Off the beaten path.

America is famous for its car culture, California may be the most famous in this regard.I have driven a stretch of the 101 through Camarillo for years , yesterday I saw sunlight glinting off a tower,what's that? Don't remember seeing that before, could be I noticed it this time as I was a passenger, not the driver for once. Lycra Man and I went to investigate, we found an Eastern Orthodox Church...

I have a friend that attends the Greek orthodox church at the Camarillo air port, I am thinking this may be their old building...I'll have to ask her.

 

It was a nice detour to be sure.

Oh, I hear laughter in the rain...

The crazy , maniacal, what the heck are you doing walking in this, kind of laughter...

It was just me...

The waterfowl...

and the faithful park employees.

 It was a nice relaxing walk, the sound of running water was everywhere,

listen....

 

 

 

Coffee ladies go hiking

The coffee ladies hike, I usually do not participate as I am an ambler. Today,  Marie and I tagged along with our cameras...well she has a camera, I have an Instamatic...

Marie brings out the big guns!

 We were at Corral Canyon State park just east of Malibu. We are going that-a -way.

the road we traveled to get here...and the ocean, and Catalina island.

Back to the ocean...Thousand Oaks is to the left in this picture.

Hidden picture time...can you see T-Rex?

 Mountain bikers

 someone forgot where they parked...

 The coffee ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, off to lunch at Malibu Seafood...

yes it is January

 yes it is 80 degrees..... saw two dolphins too...great day in the Sun!

Fine Featherd Friends.

We have gone from huddled under a blanket on the couch at the beginning of the week, to having the sliders open today, expected high 80 degrees...wind is still blowing , the air is dry and I keep getting zapped when I reach for things.

I could hear the birds making a racket at the feeder.

 

 

I decided to show you who came calling this morning..

These two clean up the seeds on the ground the little birds kick out of the feeder. Mister and Mrs. Mallard.

Oregon Junco

 

 

House finch

White Crown sparrow in the back ground, field sparrow in the fore ground (I think), it could be an immature white crowned sparrow too.

Lesser gold finch

Scrub Jay

we have lift off!

not pictured ...a wren, a rufous sided towhee and a black phoebe, they were to camera shy...or I was just to slow...

This and that from the park.

When I saw these two today, they made me think of the American Indian legend of how Crow became black...click the link and read the ledgend I like best.

Stumbled upon this walking group today (get it, walking, stumbled) found out they meet at the park on Thursdays. They just walk and talk...could be fun!

 

Sunday morning coffee

Bean Crazy is a local coffee shop here in town. Lycra man stops here every morning on his way to work.

On Sunday mornings we both go and visit with Lycra mans Ham radio friends,,,guess he is radio head on those days, he is multifaceted, is Lycra man...

 It's the kind of place where the barista knows your name, and remembers what kind of coffee you like. 

It's also the kind of place...if the chair leg is wobbly, then..the retired pilot, software developer, and biochemist, will search through the tool box...

debate the proper tool to use for such an operation,

and fix said wobbly leg...

Engineer Mike, barista Jessie, Lycra man, pilot Pete, sticky me

(not pictured software developer Rick)

Trip to the Feed store and the Beach in Ventura CA

I travel to a feed store in Ventura to buy the feed for my rabbits. Today I asked a coffee lady friend if she would like to come, here are some of the more interesting things we found in the gift store attached to the feed store..

shotgun shell lights

 After procuring bunny food ...we stopped off at the beach.

We are having high tides, called  King tides. King tides occur when the Earth is in alignment with the sun and the moon, pulling the oceans to their gravitational limits. So there were a lot of surfers.

See the snow on the hills? It was cold, but a beautiful day.

spent in good company!