Horton Deakins's Blog, page 31

A sweet portrait

Nancy and Ron -- 100% Jelly Belly

Whatever your political bent, you have to admit this is an amazing mozaic, made entirely of Jelly Belly jellybeans.  You can find this and other, similar works at the Regan Library.

Trust, but verify.

Grounds of the Regan Library, Simi Valley, California

From a trip we made last October.

Fish!

Here a fish, there a fish, everywhere a fish, fish

I didn't have a submersible camera, so my fish photos didn't get much better than this on the snorkeling excursion we took to a bay south of Puerta Vallarta.  If I had such a camera, you would be looking at a photo of the hammerhead shark I saw lazily swimming along the bottom beneath all the mostly-oblivious tourists splashing on the surface.

I'm going to get a little crazy today with my photo postings, but I'm sorta making up for missing yesterday, so humor me.  I took all these photos near Puerta Vallarta.  We are acquainted with none of the people in any of these photos, and although I've always wanted to parasail, I chickened out of partaking of this pastime. Actually, the way the vendedores were driving the tow boat around other boats both moored and moving near the beach, I judged it much, much safer to stay on the ground.  Still, it was fascinating to watch, so I'm including a number of shots here.

Well, without further ado (what is ado, anyway, and why aren't we having any further of it?), here's a veritable vacation vignette for you:

Rocky shore near snorkling area

Snorklers from a different tour

Kayakers from another tour

Parasail launch from the beach

Parasail after launch

Your photo with an iguana, lady?

One lady moved at the wrong time and broke her leg when her launch hit the beach.  There were no doctors in this little cove, and no access by land — only by sea, and it was more than an hour's boat ride back to Puerta Vallarta. 

I was in the first launch to attempt the landing, and the skipper tried to run up to the beach stern-first by lifting the motor at the appropriate time.  There was a terrific undertow, and when I stepped out of the boat, I would have been pulled completely under had not two of the crew grabbed me.  My pants were soaked, my sandals filled with coarse sand, and my camera bag was immersed.  Fortunately, the seawater didn't have time to soak through the bag and, as you can see, my camera still worked.  After that, all the launches were run onto the beach bow-first at high speed and at a shallow angle to the beach.

The parasail tow boat had to dodge all the craft you see in the water and quite a few more of them you can't see.  But I'm sure the hazards I've mentioned here have nothing to do with why some cruise ships will no longer dock at Puerta Vallarta.

There were parasails operating in the open water, as you can see in the following photos, but we didn't stray far from the cruise ship except to take the boat ride to the snorkeling area and "iguana" beach.  Why not?  Well, that's another story.

Hey, lady, want to ride the parasail?

Hang on, we got you, lady!

A Netherlands ship, but our piece of America

Bon voyage!

My mother, the movie star

Happy birthday, Mom

Well, maybe not a real movie star, but doesn't she look like one?  Her dream never was to be a movie star, but rather to become a trapeze artist.  A trip to the circus was as close as she got to that, as well, but we all have our dreams.

This weekend, my sisters and I would have celebrated Mom's ninety-fifth birthday, but we haven't had the opportunity or the honor to throw such a party for sixteen years.

Mom may not have been a movie star, but I'm sure Dad must have thought she looked like one — and so do I.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Free land!

Gonna stake my claim!

One of the sights you will see as you float down the Bricktown canal is this determined gentleman greeting you.  He's rushing to stake his land claim during the Oklahoma Land Rush.  Note the flagged stake under his arm.

Land Rush

For scale, note the people in the upper left of the photo.  Right at the water line (on both banks), you can make out horseshoe imprints moulded into the concrete.

Looks like it's getting crowded.  I reckon these folks will split up and go their separate ways once they make this river crossing.

Shure do clean up good fer an old girl!

Oklahoma City Riverwalk Boat in Bricktown

This be not a ship under sail, mateys, but put yer backs to the wind and listen to me.  If you haven't been to Oklahoma City in a while, you should really check it out.  In the summer of 2008, I took this pic of one of our Riverwalk boats.  It will take you on a pleasant ride through this nicely landscaped area, passing through a heroic-sized bronze sculpture array depicting the land run, as well as down former Bricktown streets to see the newly-renovated buildings with all their shops, restaurants, and a multi-screen theater.  Nearby is a Bass Pro, which is fun to see even if you don't buy anything.

Not too far away you can also find the Murrah Building Memorial and Museum.

A Nice Ketch

Or, Ketch the Wave. Or, Ketch as Ketch Can.  I could go on, but I won't.

A ketch near San Diego

Here's one last offering from San Diego as we waited for our cruise ship to get under way.  There was quite a bit of activity on the water that beautiful day in November, 2008.

Not quite the Sooner Schooner

Scootin' Schooner

What a day it was in San Diego for photo opportunities!  Feast your eyes on this schooner sailing full-and-by.  Looks like quite a party taking place on deck.  I was on-deck, as well, but on a much bigger, much less fun vessel, with nary a single mast, and several thousand others to compete with for the amenities and excursions.

Now we are ready to head for the Horn

Way, hey, roll and go

Our boots and our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn

To be rollickin' randy, dandy o.

Heave, o pull, o heave away

Way, hey, roll and go

The anchor's on board and the cable's all stored

To be rollickin' randy, dandy o.

Soon we'll be walkin' 'er out through the locks

Way, hey, roll and go

Those pretty, young girls will come down in their clogs

To be rollickin' randy, dandy o.

Heave, o pull, o heave away

Way, hey, roll and go

The anchor's on board and the cable's all stored

To be rollickin' randy, dandy o.

Sail, ho!

Oh, how I love sailing ships!  This particular three-masted sloop was featured in the movie "Master and Commander, the Far Side of the World."  I snapped photos of it back in 2008 as we were preparing to embark on a Mexico cruise on Holland America from San Diego.

I have a US Sailing certification in basic keelboat sailing, but it has been several years since I have been sailing, and I do miss it so!  Those who have not sailed cannot understand how it takes you away from all the troubles of the day.

Sail ho! 

Where away? 

Two leagues, a point forward of the larboard beam!

Set course east by sou' east.  We have the weather guage.  Stu'n' sails alo and aloft, all the canvas she will bear, and beat to quarters!  Clear for action!  Marines to the shrouds!

Pray the deck is not raked with grape, and your fate is not in the orlop with the surgeon!

Man against nature

That's Gramps tending to his field corn, a variety used primarily as livestock feed.  The date is no later than the summer of 1930, for that is the year he died.  He was only two years older than I am now, which gives me pause to think about my own mortality.

With a single-shot .22 rolling-block varmint rifle, he once headed off a band of desperados trying to make off with a carload of his corn, while his hired hand blocked any possible retreat with a shotgun.  After that, some of the neighbors tried to get him elected to sheriff.