I had quite a trip planned. I was going to follow Route 66, the old cross-country road, from Santa Monica all the way across the state to Arizona. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
I started on the trip early Saturday morning, and quickly grew frustrated with the slow driving speeds and start and stop traffic. Boredom set in and within a few hours I decided to do something else.
Click here for more Route 66 pictures.
As I traveled, I could not help but notice that the mountains were absolutely gorgeous. Loaded with snow all the way to the lowest levels, they were simply stunning. The picture below is the San Gabriel mountains as seen from the 15 freeway near Victorville.
Upon reflection, I decided to continue traveling along the 15 until I reached Calico Ghost town. I didn't expect much from Calico, but I'd visited there as a child and I wanted to check it out.
Calico Ghost town is, believe it or not, an official historical landmark. It has a population of 15, or so a sign claims, and they actually do a pretty good job of recreating the look-and-feel of a real old west town. I supposed it's a good place for a family to have a few hours of fun, but for me it was a little dull.
In fact, when I mentioned that I was going to Calico to Stan a few months ago, he said that was good for about an hour's entertainment. He was wrong - it was good for about thirty minutes. Click here for more Calico pictures.
I left the ghost town a little after noon and concluded that I wanted to check out the poppies in Antelope Valley. I knew the road pretty well and started on my way. I was about half-way there when I saw an intriguing sign which said "Devil's Punchbowl". How could I resist with a name like that?
It was one of the most incredible places that I've ever seen. Gloriously beautiful. The pictures don't even come close to doing it justice. Snow covered mountains in the background, and multi-colored rocks and cliffs lining a rushing stream-bed.
You see that trail in the picture above? That's the LONG trail. There is a sign next to this that says "trail, 1/3 mile". Silly me, I thought this trail was THAT trail. Nope. This trail is over 2 miles long, which I figured out about an hour into it. Sigh. It was a much longer, and very much tougher, hike than I anticipated. The elevation change was several hundred feet, and the climb down and back up was very steep. I made it, though, and it actually felt good to be putting the body to work.
I'd say this is the most beautiful spot in California, at least that I've seen, and compares with the Grand Canyon in breathtakingness, although much smaller. Click here for more pictures.
All right, once I was finished with the punchbowl, I headed over to Antelope Valley to see the poppies. The picture above is a field on the way to the valley. As you can see, it's breathtaking, and the sea of yellow literally stretches all the way to the horizon.
It was worth the trip. The poppies were in bloom, very much so, although the ranger explained they have not yet peaked.
Give it a few more weeks, he said, and it will be even more beautiful. Click here for more pictures.
On Sunday I spent much of the day at Huntington Library. This was one of Claudia's favorite places, and it reminds me strongly of her. Great beauty combined with wisdom. Very aesthetic with a new surprise around every corner. She and I went there several times together, and after she could not easily walk around I used to take hundreds of pictures of the place so she could "virtually visit". Huntington was one of the last places she visited, in September of 2004 with one of her best friends Julie. I'm terribly glad that Claudia was able to see the library one last time with a good friend. It makes the place really special to me. (She only got out, except for doctor visits, three times after that: once to the LA Arboretum, once to a local carnival, and once, believe it or not, to the incredibly tacky DWP Christmas light show in Griffith Park.) Click here for pictures of the Huntington Library.
So what else has been happening? Well, I am busy, busy and even more busy. Work is fantastic - I have a great crew that's doing an incredible job; I am proud of them. We have a tough set of challenges this year, and we all doing well towards meeting them.
This coming week, I start a class over the internet on Tuesday's and Thursday's (I think) on Windows 2003. This is part of the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer series of courses, in preparation for a major exam. This is going to be tough, but what the heck? It will certainly be challenging, and at the very least it will distract me even more.
I am taking a course in the evenings for a couple more weeks, then I'll take a short break to catch up on some things. In a couple of months, it's back to yet another course.
You know what I'm doing on the weekends - traveling. This is keeping me from brooding on the loss of Claudia, my cat and one of my better friends. It's been a tough year, and I feel the need to get out, get some air and some space, and see this great state.
Another decision I made recently was to disconnect the cable television. I own hundreds of cassettes and dozens of video games. Combined with how busy I am recently, who has time to watch? Not only that, but television seems to be just bad news, silly shows and advertisements. I decided I don't need any of that in my life. It's depressing, and who needs to be depressed by a flickering box of pictures?
Yet more is happening - I am reorganizing everything. I've been getting a few pieces of furniture, and to reflect the "new Richard" the color scheme is red, black and glass. It's still "in progress" and will be for quite some time, but I like how it's all turning out.
So that's my strategy. Work my butt off (literally), hike, travel, simplify my life, reorganize and, most of all, stay very very busy. It seems to be working. I feel better physically than I've felt in years, and the depression seems to be staying away most of the time.
Sites to check out:
Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.