John & Anne Wiley

2011/02/05

Surprise Sunset

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,SB Region — John @ 02:22

OK, I know the sun sets every day and here in SB we’re able to see it more often than in cloudier parts of the world, but still! Tonight seemed to be settling quietly toward dark looking out our living room window toward the mountains, but when Anne glanced out the kitchen to the West she suddenly got excited. Coaxing me to get away from the computer for a look, she smiled when I gasped and ran for the camera. 🙂

5254 Unexpected Color

5254 Unexpected Color

It was so brilliant, the colors seem to have overwhelmed the camera’s sensor and there wasn’t time to experiment with settings as it changed so quickly.

5253 Surprise Sunset

5253 Surprise Sunset

Off to the Northwest there was a gentle curve of pastel tinted cloud that normally would have been remarkable, but next to the explosion in the West it offered a place to rest your eyes.

5256 Color Curve

5256 Color Curve

Even as it began to fade, the show was remarkable.

5257 Deepening Colors

5257 Deepening Colors

2011/02/03

Flashback

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 21:51

Long ago (a few weeks), I shared this shot of UCSB here on our blog. I also sent it to Edhat and put a larger version on my Photo Page. Thanks to Dreamyshade’s comment on the Photo Page version, I’m looking back at the pic with my eyes open. I’m fascinated by old stuff, and have often imagined looking in the attic of an old house where I’d discover some forgotten treasure. It might even be valuable: I think it was last year someone did that and sold it for several million, but I digress.

4466 What's Inside?

4466 What's Inside?

Every time I fly into, out of, or around SBA this is in sight. Given my fascination with old stuff, how can I have possibly not noticed this bunker? Will I remember next time we’re out where Tripp is parked, to see if it’s visible even from there? Even if it only held WWII munitions for the Marine Air operation once based at SBA, wouldn’t it be cool to look around and in this thing? What if it was used as an alternate command post in the event of attack, and there’s an old desk with a hot line and paperwork or charts? Well, I’ve sent an item to Edhat about it so if they put it on we’ll probably get lots of answers from the history experts that hang out there. Meanwhile, in answer to Dreamyshade’s comment here are crops of the other two bunker areas from pix of that day, slightly reduced from full size.

4466 Bunker Busting

4466 Bunker Busting?

4469 Bunker Busted?

4469 Bunker Busted?

Hope Lake

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 10:01

Hope springs eternal, and I seem to have an enduring fascination with Hope Lake. That’s my name for the large pond atop the bluffs in Hope Ranch. First off, it’s remarkably beautiful both in the shape and setting of the “lake” and in the complex landscape design. The mansions and assorted other buildings are tastefully integrated and extravagantly appointed. It’s a prime example of human expression in the grand estate form.

5167 Hope Lake

5167 Hope Lake

I don’t know if it’s two estates sharing the lake, or if it all belongs to the one on the left. Either way, another fascination to me is how much each square foot of that water must represent in real estate value given that if drained it could support quite a large mansion with a commanding ocean view in one of Santa Barbara’s two priciest areas. That baseball diamond would buy quite a large fleet of Tripp-priced planes, or probably a spiffy jet. I’d rather be flying. 🙂

2011/02/01

Quick Flight

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,SB Region — John @ 04:52

We’re about to watch Mary & Max with a friend, but I wanted to share a snap of UCSB area from our short flight because it was so beautiful. Maybe more later. 🙂

5151 UCSB Area

5151 UCSB Area

2011/01/31

Mountain Glow

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 00:46

I was outside puttering on something for Tripp when Anne brought me the camera and said, “Look at that.”

5104 Cloud, Mountain, Colors

5104 Cloud, Mountain, Colors

The spectacle was almost unbelievable. I like the way the end of the rainbow hangs in the air, and how the variations in rain make vertical bands of varied intensity. The whole show blew along the ridge toward the right (East), and I kept snapping. I’ve put some on my Photo Page, and sent others to Edhat. My personal fav is when a hawk was circling in the blustery winds opposite the lit side of the show.

5110 Light Hawk

5110 Light Hawk

Anne’s fav is the end of the show, when it touched down in front of Gibraltar.

5116 Touchdown

5116 Touchdown

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