John & Anne Wiley

2011/01/30

Stormy Weather

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Random,SB Region,Tripp — John @ 07:34

It’s been such great weather for a while now that we grew complacent. This evening we noticed possible rain forecast for tomorrow, so we went out to pamper Tripp a little and try on her new cover (aka “wrap”). It fits much better than the first one they sent us, so we took it off again and while I recaulked Tripp’s windows Anne waxed them with Nu Finish (blocks UV, so it both protects the plexi and interior but also reduces our need for sunscreen on our faces).

Well it turned out we were in for quite a sunset spectacle. It started with the partly clouded sun going down into the trees on the knoll across the runway at UCSB.

5068 UC Sunset

5068 UC Sunset

Pretty nice, and more impressive than the pic shows. I was about to put away the camera when I looked around. Over in the northwest past the radar tower a line of low clouds was spilling over the mountains.

5072 Cloud Spill

5072 Cloud Spill

Looking up, I noticed some interesting small clouds pretending to be dancing animals.

5073 Cloud Animals

5073 Cloud Animals

Over in the northeast a jet contrail arched over more cloud overflow, so I guess Santa Ynez Valley was already solid overcast. I wonder what it looked like from that jet.

5074 Contrail Arch

5074 Contrail Arch

OK, back to work. I was hustling to finish before dark and ignored the show even though it was still going on. Luckily I glanced up again 15 minutes later and over UCSB things had changed dramatically.

5081 UCSB Afterglow

5081 UCSB Afterglow

It’s interesting to me how each of these photos doesn’t capture what we saw yet does show some part of it and each photo shows a different part. Over in the northwest the more subtle colors and reduced light made the control tower look like something in Tolkien.

5083 Dark Tower

5083 Dark Tower

Just a little back toward the West things looked (and photographed) like a different story as I captured an airliner taking off. What did those passengers see?

5089 Pastel Plane

5089 Pastel Plane

A full 25 minutes after that first pic, I snapped this last one and finished up just before dark.

5098 Rusty Sky

5098 Rusty Sky

Just as we got home the wind started up, as if to congratulate us for preparing Tripp to withstand some stormy weather.

2011/01/29

Other Window

Filed under: by Anne,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 10:19

Sometimes we’re so absorbed in looking at what’s on our side of the plane, we don’t notice what each other are looking at. Of course, I’m also flying the plane so it’s more often that Anne’s enjoying something and I don’t find out about it until looking at her pix back on the ground. On a recent flight she was captivated by bare trees and their shadows, and since I couldn’t coax her to post one of her snaps here’s my fav of the set.

1259 Herd of Trees

1259 Herd of Trees

I like how she caught sunlight in the creek, how the road winds across it, and a powerful illusion that the trees are grazing along the grassy terrain in a slow moving herd.

2011/01/28

Over Time

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 03:06

Flying over the courthouse clock tower yesterday, I imagined there might be people up there enjoying the view as we used to often do before we started flying so much (the views are better from Tripp). Looking at this pic back on the ground, I was pleased to see that there were indeed people present and liked how much the contemplative couple adds to the mood.

5031 Courthouse Tower

5031 Courthouse Tower

Somehow it evokes the passage of time. Seasons, relationships, and life itself all yield to the mysterious force that makes those pointers go around between viewings.

2011/01/27

O Say

Filed under: Aviation,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 04:29

So we’re walking out to go for a short late afternoon flight, and Anne notices the “O” on the tail of this jet parked outside the hangar where Tripp gets pampered by Glenn and his guys. Is it Oprah? We looked up the plane’s number, and it’s just been to Ireland and back with stops in Goose Bay and Fargo. Fun trip regardless of who was on board, eh?

4955 O Tail Tale

4955 O Tail Tale

We mostly went to the airport to fiddle with some interior trim on Tripp, but couldn’t bear the thought of making her sit there while other planes were flying. Especially if this jet she’s been looking at had just been to the Emerald Isl and back. 🙂

4957 Stowe's Lake

4957 Stowe's Lake

Whether or not the jet is Oprah’s, the Stow House and Lake Los Carneros are leftovers from the pre-jet era when private lakes and railroads were the thing. Lovely place for a walk, and easy on the eye just after takeoff too.

2011/01/26

Traffic Cam

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 21:16

I have a smug streak. For years, sitting in heavy traffic I’d look longingly at the opposite direction and see them blissfully zooming along at the speed limit. Sometimes a helicopter or small plane would pass effortlessly at will, and for a moment I’d be transported up and away from the smoggy snarl to breathe freely.

Well now, when we’re flying and I see the “free”way stopped it’s tempting to feel smug about being at the opposite end of that experience. Never mind that few if any of the drivers down there ever look up as I once did. There’s still some pathetic satisfaction for me in a scene like this as we approached to land after watching the 1/20 rocket launch. Am I bad?

4934 UnFairview

4934 UnFairview

Santa Barbarians know that this Fairview offramp is often thick with traffic, but this time it was 101 northbound that backed up due to a lane closure right at the point where it narrows from three lanes to two. Flying has so many sweet moments. 🙂

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