John & Anne Wiley

2012/01/04

Another Look

I was taking another look at our pix from last year a few daze ago (12/31/11), and thought you might enjoy this one as I did.

8937 Last Rays

8937 Last Rays

The last rays of the last day of 2011 were beautiful for us. Reflective of the year, but also of childhood. Standing on a wide, flat beach as the foam slid sizzling toward our feet and we turned squealing to run away. I see that surge of foam in the fog line angling down from the right, about to wash over Oxnard. Anacapa Island beneath the sun seems much smaller than our many memories of flying over and around it. sigh…

Life unfolds in mystery, and slowly we learn, only to forget again as the years wash ashore.

2012/01/03

Shuffle

New Year’s Day we did a shuffle, and for the second we did a walk. The shuffle was driving over to Santa Ynez, leaving the car and flying Tripp home to SBA just ahead of the late afternoon fog. The familiar shapes of Bradbury Dam looked tranquil in the lengthening shadows.

1020001 Bradbury Shapes

1020001 Bradbury Shapes

If you have Anne’s keen eye for detail, you’ve noticed yet another numbering scheme on this set of pix. We got a cheapo videocam in SD, and somehow both forgot our cameras so we had only that along with us on the short flight. I’m undecided whether to keep it past the trial period due to the marginal quality of video and stills, but it could be cool to have aerial video from some of our adventures. These stills of Cachuma Lake are ok for here or Edhat, but might not meet my standards for the Photo Page. Of course, we’d normally have better still cameras along, but the video quality is marginal too. Maybe the “flybucks” saved on the cheapo camera would make it worth more hassle editing and improving any video we use.  This wider shot better shows the poor lens quality, in all the haze and washed out sky.

1020003 Cachuma Head

1020003 Cachuma Head

This still has already been corrected some, and doing even this amount on video takes more time and effort. At least the lake was relaxing and beautiful to look at, and even these pix take us back to the magical ride home to slip Tripp into her home base just before the foggy sunset.

1020002 Up Lake

1020002 Up Lake

To celebrate our second day of 2012, we went for a walk. Pretty pedestrian perhaps, but it felt wonderful to catch up on some chores around home, sleep in, vege out in front of TV, and catch up with cyberia (email & web). Well, except for sharing these pix before the clock struck twelve. Tomorrow maybe we’ll get more active again, and start practicing saying and writing 2012. For some reason the change is taking longer to feel real this year.

2012/01/01

Goodbye ’11

Approaching familiar SBA we imagined a dusk landing and a cozy dinner at home to bid farewell to 2011. Instead, this odd numbered year provided some last odd gifts. First was this sunset over the Channel Islands as we passed Ventura.

8940 '11 Hangover

8940 '11 Hangover

The overhanging cloud was an odd color that gave me a brief sense of foreboding as if 2011 had a hangover. Do you see the freckled fog on the ocean in the above shot? Here’s another look, back toward Port Hueneme with better light because the camera’s not overloaded by the sunset rays.

8948 Oxnard Blanket

8948 Oxnard Blanket

Well, that fog was thicker at SBA so ’11 gave us another odd surprise by preventing our landing. So we diverted to Santa Ynez where the quiet airport greeted us with clear skies dotted with the first stars of the year’s last night. A great friend drove over to bring us home, after we cruised the lights in festive Solvang. Tomorrow we’ll drive over to bring Tripp home once the fog burns off, and hopefully our friend will join me for the short flight while Anne brings the car back. I’m excited to see what ’12 looks like! So far it’s shaping up to be a Perfect Dozen year. May ’12 be your fave year so far, overflowing with welcome surprises and joyful closeness.

2011/12/27

Peak

This holiday season is adding a new peak for the year, with great family times together and today’s sunset flight home across Pinnacles National Monument.

8724 Peak Experience

8724 Peak Experience

Much as we’d have once enjoyed climbing those trails to experience the rock forms, this evening it was nice to fly quietly over looking at all the variations in shape and texture on our way home to a cozy fire with tea and warm memories.

8728 Western Set

8728 Western Set

Some of the scenes were straight from a Western movie, perfect for ambush scenes. Maybe some day we’ll fly to King City and find our way out to the Pinnacles for a closer look. Meanwhile we’ll hope to fly over again for another peek.

2011/12/24

Golden Time

As warm sunlight finds a path through the oaks and pours in the windows this morning, my heart overflows in this golden moment with family. The sweet sound of our grand-daughter’s delight wakens our souls.

1643 Pure Joy

1643 Golden Joy

As if this weren’t enough, I got to fly her wonderful Dad and my bro-in-law on a quick tour of San Francisco just before sunset.

8681 Golden Gate

8681 Golden Gate

As the world spreads beneath the wings, the heart stretches to embrace the True golden nature of time.

8693 Thru the Gate

8693 Thru the Gate

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