Ramble 8: Christmas lightings and bird sightings

It had been a good, if cold, day out on the shore. Sergei had managed to talk a very cold Marge into “just one more ramble” along what was once Sunny Cove to review what birds were about. They knew at least two male Black Crowned Night Herons frequent the area but they did not expect to see either.

But there one of them was. Actually, the cold and the wind had the bird so fluffed up that, at first, it wasn’t easy to identify the heron. This photograph proves it.
(Editorial correction: Sergei says, "NOT a black crowned night heron-- it's a great blue heron.  Marge, you weren't listening to me." Oops, sorry Sergei. Thanks for paying attention!)
Then, Marge thought to press home that she’d been a good sport braving the cold for Sergei, and that surely he could do the same for her and find the street in Alameda that features the Christmas lights bonanza.  

“You are quite correct, Sergei, that we could be on a wild goose chase since I don’t remember the street name. But, today we unexpectedly found and photographed that gorgeous thought to be a Night Heron but actually a Great Blue Heron. I’m sure that luck is still with us and if you just drive down Fernside Avenue we’ll find that street.”.

Yes, driving again. Marge and Sergei would much rather be known as ramblers who bicycle as backup than as the “cold weather weenies” who drive when the going gets cold. For, indeed, when the temperature drops 50 and below they bundle up and opt for driving their less-than-a-la-mode vehicle. This night, one of the coldest so far this winter, certainly fit the bill. Then, since they were driving and they needed to feel less guilty about that and they also wanted to have a handy excuse if they ran into any of their more fervently dedicated anti-fossil-fuel politically correct friends, they also dropped into Daiko $1.50 store for last minute holiday gifts then into Trader Joe’s for a few grocery necessities (including their favorite dark chocolate treats: Lacey Cookies. Yum! Nothing like a Lacey in-hand when on a potentially frustrating hunt to view Christmas lights).

Fernside was the correct route for Sergei cried, “This must be it, Marge! You were right, as usual: I am glad you talked me into this extravaganza. (Also be sure to read to the end of this post to see another extravaganza, this one in Texas - with 32,000 lights sync'd to music.)

As “they” say, a picture speaks a thousand words and we’ll let these photographs give a good sense of Thompson Avenue during the holidays. 

A sign reads:  

Welcome to Christmas Tree Lane

Median tree lighting provided by:

The residents of Thompson Avenue,
Alameda Municipal Power

And your donations*

(To donate, please visit Santa’s Mailbox)


Over the top...or just right?

And, to stimulate further Christmas Lights creativity - or not -  here is a link to another Christmas Light Extravagance ...in Texas. Well, Houston area's League City to be exact. The house uses approximately 32,000 lights and over 5,500 feet of extension cord with lights sync'd to music and owners' explanation on 107.1 FM on the radio dial. It also has its own song! [listen with our embedded link] They control lights using computer software (Light-O-Rama) and144 separate channels.  Each song is individually programmed to the lights on the house.

With this much electricity on the ground, they can't operate if it is raining or if the ground is wet.

Check it out: Halina and Frank Rossi welcome you....

Ramble 7: Peregrine Place: domestic rumblings on Fruitvale Bridge

It was a cold, cold Saturday morning and, pressed for time, Marge and Sergei drove to the Fruitvale Bridge instead of their usual ramble a les pieds.

Marge had had to cajole a somewhat reluctant Sergei. “We seldom ramble in around that area and there are some good walk- and bike-ways. You’re grumpy now but, believe me, you’ll like it once we get there.”

And he did.

First, both took pictures of the old railroad track along Tilden Way. Once upon a time, rail track brought three different railroads into town – “town” back then was actually three modest towns and not the Alameda we know and love (read that history at Alameda Museum [our embedded link]). Come to think of it, rail and shuttle are good ways to solve Alameda’s growing traffic congestion. But that’s a ramble for another day.

After taking pictures (this time of year the ginko trees display spectacular shades of luminous yellow and gold - see Sergei's photo below) we wandered to the estuary on the shopping mall side of the bridge. Then things got a lot more interesting for Sergei.
 A woman peering through a high powered camera sitting on a bench – her legs covered with a heavy blanket to protect her from the biting cold – turned to acknowledge us as we came up behind her. We shared greetings then, Sergei, a camera lover, asked about her equipment. 

Turned out, like us (particularly like Sergei) she is a bird watcher – well, more like she’s an avid ornithologist who also volunteers at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek.

On this day, she was watching the domestic tribulations of a female peregrine falcon that had been injured months previously, taken to the Lindsay wildlife hospital, and rehabilitated. Then she was released into the wilds of Alameda near the Fruitvale Bridge where she had shared a nest with a mate.

Turns out, he, perhaps thinking his mate and nest partner had died, took another mate. And on this day his new woman – the second wife - had attacked the old, or primary wife. Once the ruckus started the male took off for less stressful climes and left the females fight it out. 

When we arrived, the threatened female had chased off the rehab'd female and the ornithologist was waiting for the next phase of the domestic dispute. She told us a companion ornithologist had reported that the tracking device attached to the recently released female’s leg was indicating she’d taken refuge at the male’s downtown Oakland hangout.

We wonder if the "other woman" knows about this spot?

(Love the leggings!)

A few falcon facts:

• The peregrine is the largest falcon over most of the north American continent
• As with most raptors, males are smaller than females,
• The male bird is referred to as a tiercel and the female as a falcon.
• Peregrines feed especially on shorebirds and ducks although in cities they are masterful at catching pigeons. They often sit on high perches (like Fruitvale Bridge and tall buildings in downtown Oakland) waiting for the right opportunity to make their aerial assault.
• Learn more and hear falcon calls [our embedded link].

Ramble 6. Out of town guy at a Bay Area Christmas Party

Sergei and Marge went to a Christmas party in Alameda – in this case we won’t say anything more about our city than that the party was on the East Side.

One one of the guests was from “out of town”.

Boy! Did he have a perspective! One topic of conversation was that Connecticut, one of early America’s industrial centers, was a:

“hotbed of weapons manufacturing—so much so that it was referred to in the 19th century as the “Arsenal of America.” In 1851, Samuel Colt, inventor of the revolver, built a factory on a parcel of land on the banks of the Connecticut River near Hartford. The legendary saying attached to Colt was “Abe Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal.” (Read the article)

From there the conversation went to a newspaper that ran a holiday ad for handguns and assault rifles placed next to an article about the 20 children and 8 adults shot to death in Sandy Hook, CT.

Here’s a screenshot of the ad:

Then this “out of town” guest (“OOTG”) shared his perspective (“more like out-to-lunch, Marge”, Sergei says):

OOTG: Sure we need assault rifles and when better than Christmas to give ‘n get ‘em! For one thing, who knows when some fat guy in some outfit too-weird-to-be-taken-seriously will come into your house – through the chimney, for example, and you’ll have to protect your family.”

Think about it. This intruder dumps a bunch of packages under your indoor plant. Where I come from we call those sorts of guys ‘terrorists’!

This is exactly the kind of situation that calls for a diversified arsenal. Deer rifle for the horned critters of the roof and an assault weapon to ensure you drill through the fat guys layers of blubber and hit a vital organ."

The OOTG looked around the  room to be sure he still had an audience.
He did. All of us – 15 or 20 people – just stared at him with our mouths hanging open. He took our silence as permission to continue.

OOTG: “These days ya just never can tell what’s on your doorstep – or on your roof. Man, I should blast that foreigner and his gang simply for landing on my roof and messing up my shingles. Every spring! Every spring I gotta go up there and make sure the roof is maintained after the holidays. Ain’t no holiday for folks like me who try to maintain our property values, let me tell ya!”

Well, as usually happens at social events like this, no one took the opportunity to confront OOTG’s views. We all just simply tuned him out and poured ourselves another glass of eggnog. After a while, OOTG left. As the door closed behind him the few of us remaining rolled our eyes to express our opinions; others simply ignored the whole episode and talked brightly about how the drought seems to be breaking and “won’t it be nice when spring comes around again?” 

During the silent walk home Sergei muttered something about Marge reminding him to check the roof shingles in the spring.

Ramble 5: Of firefighters, ladder trucks, and the contradictions

Thanks to differences of opinion while talking and walking (rumbles on the rambles?) Marge Saxon and Sergei Gromyko have come to an understanding.
Sergei demonstrated, by example, how useful a camera is. Marge took the lesson to heart…now she carries a camera around too!

And that, dear Reader, brings us to another chapter in an ongoing story Marge and Sergei have followed for some months.

Over the past year, particularly as campaigning heated up for the November election, Alameda Fire Department has been scrutinized more than usual.

Sergei and Marge heard stories from residents that led them to believe AFD is perceived by many as promoting AFD interests over those of the city and its dwindling budget (contracts, benefits, and campaign contributions to city council candidates).

What with the push for a new fire station (despite discussions on whether the city needs another or not, we’re getting one) and campaign information that highlighted the costs of new fire trucks ($1.5 million per truck – vehicles are replaced when mileage maxes out at 50,000 and at most 75,000 miles), there seemed to be something to these perceptions.

This led to many jokes when, during various rambles and grocery shopping expeditions, Marge and Sergei found – and photographed -- fire department vehicles parked outside stores on the main island and Harbor Bay (Trader Joe’s, Safeway, and Big 5. A Big 5 employee mentioned that firefighters frequently parked the fire truck in the lot when they dropped in to shop during regular business hours).

What, we wonder, is the actual cost of lunch (or breakfast, dinner, or another t-shirt) when a $1.5 million fire truck with an apparent life span of 50,000 miles or so is used for a grocery store run?

These two pix (ambulance and fire engine #2) were taken over the summer (2012).

Marge snapped the two views (one above and one below) of AFD’s new ladder truck. (Policy 2.5.i of the General Plan calls for three storey and 35 to 40 foot height limits in Alameda and we need a ladder truck?)

Marge picks up the story:

On December 11 outside Trader Joe’s at Town Center mall - on the sidewalk near Applebee’s - I overheard a very public exchange between 3 Alameda firefighters (“FF”) and an appreciative Alameda resident (“AAR”).

AAR: Thank you for all you do for Alameda. Is that the new ladder truck?
FF: You’re welcome! Yes, a beauty, isn’t she?

AAR: Sure is. How many miles on the clock?

FF: About three thousand.

AAR: That many miles already? Didn’t it just arrive in Alameda?

FF: Well, the truck is driven from Wisconsin (hmmm, Marge can't recall whether FF said Wisconsin…or Michigan).

AAR: Well, you deserve it. Again, thanks for all you do.                  

At that the 3 firefighters walked into Trader Joe’s.

Marge does not know if the 3,000 “delivery” miles are included in the 50 – 75K. Are you, dear Reader, as curious as she is about what happens to the almost new vehicle then? Far as Marge can figure it, the vehicle is recycled to a smaller – less affluent? – city. Be interesting to know what is the fiscal rationale behind all this. Indeed, sounds as if this story is far from over.
Actually, a resident subsequently explained that on-duty firefighters are obliged to be close to emergency vehicles at all times; hence the grocery store and shopping runs.
But, wouldn't it make sense - under current fiscal conditions and "The Great Recession" for AFD to purchase a bicycle with trailer (these cost from $400 to $600 at Alameda Bicycle and require only human pedal power) and have one firefighter bike to pick up meals and Big 5 goodies? On the small chance there's a fire or emergency during lunch or tea break, the cycling firefighter could join his crew at the fire site. After all, Alameda is less than 5 miles long.
Even a food delivery service would be cheaper than driving a $1.5 million gas-guzzler. (Sergei's considered opinion? "That vehicle gets yardage not mileage!") Or, revolutionary idea: firefighters make out a grocery list and purchase groceries - what the hell, have 'em delivered! - and cook meals  at the station. Couldn't they even hire a local person to cook those meals? That adds funds into the community at 'the people' level. Any of these possibilities would be cheaper than driving around enormous and enormously expensive fire vehicles (a lot quieter too!).
If you know anything about fire trucks, their lifespan, and breeding habits, let us know.

Here's another view of AFD’s new ladder truck.
Below that is Sergei's photograph of Marge admiring the sunset after a rain storm at Crab Cove (Sergei's two cents? "Tell readers that's you, Marge, or they might think its an escaped garden gnome").