When Night has Fallen

When Night has Fallen, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Recently I drove home from work in steadily falling rain. It hadn't rained in Southern California for quite a while so that was a nice change. I found myself thinking about how amazing the neon lights of Cars Land would look when reflected on the wet pavement of the streets there. I stopped at home just long enough to grab my camera, tripod and umbrella and headed for the Disneyland Resort. It wasn't really crowded and I had fun.

Alice Plate 1

Alice Plate 1, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Here's another shot from the Mad Hatter's T Party. Alice can sing up a storm, runs all over the stage but still had time to spot my camera.

Mad Hatter Plate 3

Mad Hatter Plate 3, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Kathy and I went to the Disneyland Resort for my birthday. I knew I wanted to go see the Mad T Party band at Disney California Adventure park. We had stumbled on the T Party stage area by chance just prior to the band's first set on a previous visit and I was really taken with the how colorful and visually interesting it was. I was also impressed with how great the band sounded. I wanted to go back with my DSLR and HD Camcorder and take some photos and video. This is one of the shots I got that night.

San Francisco Bay and Star Trails

Kathy and I took a vacation last week, making many stops while driving up the California coast starting in San Diego and finishing in Sausalito, a lovely town across the bay from San Francisco. While In Sausalito, we stayed at the Inn Above Tide Hotel which is unique in that the rooms are literally above the bay. You open the glass sliding doors of your room and walk out onto your own private deck which extends over the water. The second evening there, as I stood on the deck I could see so many stars in the sky I decided to try to create a very short time lapse sequence. The land mass you see across the bay is Belvedere Island. I setup my camera on a tripod with a intervalometer set to take sixty images each with a exposure time of thirty seconds. It was sometime after midnight when I checked my camera and it was done taking images. It was so cold that when I brought it back into the room, the lens and viewfinder fogged over immediately.

This simple experience has made me interested in creating longer time lapses. There's always something new to learn with photography!

California Dreaming

California Dreaming, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This was our first visit to Cars Land. We all knew it would be spectacular but it still exceeded our expectations. The big changes started as soon as we walked into the park. The Golden Gate bridge was gone and most of the old entry buildings with them. Kathy said it looked very Disney Worldish. I agree. Very immersive and impressive. Now that summer is over and the huge crowds have gone home I really want to go back and take more images.

Phoenix Rising

Phoenix Rising, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Kathy and I had driven to Tempe, Arizona to watch her son play baseball against the Sun Devils. Early one morning, before the game we drove over to Phoenix to a Harley Davidson dealer to attend a car/motorcycle show. This was the most impressive bike there and the most impressive bike I’ve ever seen. The front forks had been engraved and the entire bike hand painted in a sort of tattoo style that was very cool. I later found some information about the artist who painted this bike and it apparently took quite a while to complete.

My Team

My Team, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I had a few flickr emails asking if I had taken a picture of “my team” (my Mom) at Disneyland while we were there for the Endeavour flyover. I did and thought this location would be the perfect place since this sign probably won’t be seen at Disneyland again. Especially since "Endeavour" is misspelled!

So many people had gathered and it was really great how friendly people were being, sharing information about where Endeavour might be and when it might arrive. In particular we met 2 very nice ladies (I’m so sorry I forgot your names in all of the excitement) while we were waiting who helped pass the time with interesting and enjoyable conversations about our individual experiences at the Disneyland Resort. Ladies if you need a higher resolution picture of the shuttle flyover just email me and I’ll send them to you.
While we were waiting, I received a phone call or text message (I can’t remember) from my co-worker Geri, telling me that the shuttle had just flown by her in Pasadena and was heading south towards Disneyland. We had all taken refuge from the heat (which was considerable) by waiting in the shade of the elevated monorail tracks.

I mentioned to the group that we probably should move out to the adjacent open plaza area between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure so we could get a better view when Endeavour arrived. We started walking toward the thousands of people that had gathered there when several people across the plaza started screaming and pointing to the sky. I could hear the roar of approaching jets and quickly moved forward while turning and raising my camera to the sky. I immediately saw the SCA with Endeavor and sensed more than saw the F-18 Hornet chase planes. I started tracking Endeavour which was right over my head and began firing off shots. By the time she was out of sight, I had taken almost 40 images. The crowd began applauding and screaming wildly. Nobody left, we all were hoping for another pass but it wasn’t in the cards.

We heard talk that the SCA had to loiter near Northern California waiting for fog to burn off and therefore had to accelerate the flight schedule to meet fuel fractionation requirements for landing at LAX. I did hear on the news that one of the fly-over sites was skipped completely greatly disappointing the mass of people who had gathered there. I guess we were fortunate to see Endeavour at all. I know we will never forget it.

Welcome Home Endeavour

Welcome Home Endeavour, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I’ve always been a big space nerd. I never cared if my friends, family or strangers thought I was odd for getting so excited and wrapped up with anything to do with the space program. When I was 7 years old I flew to the moon many times in a spacecraft of my own design (a discarded refrigerator box which I had dragged from the side of a dumpster into my backyard). My team and I spent many late nights (till almost 6:30 pm on school nights) installing the windows (my mom helped me cut holes in it) and installing the control panels (drew them with crayons) and toggle switches (Popsicle sticks). I installed a navigation computer (also drawn with crayons) and all of the other flight controls required to fly a box for a major appliance to the moon.

I really wanted to be an Astronaut so I drank a lot of Tang and waited for NASA to discover they badly needed the services of a 7 year old boy strung out on high fructose corn syrup.

Well NASA never did call, but I never lost my keen interest in the space program either. So I was still paying attention to developments when in 1975, Rockwell International's Downey, CA plant began assembly of OV-102 - Columbia, the first flyable and reusable space shuttle just a few miles from my home. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the plant (left the refrigerator box at home) to see Columbia being built.

6 years later in March of 1981 I sat in my living room, literally on the edge of my seat, staring at our TV as Columbia, having successfully orbited the earth 36 times, re-entered the atmosphere and headed for a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of California. Veteran Astronaut John Young was at the controls and sitting in the co-pilot seat was rookie Astronaut Bob Crippen. Bob was so taken with the view of our state from 135,000 feet he called out “What a way to come to California!” and urged John to take a moment to look. John, ever the professional pilot took a quick peek and said “the view hasn’t changed much”. Right about then I was startled when I heard what sounded like two distinct explosions. Columbia had just anounced its presence, slowing from supersonic to subsonic flight as the nose and tail set off a double sonic boom which rattled windows across Southern California.

Over the years NASA added more shuttles to the fleet and after tragically losing Challenger, obtained authorization from Congress to replace it with a new Space Shuttle which would be called Endeavour.

Designed and built in California, it is fitting that Endeavour returned home today. And I now 43 years past the age of 7, took my team (my mom) to Disneyland where we both witnessed Endeavour’s last flight and I dreamed for just a moment of summer evenings spent flying over the backyard.

So thanks Mom for never once crushing a little boy’s hopes and dreams and thanks Endeavour – Welcome home.

In the Still of the Night

In the Still of the Night, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

We all decided to on a whim to go to Disney California Adventure tonight after work to have dinner. My Mom wanted to try out her new camera and Kathy and I were celebrating another month of being married. As of today it's been 4.9166 years but it feels more like 1.4166. It was also my first night time visit to Cars Land and I wanted to check out what I assumed would be very beautiful neon lighting. It exceeded my expectations. I have to go back with a tripod. Sorry for  the short post but it's late and I need to go to sleep.

Excitement rides with you - Now with Turbo Thrusting Engine

Excitement rides with you - Now with Turbo Thrusting Engine, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

One look at those saucy lines and you know this new Chevy's ready to shove off for wherever you say. You'll see what we mean the first time you feel the quick-sprinting torque of Chevrolet's new Turbo Thrust V8 whisk you up a steep hill. Excitement rides with you every mile you roll in your new Chevrolet. At rest or on the roads, this sleek style-setter promises you more go, gaiety and glamor - and you'll find it keeps its promises beatifully. Come aboard and take the key to the happiest traveling on the highway!

Automobile advertisements in the 1950's are fun to read. I spotted this 1958 Chevy Impala at the Uptown Whittier Car Show quite late in the day. Kathy and I had taken a couple of walk throughs that day, returning home to escape the heat and to cool off. We decided to visit one more time so I put my fisheye lens on my camera and left my tripod at home.

I don't know how I missed seeing this beauty earlier but I did. Something must have distracted me. Wonder what or who it could have been.