Some recent acitiviy, Big Bear Lake, CA, and birthday number 50

At the cabin!


Looking out our cabin window while lying on the bed


In the cabin (Cruz, my wife)


Arriving


Out the door at breakfast

Solar obsevatory

Click on this (above), an aerial in a crazy place...look at the tree!

It WAS good!

--Dan

Heading Towards Fifty and the Twilight Zone

On soon to be turning fifty:

Those famous words from Arelne Martel in the episode of The Twilight Zone...

"Room for one more...honey"

...as she holds open the door to the morgue. You may also recall her as a confidant to Col. Hogan in Hogen's Heroes, and T'Pring (Spock's Fiance), in Star Trek.

I know, things are not that bad, I plan on being around for much longer. I am stubborn that way.

On Wednesday of this last week it was 115 degrees F. here. That, my friends, was the hottest place in the USA. Death Valley was only 112. Phoenix was only 111. It may be hotter still in the coming days, especially today.

Summer is brutal at this time. What if I went back to my origins? What was it like then? I'll be fifty years in this world this Thursday. What about fifty years ago?...

I do not live in Los Angeles, but here is the data from my real first day at birth in this world. Add about 10 degrees for where I live, and it will be close.

Los Angeles Downtown, CA
on Friday, September 6, 1957

Max Temperature
84 °F

Min Temperature
65 °F

--Dan

California Desert

Me, Dan, and my future wife to be, Cruz, in the California desert during the winter, circa 1981 or '82. We were situated about 60 miles or so from Las Vegas, Nevada.

The scan of this image was very messed up, so...I apologize. I tried a very long time to fix it...but it did not happen.

--Dan

The Garage and Music

Allen, in the garage (next to my house), holds the CD case for the music of the night. Joe Walsh is the center of attention. You can see Joe (right) and his friend on the motorcycle on the top of Allen's CD player. The "hula guy" next to the CD is stuck to the player somehow, so he is acting as a mascot.

--Dan

The B9 Robot!

Photos ref.:

http://www.lostinspacerobot.com/index.html

To see them in action, go here....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VibCEXarHbg

Everything is automated these days. Danger, danger!

Oh, and look for the big meteor shower this weekend!

--Dan

Our Neighbor, Allen, at Dan's House

Allen plays Neil Young next to our piano at my house. The piano was given to us from her Dad's home as my wife, Cruz, endured her father leaving his house and moving to Oregon...to be cared for by family members. Her Dad was born in 1917.

The photo is Allen playing along with the vinyl LP from Neil Young's DECADE album. It was fun.

--Dan

More mountain photos

Here are some more Mt. Whitney pictures from July. That place is so great.

--Dan

Home!

To all the folks out there that offered prayers and all for my wife and family, a big THANK YOU. Our prayers are answered, and my wife, Cruz, is home again! No, she is not suddenly all well, but she is well enough to come home, and that is a start.

--Dan

A great photo, and great news more on the fire, as I have added stuff...

Click on photo to see the amazing sight. The photo here, of the hatchery in danger of destruction.

Photo is courtesy of :

http://www.sierravisions.com/

©2007 Steven Bourelle


Any use of the information or images on this page without written consent from Steven Bourelle is prohibited.

Note: I, Dan, Have permission from Steven.



Michelle, my daughter.

Me, Dan.

These photos taken less than one day before inferno. I will return there sometime, since it was saved.

http://www.inyocounty.info/

Please view the amazing website, clickable above, and note references to hatchery at that site.

I was near where this fire happened only less than 24 hours before.

--Dan

One of the Best

One of my absoultely favorite places on this earth, the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery, almost burned to the ground last week. Fortunately, it was SAVED, but the firefighters had to jump into the ponds to avoid flames, and several went to the hospital. I was there the very day before it happened. Here is one of the last pictures taken of that most peaceful and serene place on God's good earth...before the fire. Click on the photo, it is heaven on earth, located in the wonderous shadow of the great Sierra Nevada Mountains, the hatchery always knows a breeze blowing ...always knows, always knows.


One of my other most favorite places, San Dimas Canyon, burned incredibly a few years ago. It was a marvelous place, my dreams there were so many, now looks like the moon.


Another, in Lytle Creek, also burned.


I'll need to seek my last remaining areas of solitude...because life is short, and so too are many things of life.


I had terrible bug bites this last week, a product of my trip last week into the Sierra mountains. I hate whatever that was that got me...whatever it was that it is. A stealth bug, maybe.


I was reading about a bunch of gold prospectors that hang out in the East Fork of the San Gabriel river. Those die-hards. I have done that...propecting for gold, but mostly in the Mother Lode region of the Western Sierra Nevada. It can be hard and dangerous work. I once saw the bad end of a rifle barrel doing that stuff. People get crazy. Read on it...


http://www.dankat.com/advents/eastfk.htm


There is even a "bridge to nowhere". No, it's not my website, another guy did it.




If you go to the website, see the slide show.

--Dan

Answer to previous post and more...

As per the photo "monument" in my previous post...

From The Manzanar cemetery site is marked by a monument that was built by internee stone mason Ryozo Kado in 1943.[36] An inscription in Japanese on the front of the monument reads, 慰靈塔 (Soul Consoling Tower).[34] The inscription on the back reads "Erected by the Manzanar Japanese" on the left and "August 1943" on the right.[34] Today, the monument is often draped in strings of origami, and sometimes has offerings of personal items left by survivors and visitors. The National Park Service periodically itemizes and collects these items.

--ref. www.answers.com

...and more information from:

http://www.nps.gov/manz/

I have now returned from another visit there. Here is a photo. Click on it to see it better:

The picture is of the newly reconstructed auditorium. The temperature that Thursday afternoon, at that moment, was about 108 degrees F. The clouds forming in the afternoon sky over the 14,000 ft. skyline were to form again the next day, thus resulting in many lightning strikes and several large fires in the surrounding area. they even closed the highway.

In the green, me, on Friday, while on the Mt. Whitney trail with one of my daughters. We are at around 9,000 ft. It was my first time there in about 28 years or so.

I used to look like this about 28 years ago, as seen at about 8, 700 ft. in the San Gabriel mountains...

--Dan

That day in July, and a photo somewhere

Click on it to make it more visible.

Have a great holiday, all those in the USA. To all those elsewhere, have a great day anyway!




The photo above, taken by me...is where I'll be after the 4th of July. Who can guess what this image is about? I may or may not confirm a correct answer until the weekend or so, if anybody throws out a guess. Do check back...I will tell soon.


--Dan

More Blackbird and NASA

SR-71B trainer in hanger at Edwards AFB (NASA) ready to fly. Photo by me. This plane has since been deactivated, cut in half for transport, and is now in a museum.

SR-71 B on the deck just outside of the NASA facilty, Edwards AFB. This was a good time. Behind the buildings to the right is where the space shuttle is lifted onto the 747 for transport back to Florida (when it lands here, as it did several days ago)



Our second oldest daughter in 1997, stepping out from the 747 that transports the space shuttle.

The shuttle returned on it's way to Florida today, Sunday, on...the 747! NASA Photo by Tom Tschida.

All other photos by me, Dan.

--Dan L.

Then Comes July...Why Aren't they Mousing?

This is the last day of June. It is closing in on regular 100 degree temperatures soon...we have already been there. Glad to finally have some half decent A/C this year. What a difference! If one were to study the great achievements in the history of mankind, it has been said that the invention of air conditioning may well have had the most influentional effect on the economy ever seen. No, I don't mean electric bills...I am talking about office space in the desert. I am talking about meat packing plants in the inner city. I am talking about hospitals. On it goes...I know there have been great publications about this subject, but one would have to Google them, I have no links at this time. One related subject alone: Hoover Dam. Arizona would not be the same without it.

Anyway...

...a picture of the Sr-71 Blackbird in flight at Edwards AFB, CA, around 1997 or so. Notice the P-51 Mustangs at lower right. The Mustangs flew in a formation (there were more than two), with Chuck Yeager flying one of them. He flew those planes many years ago in combat. Yeager also opened the air show with a sonic boom (breaking the sound barrier) while flying an F-15. He has done that opening for years, but no longer does it anymore (he is in his 80's now). He is of course famous for breaking the sound barrier in 1947 with a rocket plane at Muroc (Muroc, the earlier name of the base before Edwards). Yes, I took this photo. The "triple-sonic-plus" SR-71 Blackbirds no longer fly, but boy what a sight they were!

--Dan

We got the Space Shuttle again!

I watch and wait for every space flight. This is my nature, I love the sky, I love life, I love flight incredibly. Back in the early 1980's, I took my future wife to see the return to space of Space shuttle Flight no. 9. I wanted so bad to go there, and we did, now it seems so long ago.

Today, I was very aware that Atlantis was soon to arrive back on earth, most likely at my favorite aircraft stomping ground of Edwards Air Force Base in California (I was not sure exactly when they would really "pull the trigger" on Edwards, but I knew those guys out there would be "lit"). As I was getting ready to park my car while preparing to spend lunch with my wife here, near our home, we experienced a sudden thumping sound...purcussion. I thought maybe we had been struck, or maybe a failure in the car itself...but I could not locate any such thing. I then stepped out of the car and asked my sweet wife, "The shuttle is coming to Edwards today, you said... right?" My wife had just listened to the news, and she seemed to know the current status, but said, "I am not sure".

... I said, "I hear a car alarm, and I know the shuttle sound...that was the space shuttle". We then stepped immediately into the restaurant, and lo and behold...on the TV screen inside...a SPACE SHUTTLE landing in progress on the news!

Home and safe! YAY!

We felt the wings of spaceflight coming home. I understand from my kids that the house shook, and the doors were thumping. That is great, great news! What a day it was!

When I was much younger, the breaking of the sound barrier (as was the shuttle noise today) was much more common around here, with so many aircraft and air bases happening. We had the great, great X-15, secret Blackbirds, etc. It was marvelous, but very unnerving when the windows almost shattered.

I cherish, I truly love and enjoy every second. there is much more to this story, but I must stop for now.

--Dan L.

New stuff with my Dad, 82 on June 10th

Marion (left), and Rachel with my Dad, their Grandfather.

Me, and my Dad, June 10th, 2007. See my blog archives to know my Dad, he is my hero.

Me and my own Grandson, "The little boy"!

--Dan

Father's Day this Sunday

Saint Joseph with Jesus. I really like this painting.

Me, long before I was a Dad.

Happy Father's Day!

--Dan

Gumby and Gumby and Gumby...

Aliens seeking to take DNA from Gumby.

Gumby's band looking mighty familiar. Who is the real Gumby, anyway?

ref.

http://www.premavision.com/studio/aliens.htm

My sister lives near the creator of Gumby. She likes to talk to him.

--Dan

You are forgiven

--Dan

Hiking about 30 years ago

1977-ish

At left, my lifelong friend, Dan, born just 3 days after me. At right, me, the Dan of this blog.

We are on the ridge that leads to Telescope Peak in the Panamint Mountains, west of Death Valley. If the photo was clearer, you would see the Sierra Nevada mountains behind in the distance, around 100 miles or so away (barely visible and very light gray, way in the back to the right, but actually 500 miles long). The round trip overnight stay was about 14 miles, and up to over 11,000ft.

I grew up always knowing Dan. I truly have no memory of ever meeting him. We have literally known each other for nearly 50 years.

Telescope Peak...I have been to the summit on three different occasions. Though located right at Death Valley (it forms part of the Valley), it is usually snow covered in winter and then some, with ice and cold weather. It is a very remote location, and allows a view that lets you see both the lowest point in the whole Western Hemisphere (Badwater), and still see Mt. Whitney at the same time. That, my friends, is an elevation change of close to 15,000 vertical feet. That can even be hard to do in the greatest mountain ranges on earth.

Think of that...If I can see over 100 miles behind me, 100 miles ahead, and almost three miles straight up and down JUST LOOKING AT THE GROUND...then I can really know what it is to "See for miles and miles"

--Dan

Planes and things

This is me, sitting in an F-4 Phantom II jet fighter at a museum several years ago.

The "mountain" photo is an internet picture I found at Wikipedia that is of Mt. San Antonio. I used to get "buzzed" by F-4 fighters while hiking to the top of that peak (10,064 ft.). They would really "sneak up" on ya, and WOW!

I just love airplanes.

See that mountain? I have been up there a great many times. Do you see my footprints?

Last of all, with yet more airplane stuff...a quote from CNN.com:

"In 1997, a BA Concorde flight to New York suffered an "engine surge" which caused a bang and lights to go out. The aircraft also dropped suddenly. Pete Townsend, guitarist with The Who pop group, was a passenger and said afterwards he would never fly on Concorde again. He said: "I was just glad to land in one piece."

The Concorde and some guy from a blog...which is which?

--Dan