Today's walk report: 072813

What was I thinking?

No, seriously, what was all the internal dialog I was having during my walk today? I often make mental notes to bring certain items up when I finally get to where I am right now but tonight it's all either homogenized or it has vaporized. I do remember I had more than one thought on the walk that I felt was special, interesting, brilliant, humorous, enlightening, topical... something. Right now all I can remember is the last song that played on my iPod. I did tell myself to change the music on that thing but that doesn't have anything to do with it.

What happened I suppose is my mental mutterings got lost in idle chit-chat. I ran into a few people in the garden and entered into some discussion. The first gentleman was with, I believe, his nephew and he was giving the kid a pep talk for going to this Jr. College as opposed to one about 1/2 hour NW of here. I chimed in with something about this campus. I enjoy going here for the most part, not so much when students are around but on quiet days it's nice. Thing is I remember 30+ years ago the campus being much (!) nicer and if I think about that I find it a little depressing.

The other person I met I got a name from. I'm pretty sure it was Mike. I'm really bad with names. They tend to go in one ear and out the other unless I trigger some mnemonic device and make an association. That happens only when I feel there's a need for it. In the case of Mike, if we bump into each other again I'll just say, "it's Mike, isn't it?" Anyway, this dude was taking pictures, Canon T3i, Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 attached to a Velbon tripod. That stuff I'll remember.

If I engage with people on my walk I often will tell them how to find me online and I usually hand them my pseudo-business card if I have one. Today I had some. Oh and Mike, dude, if you find this post, as soon as we parted I thought to bring up what was in my pants pocket and that was one of these. This is a great investment for the 75-300mm lens you have. You'll want to work on your steadiness with the camera but for an entry into macro photography especially on top of your lens at 300mm, it's outstanding.

Since I mentioned the good old days of this campus and I happened to take a picture of this for another reason, I'll comment. 1950 is way before my time. 6 years before I was born but as far as any recollection of the campus I'd put that around 1962 when I was 6. The school was founded in 1947. This image is an artist's rendering but nevertheless it still says something that was quite evident to me for years growing up and hanging around this campus--it was clean. It's not anymore. Not only is it not clean but some of the mess I see has just been sitting for years. Literally trash on the grounds. Nobody working this campus could miss it.

Interesting too... just noticed. This was Canoga Park back then, the campus address is now Woodland Hills.

Now onto nicer stuff. The garden is nice. I enjoy the garden. Although that too seems less worked this year. I hope that doesn't become a trend.

Mud dauber wasp. Part of the 1st conversation. I was mentioning this story from 7/13/13.

I thought this would come out sort of trippy looking when I saw the shot so I spent a moment struggling with the focus before I lost my bird.

Female Allen's hummingbird

Here I liked the light.

Yesterday I mentioned a swarm of dragonflies but I couldn't catch any landing. Today there weren't nearly so many flying around but I did catch one land. Female, Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea).

A different angle, wonderfully aligned.

Homeward bound. I ushered this guy off the sidewalk, just in case there was other foot traffic.

Home. My newly planted Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' catching the light of the sunset. Time to change the playlist on the iPod--at least I remembered something.