tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62325982024-03-23T10:42:47.465-07:00.WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.comBlogger448125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-78403409661975812692009-12-13T16:46:00.000-08:002009-12-13T17:21:45.383-08:00To Sleep, To Sleep This cleansing tide streaks the afternoon birches,And they might sing with joy in June.But there they stand, winterized and ready for bed ---Red-yellow remnants shuddering slowly, silently. Misting and drenching both as this minute passes, The sunny shower sings alone. Some branches stir in silent gratitudeAnd promise a resounding overture come spring. To sleep, to sleep.To dream, to dream.WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-37541399604508736102009-12-12T19:26:00.000-08:002009-12-12T19:39:33.006-08:00OverkillA rainy morning found us traveling down I-5 to Lathrop to meet friends for breakfast at the Country Kitchen. Then we drove down to Union Road and turned south, braving the downpour and an unfamiliar street. We were going to surprise Angel with a visit to Bass Pro Shops in Manteca. She'd been there before, but was excited about seeing the Christmas decorations and mass hubbub. My hunting days WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-2826838079959013702009-12-07T18:32:00.000-08:002009-12-07T18:55:47.514-08:00Freeze Out California's moniker, The Sunshine State, was tarnished today as the snow clouds moved in and dumped tons of the white stuff across valleys, hills and mountains. I don't know who took this picture or who the coffee drinker is. It was among 500 that had been uploaded to the KCRA Channel 3 in Sacramento website. I had expected a dusting here in Stockton in the early a.m. and got out of bed to WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-34588488510408192612009-12-04T17:14:00.000-08:002009-12-04T17:29:22.656-08:00Lighting Your City Christmas Tree, Or Not!Picture from The Modesto Bee, Brian Ramsay photographer.Now this is a choice example of city bureaucracy: Local officials decide to trim the budget and save $3000 by not adding Christmas tree lights to the city tree at Modesto Centre Plaza. That's okay, but they failed to tell the City Council (or the Council misinterpreted a memo) and advertising for the lighting ceremony was printed and WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-16083252989638067742009-11-28T15:19:00.000-08:002009-11-28T16:06:18.534-08:00The Answer, My Friend . . .We wanted to take more bird pictures today at Cosumnes River Wildlife Preserve just north of us. A Sacramento photography blog said their group was going to be there this morning at 9:00. After making an 8:00 appointment for a tire rotation, we ate breakfast and drove up a little after 10:00 --- with the wind blowing out of the north at a sustained 40 mph! This is about the worst valley wind I'veWordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-88590627614788556942009-11-27T18:39:00.000-08:002009-11-27T18:55:44.308-08:00The WonderhoodThere is local color, and then there is LOCAL COLOR! The dreariness of this time of year is offset by the glorious glow of reds and oranges, yellows and golds. The city has planted so many Chinese Pistache trees, our neighborhood actually takes on a artistic warmth along the streets. The mundane is transformed into a wonderland --- at least for a few weeks.Our junior college landscaping has its WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-52529920342379948882009-11-26T18:01:00.000-08:002009-11-26T18:38:46.941-08:00Tons to Run It takes awhile to run over 300,000 folded continuous forms for Fireman's Fund. It's a Premium Rejection Notice that ships to Dallas. They must process a lot of rejections since we repeat this form a few times a year.The bulk of what we run goes to our Sacramento plant where they print and mail 'shell' masters that are distributed to a State funded health program. Guess I better not tell you WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-47677395433191303422009-11-16T19:14:00.000-08:002009-11-16T19:45:26.909-08:00Hobby Hobos on the BeachSaturday's photo op at Santa Cruz with Don rewarded both of us with some keepers. Most of the photographers on the beach were shooting Canons with big, fast (and heavy) lenses, while Don sported his new Nikon D300 with kit lens and me with the oldie but goodie Nikon D70 and kit lens with polarizer. No tripods for us (left them in the trunk), but I don't really think they're necessary when you're WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-5737894693736881352009-11-12T18:25:00.000-08:002009-11-12T19:07:27.460-08:00Findings and Recommendations This week's Internal Audit, corporate's twice-a-year, three-day (longer in some facilities), let's-see-your-dirty-underwear series of meetings ended today with the inevitable list of Findings and Recommendations projected on the conference room wall. Roberta and I are the sole management representatives for this grueling necessity. Thankfully, each interrogation has been extremely understandingWordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-52807998636603158892009-11-06T19:19:00.000-08:002009-11-06T19:51:55.346-08:00Blow Out I didn't really try to unlight the candles with a single breath. Angel was using my camera to take pictures and could hardly hold it up with two hands, let alone find the shutter release and zoom easily. So slow motion posing was the order for the evening.The beginning of this 63rd year of borrowed time is another reminder of the inevitable slide toward that final year when I'll do this 'blow WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-87103728060435604382009-10-30T17:09:00.000-07:002009-11-12T19:13:25.687-08:00TV Dinner Delight Boy, those were the days in Paso Robles! We were so poor, we thought TV dinners were like going to a restaurant. Rare and delicious! Guess our normal fare of hamburger, potatoes and string beans was a lot cheaper. Or maybe the freezer didn't work too well. Can't remember. Grandma Skinner in San Luis was a great cook, but liked to treat herself (and us kids) with these Swanson delights. I WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-12435486573176231372009-10-24T17:32:00.001-07:002009-11-12T19:14:57.605-08:00Color and Cousins The Salinas River is transformed from green to yellow gold during the fall. We had just driven by King City on the way home when I looked back and saw these trees. The car came to a quick stop as big rigs and cars flew by. I trekked to the fence line and climbed up to get a few shots of color. Nothing striking, but a lasting record of something that takes place each year along this long strand WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-50216135665388929062009-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:002009-10-22T18:06:20.261-07:00San Miguel Mission StatementI was never a fan of heading north of Paso Robles to the little dusty town of San Miguel, where the world famous California mission has attracted tourists for decades. Growing up just 7 miles away, going to church at 17th and Oak Street, only visiting a relatives that lived there a few times, and hearing nothing but jokes about it --- a mission visit wasn't on the agenda. When the photography bugWordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-58419492520985255702009-10-19T17:19:00.000-07:002009-10-19T17:46:05.596-07:00Taking the Little Creek to Cambria Wow! There's nothing like visiting the same old places over and over! That's pretty much what we do when we vacation in the Paso Robles area. It's fun to scout new horizons, but the old haunts are still filled with a 'first visit' flavor. Guess you can appreciate them more as the years roll by.I don't like downtown Cambria. Sorry, folks. Why do I want to look at things I can't afford to buy andWordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-14541369982924919582009-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:002009-10-19T17:47:33.565-07:00Pioneer Day Marathon This year's crop of Paso Robles Pioneer Day Parade pictures is in the middle of the harvest. You'll soon see all the color and smiles forthwith. Hang in there, friends. (Pictures are now online)WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-12440569449323470672009-10-05T19:55:00.000-07:002009-10-05T20:31:36.679-07:00Getting Paid What You're Worth Our city has a few gems in its special places to visit. The Haggin Museum in Victory Park is one of them. It is Stockton's record of local history, but equally emphasizes quintessential artwork. The currently featured exhibit is a large collection of National Park plein-air paintings, not a few crafted by locals like Gil Dellinger and Ray Roberts. Over a dozen Plein-Air Painters of America wereWordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-21638027560173599832009-09-29T18:10:00.000-07:002009-11-12T19:15:33.293-08:00Go Carts on Moss Avenue Back in the day, you used to actually make your own personal flying machine. But this one came with four wheels that never got off the ground. We creatively attached them to a slotted 2x4 with a big hole in the middle for a shiney new bolt (or an old one if you were poor like us). This front axle would sport a rope rein and swivel perfectly. You had to count on it to steer you away from any WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-20079509064199008032009-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:002009-09-24T19:57:46.974-07:00Avila Beach in the 1930's My father, Don Skinner, grew up off of South Broad Street in San Luis Obispo. Born in 1921 to a hard-working Union Oil man from Templeton and a doting mother from Tennessee, he and his younger sister, Margaret, would become part of the greatest generation of kids who experienced relative innocence before the horrors of WWII re-defined their view of the world. Avila Beach in the 30's offered WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-18801389564699389082009-09-20T07:12:00.000-07:002009-09-20T07:31:22.010-07:00Sunday Sermon There's a powerful passage in St. Paul's letter to the church in Rome that says something I used to vehemently deny. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness supress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-2140910958851656272009-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:002009-09-24T18:47:22.823-07:00September Visit To True Tennessee Tennessee is neither for the impressionist painter, earringed pirates, nor frumpless foo foos. It is real America, real rural America with real rural residents whose roots extend back to a time when the simple life ruled the forests of the Cumberland Plateau, Sequatchie Valley and the Appalachian Mountains. Big city life is closer to the almost-all-American pulse, but the smaller the town, WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-1039462237826596232009-09-04T17:05:00.000-07:002009-09-04T17:11:19.167-07:00Little Brother Angel's little half-bro is definitely looking the part of a Limas. Like father, like son and daughter.WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-16811619754730646052009-09-03T19:43:00.000-07:002009-09-03T20:01:30.709-07:00A Wowie-Zowie Dinner Sometimes originality pays big dividends, as proven by Barb's out-of-the-blue Crocktipzini. Here's how to treat yourself to an easy, pleasy dinner, especially if you like to dip your bread in the savory juices!Ingredients:* 1 1/2 lb. Tri-Tip steak strips, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide* 1 - 14.5 oz can S & W stewed tomatoes, Mexican Recipe (style)* 2 - small 5" fresh zucchini* Seasoned pepper* Mrs.WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-37383584928428406292009-08-30T14:34:00.000-07:002009-08-30T15:00:52.818-07:00First Time ChampsI'm watching the last out of the last inning of the Little League World Series and the Blue Bombers from Chula Vista, CA just pitched the final strike to win the game and championship with a score of 6 - 3. Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) was narrowly squeezed out by a better California defensive team that had some late inning hits by their key players. Click here for details.There so much more emotion WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-40491570001928890942009-08-22T15:24:00.000-07:002009-08-22T15:39:28.804-07:00Rusting Out Thanks to bruxelles5 Photography for this reminder that due to the physical law of entropy, all things that can rust WILL rust eventually, given the right circumstances. That pristine new set of wheels you bought back in 1960 just isn't the same car 50 years later, even if you've done your best to keep it spit polished. Just as glaring is the degenerative aura taken on by your face in the WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6232598.post-31625589572144705092009-08-21T18:39:00.000-07:002009-08-21T19:06:55.501-07:00Minor Invasion A little flock of even littler bushtits landed in the birch trees outside the dining room window after dinner. These diminutives flitter, flutter and add some acrobatics to their feeding routine. They'll stick to the side of a tree looking for insects and spiders or hang upside down examining the back of leaves. My 200mm lens is hardly the best bet when shooting through this window. And with WordyDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884071070638104223noreply@blogger.com0