Happy New Year!

I can't believe that in 12 short hours it will be 2008. Time sure flies!

I just went out and picked the last of the veggies from my garden. Temperatures are getting down below freezing at night, so I doubt the tomatoes or peppers (Anaheim and jalapeño) will ripen any more. They do look pretty in the bowl, though!



One of my New Year's resolutions is to post here more often. I hope you'll stop by.

Here's to a happy and healthy New Year to you and your loved ones!

We are not on fire

Just a quick post to say that we aren't being directly affected by the terrible fires down here in SoCal. The closest fire to us is just north of Highway 18 around Running Springs (the "Slide Fire"), which is 15 miles away as the crow flies. The fact that there is a 3600 foot difference in elevation and several mountains in between means that we aren't in any danger other than a bit of lung damage from smoke inhalation.

Here's the current (2AM 10/24) MODIS Forest Service fire data from Google Earth. Click for larger image:


If you want to watch the fires spread yourself (which is both a horrifying and awesome sight), you can download the Google Earth kml file from the Forest Service.

If you don't have Google Earth, the LA Times fire map is a good resource, and there are several San Diego County-specific maps.

Back from Vacation with a New Baby

No, not the kind of baby that you diaper and feed. It's the kind with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 Gb RAM.

I spent a good chunk of yesterday transferring files and cleaning out the junk that I had accumulated on my old computer. I can't even remember where some of it came from.

Here I am gazing fondly into her monitor:


Thanks mom & dad for the financial assistance to bring my beautiful new baby home!

Tags: Macbook, Apple

I miss the ocean breezes . . .

It's been hot, stinking hot, and I'm so tired of it. Here it is after 11pm and the temperature has finally dipped below 90 degrees. I've been cheap frugal and keeping the house temperature at 85, and it's still cooler than outside. Honestly, I haven't felt like doing much of anything - including blogging.

It's such a painful contrast to last week. Hubby and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary in beautiful Santa Barbara (actually we stayed in Goleta, but close enough). From the beaches with fine sand and cool ocean breezes to the tasty wineries in the sunny Santa Ynez valley we had a great time everywhere we went.

Sadly, we had to come home. It was especially dispiriting when we dipped into the brownish air of the LA basin. Anyway, here are a few photos (click for larger image):

The coast along Highway 101.

Santa Ynez Valley wine country. Among the places we stopped
were Sunstone, Gainey, and Firestone Vineyards.

One night we ate dinner at the Beachside Cafe in Goleta,
where the surroundings (the restaurant is right on the beach)
are the main attraction. There were lots of people fishing off the
Goleta Pier, in the background of the top photo.
We took in the view from the tower of the Spanish-
style Santa Barbara County courthouse.The view of Santa Barbara from East Beach.

The nearly empty beach with Sterns Wharf in the background.
It was a warm sunny Saturday afternoon and surprisingly
few people were on the beach. I guess when there is a beautiful
stretch of sand every couple of miles there is no reason to crowd.

Tags: photos, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Ynez Valley, travel

Yummy Raspberries

I know I've been inconsistently blogging over here (but check the sidebar for links to my other blogs). I'll try to be better. In the meantime, check out my Around Yucaipa blog for a post about raspberry picking last week with my bro.


Tags: Oak Glen, raspberry picking, photos

Friday Flower: Devil Tomato

This year I'm growing two types of tomatoes: Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes and "Better Bush." They are finally ripening fast enough so that we have a steady supply for salads, etc. So delicious!

This Better Bush grew horns - so devilish!

Tags: tomatoes, garden, photos