Sep 20 2011

Wyatt Earp In San Diego

Attended a lecture presentation at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park this evening by Garner A. Palenske, author of the just released book (we got the very first copies) “Wyatt Earp In San Diego: Life After Tombstone.” First I ran into him in the bathroom before the lecture and we talked Earp for a while, which was a bit of an odd place to do that. During the lecture I learned some cool facts, not only about Wyatt Earp, but also about San Diego history. In attendance were a historian who used for historical accuracy during the filming of Tombstone and a woman who was president of a Wild West association and who was a direct descendant of the McLaurys from the OK Coral gunfight. After the presentation I bought Garner’s book and had him sign it for me. Then I took a few pictures of a group who were attending in costume. I ended up taking pictures of them with their cameras as well and getting business cards to email them my pictures. Even one of the museum staff gave me his card to send him my pictures. Now there’s pressure to make sure they look good.

San Diego History Center
Entrance to the History Center
Into the lecture room
Start of the lecture
Garner presenting
Lobby with line for signing
Book signing line
Period costumers
With Garner
Leaving the History Center
Book cover
Inscription

Sep 20 2011

Walking Balboa Park

Had an hour between the Natural History Museum closing and the Wyatt Earp presentation this evening so I walked around Balboa Park taking pictures at the Museum of Man, the Alcazar Gardens and the “Laguna de las Flores” in front of the Botanical Building. There are more than 20,000 trees in Balboa Park, some which are close to one hundred years old. Just saying the oxygen is pretty good there.

( p a r k   p i c s )

Sep 20 2011

Some History, Natural Style

Needing to kill some time before a presentation later this evening in Balboa Park, I spent a couple of hours at the San Diego Natural History Museum photographing more exhibits, watching two 3D movies and telling a cute girl who works there that she had really pretty eyes. The two 3D movies, “Dinosaurs 3D: Giants of Patagonia” and “Inner Earth 3D” were both very good, although I preferred the dinosaur movie. The 3D was better, the animation was incredible and it was narrated by Donald Sutherland. The “Inner Earth 3D” was produced by a local spelunker and while it had some at times stunning visuals, the accompanying music was too loud and competed with the narration. Oftentimes I couldn’t catch what the voiceover said. It also seemed a bit choppy and the script was descriptively a bit over the top in certain places. Still, it was educational. While I waited for the movies to start I roamed and took pictures. It’s what I do.

TheNAT Fig
SDNHM entrance
SDNHM lobby
Theater entrance
Dinosaurs 3D
Inner Earth 3D
Theater inside
Theater seating
Seating view
My view
Finback Whale skull
Gray Whale skull, arm and hand
Mountain Lion
Ringtail
Kit Fox
Sea Otter
Spotted Owl
Roadrunner
Malachite
Sulfur

Sep 20 2011

At The Zoo Again?

Spent a few hours at the San Diego Zoo with my friend, Mary, and her daughter, Diana. Before they got there I walked around by myself listening to my iPod and had fantastic luck taking pictures of the Malayan Tiger cubs as well as Adhama, the River Hippo calf. We had a really good lunch at Albert’s Restaurant and then finished the day with watching a brand new animal show called Camp Critters which was pretty bad. Even three-year old Diana totally lost interest and couldn’t wait to leave it. Far too much uninteresting dialogue and way too little actual animal interaction. And what there was wasn’t very impressive. Too bad. It meant well.

( z o o   p i c s )

Sep 20 2011

Dewy Web

This morning was particularly moist outside once most of the thick fog we had overnight burned off. Went out and took a bunch of pictures of an orb-weaving spider’s giant web that was dotted with hundreds of tiny water droplets. The spider who spun the impressive web was nowhere to be seen.

( w e b   p i c s )

Sep 19 2011

Screech, Crash And Roll

Someone was having a bad day. While harvesting some milkweed seeds in our backyard I heard some screeching tires coming from the I-5 in the canyon below. Didn’t think anything of it at first since I’d heard it before. But this one lasted a bit longer and then I heard some muffled crunching. Ran over to the fence and first had trouble finding the accident. Then I noticed a couple of cars and a motorcycle stopping at the side of the freeway to help. It was a dark, teal-colored van that had luckily rolled off the freeway into the grass and shrubs on the hillside of the canyon. With the help of some good samaritans who stopped, a woman crawled out of the van and sat down on the ground. A police car must have been nearby because he showed up really quickly. It took an ambulance quite a while longer to show up, although when it did arrive the woman was able to walk back to the ambulance with a paramedic without any trouble.

Crawling out of the van
Sitting on the ground, stunned
The scene with police and helpers
Police with vehicles that stopped
Ambulance arrives
Firetruck arrives

Sep 19 2011

Quick Zoo Trip

Since my mom and I, already being at Balboa Park, were right next door to the Zoo, I took her in to see the new Panda Trek entrance to the Giant Panda exhibit. After picking up an espresso for her and hot chocolate for me, we walked down through the Owens Aviary on our way to Panda Canyon. Along the new Panda Trek walkway they have Lily, the one-year old Red Panda in her own habitat, a herd of Takins in their new exhibit, and a Mang Mountain Viper inside it’s glass-fronted enclosure. All these animals are normally found in the same areas of China as the Giant Pandas. This is a great way to introduce the guests to the Panda’s environment before actually getting to see them. On our way to the Zoo exit we stopped for a brief visit to watch the Mountain Gorillas.

( t r e k   p i c s )

Sep 19 2011

Calotropis Gigantea

Took my mom down to Balboa Park to show her two giant Calotropis Gigantea (Crown plants) just outside of the Botanical Building. Learned about this plant from one of the Director of Entomology during Insect Mania Day at the Natural History Museum. It attracts Monarch Butterflies and Ladybugs at least as well as our milkweeds but not so much the bees, wasps or aphids. Also, it’s a much stronger plant so the larvae can pupate right on the plant instead of crawling away to look for something stiffer. Now to try and find local nurseries that actually sell them.

( p l a n t   p i c s )

Sep 18 2011

Dining at Oz’s

The whole local Csanadi clan got together for dinner at Ozzie’s house tonight. Sort of a much belated birthday gathering for Stephen. Food was great and we got to see the almost three week old kittens again. They are getting awfully loud when hungry or alone. Just like me except I’m not black.

Sep 17 2011

Dinner And An X-Show

Finished off my full Balboa Park day with a stop at Starbucks and a giant, delicious shredded beef chimichanga from Colima’s Mexican Food while watching X-Men: First Class on DVD at the Tapias’ house. I really liked the movie the first time I saw it in the theater and actually liked it even more this second time although it still feels really creepy looking at a young and naked Mystique. We also snacked on movie candy after finishing dinner.

Colima’s in Chula Vista
Shredded Beef Chimichanga
Starbucks stop
Inside Starbucks
X-Men First Class

 

 

Sep 17 2011

Flip Nicklin’s Whales

After the Plaza de Panama Project tour, the Veterans Museum and the Zoo, I went to the San Diego Natural History Museum and met up with Bryan, Heather and Lauren for an evening presentation called “Among Giants: A Life with Whales” by National Geographic whale photographer and San Diego native, Flip Nicklin. It was a very entertaining one hour presentation with lots of photos and a few videos with Flip telling stories behind each one. I was unfortunately not allowed to take pictures during the presentation. I had purchased his companion book earlier in the day and had him sign it at the reception after his presentation was over. There was complimentary mini cupcakes and coffee as well as entertainment care of a wonderful crooner named Susanna Kurner.

Natural History Museum
Building Identity
The Mission
A giant fig tree
Champion Fig Tree
Massive tree girth
Tree details
Museum lobby
Canyon Café decor
Tyrannosaurus rex
Allosaurus fragilis
Theater filling up
Flip and museum staff
Opening slide
Reception
Susanna Kurner
Complimentary cupcakes
Book signing
Meeting Flip
Signing my book
Book cover
Inscription

Sep 17 2011

Back At The Zoo

After both the Plaza de Panama Project tour and the Veterans Museum, I walked over to spend about an hour at the San Diego Zoo. After taking pictures of stilt walkers, I sat down at the orangutans and siamangs, but started focusing more on the human couples that came through. I started wondering what was it that made them attracted to their specific partners. May have been my shortest Zoo visit ever.

Sep 17 2011

Veterans Museum and Memorial Center

Followed up my Plaza de Panama Project tour by visiting the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center, also in Balboa Park. They were getting ready for an afternoon function and told me I have about half an hour to walk around and check out the displays. Got taken on a personal tour by docent Terry Truitt that lasted almost two hours because the function started much later than they thought. Along the tour I also met with and talked to Richard Derosset, the artist who painted all the memorial murals inside the museum. The museum was a little oddly laid out, mainly because up until about twenty years ago it was the San Diego Naval Hospital Chapel. The main entrance had two full-size dioramas that will be torn down in about a month for some remodeling. Past those was the main hall with the wall murals and display cases. A hallway which made a u-turn around the back the building showed many paintings, diagrams and photographs. The whole museum came across as a little cluttered but then they really don’t have the room or proper building layout to be able to display the pieces much better. All in all it was a very interesting tour with Terry. He had many good stories to pass along.

( v e t e r a n s   p i c s )

Sep 17 2011

Plaza de Panama Project

Attended what was supposed to be an hour long walking tour starting at the Museum of Man in Balboa Park, but which turned into a two and a half hour tour, of the Plaza de Panama Project proposed redevelopment of certain areas of Balboa Park before the centennial celebration in 2015. It was led by four members of the redevelopment planning team including David Marshall, President and Senior Principal of Heritage Architecture and Planning, Gordon Kovtun, Principal of the KCM Group and Kristen McDade Byrne, Vice President of MJE Marketing Services. Their proposal plans on returning a large section of the park to pedestrian and tram only traffic, removing cars and relocating parking. It was a very informative guided tour with stops at specific locations to illustrate proposed changes. There were a few people on the tour who kept asking opposition questions. They were the ones who made the tour last as long as it did.

Sep 16 2011

Fanciful Interpretation

Always loved this 1913 oil painting by A.J. Roberts who worked for the San Diego Decorating Company. It was done as a promotional piece for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in what was later to become Balboa Park. The description reads, “…depicts proposed Exposition grounds with buildings, lake and gondolas.” Strange to see the river/lake that would one day become highway 163. The original painting can be found at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.

Fanciful Interpretation of Panama-California Exposition-1913

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