John & Anne Wiley

2012/09/21

We interrupt…

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,SB Region — John @ 20:56

The TV news used to say, “We interrupt this broadcast…” and then show something like this. Snapped from our driveway at 11:35am Friday morning. Nice way to start a lunch conversation. 🙂

0939 Jumbo & Shuttle

0939 Jumbo & Shuttle

I heard startled neighbors shout with delight when they looked up to see what the noise was. Tried to call a few friends and alert them as we looked and I snapped, but didn’t reach anyone. I’d been checking online to see when it would pass (wonder if it was on Flight Aware), and went out to watch thinking it would be offshore. We’d even thought about flying and trying to coax ATC into letting us get within a mile for a telephoto pic of it over SB. As is often the case, everything worked out perfectly since it passed almost directly overhead at relatively low altitude. Would have been fun to listen on ATC, but our portable transceiver is in Tripp. Within a couple of minutes it was already passing from view, so I snapped this wide shot showing the two fighter jets escorting it.

0942 Endeavor & Friends

0942 Endeavour & Friends

I can hardly wait to see tonite’s news for all the great shots of it passing over SF and LA. There’s also sure to be some great stuff on the NASA website and a rapidly growing collection of stills on their Flickr page for the flight.

OK, back to your regularly scheduled programming: More on the AB Joy trip to come soon…

2012/08/30

Further Behind

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,SB Region — John @ 23:37

Long ago as my last post seemed, this one’s further behind because I’m falling further behind. That is, posting more pix from our AB Joy Adventure has been falling behind other stuff on our ToDo list. So the pix I’m sharing below for today is older than the stuff on the prior post. Hope I can get thru all the unshared AB Joy pix before we begin another Big Adventure. 🙂

1728 Big Rock

1728 Big Rock

So as you can see, we’re flying the OR coast after our night at Coos Bay. While the gals have been enjoying a steady stream of coast my focus has been a few of the more striking offshore rocks on my side of the plane. I haven’t yet figured out where these rocks are, but maybe you’ll recognize them. If you click to see the larger version of the one above you can start to make out the variety of birds enjoying the top.

1734 Sea Caves

1734 Sea Caves

I’m endlessly fascinated by the many sea caves along the CA/OR coast, and the ones in offshore rocks even more so. I’m in a kayak exploring, or maybe in an old timey story about pirates.

1735 Rock Arch

1735 Rock Arch

Rock arches take it up a notch. It’s mind boggling to imagine the forces that would carve such a beautiful arch while leaving all the support structure intact. Maybe an ancient lava tube made the arch area softer than the rest of the rock?

1740 Spooky Shapes

1740 Spooky Shapes

Some of the shapes are just spooky. If the Nautilus sub in that old Disney film has a secret home base, this would make a great entrance. Carved down into solid rock would be a chamber where the sub descends. Then it surfaces in a gigantic subterranean dome where the sailors can climb ashore below sea level. Whatever’s inside, there’s a sinister air about it. Or not. Maybe just a really beautiful collection of shapes that’s home to a variety of animals that shelter there via land, air and sea.

2012/08/25

Seconds

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 08:18

I’ve started going thru pix from our AB Joy Adventure, and thought you might enjoy a second helping. Here are two lighthouses I like. First up a view along the shoreline of the Point Sur Lighthouse, on that spectacular coast.

1647 Point Sur Light

1647 Point Sur Lighthouse

For some reason I really like this perspective on the Santa Cruz Light. I guess it’s the low angle, plus the light angle that colors it into a gem on the water.

1669 Santa Cruz Lighthouse

1669 Santa Cruz Lighthouse

2012/08/08

Fast SLO Trip

Filed under: AB Joy Adventure,Flying,Happiness,SB Region — John @ 07:00

Well, we didn’t leave SB until just before dark. So our flight was all of an hour, including a long slow climb over SBA to gain altitude for extra safety in the dark passage North. Once up at eight thousand we stopped circling and zoomed at about 140mph to SLO (San Luis Obispo). Since it was dark, I hadn’t set up my camera (though I’d probably have been able to get some good snaps). I was pretty busy flying, talking to ATC, and navigating anyway and probably wouldn’t have snapped much.

So here’s a verbal image for you. Taking off the sunset colors came into view in the west, because when it’s dark on the ground there’s still light aloft. Turning toward the coast for the circling climb over SBA we enjoyed the lights of UCSB and IV, with Hope Ranch and Santa Barbara twinkling into the distance. The dark outlines of the mountain ridges were still visible against the deepening purple sky. Lights inching along Hwy.101 made veins of life in the darkness toward Gaviota.

The gals commented on how different our familiar town looks from the air at night. There are sharp outlines at the edges of the developed areas, and landmarks disappear. I pointed out some roads as we flew over them on our second round, starting with Fairview. That helped them figure out some of the other roads and neighborhoods, and before long they recognized shopping areas and other major features. When we turned North the lights of Santa Ynez, Solvang, Buellton, Lompoc and even Santa Maria were in clear view by the time the mountains were slipping silently beneath our wings.

Our AB (Alberta) Joy adventure thus began with a fast trip to SLO. Tomorrow we cruise up the coast perhaps to Florence, OR. The photo ops begin. 🙂

 

2012/08/05

Viva

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 10:57

SB is a little crazy this week with the Fiesta Parade and all the associated events around town. So we had a quiet picnic with a dear friend at one of her favorite spots.

0186 Ellings Park

0186 Elings Park

There are views in pretty much every direction from various places in this grove atop Elings Park, and just to the right of the one above is a good look at this manse.

0187 Eyelash Hill

0187 Eyelash Hill

We call it Eyelash Hill because the line of palm trees along the hill crest driveway to the right, looks like eyelashes from our part of town. After lunch we drove into town and a similarly striking view of the mountains was garnished with an Old Spanish Days (aka Fiesta) banner.

0226 Fiesta State

0226 Fiesta State

Fiesta could be described as a state of mind, and as you can see on some grumpy Edhat comments some residents don’t like it. We like some of it, and cruised State Street to soak up some of the colorful throngs that include many visitors buying balloon hats and confetti-filled eggs (cascarones) used to decorate the uninitiated.

0218 Tourist Fun

0218 Tourist Fun

Around town during this week of events sometimes people will smile and say, “Viva la Fiesta!” When we first moved here, one of our first new friends told us locals call it the Realtor’s Parade. On her advice we avoided it for a few years. Then on a whim we checked out the parade, and wow. Some really great horses and riders, and lots of family fun. Like us, some people come just to take in the lively scene.

0212 Observers

0212 Observers

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Blog at WordPress.com.