John & Anne Wiley

2010/12/26

New Tradition?

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 03:14

This might be our first Christmas at home together, and it’s wonderful to savor what might become a new tradition for us. Usually we’re with family, so this year after a warm and wonderful Christmas Eve with family in San Diego we flew home through a dreamscape. Yesterday between morning coffee and evening soup/gifts, we took a break to fly over San Diego Bay.

4118 San Diego Bay

4118 San Diego Bay

This view over the salt ponds from near the Mexican border shows the graceful arc of the Strand to Point Loma with the city skyline just visible at top-right. Flying home today we got a great view of distant snowy peaks beyond the Riverside area.

4170 Snow Beckons

4170 Snow Beckons

We were tempted to fly over them for a closer look and to avoid incoming weather so we can meet up with dear ones in the desert. But the siren song of Home was stronger, so we dodged storms to arrive just as heavy rains were approaching Santa Barbara. It’s so fun to choose in the moment, allowing our destined route to emerge. Dipping through a large opening in the clouds near Camarillo was just one in the string of choices that ended with us enjoying home made soup by a warm fire.

1195 Clouds Parted

1195 Clouds Parted

Happy holidays, everyone!

2010/12/24

Up Again

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 08:01

We saw some delightful sights flying to Oxnard today. First was the brown marble sea created by the muddy runoff from all the recent storms. We saw variations on this theme at every creek and river outlet along the coast.

4048 Sea of Mud

4048 Sea of Mud

Over the Oxnard coastline looking toward Ventura the dappled shadows and scampering small clouds made the familiar scene we’ve seen on so many flights, all new.

4050 Oxnard Anew

4050 Oxnard Anew

Can you make out the campground at the bottom? Those little circles each lead to pads where motorhomes park to sleep with the drumming of surf beyond the dunes. A bit to the right out of this frame is a similar shape from the air, made by picnic tables on pads around a playground. I like the embellishment created by the trees and their shadows lining the street.

4052 Playground Flower

4052 Playground Flower

Flying low reveals both geology and geometry.

2010/12/21

Layers

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 01:52

Anne had hair and happiness (shopping) time this afternoon, as I cruised Altered State Street looking for a place to park. Downtown was surprisingly busy given the rain, but maybe most were doing holiday shopping and taking advantage of this break in the heavy rain of the last few and next few days. For some like Anne and me though, it was also a great time to be out and about. There was just enough rain to tingle the skin and make everything shiny. I paused at the corner before turning left onto Altered State, to snap this invigorating view of the clouds layering among the hills over Montecito. Layers of thoughtful feelings about holidays and a precious grand-daughter warmed my heart in the brisk air.

4040 Rainy Day Stroll

4040 Rainy Day Stroll

2010/12/18

Rain & Memories

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 23:31

I’ve finally found one photo of grand-daughter beautiful, being held by our jubilant son-in-law (posted on his FaceBook page). I’d like to post it, but we’ve had a policy of keeping pix of people off this blog and I already bent that rule yesterday with the old photo of my precious daughter as a newborn. So we’re sitting by the fire listening to the rain, and remembering all our sweet and fun times with her as we imagine how Happy Tired they are.

To keep myself busy, I’ve also looked through more of the photos from our most recent flight. I imagined just now what it would be like to have the whole family over for a holiday meal at this place downtown.

3976 Downtown Mans w/Tower

3976 Downtown Mans w/Tower

I wouldn’t want to own, much less live in such a massive old house. It would be fun to have that tower though, and add round windows all the way around. There did seem to be a gathering at Oprah’s place, since we seldom see more than one or two cars there just before sunset as this was.

3997 Oprah's Montecito Estate

3997 Oprah's Montecito Estate

Nearby was a quiet scene with the Chumash burial ground at Shalawa Meadow in the foreground and a serene seascape toward the distant clouds beyond Carp.

4003 Shalawa (Hammond's) Meadow

4003 Shalawa (Hammond's) Meadow

Generations of memories, here and in the homes we saw, and beyond to the native peoples who once gathered on that beach for meals and ceremonies.

2010/12/14

Big Sky

Filed under: by Anne,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — Anne @ 05:15

Same eve, whilst I was walking, I caught these photos to show to John.

0967 Sunset Tree

0967 Sunset Tree

Our winter skies are so spectacular of late…

0968 setting Sun, big Sky

0968 setting Sun, big Sky

by ~Anne

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