This is the latest view from the ranch

LOTS of snow above the abode!

Many thanks and words of joy, to all who visit here, and all who visit here often!

Please enjoy the photo of my home with neat-o Southern California weather....near the ocean, near the desert, near the giant redwoods, near the Grand Canyon, near Death Valley, near the home of Edwards AFB (home of Shuttle landings from space), near to Catalina Island, near to Hollywood (ugh), near to....blah blah blah...

...We live in heaven!

...But my wife is not well. Heaven will wait. We live for each other, and that is what it is.

To all visitors:
May God bless all of you, and all of your families this blessed season!

--Dan

Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!!

At the range, a fine day

The day after Thanksgiving....



Allen (my neighbor) at right, with .45 caliber auto pistol. The one on the left is Rachel, one of my daughters, with .22 caliber bolt action rifle.

That was Allen shooting the .45 auto.

Below, Pete Townshend in action at his "range", The Concert for New York.

People enjoy life under God's sky in many ways, eh?

Now, we are closer to Christmas...Happy Advent!

...The thoughts turn more towards the heavens...

--Dan

Thanksgiving....a FAVORITE DAY!

Well, afterall, I WAS around during the 1950's!

How about a video from almost two years ago....it was an experiment by me, and I love it! I hope you do too.....

The Fabric is Unraveling Faster Now

A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. - MLK



Remembering something sort of like this often said by a a great role model of mine, Fr. John Corapi (not a direct quote):
When we are in the darkness, it is harder to see. If we expect to see Truth in the dark, we are kidding ourselves. The only way to see what is true, is follow the Light.

I rarely get too political on this blog. It seems that it is too easy to get folks riled up, and some of that is certainly not intended, though I guess some still is...
=========================
"Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress; a battle between theforces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God; total collapse, economic, social, and national.The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation.

The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition.The group singled out for death: unwanted, unborn children. No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion."

--Fr. John Corapi
=============================


Our New President, our Vice President, our Speaker of the House...all favor abortion.

Guess who does not? You don't know?

...How about "Roe" from Roe v Wade! You can bet that is not well published! Her name is Norma McCorvey, and this has been known for years. What may be little known is that she opposes abortion.

The attack on the family continues....in California the vote to keep the definition of marriage as "between a man and a woman" was won, but somehow this sits wrong with those who seem to think it is a "right", as in a civil right, to marry...regardless of gender. Now I will say this: If a fish is a fish, can we call it a dog? If a cloud is a cloud, can we simply call it what it is....a cloud? Let us please be with some reason. The issue about marriage is not about hate as much as it is about what is real, and what is not. This is not to show ill will or lack of love for any gender or gender affiliations, it simply is what it is.

I will support our new president and government as the people of our nation that they are, though I will never agree to many of their stated principles. I will also pray for them, for the nasty folks in all political parties, and for all who bother to read this. Wow....now that means I have to spend time doing that....but I will.

I need prayers too, by the way. We are all in need of each other.

--Dan

What we did not know?

Way, way, back...(early 1960's?)...was that...THAT long ago? The CIA had a thing going on. It was called the A-12. It was BEFORE the now famous SR-71 Blackbird spy plane....neither of which, by the way, flies anymore. Here is a neat-o photo of the early bunch of "super" planes...before they became black! The technology was WAY advanced, and has never, even today, been even closed to being matched. Not even close!

Planes, aircraft....they are one of my passionate interests. If you need know more....look me up! Flight is beautiful. High flight is even more so. I so, so much enjoy the story of flight in the sky above!

--Dan

India goes to the moon, and here at home, we live...on Earth

So, India is shooting for the moon! I grew up watching and waiting for something...anything...to go to the moon. Here is a photo that pertains to what is soon to be...an attempt to visit the moon....though not yet by man...

On a more somber note...and really why I have had difficulty posting lately...My wife lost her father, her Daddy, on October 6th. He was 91. She, Cruz, my wife, is in very poor health herself, but doing OK. In the photo, Cruz is shown at the casket. I so much THANK all that sent words of love to us, and THANK all that would have if they knew...

--Dan

It's been a while, for me, but...

My blog has mostly been aimed, by me, as being a timely, entertaining/imformative sort of thing. I must say, I have not been able to be much of any of that, lately. It seems that the health of my sweet wife, Cruz, as well as that of her Father (born in 1917!), have been the most recent focus of attention.

I have always been a believer in visual stuff...like photos, so I will throw some out there in this post. I love to emphasize the postive side of things, so....that is where I go!



Yet again...she comes home from the hospital!



Cruz with her Daddy, very early '60's.

That is all for now...

--Dan

Well, this is what the weekend on September 6th and 7th brought...

OK, OK, I actually did turn 51 years OLD on Saturday, Sept. 6th. I also suffered the night before by being showered with a party-BB-Q... (I BB-Q'd...me, Dan).



And now for the rest of the story...



It seems somebody knew I needed a new flag to fly (yes, a birthday gift)....and my wife, Cruz, with the grandboy, Jesse, fit in quite well with that!

Yep, it was about 100 degrees F. today, yep, it was the little boy in the little pool!



Yes, that is my front yard, that is my pleasure to share this moment on a Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7th.

--Dan L.

The College Campus of today, Southern California, and Mary, mother of Jesus

One of my daughters (all four are in college, one already with a four year degree!) sent me this fine cell phone picture message today. It is well worthy of this blog! Look carefully....Bruce Lee is in good company!

This is a painting of Mary and the child Jesus. I love it to death. I don't know who painted it, but it is a famous one. I think you will find it very different, and very touchingly close to home.

--Dan

Doings around and about...

My sister gave me a birthday gift a bit early. It is a fine framed photo of some guy in the air.

One day, my neighbor, Allen (far left), was cleaning his van at his garage. Here is my daughter, Rachel (left), his daughter, Violet (the smaller one), and a guest from Germany, Annika. it is very blurred, sorry, but still worth a laugh.

The sun was going, going, gone as this photo was taken...

It is (from left) my wife, Cruz, myself, and two old friends that I have seen only twice in about 25 years. It was very, very fun to see them again. It is a long story, but I was exceedingly uplifted.

--Dan

Wholigans and Grandpups

I received my Wholigan shirt yesterday as per membership at the website of The Who. It will fit 'till I wash it and it shrinks, even in cold water and hang dry. Oh well, they don't hand out bigger than 2X, I need 3X! I might try shrinking too.

Here is a video of the Grand boy, Jesse with my wife, Cruz, about two weeks or so ago. I am using my cell phone recorder, and it is my voice speaking to him. He is 2 1/2 yrs. old now. Time has flown, weeds are growing.

--Dan

Man or Mouse?

And so, to the point....

Beginning of an article from USA Today:

ref.

http:www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2008-07-17-spine-genetic-map_N.htm

"Scientists exploring the blasted terrain of nerves that give rise to crippling ailments like Lou Gehrig's disease now have an atlas to guide them.
The Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle unveiled the first phase of the world's first genetic atlas of the mouse spine today on the Internet, posting it alongside an atlas of genes in the mouse brain completed two years ago."

==================

So now we have a true map of the spine of a mouse. I look forward to bigger things. I hope they find a spine in many humans that may seem lacking in that capacity.

As for me, I am better than a mouse, last I checked.

--Dan

Rock Honors

UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.

It's just a cell phone picture, so sorry for the quality. We were about 75 ft. from Pete, about 20 feet above.

What a night!

Pete was very put out by sound problems on his side. After quite a bit of gesturing to the side, at about 2/3 thru of "You Better You Better...." He cut from the song, frustratingly fiddles with the amps, then signals "no more". They then proceded to fix the things that needed fixing. The magic of TV editing will then likely happen, and you will see them do the song a second time. Pete was a blast, Roger was pristine! The rest of the band as we now know them, were all great! Even Rabbit was there, Zak & Simon too.

The Foo Fighters are incredible. Incubus played I Can See For Miles...YES! The Flaming Lips, Jack Black, etc. etc. I enjoyed so much of the whole show! My daughter, Michelle, was very struck as well. We saw the guy from X-Files speak, Adam Sandler played a ditty, Sean Penn spoke, etc. etc. You will see.

Great job to all!

There was mention of another "cable channel" that "sold out". Even though THE WHO SELL OUT was mentioned, it was also added that THE WHO never really sold out. Thanks to VH1 for not going the way of M-T-....rhymes with "scree".

Watch the show when it comes.

--Dan

Huntington Beach

My wife and one of my daughters, at the sea. you can distinctly see the rolling hills of Catalina Island in the distance...beneath the gray, offshore moisture.


Me, Dan. Very scarey, I know!



Cruz!



Looking Northwest, towards the peir.

Maybe more later...


--Dan

Guitars and big time music folks

Saturday, June 21, the longest day of the year, here in this part of our Earth.

And so...

I was visiting the Guitar Center in San Bernardino, CA, and took these fine photos...(Koos, are YOU seeing this?)

Here are some FINE youtube links to this stuff...you will even hear mention of one famous Pete Townshend...

Clapton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZhxEHDS3KU

Stevie Ray Vaughn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_uuU81cwVw

San Bernardino is not too far away, and has hosted the likes of Zappa, the Rolling Stones, Elvis, ....and was the logistics center for the USAF SR-71 Blackbird, etc., etc...

Before you see the stuff on this blog, you absolutely MUST first visit the link I offer HERE:

http://gc.guitarcenter.com/legends/index.cfm

Above: This is the actual Stevie Ray Vaughn "Lenny" guitar. WOW! It was displayed with a security guard, glass case, and what likely was an alarm sensor. There were other guitars there, also displayed in the same manner...

The guitar used by Eric Clapton (Gibson ES-335) for so many years since 1964, and used to record the great "Crossroads" song. The back of the headstock had a little "stamp" looking thing that said "Hare Krishna". Story is: It so happens that George Harrison (Beatles) gave that to Eric, and so it was then stuck on his guitar.

This is the well worn backside of Eric Clapton's "Blackie" Fender Sratocaster that was used to record many of his most famous songs. I totally forgot to get a photo of this guitar from the entire front side....I was so overwhelmed. My sweet wife, Cruz, was by my side. Maybe that is why I was so distracted! I love her.

A beautiful, well aged Gibson Les Paul, used by The Edge (of U2 fame).

Loads of fun!

--Dan

Going to a show, and today is a birthday

Myself and our second daughter, Michelle, will be at the VH1 event honoring The Who. It will happen in July. We are very happy!

Above is a photo from a deli that we will be visiting this evening. Marion, our youngest, turns 18 years old today! She will order a nice sandwhich there! The folks holding the chow are Sean and Danielle, the deli owners.

Marion, at left, and my wife, Cruz. That was in february, 2008, Wrightwood, California.

--Dan

We went to the desert, and now Memorial Day

Monday in the USA is Memorial Day. We remember all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.


On May 30, 1918, Memorial Day services in Washington, D.C., culminated with casting flowers into the Potomac River in memory of those who perished on the Lusitania.

Ref. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/Vignettes/Vignette_51.htm


Last Sunday we hit the road about 100 miles east of us...then...
...JP grabs a chuckawalla.

The cracks in the rocks...that is where those big lizards hide. They have a mechanism whereby they inhale, and they bloat up HUGE...to wedge themselves into a crack. There are, as you likely cannot see, TWO chuckawallas in this crack...male and female...the female is the one JP just had in his hand.


Rachel, Dan, Cruz and Marion. It was 97 degrees F. in the desert, but at my house it was 102...go figure!

Yesterday it only hit 50 degrees here, and there were tornados, snow and lightning the day before that.

Dan and JP, Joshua Tree area.

My wife, Cruz, waits in the car as the search for wildlife carries on. The tree is the type known as the "Joshua Tree", for which the area is so named. There is snow in the yonder moutains, though I cannot yet tell if it shows in the blown up photo...you try to see, if you wish.

Cruz is seen outside the car, in the heat! She was afraid of snakes. Smart woman! We were looking for them, and she knew it!

Allen, my next-door-neighbor, plays "Funk 49" Friday night, yesterday.

--Dan

It's that time of year

The vast desert regions out here are filled with living things. Our friend, J.P., recently went to visit some of them...

A chuckawalla reptile, hard to catch one of these, but J.P. did it! Yes, he released it soon after, as he did all of the fine desert creatures of the day's find. Chuckawallas are famous for scurrying quickly under rocks and expanding their bodies to wedge themselves in. It is said that the only way to remove one that is wedged is to either terminate them, or break up the rocks! I would not consider either.

A red racer snake! He wanted to bite!

The horned toad lizard...a very colorful fellow! These fellows are quite friendly and easy to handle.

I did not take any of these photos, indeed, I was not even there at the time. However, I love to frequent that part of our California deserts, and plan to meet J.P. out there very, very soon. Neither of us live out there, but we just enjoy the visit.

Here is a photo taken several years ago in the same general desert area as the reptile photos. Those are my two youngest daughters, though now they are in college! Notice the clothing...it can get quite cold out there in other months! The picture was taken with the rising sun.

It's very hot here these days, but at least I don't quite live out in the big desert.

To better view any photo, "click" and it looks bigger...most of the time, anyway.

--Dan

Air Shows...we love 'em! March ARB, Riverside, CA

The utterly magnificent, incredible, United States Air Force F-22 Raptor, in flight.

My sweet wife, Cruz, and my youngest daughter, Marion (almost 18!), at the show.

Allen, my next door neighbor, working the vendor booth for shaved ice.


The "business end" of the "Warthog", otherwise known as the USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II, a tank killer. "Click" to view.

The remote controlled "Predator"! used in Iraq and Afghanistan, I have seen this thing fly in RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY CAR in the remote area known as California's Mojave Desert.


Looking over the shoulder of Predator.

More of Predator. Note the covered propeller.

F/A-18 Hornet.

USAF C-5.


Looking inside the volumous C-5 USAF Transport plane, the largest in the USAF inventory.


WW II era P-40 Warhawk, it is flyable.

There was a whole lot, lot more, but maybe I'll post more another day....

--Dan