lots more....

My wife, Cruz, on that day in 1986.

Cruz and her Dad, Antonio, early 1960's, east L.A., Calif. The strip photo is from one of those photo booths. Antonio was born in 1917, and now lives in Oregon, USA.

Cruz's Mother, Antonia, 1948, age 27. She passed away due to complications from diabetes in 1977.




Cruz, with popsicle, 1960's, East Los Angeles, Calif. Gotta love it!

NOTE: Her Dad's name is Antonio, her Mother was Antonia. Her last name was Daniel, my first name is Daniel. My Catholic Confirmation name is Anthony, a form of either Antonio or Antonia!!!) We were meant to be.


--Dan

Pictures and stories continue

Dan and two youngest daughters, around 1990 (Rachel and Marion, left to right).

Again, myself in 1976, I believe.

Dan, approx. age six-ish.

My wife to be, Cruz, many years before I knew her.

--Dan

Hiking the Sierra Nevada, 1974...oops, 1975 actually

I spent a whole week on the Mount Whitney trail back in 1975, just about to turn eighteen years old. On the third day, I spent the night on the summit of that 14, 496 ft. mountain peak. It was unbelievably eventful. This photo is of me, hiking down from the summit, on day four. You do not need need a whole week to do this stuff. Go see my earlier blog entry on that...but it was a great time. The photo...it was my first time to the top of that peak. I was to do three more summit journeys, one time in only 11 hours.

--Dan

A wedding, 1984

Me and my wife, Cruz, Etiwanda, California. The year is 1984. We were so formal! I was 27, she was 24.

--Dan

Is that really me?

How do we see ourselves?...I never knew I looked like that! It's gotta be 1958. La Verne, California.

Me, Dan (age 23), and "Mimere" with "Gramps", my Dad's parents. Photo is from late December, 1980 (not long after John Lennon's death, I recall). We are in New Orleans. The house we are standing in has since been destroyed by hurricane Katrina. My grandfather (right), was to pass away in a matter of months from the taking of this picture, while my grandmother lived on for several more years.

Again, I offer this photo of the two of them (my grandparents, Dad's side)...many years before. They were both born in the early 1890's.

Then there was me, yet again. I am seated on a rock (Mt. Rubidoux) near Riverside, California. I was much interested in rock climbing and mountaineering...and we were doing just that. Note the climbing harness and ropes. One of my big heroes was Chris Bonington, the famous British mountaineer. My brother, Steve, took the photo. This photo was likely taken in the 1970's.

--Dan

my wife, Cruz, and me, 1980's

My wife, Cruz, is seen at a Bob's Big Boy restaurant sometime in the 1980's. The other photo, with me, Dan, and the "Daltrey" style hair, shows me and my then wife to be also in the '80's, though even earlier.

I am in the process of using a funky old scanner someone gave to me. It is nothing even close to the amazing old one I had a few years ago, but it will do for now. I am anxious to post so much...but also fully aware of the value to some of my family and friends, as they may find photos here of value to themselves.

There will be much more to come. Those that know me know that.

By the way, when I initially made this particular post, there was no text (like now), because....it would not work on Blogger that night for some reason.

...But it works now!!!


--Dan

A favorite place

There is a nice little ice cream and candy store located in the nearby mountains about 40 minutes from my house. We just love to go there, especially in the summer months. There is also a gift store nearby. They sell fudge, coffee, ice cream, all kinds of candies, etc. Often when we visit there, there is snow, but in the summer...though warm, it is a bit of relief from 100 degree F. temperatures.

Location: Wrightwood, California

What a great place we live in, here. The weekend comes, and if we are so able, the question is...where do we go? There are many mountains. There are deserts. There is the sea. There is glamour in the city. There is peace in the valley parks and streams. There is wine tasting. There are farms. There are many museums. There is so much art and music. There are many religious events. There is a ton of stores. There is a ton of movie theaters. Great food places abound. There is so much more.

I shared just one favorite here today.

--Dan

Ever vigilant

There are those that have been on watch...that we will never know. This photo, from the net, is of an interception of fighter planes during what we have called the "Cold War". Notice the extreme altitude. Notice the extreme solitude. Notice the edge of the earth. The things we do not know...amazing.

--Dan

Remembering

Pete's story has reminded me of my own Mother...so I post this "happy" picture for me...again, as I did more than a year ago.

Me, and my own Mother, in 1960 or '61. She left us due to to cancer, in the arms of my Father, so soon after. We trust we will see her again, in God's love.

My message?...

Love your Mom, if you possibly can. I have missed my own for a very long time.

--Dan

More devastation...Zamboanga, Phillipines, WWII

Above, another photo by my Dad, in Zamboanga, Phillipines, during WWII.

ALWAYS remember to click on the photos...they are mostly quite large, and the detail is much, much more impressive.

Lt. Commander JG, my Dad , reviewing the crew on the LST 1101, Korean War. He was on three different LSTs in his career.

My Dad, last weekend at his home, March, 2007.

LST 712, one of my Dad's ships in the Pacific, WWII. Photo by my Dad.

LST landing operation. This photo was found somewhere on the web.

My Dad, US Navy officer at left. They are all standing in front of the Imperial Palace of the Emperor of Japan, probably 1946-ish during the Occupation Forces in Japan. My Dad was about five foot and eight or nine inches tall. He seems like seven feet!

Remember...click on the photo...the details are amazing. Look at the shoes they wear. All are armed, as these are Japanese police among US military. My Dad carries the standard .45 auto sidearm.

--Dan

And then there was more...

Adam, (last name is Ruth, though not my own last name) born 1826, pictured here maybe in 1860's??? I believe he is my Dad's great grandfather.

Above: Yet again more of our clan, from the much the similar era. Andre Jean Ebisch and Catherine Wolff (note to self: where do these names come from, Dan ?).

This is a photo of some friends hanging around their college gang on Mardi Gras in New Orleans, circa 1940's. My dear Mother is at the very left, standing with a fellow by the name of Al. It was Al who moved to California in later years, and often invited us to come to his lemon grove to pick lemons off of the trees. We froze the juice providing us with weeks and weeks worth of lemonade.

Three of my aunts from my Father's side, they ALL went on to become Catholic nuns! This photo is around 1929, in New Orleans. From left, Gertrude, Muriel and Maxine. Maxine passed away in recent years, while one of the others resides in Austin, TX.

Here are two of those young girls from 1929!

...Gertrude, left, Maxine, right.

My own Dad, Francis, born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans (Royal Street), at the age of 14.

My Dad, in the US Navy, served in WW II and Korea, as well as the Naval Reserve. He has written his autobiography, and it is available on the net as "Vestigia". None of these photos are in the book, so these posts are a real steal for those that wish for more.

War ravaged Zamboanga, Phillipines. Photo by my Dad, WW II.

--Dan

More old photos and history...family of mine, here

Herbert, Albert (my Dad's Dad), and Edmund (a US army colonel)...all brothers to each other. New Orleans, approx. 1943.








My Mother, Marion, (right), with clarinet. I think this is 1940's. She would only live about another 20-ish years.

My uncle (from my Dad's side), Albert Jr., was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber. That position was a most uncomfortable and very unforgiving job in the underbelly (and very exposed it was) of that big, reliable, but lumbering plane that flew unpressurized to 25,000+ ft. The cold, by the way, was often sub-zero. He was part of a crew that flew out of England in WWII to regularly trouble the Nazi regime. He, like so many brave soldiers, did not finish the war at his post. His aircraft was shot down over Poland, and he fell victim to terrible German WWII "hospitality". He did survive the war, and lived until the 1990's. The photo is NOT of him, but similar, I am certain.

My uncle Albert's own son, Albert III, was recently displaced by the terrible forces of hurricane Katrina. They are well, I understand.

A typical photo of a B-17 in flight. The supercharged engines allowed for high altitude flight. I have seen these planes fly to fight forest fires for years, here in my home of Southern California...though they were replaced a long while ago.

More to come... this is a great joy to me. I hope visitors enjoy.

--Dan

Gone to see my Dad...

My Dad has a great resource of family photos. I recentl worked with him to shed some light for me, on our family.

This, here, is HIS Dad, and his own Mother, Henrietta, way back when. My Dad was born in 1925, and his Dad was born in 1893. I believe his Mother, Henrietta, was also born close to 1893, but my records are not at hand, just now.

...There you go, with that stuff, for now...

oh!...one more thing...

My Dad, in Leyte (Phillipines), WWII, Ensign he was, then.

--Dan L.

Hybrid cars are no different

My wife was involved in a collision while driving our new Hybrid Toyota Camry this last week. Thank God she seems to be OK.

Our temporary replacement vehicle is a PT Cruiser. Imagine that...my wife's name is Cruz, and we listen to P.T. all the time!

P.T. photo, ref. Justin Kreutzman, I believe.

PT Cruiser photo, ref. me.

--Dan

My new clock

My new clock...

I bought this as a Christmas gift to myself, back in December. It arrived in late January for some reason. I love it anyway.

Also, a photo...here I am, recently, as you can see.

--Dan

In the last week...

I had the pleasure of attending a conference on ecology and the environment this last week...courtesy of my job, with pay...all day!

We started out with some presentations by guest speakers, some with the company, others not. One such speaker was Huell Howser, best known for his programs on PBS (Public Television), here in the USA and especially in California. He is one of the most up-beat, positive, nicest individuals I have ever met. I posted here, today, a quick snapshot of him shaking somebody's hand as he was exiting the room. You might recognise him from the popular show "California's Gold", again, on PBS.

We then headed out to a visit and touring of the South Coast Botanical Gardens somewhere near Torrance, California. It was an OUTSTANDING day...the sky was beautiful, the air crisp, the plants and birds everywhere. The gardens are located on...an old landfill!

Following the gardens, and a fine BBQ catered lunch, we headed on down the coast for a bit to the stunningly magnificent Pacific Ocean, and arrived at the wonderful Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Now, I have been to a few aquariums, and although the one in Long Beach (California) is huge and wondrous, I rather liked this somewhat smallish but very clean and lively exhibit. We listened (or tried to) a few more speakers from my company as well as some aquarium staff, and then toured the aquatic displays. It was very interesting and fun.

The wildlife photos I have posted are real living creatures, not posters or such. The jellyfish seem a bit discolored due to reflections in the glass.

These are all cell phone-cam shots, because my camera was asleep at home.

Feel free to "click" on the photos...as I always say, they get bigger.

Lastly, I have noticed that on the blog of Pete Townshend, he has posted some rather old family photos. I too, posses a few of those. Here is one dating back to the 1800's of some of my great grandparents' family:

--Dan