Random January 2024

I don't have too many random photos for January. 

Some of the buttons popped off our couch so I took the cushions back to South El Monte where we had it recovered. Since it was 2/3 of the way to the arboretum I decided to do a little bird watching right afterward.

I didn't know great egrets could be found this far inland.

I also saw this rare bird which has only been in California for a few years. Previously it was only found in Florida. It's the red whiskered bulbul. Not sure why bird names are so weird. This picture is from far away but it's a very unique looking bird as seen in the internet pic following.

We still watch Kinga every Thursday and love it. Right after I took this pic I turned around and she tried to climb over the back of the couch. I scared her a bit when I shouted NO!!!!! 

But it's a good three foot drop on the other side and she stopped short when I yelled.

Anna made it onto the Principal's Honor Roll for last semester with her straight A's.

I was surprised when I saw "winter tomato" plants for sale at the nursery in October. I never heard of winter tomatoes. But here we are. We already ate one. This one in the photo should be ready in about a week and there are four more. I'm really enjoying growing some of my own food and thinking about expanding to a second planter bed.

January 2024 is a wrap.

Mt. Wilson First Waters Trail ... 50 Years Later

Anyone who has known me for any length of time has heard the story of the hike gone bad when I was 14. Now that Winter Break is over and we had a non rainy day, 

Dan and I decided to revisit the site of this hike he's heard about for over forty years. 

I don't remember who I went with the first time I hiked to the creek at the end, but it was some sort of group with adults. They made the mistake of mentioning that the RTD stop was just a block away from the trail head.  Well I knew how to take the RTD since we took it to the mall all the time so I told Darlene we should go do this hike together. My mother did not agree. She said we could only go to the mall. So off we went to the mall. We just didn't get off at the mall bus stop. 

We found the trail easily. 

You can see the whole San Gabriel Valley from the trail.

The trial is very steep with no guard rails. 

When Darlene and I were hiking it, we got tired. 

We had no idea how far we had gone and after awhile we looked down and saw water flowing along the bottom of a canyon. Well, that looked a lot easier to follow than this really steep hike. Of course it would take us to First Waters if we just followed it. 

Fourteen year old thinking here. I'm pretty sure it was all my idea.

But how to get down there????

There was this trajectory sticking into the canyon which looked less steep and so we decided that was the place to go down to the bottom. 

It ended up being impossible to walk down so we slid the whole way down.

And then we just followed the water...until we go to this. I will never forget this giant white boulder as long as I live. There was absolutely no way to get around it. It blocked the entire canyon. 

Now what? We had to get back to the trail before nightfall because no one knew we were there.

There was only one way back. UP. Up a very steep hill. We climbed it with me pushing her because as scared of heights as I am, she is even more so. 

It took a very very long time because we kept slipping backward. 

We were beyond filthy when we got back to the top. No way were we going any further on the hike so we headed back to the bus stop. When we got home my mom did not look up from her sewing. If she had, she would have seen us covered in dirt from head to toe.

If we had just stayed on the trail for another 1/2 mile we would have made it to First Waters. It was a tough hike with a 1000 foot elevation change and lots of steep edges.

I knew I would have trouble with my knees on the way down. My knees have no problem in every day life but coming down an incline they can hurt terribly. Luckily, it was only the last half mile this time. And with Dan with me, I can walk backward and then they don't hurt. 

We probably won't do this hike again because of the knee issue but it was interesting to go back in time and see how everything is exactly the same as it was almost 50 years ago. Thinking back, that boulder might have saved our lives because who knows where we would have ended up if it hadn't stopped us.

 

Anime Impulse

** New post also from 1/1/24 that never got posted because I scheduled it but never hit the publish button. Martin Visit 2023

My kids like Japanese cartoons. I don't know why. Anna found out there was an Anime convention in the area and so we agreed to take them and the neighbors to it.  To say they were exhilarated would be an understatement. They were all at our house at 6:00 in the morning getting these fabulous outfits ready!

Izuku Midoria

Chuuya

Power

Mitzuba

The Fab Four

There were many cars just like this.

I'm glad we got there early and didn't have to wait in this line. 

It was a spectacular day - high of 64 and clear clear skies. 

Dan and I stayed outside each building as they went in, watching old Frazier shows on his 

phone and laughing hysterically.

Mia and Anna love soba. I waited in line for them so they could continue looking at things. 

(Obviously, it was also so we could leave sooner.) 

The amount of grease I saw in this food was incredible.

But, for all of them, the best part was seeing everyone else in their cosplay and taking pictures with complete strangers. Yes, and cosplay just means costume as I have finally figured out.

Middle school hot and heavy here. They don't buy cute littler puppy dog stickers any more.

Couple O Days of Fun

The girls have another week of break so I took them on a couple of excursions. On Wednesday night we went to Crystal Cove to eat at the Beachcomber and see Crystal Cove decorated for Christmas. And when I get the pics off Melissa's camera I'll add them in here.  🤣

The next day we drove to Solvang. Melissa camped nearby and we spent the night in a hotel. The decorations here were beautiful as well.

Driving through the Santa Ynez Valley is so gorgeous.

Back to school on the 9th!

Random December 2023

 We went to Kelly and Melissa's boat to see the annual Huntington Harbor Boat Parade.

My car was stolen on Thanksgiving morning and I now have this new Honda Accord. 

My old car was found immediately after we bought the new car.  🤣

I saw a whole flock of white pelicans at El Dorado park.

We went to Las Vegas for one night to attend Tru's (Kelly's dad) surprise 80th birthday party. 

He is 2nd from the right.

Melissa and Kelly's sister, Kat.

I've started back working through this book again in hopes I can draw decently eventually.

Mia got her haircut!

Before

After

And five (one we found later) bunches of hair to send to Locks of Love.

We gave Mia the Squid Game experience for one of her Christmas presents. It was really fun!

The first black Phoebe I've seen around our house sitting on the neighbor's roof.

Kinga after an oatmeal breakfast!

I was really tired one night trying to put away the Christmas ornaments and went to bed instead.

 I woke up to this. Happy the tree was cleaned up - trying to get over the fact she charged me for it.

She must have had a horrible homeschooling spelling teacher.

Took the girls out to conveyor belt sushi for their awesome first semester grades!

Mia hosted the December Dungeons and Dragons session with her friends.

Ready to see what 2024 has to offer!