Seagulls at Dinnertime

This picture was taken at the beach recently. At first, I didn't know what the seagull was pecking at until I got closer. Not a very pleasant sight. Although, I thought the seagulls' interactions were a little humorous.

The seagull with the fish seems to be keeping an eye out on his friend in the back who appears to want a taste.

Happy Friday!

- AV

P is for Polar Bear on ABC Wednesday

These polar bears at the zoo were a playful bunch. I spent an hour watching them on a standing room only platform. I saw people come and go, but the bears maintained their playfulness swimming effortlessly to and fro and playing with their plastic ball or large plastic block of ice. You can see their fur weaving back and forth in the water and glowing in the sunlight. Simply delightful.

- AV

Wednesday Hero

Army Spc. Eric S. McKinley
24 years old from Corvallis, Oregon
Company B, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard
June 13, 2004


An avid outdoorsman, Spc. McKinley worked as a baker at Alpine Bakery in Corvallis, Ore. Upon his return from Iraq, he hoped to open a juice bar in the college town to provide a drug and alcohol-free environment for young people. Friends and co-workers remember Spc. McKinley as a quiet, caring young man who dyed his hair, sported several tattoos and loved ska and rock music. His senior yearbook picture showed a grinning young man with spiked hair dyed red and green. In other 1998 yearbook pictures, he has purple and blue hair in a mohawk.

Spc. Eric McKinley was killed when a roadside bomb north of Baghdad detonated destroying two vehicles and wounded four other Oregon soldiers. They were identified as Staff Sgt. Phillip Davis, 23, of Albany; Sgt. Matthew Zedwick, 23, of Bend; Cpl. Shane Ward, 23, of Corvallis and Pvt. Richard Olsen, 23, of Independence.

Almost 500 people attended the memorial service for Spc. McKinley at Starker Arts Park in Corvallis. There was a mix of people dressed in either military or punk attire — including McKinley’s six-year-old cousin, who, in tribute, wore his hair in a bright green mohawk.

Coventry Pacheco, McKinley’s fiancee, sat in the first row at his celebration-of-life service. They hadn’t set a wedding date, but were planning to get married.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service, a Purple Heart and the Oregon Distinguished Service Award. U.S. and Oregon flags were presented to his parents, Tom McKinley of Salem and Karen Hilsendager of Philomath.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Nostalgic Ferryboat

The Berkeley Ferryboat was built in 1898 and it carried passengers between San Francisco and Oakland until 1958. It was then converted into a stationary gift shop for 12 years before it was purchased by the Maritime Museum of San Diego. It took 3 days to have it towed by tugboat from San Francisco to San Diego where it was restored and converted into a museum.

I passed by this boat whenever I visit, but I never thought about embarking on it until I happened to bored this one particular afternoon so I decided what-the-heck.

Think about the boat's journeys through the century ferrying commuters to work and refugees across the bay after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Imagine the laughter, sadness, fear, and excitement that have taken place.

Berkeley's interior where passengers sat during their journey

Look at the beautiful stained glass windows and shiny hardwood floors.

Refreshment stand where food and drinks were sold on board

This was a picture above the refreshment area. I imagine it could have been a photo of two long-time attendants.

During the boat's renovation, donors could dedicate part of the boat to a loved one. Each passenger bench has one of these dedication plaques. I thought this one was the most interesting.

Hanging on the wall was a certificate such as this one given to passengers who made the final journey on one of these bay ferries.

Random San Diego Photos

A line of pedicab drivers waiting for passengers to catch a ride by the pier. Imagine getting paid to get fit.

Saw this bench while riding a bus and it intrigued me enough to photograph it, but unfortunately the bumpy ride made it blurry.

An auto accident on the main road.

Halloween decorations on stage at Old Town

Apologies to my readers who will be enduring weeks of vacation pictures so thanks for putting up with me as I'll try to post only interesting ones.

Have a nice weekend!

- AV

Cairn Artist

While walking along the San Diego marina area, I saw the "Rock Man", as he calls himself, piling rocks. He is a local artist demonstrating his skills and patience to passers by. I watched him for several minutes doing his thing before I got bored. Patience is not one of my virtues.

I did put in a small donation into his tip box. Another woman behind me gave him food which he said is the best tip he can ever get.

- AV

The local Rock Man artist performing his balancing act

After a minute or two, here is the result from the picture above.

Here's another photo of the Rock Man in action

More of Rock Man's artwork

O is for Oceanfront View on ABC Wednesday

View from the Hotel Del Coronado

View from La Jolla Cove

View from Waikiki Beach

View from our hotel room in Penang

I love the ocean. The relaxing sounds of the waves, the soft breezes, the cool & wet sand below my feet, the cries of the seagulls, and sun beating above. In my younger days, I would take annual trips to the beach and just enjoy the afternoon there with my book.

- AV

Wednesday Hero

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson
21 years old from Sauk City, Wisconsin
1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force
March 13, 2006


Lance Cpl. Nicholas Anderson lost his life after the Humvee he was riding in rolled over as a group of Marines pursued a suspicious vehicle near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He suffered head injuries in the crash and died as he was being transported to a hospital.

Nicholas Anderson joined the Marines in January 2005 and began a six-month tour of Afghanistan two months ago with the 3rd Marines Weapons Platoon, his father, James Anderson said.

"I just know that he died fighting for what he believed in," he said. "He wanted to be a Marine and even though it was a major risk he just wanted to go."

James Anderson said his son, a 2003 Sauk Prairie High School graduate, enjoyed riding his motorcycle, lifting weights, going fishing and hanging out with friends.

He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard when he was 18, but an injured shoulder forced him to drop out. He then enlisted in the Marines.

"I was very nervous when he first joined the Marines because two words jumped into my head: Afghanistan and Iraq," his father said. "I just supported him and prayed that it would end before he had to go over."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

A Little Thief

It's been a busy week and I apologize for taking so long to post again. I'm currently in San Diego again and can't always get an internet connection.

Although my airline tickets were purchased well in advanced, I was wondering if it was a good time to go there with all the recent fires. Other than seeing lots of unusual haze while flying in, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I visited Coronado and had lunch at the historic Hotel del Coronado Resort. Here's the beach and ocean view from my seat.

I had a vegetarian Mushroom Burger which was pretty tasty, but it wasn't healthy with those fries.

While eating, a courageous little bird dropped by and started spying my unfinished food. When I was busy trying to photograph him, his other bird accomplice sneaked in from the other side of the table and stole some of my fries. Unfortunately, he was too fast for me to photograph.

Here's the little thief going for my food...

...and flying away with it.

- AV

N is for Nature Scenes on ABC Wednesday

Japanese Garden in Portland, OR

On the road to Lake Tahoe during an April snowstorm

Rancho San Antonio Park in Los Altos, CA

I had several choices for N photos this week and I finally decided on different Nature Scenes I have photographed through the years.

Fellow ABC Wednesday Photograhers, we are now on the 14th letter of the alphabet. I hope we keep this going even after the last letter.

- AV

Wednesday Hero

This Week's Hero Was Suggested By Cindy

Lt. Michael P. Murphy
29 years old from Patchogue, New York
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1
June 28, 2005


On Monday, Lt. Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor. His father was the one who accepted the award. Lt. Murphy will receive the award for his extraordinary, selfless heroism and steadfast courage while leading a four-man, special reconnaissance mission deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan June 27 to 28, 2005

"We are thrilled by the President's announcement today, especially because there is now a public recognition of what we knew all along about Michael's loyalty, devotion and sacrifice to his friends, family, country, and especially his SEAL teammates," the Murphy family said in a statement released earlier in the month. "The honor is not just about Michael, it is about his teammates and those who lost their lives that same day."

Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on mission to capture or destroy the local leadership and disrupt enemy activity. Taliban sympathizers discovered the SEAL unit and immediately revealed their position to Taliban fighters. The element was besieged on a mountaintop by scores of enemy fighters. The firefight that ensued pushed the element farther into enemy territory and left all four SEALs wounded. The SEALs fought with everything they had. despite being at a tactical disadvantage and outnumbered more than four to one. Understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his men, Murphy, already wounded, deliberately and unhesitatingly moved from cover into the open where he took and returned fire while transmitting a call for help for his beleaguered teammates. Shot through the back while radioing for help, Murphy completed his transmission while returning fire. The call ultimately led to the rescue of one severely wounded team member, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, and the recovery of the remains of Murphy and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson.

Eight more SEALs and eight Army "Nightstalker" special operations personnel comprising the initial reinforcement also lost their lives when their helicopter was shot down before they could engage the enemy.

Murphy was also inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon during a ceremony yesterday. His name was engraved beside the names of some 3,400 other service members who have also been awarded the nation’s highest honor.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

History Park in San Jose

Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Fair

Maggie, the Search Dog. Poor Maggie was thirsty so my friend and I gave her water to drink. Notice the wet floor.

This is a 237 foot replica of San Jose's first light tower. The hope was to make the night as bright as day in the downtown area. The original tower collapsed in 1915 after operating for 33 years.

O'Brien's Ice Cream Parlor & Candy Shop was founded in 1868 and the first place to service ice cream west of Detroit.

This is a replica of the original Pacific Hotel built in 1880 where rooms started at $1 per night.

This Associated Oil Gas Stations was built in 1927 when people started exchanging their horse carriages for the affordable automobiles.

I went to a Red Cross Disaster Preparedness fair this past weekend. It was held at the unique venue called History Park. Instead of being demolished, many historical buildings and landmarks throughout San Jose were moved or reconstructed at this 14 acre park to make it essentially a town of museums.

I have not been here in over 10 years and the place is always fun to visit and photograph. Above is just a few examples of the 27 landmarks I took with my camera phone.

- AV

MizPee.com - When You Gotta Go

I'm sure most of us appreciate finding a clean public bathroom when we're on the road. Here's a website, mizpee.com, I recently discovered that helps you locate one via your cell phone. Just enter your street address and it is suppose to point you towards the closes stalls.

The listed bathrooms are rated by rolls of toilet paper. 5 rolls signify a clean bathroom and 1, well, do you really want to use one with a 1 rating?

Currently, the website only locates bathrooms in major U.S. cities, so if you live outside these areas, you'll have to hold your bladder and continue to do the dance.

- AV

M is for Meerkats on ABC Wednesdays

With their own television program on the Animal Planet channel, these meerkats have become very popular creatures.

On a recent trip to the San Diego Zoo, I stood there and watched these delightful animals play and interact with each other for hours in their habitat. If there are any strange noises, they would all stand alert and look around for danger. When they are convinced no prey is within range, they go back to their business.

In the 3rd picture, a large plane was flying overhead and one meerkat got immediately suspicious. Before I knew it, the whole colony was looking towards the sky for the threat.

- AV

Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Robert M. McDowell
30 years old from Deer Park, Texas
2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
April 01, 2007


Sgt. Robert M. McDowell was a military police noncommissioned officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Originally from Deer Park, Texas, he joined the Army in February 1998 and completed training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

In June 1998 he was assigned to Fort Hood where he served until being reassigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment at Katterbach Kaserne in Germany in January 2003. While a member of 1st Infantry Division, he served as an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter repairman.

McDowell was assigned to Fort Drum in March 2006 after completing military police reclassification training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

He was deployed to Bosnia from February to September 1999.

His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge and the Army Aviator Badge.

Sgt. McDowell was killed when and IED struck his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He is survived by his wife and son, of Evans Mills, N.Y., and a daughter, Madison McDowell, of New Mexico.

Also killed in the attack were Staff Sgt. David A. Mejias, Staff Sgt. Eric R. Vick and Sgt. William G. Bowling. You can find more information about them at this site.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Pumpkins & Scarecrows

Pumpkins in the Park festival

Bat Crow

Beauty School Dropout Crow

Devil Dog Crow

Family Crow

Witch Crow

I went to the local Pumpkin in the Park festival today and took some pictures of interesting scarecrows. I don't know if these will scare crows or attract them.

- AV