Category Archives: Photography

February 20, 2025 · 23:29

Proof Of Life – February 20th

I don’t know if it’s just a side effect of getting old, some “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” from my workouts with my trainer, something related to the antibiotics I was taking for that infection and fever a couple weeks ago, or some combination of it all. But today has been sent in some considerable discomfort, particularly in my lower back.

I don’t do well with ongoing pain, so let’s hope it never becomes chronic or longer term. Assuming that the gym workouts are at least part of the problem, this will be gone in 48 to 72 hours. If it was like this 24/7/365/forever, I might not be the “brave little soldier” that I might hope to be.

But who knows?

In the meantime, I’m cranky and not as functional as I would like.

So which view/look is the “real” me right now?

Yes.

Leave a comment

Filed under Health, Paul, Photography

February 19, 2025 · 23:23

Random Old Photos – February 19th

Okay, well, maybe not 100% random…

Prague, the castle and cathedral at night above the Vltava River.

A friend’s been posting pictures on Facebook of sculptures from Prague and it’s brought back so many memories. I would love to go back and visit. Nineteen years is too long.

Leave a comment

Filed under Photography, Travel

February 17, 2025 · 23:02

Sunset Prep & Execution

A half hour or so prior to sunset we were getting a high layer of clouds and I had hopes that it might lead to one of those really colorful & spectacular sunsets.

It did not.

It wasn’t grey and terrible, not exactly Suckasaurus Rex, but neither was it mind blowing and spectacular.

A little pink, some deep oranges right at the horizon, and Venus trying to shine through.

Beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Photography, Sunsets, Weather

February 15, 2025 · 19:28

Music Festival In LA Great Park

We’re down at the Music Center for our next Ahmanson production (Sondheim’s “Old Friends” with Bernadette Peters – looking forward to this one!) and at the Great Park down the hill there’s a big music festival going on.

Most folks don’t even know that LA has a Great Park, including most folks who have lived in LA for decades. It’s not as big as New York’s Central Park, but it’s not small.

The Music Center (Ahmanson, Taper, Chandler) and Disney Concert Hall are here on these north end, City Hall is off to the south, the Hall of Justice and Cathedral are on the east (left), and there’s a ton of parking underneath it all, so it’s convenient.

Welcome to Los Angeles, City of Hidden Wonders!

1 Comment

Filed under Los Angeles, Music, Photography, Video

February 14, 2025 · 23:23

No Context For You – February 14th

A Valentine’s Day years ago…

Mysterious are the ways of the random search algorithm through tens of thousands of photos over more than twenty-five years…

I’m not sure what clan this tartan is from, but I suspect it’s Burlington Coat Factory Clearance Bin.

Leave a comment

Filed under Photography

February 13, 2025 · 23:33

Downpour

The previous 24 hours of mist and drizzle and light rain was just fine – we’ve been falling into a drought this year, way behind on the normal Year-To-Date rainfall totals in SoCal.

This afternoon’s hour-long downpour inspired hours of blaring warnings on every TV channel, with a mudslide and flash flood warning that extended until well after the rain had actually abated.

No problems here, but we’re at the top of a hill. If we start getting flooded, there’s a guy named Noah who gets to tell the rest of the story. Our biggest concern would be intersections and streets flooded out down below the hills, and we can avoid most of that by simply staying home.

On the other hand, up in the mountains, it was snow. I’ve been watching the bald eagle webcam and they were buried, sitting on their three eggs:

Leave a comment

Filed under Photography, Video, Weather

February 11, 2025 · 22:10

Neptune

A dozen days ago I shared some pictures of the young, crescent moon and Venus, and in passing I said:

Not seen, but also there, is Neptune, just to the left of Venus. I might be able to pick it out as a pinpoint with my 8″ telescope (Venus and Saturn will show visible disks, Saturn’s rings would be clearly visible) and it might show some blue color, but the iPhone doesn’t have a chance.

Which, of course, led me straight down a rabbit hole of detailed star maps and pushing the pixels visible in a raw iPhone 13 image.

First of all, while this may have been the full-sized image:

…when you blow it way, way up and crop the area around Venus and those power lines, you get this (you probably have to click on these images to blow them up to full-screen size to see what I’m talking about):

And it’s pretty easy to see what I had referred to as a “quadralateral of four dimmer stars” (highlighted in the annotated image below):

After searching for some much more detailed and precise online star maps (courtesy of The Sky Live) and setting the parameters to match my photos, I had a MUCH better idea where Neptune truly was at the time I took the photos.

So, there’s Venus, and there’s that asterism of four dim stars, so Neptune should be right…THERE!

“…but the iPhone doesn’t have a chance.” Color me shocked, I wouldn’t have bet on that in a thousand years, but there it is!

Dumb And Dumber Quotes So Youre Telling Me Theres A Chance

Leave a comment

Filed under Astronomy, Photography

February 10, 2025 · 23:38

Sunset Launch

Just about perfect “just after sunset” timing for a SpaceX launch out of Vandenberg. I missed it, but my daughter caught it from near Downtown LA.

(Photo: Michi Willett)

I ran outside.

The rocket was long gone over the southern horizon, but the high altitude contrail, still lit up by the sun somewhere over the horizon to the west, was still glowing.

The other view I’ve seen is from the Virtual Railfan Hesperia/Cajon Pass webcam. If you can see a copy later, grab it. It’s great to see that when we move up to the High Desert we’ll still be able to see launches.

It lasted for a while, until the Sun moved on and the contrail dissipated.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Airshows, Critters, Photography, Space, Sunsets

February 9, 2025 · 23:59

Inferior Bowl – Super Party

We were ready! First light for the new flag as well! (The old one had been shredded to bits by the high winds last month.)

We had a good crowd, as expected, about 20 friends, family, and co-workers.

Sadly, the Eagles’ defense was on their game and completely shut down the Chiefs’ offense until late in the third quarter, by which time the score was seriously out of reach. The Vuvuzela of Victory sat sad, silent, and lonely.

Leave a comment

Filed under Critters, KC Chiefs, Photography

February 8, 2025 · 22:43

Ready To Party

The Super Bowl is tomorrow, my beloved Chiefs are in it for the fourth time in six years, and trying for the first “three-peat” in NFL history. We’ll be having a party, as we’ve done the last several years.

The cleaning crew has gone through, furniture has been re-arranged, the banners are up, the Chiefs memorabelia and sacred icons are all on display.

The dining room tables will be covered with BBQ (imported from the legendary Joe’s BBQ in Kansas City), a salad bar, and the appropriate side dishes for a BBQ tailgate in the finest Arrowhead traditional style.

So many appetizers – nuts, fudge, cookies, vegys, fruit, pretzels, chips, shrimp, etc. So many desserts – cake, pie, ice cream, etc.

The kitchen fridge is stocked to overflowing with food.

The porch fridge & freezer is stuffed with sodas, beer, wine, water, and fudge. Let’s hope that the raccoons haven’t figured out how to open it up!

It should be an excellent game tomorrow. Enjoy it wherever you’re watching!

Leave a comment

Filed under Castle Willett, Critters, KC Chiefs, Photography