John & Anne Wiley

2014/02/09

Ghost Water

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 04:41

When I look at this snap of Tangerine Falls bleached white in the dry sunshine a month ago, I sometimes glimpse ghost water.

0995 Ghost Parapet

0995 Ghost Parapet

I can see it gushing out from the trees, leaping cold and refreshing in a plume of mist from the stone parapet, and twirling in a roaring ribbon down the cliff face to explode into a blast fanning out from the rocks below.

0995 White Tangerine

0995 White Tangerine

Mid-70s days in January are nice, but my soul still yearns for some solid night and morning moisture. My inner wildflowers are waiting to bloom. Next time we fly there, I’d love to see at least some dampness beginning to bring back the falls’ signature orange color. But probably not yet, with so little rain.

2014/02/05

Forever New

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 05:46

The places we can easily reach from SB in Tripp are forever new. Today we flew our dear NYC friends to their conference in Palm Springs. Though we’ve taken this route through LA several times, it was new again today. Especially as they enjoyed the Hollywood sign for their first time from this perspective.

1641 New Hollywood

1641 New Hollywood

But new for all of us today is a place I’ve wanted to visit for several decades but just never seemed to find the opportunity. After they picked up the rental car for their time at the conference, we all drove out with a picnic lunch to explore my suggested destination: Indian Canyons. All I can say is, “Wow.”

1665 Andreas Canyon Rocks

1665 Andreas Canyon Rocks

Right at the parking lot for the Andreas Canyon Trail stands this giant enchanted rock outcrop at least 100′ tall (click for the larger version and check out the tall palm tree at the bottom left). The sheer Presence of this sculpted form evokes a hushed awe from the tourists stepping out of their cars where I snapped this. One of the large forms takes on an even more special power as you stroll the first few steps up the gentle slope of the creekside trail.

1696 Proud Monument

1696 Proud Monument

This proud monument to nature towers above you inspiring both humility and a sense of safety in a serene pause at its feet. Turning back to your own feet, you are greeted by the playful splash of the cold creek rushing over stones to beckon you up into the refreshing breeze it creates in this oasis from our extreme drought.

1723 Miraculous Creek

1723 Miraculous Creek

Though it looks still in this shot, the water is moving briskly and wide to provide a musical ambiance to the magic of so much pure water in such a miraculous exception winding through a thirsty land. A few steps further before the approaching dusk wrenched our thoughts to the flight home before dark, we glanced up at this large cave in the jumble of enormous boulders that guard the right bank.

1732 High Cave

1732 High Cave

We yearn to return and invest some days stepping back into the enchanted realm of these oasis trails.

2014/02/04

Up & Down

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 08:05

Today we flew our dear NYC friends out to nearby Santa Cruz Island, and as always it was fun both being with them and visiting our seldom seen park. We got a new view of this one among the numerous rock arches among the sea caves and other natural wonders of this place.

1537 Santa Cruz Arch

1537 Santa Cruz Arch

We got a new view east along the backbone of the island with little Anacapa Island in the distance.

1565 Island Backbone

1565 Island Backbone

After enjoying many new views of this ever-new place we stopped for lunch at the aviation-themed restaurant on Camarillo Airport. Then an enchanted flight home to SBA and a sunset hike down this trail near our place.

1621 Into Art

1621 Into Art

Like the rest of our day, this felt like a journey into art, with conversation bubbling along the trail just as water has bubbled along the rocky stream there on our wet season hikes there.

2014/01/31

Look Out

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 17:30

One of my fav views from SB is up at the Tooth Rock and La Cumbre Peak area.

0953 La Cumbre Peak

0953 La Cumbre Peak

So one of the things we enjoy doing on short local flights, is climbing past the cool abandoned fire lookout atop La Cumbre Peak. On this particular flight we flew east along the ridge past it for the above view, then later coming back west along the ridge we decided to cross to the north for a look at the river. That gave us this different view of the lookout.

1026 La Cumbre Lookout

1026 La Cumbre Lookout

A few minutes later over the Santa Ynez River, we could see a different kind of fire look out. Because we’ve been in extreme drought, the normal river flow for this time of year has dried to this extent of a few isolated stagnant rock pools like these two on opposite sides of the concrete river crossing road.

1030 Dry SY River

1030 Dry SY River

On normal years if the flow is low enough it’s fun to drive slowly through the river. As it is, we’re all instead on the look out for wildfires. Any time there’s smoke around town, locals on Edhat are checking to see if they need to start packing their valuables. Since this flight we’ve had a few sprinkles, and we all hope real rain may follow.

2014/01/29

Water & Rocks

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 07:55
0781 Duckling Boats

0781 Duckling Boats

To me this looks like a scurrying mother boat followed by three frantic duckling boats as the other boats passively look on. Or they could just be an intricate collection of miniature toy boats. I guess the motor boat is towing the three small sailboats, either back to the marina or around the course so they can practice using the rigging.

Meanwhile, up in our mountains the rocks hold evidence they were once under the water.

0857 Sedimentary Layers

0857 Sedimentary Layers

Water has also apparently carved out holes where the rock is softer, giving it a complex etched look.

0859 Etchings

0859 Etchings

Small streams running down the slope during heavy rains also seem to have carved out a small cave between these rocks.

0969 Carved Cave

0969 Carved Cave

Nearby is another even smaller and shallower opening that still might provide welcome shelter for various animals. Maybe also a hunting ground for snakes. It has a blocky shape, as if carved by humans to place a signal lantern for ships in the Channel.

0969 Blocky Shrine

0969 Blocky Shrine

Our mountains have innumerable interesting rock sculptures carved by water, some like miniature fanciful Monument Valley columns.

0865 Mini Monuments

0865 Mini Monuments

Looking at these sculptures reminds me that time is relative. What seems like solid stone is still fluid as the water that once covered it, if we could view it uplifting and then dissolving over millennia.

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