We ‘celebrated my first day of retirement by running out and doing some chores that would have usually taken place on a weekend. On our way home, we spotted this old Chevrolet truck with some interesting customization. I doubled back and went up the side street so Verna could get this photo. Click to enlarge.
We were trying to figure out the weird hubcaps and the cryptic chrome letters on the hood. The red trim was kinda weird too. Nice truck, though.
Today was my retirement farewell party thrown by the company. I invited friends, colleagues and family to the back room of The Sizzler for a luncheon and send-off. I posed with my Mother-in-Law, Janie, for this photo.
The Arizona and California Railroad was originally constructed between 1903-1907 by the Arizona and California Railway. The line between Matthie, AZ, and Parker opened in June 1907. By 1910 the line reached Cadiz, California.
As late as 1937, there were several daily passenger trains on the line: #170-117 and #118-181 operated daily between Phoenix Union Station and Cadiz, with connections to Los Angeles and San Francisco; mixed trains #210-233 and #234-209 operated daily between Mobest Yard and Parker; and mixed trains #25 and #26 operated daily except Sunday or Monday connecting at Rice for Blythe.
We are looking at property near the original eastern terminus of the ARZC railroad.
Photo credit: Verna (taken from US Route 60 paralleling the track not far from Salome, AZ.)
Our recent vacation took us to Reno, Nevada. We came back via US Highway 395 through the Owens Valley, just east of the towering Sierra Nevada mountain range. One of the interesting scenic stops along the way is Mono Lake, where strange alkaline formations known as tufa, protrude from the lake bed and shoreline. This is a panoramic image taken from the south shore at a point closest to some of the major formations. Click the image above to see full sized panorama.
Mono Lake is said to have formed at least 760,000 years ago when the Long Valley Caldera erupted. God forbid that should happen again, since life in America would be quite different – or perhaps non-existent – as a result.
Our recent vacation to Reno took us through Angel’s Camp, California. A historic old Gold Rush town and site of the annual Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest originated by Mark Twain.
While in town, I took this image pair of the classic Art Deco Angels Theater. Click the image to see full size. If you don’t have your 3D glasses, you can always view the 2D version here.
According to Cinema Treasures . . .
Built in 1936 by Harvey Entertainment, the classic Angels Theater was restored in 1999 by its current owners, Cinema West, and converted into a triplex.
The main auditorium features murals of Gold Country miners, which are lit by original trough lighting. The main theater also contains a large stage and curtain. During the restoration, stadium seating was installed along with state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment.
Two smaller theaters are located in the former balcony, which has been refurbished with more leg room and better sight lines. A fourth auditorium was added to the building in the latter part of 2001. Recently, the Angels added a fifth screen.
This is Verna shooting one of the Smith and Wesson 686 357 magnum revolvers. I’m not sure which one this is, since we each have one, but I nicknamed mine “Jerry Lee” because of the “Great Balls of Fire” that surround the muzzle almost every shot.
