Blackpool Rocks ... and other sweet things

A Love Story - Stanley and Gabriel

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:42:00 +0000

This is absolutely priceless - if you have any experience at all with cats, Stanley is a typical little bugger (English for little devil) ...
At one point we had two German Shepherds and two cats and guess who was the boss!

Full Moon

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Last night was a full moon and I wanted to try something 'different' instead of the big black sky with the big white globe ... I took the 'big white globe' through some leafless trees and tinkered with the gamma settings and ended up with this. What do you think???

Last night was the very first time Daphne jumped up onto the top shelf of her condo .. she's not a youngster so I think she was waiting until her confidence caught up with her ambition. She sat for a while looking at the nightscape of the bay - the lights, reflections, etc. then she settled down and went fast asleep, as you can see here. The subsequent photos I took showed open eyes, so this is the only one showing her sleeping.

More photos of DAPHNE

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:19:00 +0000

I managed to take a nice photo of her right before she moved ... She's sitting in the space between the two levels of my apartment .. just the right size for her. I'm getting to see more of her personality now she's settling in and she's obviously come from a good home. I don't understand how they could have surrendered her to the Pound after 11 years but I'm glad I was there to find her and bring her home .. she's definitely a 'home body' ...

She's enjoying her condo and finally mustered enough courage to jump onto the first level by herself. I have been putting her on there in the top basket and she stays for quite a while but I haven't seen her get up there herself until today.
She also jumps on my bed when I go to bed and she graciously allows me to pet her for a few minutes before she settles down. The story continues ...

MEET DAPHNE

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:05:00 +0000

On October 16th I went to the Peninsula Humane Society with the intention of adopting one cat but when I arrived, I saw DAPHNE ... and decided to bring her home with me. She's a petite kitty with unique markings and a great personality. She's 11-years old and declawed on the front paws and I wondered who else would adopt her ... most people want kittens or younger cats. She won me over and she has a home now for the rest of her life. My longest-lived cat was 23 when she died and our last cat was 18, so 11 isn't so old!

I bought all the supplies at PetCo, including this condo which I put in front of the sliding glass doors so she has a view over the Bay. In this photo, you can see her markings. One tiny glitch - she doesn't stay still long enough for me to take a nice photo of her. I've taken about 30 so far and these two are the best .. and far from perfection! I'm sure once she settles in (she's pretty much there now) I'll be able to take a great shot.

Africa

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:41:00 +0000

My sister just returned from an African photo safari. This one is her favorite. This male lion is about 5 years old and in his prime. She was fortunate enough to take this as he laid down on a raised area with the setting sun in the background.

In stark contrast to the beauty above, this is MY favorite photo. I have not seen such a funny face on any animal .... I wonder what happened??!! If you have an appropriate caption, I'd be pleased to hear it.

This is the photograph her husband gave her as a birthday gift .. it's titled "Polar Kiss" ... I love the look on the polar bear's face.

You can laugh at me now!

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0000

I have been watching the International Space Station fly over for the last few days .. I'm really interested in 'space' things. My little Nikon Coolpix L5 is a great little camera but, try as I might, I can't get a shot of the ISS going by. This is the best I can do ... there's a tiny whitish streak in the middle of the photo ... go ahead and laugh. I'm putting a new camera on my Christmas list!

Sky Shots

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:02:00 +0000

I have a fascination with the sky, clouds, planets, ISS, etc. so I can't resist when I see a beautiful, weird, or interesting photo-op. This one was taken from my deck and doesn't really reflect the scene which was bright orange/pink hills in the east bay, over a darker foreground.

As soon as I saw this orange moon, I ran for my camera! What a shame it wasn't a full moon too .. but it still made an awesome sight in the dark sky. Perhaps it was orange from some of the smoke from the Auburn fires to the northwest.

I was on my deck to watch the ISS go by and even took a photo of it as it flew by, but my little camera isn't good enough to take that shot. This full moon was the best I could do - taken September 5th.

JULY 4, 2009 (posted out of order)

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:18:00 +0000

I spent July 4th home alone (by choice). I got used to it because when we had our dogs (and cats), I'd never leave them alone because they'd be afraid of the loud noises and flashes of the fireworks. I don't feel like I really missed anything because from my deck, I had a great view of one fireworks display as you can see.

July 2009 - FLY up to LAKE ALMANOR

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:17:00 +0000

Most of the photos were taken from the plane which had tinted windows .. and because it was such a hot day, there was a lot of haze ... I've done my best to clarify the photos so don't be harsh in your criticism.

My brother-in-law is having medical treatment so he couldn't stay at the lake house all summer but they hired a small plane and he'll be flying up on Friday and back on Mondays for a couple of weekends. The first weekend, I went with him. This is a photo of the 'small plane' which is based at the little town (pop. 2,500) of Chester in Plumas County, CA. Sterling is bending down to pick up his dog and Dan, the pilot, is watching. The plane seated the pilot and three passengers.

We flew over Auburn, west of Sacramento, over Lake Oroville then over the mountains to Lake Almanor. This shows the lake in the distance and you can just make out the airport - the sandy-colored area to the left of the lake. The lake has a peninsula jutting down north to south and that's where their house is located.

Here's a photo of the peninsula itself. The house is approximately one-third of the way in from the left, on the far side of the peninsula. That side of the peninsula is about two-thirds of the lake. It's a lovely area and a quick drive takes you to Mt. Lassen with its sulfur pits, bubbling mud and awesome hiking trails.

Here's Chester Airport as we're coming in for our landing. We had to circle it because of a rather strong tailwind. There's no control tower there .. it's just too small an area .. but it was used extensively last summer when there were several wildfires around the area.

In the 25+ years my sister has owned the house, there have been ospreys nesting nearby. I took this photos through a telescope on the house deck. When they first built the nest, it was at the top of the tree and each year they fix it up again. There's a tow rope and at least one tarp in the nest itself. Ospreys live 30 years on average, in the wild, so this couple may be the original birds.

When we were flying over the Sacramento valley, it made me feel extremely insignificant .. from 9,000 feet looking down on the land below. These are some of the many rice paddies in the valley .. those with the curved lines are the older fields and those with straight lines are the ones that have been leveled by laser to improve the watering efficiency.

As we were approaching the Bay Area, we passed Beale AFB then Travis AFB and I finally saw the 'mothball fleet'. In the distance is the Golden Gate (the break in the land mass) and to the left is the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island - you need to be familiar with the area to know where to look.

Here we are coming to for a landing at San Carlos airport .. which does have a control tower because it's next to the approach for San Francisco International! On the way we were passed from Travis to Oakland Airport and were required to drop to 4,000' to clear the way for a 737 coming in for a landing. It was so much fun listening to the chatter on the plane's radio.

My final photo is of my brother-in-law who was stretched out in the back seat (his choice). Dan, the pilot, gave us both headphones with microphones so we could talk to each other easily .. and listen to the air traffic controllers at the various airports between Chester and San Carlos. I asked enough questions on the way up there - he figured I was interested in what was going on. He was right!!

SWANNERY

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:16:00 +0000

On our last day in England, we drove to Heathrow Airport to stay overnight so we didn't have to dash like crazy people to get to the airport in time.
We drove along the south coast going from west to east and I was checking the map for interesting sights when I saw "The Swannery" ... it's been in the current location since the 1300s and the over 600 swans have a great place to call home. You can walk freely along the paths and walk really close to the nests for good photos ... I only got hissed at one time!

Here's one of the first nests we saw ... you can just see two cygnets sticking out from underneath mum ... Most of the swans were still waiting for eggs to hatch but we saw two who had little ones already.

Here we have two cobs confronting each other. It didn't get nasty .. just a lot of wings flapping and attempts to make themselves look much larger ... it was over in a matter of a couple of minutes but it was quite impressive while it lasted.

This is a good view of the main part of the swannery ... there are some 'training pens' for parents to take their young to get them used to the water, etc. You can see how close they all are to each other and they get along great apparently ... even put up with visitors walking amongst them.

OREGON

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:56:00 +0000

I went back to Oregon for a few days(the first time since my husband died in March '07) to see old homes .. visit friends .. and get back to the beauty that is Oregon. I stayed at the Riverside Inn, Grants Pass (55mi north of the CA border on I-5) .. we lived there for 10 years. They have these fantastic blue jet boats that take you on rides along the Rogue River, over rapids - trips that include lunch, dinner or just sightseeing. They're a 'must do' when you're in town.

This is a shot of the Rogue River just past Hell Gate canyon where they've filmed a few well-known westerns - and The River Wild. I have floated down the river a few times in an inflatable (Tahiti) one-person kayak .. so much fun!!

My friend took me and her daughter to a favorite camping spot of hers. It's not usually busy because it's out-of-the-way, there are no hookups or showers and it's quite secluded ... but it's beautiful. This stream is crystal clear and deep enough to swim in certain areas ..

Here's another photo of that beautiful area and the greenery that folds over the edges of the water, like Mother Nature tenderly caressing the stream.

I drove over to Brookings on the coast . just 10 miles north of the CA border .. we lived there for ten years too ... I'd still be there if it was a little bigger town - although I love the small-town feeling. Here's a pic of the Pacific from Crissey Field beach .. a new area they've created as a visitor center.

Devon ... one of the prettiest counties!!

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:40:00 +0000

This is my hotel - The Osborne - in Torquay ... the rental house where everyone else stayed was at the near-end of the main building. The central part is the hotel and the rest of the building is apartments and time-rentals .. it has a commanding view of the bay and was very comfortable.

This is the little village of Cockington, a few minutes away from where we stayed. The village forge is the building on the left .. it's now a gift shop but was built in the 11th century ... the employees of the Manor all lived in the houses at one time. It's a beautiful not-to-be-missed village ... all thatched roofs and in perfect shape. The thatch is usually replaced every 15 years.

Across the bay from Torquay, is the quaint fishing village of Brixham. We took the ferry across the bay, did our sightseeing, and returned by double-decker bus. (Took me back to my school days) Brixham is a typical, touristy fishing village which also houses a full-sized replica of Drake's ship The Golden Hind which you can tour.

This is Buckfast Abbey. The architecture is awesome, inside and out. Benedictine monks first colonized the site in 1018AD. The foundation was small and had a precarious existence especially in the years following the Norman Conquest. Buckfast remained for 300 years a crumbling ruin. Monastic life at Buckfast was revived in 1882 when Benedictine monks made it their home. The rebuilding of the monastery commenced in 1884 and work on the church was started in 1906 and went forward without a break until its completion in 1938.

Rollings hills and checkerboard lands are the name of the English countryside. Only a few minutes' drive outside of any city or town, and you're in the 'country' ..

More England Photos

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:06:00 +0000

After spending a few days in Blackpool and reconnecting with the place of my birth, we headed south and stayed overnight in the Cotswolds (just south of Shakespeare country). We passed through the town of Evesham .. and I took this photo so you'd have an idea of the beautiful sights we saw. Lots of tudor buildings.

We drove on and stopped in the town of Broadway, near our B&B. The buildings in this area are made of local stone which is a mix of limestone, sand and soil ... which gives it the slightly yellowing look ... and which is really quite attractive. We saw a lot of wisteria in our travels too. The aroma was breathtaking.

The town itself was created in the 1600s, hence the narrow alleyways and 'walkovers' connecting buildings one to the other. It all adds to the extreme charm of the town. There weren't too many tourists, fortunately, because we were there before the major summer season.

This shows part of the town itself. We parked and walked, and walked, and walked. So many shops, so much character!

Lastly but not least, I had to have a photo taken with English phonebooths ... they're a little part of 'home' that I have missed.

Blackpool ... Photos from April 2009

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Fri, 29 May 2009 07:07:00 +0000

This is me and a beautiful big dray horse ... we were visiting friends and this little girl came by on top of this handsome fellow ... so friendly too (both of them).

The 'Pleasure Beach' is right on the sea front at Blackpool .. it attracts so many visitors. At one time this dipper was the highest in the world .. I think it's the second highest now ... as kids we spent a lot of time at the Pleasure Beach.

The beach has had donkey rides since before my mother was born! When I was little it cost sixpence a ride ... as we were driving away from the beach, we saw these donkeys heading there for a day's work.

There are lots of landaus in the summer up and down the promenade .. full of tourists. This fellow got a jump start because the season doesn't get going until the end of May or so.

Just about everywhere you drive in Blackpool, you can see the Tower! It's about as old as the tower in Paris and has a fantastic view from the top as well as a world-famous ballroom and circus and a slew of entertainment.

Mini LapTop

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:37:00 +0000

I've purchased a new mini-laptop .. ASUS EeePC900 .. and I'm taking it home with me so I can use my MagicJack to call the U.S. .. and to keep up on my emails. My HP laptop is big and heavy so this little netbook will do fine for my travels.
I have some new clothes, new luggage, new shoes ... and I'm ready to go!

England ... Land of my Birth

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:18:00 +0000

I'm so looking forward to my trip home ... I haven't been back since my dad died in 1981 ... I know it's changed so much but it's still 'home' ... I will enjoy talking to people who talk like I used to ... I sound more American now!!
We leave SFO on April 21st and arrive at Heathrow the next day ... we'll drive up to Blackpool and spend three days there, then we head to the Cotswolds and will stay overnight at a B&B in Broadway ... our final leg is on the 26th when we drive to Torquay where we stay for 10 days ... coming back to the U.S. on May 7th.
I can't wait to see the schoolyard where I learned to whistle (through my teeth) .. and the church where I took the collection on my first day there, under my sister's care, and started to walk home with the plate of money. (I was only about 5 .. and they told me to 'take' the collection.) After that my sister swore she'd never take me again!
Oh to see the thatched cottages of Cockington, the ruins of King Arthur's castle, Dartmoor, etc. etc.
Devon (the county where Torquay/Torbay is) has just about the best weather in England .. it's in the southwest and is protected from most of the northwesterly winds so the weather is quite mild and quite warm in the summer. It was called the English Riviera by the Victorian elite (because it reminded them of the French Riviera) who spent their holidays there when travel was difficult during the Napoleonic wars.
There wont be much more posting until I return from my trip home ...

HAWAII - Oceanscapes

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 06:17:00 +0000

Waipio Lookout is a wondrous place to view the ocean. It has cliffs, waterfalls, luscious valley rolling into the ocean and is tourist-friendly with great viewing areas and restrooms but is pretty slim on the parking area and fat on the stairs down. All is well worth the trouble!

One of the views from our house on Maui .. it was great watching the waves break over the lava rock .. and trying to time your shot to catch the apex of the spray.

Our rented house was right on the ocean and this was part of the beach area ... some sand and some lava but it makes for a beautiful contrast.

We stopped at a view point on our drive to Hilo when we saw this unusual rock formation.

While we were out looking for a 'bird man' (see the bird pics posted earlier), we found a rather secluded area with nothing but lava beaches and formations ... again, tempting us to get our timing right for the best breaking wave shot.

HAWAII - Flora and Fauna

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:09:00 +0000

This is the second-largest banyan tree in the world .. it was so wide, the outer branches were propped up by posts. In the little park under the tree, there was a craft market every day ... which made for comfortable browsing.

These are Chinese Ferns and we saw a lot of them on our drives around the islands. They looked like huge blankets of green covering the land ... spectacular sights.

We haven't seen Rainbow Eucalyptus trees anywhere else and they are fascinating. It's quite apparent why they are named this ... aren't they beautiful?

Being islands, there are nothing but cliffs and canyons to see as you drive around.

What's Hawaii without the adorable Bird of Paradise? We found this one on top of one of those massive cliffs (above) ...

This was in the parking lot by an outdoor market .. I'm not sure if it's a tree, shrub, succulent or some kind of dracaena .. but it had a beautiful shape and it was huge .. you can see a lady sitting under it for size comparison.

We saw trees with these orange flowers all over the islands. I have no idea what they are but they really stand out.

This is one of the 'Jurassic Park' areas we walked through .. houseplants with 3' leaves and 15' height, ferns with 10' fronds, vines 30' tall.

One of the local sea turtles basking in the warm water. They are protected because they breed and nest here ... not what you'd call very 'active' animals.

Hardly 'native' to the Islands, these Wapiti were in a field with a young buffalo ... I can only think they were cross-breeding them with the local stock to improve them.

HAWAII - Whales

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:21:00 +0000

We went out on two whale-watching trips with Captain Steve .. the craft was an inflatable, grey with orange sides, and held about 24 passengers ... Cpt Steve is extremely knowledgeable and the inflatable allows us to really get close to the whales ... This first photo is a mother humpback who came to say hello and her baby was beneath her. She stayed alongside for a little while then went under the craft, and away. You can see her dark body and the lighter fins.

Here's one of the humpbacks breaching .. it looks like so much fun, flying up out of the water and twisting over to make an almighty splash on re-entry.

My sister took this photo but I love it because the tail looks like a huge bird, wings outstretched, skimming over the ocean.

The whales come to Hawaii from Alaska to give birth in the warmer waters and allow the calfs time to grow strong enough for the journey back. The females pick up an 'escort' in Hawaii who will mate with her and escort her back to Alaska (to keep other males from mating with her). Of course, if a larger escort comes along, he'll take over the 'escort' duties.

HAWAII: City of Refuge

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:08:00 +0000

One of our trips was to the City of Refuge ... a native town which was divided into the Alii side and the sanctuary side ... by a 10' thick wall. People who had been sentenced to death for breaking kapu (law) fled to this section to seek refuge, often by swimming across the entire bay. Other men, women and children, those weak and ill, those defeated in battle, or those who were non-combatants in battle but on the losing side also came. Once the petitioner arrived, the kahuna pule (priest) would be obligated to offer them sanctuary and absolution, under pain of his own death should he refuse to do so. Often the petitioner would be freed within hours to resume a normal life. These people had been given a second chance for life itself. This was not a place teeming with hardened criminals. This was a sacred place on which life began anew for the ancient Hawaiians.

These are two replica huts .. the smaller is a living hut and the larger is where they built their boats, etc. With tropical weather, there's really no need for four walls.

Outside the church compound ... the shelf was where food and supplies were left by the villagers for the priests and those in sanctuary.

The indentations in this lava rock on the beach is where they prepared some of the foods. They hammered them out and built fires in the holes.

A lot of the trees in Hawaii have multiple root systems because of the lava or sandy nature of the islands. This tree in the village is a good example. Because roots can't go very deep, they multiply for stability.

This is one of the many local turtles resting in one of the village bays. I wonder if they ate turtle in the olden days?

There are two ponds within the compound .. one was to keep fish for the Alii (royalty) ... in the other pond we found these fish .. each guarding its own nest. Each circle has a fish sentry. It was fascinating watching them chase off intruders.

HAWAII - Kilauea the Volcano

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:48:00 +0000

One of our daytrips was to see Kilauea which is the most active (consistently erupting) volcano in the world. This shows the main crater (there are a few) and the billowing white smoke (which changes to grey and pink) ... unfortunately there was no active lava eruption coming from this site when we were there. It looks rather like a moonscape, doesn't it? The crater rim drive was closed because of this dangerous sulfur-laden smoke. We bought masks to wear, but the wind was blowing the smoke/sulfur away from us so we didn't need them.

This is part of the main crater which is 2 miles in diameter ... it's breathtaking (literally and metaphorically).

There are five craters on the top of Kilauea ... this is one of the smaller ones.

HAWAII - Paula and Sterling

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:17:00 +0000

We all got our photos taken with 'the birds' ... a very well-trained troupe of parrots. We found two businessmen hawking (pardon the pun) their birds ... the first one was selling photos that we ordered and picked up a few days later. The second man (who took this photo), set you up with his birds and used your camera to take the pictures. He'd pick up his birds by their beaks and swing them around ... was quite a sight to see.

Paula and Sterling's favorite restaurant (for views) on the big island is Jamesons and they always sit at the same table. It's right on the ocean and we can watch the surfers and the waves as we dine. The local birds visit often to pick up crumbs.

Here's English friend Eric and Paula/Sterling in front of Kilauea

HAWAII - Don't worry, be happy!!

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:15:00 +0000

Here's the situation ... my sister rents this huge oceanfront house in a gated community just on the north edge of Kona ... being alone, I got the 'media room' ... no closet, no mirror, no bed, no bathroom AND NO CURTAINS AT THE WALL-TO-WALL WINDOW.
The master suite was next to me, up 3 or 4 stairs and they had no curtains in their bedroom or bathroom either.
I mentioned my modesty to my sister who responded with "there's no-one on the beach at night .. no-one can see you .. don't worry about it". I'd positioned my rollaway bed close to the windows and managed to undress in the dark 'just in case' some weirdo was walking along the beach.
On the 4th or 5th night there, I started to stir at about 5 a.m. and thought to myself 'don't tell me it's time to get up already' .. it was getting light. I popped open one eye and beheld the glory of NCL's Pride of America sitting outside my bedroom with every single light lit for all 3,000 people on board!!! SO MUCH FOR MY PRIVACY ... AND MODESTY!!!
I got up, grabbed my robe and took this photo of my new neighbor ...

The sun came up half an hour or so later and I took this second photo, showing my deck railing in the foreground so you can get the idea of just how close those 3,000 people were!

I'd finally got used to the idea that having no curtains on the windows was no big deal because there were no people on the beach at night ... and besides, if one person did see me in all my glory, so what!
Now I had to re-think that whole scenario ... never mind the one weird person wandering the beach at night .. now I have THREE THOUSAND strangers with binoculars looking for something interesting to see!!!

HAWAII - Waterfalls

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Here are a few photos of various spectacular waterfalls we visited while on Maui and Hawaii ... If you're really interested, I can identify their locations for you .. otherwise, just enjoy the beauty.

HAWAII -- Father Damien

BlackpoolRocks@gmail.com (Blackpool Rocks) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:36:00 +0000

Father Damien was the Belgian missionary who looked after the lepers on Molokai. After he died, his church was moved to the big island. There's a cemetery and a monument to Father Damien. When we arrived at the church, I fore-warned everyone that thunder and lightning occur when I enter a church so they must be ready. As we pulled up in the parking lot, the thunder started .. no kidding! There were two men sitting by the walkway to the church and I asked them when the thunder started ... 'just as your car got here'. Here's Sterling indicating the way in.

It's called "The Painted Church" for a reason .. the inside looks like a typical Hawaiian landscape. It's a 'big little church' with a very Hawaiian flavor.

His monument needs some tending ... it can do with a clean and some new flowers ... but I was amazed to learn he was only 49 when he died .... of leprosy.