The Mt. Pinos area 

we drove to a point way over Tejon Pass. 

Eli and the truck... in a better setting. (it was a ohv track that wasnt even really big enough for a truck.. but up we went! 

another picture.. this is just in front of my parents house... but i have already tested out the 4*4 in dirt and hope to do more tomorrow with it, perhaps in Hungry Valley or above Ventura. 

Whoa, holy crap! i wasnt really sure i wanted to get a new truck but we found one that was about 6000 dollars off the sticker price... and also got an offer of 2500 for my old one (120k miles) So i said hell, why not, there has to be some use for the money i saved living in Solstice, right? Anyway, here it is. It is, of course, 4*4, and its got the whole package, big wheels and tires, skid plates, loops in the front to pull it out if i get stuck, anti-slip rear differential which greatly increases the effectiveness of the 4*4. Also it has a nice short wheel base and will be easy to turn around if i get stuck up a canyon i shouldn't be in. The interior has nothing fancy... basically it was a leftover truck because no one wanted one without power windows, doors, etc... i don't need that crap! it's perfect for me and it didnt end up costing much more than the 2 wheel drive i got in 1999!! 

The summer monsoon is in full force over the high mountains of southern California. These thunderstorms almost never make their way down to the Santa Monica Mountains, at least not in a state which is still producing rain or lightning. However, many afternoons in July and August, the storms can be seen in the distance to the north and east.

They can be rather frustrating, because when they form it is often at least 90 degrees in the lowlands, but the storms offer no relief.

Incidentally, my camera is missing, so there won't be many pictures until i find it. (these were from the work camera)

This is a Dudleya with a huge flower stock, blooming several months after this plant normally blooms. Although the heavy rains of last winter and spring have ended, signs of them are still found everywhere in the hills. In addition to this, Greenbark Ceanothus, Indian Paintbrush, and Blue-Eyed Grass are blooming, plants more likely to be seen blooming in April than near August.
The heat of summer has hit full force, but many small creeks, seeps, and pools which are usually dry are still filled with cool, clear water. Unless the rains are late next fall, it looks likely that some of them will not dry up at all this year.

It's Monday...

My car is in the shop facing an uncertain future. Meanwhile, I am puttering about in my father's rather beat up old Chevy Astro. It looks like something some kind of diabolical kidnapper might drive.. but at least it shifts properly.

My camera is misplaced somewhere, so no pictures of the weekend. Saturday i was at Ryan and Tania's wedding. There was an open bar. I danced a lot... and now i am sore. I also totally randomly obtained a hookah and i don't know what i am going to do with it. Well, there's only one thing i CAN do with it, right?

Judy is gone for the week, camping in the Sierras. It will be lots of fun, especially since she is getting paid for it. Unfortunately, I do not get to go.. i have to stay in the heat because no one else is around this week. Well, Julie will be for the first half of the week but then she leaves too. It will probably not be an exciting week. But who knows? There's always Warcraft and GTA, and guitar and MS Paint.

So much of my life is in my car. My hiking boots and hat are also in there and it is in Manhattan Beach getting fixed so i have no access to it. Hiking through weeds with my 'skater' shoes means socks full of bromus.

My car... has SARS

it is true.

My car is very sick. I'm not sure exactly what is wrong with it but the transmission isnt shifting properly, the odometer is acting up, the spedometer needle swings wildly when i am going between 30 and 45 MPH, and the 'Anti-Lock Brake' and 'Service Engine' lights are on. I am thinking a family of mice must have had a party in the electronics of my car, or else maybe i did one too many donuts. Anyhow, it sucks. What they should just do is have a giant '$$$' light that lights up in the car for times like these... because that is what it is going to come down to, especially since i also need new tires.

Also... on a more serious note... i have come to realize that sometimes i dont express well enough how important my friends are. My friends are, really, the ONLY thing that is important. (my family being included in that subset - they are my friends too!) But for those of you who have backed me up through my rather whiny recent period of summer... especially those whos name starts with a J, and who inexplicably hate jicama and Watership Down... thanks a ton for the support even when i am acting like a douchebag.

One more thing... ELI and ELIZABETH just got engaged!!! congrats to them! If you are friends with Eli, you should call him or leave a note on his myspace.

That's it for now.. my lunch break is ending. Time to go do some work.

'mosquito pit' and Bear Creek Spire, etc 

looks like the moon or something 

Pioneer Basin from far away 

frozen Summit Lake above treeline 

yay! 

me and my dad on the pass 

across the snowfield... 

looks like something out of Lord of the Rings 

flowers... 

Ruby Lake from up high 

Ruby Lake 

lots of lakes 

Heart Lake.. so emo! 

Hiking up towards Mono Pass 

Here is Crowley Lake, one of the main reservoirs of Los Angeles' water system. It is usually in various stages of 'dry' or 'almost dry' as Los Angeles uses a lot of water. However, this year it is full to the brim. They say it is full of huge trout too, but i didn't catch any.

After visiting this lake, we discovered a neat spring up against a hill near the lake. The water coming out was about 60 degrees and formed a pool about 3 feet deep and 15 feet across. Seeing as how it was over 90 degrees, this was preferable to the hot springs nearby, so we went swimming. The water was very 'smooth' and clean feeling, and there were many small trout sharing the pool with us. Unfortunately i don't have a picture of it, though.

Rock Creek Trip

As is tradition, i spent this weekend and much of this week camping in the Rock Creek area with my father and my grandparents. Rachel also came up for some of the time. We spent much of the time lazing about because it was rather hot - well over 90 even at the campground at 7000 feet. We also spent time around the campfire, drinking beer.

wandering about again

Well, since the Solstice road is messed up, i haven't been there this week at all. I have been staying at a co worker's house we are house-sitting instead. That means very little internet access, but we had plenty of other stuff to do.

I hope my houseplant doesnt die. I am going to the Sierras for 5 days tomorrow. My camera is in the dorm but hopefully my dad will have some pictures i can post here

WHO WANTS FREE DONUTS? 

we don't want the hipsters to know the secret, do we?

do we?

post-apocolyptic beach scene 

Social Solstice 

happy Judy