America's Game

Alicia, Justin, and Jessica

There are few things as quintessentially American as baseball. You know the saying, "As American as baseball and apple pie." Well, as spring winds to a close, and the weather warms as summer approaches, you can begin to smell the fragrant green grass, popcorn, hot dogs and barbecue, oh, and yeah, you can even smell the beer.

Warming up

Catcher and Author

Not a huge fan of watching sports (we'd rather be active ourselves), we still find ourselves being drawn into the game every season. From book signings, ceremonial first pitches, western acting, to watching our daughter and son-in-law sing the national anthem, we have been taken out to the ball game. Oh, yes, there was also a minor league game or two thrown into this glorious summer mix. And these minor league players have heart -- they don't make the big bucks of the major league -- so they play with heart and soul, for the love of the game, and their loyal fans.

Love is in the air

It wouldn't be American without Cowboys

So get off your couch this summer and get out there with friends and family. Watch the game, play the game, just get in the game!

What Lies Beneath....Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe in Springtime

 If anyone has ever told you, "Go jump in a lake," I know just the place to go!

A beauty and a wonder...

There are, of course, the five great lakes (Michigan, Huron, Eerie, Ontario, and of course, Superior). These interconnected fresh-water lakes serve as a partial border between Canada and the United States, connecting to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. Twenty-one percent of the world's fresh water is contained here. Now, those are indeed great lakes. But if you don't make the famous five in the Northeast, what have you got?

A chilly morning

Blue skies, clean air

Well, head about as far south and west from the Great Lakes as you can go, and you will find yourself on the border between California and Nevada. Coming in at number 6 when measured by volume, Lake Tahoe is a pristine, clear version of American fresh water lake. So clear, in fact, on most days, you can peer over 20 meters deep into this prehistoric wonder. But I recommend looking from the surface, as the crystal clear water has an average spring temperature just above 40 degrees. Brrr.

Lake Tahoe is admired for its beautiful alpine surroundings, and quiet living. Okay, yes, South Lake Tahoe does have its share of casinos (and a couple on the North side as well), but because the terrain is quite mountainous, human activity has been fairly limited -- hence the clarity of the water.

So, in the midst of the recurrent drought theme in California, one might well ask, where did all this water come from? Two-thirds of the Tahoe basin belong to California, so the question is important. The answer will take us way back in time....

Geologic Drama

To begin, Lake Tahoe is situated at approximately 6,225 feet -- or over a mile above sea level. Take that mile-high city! And it's deep -- almost a third of a mile. Second-only in depth in North America to Crater Lake. And, it's old -- but she looks good for her age. Lake Tahoe was formed about two million years ago and has been carved into its current shape by the ice ages. The area surrounding the lake is primarily national forest land, so the panorama of surrounding mountains can be breathtaking, as well as protective of this natural resource.

The Tahoe basin was formed by vertical faulting. The uplifted blocks created both the Carson Range on the east and the Sierra Nevada crest to the west. For those of you poor souls who do not have the privilege of calling California home, sierra is Spanish for mountain range, and nevada, contrary to popular belief, does not mean casino. Nevada is Spanish for snow-covered, and the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe live up to their name -- just ask the Donner party.

But we digress. There are three principal faults along the Tahoe basin, and evidence exists for paleoearthquakes. The most recent earthquake appears to have occurred between 4,000 and 4,500 years ago. But before you relax, evidence in the landslides in the area suggest that these earthquakes occur in three to four thousand year intervals. So, any time now, right?

If that is not enough geologic drama for you, it was the eruptions from the volcano, Mount Pluto, which formed a dam on the north side of the basin, allowing the lake to form. As melting snow filled the basin to form the ancestral Lake Tahoe, rain, run-off, and glaciers would continue to add to the lake.

Now I realize that we here at J and L get excited about unusual things, but because of the great depth and sheer volume of water within the lake, the faults which created this valley, can also trigger tsunamis. Wave heights are predicted to reach over thirty feet and could traverse the lake in mere minutes. Geological evidence suggests that a massive collapse along the western edge of the lake occurred 50,000 years ago, creating McKinney Bay and generating a tsunami exceeding three hundred feet in height.

The Washoe Tribe of Native American Indians inhabited this area for over a thousand years. Lake Tahoe is now home to gamblers, recreation-seekers, and the well-heeled. But, if you are willing to live on the edge of this geologic wonder, there is something for everyone, every season of the year. From skiing to swimming, from hiking to camping, there is a sport, and a spot here, to appeal to everyone. So, go jump in a lake -- but wait until August when the water temperature hits 65.

From Bootlegging to Nascar

Bootlegging, the illegal activity of getting outlawed moonshine (distilled high octane liquor) through the backwoods of the south without being stopped by the Revenuers (federal tax collectors) was a tough and dangerous job. The shiner’s wanted to sell their hooch without paying taxes and the government wanted their money – the two did not see eye to eye on the arrangement. Started in the Prohibition days but continued afterwards because people wanted their ‘shine’ and the feds wanted the tax for that wanting.

That'd be Hooch in the trunk - Officer

It was also exciting fun to be driving stripped down muscle cars along dark lonely roads at all hours wondering where the feds would be waiting. Here and there suddenly a police cruiser would pick up chase and it was up to the guts and skills of the moonshiner to make their daring escape. With large uncorked engines (horsepower maxed to the limit), gutted auto bodies (all non-essential parts taken out to lessen the weight) and with the skill of race car drivers the moonshiners raced away from the pursuer leaving them in the proverbial dust. Even to this day the war between the revenuers and the moonshiners continues in the south east portion of the United States – doubt it – check out ‘Moonshiners’ on the Discovery Channel. The past is the present with these folks wanting to make their ‘shine’ while the federal government tries weekly to close down the stills. Who will win – watch the reality television show and learn on your own.

The damn blog - now I remember.

But back to the blog.

Eluding the authorities was way too much fun and after a couple of decades someone decided to try having this sort of excitement on permanent tracks. No one could watch the routine chase scenes taking place in the hinterlands so why not bring the drivers and spectators together in one venue.

Catch me if you can, Coppers!

There were already race tracks throughout the south but each had their own rules and regulations which was confusing and also often times didn’t account for the real money being taken in by the races with winners earning nothing. It was a very corrupt way to run any contest.

Races but not fair purses for the drivers.

There needed to be a hero to get this all right. A person who would stand up for the bootleggers who wanted to go straight and earn lots of cash.

And that's where Billy France comes into the scene.

William (Bill) France Sr. moved to Daytona Beach in 1935 and realized the potential for a racing phenomena. In December of 1947 he met with well-known racers who would run their stripped down street vehicles with supped up engines around tracks trying to earn enough to rebuild their vehicles. Prize money wasn’t much to write home about in the early days of car racing. 

But on February 21, 1948 NASCAR was born with clear regulations, rules and static prize money for winners and losers. The National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) proved to be a boon for Bill France Sr. and the other investors starting so small in 1948 and expanding into the mega-business it is today.

NASCAR is broadcast in over 150 countries worldwide and Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other motor sport on the planet. Compared to other sports NASCAR has the record of holding the top 17 out of 20 single-day sporting events internationally by spectator. The sport is still growing competing in more and more countries each year and soon will be racing in Japan as it is Canada and Mexico.

Large and loud crowds!

From the days of ‘shiners’ outrunning law enforcement to a guy coming up with a good idea in Dayton Beach, Florida – world headquarters for NASCAR – to a multi-billion dollar enterprise has been the history of this sport from down south.

Danika Patrick - a woman with a dream - she crashed though.

A dreamer had a dream and that dream turned into pure enjoyment for fans who love to do nothing but watch race cars speeding around an oval track at over two hundred miles per hour, eat greasy and fried food, drink beer, and be with their friends.

Sometimes there is a little smoke.

Today, as stated, NASCAR is a huge sport that includes people from all walks of life from around the world. Interesting when one looks into the history of something that started so small, but profitable, on the wrong side of the law turns out to be such a huge success.

People like chances, they like speed, they like fancy painted cars, and they really love those that sit cramped behind break-away steering wheels with their foot to the metal. The drivers give it all for the audience who give it their all - it is truly a synergistic relationship.

Sounds pretty thrilling to J and L and the between 40 to 50 million fans of the sport from around the globe.

NASCAR is nothing but Patriotic!

And sometimes a goofy hat is just right.