Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda for May 12, 2024
This past week brought some spectacular weather to Alameda causing an explosion of flowers along my walking routes. Spring has definitely arrived on the Isle of Style…
…and there were so many images to share, I asked my human companion to put them into a video so you could enjoy them without having to scroll through dozens of images.
Unfortunately, not all that grows is beautiful and safe. Yes, foxtails have arrived and are springing up everywhere. I am asking those property owners with a front yard and/or planting strip full of foxtails to please cut them down. Me and my buds walk along the sidewalk sniffing out territory markers and can pick one up in a paw or nostril. It’s a very expensive procedure to have a vet remove one, and they can be deadly if not caught in time.
Human companions: Please, please be vigilant and don’t let your furry friend get into the weeds.
Another sign of spring is when the mated pair of mallard ducks start hanging out under the tree on Lafayette Street. This year, it looks like they brought a friend. It must be getting close to graduation time, too! I am starting to see the lawn signs recognizing the accomplishments of Alameda’s high school students.
There is a major renovation and historic restoration going on over on Central Avenue at 2152. I think this building was a Boys Club of Alameda location in the early 90s, and was once the first telephone exchange in Alameda. Now it’s the home of the California Historical Radio Society. I will be checking out the progress of the work as the weeks go by.
There was a ton of excitement over at my house this past week as my human companion undertook the task of moving his old heavy commercial Wolf range out of the house. One thing I have learned about him is that he likes to work alone on his house projects. Quite frankly, I could not figure out how he was going to get an 800-pound stove out of the French doors—with a straight drop of almost six feet—without a deck and no help. When I inquired about his plan, he turned a cheek, smiled at me, and said, “Egyptians.”
What the fur?
He said, the first pyramid was built by this dude Imhotep using sleds, ramps, and levers, and he planned to build a “GREAT” ramp to slide the stove down to the ground using something called gravity and the coefficient of friction. I cocked my head sideways in confusion. What was he talking about???
He explained that an apple falls from a tree because of a downward force called gravity and the same force, rubbing against the plywood ramp, would control the stove’s rate of descent—depending on the angle of the ramp.
At this point, two things came to my mind. First: “What the heck does an apple have to do with moving an 800-pound stove?” Then, second: “I better call FAAS and see if they have an extra kennel for me to stay for a few days while he is in the hospital recovering from the injuries he gets when the stove rolls over his butt on the ramp—ASSUMING! this “great” ramp will even hold the weight of the stove and him.”
Well, “trim my dewclaws!” It actually worked! After building a 16-foot ramp, he tilted the stove onto it, and the stove just sat there. He gave it a push, and lo and behold, it slid a few feet down the ramp and stopped. He pushed it again, and it went another few feet, all the way to street level. The stove is now in the driveway waiting for a recycling company to pick it up.
I want to thank the ancient Egyptian engineers for their knowledge and especially all the folks that died helping figure out this gravity and coefficient thing.
Next week, the builder will start installing the support beams, hopefully without the need for levers, ramps, and a hundred laborers. There just isn’t enough parking on the street.
This is Mouf wishing all the mothers out there a great day.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos by Jeff Cambra.
