Jesse, Janelle and Family + Brawley

We rode to Brawley with Jill after stopping for gas at a station at the corner of Valley Center Road and Coal Grade Road and while Jill filled the tank I got a picture of a great looking fiend with an orchard in distance.

On the way to Brawley we stopped at the Julian Pie Company a local fixture for great pies...

... where I got a great picture of the sisters walking back from a store...

... but they insisted on a "posed" picture - I like the "natural" on better *lol*

Then it was the desert and the hills and valleys...

... that wind around the Borrego State Park...

...and I even got a picture out the back window that came out great without even looking.

There was a lot of rock and I liked the one here that looks like a old prairie schooner...

... and the great desert mountain vistas.

Finally we arrived in Brawley and Jesse and Janelle's home...

... with a great play hut and tunnel setup...

... complete with children,specifically Colton...

...and Penelope hiding inside.

Colton liked my camera and promptly took this picture of me ...

... and Sharyn.

Jesse then took me on a tour of the house and some very nice decorative items like this boot...

... and Jasnelle's hand tooled saddle

Jesse the showed me the "Umbrella tree" he created by opening up the lower branches and Penelope displayed her talent for climbing trees - even in cowgirl boots...

I also got to meet the "Free-Range" chickens ...

...and as Penelope collected eggs Jesse tool me about the coop he had made and how the chickens roam during the day and come back to roost all on their own...

... and how Janelle could call them ...

... and they would come running...

... Sharyn like the colors especially on this light colored "mutt" hen.

Next Jill gave the kids a ride ...

...while Janelle showed me her ride, what a great vehicle.

I liked the view of the irrigation canal next to their property in the rich agricultural community.

Brawley isn't just the city it's also the name of their dog rescued by Jesse in a gas station parking lot weak and ragged but now in excellent health.

Penelope then did a trick by holding one of the play tunnels....

...then letting go...

...and became hidden inside. After that we had a great lunch of Buffalo burgers then had a very nice visit.

On the way back we passed the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. Over 80,000 acres of desert are open for off-road exploration operated by California State Parks.

And the Off-Roaders were out in force. It looked like Quartzite in Arizona but with Quads Sand Bikes and Rails. It was a city with no mayor.

Quote of the Day

"I have a farm and I love it there. There's really nothing to do, but even watching the chickens, its fun." ~ Salma Hayek

Visiting with The other Viels & Bruce

After visiting with Steven's great family the other day we had a chance to visit Martha and the kids so we took off for Chula Vista in the micro mini Musemobile...

... where Christian visited us at the door and welcomed us in to show us some pictures he had colored.

Chris concentrated while showing us his work...

... until Martha and Samantha came in to visit. Jason and David were asleep but we had a great visit with Martha and Samantha while ...

Chris was busy setting a new record on his hand held game device.

Martha explained to Sharyn and I the work she was doing with Jason for school and we were very impressed by the amount of work she does with the children assuring them a good education. It was a very uplifting visit to see how wonderful Steven's family were growing in knowledge and how much difference good parenting makes in the lives of our grandchildren.

Sharyn's cousin Bruce also lives in Chula Vista and is a great example of what an engineering education can do. Bruce is an amazing individual in what you can accomplish with some planning and knowledge. Note the Solar paneled roof...

... but the fact that Bruce has no electric bill (or actually gets credits) is not the end of it all. Bruce has upgraded his kitchen as only an engineer can do. This panel of switches will be explained later.

He is planning on getting a couple of boarders in the future and has set up refrigerators so each person can have their own food storage...

... and displays some of his philosophy on one of the doors.

He had found the glass top for this table and engineered designed and had the legs custom made...

...his backsplash is made from brushed stainless steel...

... installed dual water filters and the light beneath the sink is controlled by the 4-way switch I showed earlier.

He also created a 4 bin drawer for waste and if you notice the shopvac beneath the sink and go back to the switch it is used to run the vacuum that will automatically suck up and varmints like fruit flys and gnats the bin area through a conduit from the vac to the bin area with one flip of a switch.

The third switch illuminates the back splash either in color or brilliant white while the fourth switch is a flood light for the sink itself.
.

With all of that comes a great entertainment room with a huge HDTV, Blu-Ray player, computer station that Steve Jobs would envy and plenty of great natural light. Bruce is one amazing individual and very creative.

Quote of the Day~

"Why do a Half-Assed Job
With only twice the effort
You can do the job of a complete ass." ~ Bruce Bierman 

More Fun - This Time in the Sun

The day started with me walking around the ranch snapping away with my Sony Alpha camera starting with Jill's Boot Birdhouse...

Followed by a blooming Geranium ...

... and some of Jill's western home decorations.

Sadly Wendy has passed away and she was a beautiful and brave companion for both Jill and George ...

... but both George and Jill still have the very sweet, despite her being the size of a juvenile bear, Annie named after Annie Oakley and is a Shiloh Shepherd.

We also still have Valentine's Day roses to help brighten the day...

... and some great natural light beaming in on George as he sat at the table...

...and shinning through the windmill in the east side yard.

So I have shown pictures of Willie, Buddy, Wendy, Annie and now here is the pet Kawasaki Mule.

We were getting ready to take off when I caught Jill heading down her driveway...

... and coming back up.

On the way to the coast we stopped at Target and while the others were shopping I took a few more pictures in the bright sun...

... and a mature Bird of Paradise flower.

So we arrived in Oceanside, California and walking to the Crab Shack...

I got a picture of what I think was a lobster trap...

... then we sat down to eat in what used to be the Chart House...

... and had a great view of the Harbor and a returning Whale Watching Boat.

I ordered the "Half and Half Crayfish" the had Crayfish Etouffee and fried Crayfish separated with rice and it was great.

A fishing boat arrived while we ate with an entourage of sea birds like the two Pelicans to the left...

... and this lone guy flying low and fast. Pelicans may look sleek in the air ...

... but they are a little goofy looking after they land, ...

... powerful as they take to the air...

... and almost cuddly when they perch on a rail.

Seabirds aren't the only critters on the harbor there are also squirrels - squirrels? I thought they were tree creatures.

I'd never seen a seal sunning itself like a sea otter but this one was and I got the picture.

We had a nice walk along the harbor where there were many little shops...

... and the look of an old seaport village...

...except for the high-rise building across the way.

Just so you know the harbor shops are right next to the rail tracks and I caught the Coaster Commuter Train.

"Providing customers with breathtaking coastal scenery, the Coaster commuter train runs north-south, serving eight stations between Oceanside and downtown San Diego. More than 20 trains run on weekdays, with additional service on the weekends. It takes about an hour to travel the entire Coaster route."

We then took a drive from Oceanside to Carlsbad...

... and came to a railroad crossing...

... Just as another Coaster train rumbled by.

A little further down the coast we saw some kite surfers.

"A kitesurfer or kiteboarder uses a board with or without foot-straps or bindings, combined with the power of a large controllable kite to propel the rider and the board across the water."

The Carlsbad Energy plant stands right between Highway 101 and Interstate 5 right on the coast...

...next to the lifeguard towers and beaches of Carlsbad...

... where more squirrels play and ...

... pelicans drifted in the cloudless sky...

... well, there were a few clouds over the McDonald's where we stopped for some specialty coffee and a couple of McPies. It was a very good day.

Quote of the Day ~

"Nature’s prime favourites were the Pelicans
High-fed, long-lived, and sociable and free." ~ James Montgomery—"Pelican Island."