A little piece of coolness in Reno: Mayberry Park

 A place that seems out of the City is Mayberry Park. This beautiful escape is minutes from downtown Reno. Washoe County describes Mayberry as:

 “This river park is a beautiful day-use facility with various individual picnic sites, a group picnic area (non-reservable), a paved bike path, hiking trails and Truckee River fishing access. Bird watching, hiking, bike riding, river tubing and picnicking are popular activities. Handicap-accessible, this park is located just four miles west of Reno, at the end of Woodland Avenue.”

 

Walking Davis Creek Regional Park

 

This week’s hiking spot is Davis Creek Regional Park in Washoe Valley, south of Reno. It took me roughly 20 minutes and there is a paved parking lot.  Some of the trails were closed due to fire restoration. Check out status on the Washoe County Parks Site for updates. Directions and a directory of other parks are also on this site.

 Washoecounty.gov/parks

Getting outside - where was I this week?

 In an effort to become healthier, and to not mope around the house, I started walking at various local parks around Washoe County.  With the help of the WC Parks guide, maps, and my own knowledge, I've found quite a few places where a person by themself can safely stroll. It's not enough to just wander, I like to bird watch and carry my binoculars and a camera with me. I will be posting about specific places in the blog. Today is a trip to the wilderness area off I80 near Patrick.

Goodbye to my furry BFF, Coco

 

I lost my BFF, Coco, to aggressive cancer on Monday (day after Mother’s Day).  Last week she had no visible, palpable chest mass but she woke up Sunday with a huge one. I thought she had a fever episode on Saturday. Sadly, it had to be the effects of the cancer raring its ugly face. I imagine those tumors had been growing for a while. Typical for animals, Coco hid her pain until she couldn’t.

Coco on May 10, 2025

The Great 8 - Alex Ovechkin's run to pass Gretzky's all-time goals scored

 Alex is only FIVE goals away. He has 890, while Wayne finished with 894. This will be a milestone that will not be broken for many years, if ever. Even if you are not a hockey fan, one can't help but appreciate what Ovechkin has done. 

Stay tuned to the NHL website for updates!

By the way - Ovi is a nice guy. I met him when I still lived in Las Vegas during the Awards celebration. He was gracious and gave me an autograph.

THE GR8 CHASE | NHL.com

Media (traditional and non-traditional) keeps calling people they disagree with names, especially the “ism” names. Reporters ask people what they mean when they insult another by saying he/she is a socialist, fascist, etc. Most are unable to define fascist, socialist, communist, or capitalist.

Seriously – if you are going to call another person a name, at least be able to explain WHAT the insult means. Know history (the War of 1812 was NOT between the US and Canada as one Congressperson recently spouted). If you want to protest, be able to articulate the reason for the march, and what the ultimate goal is.

Looking for a good book.

 

Is anyone else having trouble finding new books to read? 

I try out books at library and when I find an author I like, I purchase books. I loved Boyd Morrison’s “The Lawless Land” which takes place during the time of the Black Death in England. The period is one of my favorites. Another one I fell in love with was “Starter Villian” by John Scalzi. His talking cats and dolphins are so insanely intriguing, I had to re-read the novel and get my own copy.

It seems like I don’t finish as many books as I check out. I do enjoy Nancy Atherton’s “Aunt Dimity” mysteries and just started “Come Shell or Highwater” by Molly Macrae.