John & Anne Wiley

2011/12/02

Get to the Point

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 23:00

On a recent flight to L.A. we rediscovered something worth remembering: get to the Point. That is, if possible, get to Point Mugu. It’s beautiful, and there are often fun treats there for aviation buffs.

7900 Mugu Munitions

7900 Mugu Munitions

Next to the intricately beautiful wetlands at the beach, some munitions bunkers hunker down into the sand to stoically invite the somber question: what’s inside?

Whether in the air or on the ground, there are always aircraft and related things to take in as well. This trip was no exception, with a colorful background for two Navy E2 carrier-based radar planes flying in circles around one of the runways.

7903 E2 For You

7903 E2 For You

With no other private planes around, it felt like they were doing their practice carrier landings on a small part of the big runway – just for us.

Wrong Coast

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,MeriTimes Adventure,Nature,People,Random,Relationships — John @ 08:08

After some years in SB my friend and fellow pilot Zubair moved to the wrong coast, settling near Boston. I tried to talk him out of it, but I have to admit he’s happier there. Tonite looking thru pix from our MeriTimes Adventure I found this view of his cozy home in the woods there, nestled among the magnificent Fall colors. I think that’s his beautiful wife Momina standing outside the front door (click the pic to see the larger version).

9862 Right Stuff

9862 Right Stuff

Clearly his choice of coast was right after all. Still wrong for me, but perfect for him right now. He has at least yielded to my relentless bugging him about getting back in the air after a hiatus of several years, as you’ll see on his blog (click his name above). Sadly though, he doesn’t have a great plane like Tripp with windows that open and wings up out of the way for viewing the planetary pleasures. But even if in the “wrong” plane for crisp pix like this, at least he’s flying, right? See what I mean about relentlessly bugging him? 😉

Shipping News

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 02:48

Along the coast toward L.A. past Ventura, we admired the harbor and marina and several ships at Port Hueneme just beyond.

7880 Port Hueneme

7880 Port Hueneme

It’s fun to snap something during a flight, then take the time to google it later. I wondered why this ship was the only of its kind there.

7884 USS Paul Foster

7884 USS Paul Foster

Turns out it’s the USS Paul Foster, decomissioned in 2003 after an illustrious career that began in 1976. Clearly the story didn’t end there, and according to the wiki link above she’s just been used to test a new laser weapon. Thee other ships were docked nearby.

7886 I Saw Three Ships

7886 I Saw Three Ships

The big blue one is the Japanese vehicle carrier NYK Cronus Leader. The red one is NYK Cool container ship Ditlev Lauritzen, and the closer one is container ship Hansa Visby. Before looking these up, I had no idea there are several websites that follow global shipping movements. Sort of like “train spotting” I guess, including people who post photos for everyone to enjoy. Next up was a fabulous view past the slough and Point Mugu NAS to the distant mountains.

7895 Point Mugu

7895 Point Mugu

2011/12/01

Add Ventura

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 07:05

I’m an adventurer. Don’t think of myself as such, but having now landed a small plane in every state and province north of the Mexican border I probably qualify. Still, I’d like to add Ventura. Sure the airports in Camarillo, Oxnard and Santa Paula are fairly close. But it would be great if we could fly to Ventura and walk to town like we do in those other towns that have their own airports. Picky perhaps. But just look at how beautiful it is.

7852 Ventura to SP

7852 Ventura to SP

Approaching from SB we often get great views of Ventura with Santa Paula (plus Camarillo & Oxnard) in the distance. The fairgrounds center-bottom is right next to a beautiful estuary where the Ventura River meets the sea.

7854 V. River Mouth

7854 V. River Mouth

On the other side of the fairgrounds is a spiffy pier that, were it not for the freeway, might see more foot traffic than the SB & Goleta piers.

7861 V. toward Ojai

7861 V. toward Ojai

It’s also beautifully situated beneath the mountains that ramble back toward Ojai. Just across the freeway from the pier is the picturesque old town where we like to stroll or pause at a cafe. Too bad they don’t have an airport, or this adventurer would more often add Ventura to the agenda. 🙂

2011/11/29

Fixations

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 08:20

I’m fixated on rocks as you may know. I love snapping aerials of interesting rock formations. Also among my fixations is the ways people alter the landscape, build things, and perhaps most of all how we create king/queendoms in the form of our houses. The most fascinating in this last category for aerial pix is often a category I like to call manses. Those mansions and estates that have such large-scale quirkiness it shines from 1/4 mile away, and often is hidden behind tall walls and hedges that vanish from above. So here are some places that might exhibit a fixation with waterfront.

7830 Summerland Scene

7830 Summerland Scene

I’ll start with some context. Witness the sleepy town of Summerland, nestled across the train tracks and freeway from the beach. Now note the little clump of trees just left of center at the base of the waterfront bluff.

7831 Mini Manse

7831 Mini Manse

Not exactly a grand mansion, true. Nor the best place to greet a tsunami, or even a strong storm. But imagine the value of that real estate. Not far away is Padaro Road, and the construction there differs a bit.

7835 Padaro Palaces

7835 Padaro Palaces

Now we’re talking manses. In addition to these two, the pile of stones at top-right is for another going in on the next lot. Even if you can’t take it with you, might as well enjoy some comforts before you begin that next journey, eh? I love the round towers in particular. I’d have a tall one with a 360 degree curved window to take in the mountain and beach views from a rocking love seat on a turntable that you could twirl like an office chair. Yes, and a binocular periscope with 20x zoom to watch small planes passing offshore. 🙂

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