Mill Grove - Audubon Loop

It has been awhile since I've posted my walking log.

Totals beginning July 1, 2005 as of Tuesday evening, August 25, 2009:

Steps: 23,328,414
Miles: 9989.27

I'm eager to see 10,000 miles walked come soon. If all goes well, I will achieve that milestone sometime during the day Thursday.

The weather this evening was warm in the sun, but for the first time in awhile the humidity has eased and walking was quite pleasant. I decided to tackle the more challenging Audubon Loop trail which is about 5 miles in length and considerably more hilly than I've been doing.


The Audubon Loop trail goes along the outer perimeter of Mill Grove, the former home of John J. Audubon, the famed bird naturalist and crosses the Perkiomen Creek twice on each end of a pond created by the dam built by Samuel Wetherill to run the Mill that was in the grove. The water is now used to generate electric power.

This is the same Samuel Wetherill that owned the Pawlings Farm with the big stone barn I wrote about not too long ago.


After walking on the other side of the Perkiomen Creek, I crossed back to the Mill Grove side and soon see the towering red brick steeple of Saint Gabriel's Hall. Saint Gabriel's is basically a reform school for wayward boys. The boys (turning into young men) are often seen on the grounds doing physical activities - such as soccer, running, and jumping jacks and other calisthenics.


Some of them also participate in the Mitchell Program. An intensive 120-day residential treatment program for delinquent male youth, focusing on farm based education, followed by 6 months of community-based aftercare. As such there is an unusual farm with unusual animals. In the picture you see unique round red brick barn with a donkey eating the grass in front of it. Amongst other animals, the farm has cows, donkeys, and about a half dozen llamas.


I had to smile when a family on bikes stopped at the fence at the side of the loop trail and one of the younger girls said, "Mom! What are those!"

A harried mother, somewhat winded from the bike riding, said, "Those are llamas."

The young girl then squealed and shout, "Mom! We learned about Dolly Llama in school!! Which one is he! He's famous!"

The mother shrugged her shoulders at me when I smiled and turned to hear her answer. She just said, "The famous Dolly Llama lives someplace else and is often traveling, just like Daddy."

Bemused, I continued my way back to my car and headed home thinking about what little I recalled of the Dalai Lama, a teacher of Buddhism.

"Love and kindness are the very basis of society. If we lose these feelings,
society will face tremendous difficulties; the survival of humanity will be
endangered."

"Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."

"Just as we should cultivate more gentle and peaceful relations with our fellow human beings, we should also extend that same kind of attitude towards the natural environment. Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment."

To me, that fits pretty well with what the reform school attempts to do with it's llamas each day.

Bumblebee - Christmas Tree

With the Personal Torturer's (PT) kind permission, I was allowed to walk a little bit (1 to 2 miles) yesterday so the Virtual Walker is back! Just between you and me, I think he got himself locked into a parked car and it took him this long to figure out how to get himself out. Anyway, once he calls in and tells me where he is, I'll start writing more about ye ol' merry (umm) UK.

Since I couldn't walk all that far, my thoughts didn't have time to percolate and turn anything ordinary into a life changing epiphany (I mean my life, not yours). Lucky you.

And I was a little preoccupied with the thought "Well, how does one explain a mapped server hard drive"? I won't go into any detailed explanation of that but in breaking the puzzler down in my head while walking, I thought, "Well, at some point you would mention a network cable" - being that the subject at hand revolves around a Local Area Network (LAN in geek-speak) or "the computer network". The computer network I was thinking about is not the "Internet" but rather a network of computers connected together in an office or business place and more recently, at home.

Anyway, before I babble off-tangent, the network cable is the cable going from your home computer to perhaps a cable-modem, DSL-modem, or a router/switch/hub device (e.g., the common blue linksys boxes or similar). This cable reminds me of a telephone cord on steroids. Now, an ordinary telephone cable is a pretty marvelous thing - even as the world goes wireless.



Before I go on - I realize what I'm discussing right now has nothing to do with mapped server hard drives - but... if I had had permission to walk further, I might of been able to get to that. :)

I'm sure most of you have never seen (or would prefer not to ever see) a phone cord with bare wires - I mean, the plastic do-hickey on the end is so much nicer. Well, back in the day of the woolly mammoths and the loincloth-wearing club-bearing grunting men, telephones were wired directly to the wire without using the plastic do-hickey. Gasp! They used screwdrivers and other icky things.



Being that primitive phone wires were installed unheated caves and such, the folks that designed the wiring decided, that the individual wires were kind of fragile, so let's stick a couple extra wires in there... in case we break one (or two). So the telephone, which only "requires" two connecting wires, has a cord with four wires in it! And the plastic do-hickey, if you look at many of them, only has two gold leads (the center most two). The "extra" wires were eventually used by phones that could deal with a "second phone line" and those phones will only work with a plastic do-hickey that has all four wires run out to the gold leads, a pair for each phone line.



So - how is a poor soul to know what wire goes were? I'll tell you how. Back in the those woolly mammoth days of yore that I spoke of earlier, I went to an engineering school - and was told righty-tighty and bumblebee-Christmas tree were words of immense wisdom that every engineer should know - my learning those words, along with the a few 'laws', such as 'Sh*t flows downhill' and 'You can't push anything using a rope' made me one of the elite technocrats at the time.

Righty-tighty is what you use when using a screwdriver, wrench, or just replacing a lightbulb. Turning the object or tool to the right (clockwise) makes the thingy tighter. To get it out, you turn the otherway. Voila! My life became so much easier the day I learned that.

Bumblebee-Christmas tree is how the phone wires are paired. Yellow and Black make a pair, and Red and Green make the other. And if you are normal, you want Christmas tree before you want a bumblebee, so the first phone line uses the red-green pairing. When I learned this gem, after months of difficult college life - you know, with the partying, beer drinking, dances, and the late night Sorority house visits to obtain panties, there wasn't much time for book-learning.

And now for the truly mind-blowing stuff - a network cable is just like a phone cable except it has eight (8) wires in it and they are blue, green, orange, and brown. Wait you say, that is only 4 colors. Yep, the other four wires are the same colors but have a white stripe on them. And what do you know, they don't use all eight wires - they only use four...and they usually go into the plastic do-hickey this way:



Billy Joel sings it best, "Don't ask me why..." I have to go back to graduate school and get a pHD or something - in order to learn how I'm supposed to remember this wiring arrangement.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588 AD

As of September 16, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Steps: 171,849
Miles: 73.04



The defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the most famous events in English history. It was arguably Queen Elizabeth (the First)'s finest hour. In triumph she led her people to glory, defeating the greatest power in the 16th century world.

In the late 1500s Spain was the most powerful country in the world. her King, Philip II ruled vast territories of land, and had unparalleled wealth from the New World. England at the time was a small country, with little wealth, few friends, and many enemies.

Although relations between Spain and England had began rather well, over the 30 years since the Queen's accession to the throne, relations deteriorated. There were many reasons for this. To begin with, England was a Protestant country, and Spain was a Roman Catholic one. The Spanish made no secret of their hostility to the English Queen, who they believed was illegitimate and had no right to the English throne, and they were involved in plots to dethrone her.

Elizabeth herself had encouraged the activities of English pirates, who plundered King Philip's ships as they made their way from the New World, seizing their treasures. This greatly angered Philip, especially as the stolen treasure was used to help fund those people rebelling against his rule in the Netherlands.

As early as 1585, Philip had begun to prepare a great fleet that, under the Spanish commander Santa Cruz, would invade England. King Philip believed he had a genuine claim to the English throne. The purpose of the mission was to depose Elizabeth, put his daughter on the throne, and make England Roman Catholic once again.

Despite numerous setbacks the Spanish were determined to send a fleet against England, and finally in the May of 1588, the great fleet set out.

It was planned that the Spanish fleet, consisting of 120 ships, would sail up from Spain along the English Channel and meet with the forces of the Duke of Parma, Philip's nephew, making their way down from the Netherlands. Together they would sail towards England. It was believed that this force would overwhelm the English. The English would be conquered, and the heretical Queen would be captured.

But the English were waiting. On the cliffs of England and Wales, men watched the seas day and night, waiting for the first sighting of the great Armada. When the ships appeared on the horizon, beacons were lit on the hillsides, which sent the message over the cliffs and throughout the country, that the Spanish were coming. By the next morning, London and the Queen knew that the fleet was coming. As soon as the ships began to make their way up the channel, the fighting began.



In the English channel, the Spanish suffered a humiliating defeat. The weather was dreadful, with the wind and rain against them, and they were not able to compete with the superior English ships and war tactics. The only way back to Spain was the perilous long-way-about journey around the Island of Great Britain, and many a Spaniard never saw his home country again. The battle was over, the English had won.

The Queen and her people were jubilant. No more were they a second rate sea power, for they had conquered the fleet of the mighty Spanish Empire.

Although King Philip sent other fleets against England in the 1590's, none was as significant as that of the Armada of 1588.

Source

Mile 36.4 - Lizard Point, England

As of September 12, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Steps: 106,332
Miles: 45.15



Lizard Point in Cornwall is the southernmost tip of the Lizard Peninsula. It is the southernmost tip of Great Britain. The tiny villages of The Lizard and Landewednack are located about half a mile north of the point.

Lizard Point is for many ships, the starting point of their ocean passage and a notorious shipping hazard. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution operates a lifeboat station at Kilcobben Cove, two miles northeast of the point. The station features a funicular line to transport lifeboatmen from the boathouse to the clifftop station.



The Lizard lighthouse is situated at Lizard Point. Immediately below the lighthouse, situated in what used to be a hotel is the Lizard Youth Hostel.



"Their olive green color and smooth or scaly appearance is the basis of the name from the Latin serpentinus, meaning serpent rock"

The area is famous for its carved serpentine rock items, which range from ornaments to the pump handles in the local public house; The Lizard Inn.

Also located on Lizard Point are the Goonhilly Earth station and the Bonython Wind Farm.

Goonhilly Earth station was once the world's largest earth station with over 60 dishes pointing into space and was responsible for sending and receiving millions of telephone calls, TV pictures, faxes and internet connections around the globe. It was the first earth station to receive "live" TV images from America and was used to broadcast "Live Aid" back in 1985, which became the most watched TV show in history. It is now a technology park called "Future World" and is loosely patterned after Epcot.



The first sighting of the Spanish Armada on Great Britain was off Lizard Point on the 29 July 1588. This was one of the greatest invasion fleets in history and consisted of 120 ships with 29,000 men on board.

As the Spanish Armada is a reoccurring mention - an entire entry will be devoted to it in the future.

Mile 12 - The Pirates of Penzance

As of September 10, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Steps: 87,986
Miles: 37.46

Penzance, or "holy headland" in the Cornish language, is a reference to the chapel of St. Anthony that stood over a thousand years ago on the headland to the west of what became Penzance Harbour.

Until recently, this history was also reflected in the choice of symbol for the town, the severed 'holy head' of St. John the Baptist. It can still be seen on the civic regalia of the Mayor of Penzance and on several important landmarks in the town.



A headland is a piece of land that juts into the sea from the main land coast line. Headlands are shaped by erosion. They are formed when the sea attacks a section of coast consisting of alternating bands of hard and soft rock. The bands of soft rock such as sand and clay, erode more quickly than those of more resistant hard rock such as chalk.



The Promenade

The completion of the railway through Cornwall from London made it easier for tourists and invalids to enjoy the mild climate of Penzance. Bathing machines were advertised for hire on the beach as early as 1823 and public baths were opened on the Promenade in 1887. The town's first official guide book was published in 1860. The town was "noted for the pleasantness of its situation, the salubrity of its air, and the beauty of its natives".

It wasn't always so pleasant in Penzance - In medieval times and later, the town was subject to frequent raiding by Turkish pirates. The name of one of Penzance's oldest buildings 'The Turk's Head' pub is said to be a reference to these incidents.



Being at the far west of England, Penzance and the surrounding villages were also sacked many times by foreign fleets. On July 23rd 1595, several years after the Spanish Armada of 1588, a Spanish force under Don Carlos de Amesquita, which had been patrolling the Channel, landed troops in Cornwall. Amesquita's force seized supplies, raided and burned Penzance and surrounding villages, held a mass, and sailed away before it could be confronted.



It is assumed that these pirates and raiders later inspired 'The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty', a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on December 31, 1879. The London premiere was on April 3, 1880.

This opera remains popular today, taking its place along with The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore as one of the most frequently performed Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

Mile 0 - Land's End, England

After parachuting from the obliging courier aircraft into Tori_Z's backyard to deliver her stuff, I found myself patting Kero on the head and shaking his paw - pondering what to do next, when down the road came the rattle of a light tank tread, and with it arrived the Royal Welch Fusiliers led by Prince Andrew who was overhead flying a helicopter.

A loudspeaker hailed me, saying "Remain motionless and put your hands up!" and who but Prince Charles pops out of the tank turret (taking much care not to bang in long royal nose on the rim of the hatch combing) to speak to me saying, "I've reassured Ambassador Nutkins that you would be escorted to the place your Virtual Walk begins without allowing for any dilly-dallying nor delay. Nor will you be allowed to mosey about after your walk starts."

And with that I was forced into the helicopter and taken to Land's End, England, where I was unceremoniously dumped.



It being late at night, this is what I saw at Mile Zero. I took a deep breath, gathered up my courage, find my bearings, and take my first step... and so the walk begins!

Land's End (Cornish name: 'Penn an Wlas') is a headland on the Penwith peninsula, located near Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

The Cornish language is one of the 'indigenous Briton' Celtic languages. The language continued to function as a community language in parts of Cornwall until the late 18th century. Today there are perhaps a couple thousand people that speak the language.

Cornish exists in place names, and a knowledge of the language helps the understanding of old place names. Many Cornish names are adopted for children, pets, houses and boats. There is now an increasing amount of Cornish literature, in which poetry is the most important genre, particularly in oral form or as song or as traditional Cornish chants historically performed in marketplaces during religious holidays, public festivals and gatherings, and executions.



Visible from Land's End is the Longships Lighthouse. The Longships, a few miles off-shore, is a serpentine and quartz island.

The Sun Never Sets On the British Empire

As of September 8, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Steps: 53,118
Miles: 22.62
Miles To Go: 2682.38


The Flag of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain, is an island country located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. The UK spans the island of Great Britain, the northeast part of the island of Ireland, and a great many small islands.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland (Southern Ireland.) Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel.

The United Kingdom is a union of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, and is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state.

Great Britain is the larger of the two main islands of the British Isles, the largest island in Europe and the ninth-largest island in the world. Great Britain is also the third most populated island on earth (after Java and Japan). It is also the second richest island in the world (after Japan) with the world's 5th largest economy and 58 million people.

Traces of early humans have been found in Great Britain from some 700,000 years ago and modern humans from about 30,000 years ago. Up until about 9,000 years ago, Great Britain was joined to Ireland. As recently as 8,000 years ago Great Britain was joined to the continent as the southeastern part of Great Britain was still connected by a strip of low marsh to the European mainland in what is now northeastern France.

In the Cheddar Gorge near Bristol, the remains of animal species native to mainland Europe such as antelopes, brown bears, and wild horses have been found alongside a human skeleton, 'Cheddar Man', which has been dated to about 7150 B.C. Thus, animals and humans are thought to have moved between mainland Europe and Great Britain via a land crossing.

The island of Great Britain formed at the end of the Pleistocene ice age when sea levels rose due in part to the melting of glaciers. Its Iron Age inhabitants are known as the Britons, a group speaking a Celtic language, and most of it (not the northernmost part where the majority of Scotland lies today) was conquered to become the Ancient Roman province of Britannia.

The United Kingdom retains sovereignty over 14 territories outside of the British Isles, collectively named the British overseas territories, which remain under British rule, some of these territories might be side trips as the Virtual Walker will be walking through England, Scotland and Wales which are (mostly) situated on the island of Great Britain, along with their capital cities, London, Edinburgh and Cardiff respectively.

I do hope I've not messed this up! Otherwise MarmiteToasty and Tori_Z will be around to straighten me out! :)

The Green 2,705 Mile(s)

Death Row at Louisiana's Cold Mountain Penitentiary was called "The Green Mile" because the condemned prisoners walking to their execution were said to be walking "the last mile" on a stretch of green linoleum. The main feature of the cellblock, however, was "Old Sparky", the electric chair.

"[W]e each owe a death; there are no exceptions; but, oh God, sometimes the Green Mile seems so long."

-Stephen King



Having been found guilty of "stalking & harrassment of all things orange, fuzzy and flying; the wrongful deaths of Lil and Tiny Bushytail; and the rustling of unnaturally colored sheep," by the International War Tribunal court and condemned to wear an ankle monitoring device, I will cheerfully and willingly serve my sentence by undertaking a Virtual Walk in the United Kingdom even if I am innocent of two of the three charges.

This will be Virtual Walk III and given it will be a walk through England, Wales and Scotland, each mile will almost assuredly be green.

I have not decided upon a starting point - perhaps the wilds of Inverness, Scotland? the navy base in Portsmouth? or perhaps begin with a hunt for the pirates of Penzance? Nor have I decided upon the direction, clockwise or counter-clockwise. Perhaps you will care to make suggestions.

2036 Miles - Virtual Walk II; Key West, Florida to Lubec, Maine

6060 Miles - Virtual Walk I; Beach Haven, New Jersey to the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California and back