Archive for the ‘for fun’ Category

I Like Snow!

By Baby Ava - December 15 - Comments (0)

Ava Stasser and her Chariot

I guess it’s called snow, but when a flake landed on my nose today for the first time I was so surprised that I started to squeal! BBRrrr… that’s cold! Of course, everyone ran to my attention -being only 5 months old and all. The next thing I know, I am snuggled up and out of the elements inside my cozy Chariot Cougar. I usually ride in here behind my mom’s bike, but with all this white stuff, she has on her skis, and here we go-off to the backcountry.

This snow is quite beautiful, from inside my Chariot that is. With the 2-in-1 weather cover featuring Quickclip, the large tinted poly-urethane windows and Chariot Adjustable Suspension, I am toasty warm & comfortable. I can “ski” all day. Pack my snack, wrap me up in my favorite blanket and I am ready to hit the groomed trails or even the backcountry.

Looks like mom packed lunch & lots of water in her Klean Kanteen! She put it all in the folding rear storage unit! I guess we will be gone all day. Snow is not so bad after all.

Meteor Shower and Total Lunar Eclipse to Wow Skywatchers This Month

By Namaste - December 10 - Comments (0)

Looks like it might be time to bundle up, grab a hot cup of coco and pray for clear skies!

From the folks at yahoo news! Click here for full article

Skywatchers, grab your blankets. December’s night sky spectacular will feature the best meteor shower of 2010 as well as the only total lunar eclipse of the year – sights that should outshine any New Year’s Eve fireworks display in terms of sheer wonder.

The massive Geminid meteor showerreturns every year, so you’ll have more chances if the cold proves too daunting on the night of Dec. 13. But anyone in North America who skips the total lunar eclipse on the night of Dec. 20 will be missing what promises to be the best lunar eclipse show until April 2014.

This year’s Geminid meteor shower is expected to be the best display of so-called “shooting stars” of the year and will peak during the overnight hours of Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.

Dazzling Geminid meteor shower

Like most meteor showers, the Geminids will be at their best after midnight (early on the morning of Dec. 14), when the Earth is heading directly into the meteoroid stream. But some will be visible earlier in the night, on the evening of Dec. 13, because the meteors’ radiant (where they appear to originate) is nearly circumpolar, so they will stay in view above the horizon all night.

Anyone venturing outside should dress much more warmly than normal to prepare for a long night vigil while sitting still.

Don’t forget to get comfortable: A lawn chair with a reclining back and a blanket or sleeping bag should keep skywatchers snug — no binoculars or telescope are necessary.

Most meteor showers are caused by fragments of old comets scattered along a comet’s orbit. When the Earth passes through a comet’s orbit, it sweeps up the fragments, which become visible as bright streaks of light in the atmosphere.

The Geminid shower is unique in being associated not with a comet, but with an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon.

The Geminids’ radiant is, as the name implies, in the direction of the constellation Gemini, just north of the northernmost of Gemini’s two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. In the early evening of Dec. 13, the radiant is low in the northeast. By 1 a.m. EST, after the date has changed to Dec. 14, the radiant is almost directly overhead. By 6.a.m. EST, when the shower is at its peak in the Eastern Time Zone, the radiant is low in the west.

Moon’s holiday treat

The December holiday sky show doesn’t end with the Geminid meteor shower. On the nights of Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, parts of four continents will be treated to a total eclipse of the moon — the only one to occur in 2010.

The last total lunar eclipse occurred on Feb. 20, 2008. While there are two total lunar eclipses in 2011, North American skywatchers will have to wait until April 2014 for one as potentially spectacular as the eclipse occurring this month.

Lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes through a point in its orbit in which the Earth is directly between it and the sun. When the moon enters the shadow of Earth, it creates a lunar eclipse. Unlike a solar eclipse, no precautions to protect the eyes are needed.

Lunar eclipse skywatching tips

For the Western Hemisphere, the eclipse will “officially” begin on Dec. 21 at 12:29 a.m. EST (9:29 p.m. PST on Dec. 20) as the moon begins to enter Earth’s outer, or penumbral, shadow.

As for the Geminid meteor shower, don’t forget to dress warm. But you won’t be outside all night moongazing. This total lunar eclipse lasts only 72 minutes from start to finish.

But even in clear weather, skywatchers will not notice any changes in the moon’s appearance until about 45 minutes into the event, when a slight “smudge,” or shading, begins to become evident on the upper left portion of the moons disk.

The entire total lunar eclipse will be visible from all of North and South America, the northern and western parts of Europe, and a small part of northeast Asia, including Korea and much of Japan.

Totality will also be visible in its entirety from the North Island of New Zealand and Hawaii. In all, an estimated 1.5 billion people will have an opportunity to enjoy the best part of this lunar show.

In other parts of the world, only the partial stages of the eclipse will be visible or the eclipse will occur when it’s daytime and the moon is not above their local horizon.

Portions of western Africa and central Europe can catch the opening stages of the eclipse before the moon sets below the horizon during the morning hours of Dec. 21, while the eastern third of Asia and central and eastern Australia can catch the closing stages just after moonrise on the evening of Dec. 21.

December’s total lunar eclipse and Geminid meteor shower promise to ring the year 2010 out with a dazzling show, weather permitting, this holiday season. But bundle up and stay warm!

Namaste Quote of the Week- Dolly Parton

By Namaste - December 06 - Comments (0)

Namaste’s vision for our quote of the week is to focus on the wisdom women have to offer. Great women leaders including artists, scientists, outdoors women and other professionals have inspired other women to overcome social obstacles. The women’s quotes aim to empower you with new ways to view yourself and to motivate and inspire you to find your calm in motion.

“If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain”.

Dolly Parton

Tubbs Snowshoes Romp To Stomp Events

By Namaste - December 03 - Comments (0)

Looking for a fun, exciting snowshoeing event to participate in? Why not grab a friend and come on out to the Romp to Stomp Snowshoe Event. There are several Romp to Stomp events planned throughout the country and one might even be in your neck of the woods! It’s a day of fun, friends and fund raising. So grab your snowshoes and hit the trail with a friend and be prepared for a great day of laughter!

About The Romp to Stomp

Since its inception in 2003, the Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer Snowshoe Series® has engaged nearly 23,000 people in the sport of snowshoeing and raised more than 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®!

Modeled after the highly successful Race for the Cure®, the Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer consists of a 3k or 5k snowshoe walk or a 3k snowshoe race.

The Romp to Stomp event has grown every year and now is the largest snowshoe series in the world.

To find a Romp To Stomp event in your area- click here

The gorgeous snowshoe course, fun atmosphere, and FREE demo snowshoes* from Tubbs helps to attract participants of all levels. Nearly 25% of participants have never snowshoed before!

With ongoing partnerships with the local affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the Tubbs Romp to Stomp is committed to helping stomp out breast cancer one snowshoe step at a time!

About: Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is now the world’s largest breast cancer organization and the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer with nearly $1.5 billion invested to date. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

A long-time Romp to Stomp favorite, the Women’s Wilderness is packed with features to make it a great day hiking snowshoe. The Wilderness is available in multiple lengths, so if you plan to venture off trail or into deep snow, you can the appropriate size snowshoe to maximize your flotation. The innovative and biomechanically designed Fit-Step™ frame on the Wilderness, designed with a slightly upturned, rounded tail, coupled with the easy-to-use 180™ binding with step-in convenience, make the Wilderness a great versatile tool for all-day treks in the outdoors.

Nepal/Tibet 2011 Who Wants To Go?

By Bill - December 01 - Comments (0)

This is a chance for all Namaste fans to join us for this challenging and inspirational tour in Nepal and Tibet. With trekking on scenic high altitude trails and exploration of the two different cultures this is sure to be a trip of a lifetime! Namaste co founder Bill Thompson and his family will be leading this adventure in September of 2011.

Your adventure begins the moment you arrive — with time to explore or relax at a Kathmandu hotel famous for its hospitality. After a few days of exploring in Nepal, you’ll board a breathtaking flight, taking a first glimpse of Everest, destined for Lhasa’s Gonggar Airport in Tibet. Here you’ll acclimatize and explore the local Yambulagang Tombs, Samye Gompa and Lhasa city itself — with highlights including the Tibetan Barkhor neighborhood surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace. Recently opened to tourism after its long isolation, it is still closed to the outside world from time to time. We will also be visiting the Dickey Orphanage, one of Namaste’s selected charieties. Here we will get to play with the 72 childeren who reside at the orphanage. We hope to visit on September 10th- which is the big birthday celebration for all of the children. Tibet promises exciting travel experiences and memories.

Then, it’s back to Nepal for a high mountain trek. Here is the chance for an unforgettable adventure to the Solu (near Everest) region of Nepal. Here you can see many 8000 meter peaks as well as Mount Everest. Experienced travelers always tell us that the views in this region are more beautiful than anywhere else in the world. With flexibility and a smile you will enjoy and long–remember the challenge and mystery of our unique exploration through this ancient land. Travel in Nepal and Tibet really is the experience of a lifetime! Along the high passes we discover secluded valleys — only inhabited by high-altitude nomads and their yaks. Be prepared for “roughing it” as conditions are as variable as the topography. This moderate tour and trekking program offers an unforgettable opportunity to enjoy unspoiled Tibetan and Nepali culture against the backdrop of magnificent scenery.