Sundays, we drive over to the target range and generally go under the old bridge in Torrance, California. The bridge crosses Torrance Boulevard and the railroad tracks where the Pacific Electric Red Cars used to run.
Culture
Island Express Helicopter Crash
Readers here may or may not know that I know a thing or two about helicopters – I have an airline transport helicopter rating with hundreds of hours of instruction given, charters flown and cross-country ferry flights. I have had a mishap or two along the way, but I’m still here to blog about it.
I can’t comment about the crash of the Island Express helicopter on Catalina Island other than to observe that the pilot had a lot of experience and that the weather conditions were certainly less than optimal. The FAA and NTSB state that the investigation might take up to a year to complete. We offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims in this terrible accident.
We have been passengers several times on Island Express – we were married in Avalon, and often go back, especially for our anniversary.
We’re going again this year as well and we’re planning to fly over on Island Express helicopters. We believe that it is a safe and enjoyable way to cross the channel.
So, with that in mind, click on the video to the right and see for yourself just how nice an adventure you have when taking the helicopter to the Island.
Happy Memorial Day
During a drive to the Palos Verdes peninsula today I took this shot of the array of flags that greet visitors to the City of Palos Verdes Estates.
We had a fantastic BBQ in the backyard after the drive. We hope everyone enjoyed their holiday as much as we did!
Upper Meadow at the Botanic Garden
This is a panoramic view of the upper meadow at the South Coast Botanic Garden. The Garden Foundation has this area set aside for special events. You can charter (for a fee) the area for weddings or other events. On the left and right edges of the panorama you can see the two pergola- covered paved patios which are adjacent to the meadow. Just to the left of center is the gazebo which is can be used as a stage for events. This panorama view subtends nearly 180 degrees. Click on the image below for the full-sized image.
Beltane
Known as a cross-quarter day, Beltane falls on May 5th. Celebrated long before Cinco de Mayo, Beltane marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer soltice.
Archaeoastronomy.com Has a history on cross-quarter days and those cultures which celebrate(d) them. Plus they have a nice animation of the graphic seen below.
Beltane was the start of Summer, just a few days beyond May Day on the modern calendar. Fertility is at its peak as bees pollinate the flowers. Seedlings are poking through the cool soil, seeking the warmth and energy of the sun. Early Christians preferred the name Whitsuntide instead of Beltane. The pronunciation of this cross quarter is BEE-awl-ten-ah.
More Golden Poppies
The California Golden Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is our state flower, possibly the most beautiful of all state flowers. We’re currently enjoying this pair and dozens of others in the back yard garden. These just ‘decided’ to grow here – and we’re glad they did. Click the picture to see the very large image.
From Davis Wiki:
On December 12, 1890, the California State Floral Society voted to select a state flower – the nominees were the California poppy, the Matilija poppy and the mariposa lily. The California poppy won by a landslide. Sometimes known as the flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the poppy grows wild throughout California.
