A Green Milestone

I try to be environmentally sensitive, think about my use of resources but I am far from perfect.  I enjoy travel and I will occasionally go to the market for just one forgotten item that I must have.

In an effort to assuage my guilt for these lapses we have had solar cells installed.

 Today we hit a milestone.  Our cells have generated 10,000 kWh in a little over two years.  Much of that is peak summer power when we are away at our mountain home which is totally solar.  What we are not using is fed back into the grid.

According to the control center we have saved 17,000 lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

I try to be environmentally sensitive in other ways.  I usually bundle errands and if the weather is fine I often bike for small errands.  I usually dry my clothes on a rack and wash in cold water.  I have even been known to dip out the warm bath water and dump it in the washing machine.  OK, I'm a bit eccentric but I do what works for me when it comes to the environment.

Cat of Many Shadows

 Cat, watching, stalking

Watching people watching you

In cage of shadows

See more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet.

Blue Sky at San Diego Zoo

We had gorgeous weather for our trip to San Diego.  There were few clouds to add interest to sky shots so I had to find something else to photograph against the blue.

 The California condor had come close to extinction when the few remaining were captured and placed in a breeding program at the Los Angeles and San Diego Zoos.

Immature condors have dark faces.  Once they mature they get their handsome multi-colored heads.

Well, maybe not exactly handsome.  Perhaps a face only a devoted mate could love.

I have had the opportunity to see them in the wild near one of the release sites.  With their wide wingspans (over 9 feet) they are a magnificent sight.

See more skies from around the world at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Watching the Surfers

I thought that surfing required concentration, paying attention to what you are doing.  This surfer is paying attention to something else.

 Is it the string bikini?

Or is it a matter of self preservation that makes him want to keep his eye on the girl.

Another question, why is she in the string bikini while all of the other surfers are wearing wetsuits? 

Find more watery sights at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by 2sweetnsaxy.

Michael goes to San Diego

One of the many challenges of caring for a child like Michael is finding things that will interest him.  Like all of us, he eventually tires of games, toys and activities he has mastered while new things are difficult to learn and understand.  He can be overwhelmed by too much stimuli.

 We went down to San Diego for a weekend, a bit of vacation for his parents and a chance for Grandma and Grandpa to spend time with Michael and his parents.

We stopped to picnic at the beach along the way.  Michael seemed to think this was pretty good.

 We went to San Diego Zoo.  He enjoyed the food his mom had brought for him and he likes riding in his chair.

 Playing with mom was more fun than climbing on the many sculptures as other kids were doing.

The animals, not much interest there.  We weren't too surprised but if we don't keep trying new things or revisiting old ones we'll never know what might interest him.

Traveling with Michael is a lot of work.  His mom prepared food to take with us and brought a blender so she could puree food we got on the trip.  He slept on a blow up bed we had brought along with waterproof sheets.  We had his wheelchair so that we could walk and sight see but had him walk as much as he could.

Families of disabled children need all the help and support that they can get.  With the new congress I worry that funding will be cut to programs for the disabled.  Are we losing our compassion, our progressive spirit?  Are business interests and the accumulation of more and more wealth all the American people care about?  I am very dissapointed in the direction our world is headed.

See more world views at That's My World Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Shadows and Reflections at Norton Simon Museum

These memes help us to see things we might otherwise miss.  The sculptures at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena were wonderful on their own.

 They could be appreciated yet again reflected in the pond.

 The light shining on the brass sculpture is wonderful and the sinuous shape can be appreciated a second time in the shadow on the wall.

 These angular shadows are harder to understand.

The sculptures that made them are interesting and leave the interpretation to the viewer.

I apologize that I did not write down the name of the artists.  I had hoped that the museum website would have photos to help in the identification but, no luck.

Find more reflections at Weekend Reflections, hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo

Find more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet.

Powered Paragliders

We went to San Diego with Michael and his parents.  On the way we stopped to picnic on the beach and I spotted these paragliders.

It seems we are always trying to emulate the birds.

Man longs to fly.

See more views of the sky at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.