THE SANTA CLAUS

NO HELMET... NO BIKE!*
*with the exception of the SANTA CLAUS
that being... if you are wearing a Santa Hat... you do not need a helmet
Grant was worried about crashing... which is a logical worry given the slush and snow
I coached them to be careful
while also reminding them that not all crashes on the bike involve a smack to the head
no one crashed... we all took it easy


the boys... you do this for me... and I will allow this for you

I dragged the boys out with the bike
trying to capture a shot for the family holiday card
no dice rock slice
I missed the shot
got some stuff... but not what I was seeking

the boys rode their bikes a second round before I allowed them to spend a large chunk of the afternoon playing Wii
this was all fine... we had a decent morning
and well... who am I to say that they can not play on the computer
I totally get video games

the boys were good sports... this was actually the second attempt of the day
it was tough to choreograph

wanted both boys in the shot
never got that perfect picture
tough lighting
and of course... tough to get both the boys in the right position with the appropriate facial expression

I hate when

well... I hate a good number of things
I have enough pet peeves to open a zoo

I hate when I try to tuck in a post and it appears at the top
that is one of lesser hates

people and bikes...

a few holiday ideas...

shop locally
city paper has an article on local shops
www.washingtoncitypaper.com

this weekend is SHOP AND STROLL in Silver Spring
I think it is a Crafty Bastards project
www.washingtoncitypaper.com

and one more thing
if you are buying a Christmas Tree... think about where you buy it
support a local charity
most local schools sell christmas tree
we buy our tree from the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad
I feel it is more in the Christmas Spirit than looking for the prettiest most groomed tree
oh... the trees are wonderful!

in the spirit of Christmas!

I will make mention of JESUS CAMP!

what a fantastic socking stuffer!

own it today!

www.jesuscampthemovie.com
www.amazon.com

that shot of Rachel Grady was taken by others than me for HEEB Magazine
www.heebmagazine.com

and yes... I just finished putting up my Christmas Lights!

apparently Rachel Grady is at SUNDANCE now with her latest project: 12 & Delaware
www.imdb.com

I wish...

I wish that BIKESDIRECT would stop making comments on my blog like they are an actual reader

I have posted em... and posted em...

if they want to be on my page
the can hook me up with a bike and I will sing their praises

until that point... I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS OF BIKES DIRECT... THEY ARE VIRAL!

time to get back to the task of hanging the Christmas Lights

FAMILY MAN
Henry Rollins on Youtube
www.youtube.com

become a FAN OF GWADZILLA on Facebook

FEED THE BEAST!
become a FAN OF GWADZILLA on FACEBOOK

the buildings are not so tall in Washington DC

not TMZ! this is GWADZILLAFACATION! YOU HAVE BEEN GWADZILLAFIED!

I did not get the desired shots... but I got these
and sorry... this paparazzi is not TMZ
just gwadzilla

on a lark I watched the film HUNGER the other night...

I may watch too much television
I may stay up too late
but sometimes these movies or shows prove to worth staying up for
the other night I chanced on the film HUNGER
I did not know what to expect
all I knew was the short write up that was displayed when I went to the INFORMATION for that selection on ON DEMAND

it was intense
it was moving
it was educational
it was emotional

HUNGER on the Wiki Page

THE LARK AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTER on this blog
http://stargazing-at-woolgatherers.blogspot.com

I trust it is accurate
I assume it is accurate

oh... I had to google John Bull
I should be ashamed

I also blog too much
I stay up too late blogging

this is old news... yet it still amazes me

Union Outsources Picket Lines to Homeless
Story on NPR
www.npr.org

ironic?

a person gets angry that their job is being outsourced
so they outsource the task of protesting that employer

this shot is not from today... I need to read these words and I had them previously posted with these images

the poem Desiderata and a DC Rainbow

Desiderata
by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be
greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career
however humble;
it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham,
drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

the poem Desiderata and a DC Rainbow
previously posted on GWADZILLA
but thought they were worth posting again as I feel as if this poem is worth reading again and again

ARTISAN SKATEPARKS: Design and Bulid

ARTISAN SKATEPARKS: Design and Bulid
http://artisanskateparks.blogspot.com/

I hope those are gloves

morning coffee

amazing murals graced the walls of Bethesda Chevy Chase High School

robert elwell painted some of the mural pieces that decorated the halls of C Building at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School when I was a student there back in the early 80's
although I have not taken the tour... I am aware that the building has been renovated within the last five years

these old buildings with walls of asbestos were not fitting for these times
the building that is Bethesda Chevy Chase High School was recently renovated
change... for better or for worse we can count on change

if I recall there was David Bowie, Peter Townsend, and Jimi Hendrix
along with all sorts of other non music theme images
these music images may have been the most dynamic pieces
or at least the most significant images on the walls for me

come on... rock and roll or matisse?

I am not positive but I think that these images were painted by Robert Elwell

my memory is faded...
I can not recall if they were all near each other of in different parts of the building
it is hard for me to remember if these were the characters and if they were all painted in the same style

those pieces were never finished
I think this piece was photographed and a print of it may hang in the recently renovated Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.

I did not know him very well... but from where I stood Robert Elwell appeared to be quite a character
a character that John Hughes would like to base his characters off in one of his '80's time capsule type films
only Robert Elwell was a character in real life

Robert Elwell was a few years older than
he graduated from B-CC a few years before I started high school
I knew him only because this real life character was the guy who worked the video game arcade that was attached to the backside of Jerry's Sub Shop on East West Highway in downtown Bethesda
Bethesda in a different time

B-CC had an open lunch
there was McDonalds, Roy Rogers, Jerry's and of course all sorts of office building cafeterias
and of course there were video arcades
it was not uncommon for kids to spend their lunch break at the arcade
sometimes the choice was food or video games

for a time period Robert Elwell was the guy that gave change for a dollar and whatever else needed to be done at a coin operated video game parlor

Robert Elwell had a certain look to him
it was a not quite punk but not too obviously new wave look
there may have been some checkers and maybe more aqua in his wardrobe that most people
he was Square Pegs before there was a show Square Pegs

I learned that these murals in C Building were done by him after I showed an interest in some of his drawings.... drawings, sketches, and of course flyers for his band... ICE NINE

no... I did not really know much more
I was playing the video games and hangout out with my friends
sometimes Robert Elwell would pay for me to play Frenzy (the updated version of Bizerk... yes... the same gave that would say "I DETECT A QUARTER IN YOUR POCKET"
I had some skills... if you can call running a stick figure around a dotted maze
in any case... he would pay for me to play as long as I did not hunt the Smiley Faces... I loved to waited it out and hunt the Smiley Faces
it was like hunting the ships in Asteroids... only not quite
that was pretty much it

I call him Robert Elwell because I do not think that we ever used direct address or really knew each others names

change for a dollar and the "I will pay for you to play just to see how far you can get... always trying to get my game to get to undiscovered levels" situation
that was the extent of me knowing this person named Robert Elwell
this person who had painted the unfinished images of some very powerful rockers

the other night the name Robert Elwell came up and I learned that he was hit and killed on his bicycle working as a messenger in 1997
wow... that was a long time ago
that is a bummer
it always pains me to hear a story like this

it was more than ten years after I met him
it had been more than ten years since this happened
surprised I had not heard this sooner
my heart goes out to all who knew him and miss him now
that is too young to die

next chance I get I am going to have to go to a B-CC Open House
just so I can walk those halls... well... see what remains... maybe a facade
and then the prints of the murals

a mention of the Death of Robert Elwell in this messenger magazine
www.mcaa.com

story in the Washington Post about the mural project after the renovation
www.washingtonpost.com

a page dedicated to the murals
www.bccedfoundation.org

oh... and ED MULANEY'S SLIDES!

did you get the memo?

www.murraythenut.com

very strange... she was not even a Redskinette!

www.washingtonpost.com

You're invited to ride an installation from freak bike culture. Experience Doyle's three part bike exhibition featuring the Hell-a-Copter, the Regurgitator and Tall Bike Jousting at Art Basel Miami Beach, December 3 - 6, 2009.

Squishy Universe Gallery
150 NW 24th Street
Miami, FL 33127

Check bikeclubgames.com for all details on daily LIVE web streaming events from Art Basel Miami and get all the information about
TALL BIKE JOUST iPhone app available 01.01.10.

Ryan Doyle on Art Basel and the new Tall Bike Joust iPhone app: Check out the interview by Bike Blog NYC!

some words about the unabiker here

Libbey and Chris getting some quality time in the am...

just bikes and no kids
oh... and then work

Jay and the Lost River Barn on RAPHA!

this is really cool!
www.rapha.cc

Jay Moglia on Gwadzilla

the film

jamming down M Street in the AM!

remember the MOBILE CITY?

http://mobilecity.com/

winter is approaching...

same bike... different owner?

the bethesda eight!

.


the bethesda eight
or is it the bethesda seven
maybe tom or george clifford could clarify
as I fear that I may spread an urban myth if I go any further
no matter the truth
the times have changed

even if I was not there
I have a feeling about what the times were about


.

winter... I think I may bring out the fixie...

this image has nothing to do with the thoughts in my head...

at B-CC High School in the 80's there was a really cool hallway that was lined with lockers
then above the lockers and on the would be blank walls there were these ROCK AND ROLL MURALS
pro style images of music gods of our times
I have blurred memories of Bowie and Townsend as some of these larger than life images

some of these images were painted by a graduate of B-CC
that person being Robert Elwell
I knew him because he worked the arcade that was on the backside of Jerry's Sub Shop
back when Jerry's had good subs and good pizza

Robert Elwell was the guy who watched the machines and dished out the quarters
I recall being really impressed with his illustrations

Robert Elwell would feed me quarters to play certain games
I had some Tommy-like skills on Joust and Bizerk
my Defender game was just your basic standard
while I had a history of high scores on Donkey Kong and Space Invaders

tonight while out for drinks at a bar that I was saddened to hear is called THE FOUR FIELDS
while all the while I was drinking at the FOUR Ps or Ireland's Four Provinces

at the end of the night I was playing the "name game"with a friend from an era before me
the name Robert Elwell came to mind
it saddened me to hear that he died on the bicycle in 1989 in New York City
such an artist
life cut short

robert elwell.
sorry to hear that you are no longer with this world
sorry to hear that you were not able to finish what you started

Negative Approach Reunion Show!

.

NEGATIVE APPROACH on the WIKI PAGE
sorry... the joke is a location joke
guess you got to be there
sorry.


.

.

energy in the morning.... I can not start my day without coffee...

why cyclists need more mechanics...

why cyclists need more mechanics...
www.guardian.co.uk

using the flash in low light...

he may be focused on the wet and cold
I know I was on my ride home from work

my ride was short and I was under dressed

respect is taught

curiosity needs to dance with respect

respect for life needs to be taught

catch and release and learning to give others their space is important

some things need to be reminded and reinforced

accept the blur... embrace the blur...

I accept the blur
I embrace the blur
rather than fight the blur
I try to use the blur

the blur is good
I like the blur

these are some photographs from the Modest Proposal show at Comet Ping Pong
really I wanted to take more photos
but instead of hiding behind the camera I decided to experience the show rather than document the show
but of course... I could not help myself
had I not had my camera I would have certainly regretted it
in some ways I regret not taking more photos

if I could shoot portraits it could have been cool to snap a few faceshots
something more than a snap shot for facebook
alas... I wanted to dance
I wanted to see the band... I wanted to feel the band... I wanted to dance

there was not room to dance
it was tight... the space was not big... and that space was filled to the gills whatever that means
it was tough to walk around and stand in front of different people to capture the shots I captured

below is something I was going to post with these images
but the loading of the images jumbled my punctuationless style
and well... those words are not worth cleaning up
I hate cleaning up
there is not the time and I do not have the energy for cleaning up




I like the blur when shooting live performances I have come to like to shoot without the flash the usual results of the flash on my glorified point and shoot tend not to please me things get blown out I have not learned to use the flash instead I try to learn the best settings for shooting in the dark without the flash holding the camera still is one of those vital variables Neal is such an energetic front man that I feel that the blur captures him better than the way a flash would capture him still but the same goes for most live music if they were more interesting standing like statues well... then they would stand like statues there are moments when it is cool to capture the moment with the characters in the image standing like statues honestly... I would have liked to have taken more photos I was more focused on experiencing the moment than capturing the moment on camera it is not the same experiencing things from behind the camera while taking the photos I worked hard to stay still with the slow electronic shutter in some cases I got lucky and another person's flash from their digital camera worked its way into my shot early on I discovered that this moments had the potential to be the best shots not just the blur but a moment where the action is almost captured... not quite a wireless flash... a little luck so much of photography is the luck of capturing the shot oh... I hate being that guy with the digital camera worse than being taller than the people behind me I am also that guy who pulls out their digital camera which makes my viewfinder a very small and somewhat distracting MEGATRON oh... I also like shooting without the flash because I get tired of the flash of all the cameras capturing the moment again... I don't want to be that guy

not quite the shot...

me, camera, and the mirror

many people capturing the same shot

a crowd of would be photographers all gathered around this vain little bird who patiently posed for so many pictures

and... I was no different
I saw the bird and the reflection in the water
and I had to stop for this would be photograph

DC RATS

www.rideninc.com

a response to the ANTI-CYCLING bantor in Philly

here
www.philly.com

and again here
www.philly.com

I hope kenny does not mind my sharing this... but I thought it might jumpstart my holiday mood

apparently this was SOUNDGARDEN'S Christmas Card in 1990
thanks kenny!

this totally cracks me up!

.



genius... fricking genius
I HAVE A BLOG
www.xtranormal.com

this video is a documentary of so many bicycle blogger's lives


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Modest Proposal had its 25 Year Reunion Show at Comet Ping Pong last night

one... two... three...
READY... STEADY... GO!
let me try to throw down some words to accompany the images on the page

last Saturday night I went to Comet Ping Pong to catch a band called Modest Proposal
this band, Modest Proposal was returning to the stage after a 25 year hiatus
the images tell a better story than the words... I am going to throw down some words just the same
maybe some words about the other night... maybe some words about something that happened 25 years ago
who knows...

Some quick background information...
Washington DC is a music town...
people from Austin say that Austin is a music town... people from New Orleans say that New Orleans is a music town... I am (pretty much) from Washington DC and well... I believe that DC is a music town

back in the 80's Washington DC was experiencing its own version of what was known as HARDCORE music or HARDCORE PUNK
all over the country in a pre-digital age many cities independently expressed itself through a subset of punk rock known as HARDCORE
each city did this in a different way... each city having its own personality or identity

a trailer from AMERICAN HARDCORE could explain this more accurately
or if you choose a paper version than paging through Banned in DC or Dance of Days may work better for you
then there is the lesser known Yellow Arrow Walking Tour:The Capitol of Punk maybe be the most immediate because it is an electronic option
no matter where you get it... you will need to get that information elsewhere... because I do not have what it takes to write this glossary of local music

yet... I will continue with this brief introduction

long music history lesson short...
within the genre of of PUNK ROCK there are a multitude of sub-genres...
sub genres which are then broken up deeper into sub-sub genres

back in the 50-60's in England there was a movement called Mod
Mod being short for Moderism or Modism
Mod was about music and fashion... head to toe... from the haircut to the shoes... don't forget the shoes... the shoes are often the defining accessory of any subculture
okay... rather than my trying to talk about a history that I did not experience or a subculture that I neither studied nor documented I turn the few readers that have made it this far to the movie Quadrophenia
if only we had Modest Proposal's first bass player's PHd dissertation... perhaps that cold clear things up
until then you will have to reference Quadrophenia

Quadrophenia may well be the Modern Mod Bible
www.quadrophenia.net

early Mod bands would be The Kinks or The High Numbers
The High Number only having one 7" Single before changing their name to The Who
some trademark articles of the Mod identity would be Scooters; Vespa or Lambretta, and green parkas worn over the business attire of a working class; three button suits, skinny ties, and the shoes... don't forget the shoes

this Mod movement had a resurgence in the late 1970's with bands like The Jam
in the 80's this resurgence of the Mod Movement continued to a level where they made claims like DOZENS LIKE US
the scooter even made its way into the subculture of the Modern Mod Movement here in DC

in Washington DC as clubs and community centers were hosting DC Punk and DC Hardcore bands you could also find a number of clubs hosting shows with a few local Mod bands on the bill
Modest Proposal was one of these bands

Modest Proposal was born from a previous DC Mod band known as Mach Five

the following of Modest Proposal was scattered
there were small pockets of Mod culture found around the city... young and old... old being somewhere in the mid to late 20's
private schools like GDS (Georgetown Day School) seemed to be Mod making machines

while Mod may have been a sub genre of Punk there was some tension... some people crossed lines... while others figured such line crossing as unacceptable
that tension may have been a tongue and cheek attempt at living up to the Mod Versus Rocker sentiment as taught in the previously mentioned Modern Mod Movement Bible Quadrophenia

to the adolescent boy who was clinging to be tough the notion of being Mod may have been too soft

the "pro-us" mentality can often equate to "anti-them" but this is not a sociology class and I am not qualified to teach a sociology class... so I ramble on

boys will be boys
teenage boys are often looking for something to fight about
so... if there was any anti-Mod sentiment... it was all fabricated so that someone would have something to complain about
because we all know that the DC version was just a fashion show... much in the same way that a kid would dress "punk" or "skin"
it does not make sense for a kid from DC to be clinging to a set of ideals from a country that they have never been to
again.. I am not the sociologist trying to sort this stuff out... so on with the story

there was an overlap in these two "scenes"
more than likely to the point that the Modest Proposal name graced the Marquee of the time... that Marquee being the Xerox Flyer pasted on the telephone pole or the construction site wall

the Mod Kids were Punk Kids
it was just a different costume and maybe a few different cassettes in the tape player
but to the outsider the Mod Kids just looked like Punk Kids

Modest Proposal was a band out of Washington DC
much like many bands they practiced, played shows, and fought for that big break
they never scored
not sure what it takes for a band to score a record deal... but most of this subculture music never made it to the large distribution labels
instead they released their music themselves on small local releases as in the case of Dischord Records

the DC music of the 80's can not be discussed without mention of Dischord Records
while there may not have been any Mod bands on the Dischord label DC is a small enough town that the actions of each tribe was on the other tribes radar
while getting on Dischord records may have been an honor and a great way to get exposure... Dischord Records was no big record deal either... as it was not a money driven machine... but that is a story for another blog
Dischord mention on the Gwadzilla Blog

back to Modest Proposal...
Modest Proposal was a band for a few years in the 1980's
during that time the band had various member changes which more than likely contained some Spinal Tap dynamics minus the big hair and the exploding drummer
I do recall my ears still ringing on Wednesday after a "show*" on a Saturday where they must have cranked it up to "eleven"
I do not know the reasons for band break ups or musician changes

*SHOW: big rock bands played concerts in arenas while smaller bands played "shows" in bars, clubs, and community centers
knowing the difference between a concert and a show was an early lesson in music culture for me

the music and lyrics of Modest Proposal was Hip and Clever... maybe a bit campy and cool... cool if Mod was your flavor... perhaps not so cool if you were a member of an opposing or closed minded tribe
the music has a squeaky clean flavor
a rhythm and a beat that made the listeners want to get up and dance
a music that may express its anger in anthems
there may have been some aggression... but it was a more cerebral angst

so last Saturday Night there was a reunion show for Modest Proposal
after a 25 year hiatus the band was getting back together
except for a few problems... adult life... time... space... and perhaps the realities of life
yes... jobs.. wives... children

for a series of reasons unknown to me there could not be a regrouping of the original line up of Modest Proposal... two MP of the former bass players were invited.. one declined while another was across the pond in the Motherland of the Mod Movement and could not make it... again... reasons unknown to me

with short notice and two slots to fill somehow someway two people who were members of the DC Punk\DC Hardcore Movement back in the '80s
Danny Ingram stepped in and sat in on drums and Steve Hansgen picked up the bass

Danny Ingram on the WIKI page
Steve Hansgen on the WIKI page

the shows are often about more than just the music... so often the "show" is also about the scene
in the weeks leading up to the "show" I wondered about the scene
I wondered what the scene would be like... what sort of people would come out to see THE RETURN OF MODEST PROPOSAL? I thought about the people that went to their shows "back in the day" and the people who identified with the Modern Mod Movement during the DC Mod Resergence
I wondered how the music would sound and how the band would look and how the crowd would respond
I wondered if the music would would move me in such a way that I would get up and dance... I knew I wanted to get up and dance

When I thought of the band I laughed to myself as I thought about their quest for the perfect outfit... the attire that makes the statement without saying too much
that mod outfit that looks natural and does not appear questioned whether
to dress up but not appear dressed up

I wondered... if the band's larger than life front man would still have that manic energy on stage... I wondered if a man half a century old could still holler and sing like that 20 something year old kid had some 25 years ago
and the musicians... new and old... would they remember the songs... could they learn the songs... how would they sound together

then when I thought more about the scene I tried to figure who might show up
what Mod was loyal to the tribe... what DC music fan of that era was loyal to this band of that era
who was going to be in town... and who was lucky enough to get one of those one hundred and 50 golden tickets
my mind went through a series of mental images of who from my era lived that "dc mod lifestyle"
a number of people appeared in my mind in the most hip of "dc mod fashion"

shamefully I got this far... but have lost my steam
not enough to finish this thought
not enough to give this rant a proper re-read\re-write
started this with a different thought a few days ago... time to just PUBLISH AND POST

City Paper mention of Modest Proposal along with a YOUTUBE video that has some still photos of various members of Modest Proposal
www.washingtoncitypaper.com

YOUTUBE VIDEO of MODEST PROPOSAL doing the song off one of their vinyl singles, "nobody says no"
www.youtube.com

Modest Proposal's front man Neal Augenstein kept a short online journal of the months leading up to the reunion show at Comet Ping Pong
http://wtop.com

technology

some geeky technology stuff....


a map of the pre-reg data for DCCX 2009

a less than original thought...

it was a less than original thought...
yesterday as we finished our drive back from visiting the inlaws in pittsburgh it was discussed that we spend our Sunday taking the boys and our black dog Brutus to Great Falls on the Maryland side of the Potomac to hike The Billygoat Trail
there was talk of an early rise which was to include a healthy breakfast

well... a late Saturday night and a slow morning that was occupied with all sorts of LEGOS had us leaving out of the house well after lunch...
in fact late enough that I was sort of worried about the remaining sunlight of the day
fearing a shortage of time and considering avoiding the drive I proposed hiking local in the woods of Rock Creek Park but we were drawn to the notion of The Billygoat Trail and all of its rocks and scramble potential
so... we stuck to our original plan

while I packed a bag of snacks Lisa called to see if the we could my brother's wife and their two kids to join us
we knew my brother was our racing his cyclocross bike
sure enough... we caught them in between activities... they were game
we loaded up the car and headed out of the city

it was a short drive with no traffic to speak of
when we arrived at Old Angler's Inn there was no where to park
each lot was full... so full that kayakers were carrying their boats far further than usual
cars lined MacArthur Blvd blocking the bike path
it was like trying to find a parking space at the mall on Black Friday!
Lisa dropped us off and drove around looking for a space
the dog pooped and the boys played as we looked for the cousins
there was a parade of people marching down the towpath towards the trail
without any argument I swayed our party of three adults, four children, and two dogs to take the path less traveled
we headed towards the trails that weave about the land between Old Angler's Inn and Great Falls in between the C&O and MacArthur
it was a good choice the boys were free to run and I felt a lot less guilty about letting my dog run leash less
it should have been obvious that on a 65 degree day at the end of the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend that the trails would be packed
yet somehow we did not factor that into the plan
the alternate plan worked out well the boys and the dogs got to run wild while the parents walked a steady pace and managed to keep up

we hiked one larger loop that took us through some moderately deep woods of leafless trees
the apex of our hike was a high point that gave a good view of the river and the falls
with our shortage of time and a group of boys that were sure to soon lose strength we took the tow path back

the tow path was crowed with a parade of people
so we migrated to the lesser known service road that runs parallel to the tow path between Old Anglers Inn and Great Falls

to keep the boys moving and entertained I staged a few foot races

it was a good day
no time on the bike... but a good day just the same

the Billy Goat Trail may be reserved for week days or cold days in winter...
this is not the same world I grew up in