John & Anne Wiley

2012/11/20

Bliss 360

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 04:40

Taking off from SBA is bliss in every direction. Mountains, ocean, city, country, and hints of all the other variety California has to offer from redwoods to lakes and rivers to deserts. All of it caressed by idyllic weather here in the Goldilocks zone. No matter which runway we use, lifting off we’re greeted by transcendent scenes like this.

1345 Up & Out

1345 Up & Out

The sensation of lifting up and flying out over the water is thrilling, quickening the heart and instantly expanding the horizon. There’s the beach, slough and pier where we just roamed with E Man. Arcing back over the shore in a gentle climb, the trusty song of Tripp’s engine disappears until the whisper of a gentle breeze soothes our souls.

1348 I See UC

1348 I See UC

There’s the Isla Vista we’ve strolled, and the UC campus of Erin and then Molly. Even after a long dry spell like we had here until this weekend, there’s so much to thrill the eye and nourish the soul as we approach the mountains this time.

1359 Eye Level

1359 Eye Level

Turning along the shoulders of the peaks we easily rise until eye level with the ridge. There’s the Old San Marcos stagecoach road we’ve driven with friends and family, pausing to enjoy the smell of sage and stretch our legs. Now I look at a dry waterfall, silently awaiting the rain that will refresh all this and trigger an explosion of life.

1362 Expectant Falls

1362 Expectant Falls

All of this, and a 360 degree panorama more, has slipped beneath our wings in just 360 seconds of bliss. This is why we fly.

2012/11/19

E Man

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 01:57

Today we met a super guy named E Man. When he saw this grebe walking on water, he said he could do it too if he ran fast enough.

1494 Water Trick

1494 Water Trick

We had met E Man earlier at Goleta Beach, and during our time together he had already demonstrated some flying ability.

 

1532 E Flight

1532 E Flight

He also likes to study nature up close, finding fascination all along our walk with his keen mind and sharp eyes.

1469 Science Moment

1469 Science Moment

Before that, out on the pier he witnessed a leap of friendship. A friend of this woman had passed away, and this was her way of honoring him. Luckily she had cautioned us that we didn’t need to be concerned or try to jump in after her. But maybe watching this had inspired E Man’s later leap from the playground equipment.

1453 Going Down

1453 Going Down

We hope to see E Man again some time, and enjoy more fun adventures around town.

2012/11/07

Other Side

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 21:10

Sometimes I’ve wished you could see more pix from Tripp’s other side. Though she takes fewer pix, it’s always fun to see things from Anne’s side of the plane. There’s also a fascinating contrast from the other side of our gender orientation. Maybe some day she’ll get more motivated to post her perspective, but meanwhile here are some of my faves among her pix from two recent flights.

4387 Hill To Islands

4387 Hill To Islands

On many flights, she gets this view as we obey ATC’s directive to “follow 101 to the harbor.” That’s “TV Hill” at the bottom-right, SBCC in the middle, and “our” spot on Shoreline Park just to the right. I like how she captures the wave texture in this view of East Beach where we used to walk daily when we first moved here.

4421 Wave Sweep

4421 Wave Sweep

Lately she’s been fascinated with all the construction on the Mesa, and I like how this view puts it in context with downtown at the top-right.

4431 Mesa Construction

4431 Mesa Construction

Last up is this view past Hope Ranch to the West, taken the next day with her polarizing filter. I’m going to post a larger version of this one to my Photo Page.

4473 Hope To West

4473 Hope To West

2012/11/02

Random Surprises

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

I’ve missed posting lately, and decided to start catching up. I’ve been helping with a free new Android app for pilots, named Avare. Click the link to check it out if you’re into aviation, or just want to see what I’ve been up to. Anyway, here are some random surprises, starting with a view that greatly surprised us the first time we saw it.

1139 Tucker's Grove

1139 Tucker’s Grove

We’ve been to the Tucker’s Grove park at the north end of Turnpike many times, and hiked the trail up toward the hills from there a lot too. On the trail it feels like we’re in a wooded wilderness along the creek, but as you can see there are lots of homes on both sides. The park entrance is at the bottom-center, and the trail goes to the right and then up into the mountains. I’ve made this pic bigger than usual if you’d like to click it for a better look. Next up is a more recent surprise.

1163 Oprah's Cottage

1163 Oprah’s Cottage

When we fly past Montecito, it’s fun to glance at Oprah’s modest SB cottage. Recently there’s been major construction work there, and that’s surprising given how beautiful it was before. I think she’d already done major renovations when she bought it a few years ago. Will be fun to see this latest work finished and compare with how it looked before. Last up in this random set is a familiar building that surprised me.

1179 California Light

1179 California Light

We thought the California Hotel was going to be demolished, but seeing it from State Street we thought the project hadn’t started. I was surprised to see that it’s hollow inside except for a stout steel framework, and even more surprised at the translucent back wall. I guess they wanted it to look substantial, and maybe offer the neighbors an impression of how it will look with windows where the black areas are painted on the tarp. Next time we’re down in that area, maybe we’ll go by for a closer look.

2012/10/30

Extremes

Filed under: Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 00:05

They say global warming leads to extremes in weather. This evening as we look out at beautiful blue skies with a gentle breeze wafting 73° sea air through the palms, the weather seems anything but extreme.

0508 Evening Hills

0508 Evening Hills

Our thoughts turn to our beloved Allie where it’s 25° and snow, and precious Molly where a hurricane approaches with a stinging mist blasting horizontally and winds aloft raging at 190mph according to this aviation website.

Aviation Wind Map

Aviation Wind Map

It’s easy to see how intense and uncharacteristically south-bending the jetstream is up at 36,000 feet where a few airliners are making rapid progress by riding it. Down at the surface, 70mph winds and rain are ramping up to wreak havoc on the northeast. Here’s hoping you’re warm and safe, and that our loved ones come through this ok.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.