A preview of things to come?

Sunshine glints through frozen droplets
Dangling from the lichens in the tree
Autumn by the calendar is not yet at its end
A sneak-peek of weather soon to be

Rise Again

Hotel del Coronado

Front area.

Arrival area.

Hotel lobby with holiday decorations.

Antique Elevator.

Elevator door opening.

Inside the elevator, complete with elevator operator. The elevator was retrofitted with modern machinery and controls. The box near the operator's hip still contains the original lever control.

Ice skating on a "frigid" late autumn day (lower 70s).

Courtyard panorama.

The interior is a maze of hallways similar to this one. Though the decor is clean and relatively up-to-date, floors still slope and creak, ceilings are low and are not level. Far from being dark and dingy, as one might expect of such a vintage building, this place is light and airy with natural light streaming in from many directions. This is the original building with all the character that implies.

One of many classic stairwells.

Another panoramic courtyard view.

Overhead view (courtesy of Google Earth)
Note the dunes that spell out "Coronado".

Coronado dunes seen from ground level.

Memories from the Past

Aspen Fire

Taken July 24th, 2013 6:06PM-PDT from 40,000'MSL

Incident Information [InciWeb]
Fire information [CalFire]

A Smokey Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley July 29, 2013, 7:23 AM-PDT
Courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy Webcam

Yosemite Valley July 30, 2013, 8:56 AM-PDT
Courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy Webcam

El Capitan July 30, 2013 8:56 AM-PDT
Courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy Webcam

Ahwahnee Meadow July 30, 2013 8:57 AM-PDT
Courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy Webcam

Ahwahnee Meadow July 31, 2013 9:49 AM-PDT
Courtesy of the Yosemite Conservancy Webcam

All that remained of the Aspen Fire on Aug 7, after great work by firefighters

A California Poppy in Washington State

Seattle in Golden Light - Aerial

Seattle skyline in golden light over indigo waters of Elliot Bay
Lake Washington in the background
Click the image for larger view

Dark Roast

Chop Suey

Evening Ferry

Sunset Arrival

Full width view on Panoramio

Oh, The Places You'll Go

From the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade

Cityrise

Seattle in the mist

Pāhoehoe

Pāhoehoe lava flow frozen in time

Pete

"Pete" the Pelican watches over the Malibu Pier

A wonderful bird is a Pelican,
Whose beak can hold more than his belly can.
Be it crabs, clams, or fish,
It will hold all you wish.
But I'm damned if I see how the hell he can.

Final Mission

[Updated 10/14]

After flying cross-country atop a specially modified Boeing 747, Space Shuttle Endeavor makes its way slowly through the streets of Los Angeles on its final journey from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center where it will be on permanent exhibit.

Shuttle Endeavor visits the donut shop

Endeavor waits patiently

Come a little closer

Look! A spaceship coming down the street!

Excitement builds as this bizarre procession approaches

Endeavor

Up close and personal

Vertical Stabilizer
OMS Pod
Wing Leading Edge

Engine cones

... and there it goes

Squeezing 'round the bend

Safely ensconced in a visitor pavilion at the California Science Center

On the nosie!

Up close and personal
Vertical stabilizer towers over the main engine cluster
Starboard OMS pod with RCS nozzles visible as well

A space shuttle main engine on display for close inspection