Verna and Bob's Weblog

Bob

Aeronca Champ

aeronca.jpgIt’s been a lot of years since I piloted one of these. It’s an Aeronca Champion or ‘Champ’ for short. These were built after the second world war and were in direct competition with the Piper J-3 Cub. I have flown and instructed in both types and, believe me, they are a lot of fun to fly.

Image: Aeronca Champion

We were shopping in a strip mall near Torrance Zamperini Field when this nicely painted Champ flew over us on a short approach to runway two-niner left. A wave of nostalgia went through me as it sent me back in time to the days of dead reckoning, seat-of-the-pants, needle, ball and airspeed flying.

April 17, 2010 by Aerospace

Google Street View – in 3D

Not an April Fool’s Day joke – Google® Maps, as of April 1, 2010, offers street view in red/cyan 3D anaglyph images. The feature is user selectable with an alternate action icon wearing a pair of 3D glasses. I discovered the feature while I was looking for a vacation destination. The image below (click image to view a larger version) is a street shot near the Torrance Courthouse.

street view 3D

April 6, 2010 by Bob's 3D Stuff Nerdliness

Catalina’s Casino Gets a Facelift

casino-shroud.jpgOne of our favorite landmarks on Santa Catalina is currently undergoing a ‘face-lift’ to restore the exterior. A large drape has been installed around the building to protect the renovation from the elements and to suppress construction dust while the work is being done.

The same company that restored the landmark Villa Riviera Hotel to it’s early 20th century magnificence will be doing the work. The cost of the update is estimated to be around three-quarters of a million dollars. The Santa Catalina Island Company decided to upgrade and restore the historic Casino’s exterior to its original 1920s splendor.

We hope that the work will be done in time for our annual pilgrimage to the island where we got married. Our vacation to Avalon usually occurs in the middle of September.

The image above (click to enlarge) is courtesy of the Catalina Webcam.

You can read the complete story at California’s Boating and Fishing site, The Log.

April 5, 2010 by Architecture Leisure

Island Panorama

When we were at Terranea a few days ago, Verna took this photo of Santa Catalina Island from the “Discovery Trail” pathway along the cliffs overlooking the Catalina Channel. I cropped it down into this panoramic image. Click on the image to see full-sized in the image viewer.

island-pan-terranea.jpg

April 3, 2010 by Leisure Panoramas

Growing Artichokes

For the first time, our artichoke has sprouted a flower pod. We’ve decided not to harvest the edible pod but to let it bloom into the gorgeous flower that artichokes bear. Verna just watered this plant yesterday and did not notice the flower that seems to have sprung up overnight. Click on the image to enlarge.

artichoke.jpg

March 28, 2010 by Home & Garden

Avalon 1998

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