Poppy's Front Porch - in the Missouri Ozarks

Poppy's Front Porch - in the Missouri Ozarks
This photo was taken in 1949. My cousins and I remember the porch after our grandfather walled it in, added a door and big screen windows.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

What Mike said

Before I posted again, I wanted to add this short note to Mike's comments about "Scouting NY". I clicked on the link, and I have to say I've really enjoyed and recommend the posts. That man has a good eye for neat old buildings.

And I'm kind of anxious to see what route he took through Missouri and Kansas. I hope he updates soon.

UPDATE: I just checked the link again, and "Scout" has indeed updated his road trip, he's posted as far as Sedalia now. And I learned something new, I didn't know about the radioactive disposal site outside of St. Louis. Then again, I don't take 50 highway that far east. What I need to do sometime is take my Geiger counter (if I can find a B cell battery for it) there and just see if it starts clicking faster.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Road trip of a non-relative

I recently found a blog that I've been enjoying immensely called "Scouting NY". It's maintained by a guy whose job it is to scout New York City for movie locations. What a great job! On his blog he posts photos and comments of spots he's recently seen.

Now, however, he's on a road trip across the country and is posting as he goes, I think. He may be doing it retroactively, I'm not sure. But, in any case, it's a lot of fun.

So even though he's not family, check him out here.

2009 in Review: Vacation part 3 - Arizona, Nevada, and into California

I haven't mentioned this for a long time (maybe not ever), but move your mouse over the small image and left click when you want to see a full screen image. I assume most people are familiar with that, but you know what they say about assumptions.



After leaving St. George, Utah, I-15 travels generally west-southwest through the Virgin Mountains, which I hadn't heard of before. The interstate clips across 29 miles worth of the northwest corner of Arizona, before entering Nevada. There was only one exit that I recall and no cities to speak of. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the scenery. Here's a few of several photos I took out the windows.









Once we crossed the state line and passed Mesquite, Nevada - which isn't very big - there wasn't much to see. The freeway itself, guard rails where needed, a mere handfull of exits, and occasionally a power line stretching into the distance. As for green growing things, forget it; just packed desert sand or rock, whatever it was. Desolation and not much else to see...



...until we got into Las Vegas, that is.



Our first sighting of palm trees.




As our goal was to get to our daughter's house in California, we didn't allow time to drive down "The Strip" and see the lights, but we did see some impressive buildings from I-15 and I snapped a few pictures.







Near the southern edge of Vegas, about the last chance to fill up the car and have a quick rest stop. Also some nice palms for a closeup shot.

South of Los Vegas, we started to see billboards advertising "Alien Fresh Jerky"; kind of eye catching in a "what kind of marketing is this" sort of way. I wish now I'd gotten a picture. Anyway, a few miles down the freeway we had our answer, it's this place in Baker, California. It's right next to the worlds largest thermometer, dontcha know.

Also along I-15 we were slowed down and we came up to an agriculture checkpoint, a big structure stretching across all lanes of the freeway. I expected we'd be stopped and asked if we were bringing in any plants or produce, but we were waved on through. I guess we either didn't look like the profile of who they wanted to stop that day, or it was just a random sample, every X number of vehicles; and we weren't number X.




Desert clouds above I-15



I think these might be what they call lenticular clouds.

Did I mention it was hot?




Just a very, very few of the windmills in the Tehachapi wind farm.




Scenery along California 58 to Tehachapi.

Soon we arrived at our daughter's house, and unwound for the evening. I didn't get my camera out until the next day at Disneyland...check back for the next installment!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Independence Day Weekend

Here's some photos and captions from July 2nd through 5th.


My wife and our youngest granddaughter.



Our first granddaughter. Our California family came to visit on this weekend so she could be a flower girl and so her mom - our first daughter - could be a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding.




Of course, the visit with our kids and grandkids was the high point of the extended weekend. And that's saying a lot, considering that there were fireworks.




July 3...my wife's birthday. She's opening her main gift, a DVD of Disney's "Meet the Robinsons"





She's told the story of how when she was growing up, kids would give her fireworks for her birthday. I guess that seemed good at first until she caught on that those were presents she couldn't keep; they'd be fired off and just plain gone. In honor of that family story, I bought her a Friendship Pagoda at one of the local tents.



"There's something in here"
On impulse I had bought an unusual item, not quite a gag gift, but almost. It was challenging to wrap until I had a timely inspiration.



Meanwhile, our content, good natured grand baby chose that moment to show how genuinely happy she was.



It's...a back scratcher!



That sudden flashing light again!



What with the fourth being on a Sunday this year, we were dressed up for church. Someone is having her feet played with by grandma.


Back in comfy clothes after church. I'm kind of fond of this photo.



Niece, Uncle, and toy dino.



Daughter number one about to get in the car.



Son-in-law tying shoes while waiting in the airport terminal.



The best visits always seem to go by too fast, and it's hard to say goodbye.


July 5th - the last day this year to legally shoot 'em off, and I had more left over than I wanted to store away. First, daytime fireworks...one item in the lower left that was new to me this year, Snake Escape. Finally an easy way to light snakes - the entire package is lit by a fuse and erupts with a big green flame. Then, as the label says, the snakes escape.




Our second daughter lighting two smoke bombs at once.



Yellow plus red make orange.



Smoke from the smoke bombs against the trees in the top background. I was also holding two lit punks, and it didn't occur to me how well the tendrils of smoke in the foreground would show up. Maybe I had the flash on. Turned out kind of neat.



Youngest daughter holding a Morning Glory.



I have a better ladder than that old rickety wooden one. I only keep it around to nail firework pinwheels into, of course.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Independence Day 2010


It's late as I post this, so I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July!