Tesla, Part 2

                      

The Tesla filling station is as sleek as the car. 

This row of 8 "pumps" for lack of a better word, will give your S model Tesla a half charge in 20 minutes, for free. It's clean and simple, but boring...what do you do for 20 minutes while you are getting a half charge? If you stay for 40 minutes do you get a full charge? (I could not find an answer to that question on the website.) The car is equipped with wifi and internet, so I guess you can always surf the web. 

There was one car at the station today and it was not the one I pictured yesterday. There must be a number of them in the local area to warrant 8 stations.

In case you are wondering, this is the plug. I wonder if all electric cars have the same plug assembly? I hope there is some uniformity. 

                    

The whole area is called a Supercharging Station. I don't know what the individual "pumps" or "plugs" or spaces or stalls are called. 

First One I've seen

Do you want kind of car this is? It's the first one I've seen. Any guesses? I'll give you some clues...

-it has built in wifi and internet

-it can go from zero to 60 in 5.4 seconds

-top speed is 125 MPH

-two models--S and X. This is an S, 4 door 

The next clues will give it away

-zero emissions

-all electric

-200 mile range 

-free supercharger stations along major highways (66 stations now...more later)

-cost $71,010 cash

Still don't know....

It's a Tesla. 

Interesting car. I talked to the owner of one today and she said it was fun to drive, quite speedy, and very inexpensive to run. She said she had a special charge station in her garage, where it was charged every night. It was driven about 150 miles a day to and from work and was a perfect commute vehicle. There's also a free supercharge station in Buellton by the theater, that will give a half charge in 20 minutes.

Is this the type of car that will be the vehicle of the future? Time will tell. 

A New Beginning

Seen in the park....

Would you go camping on your honeymoon? It's not for everyone, but it's wholesome fun. 

Notice there's a Mickey Mouse on the car...maybe they went to Disneyland too. 

I wish the happy couple a wonderful lifetime together. 

Spring

The trees in Solvang are blossoming. 

They think it's spring. Now I really know we need some rain.

Camping

I love looking at RVs. There's always something new to learn. Yesterday I saw this Class B camper

I don't know if the tent unit is permanently attached to the roof or not, and I don't know if you can access the tent from inside the van, but it's the perfect tent for folks who don't like to sleep on the ground. 

In addition, it's a quiet little unit that does not have a lot of visual impact ;)

Chinese visas

Later this spring we are going on a cruise that will take us to China. To enter China you must have a visa. I spent the better part of this week trying to apply for the visa. What should have been easy was not. You might remember the frustration I felt last year trying to get visas for India? This was similar. 

If you go to China, be prepared! The first hurdle is a 4 page form that has to be filled exactly to their directions. Only the directions are ambiguous. As an example, they want dates written in the yyyy-mm-dd basis OR the yyyy/mm/dd basis. What is the correct format? I called and they told me both would work! The form said do not leave any line blank, put N/A or NONE in each space, but when I called they told me I could leave some spaces blank if the first space was filled in. Also, it says clearly that all responses are to be written in upper case letters, but the example they give is written in lower case letters! I'm a good bureaucrat, but what is right? 

After getting passport photos and affixing them to the form as directed, I needed to send copies of our driver's licenses as well as our passports. Lastly, there's the processing fee and visa fee. 

I got all the information they asked for, and tried to print out the 4 page form only to find out it did not fit on a standard piece of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. It was designed for A4 paper (a typical European size). I solved that problem by reducing the size of the document 5%. I printed off the forms, scanned the licenses, glued on the photos and sent the stuff off. I hope I did it right! If the passports come back within the next 10 days, I succeeded. 

Another View

This is a view of the Lake from the old road that has been submerged for about 60 years. I'm about 50 feet below the usual level of the lake. 

When the dam was finished, the water was allowed to rise...and the old road as well as trees were drowned. This old tree has not seen the light of day in a long long time. 

While this old tree is hanging parallel to the ground. It's been supported by water, but now that the water has gone, it's just hanging. I wonder when it will fall down to the lakebed?

One more example showing we need some rain!

Limited Edition Stamp

As you know, we are huge Harry Potter fans. The Post Office figured out there were a lot of us so they  created a limited edition Harry Potter collection. It's a most unusual book of 20 "forever" stamps that will probably never be used by us fans. 

That's the cover for the multi-page pamphlet. 

Open the cover and you see familiar pictures and scenes from the first 2 movies. 

The next two pages show people from movies 3, 4 and 5.

The last page has pictures from the last movies, #8. 

Turn the pamphlet over and there is a picture of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The US Postal Service did an excellent job with this special booklet of 20 stamps. There is also a magnet that goes along with the collection,but I've been unable to find one for sale. I will keep asking. If you get this  pamphlet now, the price is 46 cents a stamp...but later this month the price will increase. 

California's State Bird

I just learned the California Valley Quail is the state bird. There are several flocks  living at the park. They are the best walking bird I know, but watching them fly is another story. 

Since they can barely get off the ground, they walk all over the place -- it looks like they are following their bobbing head crest or plume. When people get too close to them they walk faster...but when people get about 10 feet away, the quail try to fly. They are awkward flyers at best, usually moving a few feet from the "threat." I was the "threat" today, trying to take pictures...but these are the best I got. 

Their great escape was the top of the fence, still about 10 feet away. 

Queen of the California Missions

California has 21 old Spanish missions that line the western side of the state. Yesterday we visited the prettiest of them all, Mission Santa Barbara. She is officially called "The Queen of the Missions" probably because she is the first. Sitting above the Santa Barbara skyline, the view from the mission is wonderful. 

The mission has been in continuous use for 225 years! Right now, her proud facade is getting a restoration.

              

Scaffolding has been erected around the old stone facade so future generations can enjoy the serenity of the mission. The old "lavendaria" (aka laundromat circa 1789) is still in existence. 

          

Instead of inserting coins, all you have to do is pound your clothes on the sloped sides of the trough and then rinse them out in the flowing water at the bottom. Nowadays, the water is not connected so it's harder to do. (I don't recommend this for "delicate" fabrics.)

The arched corridors are still in great condition, protecting the "hallway" from sun and rain. The doors and windows are still intact. 

  Two centuries of feet have worn the tile. 

Inside the gift store is a model of the mission as she will look when restoration is finished. 

There are several missions nearby. We might get a chance to visit them this winter. 

Eight contrails

        

I like this picture. A rising sun, a lone bird and 8 contrails. What a way to start the day. 

Lake Cachuma

We are back at the lake...or what's left of the lake. It's down 51 feet. 

Last year this area was covered with water. The large blocks of concrete that are strewn on the ground were weights holding down a boat house. Now they hold down some sand. The boat house is gone. 

That was the boat launch, but it's left high and dry. The walkway has collapsed. 

The lower boat launch area that has not been seen in years, was laid in 1965. There's still some water in the lake, but more is needed. Please send some rain in this direction. 

Happy New Year 2014

It happens every January first--The Rose Parade. This year we looked at the 125th edition of the famous parade. 31 years ago, we saw the parade live. We got up super early and took a tour bus to Pasadena. We had seats on the street where we could see the floats, hear the bands and touch the horses...it was a thrill. When we left the parade about 1 PM the streets of Pasadena were  packed with traffic and debris from the parade goers. The crowds were incredible! We have never thought of going again. It's a once in a lifetime thing. If you love the Parade, you should go. You get a better view on the street than you do on TV, and there are no ads. 

Just in case....pre-date a few checks with 2014, so you will have the right year. 

The Old and the New

Today we drove to San Francisco crossing the Bay Bridge in the process. In case you did not know, there is a new bridge over the bay. After the 1989 earthquake, where a portion of the eastern side of the bridge fell, the city of Oakland decided their part of the bridge should be replaced. It took awhile for construction to start, but it did in 2002. 11 years and billions of dollars later, the new eastern side of the Bridge was opened in September of this year. As you can see, the old cantilever bridge is still standing, but it is being demolished. In the meantime, the two eastern spans are standing side by side. If you still want to see the old and the new, come out here now, as it will be gone soon!

         

To me, the huge central beam with cables looks like a sailboat. It's very graceful and very different from the old Oakland side of the bridge. However, once you go thru the tunnel, you see the familiar tower of the old San Francisco Bridge.

         

That's the scene I've seen all my life. It's familiar and beautiful. And in the distance, if I looked thru the haze, I could see shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. The oldest of them all. 

 

BTW: the new eastern span is the widest bridge in the world. 

Merry Christmas

These could be  Santa's footprints as he was getting into his sleigh last night. 

I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!

Our Kissing Tree

                   

We have one cottonwood tree that grows mistletoe. We take the mistletoe out, and it comes right back. Since mistletoe is a parasite that actually grows into the tree it's no wonder it returns time and again. Anyway, since this is Christmas time and mistletoe is related to Christmas, I thought I'd find out more about this green wonder. This type of research is so much easier with internet resources readily available. I thought that if you kissed your love under the mistletoe and it would bring you luck. Now I know more. 

Mistletoe shows up in Greek, Roman and Norse mythology. Some think kissing under the mistletoe comes from Norse mythology. In those times, it was thought to be the "essence of romance." It was a rare plant that grew high on trees, was difficult to harvest and was green when nothing else was. Pliny the Elder wrote that the Celts used it in a ceremony to make sterile animals fertile. "Kissing under the mistletoe" finally makes an appearance in popular European culture in the 1500s as it was thought to bring good luck and it became a popular Christmas ritual. The first time the tradition is mentioned in the US is 1820, when Washington Irving wrote about it in "The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." 

When I started this quest, the last thing on my mind was fertility. I thought kissing under the mistletoe was a sign for good luck in the coming year. It appears that's not the complete story. Since mistletoe is green when most other plants are not, it was a powerful message about hope and the continuation of life. I wonder if those ancient folks realized that mistletoe was a parasite? 

Whatever...there's mistletoe in the cottonwood. It's green when everything is dried up. If you want to kiss under it, you may. 

Not Just Enjoyable--But Good for Me Too!

I try to walk about 2 miles every day. Some days I get in a but more...some a bit less. But I really try for that magic number 2. Today I just ready an article that had the following headline: "2,000 steps to a healthier heart: Walking that far every day for a year can reduce heart attack and stroke risk by 8%"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2526750/2-000-steps-healthier-heart-Walking-far-day-year-reduce-heart-attack-stroke-risk-8.html#ixzz2o8coMCw3 

If you want to read the whole article, click on the link above. In the meantime, I'm going to continue my daily walks. BTW, 2 miles is about 3500 steps. 

The Reason for the Season

Political Correctness, Be D^%%#}--this is a rant FYI

It's Christmas! But it's the most unChristmas I've ever seen! The TV shows talk about Holiday Cards. We have "community" trees in town that are decorated in "holiday" style. What on earth does that mean? We have "winter break" instead of Christmas vacation. Gone is the Nativity scene which is the reason for the holiday. The Christmas card industry has bent over backwards to celebrate the season by offering "greetings" and "happy holidays." I'm surprised the post office issued a religious stamp this year. Did they not get the PC message? Kudos to the Post Office. 

In an effort to not offend, I'm offended. I am wishing people Merry Christmas. I'm complaining when someone asks me to sing the "12 Days of Winter.” I'm humming traditional Christmas carols to enjoy and also to irritate. It's CHRISTMAS time. That's what's I am celebrating this year not some perverted PC holiday that has been created by cowards who don't want to hurt feelings. My feelings are hurt! Get the message PC folks! 

Brownies

A friend of mine wanted a good brownie recipe. I recommended the following...buy a good brownie mix in a box (I like Betty Crocker) and mix as directed. Then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of real almond extract and a cup of bittersweet chocolate chips. Cook as directed on the box. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean. Immediately scrape the sides of the baking pan releasing the brownies from the sides. Cool 5 minutes then turn the pan over on a plate or board and hope they will fall out. Sometimes a little bit of the mixture will stick to the baking pan, but that's not a disaster. Just carefully scrape it off the pan and replace it on the brownies. Cut the brownies into 24 pieces and enjoy. 

                          

Secret Santa

I have not played Secret Santa in years, but I always loved the part. Go to http://www.faithit.com/airline-secret-santa-surprise-passengers-westjet/#.Uqfyfmd69Gg.facebook and see a heart warming video of an airline playing Secret Santa to some very surprised passengers. This is delightful. Thank you Mike for the heads-up.

Praying Mantis

I see interesting things when I take my morning walk. Today I saw a Praying Mantis. Since it's just about winter and there are few bugs out, I thought it was unusual. 

                   

It was sitting on a t-post contrasting against the faded red. My guess is it had been hiding in the weeds, which are about the same color as the mantis. These guys are good camouflage artists. Don't you love the shadow?

          

Back inside I tried to find if it is unusual to see mantids in winter, but with over 400 species, it's hard to tell what is usual unless you know the exact species. They get their name because it looks like they are praying however some folks spell it "preying" as they are predators. I did find out that some folks like to have mantids for pets. They have a 10-12 month life span in the wild, but in captivity they can live more than a decade. Some mantids fly. Females are larger than males and generally don't fly. Mantids are considered "naturals" with regard to insect control as they have a voracious appetite for other insects, including other mantids. Lastly, they are related to roaches and termites. That means they are probably impossible to eradicate. 

O Christmas Tree--Part 3

The angel is now on top of the tree. I bought "her" when we could still celebrate Christmas in a classroom. I had a Christmas tree in my first classroom. The kids made ornaments for the tree and we learned Christmas carols like "Away in the Manger" and "We Three Kings" as well as Christmas songs like "Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells." 

We had decorated the tree, but we were missing an angel for the top. I went to a craft store and asked for an "angel" kit. The clerk said he had the perfect angel head and showed me "my angel." At the time, it looked just like me! I made a dress for her and brought her to school the next day. My kids saw the resemblance right away. They said "our teacher is the angel on the tree!"  

                    

Since then, she has had many different dresses. She sits on the top of our trees with pride. I always think of my first class of kids when I see her. She's a special little angel.  

Sky-blue-peachy-gold

Sunsets come in many varieties. Some are drop dead gorgeous. Some have a quiet beauty. Others are ordinary. Last night we had a spectacular and unusual sunset. It did not have great streaks of color, it had pillows of color that radiated from the sun. 

Give credit to the Hesperides who paint the evening sky. 

O Christmas Tree, part 2

                         

The Christmas tree is decorated...mostly decorated. We still need to put the angel on the top. We will do that tomorrow. The angel has been on top of just about every Christmas tree we have had. She is part of our Christmas tradition. Most of the unique ornaments are part of our Christmas tradition too. They were given to us over the last 40+ years. When I take them out of their little boxes, I remember the people who gave us the ornament and wish them a Merry Christmas too. I wonder what they are doing? Where they are? How their kids are? Thank you all for making Christmas a special event in my life. 

O Christmas Tree

We bought our Christmas tree today. We had great plans to go to the tree farm and cut one down. But it snowed yesterday. Getting to the tree farm was a 4x4 adventure. Once inside we discovered the trails were icy and down right dangerous to walk upon. 

          

Lucky for us, they had some freshly cut trees. After slipping and sliding to look at the cut trees up close and personal, I chose one from afar (none of the close-up trees were perfect). The nice young attendant carried the tree to the truck and after paying for it, we were on our way. 

We bought a very pretty silver tip. It's standing in the garage right now drying off. It does not look like it's loaded with snow....

but it is. I hope it will be dry enough tomorrow so we can decorate it. I just went into the garage and it smells like a pine forest in there. Yummy!

Illusive Water

 We need water. We had some rain a few days ago and then the sun came out and it felt like spring. Last night we had some more rain and this time the temps were cold...so some folks had a deep frost. 

While not a winter wonderland, it is wet and has some much needed water content. This picture was taken in the northern CA Central Valley. 

A hundred miles to the east, in the foothills of the Sierras, there was real snow. We hope to get some more of this wonderful water. 

                      

Tis the season

It's December and that means Christmas parties. On Tuesday I went to Delta Kappa Gamma's party at a local restaurant. The 20 ladies of the group celebrated by giving a passel of books to a local charity and two $500 scholarships to outstanding student teachers. 

Today we are going to another party. This one with of group of folks I taught with 30 years ago! We are old friends. The group meets for lunch once a month and has the unlikely name of "Old Farts." I don't think we have any high minded purpose other than having a little but of fun.

Come join our table as we enjoy the season. 

The Great Wall

A friend sent me this picture. It's where the Great Wall meets the water at the Yellow Sea.  It's called Laolongtou or Great Dragon's Head. I've seen part of the Great Wall outside of Beijing but I've never seen this part of the massive wall. From this point (Shanhauguan) the wall stretches another 13,000 miles to Lop Lake in the east. The Wall was started in the 7th century BC. Thank you Cary...a place I'll try to visit some day.