LA County Arboretum

Today, I had a work meeting at the LA County Arboretum. A great place to go and relax for the evening or for the entire day.

Summer concerts are held seasonally by the CA Philharmonic on the greens of the arboretum... I plan to check out a concert before the season is over.

Casita Del Campo

Monthly dinner at Casita Del Campo

Johnny and Greg

Gus, Johnny, and Rick

Pumpkin Patch, August 18

largest pumpkin in the patch (note coffee mug for scale)

Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach

Pumpkins in the Backyard

August 6 (above and below)

pre-planting June 28 (note bush by wall is a weed)

Living Life Out Loud: Taking Life from Online to Something More Real

Its October 11th and the time has come to call an end. My interest have changed and I now find it more appealing to share my life in person or realtime rather than online. Thank you to all those who have followed this blog site. It really has been fun sharing my life through words and pictures with all of you. I've met a couple of great people through this site (Dustin in Portland by way of Florida and Eric the online stalker from MN) and have had many stimulating conversations with others about topics that I have posted. To everyone whose blogs I adore and follow (Dan, Dustin, Hammer, and Mel) keep up the good work, I will continue to visit your sites! If anyone would like to visit me, I'm located in Los Angeles (City of Reseda). Before you visit, send me an email. And so it is - The End!

Douglas Women Gets Probation in Deadly ATV Crash

A Douglas women kills 5 and still doesn't go to jail. The article below about appeared in today's LA Times.

DOUGLAS, Ga. -- A woman convicted of driving under the influence in a crash that killed five children on an all-terrain vehicle was sentenced Tuesday to a year of probation. Amanda Troupe's sentence includes nine months in a probation detention center, a month in an alcohol treatment center and some community service, Coffee County Superior Court Judge Michael Boggs ordered.
Troupe originally faced homicide charges in the Sept. 20, 2003, crash on a rural road in Southeast Georgia, but she was acquitted Aug. 28. The jury found her guilty of two counts of driving under the influence, each with a maximum sentence of one year. Heather Bass, then 13, was the only survivor among the children hit on the ATV. Killed were Meagan Nelson, 13; Lindsay Joyner, 13; Kayla Varnedore, 13; Dustin Varnedore, 11; and Courtney Arsenault, 10. The defense claimed Troupe was being used as a scapegoat and told jurors that the children and their parents were just as responsible for the accident.

Ban the Sale of Pets - I Agree

Saudi Arabia's police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets. I personally find most animals, especially dogs to be dirty and a liability. It just doesn't make sense to me, why one would have an uncaged cat or dog inside a house. Mostly, I think that pet owners use these four legged animals as distractions in their lives. My neighborhood has several of these pests which bark everytime they hear sirens or someone walking down the street. I would be happy to live in a dog and cat free society, maybe I should visit the middle east. You can read all about the Saudi Arabian ban here.

Is this dog cute?

NO!!!!

Giant Kangaroo Rat

Southern California is home to over 100 federally listed species. Fortunate for me, my employer is willing to spend money educating me on these species for my job. This week I spent three days attending a Giant Kangaroo Rat (GKR) trapping workshop. GKR is listed as endangered by the USFWS due to a lack of habitat. Click here to read more about the species.

Aftering sitting traps out overnight, I weigh the contents. The traps are actually aluminum and so when you empty the contents in the bag you still don't know what you've captured.

I put my hand in the bag and discover that we've catched a GKR.

We pose for the camera

Once released the GKR looks for a place to hide.

Forbes Magazine names cheapest places to live

Forbes magazine names Douglas, Ga as one of the 150 cheapest cities (with a population under 25,000) to live in America. I grew up in Douglas in the 80s and 90s and when I return for holidays I'm quite surprised by the low prices for entertainment and service goods. If it were possible that I could live my current LA lifestyle in Douglas I would likely spend some 20k to 25k less a year. The city has a population of 10,639 and the magazine states:

"Douglas is among the most forward-looking communities in Georgia. Its historic homes, Main Street shopping area and outstanding medical, recreational and educational facilities make Douglas a choice place to live, work and study."

Before you decide to move to Douglas, I suggest that you visit the area. If your interested I'm planning my next trip to the deep South in November.

Douglas's downtown district