John & Anne Wiley

2012/02/11

Hidden Gardens

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 06:59

This area abounds with beautiful hidden gardens. Some are in yards protected by high walls and/or hedges, so few people ever see them.

0070 Symmetry

0070 Symmetry

Many of the walled gardens have some sort of symmetry. A mandala, a labyrinth, or often boxes and rows like this one in Montecito. Nearby are many breathtaking natural gardens, like Tangerine Falls.

0077 Tangerine Falls

0077 Tangerine Falls

With so little rain this Winter, it’s nearly dry. Even so, by all reports it’s Eden on the trail in and at the base. Of course, that hike is also reputed to be less than an idyllic stroll in the woods. But on this flight we noticed this garden perhaps even more enchanting, and a quiet pool still filled with sparkling water.

0080 Zen

0080 Zen

This garden of Zen so close to town is very easy to reach. With a helicopter to lower you down a long cable. Seriously, I wonder how many people have ever been here. Maybe we’ll fly closer next time to look for trails and a better angle for pix. Meanwhile I’m musing on the secret gardens within. How high are my walls, and how daunting the paths into the psyche? With continued effort, will I more often open the gates to share the places most precious? For me, sharing our Garden is the essence of life. That is why sharing the joy of flight so expands the moments aloft.

2012/02/10

Passage

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 01:33

Before a railroad line was built, the passage from Santa Barbara to L.A. was probably fastest by sea. With only sails that might have taken at least a day with good winds. For us it’s an easy half-hour and some, including diversions to check out things like this.

9990 Passage

9990 Passage

To me there’s something enchanting about this angle near the end of day, and the glow of roadway lighting. But all tunnels seem to invite a magic. You temporarily leave all the sights, sounds and smells of the everyday world. For a time you have the sensation of motion, but the variety of life is lost to a nearly featureless tube close around you. When you emerge from the other end, it’s often into quite different surroundings that are greatly accentuated by the deprivation of transit. Maybe the opposite of flying in some way, because the journey itself is so enriching. Earlier we diverted slightly to look at this massive boulder and the graffiti slab above it.

9939 Rock & Slab

9939 Rock & Slab

There are certainly many things more fun and fascinating than flying. I just can’t think of any. 🙂

2012/02/09

Chalk Rock

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 08:42

In the mountains South of Agoura Hills is a rock outcrop with several varieties of rock, including pure white chalk. As you can see at the upper-right, there are trails nearby so maybe people visit this site. Maybe they have for millennia.

9927 Chalk Rock

9927 Chalk Rock

Heading from there toward Santa Monica through the mountains stands another notable rock formation. I presume this is sea bed sediment, compressed and then tilted up by eons of geological activity that transformed sea floor to stone wall. The punctuation added by the road is pleasing to my eye.

9933 Floor to Wall

9933 Floor to Wall

2012/02/08

Detail

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 08:31

I watched the Ty Warner estate being built in recent years, and marveled at his ability to buy several really nice mansions so he could demolish them all and have this put in.

7821 Ty's Toy

7821 Ty's Toy

So it was a surprise to snap a telephoto shot of the pond, and discover this unusual detail that’s probably been there for some time.

9913 Funny Fountain

9913 Funny Fountain

Maybe I can get a better shot sometime, but to me this fountain looks like a dragon rather than an alligator. The fish don’t seem troubled by it, and I like how it fits the whole jungle motif. So fascinating what people do with essentially unlimited resources. In this case it all started with designing and selling toys.

2012/02/07

Sometimes

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,SB Region — John @ 08:26

Sometimes a particular scene just captures my heart, and this pic even captures some of the mood I felt.

9981 Moment

9981 Moment

It was as if time stood still for a moment, in a reflective blend of colors. In the original version I could make out surfers, and that in turn got me reflecting on times out on such water. As the smooth sea produced each new swell, it would rise up into yet another bright moment.

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