Monthly Archives: April 2023

April 10, 2023 · 23:51

Back To Work Monday

My usual Monday greeting on all texts and emails is “Happy Monday!” But everyone know that I’ve got the volume on the sarcasm subwoofer turned up to an eleven.

So after a weekend full of ballgames and seeing family, it was time to get back to work.

As with most days that end in “y” there are imminent deadlines and reports due and a full “back burner” if all of that gets done.

I’ll admit that I had some doubts that I would hit this particular set of goals, but being stubborn and dogged (two of my strong suits) got things out the door.

Then the great work by the rest of the team, got things reviewed and approved and off to keep everyone happy.

That’s a victory, and as tired as I might be, it felt good. Maybe even more so for being so tired. It’s wonderful being part of a great team.

So, victories call for celebrations. This might not have been a victory like winning the Super Bowl, or getting my pilot’s license (fourteen years ago as of last week – WOW), but it still counts.

So celebrate your victories with me as I share even more fireworks from Saturday night. We know there are more than a few defeats and disappointments out there to suffer through. Celebrate when you can.

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Filed under Fireworks, LA Angels, Photography

April 9, 2023 · 23:32

Opening Weekend 2023

We don’t ALWAYS make it to the home openers for the Angels, but over the past twenty years or so we’ve probably made it to better than half of them.

I’m not there just for the pomp and circumstance, but I don’t not enjoy it either.

It does slay me that all teams (including the Angels) introduce the visitors’ “training staff and reserve players” in one mass group, then introduce the Angels’ reserves individually and the training staff individually down to the 2nd assistant massage therapist. Home field advantage!

Of course, the best part of the opening ceremonies is the flyover. Most previous years the Angels get a big cargo jet like a C-5 or C-17. Which is fine, they hang there just the way bricks don’t. But this year we got two F-18s tearing over on afterburners and setting off half of the car alarms in the parking lot, so that was FANTASTIC! Once that’s all over they have to fold up the humongous flag and get ready to play ball.

The sunset over the 3rd base side of the stadium was fantastice.

Then it was time to play!

After it was over (we lost on Friday night) it was time for the dash to the parking lot under a full moon rising in the east. The “Big A” was not happy with the loss.

Meanwhile, out in the parking lot, with a sold out crowd most folks got to their cars, started them up, and moved about six inches every fifteen minutes. We just sat in the car and chilled until most of the crowd cleared (an hour or so, but hey, we have cell phones to play with!) and then left in two minutes.

Saturday night we were back!

At sunset, looking straight out over center field we can see snow on the mountains still, and the Pond on the other side, home of the Anaheim Ducks.

We won the Saturday night game and then got fireworks, so it was a good weekend!

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Filed under LA Angels, Photography, Sports

April 8, 2023 · 23:32

First Fireworks In A Long While

I think the last fireworks I saw were for the July 4th celebration while at Baycon last year, but they were several miles away. It’s not the same.

Last night we went to the Angels home opener. There were a lot of cool things, but we lost 4-5. Tonight we went back and saw a victory, an exciting game, and Saturday night fireworks after the game.

This doesn’t suck. And then we got lucky and got out of the parking lot quickly (last night we left in two minutes after we started the car, but we sat in the car and chilled to let traffic clear for almost an hour) so that when we got back into our hotel parking lot, we found that we were right under the Disneyland fireworks finale.

MORE non suckage!

I hope that your weekend is also great and your Easter tomorrow is fun.

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Filed under Fireworks, LA Angels, Photography

April 7, 2023 · 23:00

Big Moth, No Flame

The Long-Suffering Wife was headed out this morning, stopped, backed off, and hollered, “Do you want to come and take a picture of this weird moth?” She knows me so well.

Yep, that’s a weird moth! A big one, too!

And gorgeous markings! I took a few pictures, got fairly close without it flying away. Then I poked it a bit to prompt a departure so that TLSW could get out.

Instead of flying away, it did this! Even more beautiful!

Maybe it’s how or where I poked it? Or I have a pheramone issue that I’m not aware of. Either way, what do I know about the erotic zones of moths? It looked like a mating display to me.

I finally just moved the doormat off to the side, and when I checked a half hour or so later, the moth was gone.

Fly safe! Have fun! Make good decisions!

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Filed under Critters, Photography

April 6, 2023 · 23:42

Venus & Party Lights

Tonight I was at a very pleasant event for one of our business partners in Pasadena. It was held outdoors and I don’t know if anyone else noticed Venus bright as all getout in the western sunset sky, but I though it looked lovely up above the party lights strung overhead.

The tiny lens flares from all of the party lights in the lower 1/3 of the picture were a surprise!

Do you prefer it with or without all of the tiny lens flares?

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Filed under Astronomy, Photography, Sunsets

April 5, 2023 · 23:25

Short & Simple Daily Posts Are Still Daily Posts!

For me there’s a very noticable trend toward shorter, simpler daily posts, sometimes (like today and Monday and Sunday) just a single picture with a quick comment or two.

Yes, things are really, really busy. Yes, the days are really, really long.

Those are both good things, at least as long as it’s not a daily thing every day until the heat death of the universe.

Meanwhile, the color variations within each of these tiny flowers in the shade is just amazing. I would love to see these flowers in ultraviolet light. I’ve seen pictures of others with similar patters. I’ll be these look like a freakin’ bullseye even more vividly than they do in visible light!!

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Filed under Flowers, Photography

April 4, 2023 · 23:34

Sleepy Time For The Little Yellow Flowers

I went out the other day just about sunset and noticed all of the tiny little flowers in the front yard.

Then the flowers were all open at mid-day, bright yellow. But now it was just before sunset.

All of them were closed up, like little yellow pods, saving their warmth and moisture against a cold, dry, windy night.

Isn’t this a cool planet?

 

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Filed under Flowers, Photography

April 3, 2023 · 23:50

It’s The Little Things

If you go wandering around on the far side of the house where you rarely go unless you’re putting up or taking down Christmas lights…

…you might be pleasantly surprised.

What’s on the far side of your house?

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Filed under Flowers, Photography

April 2, 2023 · 23:24

Lemon Tree Bud

Big chunks of the lemon tree, probably 2/3 or more, are dead as can be and probably need to be pruned – but we’re renting and we have orders to not touch anything like that. The gardeners will do if, if and when they get instructions to do so. (Reason #3813 why I would really, REALLY like to own my home again instead of renting.)

But not all of it’s dead.

And the leaves and flower buds that are emerging are amazing.

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Filed under Flowers, Photography

April 1, 2023 · 23:46

Green Redeux Redeux

In early March I posted pictures of a weird red plant growing in the back yard, some extremely green moss growing near it (it was St. Patrick’s Day, soooo predictable!), and then some new spring growth on a whole bunch of plants, where the new growth is a lighter shade of green than the existing leaves.

Now the new ivy leaves are growing like crazy along the fence between our house and the neighbors.

The difference in shades of green is very stark on this ivy, the older leaves being a dark green and the new leaves being much lighter and more yellow.

In a month it will all be the same. But for now it’s very pretty, varied, and it makes a great hiding place and home for hummingbirds and lizards.

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Filed under Flowers, Photography