Night and Day

On our most recent trip to Catalina, I, of course, took a lot of pictures.

Looking back through them, I noticed several similar shots I had taken during the night and the day. The first four (or two sets, if you prefer) are from Descanso Beach.

Since the younger was along, I had an evening walking companion, in fact I think it may have been him who had initiated the idea of going for a walk as the evening wore on.

The first evening, Descanso Beach is where we headed. It's just as nice at night, only with a lot less people. After we got there, we laid back on a couple of the lounges there. The weather was great for laying out under the stars beside the rolling tide. Told him next time we come over, we'll just sleep there instead of getting a hotel!!!

Part of the package that we got was a couple of $40 vouchers, good at either the Cafe Atwater (right next to where we stayed, the Hotel Atwater) or the Descanso Beach Club. Well, we enjoyed our sleeping to where the cafe was already closed, so back we went!!!

The next pair are, I think, from the pier, shooting towards the side with the ferry boat mole.

Of most of these, I think I prefer the night shots. I recently switched from a Galaxy S8 to an S9, which supposedly has a better camera. Still got some lens flare, but I think even the best will get that.

Next up is a couple of shots of the Avalon Chimes Tower.

I've STILL got a story from years ago to share about that someday...

And, finally, just a shot of the shoreline from the pier at night. No counterpart, just liked the picture!!!

Recreation and Re Creation

Once again, a lot has gone on, and I've got a lot to share. Last week we ended up doing a 2 night stay over on Catalina. It was pretty good, but a little longer would have been nice. I got a lot of great pictures, but for now you get this!!!

Back 9 years ago, we spent a few days over there, then went down San Diego way. One of the posts for that trip included the younger attacking a quesadilla.

So we decided to re-enact that picture, only with the great big burrito!!!

Sailor's Rest

When my sailing days are over,

And I sail the seas no more,

I shall build myself a refuge

By the ocean's murmuring shore.

As I watch the foaming breaker

When the tide comes rushing in,

I will contemplate my lifetime

With its virtues and its sins.

Where the azure of the heavens

Meets the undulating blue,

Where the sweeping, soaring seagull

Flies its endless quest for food.

It is there that I would rest,

When my work on earth is done,

At the endless blue horizon

'Neath the crimson, setting sun.

~D. R. Block

My father passed away last week. He'd had a stroke, and was in a coma for almost a week. He had a blood clot 5 centemeters long in an area of his brain that apparently was rather inaccessable. I don't know if the coma was drug induced or because of the stroke.

I went through and found pictures of him for this tribute post. The first is the Old Salt picture from way back. Next was from a few months back, in his studio. I really liked the colors on the painting he has there, and he framed it and gave it to me. He really got rolling on painting in the last year or so, even more so once the Wuhan Flu locked everything down. The third one was on our trip down to San Diego four years ago.

The next one is from my parent's 50th annaversary.

I think the next one is from two years back, off roading on some back trail in his truck. I shot quite a bit of video of the expidition, too, but it doesn't seem as dramatic as when you're riding in the truck.

From a few years back, at John's Incredible Pizza. I was trying to get a shot of his hat, it says, "Disgruntled Veteran, Leave Me Alone".

Another shot from his studio, not too long ago. He had some Bob Ross branded paint or stain he was trying out.

One of the paintings he was working on. I kind of like the colors. I think I'll claim it.

Blue Morning, Blue Morning

I walk along these hillsides

In the summer 'neath the sunshine

I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me

I said, I walk along these hillsides

In the summer 'neath the sunshine

I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me

I said, I will walk along these hillsides

In the summer 'neath the sunshine

& I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me...

The Sound of Jade

Finally did this yesterday.

When we bought Jade, I quickly discovered she had the same trash can type of center muffler that Baby and 3 came with, and just like both of those, it was leaking from the crimped on end of the front. It was getting worse, to the point it would billow exhaust up around the front of the car if you were stopped for a while. I still had the first one I'd gotten for Baby, with the front and rear flanges for bolt-on interchangeability. Of course, 3 still has the glass pack, and whenever I get around to yanking the drivetrain out of her, I'll take the whole back end of the exhaust system. Yesterday I took her to the same muffler shop that had made up the original 512 Labs exhaust, and had them put in the middle muffler.

My wife had always liked how quiet Jade was, after having driven Scruffy around with her voice. I had the thought that if I removed the rear muffler, but kept the extra twists and turns over the rear axle and had it exit at the rear, it should have less volume but still have better flow. I had given them instructions to do so, but there were two customers ahead of me. That gave me time to do a little sifting through their pile of old tips, and I found this nice looking double tip. I'd wanted a double tip, if I had my choice of style, I would have something similar to the Gale Banks F-body power pack system I had on my Camaro, with the last couple feet chrome, a slight bend towards the end, and maybe a 20° slant to the very end. This isn't anything like that, but still looks good, and fills up the bumper clearance nicely. Also, the outside tip is slightly shorter that the inside one, matching the curve.

I asked how much to put it on, and it was an extra $20. I'll take it!!! The whole job ended up being $120, plus $10 tax. The price keeps going up!!! They used the strap that had held the original muffler to hang the pipe. It looked like it was a good fit where they had it positioned.

But when I got a look at it later, I realized it wasn't lined up with the body of the car. It comes out at a slant. They have a 90 day warranty, I wonder if they'll honor it to straighten it out, or if it will cost extra to have that done.

Well, it sounds good, but not significantly quieter for having it exit the back. I'll see how it is after I get the glass pack off 3 swapped in. For the first time, it actually seems like it's added some power!!!

Go Update

I know everyone has been wondering. Here's an update on my Pokemon Go play!!!

Since it's summertime, I've changed my outfit. Got myself a Team Aqua 'do rag, and changed into a t-shirt.

Just this week, they've added Team Rocket Go balloons, as well as Jessie and James in their Meowth balloon. When you battle Jessie and James, you end up having to do two battles. Interesting.

From a while back, I had the challenge to defeat Giovanni. Kept running into regular grunts disguised as him, that's what this was.

Finally had the showdown with him, and just today ran into him again!!!

Caught a wild shiny eevee. My boy was jealous. Just the other day, finished a task that got me another shiny eevee, and he messed up on the same task. It had two components to it, take a picture of a dratini, and evolve a dratini. He evolved it, and then didn't have it to take a picture of!!!

Evolved it into an Umbreon. Looks real nice!!!

Speaking of shinies, here's a couple more I've caught. Caught two swinubs, so I've named them as a set!!!

Caught a shiny roselia!!!

And a purple wurmple!!! Mostly it's included for the alliteration. I evolved it, and it came out as the less impressive looking dustox. I'd have kept it as a wurmple, had I known.

And finally, some funny pictures I've taken. Rhyperior, looking as huge as you'd expect!!!

Ride that eevee, boy!!!

And, right in the middle of a dugtrio!!!

Another Hit and Run

This was a couple weeks back. I think this may be the first video I've saved from the dashcam in my wife's car. I have no idea what happened to the date and time stamp, but it was actually June 19th, 2020.

The semi truck driver decides he's changing lanes, for no reason really. With no signal. You can tell he sees the CRV, and starts waving his arm out the window at him, then clips him, rocking his car and breaking off the fender flare. Of course, he just drives off. Not like anyone has cameras everywhere or anything like that, right??? Anyway, not to worry, I caught up and got a good look at the company name and ID number on the door. LCM Trucking Inc, it looks like they're out of Riverside. Oh, and you can see right as I'm catching up to him, he does a half drift into my lane. Between the attitude, the hit and run, not being able to keep it between the lines, and being from Riverside, I'm calling meth.

Now that I've got the video uploaded, I'm going to see about contacting the CHP, hopefully they'll be able to make things right!!!

How do You EVEN???

A few days back, on my afternoon walk, I was coming home, and came upon this, when I was almost home. I have NO IDEA how anyone could manage this!!!

It was in an area where he would have been having to try and parallel park, but he managed to run up over the curb, as well as running into the back of a parked car!!! If he hadn't hit the parked car, there's a very good chance he would have ended up in the canyon, as has been seen before, only likely it would have been a much messier ending, as it would have been into the basketball court, probably at least 15 feet down, where at the time there were several people playing.

They were high-centered on the frame, and trying to get it out, but the back tire was just spinning. Here's the scrape, and you can see a chunk of cement has been knocked off.

And, on the other end, where the tire had been spinning. Yesterday I saw a guy who was there when the guy was trying to get loose, and I asked him if he knew what happened. Turns out (in addition to finding out he's got the same nickname as me!!!) it was his car that got ran into, of course jamming his properly turned front wheel hard into the curb, likely destroying his alignment. He says it's hard to shift into gear now, in addition to the back end being banged up. Said he smelled no booze or weed on the guy, who claimed "I was taking a drink of water."

Ramble On

Since I've transitioned to working from home, I'm not near as active. I my last position, I would typically walk from five to seven miles a day, sometimes more on weekends. To try to keep some muscle tone, I've been going on walks around the neighborhood most every day. I'm not getting anywhere near the distance I used to, but there's a lot more up and downs around here, and it's working some different sets of muscles, I can tell. Almost always I go solo, but a couple of times I've had someone come along.

My wife made the suggestion that I should take some pictures while out on my walks. Here's a few. To start off, it's a couple weeks late, but something for 512 day!!!

Up next is some slow going construction. This is the site of the house that burned down a few years back.

Here's some of the most artful work I've come across recently.

They've set up Mardi Gras in their yard!!! Pretty cool!!!

The sign says "Please Seat Yourself"

This wall, I've seen for years. It's an awesome wall, makes me think the residence behind it is a compound or a citadel or some such. Of course, with such a wall, you can't really tell.

A block over is a pretty extreme climb to get back to our side, so it's one of those I haven't done in a while. I think it's been over 15 years since I've walked it, but I'm fairly certain I've been that way before. However, I don't remember having seen these before. There's about a dozen houses that are all the same design!!! They may be duplexes, there's an entrance between the garage doors, and then an outside staircase that goes up two flights to an entrance on the side. I don't think I'd much like living on that level!!!

There's a street that turns to a dirt road for a ways that goes behind them I took the other day.There's a half dozen undeveloped lots towards the end.

About halfway down there's a gas meter, got to be at least 100 feet from the nearest structure!!! I wonder if they send someone to read it.

The other day, a chopper came in low over the hills!!!