California

I stopped in Berkeley on the way home to train a couple guys at Bigge Cranes in the ways of Strand7. It's one of my favorite towns, and living in Sydney makes it seem really affordable.

Drew lent me his 1200cc BMW superbike to go up into the canyons around the bay area. I found Emus. And here is Isaac with a chihuahua. ;)

The climate is really nice there.

Then I flew to LA to visit sister again, and found some of my childhood memories. I spent my kindergarten year there in LA while my mom was fulfilling the stressed-out professional single mom role seen as "progressive" in the 80's. I found my old fossicking spot in a park my YMCA camp used to go to, and nabbed a crystal out of the alluvium. We used to call it Mica, but I think it is just calcium.

I also headed to Temescal canyon, which my summer camp was based in. It's a big place. I took a long hike but failed to find "skull rock" which I remembered as a death march ending in a cool hole-y rock and meager lunch.

I found a pool in the creek with a bunch of fire-bellied newts, about 6" long.


There were lots of nice flowers up in the hills.

I've never seen poppies like these before.

and some cool lizards too.





This stage was the central point in the summer camp. Once my group got in trouble doing something, but I wasn't there. So they all had to do the "grey squirrel" dance of shame. But I felt ashamed being the only one not doing it so I asked to join in. I instantly regretted that move as our bushy tails started shaking.