When Chicken Little Is Correct

I find this topic endlessly fascinating and perhaps a bit prophetic as I have touched in times past on this blog as can be found in various postings undler the label "End of the Age". Watch and be edified.

Santa Margarita Ranch Wedding Steam Train

Yesterday afternoon into last evening I worked parking and security at Santa Margarita Ranch for a wedding. For this event the steam train and two of the original six Disneyland train cars ( two more are stored here in reserve) were ordered by the bridal party. Below are a few glimpses of what I saw of the wedding train this time. I say this time because there are various packages at different wedding price points ranging from $6,000-$95,000 at this venue and the train in various formulations and various numbers of train runs around the circuit are available as are more than one train configurations as there is a non-stem "tug" engine which used to be at a munitions factory in the Mid-West years ago being a less expensive alternative to the steam engine offering.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

2014 San Miguel Sagebrush Days

This morning I volunteered to do traffic control for this year's San Miguel Sagebrush Days at the request of my friend Anthony Kalvans who is a young and up and coming local politician in that tiny berg. Despite how busy I am right now I did it anyway to help Anthony pull off a successful event. I did it simply for the experience of doing it. I did it for the purpose of volunteering in the local community. Last and least but worth noting I also did it because Anthony promised to feed me. I realize more urbane people often look down upon these events as hokey and provincial (my mom being a Pasadenan by birth and culture will in the course of discussing such matters mention that her home town throws a "little parade and football game every New Year's Day". However, I find these small-town America events charming in their own inimitable way. What follows is my photographic record of today's small-town festival in San Miguel, CA.

The Estrella Warbirds sent several aircraft over the parade route.

These Model A's were at the Model A event in Paso Robles recently which I covered in this blog HERE.

The driver of this vintage fire engine drove it back in the day when both he and it were newer models.

Overheard at the firestation spoken amongst the traffic control volunteers in reference to this display: "There's some redneck engineering for ya."

The panel of judges weighs their choices in the voting for the parade entries.

As with all small town in America the fire station is an integral part of the community and even functions as a community meeting room.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Stormy Sunset At CAB Collective

Last evening (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.) I worked security at the Cab Collective (as in Cabernet) at River Oaks Hot Springs Spa on Paso Robles' East Side. It was set-up day winding down when I arrived. Not long thereafter a rain shower passed through and on the backside of it I was able to capture some interesting images featuring some storm structures and features as well as some vivid contrasts in light and shadow and color. I also captured the sunsetting sky to the west which included some distant storm cells. Enjoy!

Sunset illuminating cirrus outflow from storm cell offshore of and headed into Estero Bay along the San Luis Obispo County coast.

Twin storm cells offshore and heading into the Estero Bay and Point Buchon areas of San Luis Obispo County.

Largish storm cell in the distant northwest off the coast of Monterey County.

Storm cell on the horizon to the southwest off the coast of Point Buchon along the San Luis Obispo County coast.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).