#even with long streams he tends to go from 5 or 6 pm to 4 am GMT while acau starts at like 11 am GMT and it seems he isnt a 12 hour streame | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pictureperfectdesign · 3 years

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Plumbing Business, Portland OR – How to Opt for the Very best One

Look in the Dex Portland OR cellphone book and you will actually see hundreds of plumbing web pages competing for your business. The metropolitan spot of Portland has 2.one million people today and as of 2000 there had been 237,269 housing models (which I am certain has grown considering the fact that then) all which at one place or a different will need some variety of plumbing solutions in the following five many years. This begs the following concern for a regular property owner in Portland: how do you pick a good, truthful, and professional plumbing small business?To start out off with I would hugely advise you do all the legwork and thanks diligence way just before you have plumbing troubles. The concern is not if something will happen in the long run, it is when one thing will occur. Acquiring a plumbing organization now that you like will make life less difficult later on on since you will know exactly who to get in touch with when you will need a thing.In this article are four inquiries to inquire on your own any and future plumbing business in the Portland OR metro region.1st, make confident the company has all the credentials wanted to function a authentic enterprise of this mother nature in the town and point out. To do plumbing operate in Oregon you require a license. As state regulation mandates all plumbing companies need to sign up on their own with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board and the Oregon Section of Buyer & Small business Services. Each individual firm that is compliant with this gets what is called a “CCB”amount. Search for it. Regardless of whether a business is promotion in the Dex Portland cellular phone book or on the online they need to set that 6 digit number someplace where you can see it. With no it you are unable to do any business in the city of Portland or for that issue the state of Oregon. These departments make selected that folks and corporations have at minimum four yrs of encounter or have done some sort of apprenticeship school or application.If they have that its instances make make guaranteed they are effectively insured. Its conventional practice for a respectable plumbing enterprise to have standard liability insurance plan, be bonded, and have a workers compensation policy if it has more than 3-four personnel. This may seem like inquiring a good deal but all these points are prerequisites by law to maintain substandard firms out of the nearby marketplace. Its the expense of executing business and safeguards them and you. The Constructing Codes Division of the Oregon Division of Consumer and Business enterprise Products and services are regarded for rejecting permits of corporations that employ the service of unlicensed staff or do get the job done at is not up to code. Quite a few decades ago this division shut down a huge plumbing business, JRT Mechanical Inc, from doing function in the Portland place for 5 many years since some of its workers did set up jobs in the metropolis who did not have the good qualifications. You want to make confident the point of view plumbing business you get in the Portland place is excellent with this agency due to the fact if not it could be a signal of issues.Future, locate out how extensive they have been in enterprise. Optimally you want a plumbing enterprise with at least 3-5 several years of knowledge. By this period of time they have with any luck , witnessed a good deal of unique situations and have solved numerous distinctive sorts of issues. I dislike to say keep away from the newer less seasoned firms, simply because every person has to start from some commencing, but they are heading to function slower and a lot less efficient than very well proven ones. As you are in small business for a though you obtain arms-on skills, know-how, and the purchase the good equipment. This can only appear to a company with time. In accordance to the Portland Water Bureau corroded galvanized pipe in houses and corporations causes 90% of the water flow issues in Portland’s residences. Galvanized piped was set up in just about each

individual home in the space ahead of 1980 and its ordinarily still left without safety and uninsulated around the warm h2o heater, below the sinks, or on the assets side of the water meter hooked up to the home. This form of pipe easily corrodes on the inside of and that corrosion particles builds up in the pipes and possibly stops or totally stops drinking water stream. Again you will need to find a organization that is good at immediately diagnosing these troubles, discovering wherever the corrosion happened, and obtaining the correct equipment on-website to fabricated new pipe and put in it.Upcoming, I do not want to invest as well a great deal time on this subsequent a person but its critical however. Make certain they have a true store with a genuine handle. Glimpse for it. If you just see a PO Box you are most probable dealing with a sole proprietor who is doing the job out of his residence. He will almost certainly be cheaper than other who do have a creating but he will be restricted in what he can do. A store enables companies to inventory sections, fabricate tools, and need to you require to see them in human being you know exactly where to go. A particular person with a PO Box can shut up shop in an fast and you could hardly ever hear from them once more. Its even superior if they have various destinations all around Portland. This makes finding to your home simple and quick for their techs. The definitely superior types in city have workplaces or satellite places in Beaverton (west side), Gresham (east side), Vancouver (Portland’s largest suburb), and someplace shut to downtown. This can make existence extra effortless for you. If you have to go see them in human being to dispute a bill or get some session you do not have to generate clear across town to do so.And finally, you want to ask them about their price ranges. An truthful plumbing organization must be upfront and straight about their hourly charges and costs. There should not be any hidden service fees. If they charge a simply call-out service cost on top of their hourly price it should really be mentioned in advance. The normal price for a legit plumbing corporation in Portland Or is among $eighty on the reduce stop to $one hundred twenty on the better stop for extra effectively founded ones. The typical small business hours service periods are 7AM-PM in this article so everything just before or right after that can be seen as “soon after hrs” in this article and bigger prices ensue. Newer enterprises just setting up will commonly give tons of incentives and reductions although more substantial types who have been close to do not have to. You really have to harmony out wants vs . would like when selecting. The newer types will be more affordable but might not have the abilities and resources to do the job on almost everything. The more mature ones who have been in enterprise for much more than twenty decades will have everything but will be really highly-priced. I tend to go with the center organizations who have been all over five to ten years.By going by means of these 4 methods you will be able to weed out the plumbing providers serving the Portland Or location you do not want from the ones you do. learn more does acquire a very little little bit of time versus just likely to cellular phone e-book and choosing a random a person with thee biggest advertisement but you will discover that it is absolutely worthy of it. There could be a lot of level of competition but great types are hard to uncover and a tiny digging will make all the variation.

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bike42 · 3 years

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IAT 6/22 thru 6/26/2021

Seems like a quick turnaround as I accompanied Lynn and Kent earlier this month to make up the two days they’d missed.

We were scheduled to meet Tuesday morning at 9am at the car drop site, but because of an easy drive and long daylight, most of us arrived at 8:30am, even with a coffee stop. We redirected Dan and Tam to meet us at the start.

We continued walking the County Highway Y Connecting Route (CR) that we’d started last time. These next 100+ miles are mostly CR with a few trail segments scattered in. It’s all part of the deal, but it can be a grind.

We’d planned today so we’d walk about 10ish miles, get to the cars, then drive 3 miles to a lunch stop. We set off fast, and it was great to turn off Hwy Y onto lesser traveled country roads. We had abundant sunshine and cooler temperatures - just in the sixties, so a perfect summer day!

It took us just over 3 hours to knock off the eleven miles. A grueling pace, but we always start off fast when we’re back together again, and there was also motivation to just “get er done” and get to lunch!

Dan had researched and found “Jen and Tonics” in a little village called Franzen on Hwy 49 - and it did not disappoint! It was a classic Wisconsin Northwoods bar with a small grill and French fry machine. We were greeted by Jen’s mom, who got us drinks but then had to leave to go to a doctor’s appointment, leaving just Jen to tend bar and cook. About a dozen regulars came and went during our time there, and she was also preparing “to go” orders. She was busy, but not stressed or rushed. She kept up a fun banter with the regulars, telling one guy “shut up and give me your money!” She was all businesslike when taking our orders, yet even though she had an extensive menu, special orders from our vegetarian seemed to throw her for a loop! Most of us had bacon cheeseburgers and they were awesome. Unfortunately, Jen was too busy for us to ask about the “Tonic” portion of the bar’s name (we wondered if that was a partner, or just a clever play on words?).

After lunch, we went back to pick up the two vehicles from the start and drop them seven miles down the road at the Lions Camp. Our after-lunch pace was a bit slower, but the perfect day continued. We arrived back at Lions camp about 5 pm - 18.5 miles for the day and thoroughly exhausted!

Gary decided to “commute” from home for this trip - his wife Rose had a fairly major surgery two weeks ago. So, he headed home and the six of us piled into Kent’s SUV for a shuttle back to our vehicles.

We’re staying 3 nights at “Country Mission Farm” which is an old farmstead near Mosinee owned by Regan and Ann Pourchot. Ann is Tam’s sister’s ex-husband’s sister. They hiked with us for the day last October, and we found them to be likeminded adventurous souls. Their “farm” is a bit out of the way, but it was worth the extra miles to see them, and experience the operation that they’ve established! They have a Christmas Tree farm, and have renovated an old farmhouse that is just down the road from their house. They rent out the “farm” through VRBO, and are really invested in providing a great relaxing country experience for their guests. They had chickens, guinea hens, a white domestic turkey named “Lola,” and juvenile goats named “Linus and Lucy.” They’re even working on creating a pond for swimming / paddling!

Tam and Dan made a great dinner of salad, BLTs and grilled cheese appetizers. It was nice to have Ann and Regan join us for dinner, but we missed Gary. Regan and his sons did the Northern Tier bike ride with his sons in 2011, so it was fun to rehash some of those stories.

Wednesday morning, I awoke in time to do a little yoga session on the porch before others were awake. We fell into our easy breakfast routine and were out the door to meet Gary at our assigned meeting point, which was today’s end point (a sand and gravel plot on Highway 161 and Trout Creek Road). We left Gary and Kent’s car there, and all 7 of us shuttled back to the Lion’s Camp in the Knickmeier’s vehicle.

We set off about 8:45am, roughly 5 miles of CR, 5 miles of trail, then another 5 of CR. It was sunny, warm and humid. Most of us agreed that we needed to take more breaks than we did yesterday, and that made the day easier on my body for sure! The CR’s went over many small trout streams (Little Wolf River and Tomorrow River), and we found that the guard rails made great spots to sit, enjoy the river, and have a snack.

There were few cars on the small roads we were walking and we were grateful for that. We started noticing the various types of waves we get from the drivers (and sometimes passengers) when we wave to the oncoming vehicles. Sometimes, its just a cool nod of the head, sometimes just one finger, often all 4 fingers (like the thumb is holding the wheel), sometimes its an actual wave (hand off the steering wheel) and my favorite, was a peace sign. All in all, the oncoming drivers were courteous and moved way over, or slowed way down when there was oncoming traffic.

Today’s segments were New Hope – Iola Ski Hill. We were so happy to be on the trail again – it felt so soft after 25 miles of pavement!! The first piece of New Hope was short lived, then we were back on the road for about a half mile, then back on the trail, then a road detour around a piece that was reportedly flooded. It was enough variety that it was enjoyable.

We entered the Iola Ski area and it was reminiscent of the several other cross-county ski areas we’d been through – lots of hills and trail intersections. This one had some “trail art,” which honestly, I found it too creepy to photograph (stick people in various poses and “snakes” made out of drain tile with wooded forked tongues). The part that made the Iola Ski Area unique was their 100+ year history as a ski club specifically for ski jumping! We had lunch on a nice patio of the Iola Winter Sports Club, and looked at a few of the ski jumps at the base there, but we didn’t notice the massive jump until we were walking away from the area and looked back – it loomed over the trees!!

Also noteworthy was we hit the official 500-mile marker of the IAT (west to east)! We made up words to “500 miles” and sang that for a while, but didn’t record it.

We went up and over a huge ridge, and over a few more trout streams, but the rest of the road walk was quick and we were motivated to power through. The guys were up ahead, and the ladies lagged behind. We saw a few deer, chatted with a guy mowing the parking for the trout stream and were greeted by a lady enjoying the solitude of the day from her porch. We wrapped up and were back at the farm by 4pm.

Another great dinner as Kent and Lynn brought pulled pork and potatoes (their specialty, which is funny due to Lynn being a vegetarian), served with a great salad and chocolate for dessert. Regan joined us for dinner, and shared plans to renovate the old barn into an event center – they sure are creative people!

After dinner I went outside and sat near the chicken coop to see if I could get Lola to approach me and let me pet her. Just as Ann said, she walked over and leaned into me. I never thought I’d be petting a turkey in my life! Up close, she was really interesting. She had this rope like thing hanging on her check (Ann said that’s a beard!?), and the colors and textures on her head were really beautiful. Up close, her beak and the size of her talons were a little frightening to me, but she leaned into me and closed her eyes and sort of purred.

I went into Linus and Lucy’s pen – they have a smart double door entrance via the barn so they don’t get out! They’ve been socialized so well and are so sweet to be around – watching them play just made me so happy. Beautiful night on the farm.

Thursday morning, a thunderstorm came through while we were having breakfast - the perfect time for rain to come! We headed out at 7:30 AM in just a light rain. I wasn’t paying attention to the driver and we took a little detour through downtown Stevens Point, but we still made it to the rendezvous point with Gary just after 8:30 AM. We dropped two cars at the finish and Dan drove the seven of us to the start. It wasn’t raining, so we had the quandary of rain gear versus no rain gear; most of us went without. We headed up the highway and of course then the rain started so we scrambled for ponchos, rain gear and umbrellas. The rain was light and only lasted a few minutes but it made things very humid and layers were coming off as we hit the two-mile point. We seemed to be lacking the nice breeze we’d had the previous days, but we were primarily walking on marvelous small roads winding through wooded areas.

The connecting road continued through farm area and woodlands and when it was open, we were relieved to find a breeze. Some fields were alfalfa but most were corn and beans. Despite the drought the fields looked really healthy but we also noticed that nearly every field had an irrigation system installed, and it was interesting looking at the various models of those close up.

We climbed a few hills and went past an area of cottage area around Rollofson Lake, which seemed odd after all the farms. About 5 miles in we stopped along Peterson creek one of many trout fishing creeks that we’ve crossed over the past few days. We sat on the bridge and ate our lunch and then we continued walking. The group was tired and we splintered off into pairs however Gary continued to walk ahead at a really fast pace like he always does.

We went through some really awesome beautiful wooded areas and then again came out to some farmland. We were surprised to see a dam or Peterson Creek which made a little pond right on the farm - seemed very unusual (established prior to the DNR I’m guessing!). The cows were gathered under trees seeking shade, probably knowing that it’s going to rain again. One cow stood up and did a perfect down dog which he held for a few breaths and then proceeded to do the yoga pose “cat.” I waited for her to do the cow pose but she didn’t do it.

We turned onto a busier road and Jeff and I were in the back we were surprised to see a dog come out from behind a barn barking at us and running onto the road. It was the closest a dog has come to us on the whole trail and we were a little bit frightened by it. Jeff continued to yell at the dog to go home and his deepest voice, while I reached for the mace spray in his backpack. We were all glad we didn’t have to use the mace.

About 10 miles and we finally got to the trail portion of today’s hike. Before going into the woods, we sat on the road and had another snack and the guys had a nap. It was awesome to get back into the woods although it was hot and humid with no breeze. The soil was sandy and soft to walk on. It felt so good after 10 miles of walking on the road. The spring flowers were done, and other things were just beginning to bloom. Most impressive were the ferns!

We were on the skunk and foster Lakes and Segment which actually went through past several lakes: Skunk, Mud, Foster and Grenlie Lakes. It was a roundabout segment and soon we were back out on a little bit of CR until we entered the forest again and the Ice Age trails Farmington drumlins section. I don’t know if we saw any drumlins there but I do know we saw a massive ant hills bigger than some of the erratic rocks!

The segment skirted several farm fields but it was still better than walking on the road. Much of the second half of that segment was walking over an area that had been logged years ago but still left with a lot of scrap which was just starting to grow over and be a little bit less ugly.

I retired my old “transition” sunglasses that had been my adventure staple for the past 15 years. They got to the point where they would no longer get dark in the sun and they also had a broken piece that I would hold together with a croakie. I bought a new pair of glasses have good dark UV blocking lenses without the progressive gradients (bi and tri focals that my 60-year-old eyes need for every day functioning). I left them back in the cabin today because I thought they would be too dark for the grey day. So, I was wearing my glasses with transition and progressive lenses today. They work fine on the road and are great when I’m reading the map or my phone, but the bi/tri-focal lenses are a little challenging for on the trail - walk you have to learn to hold your head just right or you stumble over the roots and rocks, so consequently I slowed my pace, which allowed me to absorb the beauty around me anyway!

One of the coolest parts about being in the woods alone is the sound of the birds. I can’t identify what kind they are, but the variety of songs and calls is so soothing. On this segment though, we were getting close to Highway 10, which made for a constant din of highway noise. Not only that, but a train track runs parallel to Highway 10 and seemed to have a lot of activity given the noise of the train whistle. You lose some of the “middle of nowhere” mojo with that kind of sound.

We walked along the edge of a farm, and past a lot of unique deer hunting shacks before we were out on the road again. We passed a large dairy farm where the cows were in their stanchions, but one was standing on her back legs, very interested it us – it looked so funny. We crossed the railroad track and also ran across the very busy and fast four-lane Highway 10, which is the major thorough fare between Stevens point and Appleton. Once safely across the highway, we entered the Waupaca River segment where we climbed a steep hill and found an awesome old cabin where hikers could spend the night. About another mile down wonderful packed sand trail we came along the Walpaca River and shortly after that the side trail the parking lot. It dawned on me that one thing this group hasn’t yet done is swim in the middle of the day – that would have been a perfect spot, but our group is pretty mission focused and I’m glad just to get regular breaks – a swimming break might have pushed it too far, but it was hot and humid and that river looked like paradise.

Back to the farm, we showered relaxed and put together enough leftovers to make another awesome dinner. As we were cleaning up after dinner, Tam and I noticed that the sky to the south had turned a spectacular orange color. We went outside and watched the clouds move with spectacular pink purple orange colors. The weather radar showed a storm traveling through a band from Stevens point to Waupaca, so it cut just south of us. Beautiful night and Reagan had already put all the animals to bed. We went back in and Jeff and I, and Tam and Dan had a little dance party in the kitchen, practicing the West Coast Swing that we’re working on in our Friday night dance classes. Ann came by and we chatted a bit and said our goodbyes to her. We talked about playing a game but honestly no one had the energy for it. We made a plan for tomorrow’s route and everyone drifted off to read their books and go to bed.

Friday morning, I was up at 6 AM hoping to get a little yoga in before the routine of the morning. While it felt great to stretch, by the time we were hiking at 9 AM I was still really stiff.

Helen Reagan’s place is 40 minutes from where we’re hiking now and they had another reservation for the weekend so we packed up this morning and will stay one night at the Ramada inn in Waupaca for the segment. We had breakfast and we’re packed up and leaving the farm, with a final goodbye to Linus and Lucy before 7:30 AM. By 8:15 AM. Lola and the chickens were still cooped up in the hen house (Regan said if they get them out too early, they still have a chance of being lost to foxes and owls). We rendezvoused with Gary at the spot where we’ll end today. We left two cars there and then drove to the start. I had a Google maps breakdown and accidently lead us to our halfway point, so we had a longer drive than expected but got to see some of the route. Just before 9am we arrived back at the Waupaca River segment and hiked the final half mile of that before punching back out to the road for an easy CR hike to the next segment.

It was about 65° when we started, but very humid it was also a little foggy. We were glad for the cloud cover and hoped that our breeze was going to pick up again today. We walked about 2 miles on the road and then turned into a really cool strip between two farm fields that were parallel to Highway 54. What a relief it was to us to not have to walk on Highway 54 and to be able enjoy the farm fields from that little vantage point of the strip of land. It looked like tobacco growing on one side, and a variety of vegetables for a nearby “farm market” on the other side. There were raspberry bushes, as we’d seen along the trail for the past few days, but these had some ripe berries and I grabbed a few as I walked along – yum.

We turned right and then crossed Highway 54 and there we found a detour sign saying the trail was closed because of water up ahead. We’d seen the “high water” alert on the Guthook app but we didn’t really understand that the trail was going to be closed. Disappointed, we turned and walked up Highway 54 which was kind of nasty and had to do a detour around that piece of the Hartman Creek segment. It was an unexpected 2.5-mile road walk, which also added mileage to the end of the day as we still had to hike to where we’d left the cars. Moods were down, but Lynn and I dragged back and got lost in conversation which always makes the grind bearable. We had a snack and restarted the Hartman Creek Segment. While it goes through Hartman Creek State Park, we saw little of the park facilities, and didn’t see a creek! The segment ended up being through beautiful pines with an occasional oak tree, with a sandy but not too soft trail which was just a blessing on our feet. While it was humid, it didn’t feel too hot – the shade from the trees was just right, the air felt like it had so much oxygen and the singing of the birds - once again we were walking in paradise.

About 10 miles in, we stopped at what was a “P” on the map, but was actually just a gravel forest road. We spread out and had lunch / naps there. Jeff and Dan propped themselves up against the bank, in what we later discovered was probably a tick hangout (they’re both tick magnets anyway).

We travelled through the Emmons Creek segment as a dispersed, quiet, tired bunch. It continued to be beautiful primarily pine forest, with occasional openings to oak savannahs and prairies with flowers just starting to emerge. After that, we still had three more miles to slog along the CR. I changed into my walking shoes and stashed my sandy low hikers in my pack – that gave me a fresh feeling in my lower extremities and Tam and I powered through the last three miles, talking about books we’re reading, the time went quickly. Gary, of course, finished up first, changed into dry clean clothes, and drove back to check on us and offered to carry our packs to the finish. We all encouraged him to leave, but he wouldn’t do that until we all arrived at the finish. Its just the kind of guy he is.

Gary left for home, we piled into Kent’s car and he shuttled us back to the start. Then a quick 10-minute drive to the Ramada Inn in Waupaca, where we were glad to grab showers, pick a few more ticks off our packs, get a cold beer from the cooler and relax.

We gathered at 6pm and headed to what we’d heard was the best gathering spot for dinner – Clearwater Harbor on the Waupaca chain of lakes. We got a great table on the deck, overlooking the docked pontoon boats and watching the bar crowd. We had a good meal, and hung around for the entertainment to start at 8pm, Brad, a one-man show. Brad was a great cover artist and we had a nice exchange going with him from our table next to the stage. We also had a view of the TV and watched the Brewers win in extra innings, and the Bucks get off to a great lead in their playoff game. We could have stayed all night, with the great music and people watching, but we left about 9pm, the practical thing to do.

The forecast called for 90% chance of rain all day Saturday, so it wasn’t a disappointment to wake up to a rainy day - the kind of day where it is just going to rain all day.

The Ramada had a breakfast, but we had our bananas, Greek Gods yogurt and homemade granola so we ate that in our room while we watched the local news. The news was out of Green Bay, which was surprising, and I didn’t expect that until we got to the end of the IAT. But it must be closer than Wausau, the next biggest media market.

The hotel coffee was awful, so I took to Google to find a coffee shop in Waupaca, and found a Dunkin’ Donuts a quarter mile away … otherwise it was going to be Cafe Karuba at Kwik Trip! I took a load down to our car and did my coffee run (drive) in a steady rain. Jeff was waiting in the portico with the rest of our stuff when I returned, and our fellow adventurers were there loading their cars as well.

We drove down Highway 22 through Wild Rose and scoped out a few spots there to come back to for lunch, and met Gary at what would be the start to the Deerfield segment. The rain remained steady and we caravanned two vehicles to our starting point at County Highway AA and 15th Avenue.

We donned various rain costumes and settled in for a hike in the rain. It was a fairly steady rain, and around 70 degrees, so I struggle with being too hot which can be worse to me than being damp! I had on my low hikers and added my low gaiters (which I’d normally not wear on CR), hoping they’d keep my feet dry (they didn’t). I wore my backpacking poncho which isn’t completely waterproof, but good enough. With that and my pack cover, my pack stayed dry. I also carried an umbrella that’s normally in my car; I’d only use an umbrella on CR as I always use hiking poles on the trail, but rarely on the road. Also, on the trail, an umbrella gets hung up on trees. But with 11 miles of CR today, it was great to be able to use it. Jeff started out in rain jacket and rain pants, but got too hot with the pants so they had to come off! He was also using an umbrella, but without a poncho to deflect the water, he had water pooling inside his pack cover, which dripped down to his shorts then! However, he was the only person with dry feet at the end of the hike so he had that going for himself!

We walked about 4 hours to do the 11-mile CR. It was the longest I’d ever hiked without taking a break or having a snack, but they were buried too far in my pack under too many layers of rain protection – and it never really stopped raining, it’d just rain heavier at times. Traffic was ok, and we walked a lot along wooded roads – some with lots for sale, but I didn’t see an attraction to the lots unless you want to live like a hermit in the woods.

My feet were wet, but it was a cushy kind of wet, not a blister forming wet. Of course then, Jeff came up with the “walking home in soggy old shoes” line from Jim Croce’s “Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues.” We worked hard to come up with other lines from that song, and we came up with some, but couldn’t get the melody. As we’ve done with other adventures, we can come up with lines to other songs on his “Greatest Hits” album, but we only have the tune to “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” when we are not singing along to the actual songs with Jim. It sure kept our minds occupied as we were slogging along (in soggy boots).

Our plan was to hike the 11 CR, drive back to Wild Rose for lunch, then hike the 3.7-mile Deerfield segment. With a high misery factor (7 on my scale), the group voted to bag it for the day. We shuttled back to get the vehicles at the start, then on to Wild Rose for lunch. I’d looked at the Pioneer Pub online and thought that looked great. However, when we got to town, that looked super busy. No waiting at the Chatterbox, but perhaps there was a reason for that? We were the only patrons in there, which should be a bad sign that one should pay attention to. The only staff person, RC, tried hard, but he had a creep factor that I couldn’t see beyond. We’d already ordered by the time I saw the state of the bathroom and part of the kitchen. Even though we were warm and dry, my misery factor remained high and I mainly just ate my French fries as my sandwich was horrible.

It was just over an hour back home from there. We detoured to the Dairy Queen in Wautoma on our way home (made up for the yucky lunch).

All in all, it was a great five day stretch on the IAT. We hiked over 74 miles in 5 days, and the long days pushed us mentally and physically. While we aren’t able to train for the altitude that we’ll encounter hiking Kilimanjaro in September, the mental toughness we’re developing on days like today is what will make us successful!

#IAT KiliOrBust

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svetlanawagner-blog · 5 years

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We heard about the long days in Alaska, but it felt unreal to experience it in person. Dinner at 9pm felt like an early dinner with our plates perfectly lit up by the window light. At am, we had to pull the blackout curtains, because golden hour last for several hours. It was all very trippy, and I thought to myself, I could live here for a summer.

A big thank you to Nation’s Vacation and Denali Park Village for hosting our trip and sponsoring this post. All opinions are always our own. This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. Read our full disclosure for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

First Published: July 26, 209

7 Unforgettable Things to Do in Denali National Park

After spending 5 days exploring Denali National Park, we’re already putting together a game plan on how get an RV and slow travel through Alaska!

While we were there, a lot of the people we met were just passing through on a cruise. Most people only spend a day or two in the Denali area before heading to their next destination on their Alaska itinerary. We stayed 5 days and still felt like it wasn’t enough. Meet you there next year?

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What You Need to Know Before You Visit

You can only drive the first 5 miles into the park. From Savage River Check Station, you must either take a bus, bicycle, or hike in. Most people see Denali National Park by either shuttle bus or interpretive bus tour.

Mt McKinley was renamed Denali in 205 so you’ll still hear both names.

Weather is fickle. Our driver was told us that only 30% of people get to see Denali. A lot of the times, it is shrouded in clouds. For your best chances, go as early morning as possible. Clouds tend to come in during the day.

Bring a map (NatGeo Denali National Park) or hike with a guide. Denali is wild. It’s the backcountry and there are not many well-maintained trails. It’s easiest to hike when you stick near river beds but you can expect bushwhacking and stream crossings as well.

Bring Bug Spray. If you make it out to Wonder Lake, bring a bug net. They might look stupid, but you will feel stupid after getting dozens of bug bites on your face.

How the Buses Work - 4 Types of Buses

This was probably what confused me the most before I arrived in Denali.

Free Shuttle Buses only travel the first 5 miles of the park road. It connects visitor centers and points of interest where you can already drive your own vehicle.

Tour Buses are narrated and can travel further into the park along Denali Park Road. There are

Tips for Buses

Specific schedules are subject to small adjustments throughout the season. Always check the latest schedule when you arrive.

When you purchase your tickets, you will be charged the park entrance fee. Be sure to bring your annual park pass (good for up to 4 people) with you. If you forgot it like we did, you can bring it the next day and get a reimbursement.

Bus trips range from 4.5 to 2 hours. Keep that in mind while you’re planning your days. If you plan on trying to catch a bus back, be patient. Those who have tickets for that particular bus will have priority.

Visitor CenterS

The Denali Visitor Center is only open in the summer from 8am to 6pm. This is the main visitor center near the entrance of the park. Watch the park film, check out exhibits, or join one of the ranger led programs. You can also get backcountry permits here.

The Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) is the main visitor center during the fall, winter, and spring. It is also located at the front of the park and showcases research from living laboratories like Denali National park. It is open daily from 9:30am to 5pm.

The Eielson Visitor Center is also only open during the summer. It’s located at Mile 66 and can be reached by most shuttle buses and the Kantishna Experience tour bus. There are ranger-led programs, a small art gallery, and beautiful views of Denali on clear days. It’s open from pm to 3pm in the summer and 9am to 5:30pm the rest of the year.

The Denali Bus Depot (formerly Wilderness Access Center) is only open in the summer. You can busy bus tickets, reserve campsites, and check in for existing reservations. It is located near the park entrance and is open from 5am to 7pm. There is a small coffee shop, bookstore and is where you will catch your bus.

The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station is located about 00 miles south of the Denali National Park and Preserve in the town of Talkeetna. This ranger station is the center of mountaineering operations. Climbers who plan on Denali or other peaks in the Alaska Range need to stop here first. It is open year round from 8am to 5:30pm.

. Nenana River Whitewater Rafting

With Explore Denali Rafting, you can either hop on a mild Wilderness Float Trip where you can simply enjoy the views, or get your adrenaline pumping on a Paddle or Canyon Run.

We did the Paddle Run and hit some gnarly rapids! There were only four of us in the raft in addition to our guide, where we all had to paddle. Another raft floated along with us on the Canyon Run, where the guests just hold on while the guide does all the heavy lifting. BUT did you really raft if you don’t paddle? We’ll let you decide. Either way, we highly recommend experiencing the Nenana River.

You’ll be on the water for about 2 hours and 3-4 hours total including pickup, instruction, and gearing up. They provide all the equipment you need, including dry-suits since the water stays cold year round, transportation to and from your hotel, and experienced river guides.

Photo: Old Sourdough Studio

2. See the Big 5

Out of the Big 5, the only ones we didn’t see was the last one.

Caribou / Reindeer

Dall Sheep – look for a white dot

Grizzly Bears – look for a golden bail of hay

Moose – look for a large brown mass

Wolves

More Denali Animals to Look Out For: Collared pika, coyotes, golden eagles, hoary marmot, lynx, porcupine, red fox, snowshoe hare, wolverines, and more. See the full list here.

400 mm on a crop sensor. Unless you’re lucky, most of the animals are far away. Keep in mind that it’s not a zoo, and you’re never guaranteed to see wildlife. We’ve been to plenty of national parks where we didn’t see much, meanwhile, everyone and their moms would have epic sightings. This was by far our luckiest trip for seeing wildlife.

3. The Tundra Wilderness Tour

When: June – September 2 Time Needed: 7-8 Hours Distance: 63 Miles to Stoney Hill Overlook then Back

We rode both the narrated bus and a shuttle bus, and actually recommend both if you have the time. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is great because you have more time to see wildlife and our driver was insanely good at spotting wildlife. They even have a camera where they can zoom in so you can see them closer on the bus monitors.

During the tour, the driver shared the history of Park Road and stopped at every opportunity to see wildlife, where you had plenty of time to take photos and watch them in their natural habitat. When Denali is visible, you also get some of the best views of the mountain. The bus stops roughly every .5 hours for bathroom breaks and to stretch your legs.

There are 3 Interpretive Bus Tours with different itineraries. All tours stop every .5 hours for restroom breaks and offer either a snack or full lunch.

Denali Natural History Tour (4.5-5 hr, 30 mi one way) – History of humans in the park

Tundra Wilderness Tour or Toklat Shoulder Season Tour (7-8 hr, 63 mi one way) – Focus on wildlife

Kantishna Experience Tour (-2 hr, 92 mi one way) – Focus is on the landscape. Out of the 3 interpretive bus tours, this is the only one that takes you to the end of the Park Road, the only one that stops at Eielson Visitor Center, and the only one with an Interpretive Ranger from the National Park Service that joins you at Wonder Lake.

4. Triple Lakes Trail Interpretive Hike

When we go on our own, we miss a lot of details because we’re focused on getting to the destination or worried about running into wildlife. The Triple Lakes Trail Interpretive Hike was a great way to learn more about the boreal forest, where to keep an eye out for wildlife, and the best vantage points.

Our guide tailored the hike to what we were interested in, helped us stay on pace, and answered questions about the local flora and fauna. He also gave us suggestions on other hikes to check out and places in town we should stop by.

5. Denali Flightseeing Tours

These views were jaw-dropping. The mountains went on forever, and you get to soar above the clouds for better chances to see Denali.

Denali Air navigates through the park through their small aircrafts giving you views of mountains, glaciers, and even Denali up close. Our pilot pointed out the different basecamps of the mountaineers too.

During our trip, it was amazing to see the park from land, water, and air.

6. Meet the Canine Rangers at the Denali Kennels + Sled Dog Demonstrations

If you love dogs, this is a must! Denali National Park is the only park that uses sled dogs, and these canine rangers have worked alongside their human counterparts since the 920s.

The kennels are roughly 3 miles into the park and open year-round. During the summer, you can stop by to meet the pups and watch a sled dog demonstration. During the winter, the dogs and rangers are frequently in the park, so be sure to check at the visitor center before making your way to the kennels.

7. Stony Hill Overlook (Mile 62)

his was our favorite view of Denali and the last stop on our Tundra Wilderness Tour. When we took the transit bus out to Wonder Lake, we were hoping we might make a stop here again, but since the Eielson Visitor Center is just a few miles past this, the driver didn’t bother stopping here.

8. The Eielson Visitor Center (Mile 66)

If you only do one thing in the park, visit the Eielson Visitor Center. You get amazing views and see a lot of the park on the way – Josh, Youth Volunteer

The Eielson Visitor Center is only open in the summer and has great views of Denali on clear days. There are daily ranger-led programs, a small gallery of art, and has some of the few established trails in the park.

9. Murie Science and Learning Center

The Murie Science and Learning Center is also Denali’s winter visitor center. Check out exhibits and learn how to be better stewards of national parks in Alaska.

0. Wonder Lake (Mile 84.5)

Wonder Lake is a popular campground with 28 sites and the closest to Denali (although it’s still 26 miles from the mountain). Our initial plan was to come up here to find Reflection Pond, which is next on the list, but since clouds covered Denali by the time we were here, we decided to enjoy the lake for a bit then head back.

bug nets.

. Reflection Pond (Mile 85.3)

Photographers love Reflection Pond. As its name implies, you can get beautiful photos of Denali and Foraker reflecting off the surface of the pond. We were bummed that Denali was covered in clouds by the time we got there. Next time, we’ll have to camp at Wonder Lake to take advantage of the morning light and increase chances to see the mountain.

2. Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre

Enjoy a family-style dinner and show at Denali Park Village. The show shares about the local history through music and humor. Set in the early 900s, the cast is talented and charismatic and they do a great job getting the crowd involved.

3. Old Sourdough Studio

We’ve never taken old-timey photos before, but Alaskan themed old-timey photos? Down! They use authentic clothes, help you get dressed, and make the experience really quick and smooth. Everything in the photo was real except for the snow and husky.

4. Hike the Backcountry

If you want to explore more of the park, much of it is done in the backcountry. Stop by the Wilderness Access Center to get all the info you need about camping and backcountry in Denali. The six million acres are divided into 87 backcountry units (each unit is tens of thonds of acres). 4 of those units have a limit on the number of people allowed to camp each night.

Tips:

Your entire party must be present when obtaining your permit.

You must have a backcountry permit before purchasing a camper bus ticket.

Supplies are limited in the Denali area. Try to purchase items you need before arriving.

Backpacking units are subject to availability. They are only issued the day before or the day of your trip. Your best chances are to arrive at 8am the day before your trip to get your choice in unites.

You will need to complete a backcountry orientation and it will be good for the season. You can even save time by watching the video at the Denali Visitor Center before the day of your permit. Just be sure to document with the park staff that you watched it.

Have a few units picked out ahead of time so you can select the one that is available. You can read more about each unit here.

If it’s your first off-trail backpacking trip, these units are a good starting point: (features a trail), 9-3, 8, 34, and 42.

Read more about how to plan for your trip here.

5. Bike Denali Park Road

Cycling is a great way to see the park plus visitors are allowed to bike all 92 miles of the Park Road. You can check out trip ideas here. More Tips:

You can ride on park roads, parking areas, and campground loops. Bicycles are prohibited on all other trails.

Electric bikes are not allowed beyond the first 5 miles.

Bring your own repair kits.

Eielson Visitor Center at mile 66 is the only place to refill water.

Be aware of wildlife. You cannot cycle faster than a bear (they can run up to 35 mph).

Remember weather can be fickle. Be prepared for all types of weather.

Photo: NPS

6. Take in the Northern Lights (Winter)

September is my favorite time of year. The weather is perfect, the bugs are gone, and you get a chance to see the Northern Lights. – James, Our Local Hiking Guide

Summer is amazing because you get such long days, but if you visit in the spring, fall, or winter, you also get a chance to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. The sky is usually dark enough starting the second week of August.

7. Win the Road Lottery

Every year, they open the Park Road to the public through a lottery. Applications run from May -3 and they only award 400 passes each day. If you’re lucky enough to win the lottery for this 4-day event in September, you can drive as far as Wonder Lake (mile 85). Otherwise, you’ll have to join the rest of us via bus. Find more details here.

More: Hardest Outdoor Permits to Get in the US

Map of Denali National Park

More Things to Do at Denali National Park

Become a Junior Ranger – always a fun way to learn about the park. It’s great for kids, and most of the time they don’t discriminate against adults. ;)

Fishing – although it’s not a super popular fishing spot because of the glacial silt, you can fish at Wonder lake and a few clear streams that flow into Savage River.

Ziplining

Best Overlooks and Views in Denali

9 Mile Marker – first view of Denali view (you can access with your own car)

0.6 Mile Marker – both Denali peaks are visible

3 Mile Marker – Mountain Vista Trailhead. See Denali on clear days.

6 Mile Marker – Primrose Ridge – you can see Denali, wildflowers, & wildlife

30 Mile Marker – Teklanika River Bridge

46 Mile Marker – Polychrome – colorful mountains (watch for grizzlies, moose, caribou)

53. Mile Marker – Toklat River – caribou and other wildlife

6.95 Mile Marker – Stony Hill Overlook – one of the best views of Denali

66 Mile Marker – Eielson Visitor Center – 33 miles from Summit of Denali

85 Mile Marker – Wonder Lake – moose here at dusk and dawn

Denali Hiking Trails

Horseshoe Lake Trail (2. mi loop, 393 ft △, easy) – look for moose

Mt Healy Overlook Trail (4.3 mi roundtrip, 666 ft △, moderate) – a lot of exposed trail

Savage River Area

River Loop Trail (2. mi loop, 43 ft △, easy)

Savage Alpine Trail (8.2 mi roundtrip, 44 ft △, strenuous)

Eielson Visitor Center Area

Tundra Loop (0.4 mi, 52 ft, easy)

Thorofare Ridge Trail (2. mi roundtrip, 020 ft, strenuous)

Gorge Creek Trail (3.8 mi roundtrip, 095 ft, moderate)

Triple Lakes Trail (8.5 mi round trip, 3690 ft, strenuous) – the one we did. It’s the longest established trail where you see three lakes, blueberry patches, bears, waterfowl, beavers.

Rock Creek Trail (4.4 mi, 944 ft, moderate)

McKinley Station Trail – easy, 3.2 mi

Visit this page for a complete list of day hikes.

More: 5 Best Day Hikes in the US for Your Outdoor Bucket List

Photo: NPS

Where to Eat

If you spend all day in the park or do the guided tours, bring food with you. We opted to get the sack lunches from the Gold Rush Dining Room (if you do this, you need to order your lunch the day before). By evening, we were so exhausted, we stayed close to home.

Gold Rush Dining Room – We had most our meals here since we stayed at Denali Park Village. They have different menus for lunch and dinner. Our favorite dish was the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut (we recommend you order it medium if you do get it).

Lucky Miss Saloon – It’s attached to Gold Rush Dining Room. They open until pm so it’s a great option after being out all day.

Denali Thai Food – Some of the best Thai food we’ve had anywhere. I know.. it’s a shocker, and we didn’t believe people until we tried it ourselves. They outdoor seating at the food cart, but we brought it back to our room to hide from the mosquitos.

Cabin Night Dinner Theater – Family-style buffet dinner. They do move you through dinner first so they can get to the show.

What to Pack for Alaska

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Denali Park Village

Denali Park Village was the perfect home base during our stay in Alaska. You can choose between The Lodge or Cabins. Either way, you have easy access to all of the grounds and its amenities.

The main Lodge has beautiful views of the river, an indoor fireplace, a shop, and restaurants. It’s where you will meet for any tour pickups and they also provide a free shuttle to the National Park. You can also hang out at the Miner’s Plaza, which has a general store, Cabin Nite Dinner Theater, and outdoor stage, a museum, shops and more.

Camping

If you’re looking to camp in Denali National Park, you can make reservations online as early as December of the year before your visit. Campground fees will be between $2-27/night and is free in the winter (late Sept to early May)

Riley Creek Campground (Mile 0.25, Year-round) – RVs and tent camping

Savage River Campground (Mile 4, mid-May to mid-Sept) – RVs and tent camping

Sanctuary River Campground (Mile 2 May 20 – mid Sept) – tents only

Teklanika River Campground (Mile 29, May 20 – mid Sept) – RVs and tent camping

Igloo Creek Campground (Mile 35, May 20 – mid Sept) – tents only

Wonder Lake Campground (Mile 85, June 8 – mid Sept) – tents only

More Camping Info:

Check in & checking out is am

There are no spaces for RVs over 40′ long

None of the campgrounds have electrical or water hookups for RVs

All campgrounds have toilets (some flush, some are vault-style)

Campgrounds all have potable water except Igloo Creek and Sanctuary River

All campgrounds have recycling containers for aluminum cans, glass, plastic jugs and bottles ( and and plastic containers ( are allowed on campground roads and Park Rod, but not on trails on in the wilderness

You can have fires in established grates in Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River. Fires may not be used for cooking

There is a 4 night maximum in the summer season

Click here for more info on campsites

You can find backcountry camping info here

What's Nearby

More Resources

Denali Guide to Hiking, Photography, and Camping

Backcountry Companion for Denali National Park

Complete Visitors Guide to Denali, Wildlife, Outdoor Activities

Denali National Park NatGeo Trail Map + Wildlife Guide

Watch Extreme Alaska – Denali National Park

Have you been to Alaska? Any other things to do in Denali National Park that we missed?

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Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

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shannrussell-blog1 · 5 years

Photo

Taking on a cycle tour seems intimidating for beginners. As you prepare for such a journey, you will consume limitless information on routes, bicycle equipment, travel advice, what to see and what to miss, plus lots more.

Prior to starting our long cycle tour, we had many fantasies of what it would be like on the road. Now, with a year of riding under our belt, we have learnt a lot about what it is to be a cycle tourist. Here are just a few things we didn’t expect about cycle touring.

We had many assumptions before we started our journey.

1. The lack of downtime

Prior to beginning our long-term cycle tour, we had fanciful dreams of using the endless spare hours in the day for personal development and relaxation. We expected to be able to read books, write, study languages and complete our online University courses.

However, reality set in quickly as we discovered the whole day was filled with riding for 6 to 8 hours, cooking or finding food, locating a camp spot, looking for fresh streams to wash in and setting up/dissembling our campsite. On top of that, we had our daily mapping of routes and visa applications.

There are only a few hours at the end of the day in which to crawl into your tent, take a long breath and do some stretching to help calm down, before crashing miraculously into a deep sleep.

Daytime nap after eating our fill.

2. Extraordinary hospitality

Along our journey, we’ve had many discussions with other travellers about cycle touring compared to other forms of travel. It was obvious that the main benefit is the intense interactions cycle tourists have with the local communities they encounter. Before departing for our trip, we had heard that some hospitality would be shown to us whilst travelling. However, what surprised us was the extent and excessiveness of peoples’ hospitality.

Staying in a Yurt in western China.

We remember a particular day in Thailand where the sun was producing blistering heat and extreme humidity. Towards the mid-afternoon, we could feel a small increase in the wind and an eeriness crept up behind us as the weather began to change dramatically. Just before the clouds tumbled over us, we saw a small temple over the bridge to our right. We attempted to cycle there against a sudden raging headwind causing us to have to walk our bikes over the small bridge.

A one-eyed monk in his glorious orange robes saw us coming and without even having to say a word he gestured to us to stay the night. As soon as we entered the temple, a ferocious thunderstorm shook the buildings, terrifying all the local street dogs and a pounding rain filled the yard in half-a-metre of water in under 10 minutes!

A Kazak family took us into their home for 3 days.

3. How many of us are out there

Cycle touring is really a popular way of travelling, and there are many more cycle tourists than you would think! Within our first two months on the road, we met over 25 fellow cycle tourists. There are hundreds if not thousands of cycle tourists pedalling their little legs across the globe.

It’s also a great community where you can talk to experienced cycle tourists through social media or international messaging services like WhatsApp which have many groups dedicated to cycle touring.

We met three cyclists on the road in the middle of nowhere in Kazakhstan.

4. How gear can make or break

Things like a tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag and 100% waterproof panniers are essential for long tours. All equipment needs to be lightweight, durable and packable. Unfortunately, you don’t always get it right, like us, when we purchased front panniers that are not suitable for monsoon rains of south-east Asia. Research is paramount and Snowys has a good range to begin the search. You should also check out this guide for further advice.

It’s important to camp with the right gear.

5. You’re going to be an endless pit of hunger

After a few days of cycling, I guarantee you’ll be a black hole where food disappears into. You will be devoid of etiquette as you make it your personal challenge to disprove every “all you can eat” buffet sign you see. The advantages of your out of control appetite mean trying an array of local delicious foods and you’ll never have to worry about gaining weight!

You will have a huge appetite when cycling every day.

6. Where you’ll feel the safest

We originally thought that we would be most scared in the wilderness where ferocious animals or psychopaths might be waiting for the unfortunate lone cyclist to camp in their hunting ground. We now know that the most dangerous situations are in cities where cars and people are a serious risk to your safety.

After a while, you begin to gain confidence, forgetting the dangers of camping. Also, when you’re wrecked from cycling, you tend to set up camp anywhere that is remotely suitable. Once, we were camping on a dry river bed on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. We had set up camp late, close to Tajik and Afgan settlements, thinking that there was no chance of being caught this close to dusk. Unfortunately, at 8 pm we could hear and see the lights of people walking towards our tent. Luckily, they were friendly Tajik soldiers who mimed to us that we were too close to the Afghanistan border and we need to move our tents or risk being shot at in the middle of the night.

We aren’t sure whether this was true, but we were quickly shuffled closer to the Tajik side of the river bed. For us, we love being completely in the wilderness. The silence is peaceful and knowing you won’t be disturbed during the night is heaven for an exhausted cycle tourist.

Camping in the desert in Kazakhstan.

7. The vast world and small humanity

The world is massive in terms of distances. When looking at the kilometres you have travelled or still must travel, it can be daunting. However, the world is small in relation to cohesion between cultures and the basic needs and wants of people.

People in China were making the same jokes as the people in Iran. Not to say there aren’t differences but there are many core principles that make us human, and we’ve experienced these everywhere we’ve visited. Additionally, we have noticed that western culture has impacted every country we have visited across the world whether it be movies, catchphrases, music or big brands.

It was incredible to see how western culture has impacted the world.

What else to expect

This is only the start of what you might encounter while cycle touring. There are personal realisations, surreal adventures and incredible people to meet which is only possible through this type of travel. There is much more to discover, so jump on your bike and start your cycle journey!

Is overseas cycle touring on your bucket list of adventures?

The post 7 Things We Didn’t Expect About Cycle Touring appeared first on Snowys Blog.

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melodeemarsh · 5 years

Text

aaaaaaand she’s finally lost it.

i. am. ready. to. go. outside.

whooooooooooooooo.

3 days til my REBIRTH INTO THE WORLD.

Li Zi Qi just put out new videos on blue-dyed calico ❤

youtube

If you don’t know who she is yet, please watch all her videos!!! They are straight out of a fairytale and at the same time just such a wonderful, slow, beautiful understanding of life. She makes almost everything from scratch—salted duck eggs, lipstick from roses, silk dresses, wool cloaks.

Her channel is honestly what I aspire towards. I want to make videos and blogs that slow down, offer a space to breathe, create wonder and beauty.

Life moves on and it never falls into a complete standstill. The world is having a meltdown right now, but here, Li Zi Qi is quietly making blue-dye calico clothes.

The media tends to intensify the anxiety and fear, and it always urgent and demands attention. So it feels as if everything and everyone is in a sort of a mental frenzy, a sort of panic. But that isn’t true. In some places, life is going on at a slow, sweet, unhurried pace. In fact, perhaps, people who are under lock-down or quarantine or stay-at-home notices are living a slower, sweeter life, too.

I hope so.

I’m sure there are many also struggling with living at home, and trying to homeschool the kids. And people who cannot afford to stay at home and must go out for work, risking their health.

Of course, we all risk our health every day. More people die from car crashes than airplane crashes—and now both are cut at a drastic rate, so perhaps we are also saving people from vehicle crash deaths. Just like how pollution has decreased because of the lockdown in China, which has also saved lives (more lives than from the disease) from pollution long term.

But yet again, it is the people who cannot afford it who are hit the hardest. Malaysia shut its borders a few days ago, and many Malaysians cross over to Singapore to work every day. So a lot of them crossed over with sparse belongings and nowhere to sleep for the next two weeks (could be shorter or longer, but as of now, two weeks). I’m just glad to see how the community here is mobilising. The Jurong East sports hall was opened up for stranded workers to stay. Druggists and Mikkellar Bar are pulling together a donation drive of essentials to ensure they have all the necessities they need.

On the other end of things, Jimmy Fallon now has an At Home edition of his show and I love it—and I never even watched a single full episode of his stuff before. He features a guest and a different charity every episode. So far, he has featured feedingamerica.org, savethechildren.org/savewithstories, which are pulling together resources to support the kids in the States who rely on school for food. Then, there is a donation drive for artists and performers who are affected.

youtube

There is a keen balance of hope and sober reality that needs to be held in these times. We cannot underplay the suffering that people are going through—mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, socially—and yet we cannot be solemn and despairing. Try and understand and see clearly what the situation is, but yet hold on ruthlessly to hope and to humour, to joy and laughter and bright days.

Keep loving and living. Look out for one another, see how we can help our friends and neighbours. This lady posted a wonderful post about supporting the more vulnerable small businesses/gig workers who are directly impacted by the situation right now. Taken directly from her post:

Profiles of those who are also getting hit terribly:

– Those who work in SMEs facing the trickle down effect (those who earn under 100m or employ <200 workers but contribute to 48% of SG’s GDP, employ 65% of SG’s workforce and constitute 99% of all SG’s enterprises.)

– Those who freelance and do gigs (freelance creatives, musicians, actors, food delivery, etc)

– Those whose work depends on having medium to large sized groups of people show up (events managers and organisers, conference organisers and support, trainers, teachers, F&B, film crews, small renovation/contractor firms, party planners, arts-based companies etc)

– Those who run events that are too easily and unfortunately deemed “non-essential” (social enterprise CSR events, creative work like theatre, film music, celebrations etc)

– Those who work in hospitality, F&B, tourism, aviation, trade

There are some ways you can help:

1. Ask them how their work has been hit by the Covid crisis. If they’re doing badly, ask them if you can financially support them somehow. Find ways to commission work from them or ask around on their behalf. Pay them fairly and generously for their work. Bonus: You never know if the thing you’re commissioning from them can also be the financial and psychological invitation they need to explore a pivot in their business.

2. If you’re one of the luckier ones who are actually not worried now and are sniffing for cheap, plummeting stocks to invest in so you can get even richer, consider investing in people around you who exhibit great potential. I’m not talking about pity investments. I mean thoughtful intentional investments that support Singapore’s economic and societal well-being. Consider using some of your significant loose change to be a mini venture capitalist or mini impact investor.

3. Tip the gig economy people you come across – like your food delivery person, your taxi driver, your part-time waiters and food servers. Be more generous than normal. Tipping has never been our culture but the option has been built into the apps’ system if we choose to use it. There are many around us who are forced to choose between taking medical rest and keeping up their hourly paid work. Tip them so they know if they are sick especially with flu like symptoms, they have some kind of financial relief and psychological permission from someone to stay home and rest.

4. If you bought tickets to a local theatre performance/concert/workshop that got cancelled, if it is possible for you and you have more than enough, don’t harass them for refunds especially if you know they are a smaller player without deep pockets.

5. If you are a big corporate/govt agency that has to cancel your events and workshops (especially those CSR events run by smaller social enterprises), pay them something – anything. In exceptional times, explore how to make an exception to the usual contractual rules. Write in a new goodwill clause if you want. Pay them a goodwill amount – your generosity could mean some employees get paid. This is especially for social enterprises which hire the elderly or people with special needs. If possible don’t cancel but postpone the event and still pay upfront as a gesture of solidarity.

6. If your friends are running F&Bs, go dine-in (at an appropriate distance). Or order takeaway/catering from them.

7. If you run some kind of community group or religious group especially, find a way to gently and kindly ask if there is anyone going through hard times in their business who needs some help. You’ll be surprised how many real needs are there in front of you even amongst those who look comfortably middle class. People may stay quiet and stoic because the global situation seems so dire out there and they feel their own hyper-local needs seem smaller in comparison.

❤

On a more light hearted note… Someone made lo-fi beats with PM Lee speaking in the background…

youtube

this has become a very, very long post.

I would like to end with a quote from Avery’s own quarantine diaries (she is on day 6) because I think she puts what I am trying to say in this blogpost perfectly:

“Finally, I came across a really beautiful metaphor in Jeremiah 17 today. It’s worth typing out here.

Thus says the LORD:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.

He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when the heat comes, for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit…

Oh LORD, [you are] the fountain of living water.” – Jeremiah 17:5-8, 13

I love the imagery of a tree planted by water that never fears in drought or heat. I’m doing all right for now, but for many people, right now is a time of personal and financial drought. And yet God says our leaves can remain green. We will still bear fruit. Because the very source of our life is God, the fountain of living water. Last year I began to learn about joy in all circumstances, joy despite drought. I know I’ll keep learning more.”

Joy in all circumstances. Peace beyond understanding. Love beyond all reason.

That is where I turn to, in times of trouble.

There is a part of me that feels a little nervous or fearful, writing and speaking about my faith, but I truly believe that Jesus died for me and saved me, and that God’s love sustains me, and that God turns all evil into good.

Truly.

Keep on burning bright, you little light.

Melody

the quarantine diary – day 12 aaaaaaand she's finally lost it. i. am. ready. to. go. outside. whooooooooooooooo. 3 days til my REBIRTH INTO THE WORLD.

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shirditopackage · 5 years

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Best Shirdi tour packages providing company

Shirdi tours are standard for Shirdi packages Sai Baba who was seen by his fans as a Saint, Fakir, and Satguru according to their individual proclivities and feelings. It is one of the most liberal shelter affiliations. One of his amazing witticisms, "Sabka Malik Ek" ("One God controls all"), is related with Hinduism, Islam, and Sufism. He other than imparted, "Trust in me and your sales will be answered".

Reliably adventures of Shri Sai Ram Ji Samadhi Temple. The opening events of the haven entrances are 4:00 am, Kankad aarti at 4:30 am, Mangal Sean. 5:00 am. Abhishek at 6:00 am, 12 PM arti at 9:00 am: 12:00 pm splendid aarti evening: 5:45 pm she aarti night: 10:30 pm

Perspectives from 30 minutes to 30 minutes before the hour of the aartis guided It is halted. On the off chance that you are going for darshan, by then remember these occasions.

Brahma has two structures - nirgun and sauna. Nirguna is soothing and goodness is credible. In the event that they are two sorts of a near Brahma, by then one is likewise amped up for Nirguna and one is excited about Saguna venerate, as depicted somewhat 12 of the Gita. Upstanding warmth is fundamental and normal. Man himself is perfectly healthy (body, sense, and so forth.), that is the clarification his guaranteed love nature of God is basic. Till some time the upstanding Brahma isn't revered, there is no advancement in warmth and dedication. As we progress in Sagunopasana, we move towards Nirgun Brahma. That is the clarification it is impeccable to perform Shri Ganesh by uprightness love. The image, remarkable wandered an area, fire, light, sun, water, and Brahman, and so forth., being the objects of Sapta worship, Sadguru is the best among them all.

Bring the kind of Shri Sai to the eyes, which is the fast image of separation and the asylum of specific unstuck people. Placing trust in their words is the renunciation everything being proportionate, and the insistence to adore them.

A few people used to join Srisai Baba in Bhagavadbhakta or a Maha Bhagavat (mind blowing fan). In any case, for us we are Godless. He was especially astute, quiet, direct and conciliated, who can't be looked at. He was an on a very basic level being, yet if all else fails was nirguna, dubious, everlasting and everlasting. The stream Ganga in movement to the ocean cheers many delighted summer radiators by giving them coolness, offering life to yields and trees, and the way where the usages of creatures lighten. Furthermore, Shri Sai, while having a faithful nearness, passes on comfort and satisfaction to different people. Pro Shri Krishna has said that the holy individual is my spirit. They are my living picture and my unadulterated structure. I am only the tantamount. These inconceivable forces or the power of God, which are Satta, psyche, and delight. There was a repeat in Sai Rupi in Shirdi tour package. In the Shruti (Taittiriya Upanishad), Brahma is called Ananda. Till now, these subjects were examined and heard astoundingly in books, at any rate fans have discovered such direct get a kick out of Shirdi packages. Baba was the asylum of everything, he didn't require anybody's assistance. Enthusiasts used to put a touchy seat and an important pad for their sitting.

Shani Shingnapur is surprising for Shani Temple with the manner by which that no house in the town has entryways, just door frames. Despite this, no theft was addressed in the town until 2010. In January 2011, the United Commercial (UCO) Bank opened a 'lockless' branch in the town, the first of its sort in the country, viewing the right around zero dreadful lead rate in the zone.

Baba used to regard the appraisals of the aficionados and didn't have any contradiction in engaging them to worship as per their will. Some used to make caviar before them, some used to play impact and some used to do home. Some used to offer aroma and sandalwood, some offered betel nuts, paan, and different things and some offered just Naiveigh. Despite the manner in which that it makes the feeling that his home is in Shirdi tour package, he was wide. Fans encountered this dependably. I have continued welcome at the feet of such a general Gurudev.

Responsibility to Dr. Pandit

At the point when resulting to paying appreciation to Shirdi packages Padhare Baba to see Dr. Pandit Baba, a companion of Shri Tatya Nulkar, he sat for a long time in the Masjid. Baba sent him to Shri Dada Bhat Kelkar, where he was generally welcomed. By then Dada Bhat and Dr. Pandit met up at Masjid for worship together. Dada Bhat adored Baba. About everybody used to adore Baba, in any case so far nobody had set out to put sandalwood on his promising head.

Just a mahalsapati used to apply sandalwood around his neck. Dr. Pandit took sandalwood from the plate of fondness and put a trunk ring on Baba's sanctuaries. Individuals were exceptionally befuddled that Baba didn't let out the scarcest peep. At sunset, Dada Bhat asked Baba, what is the explanation that R doesn't engage others to put sandalwood on his sanctuaries, in any case you didn't express a word to Dr. Pandit, Baba began saying, Dr. Pandit gave me his Guru Shri Raghunath Maharaj Dhopeshwarkar, who Kaka is inescapably known as Puranic, I got it and him gave me sandalwood thusly as he used to apply sandalwood to his Guru. In what limit may I stop by at that point? On being asked, Dr. Pandit said to Dada Bhat that I have put Baba like his Guru Kaka Puranik correspondingly as I used to apply my treasury shoe like I constantly used to cherish my Guru. Yaghapu Baba used to engage dears to cherish as he wished, But some of the time their direct was bizarre. At whatever point they would fling Rudra Vatar by throwing a plate of love, nobody could have the solidarity to approach them.

Every so often, he rebuked the sweethearts and now and again pacified with wax, he took after a symbol of concordance and vindication. Every so often they would tremble harshly and their red eyes used to turn around them, in any case, in their spirit they used to shed a wellspring of reverence and maternal warmth. He used to call the lovers and said that he didn't have the foggiest thought when he lost control with them. If it is possible that mothers expel their children and return to the streams, by then nobody yet they can ignore the welfare of the lovers. They remain close to the enthusiasts and they quickly become present when the fans call them. He is always covetous for the love of fans.

Haji Siddique Phalke -

No one could state when Shri Saibaba would make his enthusiast his charitableness. It depended upon his unselfishness. The story of Haji Siddique Phalke is an instance of this. A Yavan, a Kalyanivasi, named Siddique Phalke, came to Shirdi in the wake of performing Hajj of Mecca Sharif. They started living in Chavadi towards the north. They used to sit in the open yard before Masjid. Baba didn't empower him to enter the Masjid for 9 months nor empower him to rise the Masjid ladder. Phalke was astounded and couldn't pick what answers for use. People incited him not to give up trust. Shama Srisai is an individual aficionado of Baba. You endeavor to land at Baba through them. So also as it is essential to go to Nandi to touch base at Lord Shankar, in like manner Baba should similarly reach Shama. Phalke considered the idea reasonable and drew closer Shama for help. Shama similarly gave affirmation and on finding the opportunity, he tended to Baba with the goal that Baba, for what reason do you not empower that old Haji to go to the Masjid. Various devotees deliberately visit your darshan. Support him in any occasion once. Baba expressed, Shama, you are young now. In case the fakir doesn't empower Allah to come, by then what will I do? No one could climb the mosque without his tastefulness. Everything thought of you as, ask concerning whether he agrees to go to the lower well. Shama connected with a sufficient answer. Shroud Baba again uncovered to Shama that again ask with respect to whether he is set up to give me forty thousand rupees in four segments. By then Shama returned with an answer that if you express that, by then I am set up to give forty lakh rupees. I will do a goat halal in Masjid, ask him what he would be enthusiastic about - goat meat, nadha or gonads. Shama returned with the proper reaction that in case Baba finds even one of Baba's sustenance things, by then Haji will consider himself to be lucky. On discovering this arrangement, Baba wound up invigorated and hurled the earthen pot (water pot) from his hand and hurled it and touched base at legitimately to Haji with his Gafni. They started approaching them for what legitimate explanation they beseech pointless. For what reason do you show your transcendence? Why have you worn these dresses like old hajis? Do you read Quran Sharif thusly? You have not cultivated the pride of your Mecca Hajj, anyway you are apathetic of me. Along these lines Haji got scared in the wake of hearing the denouncing. Baba returned to Masjid and got some mango containers and sent them to Haji. He himself went to Haji and took out 55 rupees from him and offered it to Haji. Starting there on, Baba began to love Haji and called him to have a banquet with him. By and by Haji moreover started embarking to the Masjid as he wished. A portion of the time Baba used to give some money to them. Thusly, Haji joined Baba's court. Baba's control over the segments -

Baba's segments This segment will end with the notice of two events of control.

1. Once around evening time, a horrendous storm occurred in Shirdi tours. There were thick and premonition shadows in the sky. The breeze was blowing through the greenery. Fogs were thundering and lightning shone. The substantial storm started. Wherever you see, water starts to end up perceptible there. All of the animals, winged creatures and Shirdi ( Shirdi tour package) inhabitants amassed in the Masjid fearing more. There are various women in Shirdi, yet no one looked for help that day. That is the explanation everyone spoke to their Lord Sai, who was eager for commitment, to clarify the crisis. Baba in like manner had compassion and turned out. Stay near the mosque. After some time, the push of the deluge lessened. Moreover, the breeze sponsored off and the whirlwind in like manner fell calm. Chandra Dev rose in the sky. By then all the nog returned to their specific homes with unprecedented euphoria.

2. On another occasion, during the late morning, the fire of fumigation started devouring so irate that its blasts started touching base at the housetop above. The people sitting in the Masjid couldn't grasp that by putting water, to calm the fire or to take some other game plan. No one had the alternative to decide to ask Baba. In any case, Baba quickly fathomed the condition. He lifted his stick and struck the front segment emphatically and expressed, Descend and get down. The blasts started lessening at every prevention and inside two or three minutes, the fumigation wound up peaceful and faultless. Sri sai is an indication of God. The people who have spread before them will be dislodged individuals, they will be happy with that. A fan who relates the sacrosanct works of this segment step by step will be examined enthusiastically and will be liberated of his bothers soon. This, anyway he will reliably recall Srisai's feet, and in a brief time allotment, ensuing to getting the vision of God, all of his needs will be fulfilled and as such he will wind up unbeneficial.

Muktidham is a marble safe house complex with respect to different Hindu grand animals which have augmentations of 12 Jyotirlingas. Besides, one of a kind to this shelter are 18 territories of Geeta framed on the dividers. An enormous number of Hindu sweethearts visit Muktidham Temple during Kumbh Mela.

Panchavati truly signifies "a nursery of five banyan trees" which are said to have been there during the untouchable of Lord Rama. Panchavati was the name of a district in the colossal woods of Dandakaranya, where Rama with the assistance of Lakshmana created a passable lodge called a home. There is a spot called Tapovan where Lakshmana oust the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, when she attempted to slaughter Sita. The whole Aranya Kanda (book of the backwoods) of Ramayana is set in Panchavati.

When you will get shirdi tours, you will see Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeshwar is a good old Hindu shelter in the town of Trimbak in our Shirdi tours group focused on the God Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. From the start, there were recognized to be 64 jyotirlingas while 12 of them are viewed as promising and holy. The noteworthy part of this Jyotirlinga is its three faces encapsulating Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Rudra, anyway uncommon Jyotirlingas have Shiva as the fundamental exceptionality.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Armchair Analyst: Your complete guide to the Week 13 MLS slate

May 25, 201812:17PM EDT

The final weekend of May does not mark the final collection of games this month. There’s a quartet scheduled for Wednesday – two East, two West – so between that, injury and certain players headed off to World Cup camps, expect a decent amount of squad rotation this weekend.

Should we expect goals, though? A month ago the league was averaging nearly 3.3 goals per match and just about everybody was lighting up the scoreboard. Now we’re down to 2.8, and my gut feeling is a bunch of the bottom-dwellers looked at the top teams and said “wow we’d better just bunker against that because if we try to come out and play we’re going to get killed.”

It’s part of the ongoing stratification of the league. Parity is still at the heart of MLS, but certain teams have been better at acquiring top talent, or developing young talent, or integrating all their talent (or all three), so there’s starting to be haves and have-nots.

We know what happens in those situations because we see it all over the world: The have-nots play for the 0-0, or the smash-and-grab. Thus the onus is on the haves to crack ’em open early, control the game state and force them to come out and play.

Of late that’s been easier said than done.

Let’s take a look at Week 13:

Friday Forecast

Toronto FC vs. FC Dallas

8 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Have you seen the Sebastian Giovinco to Tigres reports? You should look at them, and then think about the fact that Giovinco is 1) 31 years old, 2) not the player he was two years ago, 3) injury prone, and 4) on $ 7 million per year. Then look at this:

Re: Giovinco-Toronto FC GM Tim Bezbatchenko tells me that, despite speculation and rumours, the club has received no offer from Tigres UANL. #TFCLive

— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) May 23, 2018

That is not a real denial, is it? The question isn’t “have you received an offer from Tigres?” it’s “would you listen to offers from Tigres?”

I’d wager they would. Giovinco is still arguably the best player in MLS, but he’s on the downslope and almost certainly won’t be the best player in the league when his current contract ends after next season. But he’s clamoring for a new contract already and, from afar, things seem to be at more than just a gentle simmer.

If Giovinco plays angry it’s usually good, provided he can avoid getting carded for abusive language or simple dissent. Nonetheless the Reds have to deal with all of that as they re-integrate a bunch of newly healthy players, and as they try to climb out of the early-season hole they dug for themselves. It feels slightly dangerous and combustible.

Dallas will be waiting, happily, to try to throw a wrench into the works. They have just one loss all season but just one win in their last four, and tossed away two points last weekend.

Houston vs. NYCFC

8:55 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Way back in Week 1 the Dynamo blitzed Atlanta United 4-0 in Houston. Atlanta came into that game attempting to play the way that NYCFC play just about every game: four at the back, build with the ball on the ground, push the fullbacks up in order to create overloads and turn possession into both width and penetration.

Houston knew it was coming and just battered the Five Stripes by drawing their line of confrontation at the midfield stripe and turning every 50/50 ball into a breakaway opportunity. If Atlanta were going to play so much on the front foot, and bring their defenders so high upfield, then Alberth Elis was going to run into space all day.

And so he did. That, plus set-piece dominance, made for what is still one of the most resounding wins of the year, for anybody.

Obviously there should be some warning sirens going off for the Pigeons. Patrick Vieira has been adamant that he doesn’t want to change the way his team plays – under him they value the ball and always will – but he’s been a touch pragmatic about where they build, what formation they play (it was a 3-5-2 last week) and how high they’ll push their fullbacks. In other words, don’t expect Ben Sweat to get too far upfield on the left since that’s where Elis lurks.

Do, however, expect Alex Ring to be under heavy pressure from the Houston attackers. If he handles that well, NYCFC will give themselves a much better shot than Atlanta did two months back.

LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes

11 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

My colleague Bobby Warshaw has been working on the assumption, since he arrived, that the Galaxy would be better with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench. The idea is that with him out of the lineup the entire team would end up playing with a more egalitarian bent, working for and with each other in order to carve out chances rather than playing through their fulcrum of a superstar No. 9.

This point of view is not without merit (though to be clear: he is wrong. You can build a scheme for a heavy-usage Zlatan and be successful if you’re smart about it).

The real problem for the Galaxy isn’t Zlatan, or the attack at all, really. It’s… elsewhere:

I literally groaned out loud several times making this cut up. Check out the LA Galaxy *trying* to play out of the back against the Montreal Impact today. pic.twitter.com/dwuwV4DgEl

— Joseph Lowery (@joeInCleats) May 21, 2018

That clip’s made the rounds this week, as it should’ve. It’s never clear how LA intend to shuttle the ball from back to front, and so there tend to be a lot of aimless long-balls. With or without the big Swede, that’s not a great plan.

Of course it might be good enough against a Quakes team that, week to week, looks like it has no idea how to defend, and no idea of how to play as a unit. They almost certainly lead the league in hospital balls and are probably second only to Montreal in blown offside traps.

Saturday Slate

Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake

5 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

How many healthy starters do the Sounders have left? It’s not a ton, but honestly they might still be OK because RSL are just shocking when trying to defend on the road.

Borek Dockal is not, and never has been particularly fast. And yet:

It’s becoming more and more apparent by the week that Kyle Beckerman and Damir Kreilach can not play together without getting carved up because neither has any kind of footspeed. If this was circa 2013 RSL – a team that kept the game small and tight, that constantly used the ball to create angles and meaningful possession – they could probably pull it off.

But that’s not how they play. They’re a “spread the field and run at ’em” team when they have the ball, which means any turnover is an existential crisis. And while it’s undeniably true that RSL aren’t 2013 RSL, it’s undeniably-er true that MLS isn’t 2013 MLS. Teams are better and smarter and even the bottom of the barrel can go HAM if you don’t track through the midfield.

So I’m thinking keep an eye on Magnus Wolff Eikrem or Cristian Roldan bursting out of midfield and into space for Seattle.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. New England Revolution

5:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Columbus did a very clever job last weekend of playing over the Revs high press and turning it into a game of second balls in midfield off of Gyasi Zardes knockdowns:

This is pretty much the default setting for Vancouver, a team who hit more long-balls than anybody else in the league. The key will be for them to be measured long-balls rather than the rushed, aimless types they often resort to. And the other key will obviously be to understand their own midfield shape – the ‘Caps play with multiple d-mids, and while that can gum up opposing attacks there’s also often a bit of “you take him, no I’ve got him”-type uncertainty when it comes to closing down lanes and making zonal reads.

Which is to say that you can get in between the lines against a Vancouver team that’s not as defensively sound as they were last year. The Revs weren’t able to do that at all against Crew SC last week, but Columbus are made of sterner, more organized stuff. Watch for Teal Bunbury to release into space as Diego Fagundez drifts into pockets between the ‘Caps midfield and defense.

New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union

7 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

The Union have won two in a row in commanding fashion. Their “Trust the Process” central defense of Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie has largely been very good, and it’s nice to see a coach give his young players time to improve. Jim Curtin deserves some dap.

It’s been a feel-good two weeks for Philly. And now they head to Harrison to take on the Red Bulls.

Updated top 10 of G+A/90 (no PKs), 500 min+

1) BWP – 1.86 2) Kaku – 1.33 3) Villa – 1.06 4) Lamah – 1.06 5) Elis – 1.06 6) Piatti – 1.02 7) Valot – 1.01 8) Quioto – 1.00 9) Vela – 1.00 10) Diaz – 0.99

BWP is on track for a 25 goal, 16 assist season if he plays 2000 minutes

— Tutul Rahman (@tutulismyname) May 21, 2018

Good luck.

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire

7:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

A few weeks back I looked at Orlando City’s schedule and said that they were entering a brutal stretch in which they’d be outright favored in just two of the next 13 games. This, the third game in that stretch (they’re 0-2-0 so far, though they’ve played well), is one of them.

The Lions have been much more structurally sound over the past three halves of defensive soccer, having mostly cut out allowing the breakaways that had caused them so much worry through the season’s first two months. The fact that it hasn’t paid off with a point is a type of cruel irony.

Regardless, here’s the simple truth: At home against a slow, injured and fading Chicago team, they can’t afford anything but the full three points. And that means the central midfield has to be better at tracking runners than they’ve shown:

Minnesota United vs. Montreal Impact

8 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

MNUFC – go ahead and @ them if you want to – have taken just seven points from their last nine games as they’ve struggled mightily to defend in the box. Bobby Shuttleworth is putting in damn near man of the match performances on the regular, which has kept more than a few of these games respectable.

By the eye test I’d say that the Loons actually have a better front-to-back defensive structure than they did for much of last year, and recent acquisition Eric Miller has helped noticeably at fullback. But they are sloppy and epically prone to mental lapses in central defense, and if you’re sporting that particular flaw you’re going to lose a lot of games.

Montreal have all those same flaws plus a few more. They’re comfortably ahead of MNUFC’s all-time-worst-defense pace the Loons set last year and have lost seven of eight. FiveThirtyEight puts their chances of claiming a playoff spot at just 8% (which IMO feels high).

They should trade Ignacio Piatti, sell whatever other veterans they can part with, and go into full rebuild mode. Piatti’s not the problem – he never has been – but the timeline Montreal are looking at, he’s too old to be part of the solution. Montreal have largely ignored the draft, have been slow to develop their Homegrown talent, and have been far too in love recently with importing injury-prone, 30-something defenders. They are years away from competing, and Piatti doesn’t have that kind of time left.

Chicago? Columbus? Seattle? Somebody out there will give up all their TAM and a young talent for the guy.

Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers

9 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

The Timbers have been a counterattacking machine over the last few years. That kind of disappeared in March, but it’s come back with a vengeance since then as they’ve ripped off five straight wins. Here ya go:

The question against the Rapids is always “will they give you room to counter?” Colorado are still very much a sit-deep-and-break group (they love a good, direct long-ball over the top to Dominique Badji) and that kind of reactive approach obviously has its benefits in the modern game – if you’re not trying to play with the ball in your own defensive third, you’re not going to have as many potentially fatal turnovers.

But the truth is that somebody’s going to need to be on the ball in this one. Given Colorado’s miserable start, their ever-present 5,280 feet of home-field advantage and the existential nature of their upcoming stretch (four of five at home, and I’d say they need nine points to keep their playoff hopes at all realistic), it’s perhaps time to throw caution to the wind spend time playing on the front foot.

Is that a switch they can just flip without exposing themselves in transition? I doubt it. But nothing else has worked.

LAFC vs. D.C. United

10 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

D.C. got themselves a nice-looking win at San Jose last week. They scored two goals off of high pressure and one on a lovely long-ball over the top that caught the Quakes backline predictably flat-footed and out of alignment. It was good stuff from D.C.

It was also a rarity this season. United have spent less time in the attacking third than anyone else in MLS, and despite a very nice collection of committed, skilled, two-way attackers they just haven’t really been able to figure out how to move forward with intent more than every so often.

The numbers back that up:

Team Passes Into Final Third Sporting Kansas City 924 New England Revolution 818 Columbus Crew SC 776 Minnesota United FC 760 New York City FC 758 New York Red Bulls 755 Philadelphia Union 694 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 669 Orlando City SC 664 Los Angeles Football Club 650 LA Galaxy 646 Atlanta United FC 631 Houston Dynamo 622 FC Dallas 618 Real Salt Lake 617 Montreal Impact 610 Chicago Fire 590 Toronto FC 588 Seattle Sounders FC 572 San Jose Earthquakes 556 Portland Timbers 541 Colorado Rapids 531 D.C. United 398

If you can’t even figure out how to get into the most dangerous spots on the field, maybe your best bet is to just defend there? That’s why there’s promise in the high pressure they used to undress San Jose.

LAFC are obviously a level or three above the Quakes, but they’ve been susceptible to the high press themselves at times this season. Of course they’ve also annihilated a few teams that have attempted to press them badly, and their whole ethos is “we will pass right through you.”

They’ve done so with less effectiveness since Marco Ureña went down injured last month, but what you’re hearing is Adama Diomande’s music. The Norwegian was superb in a midweek friendly vs. Borussia Dortmund, and Bob Bradley – who coached Diomande at Stabæk a few years ago – went out and got him for a reason.

Bright start for #LAFC, possessing confidently and taking the game to #BVB. Adama Diomande showing early signs of good hold-up play as the #9, exactly what Bob Bradley wanted him for. #LAFCvBVB #LAFCBVB #MLS pic.twitter.com/qrqdJ4w1UE

— Jason Foster (@JogaBonito_USA) May 23, 2018

Sunday’s Finale

Sporting KC vs. Columbus Crew SC

6 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Two of the best teams in the league right now, but both have obvious shortfalls at the moment. For Crew SC it’s still their inability to generate goals from the wing – an ongoing concern that my I’m guessing Gregg Berhalter is prepared to wait out (Niko Hansen has loads of promise as a goalscoring winger, but his decision-making needs lots of refinement).

For Sporting it’s been a lack of any sort of creativity from central midfield in the absence of Felipe Gutierrez. And it’s not just “hey see if you can ping the ball around and open up the defense” creativity, but the sort of goal-hunting, dangerous-movement-off-the-ball creativity that the Chilean brought to the table back in March.

DP signing Yohan Croizet has, uh, not been up to the task:

Kind of amazed by this from Croizet. #MINvSKC pic.twitter.com/3utemwkvJe

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) May 20, 2018

So yeah, still work to be done. But this should be a good one nonetheless.

One more thing to ponder…

Happy weekending, everybody.

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Armchair Analyst: Your complete guide to the Week 13 MLS slate was originally published on 365 Football

#Analyst #Armchair #complete #Guide #slate #week

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factorinvestor · 6 years

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When Breaking up is Easy To Do

This post is a bit of an experiment. My good friend Steven Wood and I started discussing some collaborations a few months ago. We hope that it ups the quality of our research and also brings some new insights into each of our philosophies. Below is his recent post, for which I helped provide some research on the performance of spin-offs, which was popularized by Joel Greenblatt in the mid 2000's.

One of the most common questions I receive when talking to allocators and advisors is "Have you found factors that just stop working?" I think this post helps answer that question.

When Breaking Up Is Easy To Do

March 29, 2018 Steven Wood

We get by with a little help from our friends. The back-testing for this article was done by our dear friend, Ehren Stanhope who writes a great blog, factorinvestor.com. This is the first of what we hope will be many collaborations with Ehren, and we thank him for his generous data-crunching on our behalf.

Speed Read:

Returns from spinoffs are no longer categorically great, but when they work, they WORK

When the clown car (hedge fund crowd) goes left, we go right.

Nearly ¾ of our portfolio is undergoing some type of split in the coming years.

One has to go where there is no competition. Always.

Healthy Break Ups

Your author grew up in a traditional catholic household, in which the Italian-born mother was more comfortable with the F-word than she was with the D-word. The word which must not be named was “divorce,” and our mouths were washed out with soap if we let it slip out.

Yet at the same time, quite paradoxically, numerous relatives showed that separations not only can sometimes make both sides happier but also healthier people. This was the first, of many, paradoxes noticed within Catholic dogma.

In a very similar vein, investors who push for corporate separations are often relegated to the “short-term profit maximizing,” bucket which we so staunchly despise. The evidence supporting long-term thinking and decision-making is large, growing, and nearly irrefutable. We disagree with many activists which call for company separations merely to take a quick buck and move on.

We disagreed with Jana’s insistence that Whole Foods sell itself, though once Amazon decided to enter the physical grocery space, we did eventually prefer to not compete against that combination and were happy to sell our shares to Amazon.

Despite the bad name given to “break it up,” activists, there are in fact many businesses which make sense to stand apart from each other. Of course, the pioneer researcher of spin-offs is Joel Greenblatt, who wrote the tome on the subject You Can Be A Stock Market Genius.

Your author read it in 2004, nearly identically matching the peak interest in the book and special situations in general. In perhaps my first contra-indicator move, I took the bait and joined a Special Situations fund straight out of Tulane. That school was also where I first met Ehren, who generously crunched the data contained in this analysis. I hadn’t even seen the performance of the fund, I simply knew the type of investing made sense and spoke to me.

Apparently, it did for everyone else too.

From Conglomerates to Splits

In January of 1997, Joel Greenblatt published Stock Market Genius. Not coincidentally, it followed less than 18 months after ITT, one of the largest and most famous conglomerates announced it would split itself into three units. The ITT breakup was the tombstone that capped the terrible reputation that conglomerates came to have. Just a few months after Stock Market Genius debuted, ITT announced another 3-way split and the era of conglomerate had officially given way to the era of the spinoff.

Greenblatt cited third party research which claimed that spinoffs outperformed the market by 10% per year and then offered some case studies on what particularly worked well. Studies that have been published since the publishing of the book have confirmed 10-20% outperformance of the spun companies. Indeed, Stanhope’s data suggests this “rule of thumb,” still holds.

Exhibit 1: Spinoff & Parent Excess Performance (vs. S&P 500) 1996-2017

Kellogg Capital Group’s Special Situation Group, the family office your author joined out of university, generated outstanding returns following similar strategies, compounding at 41.8% per year. When you generate performance like that, you create friends for life. While one PM wished to remain anonymous, I’d like to publicly thank Co-PM Jeff Anderson and his partner for giving this naive fool an early education. Yet, as the contra-indicator comment suggested, the “discounts” on these event-driven situations had completely collapsed and by the time I joined the fund, there were very few new ideas to look at. I added zero value.

Exhibit 2: KCG’s Special Situations Group Returns

The Climax

Greenblatt’s own hedge fund at the time had compounded returns above 50%, outstanding performance that invited herds of investors to join the cult. Even had he not written the book, we suspect these returns would have been diminished as word spread of the performance and the strategy, but the book officially killed the category.

But it took a while. While we only have Google trends data going back to 2014, it was right around 2014 or 2015 that the steady stream of ideas had completely dried up. Sure, there were still spin-offs, but they would no longer sell-off. The valuations of such securities were driven to abnormally high levels, as the herd of investors chasing >50% returns crowded out the value guys.

Exhibit 3: Google Trend Data for Key Terms

Opportunities dried up, and we had a much harder time finding attractive special situations candidates. We had to look for similar types of opportunities, but ones that hadn’t formally announced a spin or split. Yet all the “confirmatory” studies on whether or not spinoffs still generated excess returns suggested the category was still attractive and still outperformed the index. That ran counter to our experience.

Curious to know if our personal experience was backed by empirical data, we spliced the same data above by a pre-craze and post-craze time period. We identify 2004 as the year of “peak,” interest in Greenblatt, Special Situations and Spinoffs as measured by Google Trends. While Greenblatt’s early 2006 interest eclipsed the mid 2004 experience, it was in conjunction with the launch of his second book, The Little Book That Beats the Market, where he didn’t refer to special situations strategies. Thus, we isolated 2004 as the point of maximum interest in these strategies to see how spin-offs before and after such a period performed.

The empirical data confirmed our suspicions, by a long shot.

The Let Down

Exhibit 4: Excess Performance of Spinoffs by Vintage

Splicing the exact same data as shown in exhibit 1 shows a completely different experience. The retrospective studies all included the best years in the sample. This hid the more lackluster performance that was being experienced by the same exact strategy in subsequent years. This empirical data is why we constantly catch ourselves rolling our eyes at “backtested,” strategies as if they were predictive of future returns.

This data also matches the experience of the Guggenheim ETF (CSD) that was created to buy spinoffs a couple years after the climax. Returns have been fairly languid relative to the overall index.

Exhibit 5: Guggenheim S&P Spin-Off ETF (CSD) vs. S&P 500

The data analyzing the performance of the parent is similar, the strategy performed slightly better before the Special Situations craze had climaxed, yet still remained a fairly lackluster way to generate alpha.

Exhibit 6: Excess Performance of Parent Companies by Vintage

When everyone is crowding into the clown car, it’s time to pump the brakes. Being contrarian, even against the “contrarians,” is of the utmost importance.

However, we’re not saying one needs to give up on the category. In fact, of the 2005-2017 cohort of spinoffs, 48% outperformed the market two years after the spin. But it is no longer a “set it and forget it,” strategy, and each opportunity requires serious scrutiny.

When the Clown Car Goes Left, We Go Right

Our experience with splits has been very positive and quite a bit different that that of the overall spinoff sample size. Yet, we’ve been keen to look for hidden assets within companies rather than wait for the actual announcement of a split to come. Of course, this means that we’re taking transaction “risk,” in the event a split isn’t announced. And that’s ok for us, we’re not often investing based on a catalyst (we are post-catalyst investors). Rather, if there are assets within a company that the market is choosing to ignore, that is not only our opportunity, but if we back good managers, they will tend to create value from these assets over time.

Often times, however, the easiest way to build value is to actually split. There are innumerable reasons why a split may be better for each individual situation. Often times it’s allowing a unit to access a cheaper cost of capital, other times it’s in order to hire an independent management team that myopically focuses on value creation of the individual unit.

Isn’t it interesting that in preparation for the spin-off of Ferrari, FCA had to fire its complacent manager and install Sergio Marchionne as head of the unit? The company could have easily lifted deliveries sooner, given the waiting lists had dragged past two years for its performance models, but it took a public debut for the company to step on the gas. Ferrari currently trades for 3x the market capitalization of FCA when we bought it, not to mention the positive performance FCA has since posted.

Exhibit 7: FCA-Ferrari Performance Vs Peers

Yet, quite opposite from most special situations in the US pursuing “strategic alternatives,” when we purchased our stake in 2011 and 2012, FCA was in an “untouchable” area given it was a leveraged auto company in Italy. Three strikes, and it was out for nearly all global investors. In fact, it was a favorite short among London hedge funds. If we remember correctly, the short pitch at Ira Sohn London was that, “it’s just shitty.”

Sometimes, though not often, it pays to be a contrarian against contrarians.

Renaissance

Now that most roll ups have completely blown up (we think Kraft-Heinz is next), the last few decades of GE have completely unwound, and the historical performance of spin-offs has deteriorated so thoroughly, we think breakups are about to stage a comeback.

We still think all of the useful lessons learned from the last decade of lackluster category returns apply. Given the competition for catalysts, we need to invest before any split has been announced or is apparent. Furthermore, starting valuations need to be constructive and we need to stay contrarian.

Each of our top five holdings (~55% of our portfolio excluding the coinvestment, ~75% including the coinvestment as our largest position) has quite mistakenly ended up in splitsville. EXOR’s FCA is about to spinoff its parts division, and its CNH unit is preparing to fix its Iveco truck unit to spin it out. TripAdvisor has had approaches for multiple units within its business, though here we agree with Aristotle, and think the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” – Aristotle

Telecom Italia is preparing the separation of its network infrastructure from the retail arm, and despite an activist fund coming in and “demanding” that TI split itself, had it actually met with the chairman, it would have known this was already in motion. Investors can see our notes from our meeting with the chairman last week here. We believe the group is headed for a New-Zealand style breakup, a divorce that ended quite well for investors.

Exhibit 8: New Zealand Telecom’s Split Experience

Vivendi has been a Special Situations machine since our Bolloré holding took control. The group is preparing to carve out a portion of Universal Music Group (see our notes from our meeting with the CEO last week) and is backing the TI split. We would be surprised if one day, Bolloré doesn’t eventually split itself in two.

Lastly, and quite surprisingly to the market, Rolls-Royce announced it was pursuing a sale or split of its marine division a couple months ago. While there are zero synergies between aerospace and marine engines, we are surprised by this timing. We would prefer the group to follow FCA’s lead and only split the division when results are accelerating.

Certainly not to come last, we are working with our largest position, which remains confidential, to accelerate the build out of its key growth business. Not only will be backstopping a public offering of its capital-intensive growth business, so that it can access cheaper capital, but we are encouraging the company to ignore short-term margin expansion and reinvest profits back into longer-term growth.

By doing so, we hope and trust, we will fall on the right side of the history of splits.

Steven’s article originally posted here. I highly recommend subscribing!

https://www.gwinvestors.com/blog/

#special situations #spinoffs

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pictureperfectdesign · 3 years

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Plumbing Business, Portland OR – How to Opt for the Very best One

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