John & Anne Wiley

2010/06/09

Dad’s Visit

Filed under: Flying,Has Photos,People,Random,SB Region,Tripp — John @ 23:20

Our flight to and from San Diego to pick up Dad for a visit was Plan B. We’d meant to fly him up to Lake Isabella, but the ferocious winds there nixed that. We did fly him to Santa Ynez to pick up our car, parked there in case of fog at SBA when we got home from getting him in SD. I flew home while they drove the somewhat dangerous Hwy. 154.

0889 Evening IZA Takeoff

0889 Evening IZA Takeoff

I worried about them on Hwy. 154, and they worried about me driving home from SBA in our old mini-pickup that’s not equipped with airbags.

Once we all arrived safe back home and had a delicious homemade pizza dinner, we went for a sunset stroll and were surprised at the sudden change in weather. It had dawned foggy with low clouds that cleared in the afternoon for our flight. Now clouds were forming out of thin air over Cathedral Oaks, and it would have made for an entertaining time lapse video.

6719 Cloud Eruption

6719 Cloud Eruption

Looking back toward Hope Ranch, we could see the solid layer pouring over the mesa there and eerily mingling with the darkening trees.

6731 Fog Flood

6731 Fog Flood

By now we were in a somewhat magical mood, and stood for several minutes watching some quail on a rooftop. Amazing that they stood so perfectly still. Were they freezing in place to be invisible because we were watching them?

6737 Roof "Quail"

6737 Roof "Quail"

As you might be able to easily see from this zoomed photo, they were some sort of roof fixtures. In the dim light at a distance, we enjoyed them as canyon wildlife. Until I snapped this and we looked at it zoomed on the camera display.

2010/06/07

Cloudy Day Activities

Filed under: Flying,Has Photos,Random,SB Region — John @ 20:30

While we’re waiting (hoping) for coastal clouds & fog to clear so we can fly, I’ve been looking at pix from yesterday’s relatively high and fast flight to San Diego. Some pix from the trip are already on Edhat and our Photo Page, so here are a few more. I never seem to tire of looking at the little residential lakes near Thousand Oaks. That area nestled in a valley beneath the coastal hills has some developments that don’t fit the standard SoCA patterns.

6683 Water World

6683 Water World

On the way down we stayed at 3500 feet, higher than the 1500 we usually fly, to save time and because we were flying near top speed to get down and back in daylight. Coming home we went up to 10,500 coming across LAX, to provide more safety margin from the coastal clouds and that also saved time. It was fun getting such a different perspective on the LA basin. We’ve seen it from jets, but that’s at best a small and hazy window if you’re not stuck in an aisle seat. Our windows are clear, and we can even open them to snap views like this.

6689 Long Beach

6689 Long Beach

Approaching SBA just before sunset, we got an unusual view of “Eyelash Hill” (see the Edhat story).

6702 Eyelash Hill

6702 Eyelash Hill

If you click on it (perhaps several times), you can see the stand of tall grass just beyond the mansion that looks like flames in the sunset light. I hadn’t realized what a zig-zag complex of trails are on the nearby slopes. Wonder what’s growing in the terraced garden boxes, and how they keep canyon critters from eating it all. Guess that’s a guard tower next to the garden, eh? Beautiful home, and they must have pretty good views from that tower. Wonder if the entrance room’s large skylights are clear, but regardless it must be a very bright room introducing guests to what is surely a lovely mansion inside.

San Diego & Back

Filed under: Flying,Has Photos,SB Region — John @ 04:05

Well, we ended up flying down to San Diego and picking up Anne’s Dad to bring him back for a visit. I’m a bit tired, so it might be tomorrow at the earliest before I post more pix. This sunset shot on the approach to SBA sums up how I’m feeling now: quiet with a warm glow, and fuzzy on top.

6714 Sunset into SBA

6714 Sunset into SBA

2010/06/04

Everyday Miracles

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 05:47

So often when we fly the ethereal permeates us. This seems to happen most often when flying the SB area, so close to the center of things. Today the weather forecast was a little discouraging, so we talked about waiting for a better day. It couldn’t have been. Immediately after takeoff, once we climbed above the haze, puffy white clouds added notes of paradise along the coast or clinging to hills. The stuff of dreams.

6635 Cloud Shroud

6635 Cloud Shroud

We did keep close to home in case clouds moved over the airport again forcing us to land at Santa Ynez and take a bus or cab home. Also, the winds were pretty strong at the ridge line though turbulence was mild when we stayed high enough.

6645 Shapes & Textures

6645 Shapes & Textures

Over in the valley it was clear, and we enjoyed the timeless symmetry of the dance between agriculture and ranching.

6646 Gaviota Gloom

6646 Gaviota Gloom

Turning back toward home, what was probably a close and somewhat gloomy day at Gaviota Beach was for us a glorious soft work of art.

6659 Toward the Gate

6659 Toward the Gate

Minutes later, looking back along the coast toward Point Conception, the magic of it all was nearly unbelievable. We could well imagine how the Chumash people believed this to be the “Western Gate” where souls pass to the paradise of Similaqsa. To fly is to dream. To dream is to live.

2010/06/03

Long & Short

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 06:14

Today we had a short flight that seemed much longer, flying slowly out to Carpinteria and back. Not much more than half an hour on the clock, but it feels like a journey of several days in dreamtime. I’ve sent some words & pix from the outbound flight to Edhat (I might add a link to the page, but you could also use this) and also put two more on my Photo Page. Coming back, we had a look at the demolition of St. Francis Hospital where so many people entered and left the community of Santa Barbara.

6619 St. Francis Demolition

6619 St. Francis Demolition

I hope our medical care won’t suffer from the lack of competition, and it’s strange watching from above as this landmark vanishes at the same time as Cottage Hospital nearby is getting a major expansion.

Another large construction project is going on at our home airport of SBA. The new long terminal will still have much of the short charm we’ve long enjoyed here, but things will be much more comfortable for everyone who works there and hopefully more streamlined for the passers through.

6625 KSBA Expansion

6625 KSBA Expansion

After leaving Tripp, we drove to SB Mission and it had an especially magical feel. People were quietly talking, almost reverent strolling quietly amid the amazing chalk art works of “i Maddonari” as an early summer frisbee toss coexisted with people lying and sitting on the grass out front.

6626 Mission Moment

6626 Mission Moment

The people-watching there is almost as remarkable as the chalk art, and will be for weeks as the crowds ebb and flow with vacations and weekend visitors.

6634 People & Art As Art

6634 People & Art As Art

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