We drove through the neighborhood today after running some errands. We passed a lot of homes that had Christmas decorations, but this one stood out.
What should we call him? ZZ Claus? Hell’s Santas? SC Rider? Any other suggestions?
We especially liked the sign in the window behind Santa.
It’s not often that I get to write about a good experience when it comes to dealing with retailers, but I am especially pleased about a recent purchase from Lowe’s Hardware Stores.
A couple of weeks ago while at the gun show, Damsel and I had a discussion about getting a gun safe for our weapons and other valuable items. We had no immediate plans to acquire one, but started considering options: location for the safe, reasonable cost, adequate capacity, compliance with insane California gun laws and so forth. We put the thought on a back brain cell for the time being.
After a few days of seasonable but cool weather, we got a warm day just in time for the weekend. We took the short drive to Redondo Beach and stopped at an overlook near the pier. I was photographing the waves and seagulls on the beach when a brown gull swooped up towards us.
There are a couple more photos below the fold.
Most of the time we have marine haze or fog along the coastline in the Los Angeles area. Today, however, the air is remarkably clear, thanks to a little cool front passing through. I wasn’t able to stop in traffic this morning to photograph Catalina Island, so I dug this photo out of the archives taken on a similar day last winter.
This photo is a segment cut from a Panoramic view of Catalina Island.
Yesterday, Damsel took some great pictures along the shoreline as we drove home from Santa Monica. I liked this shot so much that I wanted to work it into a blog. I looked up some stuff about where we were when she got the picture:
A tanker sits offshore at Dockweiler State Beach, near the departure end of Los Angeles International Airport. Nearby is an industrial complex that includes Chevron’s El Segundo oil refinery, the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant, and the Scattergood power plant owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, at Playa del Rey. Dockweiler Beach has many barbecue pits and is popular with families, despite the airplanes that roar overhead from Los Angeles International Airport. These plants burn natural gas, but can also use oil piped in from oil refineries, especially the adjacent Chevron refinery. The marine oil terminal offshore serves the refinery. SCE built the plant, and continues to operate it, but it is now owned by NRG/DESTEC Energy Co. of Houston.
Photo credit: Damsel
UPDATE: (This is your Cap’n Speaking) Fix4RSO managed to come up with his own California dreamers at the beach – cute li’l kids! I bet they’ve grown a lot by now, too.
Hey — thanks to FIX4RSO for the honorable mention! A very beautiful picture of the Hotel del Coronado, which of course, we do recognize (been there, done that).
Yep, we like the Eagles, but the Mamas and Papas had it going also. We happened to be at the dentist today (in the people’s Republic of Santa Monica) for cleaning and checkups – we drove up there in our little Chrysler Sebring — on the way back, the Cap’n drove along the beach and I snapped this picture of the late afternoon Sun on a 75 degree California Dreamin’ afternoon.
Oh, and don’t forget about our other weather.
Captain Ed and the First Mate are visiting Southern California and we say welcome. Glad the weather is nice for them – we were out in our Chrysler Sebring convertable today as well. It was just beautiful!
Just remember, however, that the chamber of commerce will be reluctant to tell you about the other weather we have hereabouts:
