John & Anne Wiley

2012/08/30

Further Behind

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,SB Region — John @ 23:37

Long ago as my last post seemed, this one’s further behind because I’m falling further behind. That is, posting more pix from our AB Joy Adventure has been falling behind other stuff on our ToDo list. So the pix I’m sharing below for today is older than the stuff on the prior post. Hope I can get thru all the unshared AB Joy pix before we begin another Big Adventure. 🙂

1728 Big Rock

1728 Big Rock

So as you can see, we’re flying the OR coast after our night at Coos Bay. While the gals have been enjoying a steady stream of coast my focus has been a few of the more striking offshore rocks on my side of the plane. I haven’t yet figured out where these rocks are, but maybe you’ll recognize them. If you click to see the larger version of the one above you can start to make out the variety of birds enjoying the top.

1734 Sea Caves

1734 Sea Caves

I’m endlessly fascinated by the many sea caves along the CA/OR coast, and the ones in offshore rocks even more so. I’m in a kayak exploring, or maybe in an old timey story about pirates.

1735 Rock Arch

1735 Rock Arch

Rock arches take it up a notch. It’s mind boggling to imagine the forces that would carve such a beautiful arch while leaving all the support structure intact. Maybe an ancient lava tube made the arch area softer than the rest of the rock?

1740 Spooky Shapes

1740 Spooky Shapes

Some of the shapes are just spooky. If the Nautilus sub in that old Disney film has a secret home base, this would make a great entrance. Carved down into solid rock would be a chamber where the sub descends. Then it surfaces in a gigantic subterranean dome where the sailors can climb ashore below sea level. Whatever’s inside, there’s a sinister air about it. Or not. Maybe just a really beautiful collection of shapes that’s home to a variety of animals that shelter there via land, air and sea.

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2012/08/28

Long Ago

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random — John @ 06:07

The effects of “prop advance” that I’ve mentioned before have combined with the fact we holed up for a while after arriving home. So these pix from our 8/8 flight have the feel of something long ago. Having had all the coastal flying during the return trip on my side of the plane adds another long ago note to these pix from the flight North. As I wrote back then, nearly all of the scenery was on Anne & Joy’s side of the plane. So it’s a little surprising to see that I did manage to snap a few pix I like on that day.

1690 SF Bird Rocks

1690 SF Bird Rocks

Because they were offshore I snapped these bird rocks in the churning surf just before we reached Pedro Point. A minute later the Point itself came into view, and I like the stark angularity of it.

1691 Pedro Point

1691 Pedro Point

A moment after as we crested the Point, this tiny settlement intrigued me. Was it once a fish camp? Have those boxy beach houses ever been impacted by high tides, seas or a tsunami?

1694 S. Bay Beach Houses

1694 S. Bay Beach Houses

While the gals were taking in San Francisco and starting to talk about their view of Golden Gate Park and the bridge not far beyond, I pondered scenes like this. We’ve flown along this coast several times, yet after so many miles of just open sea on my side the deprivation led me to notice it. Luckily, after the bridge our views were more equal as we angled inland.

1715 Vineyard Quilt

1715 Vineyard Quilt

The angular shapes of this vineyard near Rohnert Park were part of a welcome relief from all that ocean. Again, I probably paid more attention to this part of the flight than on previous flights over this area. So maybe this pic is less magical for you than it still is for me. I could crop it so that only the vineyard shapes are showing, but to me the way the quilt integrates with the rest of the landscape is part of the art. That small squiggle of creek at the left edge. The straight edge of road and bare square fields. Even that clump of trees at the top where I learned online the historic Washoe House still serves meals as it did long ago.

2012/08/25

Seconds

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 08:18

I’ve started going thru pix from our AB Joy Adventure, and thought you might enjoy a second helping. Here are two lighthouses I like. First up a view along the shoreline of the Point Sur Lighthouse, on that spectacular coast.

1647 Point Sur Light

1647 Point Sur Lighthouse

For some reason I really like this perspective on the Santa Cruz Light. I guess it’s the low angle, plus the light angle that colors it into a gem on the water.

1669 Santa Cruz Lighthouse

1669 Santa Cruz Lighthouse

2012/08/23

Home Sweet

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,People — John @ 05:55

Home feels SO sweet!! Just got in an hour ago, having tucked Tripp into her spot at familiar SBA, and unloaded all the stuff (most of which we never used) back into our place. The car was so full, how did we ever get all that into Tripp much less all the way to High Prairie and back?! We bid a tearful farewell to sweet Joy, after arranging to meet again next week for a slide show and debrief. Have now enjoyed what sister Dori calls a “spa” (refreshing damp face cloth to cleanse the skin and soul). Now this quick note to update you (no internet and barely any phone service last nite), and a few pix like this one from today.

3711 Division

3711 Division

Last nite we danced along the dividing line between inland smoke and coastal low clouds. As I mentioned at the start of this Adventure, there are many fires in the hot inland areas of western states and provinces making lots of smoke that’s sloshing around unpredictably with the shifting winds. Similarly unpredictable cool coastal low clouds and fog are shifting with those same winds. We wound up placing our bet on a little airport named Andy McBeth. The tiny town of Klamath Glen it’s in does seem to be some combination of a dwarf Mayberry (Andy Griffith’s town), and a Shakespearean drama. I’ll probably share more about that stop in the next few daze. But back to the pic above: Soon after taking off today we encountered thickening smoke so we climbed to 7,500 feet and got this view of the North Pass Fire near Covelo. You can just make out the crescent moon at the top edge of the pic, and the whole pic shows how we danced along the vertical division between earth, sky and smoke while dancing the horizontal division between fog and fire.

3725 Sonoma Stop

3725 Sonoma Stop

We planned to stop several times on this last day of the adventure, to better enjoy the places we saw. But somehow the only landing we made was in Sonoma. Approaching the airport I snapped the City Hall and town square where we’d soon be sampling the fabulous fare at the Basque Cafe. It’s visible at the upper left if you know what to look for. Having stopped there once before and gorged on their incredible cookies, we know where to look. 🙂

3738 Take Out

3738 Take Out

We savored a bag of sandwiches and cookies under the shade of the town square’s redwoods near the fountain. Then back in for another bag we brought home to share with friends tomorrow. Typing this my mouth is watering as I imagine a cup of Anne’s Perfect Coffee with the second best (Anne’s are unbeatable) cookies.

Now to sleep, perchance to dream…

2012/08/21

High Jumps

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random — John @ 06:47

There wasn’t time for a post last nite, and not much time tonite. But suffice it to say we’re having a blast! It’s hard to believe that we were in Valemount (Jasper area) nite before last, and Creston (3 miles north of the U.S. border) last nite. So many incredible scenes we have dancing in our heads. Many high flights along mountain passes thru the Rockies and Cascades. Lots of pix to share at some point but for now here’s one of our fav parts on today’s flight thru Stevens Pass to Renton where we greatly enjoyed a brief stop with Anne’s sister & her husband.

3031 Stevens Pass Gatepost

3031 Stevens Pass Gatepost

This is near the western entrance to the pass, and is one side of a relatively narrow notched peak far above the highway and river below. There’s a tiny lake nestled up there, and views like this on either side. After a nourishing stroll along the river near the airport and a tasty meal, we left Renton at sunset for a beautiful flight directly over SeaTac airport and then direct to Olympia. We’re in a cozy hotel downtown, and hope to have some time for a quick exploration in the morning before heading for our last night of this amazing journey.

It feels like the whole trip has been high jumps. Even the parts where we flew fairly low or even explored on the ground. Each portion of the journey has been so intensely fun and completely different, because we’ve gone “high” in between stops. Up into a totally different dream realm where time, space and place tumble like thrown dice. Except every landing brings very good luck in rewarding experiences, and the air time is enchanting.

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