Owl Canyon Campground

Posted on November 10, 2023 by TheJessicaness

I skipped the gym yesterday so I could finish setting up an outline of plans for our four-day weekend and clean the house in preparation for our absence; because it’s a bummer to come home to a mess when you’ve got dishes and laundry from travel that need your attention and a place that collects dust and cobwebs whether you’re there or not to witness their accumulation.

We left late for us, not because either of us was sleeping, but because we waited till morning to get everything in the car. We’ll stop near Escondido for bagels and donuts before driving to Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve for a short 1.2-mile loop hike on the Granite Loop Trail. We’ll see a white-crowned sparrow, a ground squirrel, and a Stephenomeria (meaning crown divided) flower also known as wirelettuce in shades of purple and white.

I’m grateful for what we’re getting to see but also reminded of why we don’t come this way more often. The traffic that condenses around the metropolis that is Los Angeles slows our route so that we can either choose to hike more trails here or continue on to reach our destination by nightfall. I always put more on my itinerary than I can hope to accomplish so that I’m never without an idea of what to do or where to go to happen upon something I might not have otherwise noticed.

We’ll have to come back for the Moreno and Machado adobes, cowboy bunkhouses built in 1846, the oldest standing structures in Riverside County. The next stop on our list is the North Etiwanda Preserve. I thought we would do the 3.2-mile out-and-back to the falls. We ended up going further after taking two detours to the left – the first to avoid further elevation gain after a 600-foot climb and the second to see the Early Settlers Ruin built in 1771 by Spanish missionaries. This was the first home in the nation to be lit by hydroelectric power.

The Preserve was established in 1998 to keep the 762 acres of habitat of the Coastal California Gnatcatcher which makes its home in the Riversidian Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub intact. There has since been added 414 acres. Back in 1882, the first wooden flumes were laid over 2 and 3/4 miles. When these decayed or washed away in a flood, they were replaced with clay pipes that would eventually be replaced with buried concrete pipes to protect from damage and evaporation. These pipes would be controlled by a ditch master who would regulate the water supply to local ranchers.

Remnants of this system are found along the trail and in Day Canyon. We’re here to take in the verdant views of the hills and the surrounding mountains before we head for Owl Canyon Campground where we will sleep among the stones and stars. We stop in Barstow and unprompted a woman pulls away from the gas pump with the hose still in her tank; a first for me to see live. We’ll get fuel for $4.08/gallon and then look for a toilet. There’s not one here, they’re out of order at Rite Aid, but 7-Eleven comes through for us.

We don’t know what to expect at the camp and don’t want to wait the 25 minutes with part of our drive on a dirt road to get there to find out. This area provides a six million-year history of the Earth’s crust in the Mojave Geologic Block and we’re lucky enough to get in some trail time before dark as the valley was already covered in shade. Our neighbor for the night is from Montana and is down for his six-month camping trip so he can sit outside in cool air without his feet buried in snow. Caleb builds us a fire to read by and then makes dinner. When the fire refuses to keep burning, and keeping us warm, we move into the tent.

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Explorer Pass: Weekend Three

Posted on October 14, 2023 by TheJessicaness

We start our Saturday morning with a short stroll, just to get our muscles warmed up, since we’ll be walking around Balboa Park later. Caleb likes that I appreciate the same breakfast he makes every weekend with similar enthusiasm – eggs, potatoes, sausage, bell peppers, onions, and sometimes cheese. I remind him that I usually have a repetitive morning meal throughout the week, so this is a change. It’s when he makes biscuits or waffles that I feel especially spoiled.

Huichol culture

We stop at Goodwill to drop off a few things. Sometimes Caleb agrees that these items are worthy of someone else saving money and other times he wishes I had learned how to throw things away. I once donated moldy books to a library and they let me know they’d probably toss them. I want to give others the opportunity to burn them or make art, just like old clothes that can be turned into rags for puppies or engineers, I want things to live a life full of purpose before meeting their demise.

Yuko Nishimura

We’ll start at the Mingei International Museum to see their Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper exhibit that’s on display from today, October 14th, until January 7th. Downstairs are some Japanese and Mexican pieces of clay, beads, and wood that we look at on our way to get our passes scanned. We put the stickers, as proof of payment, on our shirts and go up the Grand Staircase with a nine-foot white and gold glass chandelier, by Dale Chihuly, which hangs between light and shadow.

A Palace for Wednesday

Through the large glass door is the Washi Transformed exhibit that showcases the thousand-plus years that the Japanese have been hand-making paper for use in painting, calligraphy, and origami, and showing how it can be used (fold, weave, twist, dye) to create sculptures and other two-dimensional works. The washi is made from the long fibers of a shrub and two trees that are transformed through screens and suspension, which honed through centuries has earned it a designation by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

On the other side of the room hangs 25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee where 2,300 volunteers from each US state and 37 countries submitted a hand-stitched panel, about the size of a pillowcase, to Jennifer Kim Sohn to make a large tangible aide to bring awareness to the millions of refugees on the planet. It’s easier to visualize the numbers when you can walk through the exhibit aisles, that are more than twice your height, and see the time and dedication people are willing to put forth for others; when they have the time, money, or energy to do so.

Nerite snail shells
Ghana

A World of Beads: Essential Elements explores the history of beads as their materials expanded from bones to glass, from simple jewelry to beaded outfits, and their roles as currency on trade routes. The Mingei was gifted some 6,000 to 11,000 beads from The Bead Museum in Glendale, AZ when it closed in 2011 due to lack of contributions. My favorite jewelry on display is made from snail shells and glass on monofilament and string from Brazil, Ghana, and Italy.

Mickalene Thomas
Raphaelle Peale
Hina Aoyama
Carlo Miranda

We browse some paintings at the SDMA — a self-portrait, a daughter, a muse, a still life, and some portraits by Carlos Miranda In Search of Sonder amongst those in his community and as an RN for ten years who believes we should live our lives with purpose and kindness. The reason for today’s short visit is that the Filipino Festival is happening downtown and I want to go for lunch so we can eat. We try the cherry lemonade and lumpia while we watch a dance on stage and don’t seem to be the only ones not staying long to buy hats and dresses.

“Guardian of Water”
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Explorer Pass: Weekend Two

Posted on October 8, 2023 by TheJessicaness
Air & Space Museum

Caleb makes us breakfast and eats half of mine. I change out of my it’s-cold-morning clothes and put on something more athletically appropriate so that I can put some miles on my green and dirty tires and Caleb can ride his purple-forked bike. We’ll walk our bikes within sight of the beach, then ride home.

We’ll use our Balboa Park Pass to access the Air and Space Museum and realize I forgot my camera. It’s a good thing we can come back. We watch families in the bird flight simulator that would fail a migration and others who can’t earn their Mars passport.

I appreciate the interactive portion of the museum as it allows another aspect of learning and can be fun for all ages. Scientists and engineers who work to make life in space easier are also creating technologies with secondary purposes on Earth for flights, food, and fundamentals.

There are parts from old missions and models for take-offs that haven’t happened yet. There are necessities for sanity while floating around in a lack of gravity and other trinkets that were brought just to claim that they too had seen space from a different perspective.

I ask Ron, a volunteer museum docent, a quick question about the Hall of Fame and will read only a fraction of the biographies under the photos of men and women awarded for in-flight advances and help on the ground to make air travel more efficient, safe, and cost effective.

Ron interprets this as an invitation to talk, upon our exit of the hall, about a few of the ships and planes he saw in battle and exchanges stories with Caleb who has some experience of the military as well. I’m grateful for the gift of conversation that older generations still have and their willingness to share.

Then there’s the giftshop with t-shirts and cups, science kits and puzzles, snacks and magnets, and a book by Rachel Swaby to influence the next generation of women scientists, Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science — and the World amongst other books on the shelf.

DORI BOBA

We stop at Himalaya House for dinner to-go and while we order our two naan bread flavors and paneer with veggies and rice, we watch a child climb a booth and put his feet on the window as his mom clears the table out of his way and dad ensures he doesn’t get kicked in the face.

We’ll go for a walk to escape this madness as tantrums are one thing and can be common, but disrespecting a business is even more acceptable these days as employees can be held liable if they hurt the customer’s feelings, which can be more costly in court.

Next stop is Dori Boba for a roasted coconut matcha milk tea with boba for me and a tea without balls for Caleb. I decide I prefer mine without shaved coconut on top as that just means less space for my drink so the dried fruit can remain crispy.

We stop at Grocery Outlet on the way home for breads, pasta, and meats for the freezer so we’re ready for the week. We enjoy our dinner and then Caleb is on a three-way call with his siblings as they and their dad decide whether to amputate part of his left foot or let him die in a week from gas gangrene.

Robert chooses surgery, since the grandkids still appreciate his company and no kid wants to tell King Grumpy to kick the bucket, though they wouldn’t judge him either way as he has a list of ailments that he no longer wants to cope with and properly manage.

Jessi is with Robert in mountain time, he goes in for surgery at 8pm Pacific time, and Kris is in central time. We’ll wait up to find out that Robert lost his toes and that the doctor will wait a few days before finishing the stump. It will be weeks before he’s allowed to put pressure on his foot.

I used to be close to Caleb’s parents and talk with them often, but the same could be said for my parents. His dad pushed us away and though our last visit was decent (or I’m naive) I don’t have to worry about being called for nurse duty, since the ones being paid can’t handle his messy attitude.

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Explorer Pass: Weekend One

Posted on October 1, 2023 by TheJessicaness

I was going to title this post: Part-Time Perks, but that might confuse people into thinking I’d gotten yet another job this year. This is about the benefits of Caleb’s job; sometimes a one-time pass to a theme park or event, stores and restaurants that offer discounts, the travel savings and access to medical care, and being surprised with a one-year Balboa Park Explorer Pass that gets us into most everything but the Zoo and Comic-Con Museum.

Casa del Prado Theatre

The museums don’t open until 10am so we went to the store first so Caleb could get yogurt-making ingredients and we could leave them to incubate for eight hours while we were gone. The parking available on Park Blvd. has changed as the city works to increase access for bicycles, but we get there early enough to quickly find an open spot near the Carousel. We arrived at the park without a plan, but seeing the Natural History Museum, we knew where we were going first.

member of the Living Lab

We save the $20 entrance fee each, and probably $4 more as some places don’t apply Caleb’s active-duty ID benefits to my civilian status and I’m ok with that. I’m no longer required to report to work without knowing how long my day will be — a few hours or many months as the Navy decides which country he should be in and for how long. As Caleb finally nears military retirement and has to work through medical screenings, applying and interning through skill bridge, and enjoying terminal leave, we can be relieved that our long separation periods are behind us.

bees are beautiful

Anywho, we don’t share this with the women behind the booth, we just appreciate the acknowledgement of the long hours Caleb has put in fixing engines and filing paperwork to maintain the twelve percent of federal spending on America’s defense budget. Caleb puts our stickers on so that staff knows we checked-in and directs us clockwise around four floors of exhibits since the basement is currently closed. Inside the Living Lab we get to meet a toddler who, when exposed to his first snake, put it in his mouth without hesitation. Today, he will have to settle for watching the ants through a pane of glass.

shells on display

Caleb focuses on the exoskeleton of a tarantula, which I agree looks weird at first, but these spiders can spend a day “moving out” after popping their carapace off and then have to pull their seven-segmented legs out of the old sleeve. This process happens monthly at first and then once or twice yearly for older spiders. There’s a Pixie frog, not in San Diego County, but it creates a plastic-like skin that can keep it hydrated in a drought for up to two years. Learning about how amazing and adaptable animals are reminds me that humans are just a tiny fraction of the Earth, even if our impact is substantial.

Hidden Gems

In the citizen science exhibit, which is always-on-view means we’ve been here before too, but as anyone who loves visiting museums knows – there is only so much you can take in on one visit. It’s the recurring returns that show you a missed detail or an artifact you didn’t notice before. For me, that object will be the double elephant (26” x 40”) folio of J.J. Audubon with his life-sized North American bird illustrations. His art and history were such an inspiration to a tutee, among others, of his widow that his name would be used in the now popular Audubon Society decades after his passing to remember the man who created the standard on ornithology.

couple watching the koi

We turn our attention next to the Japanese Friendship Garden, saving the $26 entry fee, to find some serenity in the city. I see a neat origami swan dress (didn’t get a good photo of it) and find the waters outside calming. Others seem to be enjoying the quiet respite this park has to offer too, but I’ve made the mistake of remembering this place larger than it is, so our time is shorter than the couple getting wedding photos or the two old friends talking by a waterfall until they are interrupted by the jubilations and boredoms of youth – the kids who love outside and the others being forced to follow their mom on her day out.

the koi

Instead of taking selfies by the koi pond I think about swimming with the fish and getting a closer look at the depths of their world. Now that I’m a scuba diver I look at the water differently; as a place to be respected of course, but also to explore endlessly and appreciate always. I don’t have any of the skills of the sea creatures and I’m also not adept at being an insect or a plant but I can gaze into their beauty and pause just a moment to take in how spectacular this world is and how lucky I am to have the capability to be in so many environments, especially with the help of science and technology.

Saint Francis in Mediation (ca. 1635)

We zig-zag our way back to the entrance which only seems to make the garden shrink in the distance. We’ll finish our day in Balboa Park with a stop at the Timken Museum of Art which always has free admission. Two paintings will catch my attention – Saint Francis in Mediation (ca. 1635) by Francisco de Zurbarán and Equestrian Portrait of Prince Tommaso of Savoy-Carignan (2015) by Kehinde Wiley. The former is an Italian friar painted by a Spaniard in a religious style in the middle Baroque period; the latter is a modern American adaptation of Prince Tommaso Francesco of Savoy-Carignan (1634) by Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck of a war equestrian portrait.

Equestrian Portrait of Prince Tommaso of Savoy-Carignan (2015)

There are sci-fi films about time travel that are mostly concerned with disrupting the past, destroying the future, not denying the present but on a mission to survive the Renaissance or the 80s or our fears of what the next generations will come to bear on our society. Imagine if we could introduce the internet or even the phone to these two artists so that they could collaborate or be inspired by each other (and perhaps they were if they had the chance to travel). Then the thought of that makes me realize how many letters and other historical communications would be lost and the slow growth of other industries that might be destroyed (that give their own inspiration today) with only the intent to help spread their creativity and message.

With our viewing of others’ intellectual achievements passed through the afternoon it was time to return home to check on our yogurt cultures’ growth. With efficient thickness achieved we messily poured our pot of yogurt into eight small jars and three mini jars. As with any plain yogurt, it’s best not had alone. I add some date syrup to our test sample and it passes. Caleb has successfully made yogurt and can add that to his list of skills in the kitchen.

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Home to Quit

Posted on September 18, 2023 by TheJessicaness

Up before the sun, pack the car with dive gear, have a light hotel breakfast, and drive to Port Hueneme for gas where a Tesla has parked itself roughly into a barricade. Home around 1:30pm and I’m due to start work for Sunrun tomorrow so I check my email to verify the online training that was discussed only to find that they want me in La Jolla this week and for future training. That I could’ve handled, but the mandatory weekends put a halt to that job as Caleb wants his nights and weekends with me.

I send a reply email and apologize for the misunderstanding. I’m grateful I don’t have to buy business casual attire last minute as I’m more of a black bottoms and uniform top, workout attire, or jeans and dresses type of employee. Caleb says I can stop looking for work as we thought it was a good idea, and some jobs can be fun and rewarding, but they’re too demanding on our schedule and not necessary for our survival… for now.

I logout of and unsubscribe from job search engines and job openings notifications. This somehow relieves some stress from Caleb too knowing that I will have more fun and interesting days instead of just talking about whichever customer was the most memorable that shift. We do laundry after dinner which means crosswords at the laundry mat and reading when we get home. This is one of my four-thousand plus Mondays with over nineteen-hundred behind me. I’m grateful to leave the workforce yet again and spend my start of the week every day.

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