SARATS Rules!

The Second Annual Rantwick Autumn Tree Smackdown, North America's premier fall-foliage-posted-on-an-obscure-website competition, RULES! That is all.

Seriously though, I've had some comments inquiring about some of the rules so I thought I would do a post for all to see. Rules are fairly few.

1) Your entry should should feature 1 or if necessary just a few trees featuring an obvious star-power tree. This is a Tree Smackdown, not a "forest face-off" or "copse competition".

2) Since I hope to continue to run this competition annually, your picture should be of a tree from this 2011 Autumn season.

3) Your picture should be one you took yourself. Including some information about where the tree is from in your submission would be appreciated.

4) Your tree can be from anywhere you like. PaddyAnne from Vancouver won last year with a tree from New York. If you snap it, you can send it.

5) Submissions are due by midnight, Dec 15, 2011 EST. I wait so long because many of my readers seem to come from the Southern (United) States.

I think that's it. Don't forget to spread the word, and if there are any questions, please comment.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

A True SARATS Threat

I visited The King on my way home yesterday. He's showing signs of change. It's too early to tell, but if he suits up in Orangy Yellow like the first time I wrote about him, look out. Here he is:

Thanks to my being less active on the blog, I fear there may be fewer submissions this year, which only increases your chances of winning a smallish (but not tiny like last year) jug of the best maple syrup I've ever had. What follows is an excerpt from the 2010 contest:

I won't lie... when I located the prize I also bought some for myself. I have tasted it and it is everything I had hoped. Jakeman's has been voted best tasting maple syrup in Canada in recent years and always places in the top ranks of most maple syrup ranker's rankings. So, the prize is a small amount (100 mL, 3.4 fl. oz.) of pure Canada #1 Extra Light maple syrup (click here to see how freaky I am about it) from one of Canada's top producers, located only about 30 minutes from my home of London Ontario.

 

This year the prize will be 500 mL of that same outstanding tree nectar.
 

If you're not a totally selfish maple prize freak though, you may want to tell your foliage lovin' friends. Now that I no longer participate in facebookizing or tweetilating, maybe you could do it on my behalf. Or send some emails. Or bring SARATS up at dinner parties, club rides, drug orgies, political demonstrations, church gatherings, whatever. I just wanna see some trees. If you know of some website where foliage rules, let me know, and I'll try to invite even more people.

Stay Leafy, R A N T W I C K

PS - If my impartial panel of judges (whom you will all see when the time comes) chooses The King as the best tree, I would of course award the prize to 2nd place. If you couldn't tell, I've got a good feeling about The King this year.

Papa got a New Pair of Shoes

Hey, before the real post begins, if you are a member of the "Silver Spokes London" group I met on the trail this morning, please click on my profile link and send me an email address I can use to notify you of when the post containing the video of your group goes up. If you want to send me details about your group and how people can join you, I'll be happy to post that too. Now, to our regularly scheduled program...


I got new cycling shoes early in the summer. Big news, I know. They're the classic MTB type with spd cleats and three velcro straps. Good thing, too:

The preceding scenario repeated itself about one week later, that time in a more public place with a couple of other cyclists nearby, waiting for a light. I felt super-cool all over again. I really like my new shoes.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - That ugly bar tape complete with duct tape repair job has long since been fixed, so back off, man.

PPS - I'm glad I've moved my everyday camera position from chest to helmet, because I really don't like camera shots that look straight up my nose.