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|  Since the meeting didn't start until 1 pm, I now had a working GPS and hadn't done any geocaching since last September, I spent my first morning in Spokane walking around the riverfront and downtown area, which was lovely. There are waterfalls here, and the Riverfront Park was once the site of the 1974 World Expo, which a couple of the structures in the background were part of. This rock formation in the middle of Upper Spokane Falls is an Earthcache, a type of virtual cache that gives you a little geology lesson of the area. The lesson here being that much of the area around Spokane was once volcanic, and this formation is made of the same columnar basalt that is used in building a number of structures in the area (it looks very manmade, but it's the actual stucture formed by the rock as it cooled). This was taken from one of two pedestrian footbridges that cross the Upper Falls, both connecting to an island in the middle of the river. Upper Spokane Falls Spokane WA Canon EOS 1000D 12 June 2009 ( and another water feature... ) | |
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|  Buses at my kid's school Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 9 June 2009 | |
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|  I had a pair of khaki jeans I couldn't wear to work because I'd gotten a large permanent stain on them. They were otherwise good pants, so I decided to dye them. Brown muck in the washing machine Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 7 June 2009 | |
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|  Roof gone, innards going Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 5 June 2009 | |
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|  Rafters going Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 100D 4 June 2009 | |
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|  Roof gone Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 3 June 2009 | |
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|  Last day this house is whole. This is the same property where the owner cut the tree down on Earth Day. It was originally built in the 20's, and used to be the offices for Standard Oil - Huntington Beach being founded on the oil in the area, so there's a bit of city history behind it. I'm not sure when it was converted to a home, but it has been so for a very long time. The previous owner unfortunately had to sell it to cover his son's bout's in rehab; finally the son went to jail (again) and the parents split up. The new owner, after swearing he wasn't going to tear it down, decided he had to have another McMansion like every other new person who moves into this neighborhood -already started in the backyard - he had to wait until the tenant he was renting the house to move out to start the front. It's not a fancy house, but it's older than two other city buildings nearby that are on County and National Historic Registers. I'm very sad about this. Old Standard Oil House Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 2 June 2009 ( Also, weird clouds... ) | |
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|  Darn it, I've worn a hole in my Crocs. And Costco only has green ones right now. >:p I've got sole... Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 1 June 2009 I note that Facebook has a "I Don't Care How Comfortable They Are - You Look Like A Dumbass!" group. I was tempted to start a "If I Cared What You Think I Look Like, I Wouldn't Be Wearing Ugly Purple Shoes, But I Am Quite Comfortable, Thank You - I May Wear Them More Often Now, Just To Bug You" group, but there's already a ton of Croc fan groups... | |
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|  A belated anniversary present - I think I ordered these a day or two before our anniversary, but was too cheap to pay for overnight shipping when regular delivery was free. Levenger had a sale on some really nice pens, so I got one for each of us. With initials even! "Demonstrator" pens Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 31 May 2009 | |
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|  My MIL is obsessed with all things Native American, and collects these figures (you know, from the little post cards that fall out women's magazines if you shake 'em) that get sent to her once month. Whatever; I used to do the same with Star Trek plates. They're all statuesque winged women in buckskin dresses, all holding dream catchers... and all look very Caucasian. She's got about four shelves of them. Dreamcatcher angels Long Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 29 May 2009 | |
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|  I never used to see this when I was kid. Ducks on people's lawns. Here a pair of mallard drakes enjoy someone's newly mown grass on their feet. Mighty ducks Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 26 May 2009 | |
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|  This is an actual zeppelin - i.e. not a blimp, a rigid-framed airship - built up in the Bay Area, and it spent Memorial Day Weekend in Southern California. It happened to be flying up the coast as we were driving home, and I inisted runsamuck pull over on the bluff above the Dog Beach so I could snap it. Airship Eureka Dog Bluffs, Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 25 May 2009 ( Up... ) | |
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|  Talked my brother into coming down and trying to go grunion watching, as it was an early 10 pm run, and the kids didn't have school the next day. We went to Seal Beach because it's one of the few that doesn't close at 10 pm. He brought a bunch of friends with him, including new beau from Sweden, and his dog Luna, an Italian greyhound who's completely blind now. Unfortunately, we got skunked; nary a scout even showed up. I felt a little bad because one friend had come before and we hadn't seen any - he's going to believe they don't actually exist. I'm a little floored at how international Doug's friends are; the other two were from France and South America. Seal Beach Pier and no grunion Seal Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 24 May 2009 ( +2 ) | |
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|  Couldn't resist - I had to buy a box. Whatnhell is going on with the milk though? Is the Enterprise torpedoing it? Fannish cereal Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 18 May 2009 | |
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| I'm not deaf; I'm ignoring you.Stimpy really prefers our neighbor's front walk to ours. When he's not telling us it's breakfast time, he can usually be found taking a nap there. Stimpson J. Cat Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 16 May 2009 ( and several gratuitous flowers... ) | |
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|  Another walk with Angus, where I let him use my old camera, and we took pictures together. We walked through a small office complex a few blocks from home, across the street from the Civic Center, mainly because he wanted to see the ducks that hang out in the waterscaping there. I know we've walked through here before, but for some reason I'd never noticed this old silo (I think that's what it is), right in the middled of the complex. When my family first moved here, long before the offices were built, there was an old mansion a hundred yards away (it burned down - rather conveniently - shortly thereafter retirement apartments for senior were built), and stables not far in the other direction. Huntington Beach used to be a big farming community, and this is about all that's left of it in this neighborhood. Silo Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 15 May 2009 ( +2 ) | |
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|  My daughter's second grade put on a musical version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears; she'd been practicing singing along with a CD of the music for several weeks. She's right in the spot where the sun coming through the window is whiting everything out. I had taken a sick day and still felt pretty awful, so we sat in the very back row and I tried not to breathe on anyone. 2nd grade play Huntington Beach CA Motorola phone camera 13 May 2009 ( She is... ) | |
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|  Fog in Fish Harbor Terminal Island CA Sharp VE-CG30 7 May 2009 ( +1 ) | |
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|  Smoke from the Santa Barabara fire. We heard later that even downtown SB was very close to a mandatory evacuation. Oddly, I thought the horizon was tilted in this photo, but when I went to straighten it, it really wasn't that far off (less than a degree). Wildfire smoke trail Huntington Beach CA Sharp VE-CG30 6 May 2009 | |
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|  The Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour was going on this weekend - however, we only went to about 3 homes that were close to us. This home was on the tour last year, but we didn't get to it then. The backyard over looks the Talbert Marsh, so the gazebo had ID pictures of birds, and field guides and binoculars set out. There was a kid-sized honeysuckle tunnel around the sides of it as well, complete with picnic table and dishes. Garden Tour Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 3 May 2009 ( moar... ) | |
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|  Avalon attending a birthday party at one of the last bowling alleys around here (along with ice rinks they seem to be going the way of the condor, around here at least). Nothing like a gaggle of squealing 2nd graders bowling in their pajamas. Edit: someone on my FL points out "Those are sea turtle killers!" So, while these were indoors and 3/4s of them were popped and put in the trash before the party ended, you might want to take care to not let helium balloons fly away and end up in the ocean. Although I would also like to point out that tons of other plastics wind up in the ocean as well, and I would think balloons form a very small percentage of that. It ALL needs to be kept out of the ocean. Floating round things Fountain Bowl Fountain Valley CA Canon EOS 1000D 2 May 2008 ( Later... ) | |
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|  There were purple ribbons tied to every vertical post along this street. I was trying to figure out what they symbolized; turns out it's a a bunch of different things. Ribbons Seal Beach CA Sharp VE-CG30 1 May 2009 YayfinallyoncurrentmonthI'mnot?dammit | |
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|  A co-worker of mine puchased a SmartCar. After work, she gave me a little ride around the parking lot before we both went home. First time I've been in one; surpisingly roomy for only two seats. Friends of mine later told me - omg! enter smartcar=die instantly!!!1!1!! Smart Car Los Alamitos CA Sharp VE-CG30 27 April 2009 | |
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|  My dad went a little crazy and bought a boat. He's been thinking about a kayak for years, but at 83, a solid one is a little difficult to handle. Sea Eagle was having a sale, so he splurged and bought this. Sort of a cross between a kayak and and a Zodiac. We took it down to one of the little sandy beaches in Huntington Harbor and spent a couple of hours taking turns paddling around on it. I have absolutely no upper body strength and didn't want to overdo it, so I didn't go very far; thought I'd be really sore the next day and was surprised to find I wasn't. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera while we were at the harbor (we also forgot the paddles and runsamuck had to run home and get them), so I took these while we were rinsing the saltwater off after we got home. 435ps Paddleski Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 26 April 2009 ( +1 ) | |
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|  Angus and I went for a walk this evening. The Civic Center is at the end of my street a block away, and Angus's favorite part of it is this tile mural mounted outside the police station entrance. First to be spinny in front of... HB Civic Center Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 25 April 2009 ( then to feel... ) | |
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|  Bow of a purse seine skiff, itself sitting on the back of a purse seiner. L.A. Harbor San Pedro CA Sharp VE-CG30 24 April 2009 ( +3 ) | |
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|  I haven't bought any jewelry for awhile so I treated myself to a pair of earrings (on sale) from The Rainforest Site. One of my few nods to femininity is I have a weakness for dangly earrings. Eye of Shiva Huntington Beach CA Canon EOS 1000D 23 April 2009 | |
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