Paddle Wheel Race

You have to operate a pump and aim the nozzle at the paddle wheel to
make it roll to your opponent's side.

Not as easy as it sounds. And everybody gets wet.

At the California Science Center.

Give 'em the Whole 9 Yards

Ammo belts in WW II were 27 feet long leading to the expression, "Give
'em the Whole 9 Yards" meaning to give everything.

Planes of Fame

We took a field trip to an airplane museum where most of the planes
are functional and you can buy rides in many of them ($$$$).

Jacob

North Rim Rainbow, Take 2

If you didn't know I was neurotic, this will clear things up.

I originally posted a version of this picture on December 20, 2012. I
got several nice comments about it, and I agree it is a nice picture.

But...

It suffered from one of the rookie HDR mistakes, the "Horizon Halo".
If you look on the left of the picture where the land meets the sky ,
mysteriously the sky is brighter near the ground even though the sun
is behind me. This is an artifact of the way HDR works.

Anyway it has been bugging me ever since then, so I finally redid the
picture. I hope this one is as well received as the last. I also put
up each of the exposures used to create the HDR image.

The original HDR. Notice the "Horizon Halo"



Lowest exposure. Notice how the horizon on the left appears.

Second exposure. One stop higher (shutter open twice as long as first).

Third exposure. One stop higher (shutter open twice as long as second).

Fourth exposure. One stop higher (shutter open twice as long as third).

Fifth exposure. One stop higher (shutter open twice as long as fourth).

Pinewood Derby

The Dads, I mean the boys, each meticulously craft a car from wood,
plastic wheels and nails for axles. They paint them and then set them
free on the race track.

Everyone has a great time and the winners get trophies.

SR-71 Blackbird

With a speed of mach 3.3 and a maximum altitude of 85,000 ft, the SR-71 was almost a space craft.  After the Soviets shot down the U2 spy plane in 1960 we needed something better, so along came the SR-71.

The Helipad

Petja at the helipad at Phantom Ranch next to the Colorado River.
Seven years before, this was was his final stop after being injured in
the canyon. He was evacuated by helicopter. This time he had to get
out under his own power.

Staying Cool

One way to stay cool at Phantom Ranch was to sit in the shade in the
creek. After a while we tried the other way which is to sit in the
cafeteria with a cold beer.

Hot Hot Hot

This is admittedly in the sun. The shade thermometer read 107 F.
This was at 3:00 in the afternoon at Phantom Ranch.

Jacob Feeding the Coots

Jacob having a ball feeding birdseed to the coots at Central Park in HB.

Wetlands Sunset

Jessica's picture of the wetlands shows the mix of nature and remnants of the oil industry in Huntington Beach.

Saguaro Cactus

The area around Phoenix (the Sonora Desert) is filled with Saguaro cacti. Apparently they
are 80 years old before they get their first branch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro

The Coot

The coot is a waterfowl. Curious to me was that instead of webbed feet it has webbed toes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Coot

Primanti Bros

Primanti Bros is a sandwich shop in Pittsburgh. You can ask for whatever protein or combination of protein you want, but the rest is as you get it.

Good sandwich, great atmosphere.

If you ever get there order the Capicola Ham and Egg sandwich.

Bridge in Roaring Springs Canyon

Today the terrain on the Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails through Grand
Canyon is easily managable. The challenges are steepness and heat,
but the path is smooth and wide.

I would be interesting to explore other parts of the canyon besides
this one path from the North Rim Lodge to Grand Canyon Village, but
this is the only developed trans canyon trail and there are only a
few, much shorter, trails into the canyon at all.

South Rim Sunset

Yes, it really does turn blue when the sun goes down.

Church near Pittsburgh

Smiley Face

This little insert into the mouth of my water bottle keeps the water
from splashing back in my face. It also provides a friendly smile.

Fishing with Jacob

Jacob and I set off to go fishing at Big Bear Lake near Los Angeles.
I had fished there as a kid with my grandfather and always came home
with the legal limit of rainbow trout. I thought for sure it would be
a sure thing to get some fish. I researched rigs, bait, locations,
times, everything I could think of. We didn't get a single bite, but
we had a fun drive around the lake.

Victory Salute

Having made it over the top and down off the mountain, Jessica enjoys
the victory before we set off on the last 3.5 miles back to the car.

View from the Pass

Jessica enjoying some hot chocolate and a well deserved rest at 11,750 ft before we
go over the top and down the other side.

Hiking Up the Pass

Getting near the top we are climbing over boulders, picking our way to the top.

Upper Treasure Lake

Here we spend the second night at 11,175 ft. We went to bed early
because in the morning we hike around the lake, over the pass on the
right and then back down to the car. Once we get over the pass it is
all (mostly) downhill. Did I mention there is no trail over the pass?