guy was down along the river fishing and came across the local "swimming beach" adorned with many strange stacked rock sculptures - he mentioned that as well (more "omens") next time I ran into him... "What the hells going on around here?!!" was his comment... told him "I have no idea"...

'The Hot Violinist'

... came across this talented gal in our "internet travels"...

... the "Hot Violinist" (http://www.thehotviolinist.com/my-story/)...

... Brilliant ... (and, yes - "hot" 'ta boot)...

... the Band...

... check out her "story"... just another one of many who was told to "give it up"...

... our kind of gal...

Return to Balance

... when over, people always ask about the "strange rough-hewn stone" that's been settin' on the coffee table at the "homestead" for years...

... no better time than the 'Vernal Equinox" and beginning of Spring for an explanation...

... the ancient 'Medicine Wheel' is a symbol of life's phases and it's cycles... the circle on the outside shows that life is a circle, always returning to itself... the spokes point to the four directions, and the quarters of the world... to the East is Spring, youth and energy... to the south is Summer, adolescence and strength... to the West is middle age, Autumn and knowledge... to the North is Winter, old age and wisdom... the point at the center represents the Great Spirit, whose name can also mean "ultimate mystery"... (text borrowed from a company named 'Nirvana')...

... the 'pictographs' are a few 'Native American' symbols... look 'em up...

'What Not' Again

... Mongolian Longbow...

... twisted a limb on the old 'Recurve Bow' last fall, so decided to pick up a new target bow - just in time for spring...

... arrived the other day - Mongolian-style 'Recurve Horsebow Longbow' - handmade in China - a lot nicer than anticipated for the price - 50# pull - picked up a dozen handmade, wooden, pheasant feather fletched arrows as well... got out today to try it out (still have to add a string nock) - shot very good using 'English-style' release from about thirty feet - can't wait for nicer weather to practice 'Mongolian-stye' thumb-release... nice looking bow as well - that's an artificial 'Red Cobra' snakeskin cover on that thing...

(Internet Photo)

... which asks the question "What's a Red Cobra? - never heard of one!?"... that's one above... actually called a 'Red Spitting Cobra'... East African habitat... nice lookin' snake... "... rarely bites predators or people - reserving it's poison for hunting or spraying... if provoked, it will rear up, hiss loudly and flare it's Cobra Hood... if after receiving this warning, the provocateur stupidly continues to antagonize the snake, the Cobra is likely to spray venom directly into the antagonists eyes... a direct ocular hit can cause permanent blindness and is certain to cause stupendous, searing pain... if bitten, you should seek treatment immediately...

(internet video)

... back to the bow - this is what it was originally built to do back in the day - in battle and from horseback...

... Clever Baitfishing Bird...

(internet video)

... Ha!.. someone sent us the link the other day...

... Great Photo...

(internet photo - property of 'melissalandresphotography.com')

... Brilliant!!!...

They're Just Rocks...

... a good friend sent to us a link to this location she discovered while doing some on-line research - is called the 'Iverson Movie Ranch', located outside Los Angeles in Chatsworth, California - heres the link - http://iversonmovieranch.blogspot.com/2010/07/welcome-to-our-obsession-iverson-movie.html... have yet to figure out how to make these links operational in Blogger... just "google" the name...

... the area was a pretty popular filming location for scores of Hollywood westerns back in the heyday of features as such - it has long since succumbed to "urban progress" - here's a few screen shots we borrowed from the link (clink on and enlarge the photos to view the captions)...

... 'Three Stooges Rock'...

... 'Center Rock'...

... 'Phineas'...

... don't know why, but lookin' at those old boulders buried in the middle of all that "urban sprawl" after defining the "wild west" landscape throughout all those films gives us the same feeling ya' get when ya' find out that the "big old bass" in the lake finally got hooked after all these years or that someone finally shot that "big old buck" that's been roaming the ridge forever... but, the same can be said for the "Pioneers" as well, who typically forge the way for civilization and in the process create a world that eventually makes them unnecessary and irrelevant...