The Sundial Bridge

A Quick Look Around



Yesterday it was my good fortune to have a sunshiny day and the ability to go see some of the sites around Redding. It was especially pretty at the Sundial Bridge around 3:30 in the afternoon.



I set up the iPod Touch on the tripod, (using the stand that John Harrison made), and selected the timelapse app.



There were lots of people out in the sunshine enjoying this beautiful place on the Sacramento River. I looked forward to seeing them all moving about very quickly in the time lapse video.


Robert Ward, pedicab driver.

While I was standing around letting the iPod Touch do it’s thing, a guy rode by, pedaling a pedicab. He parked his rig to the side, and I walked over to find out what I could about the Sundial Pedicab business.

The pedaler’s name is Robert Ward. We got to talking, and I decided to go for a ride as soon as my time lapse video seemed to collected enough images of people coming and going on the bridge. A few minutes later, I climbed onto the backseat and we took off down the pathway to see the eagles.



It was really a great way to get around, especially for me since my walking distances are limited. I snapped a few pictures with the Lumix TZ3, and asked him how he came to be pedaling a pedicab.



He said he came up from Chico, where he had gone to college and earned a Masters degree in mechanical engineering. He discovered he has a lot more fun pedaling a bicycle than being part of the corporate workforce.

We agreed that being able to do the things that you love and enjoy, is priceless.



We soon rolled up to the viewing area for the eagles nest, and as luck would have it there was one of the famous eagles in the nest.

I tried a couple of pictures through the viewing device to see how that worked, and then realized I could probably make a nice time lapse of traveling on the trail in a pedicab.



I wasn’t sure whether to hand-hold the iPod Touch, or to use a tripod. Later I found out that setting the tripod on the, “floor”, of the pedicab worked really well, and next time I will do that for a timelapse of the entire journey.



There were plenty of people on the bridge and Robert suggested that he take me across the bridge and back. It sounded like a good idea to me.



I kept the video time lapse going, and it was on the bridge coming back that I set the tripod down on the ‘floor’ so that I could get my still camera out and take some pictures of the river and Shasta Bally.

I found out, after viewing the video later, that was the best way to get a really smooth time lapse effect from the pedicab.



It was a very productive day. Now I know I can call, or e-mail, Sundial Pedicab to make arrangements for the next time I want to ride around in comfort. In the sunshine. Over the Sundial Bridge, and along the Sacramento river at Turtle Bay.

Later that Saturday, (yesterday), I went up to the Lake Shasta dam and took more timelapse video, but that’s another story, (coming soon).

Today’s Illustrative Video;



Pleasant Times