John & Anne Wiley

2011/11/28

Inky?

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 02:03

At sunset we again saw a collection of small fishing boats with big lights near shore somewhere around El Capitan. Edhat wisdom seems to be that they’re catching squid, and that’s unusual for these waters (global warming?). So is that what’s in this net?

7781 Squid?

7781 Squid?

The photo quality’s marginal due to the low light, but it looks like something big is in the net and Humboldt Squid can get big enough to eat most anything in the water. Maybe that’s why the skiff in this next pic (bigger version on my Photo Page) was pulling this same boat as they hauled in the net?

7784 Counter Net

7784 Counter Net

2011/11/27

Sunset Slant

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 02:54

Flying along the shoreline near Arroyo Hondo Creek, the sunset accented these slanted sea caves.

7776 Sunset Slant Caves

7776 Sunset Slant Caves

The creek itself intrigues me, particularly the old highway bridge partially hidden behind the railroad bridge and seldom noticed by the thousands zipping by on the freeway.

7778 Arroyo Hondo Bridges

7778 Arroyo Hondo Bridges

There’s something nostalgic about abandoned roads and bridges. Could it be memories of a slower time? Maybe paths not taken?

2011/11/26

Mission Impossible?

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

Flying home from Santa Maria recently, we enjoyed looking at this old building and wondering what the story is.

7767 Mission?

7767 Mission?

It looks like a mission, what with the crosses at the roof peaks on this end and the pond with white statue at bottom right. But then why doesn’t anything about it show up on gMaps even with Wiki links turned on? I’m going to send a post to Edhat, and see if the local history experts there can provide some details. Meanwhile, here are some aerial details.

7764 Half Full

7764 Half Full

The swimming pool in the courtyard fascinates me. Who swam in it back when it was full and clean? How many people have been in there since it was apparently abandoned? How many years did it take for those bushes and trees to grow up in the patios? Was there a balcony around the outside that’s now just remembered by the posts and beams? Can you imagine monks coming out of their rooms to stand on the balcony to watch the sunset and take in the spectacular views of the Santa Rita Hills and the river valley past Lompoc to the ocean?

2011/11/24

Osprey & Dolphins

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 06:25

Yesterday this Osprey flew low over the runway at SBA just as we were getting ready for a flight, but it was too quick for a pic. So when I heard it approaching again, I knew to grab the camera.

7789 Osprey Overflight

7789 Osprey Overflight

We also saw dolphins near shore, and also not far from a bunch of surfers. I forgot to look back and see if they’d noticed the pod.

7836 Dolphin Dance

7836 Dolphin Dance

I don’t know if they were feeding, fighting, or courting, but there was lots of jumping and fast action.

2011/11/22

Valley Vineyards

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 18:06

On a quick Tripp trip to Santa Maria, we were startled by the Fall colors of these vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley.

7742 Colors & Shapes

7742 Colors & Shapes

That first one seemed to stand alone in a vast brown SoCA Fall landscape, but soon we saw others closer to Lompoc.

7744 Yellow Slices

7744 Yellow Slices

I guess a vintner could tell us why this field is predominantly yellow, when many nearby have more reds and oranges. Different grape varieties, or climate and soil?

7746 Grape Glory

7746 Grape Glory

I like the “glory” effect of the light where Tripp’s shadow would be. It’s making that yellow field at the far edge of the vineyards look brighter, even though the glory spot itself is further in the distance and a little to the right. You may notice the sun’s lower in this one because we’re on our way home to SB. This last one for today adds in some green shapes, and that mirror effect on the pond that still water sometimes gets from reflected sky when you’re flying.

7747 Patchwork

7747 Patchwork

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