John & Anne Wiley

2015/08/23

Barbarians

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 21:19

We love Santa Barbara. Unless you’re new to this blog, you already knew that. But recently I found yet another example that might help explain it.

6843 Barbarian Abode

6843 Barbarian Abode

This relatively modest mansion in our hills exudes creativity and is a great example of our diversity. Many non-homogeneous places like ours struggle to get along even just between political perspectives, but here we do it better than most.  Like some other places we have hardy minimalists living in trackless wilderness near (flying Tripp) massive mansions. Like many other places we have a large homeless population living among billionaires. We have salary workers below the poverty line, artists, and creative people of all sorts including those who’ve grown very rich from their passions. But of all the places we’ve flown in North America, there’s no place like home for mingling such extreme diversity so well.

2015/07/13

Esalen

Filed under: Coasting Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 08:02

The famous Esalen Institute has grown for many decades into a thriving Big Sur community.

5794 Esalen

5794 Esalen

It’s not just thriving economically, and as a center for consciousness workshops but also as an experiment in “intentional living.” The first known residents were a Native American tribe known as the Esselen traced back to about 4,600 years ago here. In the 1870s, Thomas Slate used the natural hot springs there and even in this drought the springs are still running and still bear his name.

5788 Slate Hot Springs

5788 Slates Hot Springs

In the 1960s Michael Murphy and Dick Price referenced the ancient name to plant the seed of what it is today. Now there are a few homes, many cottages there for people attending workshops, and some rooms available for private retreats.

5786 Cottages

5786 Cottages

Nestled among the cottages there’s a magnificent swimming pool and grand old lodge (here’s a map) with new construction behind it.

5781 Lodge

5781 Lodge

Point House and more cottages bracket the main garden where organic produce is lovingly tended.

5779 Garden Of Delights

5779 Garden Of Delights

Next to a ravine is a Meditation Building and then we see the Big House and a yurt.

5776 Big House

5776 Big House

Next are the Farm House and other buildings of various creative forms spread among the sheltering trees.

5771 Farm House

5771 Farm House

Nearly hidden behind trees at bottom-right is the Art Barn and standing proudly near the middle is the Dance Dome.

5767 Dance Dome

5767 Dance Dome

Completing this fly-by of Esalen proper is the Farm with a few small huts but the community permeates this region of Big Sur and far beyond, influencing people and communities around the world. That influence is felt strongly here in Santa Barbara, in a way joining the two communities closely.

5766 The Farm

5766 The Farm

2015/02/27

Family Fun

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,SB Region — John @ 07:08

Now that we’re rested and caught up a bit, I’m finally finding time to share a few pix of our big family gathering. It began with our precious daughter and family arriving late at SBA due to flight delays, with daddy wearing this angel drape.

213405 Angel Drape

213405 Angel Drape

The next day, family from North and South gathered to join the fun. Our angel shadow boxed with daddy to entertain the crowd.

1077 Boxing

1077 Boxing

Cousins collected in a clump behind the chairs for some concentrated play and creative pretend with everyone’s collected favorite toys.

1133 Play Time

1133 Play Time

As night arrived, all but one stopped for a photo moment to appease grampa (aka “Bumpa”) before some departed for home and others stayed in town for another day.

1147 Warm Family

1147 Warm Family

That next day literally flew by, including a flight with some to Santa Ynez while the rest drove to meet us and drive on to explore Solvang. SB weather closed in so we left Tripp and all drove back, ready for a good long sleep. Except our angel, who thought it a good time for an unannounced hide and seek with daddy. 🙂

1152 Hiding From Bed

1152 Hiding From Bed

Next day one of many highlights for our little family taking a break from -17 blizzards at home, was swimming in a heated pool in our balmy air.

162750 Beyond Cold

162750 Beyond Cold

The next day we enjoyed some concentrated down time, sleeping in and hanging out.

164706 Hanging Out

164706 Hanging Out

Another day, and we added Ellwood to see the last dozen butterflies and stroll out to the beach bluff.

164623 Ellwood Stroll

164623 Ellwood Stroll

Bumpa showed our angel the “enchanted grove” and we peeked back under a tree as “Grammy” snapped the moment.

165852 Enchanted Grove

165852 Enchanted Grove

Our last full day included an introduction to flying for daddy, who demonstrated a natural aviator’s ability and quick learning.

1165 Flight Lesson

1165 Flight Lesson

Then the beach, where the sound of surf washed away any lingering tension from work and daily life in a cold climate of their home.

1170 Warm Waves

1170 Warm Waves

Before sunset, Grammy got some sweet moments with our angel to savor until her next visit.

1192 Precious Moments

1192 Precious Moments

The next day one last swim in the relaxing pool and then back to SBA for the long journey home, that again arrived late. But just as we savor the joy of Daughter and family, their exhaustion was hopefully tempered by memories of a vacation here in paradise surrounded by our Love.

2014/11/11

Steps To Happiness

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,PNW Adventure,Random,Relationships,SB Region,Tripp — John @ 09:43

“How far can you fly?” That’s a question we’re often asked. Around the world would be one correct answer. Tripp can fly from Portland to SB without stopping is another answer, but we don’t. Usually. It’s much more fun to fly low and slow, stopping every few hundred miles for a stretch, some exploration on the ground, and maybe a meal. When friends and family along our route can accommodate the semi-scheduled nature of nearly all our flying trips, we stop for a visit. So almost always we make long trips in “steps” of a few hundred miles each.

6868 River Life

6868 River Life

Our first step toward home from Marysville gave us this peek at the river, where people eke out a life in ramshackle camps among the trees. Soon we saw Sacramento slip by far in the hazy distance, where the upscale and wealthy set policy.

6888 Sacramento

6888 Sacramento

Tripp transforms the Seattle to SB trip from a grueling drive or cramped airliner into scenic pleasures punctuating a series of discoveries and precious memories formed in such steps.

It was a short step to San Jose, where we cherished some sweet times with a sister and family. When we took off on our final step home the next day, there she was waving warmly.

2696 Sweet Step

2696 Sweet Step

The last step triggered memories of visiting cousins in Morgan Hill. A peak that seemed impossibly high then, is now an easy glance.

6908 Morgan Memories

6908 Morgan Memories

Many refreshing and memorable views unfolded gracefully below in the hour after takeoff. Then we crossed the coastal mountains and descended toward the beach as we passed high over Hearst Castle.

7015 Hearst Descent

7015 Hearst Descent

Having taken some of the tours there, it’s always interesting to see from above at different angles on each passage. Over the beach at our comfortable quarter mile or so up, we turned more directly toward home. Tomorrow I’ll chose a few visions to share from that final hour of wonders on our PNW Adventure.

2014/11/10

Say Uncle

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,PNW Adventure,Random,Relationships — John @ 02:27

As we cleared the mountains near Redding, we had to say Uncle and stay at relatively high altitude. Everything is much clearer down lower where we like to fly (especially in the haze typically cloaking the central valley). But we were racing to a brief visit with one of my Uncles on our way to visit another, and higher = faster in many cases. We were covering 140 miles in an hour, rather than our typical lazy 100 or so down low. Although we saw many scenic wonders, the haze up there isn’t conducive to interesting pix. So the first I’ll share in this post is as we were taking off from Lakeport having missed Uncle #1 due to a text message mistake.

6831 Clear Lake

6831 Clear Lake

We haven’t seen him in a long time, so we really want to go back. But on this day after an hour waiting in vain at Lampson Field we zipped out to the East. Toward that end of Clear Lake is this little islet with a house that commands an expansive view of sunrise over the water.

6841 Rising Sun Setting

6841 Rising Sun Setting

As for us, just as sunset was approaching we landed at Marysville for a visit with my other uncle. Flooded fields punctuated the dust plain here and there as the distant Buttes stood witness in the haze.

6860 Fields & Buttes

6860 Fields & Buttes

As we took off the next morning after a surprise visit with family, I snapped my Uncle and Cousin watching us circle back overhead going South just after they finished waving.

6883 Fond Farewell

6883 Fond Farewell

It’s a special feeling, being with people you love who have known you all your life. Especially those who share my tradition of waving farewell.

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