Winter is Coming!

It was cold this morning. The heat was off in the house and all three dogs slept with me. Sharon is in San Diego this week attending a symposium. The dogs were cold! There curled up next to me under my wool army blanket and were warm. Nobody wanted to get out of bed to get ready for work so I was an hour late. Temperature ended up being only 39 F but it still felt cold. I hope it doesn't get to be like last year. The pictures above show what I mean. They were taken in the pit of the Cushenberry quarry last December.

Sunset Beach

This is what Jaimie got to do every night at UCSB!

MDM's New Condo

I just bought a new summer home in the mountains! It'll be perfect for entertaining guests. Sharon's going to take the upstairs and I'll take the downstairs.

It even has running water!

Hanging Out Above It All

I had my plane out this weekend just flying around the desert and thought I'd fly over the plant. Sharon took this picture out the window. They let me hang out high in the mountains where the quarries are. Or should I say "ore".

Mojave Aster

Mojave Aster against the Plant.

Jaimie Starts School at Chapman College

Jaimie had her orientation yesterday into Chapman College in Orange, CA. She lives in a nice apartment in a good neighborhood in Fullerton just a few minutes away from the college.

After the all-day orientation she met all her new (much older) friends at the beach for a beer party.

Jaimie is going for her doctorate degree in physical therapy.

Camping at Wild Rose Spring

Sharon and I recently spent a evening camping at 6,300 feet in a canyon called Wild Rose that overlooks Lucerne Valley and Apple Valley, CA. There's a spring there that puts out the best water around.

I cooked a beef stew in one of my Dutch ovens over wood coals. Sharon was starving and ate stew, corn-on-cobb roasted in the husk and a big pepper that mostly roasted on the coals. It was a little gritty.

Slept out under the starts with no ambient light to spoil the view. Even saw a couple satellites whiz by.

Next morning we had eggs and potatos with onions and a ripe mango for desert.

Lots of humming birds and Steller's Jays but no mountain lions or bears. I was very bummed about this.

Had to 4-wheel to get there and Sharon was not happy about it.