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Florissant Fossil Beds Tour
Cousin Ben decided to visit Colorado Springs from Wichita, Kansas for the Labor Day weekend holiday. As a part of this visit, today just might be the day that an official tour expedition launches for the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument located on the western slope of a mountain named after Zebulon Pike. Before considering the expedition, it might be useful to note the Florissant Fossil Beds located in Florissant, Colorado contain a diverse set of fossil records that provide scientific evidence for researchers throughout the world. In other words, not only is the Florissant area scientifically useful, but also the area happens to be extremely scenic in a panoramic way.
The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument does not contain a restaurant or a significant snack food repository of demonstrating the best capitalist intentions available within a free market system. This problematic consideration of the planned expedition to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will require planning an alternative dining location. Now the question remaining from the hours of trip planning full of logistics considerations revolves around the provisioning of nutritional sustenance.
The addition of more complete and updated notes to this review will occur after the conclusion of the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument expedition. Additionally, a fully annotated exciting conclusion to the nutritional provisioning conundrum will advance the prose of the review toward a more fulfilling conclusion.
Nonfiction Wine Books
Over the last few months, the idea of reading nonfiction books about wine has become an insatiable indulgence. After making a purchase at a well known online bookstore the computer interest matching software suggested reading a book entitled “The Billionaire’s Vinegar.” After thoroughly enjoying the subject matter of the book, an interest in the history of both winemaking and the wine industry slowly developed. Given this newfound awareness about wine, a chance encounter provided the opportunity to view the movie “Bottle Shock” (2008) on DVD. If you have an interest in wine, then consider renting or purchasing “Bottle Shock” (2008) on DVD. In any event, a large amount of literature exists about wine. Slow updates will occur to this list as various nonfiction books about wine are discovered, read, and considered worthy of recommendation.
The following books are ranked in order of preference…
1. Wallace, Benjamin. (2008). The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine. New York: Three Rivers Press.
2. Tabor, George M. (2005). Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. New York: Scribner.
3. Siler, Julia Flynn. (2007). The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty. New York: Gotham Books.
Abiding Twitter
Maybe writing an essay about the reasons people continue to use Twitter would be more productive than analyzing the reasons people abandon Twitter accounts. Apparently, a batch of current research suggests that a significant portion of Twitter users create and abandon accounts. These accounts simply rest quietly in perpetuity. Society in general abides Twitter. Some people just ignore the existence of Twitter. A few people accept the existence of Twitter as a communication tool, but elect not to participate. In any event, writing about the social networking website Twitter always represents a potentially productive endeavor.
Therefore, now the essay will continue to gain stream toward a well reasoned series of arguments… What exactly do people do with Twitter accounts? For the purposes of example only, the following provides a theoretical list of potential Twitter activities. In theory, Twitter users can complete status updates, shout outs, conversations, thoughts, reminders, weblog post updates, Flickr pictures, link wrangling, and various other forms of content herding.
Please consider the fact that a wide variety of search engines frequently index Twitter. Considering this fact, it is no surprise that people use Twitter accordingly. Twitter does not support the relaxing art of stream of consciousness prose generation. The limited space provided by Twitter requires building short well reasoned and considered sentences on a specific topic. Most entries (Twitter users sometimes call them tweets) on Twitter are very short status updates. Typically, Twitter entries occur without spell check or any grammarian considerations.
Wine Scoring
The following prose represents a few initial notes on the development of an independent wine scoring system. Development of this system remains a necessary formality to compare wine tasting experiences over time. Moving toward some degree of empirical research will provide consistency and reliability. After considering a wine tasting project a single reality become apparent. Without question, a connoisseur can rank wines by preference during the course of a single year. Sorting wines into a list requires an expression of preference. A higher order examination would require developing a formal wine scoring system.
Please consider that the following wine preference scoring system exists for reference and informational purposes only and does not represent any endorsement: financial or otherwise… Rating is relative to personal preferences within a yearly representative position of memorable wines compared to other wines from the categories of red wine and white wine. A wine tasting, especially a tasting at a winery, will not constitute a scoring event.
100 Point Wine Scoring System
Part One: Pour the wine
1. Visual examination (10 Points)
2. Olfactory examination (10 Points)
Part Two: Taste a small amount of the wine
3. Evaluate the initial tastes (20 Points)
4. Evaluate the second wave of flavor (20 Points)
5. Evaluate the third wave or aftertaste (20 Points)
Part Three: Reconsidering
6. Second olfactory examination (10 Points)
7. Refined second tasting (10 Points)
Example: 100 Point Wine Scoring System
92/100 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars; Artemis, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Napa Valley, CA)
August 14, 2009 at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time Kansas City, Kansas
1. Visual examination (9/10 Points)
2. Olfactory examination (9/10 Points)
3. Evaluate the initial tastes (20/20 Points)
4. Evaluate the second wave of flavor (18/20 Points)
5. Evaluate the third wave or aftertaste (17/20 Points)
6. Second olfactory examination (9/10 Points)
7. Refined second tasting (10/10 Points)
Example: 100 Point Wine Scoring System
79/100 Hogue Cellars, Late Harvest White Riesling 2007 (Prosser, WA)
August 25, 2009 at 6:05 PM Mountain Standard Time Colorado Springs, Colorado
1. Visual examination (8/10 Points)
2. Olfactory examination (8/10 Points)
3. Evaluate the initial tastes (17/20 Points)
4. Evaluate the second wave of flavor (15/20 Points)
5. Evaluate the third wave or aftertaste (15/20 Points)
6. Second olfactory examination (8/10 Points)
7. Refined second tasting (8/10 Points)
Updated on August 23, 2009 by Nels Lindahl
Last updated on August 25, 2009 by Nels Lindahl
RMNP Tour Notes
The following prose represents a few Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) tour notes from Saturday August 1 through Monday August 3, 2009 trip. This year the third time shifted wedding anniversary vacation weekend involved traveling to RMNP. Without question or argument, every American should time the time to visit RMNP. The National Park Service provides Americans with access to truly beautiful surroundings. The scenic vistas and glorious natural spender of RMNP are truly without question a real national treasure.
The advent of digital photography has transformed the technology people utilize while touring national parks. For example, the current panoramic photography project endeavor involves attempting to visit every national park. In response to the demands of the project, several national park tours have involved amassing hundreds if not thousands of digital photos during the past few years.
Each national park tour has unique merits. Based on personal preference and informed observation one national park stands above the rest. Tours of this particular national park have been more frequent than any other park under the current panoramic photography national park tour project. RMNP located just outside Estes Park, Colorado is within driving distance of Boulder, Colorado. With good traffic conditions, a responsible driver can travel from Boulder, Colorado to RMNP in about one hour. The proximity to Boulder, Colorado probably helps drive traffic to this national treasure.
Before the vacation, it seemed like a good idea to visit at least one Colorado winery. During the recent trip, two wineries in Colorado received consideration. First, the Snowy Peaks Winery and tasting room resides within the borders of Estes Park, Colorado. Second, located in Lyons, Colorado the Ciatano Winery resides between Boulder, Colorado and Estes Park, Colorado. Both winery tastings went well. Colorado wines are interesting and the process of growing grapes in Colorado merits further study.
Without question, RMNP provides scenic visits within reasonable hiking distances. Colorado residents have noticed the recent heavy rains throughout the state. Some of the trails throughout RMNP were very muddy and the streams and lakes were very full. Joni thought it would be a good idea to hike to a few lakes including Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Lake Haiyaha, and Bierstadt Lake. The switchback hike from the Bierstadt Trailhead to Bierstadt Lake was surprisingly panoramic. Strangely enough, the park service has noted, “Temporary closures may occur at picnic and trailhead parking areas as park staff remove trees killed by an outbreak of native pine beetle.” The native pine beetle could really damage the natural splendor of RNMP. I hope the National Park Service is able to combat and defeat the native pine beetle.
After visiting the Ciatano Winery, it seemed like a good idea to visit the Wings West chicken wing emporium to get an afternoon snack in Estes Park, Colorado. During the middle of the afternoon, very few patrons were frequenting the establishment. The BBQ wing sauce was mild and pleasant. The habenero flavor in the Super Hot wing sauce provided a slow burning aftertaste following the flavorful initial rush of spicy chicken wing sauce. Overall, the Wings West experience probably would be better during happy hour to get the full fledged chicken wing experience.
After visiting the Ciatano Winery and Wings West, it was time to get ready to visit the Twin Owls Steakhouse.
Review of the Twin Owls Steakhouse
Dinner at the Twin Owls Steakhouse in Estes Park, Colorado provided to be entertaining when the sprinkler system caused a marmot to run by the dining room window. For a Sunday night during the peak of the summer vacation season, the Twin Owls Steakhouse was remarkably slow. I had made the reservation about one month in advance. Keep in mind the Twin Owls Steakhouse typically only takes reservations starting at one month before the reservation.
Joni and I decided to forgo appetizers. After reviewing the menu, none of the appetizers seemed well appetizing…
In terms of entrees, I ordered a very decent, but not spectacular New York strip steak from the menu with a ranch house salad. The chef decided to put a few craisins on the salad. The New York strip steak preparation involved a combination of black and green peppercorns blended into a bourbon sauce served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Joni decided to order and was very pleased with the stuffed pork tenderloin. The chef stuffed the pork tenderloin with asadero cheese, black beans, and a very interesting green chili stuffing. Combined with mash potatoes and seasonal vegetables, several slices of the pork tenderloin were plated with a creamy sage sauce. Joni had and enjoyed the chef recommended Carmel Road Pinot Noir with the stuffed pork tenderloin.
Dinner concluded with dessert. In this case, dessert involved a classic raspberry cheesecake.
Overall, the Twin Owls Steakhouse is located within beautiful surroundings in Estes Park, Colorado. The food was very good, but the preparation and style feels somewhat old-fashioned. However, given that the dinner was scheduled as part of a wedding anniversary weekend getaway vacation everything was perfect.
Considering Writing Habits
Sometimes it is a good idea to begin the day with a few written thoughts. Recently on a personal level, the fine art of writing has taken on two distinct methodologies. First, one potential methodology for striving forward involves unleashing a focused productivity results from intentionally writing on a defined subject. Second, a stream of consciousness writer achieves productivity by simply engaging in the habit of writing. Achieving stream of consciousness writing involves simply picking up a pen and writing on paper or utilizing a keyboard to type. In either case, the writer simply engages in the habit of writing for an undefined amount of time. Both of the aforementioned writing methodologies are capable of managing extreme productivity.
For professional writers, working with a stream of consciousness methodology can be a guilty pleasure. Most professional writing involves a certain degree of focused productivity. Professionals typically pick a subject and strive toward fundamental understanding and explanation. Subject selection can be easy or in some cases increasingly complex. For the purposes of understanding a subject, professionals engage in research or exploration. At times, the very act of researching a subject fundamentally transforms the nature of writing about the topic. However, now would be a good time to acknowledge enough writing on the subject of professional writing exists.
A few previous notes on the subject have discussed the habit of writing. Beginning to nurture the habit of writing involves picking a time and place and actively writing every day. This suggestion might sound simplistic. However, sometimes the simple suggestions are the best suggestions. For some individuals, taking fifteen minutes a day to write can be the key starting point toward strengthening the habit of writing. Consider the possibility of purchasing a notebook or pad of paper and writing for about fifteen minutes without stopping every morning. Outside the confines of this exercise, a number of alternatives for writing exist. Typically, for this writer the first hour of the day involves the production of stream of consciousness prose. Later in the day, subject specific writing always dominates the writing schedule.
NelsCAST Production Notes
Initial research indicates that further exploration warrants a review of the various elements involved in hosting a talk radio show. Certain talk radio shows might do better in the evening. Callers are more likely to call a technology themed talk radio show after dark. The zero nine hundred Mountain Time zone broadcast of the NelsCAST has never had an actual caller. Interviews have supplemented the NelsCAST demonstrating the potential of the format. The broadcast of the NelsCAST next week will occur at twenty one hundred Mountain Time. This twelve hour time shift will change the listen audience toward a demographic more likely to call the show during the live broadcast.
