We decided to close out 2006 by recalling our favorite posts. Without hesitation, Damsel picked her photograph of Air Force One taken at the Ronald Reagan Library.

Stealth Air Force One?

Completely unedited, the photo to the right seems to make the vertical fin on Air Force One look almost invisible! What’s going on?

I took this photo from behind the famous aircraft on the 3rd mezzanine level of the Air Force One Pavilion in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library when I noticed the unusual reflection pattern on the glossy surface of the rudder and vertical stabilizer. I knew immediately that I had a great shot! The lighting angles and the highly-polished surface of the airfoil rendered this intriguing optical illusion of near-invisibility.

See the full-size photo and read the rest of the post: Stealth Air Force One?

Continue reading » Our Favorite 2006 Posts

Year’s end brought us a flurry of deaths. President Gerald R. Ford passed away in Rancho Mirage, California. James Brown died in Atlanta and Saddam Hussein was hanged in Baghdad. Regardless of that, the sun rises, the wind blows and the windsurfers hit the waves.

A windsurfer at Cabrillo Beach — December 2006

Each year the anti-second-amendment folks at the Brady Campaign issue “grades” to each state in the union. This year, thirty-two states received a “D” or an “F” grade measuring their state’s gun laws. The Brady Campaign assigns this grade based on a state’s “Anti-Gun Violence Laws.”

Actually, that is a misnomer; they really should be called “anti-legitimate gun ownership laws.”

California gets an A- grade while nearby Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Idaho all receive “failing” grades. The truth is that these other states know what California’s legislators seem not to know; anti-gun laws do not decrease a state’s crime rate. I suggest inverting the grades to get the real value from the Brady Campaign’s assessment; states like California and Massachusetts which get an A are really getting an F when it comes to protecting their citizens from crime.

Continue reading » Making the Grade

Still experimenting with the new telephoto lens, I captured this nice view of the Lighthouse at Point Vicente along the rugged south coastline of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwest Los Angeles County. This lighthouse is still an active U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary facility. Notice the whitecaps on the Pacific Ocean behind the point and the wind-whipped palm fronds on a blustery day in the area. I took this from a fishing access parking area about a half-mile (900 meters) east of the point.

Yesterday, I put up a photo of a sandpiper taken with my new telephoto lens. While we were there on the breakwater, a L.A. City Lifeguard vessel passed us while patrolling the breakwater. As they approached Angels Gate Lighthouse, I got this shot. I love my new telephoto lens!

Thank you honey for the nice birthday gift (he also got me a nice camera/accessory backpack and a wireless remote shutter control).

Today is a blustery day and we went to the shoreline to watch the waves and see what we could see. At times, we found it difficult to stand in the 40 mile-per-hour (65 kph) wind gusts, but I was determined to get some photo ops for my new telephoto lens.

At the breakwater by Cabrillo Beach, near Los Angeles Harbor, we spotted this sandpiper dodging the breakers and digging for dinner.

At times, the breakers were crashing 30 to 40 feet (9-12m) into the air above the breakwater.

NASA Scientists studying the relationship between the Sun’s magnetic activity and the peak number of sunspots, have discovered a six-year relationship between the two phenomena. If the trend continues as it has since 1868, we should experience a count of about 160 sunspots during the next solar cycle peak, due in 2011. Previous correlations between climate and sunspot count may also indicate a warmer climate during this cycle.

Right: An erupting solar prominence photographed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).

Continue reading » Solar Cycle 24 = Lots of Spots

Christmas Day 2006 - For a couple of years now we’ve decorated our tree with predominantly red, white and blue lights and ornaments to honor our country and our military men and women. As we celebrate the day at home with our families and friends, let us remember those in service to this great country on this day. Remember them with thoughts, silent prayers and especially by supporting them through your gifts to any of these charities, or any other organizations dedicated to our service members world wide.

• Any Soldier
• USO
• Wounded Warrior
• Soldiers Angels

God bless all of our service people.

On our way to the shooting range, I paused to snap this palm tree in front of our house silhouetted against a cloud-filtered sun. A very nice Southern California morning for shooting both pictures and guns!

These beautiful “Freedom” roses make a festive centerpiece on our holiday table. Merry Christmas Everybody!

I promised to show you in a previous post, this beautiful red amaryllis when all eight lovely flowers came out. And just in time for Christmas too!.

Santa Catalina Island as seen from Palos Verdes.