#20

My Daddy, My Hero!

Sun Setting in Angeles Crest

“There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them.”
― Jo Walton

Hummingbird's Delight

Hummingbirds are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 3–5 in. range. They hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–80 times per second (depending on the species). They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings, which sometimes sounds like bees or other insects. To conserve energy while they sleep or when food is scarce, they have the ability to go into a hibernation-like state (torpor) where their metabolic rate is slowed to 1/15th of its normal rate. When the nights get colder, their body temperature can drop significantly and thus slow down their heart and breathing rate, thus burning much less energy overnight. As the day heats back up, the hummingbird's body temperature will come back up and they resume their normal activity. They can fly at speeds exceeding 15 m/s (34 mph); they are also the only group of birds with the ability to fly backwards. Individuals from some species of hummingbirds weigh less than a penny.

Wild Fires to Wild Flowers

The Station Fire on State Route 2 (August 26 – October 16, 2009), 209 structures destroyed, including 89 homes) started in the Angeles National Forest near the U.S. Forest Service ranger station on the Angeles Crest Highway. Two firefighters were killed on August 30 while attempting to escape the flames when their fire truck plunged off a cliff. On September 3, officials announced that the Station Fire was caused by arson and that a homicide investigation had been initiated because of the death of the firefighters involved. Investigators discovered a substance at the fire's point of origin which they believe may have accelerated the flames. At 160,557 acres, the Station Fire is the 10th largest in modern California history, and the largest wildfire in the modern history of Los Angeles County, passing the 105,000-acre (164 sq mi) Clampitt Fire of September 1970.

She'll Be Comin Round the Mtn When She Comes

Along the 2 Angeles Crest HWY

I Luuuuuuuuuv LA

From the South Bay to the Valley

From the West Side to the East Side

Everybody's very happy

'Cause the sun is shining all the time

Looks like another perfect day

I love L.A. (WE LOVE IT!)

Prima Ballerina

Recital complete with a chocolate shake reward!

Vodka Mint Sparkler

2 English cucumbers

Small ice cubes

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 ounces (1/2 cup) vodka

1 ounce Cointreau

1 large bottled sparkling water

Cut, peel, deseed, chop and process cucumbers until smooth.  Add all contents with ice into cocktail shaker and shake.  Garnish as desired.

The 4 Or 5 Hour Freeway

Sedona Bests

 

 

 

 

Achieving the 'Energy of Unconditional Love' in Sedona

"A gleaming sun beams over mustard-red buttes, spires and mesas that surround the city like the ruins of fortress walls. The air is warm but crisp. The silence of the vast desert landscape is interrupted only by calls from wildlife, the rustling of birds through trees and the occasional human passer-by. Everywhere you turn, a cartoon-like pinnacle stands higher than the next." -Charmaine Noronha