Jessica's Glacier

Okay, it isn't really a glacier, but it is snow in the middle of summer.

Jessica Up the Trail

Follow the stream and turn left at the big mountain.

Leaving Treasure Lake

Leaving Treasure Lake in the morning and continuing on toward Upper
Treasure Lake (11175 ft) where we will spend the second night. The
trail grows fainter and fainter as we go until it finally disappears
altogether, reappearing sporadically.

Treasure Lake

We camped the first night at Treasure Lake (10,668 ft). Jessica made
me jump off this rock with her into the water. You can still see some
snow on the right that is feeding this lake. We didn't stay long in
the water and she didn't make me jump a second time.

Hurd Peak

Mid July is a great time to be in the Sierras. The weather is nice, the streams are full. We took a fork in the  rail that leads up to Treasure Lakes and ostensibly a dead end surrounded by mountains. Hurd Peak is on  the left and the smaller peak in the back is the one we are going to walk around.  The only way to get around though is over a pass with no trail...

Hail! Hail! The Gang's all Here!

By Here I mean at work. Luckily for me I didn't ride my bike this day although it had stopped hailing by the time I left.

Hail is rare in Southern California. The last time I remember it was in 1985. It may have happened since but it is unusual.

Treasure Lakes Trailhead

Jessica and I took our second annual backpacking trip in July. Here
we are at a campsite near South Lake, just west of Bishop in the
Sierra Nevada mountains. We are getting ready to hit the trail.

Sunset While Driving

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
In a tractor driven sleigh
Over the fields we go
Laughing all the way.

Horn on tractor blows
Scaring Mom to death
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells
Robin laid an egg
The Batmobile lost a wheel
And the Joker got away!

Jessica Hitting the Slopes

Jacob Hitting the Slopes

Ferry in the Fog

This ferry is on its way from Clinton, on Whidbey Island, to Mukilteo, on the mainland north of Seattle. But if you ever take the ferries in the Puget Sound, it could be any ferry, anywhere.

Lion's Gate Bridge

Connecting downtown Vancouver to North Vancouver, Lion's Gate Bridge is the quickest way to get to the slopes at Grouse Mountain.

Jacob and His Snowball

Dear Dad,

I am going to bean you with this snowball/chunk of ice.

Sincerely,
Jacob

Grandma in Her Natural State

Cub Scout Hike

We took the Cub Scouts camping in December and ended up hiking to the
top of this hill. You wouldn't know it, but we are still in the
middle of the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles.

Cottonwood Campground

Both sites we stayed at featured the post to hang your pack on to keep
the critters out and ammunition cans to store food in. Just don't
leave them in the sun.

Brett Hitting the Slopes

Playing in the snow at Grouse Mountain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nE276ac-WY

Viking Conflict

Since the Swedes and the Norwegians famously dislike each other, this
must be a conflicted family.

Just Another Sunset

Ok, I really don't get tired of these. I even stopped to get off the
bike, take my gloves off and take this picture. It has been a very
cold winter for us and I have recommitted myself to the bike commute
so I have been freezing on a regular basis.

Ribbon Falls

Ribbon falls is a beautiful oasis. The hike down was getting hotter
and hotter, so after we set up camp at Cottonwood campground we mad
our way another mile down the road to this wonderfully cool spot.
While the temperature away from here was over 100 degrees it must have
stayed below 80 here in the shade with the cool water flowing past.

We did leave too soon, fooled by how cool it was here and ended up
sweltering the last hours before sunset in our campsite.

Morning Fog

Coffee may clear away my morning fog but it doesn't help to find the Space Needle.

Mountains and Wetlands

This stretch of wetlands is preserved because it is part of the Seal
Beach Naval Weapons Station. I never get tired of the mountains in
the background either. Nice place to ride a bike.

Walking Derricks

The rig that is shown in this posting
(http://wallihan.blogspot.com/2013/01/drake-rig.html) drills 6 wells
from one location. Then they tear the whole thing down, pack it up in
trucks, move to another location and do it again.

To get between the six well locations, the derrick has four "feet",
one of which is shown here. To move the derrick the extend downward
to raise the rig off the ground, then move horizontally to move the
rig about 6 feet at a time.

Yucca Lifecycle

The yucca plant shown here in its three stages of life. On the left
the juvenile plant. In the middle the plant grows a stem then the
main plant dies. On the right, the stem dies and the seeds are blown
away in the wind.

Lincoln's Regret

This painting was part of an exhibit by Robert Dowd at the airport in
Orange County. I liked most of the exhibit, but this one was
definitely my favorite.

Saffron, Cinnamon and Salt

Giant Groucho Marx Disguise

Really? I couldn't think of anything funny to say for this one? Very disappointing.

Seattle at Night

From way up in the hotel on 6th street looking north along the monorail track to the Space Needle.