John & Anne Wiley

2011/04/15

Over Seas

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 02:26

We’ve been talking lately about possibly flying over some seas beyond gliding distance to land. Don’t know if we’ll do it, but even though many pilots have this would be the first time for us. Meanwhile, we did fly along the shoreline and while Anne was mostly watching for dolphins, seals or whales I snapped a high Spring tide at the East end of Goleta Beach.

6803 Flood Tide

6803 Flood Tide

This area is usually dry sand, including the last time I snapped it and the last time we walked there. Toward town we passed The Mesa where we used to shop a lot at Lazy Acres, at the top of the pic.

6805 SB Mesa & Light

6805 SB Mesa & Light

The white thing above the bluff is the Santa Barbara Lighthouse that’s closed to the public but the footbridge across the canyon just beyond it is a great walk from the park past the trees at the edge of the lighthouse residences. Such a beautiful place, I sighed deeply again just now looking at this pic recalling our lazy flight along the shore just above the highest patrolling gulls.

2011/04/14

Beauty

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 04:17

Several times today beauty has touched me. One was the horrible beauty I see in this place.

6784 Disaster Source

6784 Disaster Source

The disaster locals know as the Tea Fire started at the iconic structure top-left. You can get other views on my Photo Page and Edhat posts. It’s been cleaned up quite well since the fire, and the new growth gives it such a bucolic innocence. Another kind of beauty was along our flight home.

6799 Refined Beauty

6799 Refined Beauty

I think this course in Hope Ranch is named La Cumbre, and it’s relaxing to glance at as we approach SBA. There’s something “absorbent” about golf courses. Maybe the soft greens or softer sand traps. Maybe the calm demeanor of most golfers. Perhaps my association with the hushed voice of TV golf announcers when we’ve chanced upon a tournament channel surfing. Whatever the origins, I relax a bit looking at this. Hopefully they’re using best environmental practices to create this pleasant scene in our town known for Earth Day.

2011/04/13

Do The Twist

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 00:01

Here’s a pic from Wednesday’s flight, of the “Twist Falls” I wrote about yesterday.

6790 Twist Falls

6790 Twist Falls

We need to get back when there’s full sun on it sometime soon, while it’s still flowing so strong. When it’s really going strong, I think this is the one that flips several times on the way down. Wonder if anyone’s found a way to reach it without mountaineering equipment.

2011/04/12

Home

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 01:40

Whether flying or wandering the area by car, bike or on foot, there’s no place like home for us.

1999 Back Toward Home

1999 Back Toward Home

When we first moved here “for a year” over a decade ago, the modest place we rented was in the area included in this pic from Stearn’s Wharf, in a ‘hood some locals called Monteghetto. As you can see, be it ever so humble it was still a great place to call Home. We used to walk this area called East Beach often, and until moving into our even more modest place with a view of the hills thought we’d always prefer ocean. Now we just go there occasionally as with this visit a few days ago, and whatever the mode of transport we are at least equally drawn to the hills and mountains.

6776 Twist Falls Trail

6776 Twist Falls Trail

For example, we want to try out the trail(s) from a hairpin turn on Gibraltar Road, East to a waterfall I’ve been calling Twist Falls lately because it hits a rock part way down and the ribbon of water flips over in a twist as it bounces. The falls are at the upper-right, and the road is out of frame to the left. Could be just game trails, but they do seem traveled enough they might be safe for us to hike before the scrub burned in the fires re-grows.

2011/04/11

Change

Filed under: Flying,Has Photos,Inner World,People,SB Region — John @ 01:31

The horrific fire that swept through the Botanic Gardens area left some homes untouched, and in the months since some have been or are being rebuilt. Some like this have been removed with only traces remaining.

6758 Traces of Home

6758 Traces of Home

On the other side of the Gardens, two other homes are in different stages.

6766 Traces of Homes

6766 Traces of Homes

I feel contemplative looking at places like this. Imagining family memories, hopes and dreams swept away in an instant by a river of fire into the sea of Change.

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