Barton Damn/ Pond

Last week Chels and I took a short trip over to the Barton Damn area.

The area has a trail system and a few spots that look to be pretty decent to fish from, in warmer weather, as this river does not have a real run of any sort, due to its poor management.

I snapped a few shots while we were there. Take a look. We plan on a longer walk when we are more prepared for the weather!

Enjoy, let me know what you think.
(pssst click on the photos, they get bigger to show detail!)

Have a great day,

-J

Heeeeeeere's Pepper! (and Calvin too)

It is friday, fridays are very silly around here.

Case in point, today. Today is Cat Day at Random Stream!

In honor of cat day we will be showcasing pics of the felines that call our headquarters home; Pepper and Calvin.

As you all know, Cat Day is better represented by pics and not words, so let these do the talking, Happy Cat Day!

Pepper enjoys breakfast in her bling.

Random Earl shot

"dad, why would you put a pumpkin here?"

Pepper is integral to the RSOC team, as you can see, she in on top of things.

I am speechless...
surprising hey?

-J

Arbor Brewing Co.

Saturdays are for enjoying the company of those close to you, what better way to do this than by exploring?

Last Saturday Chels and I decided to enjoy each other's company while re-exploring downtown Ann Arbor. We took a nice long walk, past the Stadium, through the law quad, hit up Border's #1, Moosejaw, Starbuck's and then settled down in one of the highback booths at Arbor Brewing Co.

This was our second trip to Arbor Brewing, so I feel that now I am able to make a fair judgement of this establishment.

After being seated we perused the menu. The menu is chock full of dishes crafted with locally grown and produced ingredients, such a huge breath of fresh air in a culture where the average hamburger contains trace pieces of more than 9 different cows. Keeping the cuisine local definitely appears to be important to the folks at Arbor Brewing.

Chelsea quickly spotted a hand-crafted black bean burger on a whole wheat bun. She thoroughly enjoyed her selection. She found packed with flavor and not too salty.

Naturally I was at a pub, so I chose the burger. The menu said that it was from grassfed beef, so I knew that it would be real meat. When I ordered a side of fries I was delighted to find that there were multiple options for flavored fries! I chose garlic, as did Chelsea, because, who eats regular fries anymore?

After a bit of searching the beer menu I came across what I was looking for, their IPA. The Sacred Cow, as they call it there, came in the house pint glass at just the right temperature. Sacred Cow was both tangy and crisp as the menu suggests. It is a pretty solid IPA, full of hoppy goodness. I suggest it to anyone who enjoys IPA's, or since it is rather tame, to anyone who is looking to get into the IPA tasting game.

Arbor Brewing makes some quality beer, that is for sure. There were so many subtle things going in that beer that I am going to have to go back again for a second opinion!

Our food came in just the right amount of time to be enjoyed with the last bit of my beer.

The Burger with the bacon and gorgonzola was excellent, and the garlic fries were out of this world as well. One other noteworthy aspect of the meal was the portion sizes, to label them generous is an understatement, they were borderline huge.

I recommend you give this place a shot, if you are not already familiar with it. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and hopefully you are lucky enough to get a seat near the windows with the brewing equipment.

With its friendly staff, extensive list of not only their own beer, but also those from across the state, and its seasonal decorations this may turn into your little place around the corner.

I know that I will be making a return trip soon. Maybe I will try something else on the menu. Who am I kidding, I will have the burger.

-J

What a grand day! + a lot of reading and learning to come

Today started with a great meal, prepared by me; cake and leftover pizza with coffee, it was just awesome.

After some cleaning Chels and I walked into town. We walked around, hit up the local Moosejaw for their anniversary sale, where unfortunately we didn't find anything!

After grabbing some coffee and a Peppermint Mocha we strolled over to Border's. I was originally going to get Ode, some publication regarding progressive ideas that I actually found to be mildly interesting.

With the mag in hand I took a trip upstairs to the nature and sports section. I hit the jackpot up there!

Found this awesome book! It tells, in-depth how the Great Lakes were formed, their evolution and future.

I am quite excited to start it. It should be a quick read. Expect periodic reviews within the coming weeks.

I found two other things at Border's that I have been looking for for a while now:

Essentials: Guides to Mushrooms and Edible Wild Plants!

These will come in handy in the coming spring and summer when I make my first attempt at foraging and possibly some bushcraft!

The trip was finished up with a trip to Arbor Brewing Co. (Review Coming soon) and a brisk walk to the car!

Forgot to tell you all, this beauty came in the mail the other day:

Score! Time to devour it, and see what I need to buy next.

Such a night for blogging,

-J

Whoa, slow down... List Time

Six days into November and I have not posted yet? Wow, I am truly slipping.

But I have been a little busy, work has picked up, which is a good thing at this point, since work will be nonexistent during law school. Aaaand with work I can afford to go on more trips and write more fun and fascinating stories for you!

To start November I think that I will do a little list of things that I am looking forward to doing and or seeing while I travel North during this month.

Won't you give them a look and tell me what you think;

1. THE Lake:

Hopefully we get out there on another day like this! High seas on the Great Lakes are the best.

The breeze/ wind from the lake is so refreshing that it often puts a little extra pep in one's step.

2. Family.

3. Hunting:

This was two years ago, but I am still riding on that high.

4. Kayaking:

Over break I am going to solo a portion of the Manistee. Who knows I may even bring the fishing pole.

Me and Nature.

5. Black nights:

     The kind that you can walk in and not have to worry about getting mugged.

6. Hiking:

The hiking in Northern Michigan offers some of the most dynamic experiences around.

It is best done when shared with someone though.

7. The feeling of familiarity.

The kind of place where everybody knows your name. While sometimes they know too much, it is still nice to have people know who you are. 

8. A genuine Big Al's Pizza:

Holy cow, Awesomeness in a circle.

No trip to the beach, movies, football game, basketball game, fishing, hunting, hiking, casino, kmart or Dunham's is complete without a Big Al's finale pizza.

Absent from the list is thanksgiving, however there is nothing much to say about it except: loads of turkey, mountains of potatoes, rivers of gravy, generous helpings of dressing and coleslaw. Consume, pass-out, move on to the next house, repeat, move to the final house, repeat, roll on the floor, nap, watch a little National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation/ Indiana Jones and then sink into bed for the weekend.

Time to feed the cats and chill some Coke.

-J

Go To Gear; installment 1: the Backpack

What to do on a day like this, the rain is making a delightful noise, the wind is breathing fresh breath into the apartment and I feel like doing something...

But what.

That is it! I will start a list, a list of, GO TO GEAR!

What does that mean you ask?

Well it is the new name of the Gear Section of RSOC!

Like totally kewl! Lol?

I realized that I meant to start this section this summer, I even promised that it would be up and running once or twice, but as life goes things got in the way, you know, new cat, apt, work, travels, and the like. Not this time, this is the start of the ongoing list that will contain things for everyone; the outdoor enthusiast who is starting out, the seasoned hiker/ bushcrafter and anyone anywhere in between.

Not only will the go to gear section feature outdoor gear, it will also showcase lifestyle items; electronics, magazines, websites, stories, sales, and other randomly important things!

So here it goes; The first installment of Go To Gear

The Backpack

You have read about them before on RSOC and you probably own a few yourself, however I would like to showcase a few bags that I find to be essential for me to do what I do on a daily basis.

On average I think that it is essential to have at least three backpacks. Three you say, are you mad, why would anyone need that many bags? My answer is simple, each bag has its own specific use and having bags with specific uses makes life easier.

Bag One: the media bag
most commonly known as a school bag. I choose the Power Pack by Outdoor Products:

The perfect media bag has a padded spot for laptops, various small compartments that hold electronics and other special tools/gear intact. This bag does just that, it even has a file-folder system in the main compartment to separate things as you wish. While many bags have laptop compatible sleeves it is best to buy a bag with a dedicated area for laptops specifically. The Power Pack even comes with a customizable pad that form fits to your laptop, giving it the utmost protection from banging around.


I recently took this bag to Maine and it protected my breakables from impacts, rain and a few minor coffee spills. 


Bottom line: everyone needs a go to bag to take care of their electronics, make sure that yours allows you to customize to your configurations and fulfills all of your standards. Do not jump to buying a bag, take your time and get the right one.


Bag Two: The Technical Day Bag.
The technical day bag is that one bag that you possibly spend a little too much money on, so you need to get one that is tough, proven, ergonomically designed fit and has all of the pockets and straps that one would ever want!

My Choice: the REI: Traverse 30 liter:

As you can see this day bag has enough straps to accommodate a host of different configurations for hanging anything you want of the back. It also has two cinch straps on each side to compress the bag to make it less bulky and to help make you gear stay where you put it. The ultimate day bag a pouch to hold a water bladder, sternum strap, waist strap, side pockets for bottles and a few smaller pockets to hold specialty items. On this bag I especially like the small pocket on the waist belt, it holds a knife, Cliffbar, or energy shots.

Bottom line: the day bag needs to fulfill all of your needs while being comfortable enough to carry decent sized loads, like picnic lunches, "hey boo boo bear." Also make sure that the day bag has everything that you want in the places that you want it, nothing is more frustrating than having to take off your bag every time you want a sip of water.

Bag Three: The bomber
The bomber is the bag that you use for everyday; the gym, the library, the store, getting beer, keeping your back warm... etc. It may be a media bag or a day bag, or even a shoulder bag...

My bomber is the smallest of the First Ascent Line: The Little Tahoma 30 liter:

The perfect bomber has a large main compartment, side pouches and a few small specialized compartments. This is the bag that you need to carry out your daily routine. I use mine to take stuff to work, hold clothes for the gym and to take groceries to the car. The bomber is also a great bag to take for multipurpose trips, such as the trip home.

Scenario: you are heading to a friend's for the weekend. You will be hiking and possible strolling downtown. Space is limited and you do not want to impose, so you bring the bomber. Load it up with clothes and unpack them when you get there. Voila! The bomber becomes a technical day bag!

Bottom line: Pick your bomber wisely, it will need to be a chameleon among bags, doing everything and anything to fulfill its purpose(s).

I hope that you enjoyed Go To Gear Section 1.

If you have any questions do not be ashamed to ask them right here.

Go out and find that perfect bag right now! Heck, go get two, you will feel even better!

-J

Facebook!

Gooooooo morning!

The skies are gray and it is set to be a beautifully dreary fall day, complete with a great thunderstorm. We are talking 65+ mph winds! The gales of November have surely come early this year, yes they have.

This storm means a few things:

1. I will most likely only work until 11 today.

2. this will give me a great deal of time to exercise.

3. it will also give me a great deal of time to test out the Front Point

4. I may also get a chance to check out further weatherproofing on my Stylus Tough, I know, it is about time.

I will also be working on the RSOC Facebook page; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Random-Stream-Of-Consciousness/144779595538271 for some extra spice, you know, gonna upload some pics and the such. 

"look at all that nothingness... AWESOME!" -j

(photo= courtesy C. Bromley, click on the blue linkey thing, you will be rewarded!)

Well, that is the news for now. I would really like to get outside and hike, or, snowshoe, or kayak, or something outside, hmmmmm better put the thinking cap on. 

Cross your fingers for me not having a tree blown on me today!

-J