I have to drive up to northern California in next couple of hours.

I posted several photos after collecting together a bunch to choose from.

Didn't have time to post all of them, so this will have to do.

I wanted to share several stories and I have a note here reminding me of just which ones.

First, two nights ago as I was walking out on a lonely trail in the middle of the night when I suddenly noticed that a huge series of shadows just blotted out the moon for several seconds, coming in from right behind me.

I was reminded of the Wringwraiths in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, without even trying or wanting to .

I almost jumped into the bushes, instincitively and reflexively.

I looked up into the air in a state if pretty much total disbelief to see a delta formation (V-formation) of Pelicans flying about 20 feet right over my head.

With the nearly full moon illuminating them from behind it was quite a marvelous sight to see.

I have never thought of Pelicans as night flyers.

Hmmmmmm.

What a marvelous sight it truly was.

Next story,

I went to the Barnes and Noble for my morning cup of coffee two days ago and then walked back out to my car.

As I got in I noticed a very expensive looking classic Jaguar convertible with a red paint job sitting right next to me.

I began to admire the fine lines of it.

I am not much of a Jag lover like many others who I have known over the years, but this one was definitely one of their finer pieces of work.

So that it caught my eye.

I hope i was not drooling, but well may have been.

The owner of the car was sitting in it and really enjoying watching me totally appreciating the fine lines of this very fine racing machine.

I would guess his age to be later 70's, with a completely hairless head, but overall appearance of good health, and most definitely enjoying life to the fullest.

He and I made eye contact as we were both beginning to laugh at just what was going on here.

Finally, I spoke up and began to say,

Do you ever get too old to drive one of these.

I could see that he knew right where i was going and was all ready with an answer, probably having been asked this numerous times, so, in mid sentence, I changed my tack suddenly and dramatically by adding on the clause which follows,

Do you ever get too old to drive one of those REALLY FAST!

He was way ahead of me as his answer spurted out with nonoseconds of my posing the query, with a very forceful, but jovial,

NEVER!!

Well, I told him as we both laughed hard, I sure am glad to hear that, because I am counting on it.

Now that I am old enough to have the money to buy the car I am not sure I have the years left to drive it REALLY FAST!.

Not to worry, he assured me.

I needed that.

Final story,

I took my little tablet with the Intel i5 processor in it out to the beach last night and painted with Corel Painter 12 under the moonlight for several hours.

WOW!  What an experience.

It's all of that little detail work that drives you crazy and therefore maybe won't ever get done, or will not be done as well as it should have, but which becomes non-tedious, simply by virtue of location/environment.

Worked on one of a series of portraits which I am treating various different ways e.g. water color, oil, acrylic, chalk, etc., in order to get a better handle on this truly remarkable program.  

I thought I must look really weird out there with the light from the screen fully lighting me up and the area around me.

My understanding of the program and ability to operate it have grown exponentially during the past 30 edays.

So, this is where I got to test my new understanding.

Wow!  Now I understand even less than I thought I didn't.

This whole digital art movement is quickly getting out of hand.

The technology is moving so fast, that one could only wish the music software people would learn something from their fellow code writers.

Well, as i said, i must move several carloads of boxes to storage (which I neglected to do yesterday, if you really must know) and then onto the highway.

It's been fun.

Love you all.

vw

6-1-12
9:40 a.m. pst

Ventura, California