Good Year coming your way! (SkyWatch Friday)

I wish all of you and your loved ones a most happy and healthy New 2010!

(Photo taken last May - it's grey skies & drizzling here today).

"Blue Skies Smilin' at Me..." & 'X' for abc Wednesday

I kept hearing the Willie Nelson song as I posted this - thus the title. Winter trees (must be an 'X' or two in this photo) and sky by Ascension Lutheran Church & Preschool (a most excellent one) on Silver Spur Rd.
Join the abc Wednesday bloggers around the world.

Coffee Break

The window tables at Bristol Farms' cafe in Redondo Beach at PCH and Palos Verdes Blvd. Nice place to take a breather during the holiday hustle & bustle.

Even a little triangle of the ocean can be seen. (I debated with myself about cropping out the cell-phone...and decided to leave it. It's just part of today's scene & I like being 'connected'.)

At Crystalaire Airport (Monochrome Monday)

The back of San Gabriel Mts (from small private airport in Llano, CA).
Above Crystalaire airport (taken last March during my 1-of-2 rides in a glider). The band "above" the airstrip is the California aquaduct.
Moon over Saddleback-like mountain.

Check out all of Alieni's Monochrome Weekly submissions by clicking here .

La belle Libelle - Llano, CA

The guys purchased an expensive new (but old) toy earlier this year - a 1971 Glasflügel H-201B Standard Libelle sailplane (or glider). They are off to Crystalaire today to fly in chilly weather (below freezing at 9 am).

My son I. - ready for take-off.

"I gotta see a man about a sailplane." Instructor M. and my husband P. talking sailplane talk.

Update: "Glasflügel" is German for "glas aerofoil" and "Libelle" is German for "dragonfly" - thank you, Martina!

Red Finch Sitting Pretty on Norfolk Island Pine

I like the day after Christmas - time to kick-back, relax & eat pumpkin pie for breakfast and lots of other leftovers, maybe even share some. Today is overcast here - unbelievable, I know - so this photo is from last December of a tropical pine in our complex.

Greetings from Palos Verdes

View of RAT (Right After Torrance) beach, Christmas Day 2009.
My friend L. had family & friends gathering on Christmas Eve, for an excellent American-Croatian-Mexican-Colombian-Chinese feast.

Merry Christmas * Sretan Božić * Buon Natale * Joyeux Noël * Feliz Natal * Feliz Navidad * Frohe Weihnachten * Maligayang Pasko * God Jul

Wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Nativity scene after the midnight Mass at St. John Fisher Catholic church in Rancho Palos Verdes.

A Classic Christmas

Classic Cruisers Club '47 Chevy's decked out for Christmas, So Cal style.

Looking for a Cruise Night in California? Check here: Central Valley Classics-Cruise Nights.

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" ...

... "just like the ones I used to know, where the car-tops glisten???" - not quite what I had in mind but the busy Peninsula Center parking lot does look festive to me.
However, for a real Winter Wonderland treat, head East to Antjas' Sudbury Daily Photo.
Back in the neighborhood, Amy encountered an uncertain doorman.

B&W in B&W (Monochrome Monday)

Snapshot from last February in San Francisco on Van Ness street.

Check out all of Alieni's Monochrome Weekly submissions by clicking here .

Crash at the Corner

It's not a post I planned for a Sunday, but it may serve as a reminder for everyone to slow down the frantic pace before the holidays.

I'm not sure how the accident happened. I had just walked up the road from that corner with our dog, and when I looked back, saw the firetrucks and the police. At least two people were injured.

"Some Enchanted Evening" at Alpine Village, Torrance

Ein bißchen Schnee, bitte

"Morning Has Broken..." (SkyWatch Friday)

Sunrise over Saddleback Ridge of the Santa Ana Mountains (looking South-East from PV). The photo is taken where Flaming Arrow Dr. intersects the crest of Longhill Dr. by Soleado Elementary School (which my son used to attend.) Most of PV schools have amazing views. The reflection is on the rooftop of my not-so-clean car.

Gaggle on the Fly

Yesterday's buzzard and three others were circling a wash. As I approached the edge, I spotted a gaggle of wild (probably Canada) geese that immediately took to flight (becoming according to Wikipedia a flock of geese. So the vultures and I had the same luck with the capture. Except that I could point and shoot and shoot in their general direction and ...

'V' is for Venerable Vulture (abc Wednesday)

...or buzzard, buzzing around and looking for...? (Answer revealed tomorrow - ah, the suspense!)

Join the abc Wednesday bloggers around the world.

After the Rain is Gone - View of Los Angeles...

...from the 110 or Harbor Freeway, taken on Sunday (12-13-09).
"On Wednesday, August 2, 1769, Father Juan Crespi, a Franciscan priest accompanying the first European land expedition through California, led by Captain Fernando Rivera Y Moncado, described in his journal a "beautiful river from the northwest" located at "34 degrees 10 minutes." They named the river Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de la Porciúncula. In the Franciscan calendar, August 2 was the day of the celebration of the feast of the Perdono at the tiny Assisi chapel of St. Francis of Assisi. Early in St. Francis’ life, the Benedictines had given him this tiny chapel for his use near Assisi. The chapel, ruined and in need of repair, was located on what the Italians called a porziuncola or "very small parcel of land." Painted on the wall behind the altar was a fresco of the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels. Now contained within a Basilica, the chapel was named Saint Mary of the Angels at the Little Portion. The newly discovered "beautiful river" was named in honor of this celebration and this chapel. In 1781, a new settlement was established along that river. The settlement came to be known as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciúncula or The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of the Little Portion although its official name was simply El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles." [Ref. Los Angeles Almanac]

"Rainy Days and Mondays ... (Monochorme Monday)

...always get me down?"... Not really. On Saturday, we had the much needed rain. Since it rains so rarely, I think most everyone in the LA area enjoys it. Except on the freeways. They are usually a mess when it rains.


Check out all of Alieni's Monochrome Weekly submissions by clicking here .

Morning Light - St. Augustine Cathedral, Florida

Wishing you a brilliant Sunday.
Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2009 in The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, America's first parish founded in 1565 (the firstparish).

A Series of Connected Links over Portuguese Bend...

...brightening the rainy day. The same spot can be seen on a sunny day by clicking here.

Towers - Neighborhood Church & Flagler Collage (SkyWatch Friday)

West Coast: Neighborhood Church (former Haggerty Mansion), 1925, Palos Verdes Estates (12-2009)
East Coast: Flagler Collage (former Ponce De Leon Hotel built in 1885-1887 by Henry M. Flagler, the hotel and railroad magnate), St. Augustine, Florida (12-2009). The hotel was built in the Spanish Renaissance style and was the first major edifice in the US to be constructed of poured concrete, a mixture of cement, sand and coquina shell. (Note: This one is definitely worth clicking on to enlarge to see the amazing details.)

Horseless Carriage 8153

Quick stop at the gas station at the corner of Hawthorne & Silver Spur. Giddy-up! (The owner/builder was kind enough to pause for a picture.)

Tragedy in RHE

A tragic death occured on a quiet street in Rolling Hills Estates, where a prominant LA lawyer, Mr. Jeffrey Tidus, was found shot by his home on Monday evening and died Tuesday morning. The police are still trying to determine what happened. I am, and I'm sure the whole community is, stunned and saddened by this news.

The news reports that Mr. Tidus was a marathon runner. As a tribute to him and with deep condolences to his family, I am posting this sculpture of a runner. The artwork was created by Mr. Derby L. Ulloa's (Florida artist and art instructor) and it resides in front of the Hyatt hotel in downtown Jacksonville, Florida on the Northbank Riverwalk.

Stepping Off the Curb with a View

Today, after a good rain yesterday that left some snow on the local mountains, it is again clear and sunny; and looks like this photo that I took a couple weeks back from Covecrest Dr, just above our neighborhood. The view is of the Santa Monica (or South) Bay, toward Santa Monica.
I'll be adding a smaller photo of the fall color - Southern California style - with flowers and turning leaves both. The same Sweetgum tree as I posted last week, provided this color.

The First Building - Monochrome Monday

The Gardner building at the Malaga Cove Plaza at twilight.
Palos Verdes Library District - Local History Collection voluneers have done a wonderful job scanning all the hisorical photos and posting them on Flicker: the Gardner building in 1925.
Check out all of Alieni's Monochrome Weekly submissions here.

Son in the Sky

Our son is piloting the far glider at about 10,000 feet above Mt. Lewis on the lee side of the San Gabriel mountains, with view of high dessert toward Palmdale. I'd like to thank the Southern California Soaring Academy for this special picture.

Fall Moon and Star

Back at home by the same Sweetgum tree from this post- handheld shot with my trusty PowerShot SX100 IS.

('P-mode', f/4.3, 1/800, ISO 80, digital zoom 3.1875)

"Gotta Go" at Jacksonville, Florida Airport (SkyWatch Friday)

I came home from Jacksonville, Fl. last night and found this fun and eye-catching piece of public art in the airport.
http://jiaarts.org/gottago.html
Jacksonville International Airport Permanent Art Collection
Gotta Go, Gordon Huether, 2008
"Artist Gordon Huether of Napa, California was commissioned by the Jacksonville International Airport Arts Commission to produce Gotta Go for Concourses A and C. Huether states: "Through the use of monumental imagery and utilizing the kinetic, color shifting properties of dichroic acrylic, we've created Gotta Go, an art piece full of constant discovery for travelers who use Jacksonville International Airport on a regular basis. This installation enhances Jacksonville's reputation as a city where culture and the arts are vibrant and alive, where people Gotta Go."

Go see more Skywatch images at the Skywatch Site!

Swimming with Hockney

Art project created by Robin Kiss.

"These watercolor paintings were inspired by David Hockney's swimming pool works. The students studied warm and cool colors and used watercolors and colored pencils to emphasize visual texture." Artwork by Dapplegray Elementary School, 4th Grade, Mrs. Loewner's class on display at La Salsa restaurant.
"Art at Your Fingertips is a Palos Verdes Art Center school-based program. Founded in 1975, this volunteer program annually brings quality visual arts education to nearly 7,000 elemenatry school students at the public and private schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula."

PV Craftsman in Valmonte

About a year ago, Laurie of Glimpses of South Pasadena challenged the local bloggers to find the best craftsman style house in their city ... I finally found this pretty, somewhat "craftsmanish" house in the Valmonte neighborhood of PVE.

Theme Day: Waiting...

...for a friend.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in December's City Daily Photo Theme Day.

Private in PV - Monochrome Monday

In the Miraleste neighborhood of RPV.

Check out all of Alieni's Monochrome Weekly submissions here.

Pretty in Pink

Staff at City of Torrance's Turkey Trott 5K run/walk, held on Thanksgiving day.

Sunset over Bluff Cove, Palos Verdes Estates

Sometimes the best SkyWatch Friday occurs on a Friday! Post Thanksgiving Day sunset over Bluff Cove from a lookout on Via Monte Mar - even the pelicans cooperated, making the first of many shots the best one.
I'll be travelling next week and will auto-post. I hope to be able to connect and visit your blogs.

Aren't ya glad...

... Thanksgiving is over?
We had a wonderful traditional meal with family, and in keeping with the family tradition, everyone prepares a few dishes making it a lot easier on the host: turkey (me), prime rib roast (my sister-in-law C.), gravy (me), sweet potoatoes (cousin L. - old Sunset Mag. receipe), mashed potatoes (C.), green-bean casserole (C.), green salad (L.), savory onions (L.), home-made horseradish (cousin L. - old family receipe), canned cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie (me - Libby's can receipe), apple pie (me - my mother-in-law's receipe with ready-made crust), and mince-meat pie (C.). For the first time ever, I couldn't eat much at dinner, so thank goodness for leftovers.

Happy Thanksgiving...

... from next to my favorite doorway. (The thriving roses and the happy dog are thanks to the care given by my dear husband.)