Zooey Today

We spent the day at the San Diego Zoo.
Our one day pass included a narrated bus tour, a sky tram ride, a bus we could hop on and off of, and plenty of time to walk and explore.
I think San Diego has a well deserved reputation for having a spectacular zoo. We were impressed by the beautiful grounds, roomy habitats, and the vast array of animals to be seen.
I forgot to charge my camera, so I didn't take a ton of pictures, but here are a few for you to enjoy!

Santa Barbara Living

Tomorrow we leave Santa Barbara for the beaches south of LA for the final few days of vacation.
I thought I would post a few pictures from the home we have enjoyed for the past week.
It has been hazy, but I know from previous stays that the view from the deck and the window lined front living room shows an expanse of ocean and the Channel Islands in the distance.
I found a bird of paradise bloom in the garden. There is a fish pond, though the lily pads hid the fish. Buddha lives here, as does a nice in-ground pool and hot tub area.
We had a very comfortable stay here!

Hearst Castle

I wish I could add these photos in the order I want. Unfortunately the elephant seals wanted to be in the middle! We visited the beach just 5 miles north of San Simeon to see them sunning themselves in great numbers. According to the literature, these are likely adolescents. They were fun to watch and listen to. They flip sand on themselves to prevent sunburn and occasionally waddle to the water to play.
Hearst Castle is a magnificent compound of buildings and gardens and pools in a striking setting. The main castle structure is amazing by itself, but it is surrounded by lush gardens and places like the the indoor recreation building that houses this spectacular pool. I also included a shot that gives a hint of the amazing views from the property.
It was a really nice day that included a coastal drive south to Santa Maria for dinner with biker Russ and than a return to beautiful Santa Barbara through San Marcos Pass.

Bad Water Salt Flats

There IS a little water on the floor of Death Valley this time of year. We found it at the lowest part of the valley when we went for a walk on the compacted salt deposits at 282 feet below sea level. It was the only place in the park where I was able to get a photo showing a bit of reflection off the water. But it wouldn't have been suitable for drinking, because of the high salt and mineral content. Supposedly this area got the name "Bad Water" because, even though the water looked tempting, the mules refused to drink it.

Death Valley Days

It was hard to chose a few pictures because Death Valley surprised us with lots of different terrain today.
The first picture is of the badlands. Imagine coming across this landscape with your covered wagon!
And I couldn't resist posing for a picture with the thermometer at the national park visitor center this afternoon. Keep in mind that it's dry heat, so it really didn't feel like 110 degrees. And if you believe that...
Here Barb and I are at the salt flats, 282 feet below sea level.
And remember "20 Mule Team Borax?" that's the borax cart minus the mules.
Finally, here are the sand dunes which are quite close to our hotel in Stovepipe
Wells. We are supposed to hike to them tomorrow for sunrise.

Greetings from California!

Wish you were here!
I had kind of expected to be able to do a daily post during this trip, but a couple of things have gotten in the way. Internet access has not been the easiest to find... and my time has been pretty filled up. Finally this evening we have some free time and so I've been able to hang out at the Internet lounge here in Yosemite's Curry Village and catch up on email. Night is falling quickly, and I don't have my flashlight, so I will have to trudge back to the cabin soon.
I've attached three photos and I'm not sure that they will be in the order I'm describing them, but here goes.
The first one is of the hotel at the end of Rodeo Drive in LA that was the setting for the movie "Pretty Woman." It's a pretty building in a pretty spectacular location, one of many we saw on our city tour of LA last Friday.
The base of the general Sherman is actually the largest tree in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park AND the largest in the world! I also have to admit that I had never heard of Kings Canyon, but we made a spectacular excursion into the canyon and saw some awesome sights there, as well.
And the final shot is of the view as you descend into Yosemite valley, the huge rock faces that line the canyon where I've spent the last two days exploring.
Tomorrow we leave Yosemite enroute to Death Valley.
To be continued...

Oregon Coast

Russ has started his bike ride down the west coast from Astoria, Oregon to Newport Beach, California.
He says the scenery has been spectacular and sent a few pictures that remind me of the interesting rock formations that decorate the beaches there. He says that the ocean water is really too cold to swim in and the wind always blows. I think he looks a little chilly in this picture.

Trying something a little more complicated!

Here's another attempt at posting a blog entry from my iPad. My goal is to have some text, but also include three images. Let's give it a try!
Today, Barbara Brackman, a quilt blogger (grandmotherschoice.blogspot.com), made the first of 49 posts celebrating the fight for women's rights. Each week she will give directions for an 8 inch quilt block and a bit of a history lesson recalling the year 1913. She calls this her "Saturday Morning Post.". Clever, huh?
My father was born in 1913, so I will think of my paternal grandmother, Josephine, as I build my cache of quilt blocks. I wonder how she felt 100 years ago about the issue of women being allowed the right to vote, which wouldn't happen until little Harry was 7 years old?
She was a quilter, so I know she would be delighted that I am enjoying developing those skills, too.
I had hoped to place my images throughout the text, but there doesn't appear to be a way for me to position them, so I guess I just have to be happy if they appear at all.
The red, green and tan batik block is my first of the series, named "grandmother's choice" by the Ladies' Art Company in 1890. I learned that I will need to be very precise in my cutting and seam allowances, as this block, though adequate, has a few problems. I don't intend to point them out!