John & Anne Wiley

2011/04/05

Other Way

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Random,SB Region — John @ 00:44

Looking the other way (South) from near Gibraltar Reservoir, the view across the Santa Ynez Mountains toward Santa Barbara was beautiful in the glow of approaching sunset.

6689 Peak to Pier

6689 Peak to Pier

I breathed another deep sigh looking at that just now. While flying, the rock formations caught my eye of course so I flew a bit closer and snapped this.

6691 Rock Crest

6691 Rock Crest

Any idea how many times I’d need to fly in a 10 mile radius of KSBA to get tired of it? Keep in mind, I’ve probably done it close to 1,000 times already. 🙂

ps-just realized I hadn’t posted any Gibraltar Dam pix here (several on Photo Page & Edhat links in the right column here). So here’s a closer view of the spillway just for you.

6678 Spill Veil

6678 Spill Veil

Looks like the builders left some of the original rock in place, and the veil splits on the second spillway from the right.

2011/04/03

Tooth Tour

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 00:51

White. That’s what we see out the window today. Much of the day it was white past a couple of blocks away. Right now I can dimly make out a nearby hill. Not once have we seen the mountains. All the happier then, that we decided to take a quick sunset flight up to look at the hills. As you may recall, one of my fav features in our view is “Tooth Rock” aka Cathedral Peak. From here it looks very much like an incisor or eye tooth, sticking up from a saddle going up to the ridge near La Cumbre Peak.

6667 Tooth Territory

6667 Tooth Territory

Above it how it looked in context with the surrounding territory as we approached. Yesterday it turned out we flew directly toward it from the airport because nothing else seemed to draw us. There was already haze forming below about 2,000 feet, so the hills called to us as we climbed high enough to see that they were still in relatively clear air. We’d also wanted to see if there was much snow still on the back country peaks (there isn’t). There are probably other pix from the flight that I’ll share here in the next few days (especially if it stays foggy), but I wanted to share this closer shot of Tooth Rock because although it’s a little blurry due to the fading light and the cave at the base only partly shows in the frame, I really like this angle.

6668 Tooth Essence

6668 Tooth Essence

It really shows the tooth essence I get looking at it from home. It’s actually a relatively thin slab of stone rather than a conical shape as the angle of the light here seems to show, so I like how this retains that illusion while adding the texture and detail missing from back here on the ground (if we could see it today!).

2011/04/02

Quiet Slice

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 00:48

Next to the bustling Bacara resort where frantic zillionaires go (or send/take wives/girlfriends) to chill is a narrow slice of quiet nature from pre-herstory. In those times, the loudest sound you’d hear would be a bird call mingling with the gentle surf and breeze rustling in the trees. Though this is surrounded on three sides by resort, refinery and railroad (with freeway beyond), a slice of quiet somehow emerges as you stroll across the red bridge. Pausing to notice the foliage and wildlife, a calm descends.

6660 Nature Slice

6660 Nature Slice

After that deep breath you might notice the warm drone of a small plane coasting along offshore catching a glimpse back in time. Perhaps you hear the oil tender boat pounding through the waves dashing out toward an offshore platform. Or you might continue walking West to pause at the edge of the resort and watch the free raptor show. Whatever comes next is transformed by that moment. We’ve done this several times, and loved being up close to owls and hawks taken there by trainers to chase away seagulls and pigeons. Seeing them circle, hover, perch and glide, and noting the reactions of all the other birds. Also calming somehow.

2011/03/31

Bluffing

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 23:34

Seems like every time we fly the Santa Barbara area, we discover new things. On our Friday flight we were startled by the sheer sandstone bluffs just West of the Bacara resort. Especially this first one!

6655 Sliced Stone

6655 Sliced Stone

In a less geologically overwhelming part of the world, wouldn’t this be a major tourist attraction? So do “pages” of the stone flake off and crash to the beach all at once? What accounts for that hole punched through many layers in the middle? Does this feature have a name? Just a bit closer to the resort are more cliffs with their own charms.

6657 Sheer Bluffs

6657 Sheer Bluffs

I like how the layers have been shaved off by the surf, yet still retain the sharp definition. Presumably at some point all of these layers were horizontal, and over millions of years and countless earthquakes they tilted up almost vertical. Quite a scuplture. Looking back at these pix makes me want to go flying again! 🙂

2011/03/30

Surfing

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 02:32

Santa Barbara is home to many surfers. The stretch of coast from Ventura to Point Conception has many favorite spots for them, depending on what their preference is and what the surf conditions are at a given moment. Friday’s flight took us past one of their impromptu gatherings at El Capitan State Beach, and one of my pix captured this great ride.

6439 Surfer

6439 Surfer

There’s a whole lifestyle associated with surfing, and though it’s probably related to ranching this cabin on a bluff just West of town looks like the ideal surfer shack.

6435 Beach Cliff Cabin

6435 Beach Cliff Cabin

Looks like a well-used beach access trail at the left, and I love how the ribbed rock patterns there interact with the surf. Also on this flight I saw a deep pool amid massive boulders near the ridgeline above Goleta.

6529 Mountain Rock Pool

6529 Mountain Rock Pool

Even though there had been recent rain, there was no sign of a creek in or out and the water looks stagnant. It’s fun to imagine the life there. My guess is a great starlight frog choir. In case any Santa Barbarians are curious where it is, here’s a wide shot for context and you can just make out the pool at the bottom-center.

6530 Rock Pool Setting

6530 Rock Pool Setting

A friend recently commented on how flying for us is a spiritual experience, and it really resonates. Attending to our inner landscape while interacting with the spectacular SB environs, can evoke an integration of inner and outer worlds while also facilitating an increased awareness beyond. An Observer of self, other, and divine.

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