STATUS QUOtes — 20151117

“I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.” — Charles Dickens

“When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.” — Confucius

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” — Soren Kierkegaard

“There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have.” — Don Herold

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Fall Hike – West Fork of the Oak Creek, AZ – Pt. 1

Much of our lives were spent in the northeast and although we now live in the southwest and we are fond of the desert, once in a while we get the urge to experience a true change of seasons like those we experienced during the fall in our rural New Jersey home.

When this happens, we look to northern Arizona to satisfy our yearning. Recently we decided to take a November foray to an area just north of Sedona, AZ and hike the trail of the West Fork of the Oak Creek.

 

West Fork Trail #108 Sign

The trail is located off of highway 89A between mileposts 385 and 384. As always, dress appropriately, be sure to have waterproof/resistant footwear and perhaps bring an extra pair of socks. One other hint…many will find hiking sticks useful especially during the stream crossings. If you don’t have hiking sticks, a dead branch can usually be found along the way and often they are left at the trailhead sign.

Soon after we began, we were treated to this beautiful, red rock fall scene. It was a very crisp, clear fall day at the Oak Creek.

Beautiful Colors at the Trailhead Approach

Snow remnants

We were aware that it had snowed a week or so before our planned excursion, but we did not realize remnants would still be found. Mary picked up a handful; something we can’t do in the Valley of the Sun.

Mary grabs a handful of snow

As you may note, there are no officially maintained crossings of the stream which number thirteen each way for a total of twenty six. All hikers are left to decide the best route to attempt. Rocks are not always steady, logs are sometimes slippery and the dry footholds may be far apart. This provides some excitement and challenges. Many hikers brought their four-legged companions along for a frolic.

Mary at stream crossing; dog waiting

Gymnastics training could come in handy.

Gymnastic creek crossing

The creek widens and narrows along the route providing interesting and contrasting vistas among the red sand and rocks.

Contrast of stream and red rocks

Of course we need to mention the leaves; yes the leaves. In the desert, we don’t have fall leaf colors and shapes like these.

fall leaf colors

The contrast of reds, yellows and bronze against the dark bark and red cliffs was very pretty.

gold bronze leaves amid the  gray of fall

Change was definitely in the air. Leaves were donning their seasonal finery as they fell to the ground or attempted to cling to the branches just a bit longer.

Leaves change color

The patches of dried, brown foliage also provided a pretty foil for the remaining snow which provided the background for the patterns of fall.

patterns of dead ferns against the snow

To be continued…

For more information about the West Fork of Oak Creek, Sedona including hours of operation, fees and restrictions, see the links below:

West Fork Oak Creek #108

Hiking the West Fork of Oak Creek

Trail Map of West Fork Oak Creek

STATUS QUOtes — 20151116

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.” — Gerry Spence

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” — Mother Teresa

“Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you!” — Pericles

“Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.” — Stieg Larsson

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

English Anguish

I don’t declare that I am a grammar expert and I do have to look up certain grammar rules from time-to-time. The difference is that I take that extra step and do the research.

I am not an official member of the grammar police even though there are certain violations of English grammar rules that annoy me.

The proper use of then and than, the differences between two, two and too and of course…

 

XXXXXX
Via

are most disconcerting!

Many people are confused about when to use commas, but as you can see (below) it is even more confusing when they are not used.

XXXXXX
Via

Credit where credit is due. Even though JBRish is pleased to present the above as infotainment, it is not original to us. These were originally presented as part of a BuzzFeed post. You can see all of their grammar gift recommendations by clicking here:

STATUS QUOtes — 20151115

“You’ve got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing.” — Arthur Ashe

“Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late” — Felix Frankfurter

“Because equal rights, fair play, justice, are all like the air: we all have it, or none of us has it. That is the truth of it.” — Maya Angelou

“When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock and roll, there’s a good chance the transmission is shot.” — Larry Lujack

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Poignant Photo of a Faithful Dog’s Last Ride

Pets are very loving and give us something that is hard to find; unconditional love. Doges especially would willingly give their lives to save their masters. That is what makes it so heartbreaking when it is time to say goodbye.

This picture of a dog’s last ride opens our emotions as we see how much it is enjoyed even with the wear-and-tear of old age.

old dog's last ride

Picture Via

First seen on Mashable where you can read more of the story.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151110

NOTE – This went out to the email list, but was late being posted; sorry!

“Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it’s warm and you won’t see the dust on the floor.” — Irish Proverb

“Bottom is bottom, even if it is turned upside down.” — Stanislaw Lec

“We are constantly being surprised that people did things well before we were born.” — Robert Benchley

“A fanatic is one who sticks to his guns whether they’re loaded or not.” — Franklin Jones

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

STATUS QUOtes — 20151114

“Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.” — John Shirley

“When you feel irresistible, you’re hard to resist.” — John Updike

“There are years that ask questions, and years that answer.” — Zora Neale Hurston

“As far as I’m concerned, ‘whom’ is a word that was invented to make everyone sound like a butler.” — Calvin Trillin

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

Ball-istic – Some Pickleballs Will Not Fly

As most notably demonstrated by last year’s NFL Deflategate Scandal, any sport needs to control the elements of the craft if it is to be taken seriously. Pickleball is no exception. To assure that ratings, rules, etc. are valid for everyone, specifications need to be maintained for paddles, courts,pickleballs, etc.

As recently noted by the USAPA on several fronts:

Pickleball-Now green indoor ball and the new Onix outdoor “Pure” ball will not be approved for sanctioned tournament play after May 1st, 2016. There will also be other balls that do not meet the new specifications.”

I would encourage all pickleball enthusiasts to join the USAPA. They support us so let’s support them. You will receive the USAPA newsletter which includes updates to the rules and specification changes for paddles, balls, etc. There are other benefits as well.

Find out more about USAPA membership by CLICKING HERE.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151113

“We lie best when we lie to ourselves.” — Stephen King

“We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” — Neal A. Maxwell

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” — Rachel Zoe

“The only normal people are the ones you don’t know very well.” — Alfred Adler

 

JBRish.com originally published this post