More photos: Fontana Lake and the North Carolina mountains in October

More photos from my 5 day trip to Fontana Lake and dual sport cycling in the NC mountains.

(click on photos to enlarge)


The first photo was taken on my way home at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Since I'll be writing an article about this trip in Adventure Motorcycle, I brought along a tripod to take the compulsory 'ride photos' of myself on the bike.

These next 3 photos are taken at high elevation, well over 5000'. The amazingly red colored ground cover is blueberry bush. They create such a heavenly color to these mountain peaks and meadows.

The first 2 cycle pics are at Cheoah Bald in the Nantahala National Forest. The Appalachian Trail crosses this peak. Of course, I did not ride the bike on the AT (sacrilegious and illegal!) but just to the end of a forest service trail that took me to the peak. I admit some of these trails were gated but the network of ATV and hunting trails made it easy to bypass the gates. I certainly wouldn't do this in the GSMNP, but the National Forest was open for hunting and many gates were open. Monday was the first day of bear season, glad I was wearing red!

The third cycle photo was taken northeast of Cullowhee, NC where I rode dozens of miles to the high country west of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I actually rode to and onto the Parkway but did so unwittingly on a brief portion of the Land to Sea hiking trail (oops).

BTW... my bike, the lightweight air-cooled sleek and quiet 2001 Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250 performed beautifully. Not only did it take an occasional beating on the trail, but it took me dozens of highway miles at 70 mph to get to these awesome places... as well as to work the day I returned home. Kawasaki discontinued this bike in the US in 2003 but has now reissued it in it's original design for 2009. (I guess they realized what a mistake it was to pull this wonderful bike from the market).


The next two photos are of the shoreline at Fontana. Not quite at peak color, but an occasional splash of color made it nice. You can see how low the lake is. Fontana routinely varies 50 feet a year, really a drop in the bucket for such a deep lake. The water depth is often over 100' just a stones throw from shore and over 200' in the channel. No worries for hitting rocks. These 2 lake photos are from Eagle Creek at the west end of the lake where I spent the first night.

The most remarkable thing you first notice about being on this lake is the near total silence. You can hear waves lightly washing ashore a mile away.

The next two trail photos are also from the Nantahala Forest. A forest road just south of Fontana that winds 15 miles into the mountains and, like many such trails, simply ends. This trail is on Deep Gap Mountain. There were wild mountain grapes along the trail and some really healthy looking bear scat. That's one thing I don't have to worry about while riding - bear. Bear obviously would fear the sound of a bike and it's impossible to surprise them, even with the relative quietness of this particular bike.

These next photos show the progression of morning from predawn fog, to the crack of dawn, foggy morning daylight, sunrise, the lifting of the fog and a windy morning that brought whitecaps and spray.

The weather was unbelievably good. Near 80 during the day at lake elevation, and 50's at night. It was considerably cooler at higher elevations.

This trip reminded me how great it is to live on the boat. I started and ended every day with a quick dip in the lake (which was a chilly 70 degrees) then a brief hot shower and dry off in front of the propane heater. That followed by a hot cup of tea in the morning and dinner at night. In the evenings, I watched a few movies on DVD, did my taxes, and learned a new guitar piece. Mornings were relaxed and slow. I never made it to the dock to start my ride much before noon. I enjoyed cruising slowly up the lake while playing guitar and drinking tea, waiting for the fog to rise which sometimes didn't happen until 10 am or later. Other boaters were very very few. 100% of them were fisherman or bear hunters. I think I saw only 2 or 3 boats before noon on Saturday morning while covering 10+ miles of lake.

Truly a paradise few get to see, and I hope it stays this way.

I was encouraged that this route through Chattanooga and Cleveland, TN is far quicker than the way I used to go through Maryville and on that crazy winding mountain road that cyclists call "the Tail of the Dragon". I made it home from dock to door in 4 hrs and 15 min. The Ford Expedition towed that boat at 75 mph down the highway, and 60 mph up Monteagle mountain, no problem. The front mounted motorcycle carrier was an idea I had in a dream. I found they made a front mounted receiver hitch specifically for my truck where I attached the cycle carrier with auxilliary headlights. Visibility is no problem. The bike remains secure as it is locked to the carrier. The setup works well and I hope to do this trip again.

These last photos are of the trail near the Blue Ridge Parkway. I love this trail, a carpet of red and gold leaves.

I'm looking forward to the fall colors to come to Middle TN. I know some really special places I want to photograph in the glory of fall colors. Summer is my favorite season but fall is great too.

Photos: Fontana Lake and the North Carolina mountains in October

What a trip... I covered nearly 500 miles by motorcycle, mostly off road wilderness trails, and 200+ miles up, down and back again on Fontana Lake, NC - in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains.

This was one of the longer and more adventurous explorations I'd taken on alone. 5 nights on the boat and 4 days riding some of the most beautiful and remote forest trails I'd ever seen. I got what I came for.

Paraphrasing Thoreau... I choose to live deliberately, to explore the beauty of the wilderness, to create lasting experiences... so, when I die, I won't discover that I had not lived. This past week has made me feel alive and full.

Click on pictures to enlarge.
I'll add more narrative later... for now just a quick explanation of the photos.


From the top...

1) My boat on the shore at sunset glow.

2) Me, ready to travel

3) Mile high trail near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

4) Me on the bike in the mountain forest.

5) Sunset at Clingman's Dome

6) Moonrise at Clingman's Dome

7) Full moon on the lake

8) Boating through the predawn fog

9) Lakeside

10) Cheoah Bald on the AT

I'll be back with more pics and stories from the trip.

The Honda turns 200,000

My 1989 Honda Civic recently turned 200,000 miles.

With gas prices the way they are, I've decided to give this car some new parts and a nice mechanical update:

New timing belt, water pump, new belts, hoses, valve cover gasket, cam seal, plugs, wires... it already got a new radiator last year.

I just ordered that trim piece that fits between the bumper and hood and I'm actually thinking about getting it painted. What do you think... black or original color?

Everything works on this car, even the old R-12 freon A/C system. Without airbags and anti-lock brakes, it's not the safest car, but it sure is efficient. It still gets 38 mpg.

Since my commute to work is so short and I use one of my motorcycles almost always, I hope to drive this car at least until I pay off my house, sometime around the end of 2011. Not too far away!

This car I purchased in 1994 for $4800 with 74,000 miles on it.

It was the best money I ever spent.

These pre-2001 Civic Hatchbacks are just about impossible to find used. I think that attests to their longevity and their great design. One of the finest designed cars ever. I can actually fit 2 bikes inside and shut the hatchback. I've even hauled 16' lumber in this car, (hanging out the back of course). In my opinion the new Civic Hatchbacks may be faster but they suck. They don't get nearly the mileage that the older 1.5L Civic Hatchbacks do. These older Civic HBs sit lower, are more streamlined, and less bulky looking then the newer post-2002 Civic Hatchbacks.

Fontana Lake: Aug '08

Finally, I'm getting some time to put up pictures from my August trip to Fontana Lake, NC.

For me, there is no more beautiful place to live on my boat and hike.
(click on any picture for a larger version)

For the first time in 12 years, I made the 240 mile trip with the boat by myself.

I planned to spend a few days alone then meet up with my high school buddy Scott from NY to do some hiking.

It was as beautiful as ever. After getting used to being out there alone, I was actually dreading the arrival of Scott. I had never spent a night on my boat with a male friend that was not a family member.

It turned out great. Scott slept on deck and I took the cabin. He was neat and clean and he hiked his ass off. I was amazed at his ability to do strenuous hikes. On the way to High Rocks on the Bear Creek trail, Scott got ahead of me quite a ways and came back toward me with his eyes wide as saucers... he saw his first bear on the trail. He surprised a medium sized lone bear that fled down a steep slope after a few tense moments where it initially took the high ground. It was a memorable experience for him. I've seen bear at least a dozen times in the wild but each time it's a humbling experience. They are amazingly fast and powerful.

First photo shows us getting ready for dinner at sunset.

Second photo shows the boat parked by the dam where we set off for the Appalachian Trail and Shuckstack tower - the best view in the GSMNP.

Scott set a ridiculous pace. We made it to the top - a climb of 2400' over 4 miles in about 88 minutes including rest breaks. That's 20 minutes faster than my previous fastest time with Shirley. It kicked my ass, my pulse stayed above 150 the whole time. It was very warm and we started right in early afternoon - the hottest part of the day. It was certainly comparable to a 8 mile run at 7:30 pace.

Fourth picture shows the view from Shuckstack. I found the old tower shack getting pretty ragged. The roof that I sat on looked as if it would soon cave in on one corner.

On the last day, we kayaked down the Nantahala (pic 5). We ate at Relia's Garden restaurant but found it disappointing. Not as good as it used to be.

Also, visited Cable cemetery on the North Shore. There was once a proposal to build a road to this area. I am so thankful that the Republican plan to devastate this wilderness with the North Shore Road proposal died when Republican Congressman Charles Taylor was defeated. People of North Carolina: thank you, thank you!

In these old cemeteries, it's amazing the variety of old fashioned first names found on these head stones. (Pics 6 & 7) I really find this interesting. I did a previous post on a similarly interesting cemetery.

Here's a sampling of the names:

Luecrecy, Lax, Dillard, Harve, Elva, Paralee, Hezekiah, Charlese, Oadis, Lavada, Leila, Flossie, Sufford, Prudee, Zuria, and Solona.

All this variety of names in a very small cemetery.

I'm hoping to return in a few weeks alone with my motorcycle where I'll explore the area by day and stay on my boat at night. It should be a very colorful fall. Hopefully, as colorful as it was 2 years ago when I visited the Cohutta Mountain Wilderness on Halloween day. I may do an article on my ride for Adventure Motorcycle Magazine, like I did a few yrs ago on that colorful ride.

I was all set to do this in mid July and then had a motorcycle accident that sent me to the emergency room. Pretty much ruined much of my summer. Check out how I plan to take both my motorcycle and my boat with my SUV

Sorry for not updating Bill's TN Paradise in such a long time. I must admit, I've been extremely consumed with political blogging and have been staying hyper-aware of the situation and all the nuances in this election year.

I've put up an unprecedented monthly total of 75 posts so far this month on my political blog and on TNFree. It's good to stay informed. The truth will set us free.

'Tis the season...

Back from paradise

I'm back from Fontana Lake and hope to post some stories and photos soon.

The political world has received my blogging attention lately as I've made 13 posts on TN Free and Loose Canon since I've returned.

More here later...

Hiking the Shawangunk Mountains in New York

When I started the hike along the rock faced Shawangunk Ridge, I never imagined what I would see on the other side. A mountain lake, a mountain top castle, a lake side hotel so grand it looked like a Bavarian Castle. For a moment, I though I was back in Germany.
(click on picture to see it in detail - hey not bad for a cell phone picture)

The hotel is the Mohonk Mountain House. An exclusive all inclusive spa/hotel that caters to the wealthy NYC vacationers. Rates start at about $378 per night but include 3 gourmet meals.

This is a rock climbers paradise, known as "the Gunks." Even on a Monday, I saw at least 2 dozen climbers scaling the shear vertical walls. There are few passages over the mountain but the path we found was aptly named "Giants Path" which was a scramble across and under huge house sized boulders.

There were some ledges I walked on that were definitely "no room for error territory." (In other words, you fall - you die):

Overall, Giants Path was certainly not too technical, a walk in the park compared with the shear cliffs we saw the climbers scaling. A gorgeous piece of terrain near NY's Catskills and Hudson River Valley. The view from the top was awesome.



It was a different world in NY this time of year. The weather was awesome, 70's during the day, everything green and lush, it even hit the mid 40's one night. What a change returning to Middle TN... everything brown, dry, hazy and hot.

Looking forward to a long awaited trip to the Smokies soon.

Something the world has not seen the likes of before - Usain Bolt breaks the 200m WR (19.30)

There has never been a sprinter in history that has dominated the Olympic games like Usain "Lightning" Bolt. Bolt not only broke the 200m world record... but it was Michael Johnson's record (19.32) - the record that was set in 1996 by a miraculous 0.34 seconds, a record many thought would stand for generations ... and, Bolt broke that world record running into a headwind at near sea level, beating a field of the best in the world, by 10 meters!! To put it in perspective, the 200m time of 19.30 is a milestone - no man had ever run under 19.60 but Michael Johnson, and Johnson set his WR with a +o.4 m/s tailwind. Bolt set his record in a 0.9 m/s headwind - certainly a factor for a 6'5" sprinter. No 200m world record in at least 20 years has been set with a headwind of that speed. (When looking at the margin of victory in the photo above, note that the guy in red - Churandy Martina, was disqualified for running out of his lane as was Walter Spearman. USA's Shawn Crawford took the Silver and Walter Dix, the Bronze).

This is the first time any person has set world records in the 100 and 200m races at the Olympic games.

After Bolt's performance in the 100m, I predicted he would break this record but one has to wonder. Is Bolt at a place in a moment in time where he is at his physical pinnacle or is this guy capable of more? Is this just a freak occurrence, an anomaly? Bolt is just 21, much of this speed is natural, he simply hasn't had a long career of training.

Again, out of corporate greed, NBC has withheld coverage of the event that occurred at 10:30 am EST this morning so they can appease their corporate sponsor, Chevy, by showing it tonight - 12 hours after the fact. I picked up up a few bootlegs from Britain and watched it. Gives me chills - Watch it
As the commentators say, he is like "a man running among boys."

Absolutely extraordinary... undoubtedly the track event of the Games. Bolt steals the show. Lightning strikes twice... this time he ran through the tape unlike the 100m:

Usain Bolt - the fastest man in the world. NBC withholds coverage

Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world... not by a little but by a lot. Breaking the 9.7 mark for the first time in history, he won the Olympic 100m race in world record time 9.69, beating a field of the fastest sprinters in the world by 2 meters, celebrating 15m before the finish by beating his chest and cruising through the finish without even 'leaning to the tape.' He could have had a better time but nevertheless, a stunning display of top end speed. . I can't wait to see what he can do in the 200m. If any human is capable of breaking 19 seconds in the 200m, it is Usain 'Lightning' Bolt. I predict Michael Johnson's 19.32 record to fall next week.

This race occured on Saturday evening, Beijing time... about 10:30 am US EST. However, instead of broadcasting this race live on Sat morning in the US, NBC was led by corporate greed and advertising revenue. NBC waited until late Saturday evening to show the race - 12 hours after the fact. This was disturbing because by the time the race was shown by NBC, everyone knew the result. Watching events happen live is exciting. Watching an event knowing how it ends is anti-climactic. By late Saturday morning, video of the race started leaking out on to the net. Many of the videos became blocked shortly after they were posted. The motive was clear ... to commercialize one of the Olympic glamour events for maximum profit instead of covering it live. Shame on NBC!! Even now, NBC is working hard to "own" Bolt's performance ... the video is hard to find and most youtube posts have been removed.

Bolt is the real deal. If he stays focused, this guy will break every sprint record in the book and hopefully will continue to improve as his is just short of 22 yrs old. A true freak.

Another awesome paella

A mid-summer's night paella.

This dish came out well. This spanish rice paella had 9 lbs of seafood: 4 lbs shrimp, 2 lbs scallops, 2 lbs cod, and a lb of mussels. I don't make it the traditional way in an open paella pan, I saute all the seafood in garlic butter with parsley before mixing it with the cooked rice. Garnish with mussels in the shell and slices of lemon and red roasted peppers. I think it makes for a tastier and less dry paella.

Awesome.

These pictures are becoming cliche'...

Josh turned 30, Sliviu prepares to leave for FSU ona full graduate assistantship.

After a while, most everyone got in the pool and hot tub.

Happy summer!!

It's that time again

Tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes!!!


Well, you know what I'll be eating for the next few months. I have a dozen tomato plants over 6' tall. Love 'em!!!


Tomatoes and and humus, tomato sauce, tomato salsa over roasted vegetables, gazpacho... the list goes on. yum....

Tomatoes contain lycopene and have been shown to fight ailments such as cancer and asthma. Good stuff.

Awesome spring-like weather comes to TN. Don't you love it?

Let the games begin

I love the Olympics. When can a true sports junkie tune in all night long to watch such a huge variety of international competition than during the Summer Olympiad? I'm totally thrilled to see the amount of TV coverage of the events, both live and recorded. Over 1400 hours of TV coverage will be available on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, Telemundo, and specific digital channels for basketball and soccer.

Most people watch the condensed prime time NBC version but that will never include live coverage since the games are in Beijing, China. Live coverage usually starts at 1 am and runs all night long. Opening ceremonies will be broadcast on NBC tonight and live coverage starts Sat at 1 am with a wide variety of sports including boxing, soccer, fencing, shooting, badminton, and equestrian. The coverage will run all night long and includes a rebroadcast of the prime time show. I know this is odd, but I just love watching an unfamiliar sport contested live during the Olympics. You might find me up at 3 am watching the men's whitewater kayaking final, or the judo competition... heck, I'll even watch fencing, table tennis, handball or trampoline. I love it all.

T V schedule is on the NBC Olympics website.

Some of the highlights of USA athletes to look for:

• USA swimmer Michael Phelps, arguably the best swimmer in history, could win 8 gold medals. His 8 event, 17 race schedule is one of the most ambitious athletic feats in Olympic history. The Speedo company is offering a $1,000,000 prize to Phelps if he can match Mark Spitz feat of winning 7 gold medals.
  

• The USA Basketball team was defeated in 2004 in Athens, but this year with Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, they've made it clear nothing less than gold will be acceptable.
  

• One of my favorite sports, track and field, will feature an incredible field of 100 meter sprinters. We could see a world record. USA's Tyson Gay just ran a 9.68 in the trials - which would have shattered the world record but was wind-aided. Nevertheless, the fastest 100m ever. He will face 2 Jamaicans, world record holder Hussein Bolt (9.72) and former world record holder, Asafa Powell. Both these guys have run in the 9.7's. The winner of this race usually can claim the title of "world's fastest man."
  

• Being a "masters level" athlete (old guy that still competes), I'm particularly partial to the older athletes who have maintained superlative physical condition and are competing in the Olympics while in their 40s. USA swimmer Dana Torres (41) and USA polevaulter Jeff Hartwig (40) will represent the USA. Hartwig competed for the USA team in 1996. His personal best is 19'9 1/4".

These are the real athletes. Those who have the magic combination of being physically gifted, determined, and have been disciplined over the long haul to sacrifice whatever it took to achieve through dedicated physical training ... (not like the guys who drive cars round and round on a track). Let's hope for the best, these athletes have earned their moment in the spotlight

GO USA!!!

Awesome weather - great sunset: 7/13/08

Awesome weather tonight, clear enough to see the top of the BellSouth tower in Nashville with binoculars from my favorite sky viewing spot in Murfreesboro.

(click to enlarge photo)

Great weather for the week coming up. Sunny hot days, cool nights.

Time for an adventure.

I love this new cell phone

I've never had a cool phone. I've had the same ATT (formerly Cingular) cell phone and plan for several yrs.... up until this week.

I always thought it would be too expensive to have mobile internet and email but guess what? It costs me only about $35 a month. My dad sent me a phone on his plan that costs just $10 a month for an extended basic service plan and I upgraded to the new Envy2 phone... added texting and Verizon mobile web for just an additional $25 a month. It opens up like a mini computer with a full keyboard.



For most teenagers and iPhone users, this is no big deal but I can't tell you how long I've wanted a phone where I can get live weather radar, email, and internet. This is incredibly useful when I'm on a wilderness trip, living on my boat for a few weeks, hiking, cycling, etc...

<--- Check out the live radar shot of the storm rolling into Murfreesboro on Sat night.

The music downloads are amazing. Already I've downloaded some of my favorite Indian sitar ragas, Brazilian sambas, and rock tunes by Yes. I can plug the phone into a stereo and play the tunes. The speakers on the phone sound amazingly good for it's size. There are actually stereo speakers on each side of the display, like a desktop computer.

My parents have been sending me pictures and videos from a cruise ship in Alaska. I just love this phone!!

Cycle stuff

Super Sherpa gets a new shield.
I'm really pleased with my new quick release windshield for the Sherpa. It's from National Cycle deflector screen It takes 15 seconds to remove it. It was not expensive, only about $75.

When getting on a rugged trail, I'll be able to take off the shield, put it in a bag and bungee it to the luggage rack, then easily put it back on when I hit the pavement.

Check out the photos on my cycle page... the places I've seen with this bike!

I also put a one tooth larger sprocket (14 ) on the DR 100, it runs a lot easier around town, probably more economical. It'll probably get 100 miles per gallon. I found a new gas tank for it, looks good.

Looking forward to the trip to the Smokies where I'll live on the boat and hike, and explore the area with the Sherpa. Check out these pics of my previous trip to Fontana Lake. To me it's a sacred place. Glad to see the Republican movement to build a road through this wilderness (North Shore Road) has been defeated once and for all. Thankfully, the wilderness on the North Shore of Fontana Lake will be preserved! This was the issue that originally got me interested in politics several years ago.

I spent my birthday yesterday playing at a longtime friend's mother's funeral. It was really a wonderful day to spend with old friends and despite the circumstances, it was a very nice birthday. I'm so glad I was able to be there.

Update:
Here's a photo from last year that I like. Indian Boundry Lake, TN, Cherokee National forest (click to enlarge):

Cool summer hiking

The mountain summit weather reporting station at Mt. Leconte in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been showing some really cool temperatures this late spring and summer.

Yesterday, the last day of June 2008, LeConte Lodge at 6400 ft. reported a high of only 54 degrees F. and a morning low of 40 F. On June 19th and 20th, LeConte reported a wintry overnight low of 35 degrees F. By contrast, on the same day, the low temperature at Cades Cove was 50 F. at 1600 ft. with a daytime high of 80.

Some people say they don't hike in the summer because it's too hot... never in the Smokies, especially at altitude.

I mention the LeConte temperature because it is reported here on the NWS page on a regular basis. Personally, I would never hike LeConte in any month except Jan or Feb. Simply too many people. (I dare say say LeConte lodge is "the slum of the Smokies" - I heard there was a rat problem there).

For a real wilderness experience, there IS only ONE WAY to visit the Smokies in summer, the most beautiful way: by boat.

Why I need an SUV

I found a way to take both my motorcycle and my boat. With a front hitch receiver fitted with auxiliary driving lights I can carry my bike in front and tow my boat behind.

I'll be taking my motorcycle to the NC side of the Smokies, staying on my boat for a week at Fontana Lake, hiking and exploring the wilderness of the NC mountains on my dualsport Kawasaki Super Sherpa. The beauty I've seen on that bike, the places I've been! Fontana is truly the finest lake I've ever seen in these United States, and a great area for dualsport cycling. This is what summer adventures are for, getting out on the water, in the wilderness, and connecting with nature.

I never use my Ford Expedition to commute, only for transporting lots of people, my motorcycle or my boat. I got this truck in 2002 with 65,000 miles on it and 6 yrs later, it has only 91,000. I usually commute to work on my motorcycle, and use my Honda Civic to go to the store and around town.



I think it's really wasteful to be driving a truck like a Ford Expedition around town for routine commuting. It's crazy! I really do feel sorry for those who use a big SUV for daily commuting, especially those that have a long daily commute to work. Fortunately, I barely work (5 months off), barely commute (2 miles to work) and often drive a cycle that gets 90 miles per gallon. When I'm out on a concert tour, I get a state vehicle to drive. My gas expenses are minimal, except when I take the boat out for a week... to NC.

A pretty spider I found

I found this very pretty spider outside on my windowsill. She was guarding an egg sack and her web. So I collected her to take some photos and play with her a while. Such a pretty spider!

She is shiny black with red spots on her back and front, sort of look like hearts, or an hourglass. She looks good, her red spots match the trim on my windowsill. Her web is very complex and three dimensional.

After playing with and photographing this pretty spider, I was mean. I gave her the death penalty for trying to live on my house.

Of course I know who she is, she's Latrodectus mactans, or commonly known as the southern black widow spider. She can inflict a serious bite. The venom of a black widow can actually kill a person in rare instances. Black widows have killed 63 people between 1950 and 1990 in the USA.


Black widow venom is extremely potent, 15 times more potent than that of rattlesnakes, much more potent than the venom of cobras and coral snakes. However, the amount of venom is tiny as is the fang that injects the venom - only one millimeter (less than one half of a tenth of an inch).

So, it is hard to get bit by one and likely not fatal.

Sometimes but rarely, the female spider will eat the male after mating. (Is it a metaphor that I found this spider today?) Female spiders can live five years. Males, not as long.

People bitten often suffer the effects of Latrodectism, the clinical syndrome caused by the neurotoxic venom.

Well, I guess I'll do some spraying this afternoon.