Believe it or Not!

Yesterday, Andria, the kids, and I went to Balboa Park to see the Air and Space Museum.  Part of the exhibit was a Ripley's Believe it or Not exhibit.  We saw some fairly repulsive videos and displays, such as "The Regurgitator" who would swallow pool balls, etc., and throw them back up.  There were some amazing crafted models and artworks, also.

 Susanna likes to make a fashionable presentation in public!

Turn that old vacuum cleaner into art!

 

 

I loved this "rocket motorcycle" which the builder rode on back and forth from Chicago to Southern California between 1947 and 1951.  He could make the trip in 3 days!

 





Train made from bottle caps

 

A full sized motorcycle made from found bones - mostly cow bones.

 

One can store his or her bones in this lovely Mercury custom coffin!

 

 Nora takes the controls of this fighter jet.

Soren gets ready to eject.

At 8 feet 11 inches, Robert Wadlow was the world's tallest man.  He wore size 37 shoes!

 

 The Eagle has landed!  Susanna got to play on the moon.

...and also pilot her own plane.  Before we knew it, it was time to go.  Other highlights were seeing a Blue Angels jet up close (Nora loved that), and operating flight simulators.  So much to see, but we only scratched the surface. 

 

 

 

 



This and That

Since returning from Oregon, we have been back to our routine, with little projects and adventures thrown in.  We have started a re-do of  a section of the front yard, volunteered at the library, and have taken some bike rides and hikes.  Gail is still needing to spend much time in Escondido helping her mom and taking care of that property - a difficult and dangerous task as proven by her scars from blood thirsty cacti and succulents.

 We had a little celebration of Father's Day and Gail's birthday last Sunday with the Johanson family.
 

Gail and I made a puppet theater for Soren and Nora out of a water heater carton.  We hope to see some puppet shows in the future!

On a hike this past week, I spotted this pretty lizard with the mysterious name of "blue-tailed skink".

A roadrunner leads the way!  Lookout, skink!

Yesterday, we took a bike ride up the coast to San Onofre State Beach.  For some reason, people were pointing and saying,"You have an alligator on your back!"

Actually, we decided to take Nipper to see the ocean for the first time.  He displayed his characteristic smile, seeming quite pleased.  He was also pleased that the adjacent San Onofre nuclear powerplant will be shut down for good.  It hasn't been operating for over a year since it was discovered that its cooling tubes were leaking and wearing out prematurely.

 Our finch family is back at it again, and have started a new clutch of eggs.  They made a pile of grass on the ground below the same nest site over a few days, and then built the nest in one day.  We had taken the old nest down, as it was rather poopy, and right over our bedroom door.

Gail discovered that we have 4 monarch butterfly catterpillars on one of our milkweed plants - just what we were hoping these plants would attract!

Tonight, we have plans for a full moon hike after a late afternoon visit to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido - more to follow!  Have a splendid weekend!

An Ostentatious

A group of peafowl is called an ostentatious, so we learned by reading a word game book on the long drive to Oregon and back.  Today, we saw an ostentatious at the Leo Carillo Ranch in Carlsbad.  I think the term is a good one!  Click on these for full-size impact.

 

 

Evening at the Oceanside Museum of Art

Last Thursday evening,  we went to the Oceanside Museum of Art's "Artist at Work" program.  The featured artist was Ernest Silva, but it turns out that he put us to work.  We had heard him speak about his art a couple weeks ago, and were pulled in by his art that he describes as poetry. 

This is Mr. Silva in front of one of his paintings.

Trees, logs, and axes are images in many of  his works.

He has also done a number of works with deer on rafts, often with concentric circles on a deer or other figure.  Mr. Silva grew up in Rhode Island, and has had a long career as an art professor.

Our task was to do our own version of Mr. Silva's icons, and place them anywhere on two walls covered with paper to create a mural.  We were provided all the materials, including stencil outlines for the deer and rafts. 

 Gail places her deer on my raft.

 Mr. Silva appears to be checking out our work!

 We loved the pink "mummy deer" to the left of our deer and raft.

 Mr. Silva handed me a thick marker and said, "Heavy lines."  I added a stump and axe.

I think Gail's deer came out amazing!  The eyes and patterning, the look of ocean and land on the body, and the heavy red lines.  She also added those lovely circles!

We look forward to these evening art activities that also feature happy people, drinks, and food.  The Oceanside Museum of Art rocks!

Oregon Celebration

We took an eight day trip to Oregon and back, returning last Wednesday.  The reason for this 2,432 mile drive was to celebrate the graduation of my nephews, Aaron and Logan.  Aaron graduated from Newport High School, and was one of several valedictorians.  Logan graduated from MIT, where he will be returning in the fall for graduate work.

This is the view of the Umpqua River from our room in Roseburg, OR, on the second night traveling north.  We delighted in seeing osprey, hooded mergansers, cormorants, woodchucks, and other animals from our balcony.

In the morning, this turkey vulture was warming up right in front of us.

Getting close to Newport, we took a side road up to this shelter built by the CCC.  The view over the ocean was spectacular, as is much of Oregon.

Logan, Lorie, and Aaron.  Steve would have been so proud of the boys and Lorie!

Looking the other direction we see part of the paparazi corps: Sarah, Howard, and Brian.

We had another room with a view for two nights in nearby Agate Beach.

Gail and I enjoyed the green landscapes so much!  This photo was from the trail of a hike we took up a coastal ravine.  Water, green, aaahhhh!

On the way back home, we stayed in the preserved mining town of Jacksonville, Oregon, about 15 miles from Ashland.  We were seriously charmed, and extended our stay another night.  The town is described as "Mayberry meets Napa,"  as it is in a budding wine region.

This is the cottage we stayed in, an adjunct to the historic Jacksonville Inn, and another reason we extended our stay!  There are three other cottages on the same property.  George and Laura Bush stayed in one of them.  The inn has hosted two other presidents, and also catered food for the Obamas.

There were beautiful homes and inns, many with English gardens like this one.

While in Jacksonville, we did a lot of walking and hiking.  This is the view from the top of Lower Table Rock, the remnant of a lava flow.  That is the Rogue River below, with Mt. McLoughlin off in the distance.

The next day, we did serious driving back to Napa, and then San Diego the following day.  I couldn't help but notice how as soon as you cross into California, the land becomes parched and brown.  It was wonderful to have seen Lorie, Aaron, Logan, and Sarah, meet Brian, and visit with Lorie's parents Howard and Lois.