May The 4th Be With You... A Star Wars Memory

 

"Someone has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, flyboy."

~Princess Leia Organa

Star Wars

No, this isn't my, Ellipsis Movie Of The Week, recommendation, it's, well, a memory. You see, while my sister and I were never particularly close, we did share a love of movies. But as we found over the summer of 1977, Star Wars wasn't just a movie, it was a kid's blockbuster! When I say kid, I mean tweens and teens, like me. The movie was released on May 25th, 1977, and took off with light speed! By the time my birthday came around, a month later, it was a genuine hit! I didn't really have a big desire to see it, but my mother insisted I did, so off I was sent with my sister and her brand new fiancé to see it, at a matinee. The line was around the building, and down the block, and in that it was at the end of June, it was HOT, but folks were already on their 8th or 9th time seeing it! I have never loved the summer, and I have especially never loved that my birthday was in the summer, but it was fun to watch the energy of those around me in line. The movie was so-so. There was just something about it that had me wondering what the big deal was. My sister and her fiancé were a little too into each other for me to discuss the finer points of what I found lame, so there was that. As the summer wore on, and I discussed the movie with my friends, most of them decided I was nuts. They were either in love with Han Solo, or Luke Skywalker, which I completely understood, but that had very little to do with what was nagging at me about a perfectly fine movie! My guy friends simply insisted it was the best movie ever made, period, end of discussion! Then, I finally got my answer when I met my future husband.

You see, dear hubby is the brother of sister's husband. Yes, we married brothers. Alan and I met somewhere between the film's release and my birthday, Memorial Day, to be of exact. We didn't talk much that day. He can be a bit standoffish. Which is fine, the whole, families getting to know each other, thing was lame, but there was no avoiding it, so I figured that perhaps we could be... yikes... cordial. Um... nope. He barely acknowledged my existence. Shrug. Okay. It wasn't until years later I learned why he not only would not want to talk all things Star Wars, but why he had his nose out of joint that day, but that story is for another time. Eventually, he and I met again at the wedding, the following November, so here was my chance, I really wanted his opinion, and it was a safe ice-breaker. Why was the movie that ate the summer, so mediocre to me? I explained my impression to him, that the film seemed to be oddly off about something, and he said, it wasn't lacking anything, and then he asked me if I liked westerns? I had to think about it, but finally I told him, no, I didn't. I grew up in a time when there was a different western on every night of the week, I exaggerate, but take a look at the tv in the 50s 60s and 70s! Bonanza, The Big Valley, Alias Smith and Jones, The Wild Wild West, Wagon Train, Rawhide, The Riflemen, Have Gun Will Travel, Maverick, The Virginian, ugh, you see what I'm saying! I thought about it, Star Wars takes place in a Galaxy, far, far away, which was different than most sci-fi I grew up with! Suddenly it all came together! Star Was was a space western for our parents, and a glitzy sci-fi movie for we kids. The special effects for the time was truly amazing! Of course it couldn't fail! Well done, George Lucas!

So, all these years later, I am married to the love of my life, and we have this whole day planned around watching as many Star Wars movies that we can fit into one day! And I am thinking of my sister. She passed away, several years ago, without she and I ever really becoming close as sisters, and I am in truth, missing her most days, but I have grown to really like the memory of going to see, Star Wars, with her and WhatsHisName. Looking back, it was a good day! Space Westerns Rule!

 And I still have a crush on Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford!

May The 4th Be With You!

 

Those Summer Nights

 

"For to be free is not to merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in  way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

 

~Nelson Mandela

 

Pretty, isn't it? This is the last fireworks photo I will have from our time in this house. We are moving soon. This dream is coming to an end. But was it a dream or a nightmare? I am still trying to figure it out. Oh well, I will share more later. For now lets just enjoy the beautiful photo of the light, and the freedoms, we all share. Its all a great big adventure... isn't it?

 

 ~Me

Can Every Day Be Rob Lowe Day?

Preston Castle Boys Reformatory

Ione, California

October 14th, 2017

 

"You need a break every once in a while  to enjoy the everyday

 and you need the every day

 to enjoy the break you take every once in a while."

~S. A. Tawks

Mule

Okay, well, this is how it went. Our vacation this year began on a sad note. Every single thing I had planned, fell apart a little before it officially began. I had several day trips to cities in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties, unfortunately, most of those areas were on fire! It was a sad event, not for us, but rather for the folks caught in path of the devastation. So, as disappointed as I felt about not being able to see some of the places I had looked forward to, that was really nothing, compared to what all those folks were going through. But as our vacation came closer, it became more and more apparent, we would need to make other plans.

We usually start our vacations in Orinda, California, at the Orinda Theater. The second Thursday of every month is free movie night, and each October they tend to show a Halloween themed movie, and this year it was A Nightmare On Elm Street. Neither Alan, or myself, had seen the film, so we thought it would be terrific to see it, for the first time together! Well, when it came time to go, we found out that the air quality in the Bay Area was so bad, the powers that be warned against going outside there, if you didn't have to, and because we both suffer from allergies, and breathing difficulties, we also had to cross that off the vacation plans.

On October 13th, our wedding anniversary, we got some take-out food and tried to plan our next course. Neither one of us knew what we wanted to do next. NO CLUE AT ALL. So, we decided to give it a couple days, and see what we could come up with, and that's where Rob Lowe comes into the story! One night I was up really late, looking for something spooky to watch on TV, when I came across a new show on the A&E network, The Lowe Files. I hadn't heard anything about it, so I decided to watch the first episode to see what it was like. As it turned out, the first episode was set out here in the Central Valley, at Preston Castle Boys Reformatory, in Ione, California.

The show is about Lowe and his two sons, traveling together, looking for ghosts, Wood apes, Bigfoot, and so on. Mostly it's about their spending time together, having little adventures, and enjoying being a family. The show is funny, heartwarming, fun, and at times it was fun to watch Rob Lowe get scared! The show doesn't take itself too seriously, like some of those shows do, which I find refreshing and I really hope there is a season two coming along next year! Check it out, it's truly worth watching!

But back to Rob Lowe Day. After we watched the first episode, we decided to follow in Rob's footsteps, and that all started at a donut shop in Galt, California! Now, this was big for me because I am a bit of a donut snob. I am definitely a Krispy Kreme girl. I like how light and airy they are, and they just melt in your mouth, so getting me to go to a different donut shop, especially in Galt, was, just a week earlier, quite the change of pace for me! Galt is a very small Central Valley town, with not much to see, other than a small amount of public art, some strip malls, and lots of farmland. In other words, it's like every other town in the Central Valley... rural. If you've seen one cow, you've seen them all... right? But Robe Lowe seemed to think the area was so pretty, it reminded him of England! Um... what, Rob Lowe? You can't be serious! But it made me curious, what did he see? And would it be possible to see it differently, like through his eyes?

 I didn't think there would ever come a day, when I would look forward to a visit to Galt to buy a donut, but it was part of the whole Rob Lowe adventure, so I played along, and to my delight, the donuts at the shop he visited, Happy Donuts, were pretty good! I had to admit that now, there was another donut shop, that I liked almost as much as Krispy Kreme! Alan loved that, because he has never been a fan of Krispy Kreme, so at least we now have a place we both enjoy! And he also enjoyed how giddy I was to go into the shop. I still don't know why I so weird about it, it's not like Rob would be there that day, but it was strange feeling to know I was standing where he stood, trying to pick out a donut!

After picking up the donuts, it was time to head to Preston Castle.We laughed along the drive, and I played the theme song to the Lowe Files, Don't Fear The Reaper, on my bluetooth, and of course the theme to St. Elmo's Fire, my favorite Rob Lowe movie. We talked about the show, and how one day we would love to go on a ghost hunt of our own, and just forgot about Trump, and the fires, and the other problems we are going through right now. We just had fun together, and it was just about the adventure. It's not like we expected to see a ghost, in the middle of the day or anything, but we did some speculating on what it would be like if we did!

When we arrived in Ione, we hit the downtown first, and as we drove into town, we saw witch, and yes, a tiny ghost, with a candy bucket, doing a little early Halloween celebrating or perhaps some Trick Or Treating! We laughed for a few moments about that, walked around the old gold rush town, and then headed up to the castle. It was closed, but it has a long driveway, and I was able to get some photos of the Gothic castle, and some trees, and I even got to photograph a new bird for my files that I hadn't photographed before! The beautiful Acorn Woodpecker. 

And then it was time to head back home. We still laughed most of the way back home, and debated the best Rob Lowe movie, we both have our favorites, and we watched several of his movies that night, and yes, ate our donuts. St. Elmo's Fire and Stephen King's The Stand. I loved him in both, but I still think I enjoyed him in St. Elmo's Fire the most. I don't know, maybe because it was made during the 80's and there were some things about it I could identify with.

Plus we are the same age as the Brat Pack, and I think it's a generational thing. Either way, because of Rob Lowe, we had the best day, that was truly a departure from all the cares of the world, that he and I tend to get caught up in. I really need to stop following politics, but I know I can't, and that's why our next vacation can't come soon enough! If things had been different, maybe I would have taken some sort of job relating to politics, or perhaps put my love of photography in the mix, maybe as a campaign photographer, shrug, If I could, I probably wouldn't change my life much, I like where I am, but I could do with less stress. So I will be looking forward to our next vacation coming around, and when it does, we will be celebrating Rob Lowe Day, October 14th, 2018!

 My Rob Lowe Day Album

October 14th, 2017

Central Valley Stonehenge

;)

Ghostly Stone Face

 Thank You, Rob Lowe, For Reminding Us...

 It's About The Adventure!

#29th Leaf Of The Day

November 29th, 2017

Cull Canyon Park

Mood: Happy
~Me :)

Geocaching? What's Geocaching?

"Duke" Found near a Geocache hidden in Hayward, California

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"Well, depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where... "
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."

~Lewis Carroll, Alice In Wonderland

A funny thing happened a few weeks ago, while watching the Real Housewives Of New York City... I learned something! I know, I know... a lot of folks, including me at times, find it difficult to come up with anything redeemable about the Real Housewives Of Anywhere, but sometimes, oddly enough, you learn something about yourself, that you didn't know. For instance, a few years back when the Real Housewives of New Jersey came through the Bay Area, on their way to a spa vacation in Napa, they spent some time nearby. During their time on the San Francisco Peninsula, they stayed a couple days in an RV park in Half Moon Bay, and found nothing to enjoy. Nothing! Not the town. Not the people. Not the local restaurants. Not the amazing Pacific Ocean, which was just steps away! Not Half Moon Bay Harbor. Not the fresh salt air. Not the... well, you get the idea. I learned, while watching that episode, just how much I really do love Half Moon Bay, and the Bay Area. Not that there was any doubt before, but when I saw their blatant disrespect for the area, I felt strangely protective. 

The Bay Area is my home. Leave if you don't understand and appreciate it's beauty. It's as simple as that!

I felt like giving up on the show completely, but fortunately, recently, while watching the New York franchise of the series, I had a different experience. I found out about the new hobby Alan and I are currently enjoying... Geocaching! Geocaching is basically a type of treasure hunt in a way, but in this case, you don't find diamonds or money, or anything of real value, what you find are tiny treasures and a log book that you sign with your Geocaching screen name that basically says... "I was here!" 

The trinkets are usually anything small and silly. Stickers, buttons, badges, tiny rubber ducks, coins, erasers, marbles, matchbox cars. I have seen a lot of different small items, which for the most part is PG but sometimes, well, PG-13, like the time I found a condom, and of course someone left a antiseptic wipe to go with it! LOL. Social statement? Perhaps. Sense of humor? Maybe. But I prefer to find buttons thank you very much!

Anyway, how does this all tie in the the RHONYC? Well, it was one of the ladies who sparked the idea in me, Kristen Taekman. You see, Kristen planned an awesome getaway for the ladies to a gorgeous dude ranch in Montana. As you might guess, the whole concept was lost on most of the them, but a few of them got into it, but not to any appreciable degree. It was sad, I felt bad for Kristen, especially because she had made a real effort to show the ladies a good time with the outings she arranged. One of which was Geocaching!

As I watched how the game was played, I really began to like the idea. You get some exercise. You get to climb out of the usual, every day activities, and you get to prowl around bushes, trees, and fences late at night! Well, you don't have to Geocache at night, but it helps you avoid the muggles. Muggles are folks who don't know about Geocaching. It can feel silly at times, but it's a fun silly! Alan and I are having a HOOOOOOT! And I have Kristen Taekman and the RHONYC to thank for my new hobby!

Here are some of our recent Geocache finds...





What I like about Geocaching is the fact that the game can be completely customized to your individual lifestyle. You can meet new folks who share your hobby... or not... it's all good. Geocaching is done around the world and in most every town, so you don't have to go far to go on a hunt! It's not seasonal specific, and there are a lot of different ways to play. Maybe you don't want to go on a traditional hunt, okay, maybe try a puzzle solving cache. Or perhaps you just want to sightsee, cool, that is part of the game also. The point is, the game of Geocaching can be played every day, or once a month, its completely up to you.

I like that. And I also love that I had passed many different spots in my daily travels, and had NO idea that somewhere, just tucked into the corner of a store lot, or along a park-and-ride fence line, or hidden in a tree at my favorite gas station, there was a tiny treasure just waiting to be found.... or not! Sometimes I really have to think the clues that are provided just a little bit more! It's not as easy as it sounds, but it's fun! Having a GPS device helps. It is the easiest way to find the caches, but not completely necessary. You can just program the coordinates into Google maps and be on your way!

Sound like fun? Click here... Geocaching... to learn about the game and how to play!

Thank You Kristen Taekman! I know I would have enjoyed Geocaching with you!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Sometimes The Moon...

The Full Moon And Clouds January 25th, 2013


"See how nature... trees, flowers, grass grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... we need silence to be able to touch souls."

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Sometimes the moon cooperates with me, sometimes it doesn't. LOL. I have been quite happy with the photos I have taken, since I switched to digital about 10 years ago, but sometimes I have to work a lot harder than other times. My old beloved Minolta, which was broken on December 31st of 2008, was the camera I used to do most of the moon shots with, but it met with a tragic end, having been wrestled to the ground by Dylan and Hendrix when they were but mere kittens! Never underestimated the damage potential of a pair of kittens! LOL. As heartbroken as I was, all was immediately forgiven. I can't stay mad at my two little fellas for very long.

At the time I thought my Minolta had been given a death sentence, but where there's a will, there is a way, so with a determined spirit I taped the Minolta back together and soldiered on. It's been over 4 1/2 years and even though I have purchased two new cameras since, I still break out the old Minolta and take if for a spin, providing it feels like being cooperative! My beloved Minolta insists on being able to recognize only one SD card in particular... no other... and at times it refuses to speak to me in anything but Japanese. Yes, Japanese. You see, for some reason it tends to get stuck in the Japanese mode, and I have NO idea why or how it happens. But it's okay, I am good with it, the pictures still continue to come out awesome!

I am hoping I will be able to get some good shots of the Supermoon a little later. As I write this post it is a little after 12:00 AM PT, but at around 4:30 AM or so, the moon should be at it's biggest and brightest in the sky. I am going to check on it from time to time overnight, and hopefully the sky will be clear enough to get a few shots. When I checked a couple hours ago, there were a few clouds beginning to move into the bay from a storm that's one it's way for Sunday night and Monday. It's going to be one of those wonderful gully washers that make it all cozy, but jeepers my luck, does it really have to come in right now? LOL. Ummm... yep!

Sometimes the moon cooperates, and sometimes it doesn't. Life, and photography, is an adventure. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Hauntings

"What we believe spirit visitors to be influences how they affect our lives. What we believe ourselves to be dictates how we react to them."

~S. Kelly Harrell, Real Wyrd - A Modern Shaman's Roots In The Middle World


The Man Upstairs...

I thought it would be fun, since it's been almost a year since the ghost moved in, to give an update on the ghostly happenings next door. Mr. Ghost, as Alan and I call him, is still keeping the same schedule of leaving his apartment at 4:30 AM and returning at 8:00 PM. A brutal schedule for a man half his age, let alone a man of 60-ish! For that reason alone he has my respect, just thinking about his schedule makes me tired! And did I mention he maintains that schedule 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year?! By all practical considerations he is an ideal neighbor. Quiet. Keeps to himself. Respectful of the common areas between the houses... but... there is one other thing curious about the man that h does that gives me pause. Just one thing.

He NEVER seems to produce any garbage!

For a full year now, well, almost a full year, no garbage! Well, wait, that's not all together true now that I think about it. Mr. Ghost did take his garbage down to the street on New Year's eve, and then the next day he brought the can back up to his house, rolled it around the corner of the building, and no one has seen it since! Out of sight... out of mind? Maybe, but a month ago I was up early one morning and I heard him stomp down his upper stairwell, walk around the corner of his house, kinda growl, and then I heard the lid to his garbage can slam... once... loudly. It was like his was personally pissed off at the can!

Otherwise... same old, same old.

Oh, except I did find someone on a message board who has a similar mystery going on. Message Board's neighbor keeps the exact some hours as my Mr. Ghost but instead of leaving the house every day during those hours, his neighbor gets up during those hours but doesn't leave! Otherwise the two men could be exactly the same person! Same hours. Same quiet demeanor. Same aversion to the garbage can! It's a mystery! And with the rainstorm that just started outside, it's easy for my imagination to wander to all kinds of dark places. Places where alien hybrids live. Places where one day a quiet unassuming neighbor just floats away as quietly as they came. Did I mention he moved in so fast no one saw any furniture move in with him?

Newly divorced? Alien Hybrid? Or Ghost? Hmmmm



Hey Dylan, Wanna Tell Ghost Stories?

The Easter Bunny brought Dylan and Hendrix a special gift for Easter this year, a new IKEA tent shaped like a  Big Top circus tent, and some new assorted stuffed animals for under the big top! The boys have been having a blast in the tent, and it also makes a pretty good place for a time out when someone (Hendrix) gets a little to bitey, if you know what I mean! LOL. Anyway, while the boys were playing with their new toy the other night, and while I was considering my own adventures with Mr. Ghost, I saw the boys live out a real spooky moment of their own. They reminded me of two human brothers playing spooky camping trip. Here have a look at the fun...

Hey Dylan, Want To Tell Ghost Stories?


Wait! Did You Hear Something?


Yikes...Hendrix... Could It Be A Real Ghost?
  Yes... Dylan... I think I Is A REAL GHOST! RUN!


Whew Hendrix! It Was Just Donald Trump On A Macy's Commercial!
Yes, WHEW! But Just In Case, Can We Have The Light On Mommy?


My The Boys Went To Bed Without A Fuss Tonight! Hmmm!


Little boy humans, little boy cats... there's not a lot of difference! LOL.

Love is love and fun is fun, and I am happy with my boys! :)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)