John & Anne Wiley

2011/01/04

Rainbow Halo

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Nature,Random,SB Region,Tripp — John @ 03:12

We finally got up for a short flight today, and saw a magical rainbow halo around a little cloud. We climbed high trying to get our transponder to work. That’s a little box that sends an ID number to ATC so they can tell at a glance who we are, to more conveniently distinguish us from the other planes flying around SBA. It was working perfectly since we bought Tripp, but coming home from Christmas in San Diego it decided to stop working when we landed to see friends in LA. Tomorrow we might fly to SLO for a replacement, but today while testing it one last time we got this treat.

4262 Cloud Rainbow Halo

4262 Cloud Rainbow Halo

The cloud was about over Hwy.154 in the Santa Ynez Valley, and rain falling on the slopes beyond made a really cool rainbow behind the little cloud. We’d thought about flying in that direction to see snow on the higher slopes of the Sierra Madre, but as you can see they’re all covered in clouds. Just as well, since without the transponder our preference was to stay closer to home. Sure was nice to fly again, because it’s been more than a week!

2011/01/03

Fresh Snow

Filed under: Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,SB Region — John @ 06:54

This morning there was fresh snow on the local mountains, but we couldn’t see it until the clouds lifted. The wind was ripping the trees around and clouds were marching past the slopes, but we saw several gulls and crows doing aerobatics as if to mock our inability to go flying in Tripp.

4258 As the Crow Flies

4258 As the Crow Flies

It seemed as if the crow was returning from having created the storm and capped the hills in white. In reality, he was just flying down to join his friends in the stark branches of a dead tree on a small knoll.

4251 Murder of Crows

4251 Murder of Crows

Can you make out the “murder” (group) of crows at the bottom center of this pic? Well, turns out Anne couldn’t either so here’s a cropped version.

4251 Cackle Choir

4251 Cackle Choir

They seemed to be quite enjoying the weather, and were bragging loudly about it. We saw them fly around noisily celebrating, arguing, chasing, or whatever it was they were excited about. Then they’d glide back to perch there watching, with an occasional eruption of “crowing.” Tooth Rock (aka Cathedral Peak) looked especially mystical in the dark of thickening clouds.

4259 Tooth Rock

4259 Tooth Rock

It’s the pyramid-shaped rock on the right. Can you make out the caves in the face? There’s an especially big one at the base, though they’re all fairly shallow. I like to imagine ancient people living or at least having ceremonies in them, and some day it would be cool to find a way of reaching them. I’ve yet to see a good trail, despite flying all around it several times. I wonder if the crows visit it.

2011/01/01

Muddy Waters

Filed under: Flying,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,SB Region — John @ 00:17

We’re finally feeling better from PHFP syndrome (post-holiday food poisoning). We’ve decided it was a bad egg, and we’re not recommending this as a weight loss plan even though I’m down a cool ten pounds. Instead we’re enjoying a look back at photos, and preparing to venture out and join the fun of New Year’s Eve. Maybe that will produce some new pix that we’ll share whenever we recover from tonight. 🙂

Meanwhile, here’s one I liked from offshore of Huntington Beach on our flight to Sandy Eggo.

4074 Human Footprint

4074 Human Footprint

A few generations back, what is now the concrete-captured Santa Ana River meandered through the desert marshes into a pristine blue Pacific. Nowadays it’s mostly dry, but after a storm the accumulated toxic runoff rushes along picking up topsoil from denuded lots and strip-mined industrial farming. The shape of this edge reminds me of the yen/yang circle, here mingling life and death.

As you can see, I’m in a cheerful mood from the recent days of discomfort. OK, off to join some revelry!

2010/12/27

San Diego

Filed under: by Anne,Flying,Has Photos,Nature — Anne @ 06:40

Christmas in San Diego this year brought unusual flights both ways, and this spectacular sunset welcomed us upon arriving on the 23rd…

1028 San Diego Sunset

1028 San Diego Sunset

The next day was the sunniest of the month, so we took advantage of clear flying weather  and took a jaunt.  This is what I recall being called ‘the jetty’.  It separates Mission Beach on the right, and Ocean Beach (OB) on the left.  I’ve stood (and swum) on both sides of this, not ever imagining I’d be flying over it in this way! I like the straight and curvy shapes in this view.

1040-SD The Jetty - OB & Mission Beach

1040-SD The Jetty - OB & Mission Beach

by ~Anne

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!

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