Victorville’s Blue Dawn

I think I have said this before but the Victor Valley is a scenic place.  When you look around the place, you see how it could have easily been a vacation spot if it was approached that way years ago.  This blue dawn is another example of how amazing the views can be.

In this photo, I’m looking east north east, if you will.  It is a quarter past 6:00 am and you can see Apple Valley in the distance.  I think the layers of mountains are what really make the image.  Enjoy.

Kauai the Garden Island, 3 of 3

Here are the last of my “artistic” shots.  These photos were taken from the north to the south of the island.  Enjoy.

 I shot these from the tour bus as we drove by what use to be plantation workers homes.

 Waimea Canyon

 You can’t help to want to stay here.

 Wailua River

 I have to go back some day

A Time of Great Happiness

You have to live up here in the Victor Valley in order to appreciate the significance of this bridge opening up.  They have had it planned for years.  They have been working on it for over a year.  Today they had a big “whoop tee-do” celebrating its initial opening.  That’s what the pictures are about.  You still can’t get on the interstate from it but you can cross to the other side (La Mesa Road) from Nisqualli Road.  You’re not forced to endure the standstill on Bear Valley or try your luck on Palmdale Road.  To get to Wal-Mart or the mall will only take 5 minutes instead of 15 to 20 minutes depending on what time of day it is for the same distance.  That’s a lot of gas idling away as you sit and wait.  And the freeway entries and exits should be operational within 30 days.  Just in time for the fall quarter.  Enjoy.

Kauai the Garden Island, 2 of 3

We were on a catamaran off of the Na Pali coast in the southern part of the island.  This was a really cool looking place.  Enjoy.

Kauai the Garden Island, 1 of 3

We went to Kauai, Hawaii last month for our family vacation.  I showed off a lot of photos of the trip on my family blog, “Categorically-Exposed”.  But I pulled a few photos to put here that I did not show there.  I think these were some pretty cool shots – that is my normal voice for trying to say I think they have some artistic value.

A life time ago, I use to think that I would eventually “get away from it all” in Costa Rica.  You know, when my children are adults and out there doing their thing – I would go do mine.  Well, Costa Rica has been replaced with Kauai.  The great thing about this is that I do not have to leave the US.  The real great thing about this was that Kauai is an extraordinarily incredible place to be.  I am still smiling even after drowning my point and shoot camera and my cell phone.  I explained all of that on the other blog but just know that it was all worth it.  The mosquito bites were worth it too and I really do not like those things.  Enjoy.

 Hanalei Beach

 Around Hanalei

 Table setting at the luau

 Princeville

 Hanalei

 Wai’oli Hui’ia Church

 North coast

In the “jungle”

Fire on Cajon Pass

On Saturday, August 17, I was approaching the pass on my way home to Victorville from Corona and could not figure out why I-15 was so heavy with traffic on a late Saturday afternoon.  I soon found out.  But I think I was in the twilight zone because the first weird thing was the temperature reading.

Not what the temp really was.

This was the first reason for the traffic.

Then the first fire.

Then the second fire.

Good thing I got through when I did.

A View of Iraq – Inside the gate at Al Asad in January 2004

Ok, I’m not done with showing some photos from Iraq.  Here are just a few shots of us after we got through the gate at Al Asad.  If you go back a couple of entries, you will see that I left off at arriving at the gate.  We were waiting for “rooms”, if you will – what temporary space we would occupy for the night before we were back on the road again heading for Rifle Base.  The theater commander had long since ordered a stop to night convoys ever since the IEDs had started in the latter half of 2003.  Oh, the armored cavalry regiment that was our final destination was the 3^rd ACR – the name Rifle Base should have told me that (nickname “Brave Rifles”) but it’s been a while and I was never a part of that storied unit.  At this time, I was a part of the 11^th Signal Brigade in the 86^th Signal Battalion.  Which I have recently learned are no longer based out of Fort Huachuca, AZ.  They are now located at Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, respectively.  That blew my mind to learn that but that is another story.  Let us get back to Iraq.  My lieutenant (LT) and I were on this mission not only because the team we were recovering was a part of our platoon but because we were very familiar with where the various bases and outpost were in country at the time.  We had escorted quite a few convoys throughout the theater since being there.  Me even more so since I had been in the theater for 11 months by that time.  It had become my secondary mission there.  Rolling out the gate was always a serious matter.  A lot of soldiers and marines were blown up on those Iraqi roads.  So this mission, because it was very close to our last there in Iraq was a bit vexing because crap seems to always catch you just before you get the hell out of Dodge.  But that’s ancient history.  Have a look at the pictures and let me know what you think if you can.  Enjoy.

On our drive through Al Asad base.

 Another gate.

 My LT was walking back to his vehicle.  He was in the lead HMMWV, it is tan and just behind the larger truck with the shelter on it.  There are three green HMMWVs between us – the escorted from the 3^rd Sig Bde.

 PFC Jackson and SPC Hall.

 A box of bottled water – you did not go anywhere without any.

The muzzle of my M16A2.  While we were out of the gate, it stayed resting across my chess with the pistol grip just to the right of my center mass – locked and loaded.  The barrel would be sticking out the window to my immediate left.  That was how I drove.  And I always drove if the mission permitted it.  Good times.