A Quick Trip Through Yuma Arizona

Heading toward Phoenix we made a quick stop in Yuma where the water is famous or should I say infamous!! A Tiffin salesman said the water can eat through metal. We had come prepared with our fresh water tank filled almost to the top. We never even hooked up to the local water.
We did take one day a taveled around the outskirts of Yuma. Here are some of the sights we saw.

Yes, there are date farms in Yuma too!

Of course, you cannot show pictures of Yuma without showing the sand and the rocks...

A trip to Pomona

Lance was very busy photographing courses in San Diego. Except for weekends he did at least one course a day. So we delayed our departure a few days and spent some time with Jeff and Elaine AND the boys.... We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Learned something new today. The Bird of Paradise is really large and black. The smaller, orange one is a miniture.

I have gotten into the habit of keeping my camera handy. Sometimes it is so handy I get these unexpected shots -- usually it is fuzzy stuff but this time I got a shot of my honey....

Now, we can say we have been to San Juan Capistrano. We took I-5 back to San Diego from Pomona and it was on the way.

No, these are not swallows -- they are seagulls along I-5.

Tidbits from San Diego, California

The grasses around here amaze me since they are in great abundance growing wild. You will see whole hillsides of pampas grass or purple grass.... in the northwest purple grass is sometimes considered an annual.

A balloon near the San Diego Wildlife Zoo.

An eagle carving on the Shucuan Indian Reservation.

San Diego Symphony

One day Lance was out golfing and taking pictures. He met a man by the name of Douglas Hall. They got talking about music because Doug said he played the french horn. Next thing we know we have two tickets waiting for us at the San Diego Symphony. The hall was beautiful. I took as many pictures as I could (until they told me I could not take pictures!)

They were playing Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms. Lance was in music heaven having played the timpani with the Unveristy of Washington and Seattle Symphony. It was fun to try something new.

One great little story - A tour of Palomar Observatory

When I looked up the path from the parking lot, I thought, "I think I can, I think I can!" A nearby man in the car next to me said it was a bit of a walk (this picture is half way up) and I could not even see it yet. He said, too, that there was a big bunch of stairs to get into it but there were landings to rest on. So, I said to him, "I can do this!"

After a visit to a great visitor's center with all kinds of astonomical information, I headed up the hill. When I got almost to the top of the path, two nice things happened: (1) There was a bench to catch my breath and (2) There was a sign that pointed to the back of the observatory for wheelchair access (I knew this must mean there were NO stairs). So, I headed up to the back. When I got there I found a sign on a locked door -- You could only get in at 11:00, 1:00 and 2:30. It was a few minutes past 2:00. I decided I would wait.

About three minutes later two men came out of the door. The second man, Scott Kardel, asked if I was waiting to come in. I said I was and then he said I did not have to wait because he would let me in. Well, the great little story was that he is the Public Affairs Coordinator -- he knows everything you would want to know about the Observatory. He does tours, their website, (it is pretty cool - see it at http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/), and all things to educate the public. And, the next thing I knew I was standing below the HHHHUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEEE telescope! (Note: those people who climb the stairs in the front get to look through a big window to see it.)

Scott offered to answer any question I wanted since he knew most everything there was to know. So, I asked him my most analytical and sophisticated question -- ever seen any UFOs? "No, he tells me, but they do try to watch for anything out there that changes."

This is one place where all the action is at night. They work during the day to make sure everything is ready for night. This particular night they were expecting some fog -- and on my way back down I saw some of it coming. I tried to ask a few more questions but I sure wish Kevin was with me. He would have had a bunch.

And, then Scott gave me a ride back to the parking lot. I was thrilled at the tour and my visit to Palomar Observatory. Did you know it was owned by CalTech? I know....thanks to Scott.

Mission Santa Ysabel

Technically, this is not a mission, but a sub-mission. Yep, that is what the literature says. Nevertheless it has some of the most beautiful stained glass windows.

The bells of Santa Ysabel disappeared in 1926. The mission has not given up. This is the Angel of the Lost Bells.