Another New Toy

Yesterday, we took possession of the new Glock 26 9mm semi-automatic pistol. It’s a sub-compact, lightweight, pocket-sized gun, that is a pleasure to operate. See the specifications below.

stripped-glock-26.jpgI found a very good YouTube® video demonstrating how to field strip the Glock 26. This gun is much easier to disassemble and reassemble than our S&W 908 9mm pistols. Using the video as a guide, I was able to strip the gun and put it back together in under 30 seconds – without hurrying. In the image at the left you can see the gun’s component parts after field stripping – the barrel, recoil spring assembly, slide assembly, frame and the stock 10-round magazine. Click on the image for a closer look.

Glock 26 Specifications

glock-26.gifWeight: 560 g / 19.75 oz
Length: 160 mm / 6.29 in
Barrel length: 88 mm / 3.46 in
Width: 30 mm / 1.18 in
Height: 106 mm / 4.17 in
Caliber: 9 mm Luger Parabellum
Action: Safe action
Feed system: 10 / 12 / 15 / 17 / 19 / 33 round magazine
Sights: Fixed front and rear

Click on the image for a close-up of this little beauty.

Flat in the Driveway

gar-flatJJ’s truck woke up with a problem. Verna noticed it and told him. After a while, our neighbor Don offered the use of a floor jack, even though there is one in our garage. I guess JJ didn’t know.

This picture is from one of the two webcams we have looking at the street. You can see both of them in real time (refresh for latest image) in the bottom of the left sidebar on the main page.

Zuma Beach

This one is out of the archives, and was actually imaged by Verna last year on our way home from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. This was taken from Pacific Coast Highway, State Route One, just inside the Los Angeles County Line. Zuma Beach stretches toward Point Dume in the distance. Click the image for the large panoramic view.

zuma-beach-pan.jpg

More than a Dozen Cactus Flowers

cactus-blossom-profusion.jpgMore than a dozen of the cereus blossoms popped open overnight. As you can see, there will be many more to come. We seldom see so many opening on a single night. This was taken very early this morning. By 10 AM, these beautiful flowers had all closed and were drooping having done their one-night opening. You can click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized picture.

Total Solar Eclipse – Well, Sort of . . .

blimp-total-eclipse.jpgWe were in the backyard today when the Goodyear Blimp passed overhead. That happens quite often here since the West Coast Blimp Operation is based in Carson, California, about three miles from our home.

solar-diamond-blimp.jpgThe unusual thing about this particular overhead pass, was the position of the sun behind the airship as it flew directly overhead. As the Blimp passed in front of the sun, we were engulfed in shadow for several seconds, enough to perceive a drop in temperature which would also occur during an actual solar eclipse.

I took several shots during the “eclipse” that included totality and the “diamond ring” effect. Luckily, I heard the Blimp, which has a distinctive sound, and grabbed the camera for this most unusual photo opportunity.

Click on each image to see the full-sized photos in the large image viewer.

The Gardens in Balboa Park

One of the nicest things about San Diego’s Balboa Park is the gardens. This courtyard had meticulously maintained flowerbeds and hedges. You can see Verna across the yard taking pictures behind the fountain under the archway. Click the image below to see the full-sized panorama.

balboa-court-pan.jpg