January 2009

Jan 1st  - '09 Away!

And in traditional fashion, Virginia and I arose early on the first day of the year, and took to the trail leading up Mt. Lukens.  On the first major turn out, we stopped , waited and watched the skies to the North - eagerly awaiting the authoritative scream of the B2 Stealth Bomber on its way to the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

And so we waited.  And waited.  Hmmm.  Check watch.  Yeah, the parade started 20 minutes ago.  Huh.  No flyover from the mysterious looking black wing?  Or did we miss it?  More coffee from the thermos.  More chit chat.  Still nothing.  Take a few pictures, have a snack.

We decided to head down, wondering how we could have missed it.  15 minutes and 3 switchback later - in a silent "peek-a-boo" behind the ridge line, we caught a glimpse of the black plane heading to the south.   In a hurried about face!  we huffed it back up to the turn out - and caught about 10 minutes of unobstructed flight. It never fails to amaze. It was about an hour late - to which (not surprisingly) no information was available online regarding the cause of its tardiness.

A dark start up the trail.
Sun, coffee and a good view. Photo by V.
Virginia took this shot of my neighborhood....
...and this grassy plant.
It was a beautiful morning for a hike.

Jan 10th - More progress on the New Office & Laundry

The progress is frustratingly slow, but I'm getting used to this snails pace. It is what it is. This project is just one of many things I'm juggling in life. 

I don't have many pictures this time, but there is much to report:

• All walls and ceilings in the new office and new laundry room have have 2 coats of plaster and 2 complete sandings.  That includes the exposed wood beams too.  Can you say DUST??
• The new office window now has a window sill, and the rough opening in the doorway has been fitted with the preliminary stages of a door jam.  A cool 1938 salvage door from the house will soon have a new home.
• The new laundry room also has two coats of white primer on the walls and ceilings.  Nice - it's looking sort of..... finished!

Fitting in the door jamb.
I made my first window sill.
Clean and white in the laundry room

Jan 11-12 - Windstorm from Hell

It's my least favorite weather event - the wind storms we get here in the canyons around my neighborhood.  Overnight storms are LOUD and a good nights sleep is usually lost.  Winds can easily gust up to 60+ mph.

In the morning, the mess is horrible.  Leaves piled high against the house - probably blown in from 25 miles away.  Oh and don't forget the loose items that get ripped away from the house.  The first windy night after I moved in, I found a section of gutter (a down spout)  tossed against the fence in the back yard. 

But the TRASH is the worst of all.  Cups, Cheetos wrappers, straws, plastic grocery bags, junk mail, various receipts and small articles of clothing.  All efficiently packed in with the leaves up against the gate, my truck, the front steps.  It's disgusting that some of us can't manage to properly dispose of our waste.  And so, I get to wallow in it the morning after.

Jan 13 -  KK and My Introduction to Horse $urgery 101

As I'm learning more and more, owning a horse can be just as tough as it is rewarding.  Most months are rewarding but this month was squarely in the "tough" category.

Earlier in the day Virginia had made a simple visit to the barn to meet the vet. I know things were bad when she called from the Equestrian Hospital about an hours drive south.  KK had to be put in a trailer and admitted for a condition called Colic.  After some ultrasounds and other diagnosis, it was determined that she needed surgery to keep her alive.  Her intestines had to be removed, flushed with fluid, straightened out, then put back into her stomach. Can you say OOOOOUUUUUCCCCHHHHH!!!!!????

Of course the cost was a big issue, but in the end the procedure had to be done.  So after a very long night, the surgeon called very late to say that KK was OK, and there were no complications. Virginia was so relieved!

But then came the daily drives down to Chino Hills for visiting, exercising, and tending to her equine friend.  You can bet that no other horse has had such care.  Or any pet for that matter - Virginia is amazingly attentive and loving to her animals.

Back at Gibson Ranch (KK's Home) she's still recuperating.  Special hay, medicine and therapy are still the part of both KK and Virginia's daily routine.  It'll be several more weeks before the saddle can be dusted off for a ride on the local trails - but that is our goal.  We hope to be able to report some more good news next month.

Jan 25 - Danielle's Guitar Recital

At the Hermosa-Redondo School of Dance and Music -  Virginia, me and proud parents Drew and Kathy gathered in to the performance hall to watch all the kids (of all ages) perform.  Many did piano, a few sang, but Danielle was the only guitarist - doing a "Cold Play" duet with her teacher (shown on drums and vocals below).

Strumming her Fender Starcaster confidently,  it was a joy to see her blast out the tune with gusto.  You'd never know that she'd never performed in this type of setting before.  There are so many things that can go wrong during your first live gig!

A rousing applause at the end confirmed it: She ROCKED!   She practiced hard, learned her chords and did a great job. Everyone is really proud. Encore!