The Move continues…

For starters…my apologies on not posting too much in the last week or so.   I’ve been busy traveling again, and the places I’ve been didn’t really lend themselves to photos or stories.   Flights that leave on time, airports that seem to be functioning just fine despite all the sequester scare tactics, boring rental cars….where’s the story there?

Plus, as you know, we’re in the middle of a move.   After nearly 4 years of fun on Brackett Airfield, we’re moving to a magnificent new location on Foothill Boulevard in Azusa, almost directly across the street from the original Bert’s location.   Steve and crew gutted the new building and they’re in the middle of remodeling, repainting, and re-everythinging.   It’s looking good!

Inside the new CSC World Headquarters building

Steve and the crew are busily working the move.   We’re packing up in La Verne, and getting ready in Azusa.   It’s gonna be good, and the new location is great.  We’re on a very busy street, and we’ll be much more accessible than we were on Brackett.   I like it.  A lot.

More cool stuff…when I was on the Cal Poly campus last week, I saw a most unusual turtle.  Yep, you read that right…a turtle.   We have a couple of small ponds on campus, the the wildlife those two little ponds attract is amazing.  In particular, one of the ponds has zillions of turtles in it.   They’re almost all red ears, and that’s a species that I used to see in the lakes and streams in central Jersey where I grew up.  In those days you couldn’t get within 50 yards of a turtle without it sliding back into the water.  Not so on campus, though.  The turtles in the Cal Poly ponds have lost all fear of people.  The students bring food from the dining hall and toss crumbs to the turtles.   The turtles get fed, the students get a break from their studies, and the turtles live long and prosper.   It’s a win-win all the way around.

Last year, I noticed a turtle that was different than the others.  It was underwater, and it just poked its nose out of the water to catch a breath of fresh air.   I never could get a good look at the rest of that turtle.  It was cagey.   Last week, though, all that changed.  I finally spied it out of the water sunning itself…and it was a Duesy!

A spiny softshell turtle sunning itself on the Cal Poly campus

As the caption states, it’s a spiny softshell turtle, and the thing was huge.   To put it in perspective, the shells on the other turtles were about 8 inches long.  The big turtle was a monster!   I’ll bet its shell was a good 15 inches long.   My research indicates it’s a female, as they grow much bigger than the males.   Interesting stuff.    The students were pretty intrigued by it…there were lots of iPhones out snapping photos, including mine.

Ah, let’s see…more news.   With all of the traveling I’ve been doing, I let my youngest daughter drive my Subie WRX while I was in Barbados, Missouri, and then Chicago.    When I got home, she didn’t pull any punches.   “Dad, I want that car…”

Well, I didn’t need much of an excuse.  I’ve been thinking real hard about Subaru’s new Cross Trek XV, and my kid’s claim on the WRX gave me the push I needed.  Yep, I pulled the trigger a week or so ago….

The new Subie Cross Trek

All indications are that the new Subie is going to be one of the great ones.    The XV attained 30 mpg on its first full tank of fuel in mixed driving (city and freeway), it’s comfortable, and it looks cool.  At least to me.   I had a great Mexican lunch with my motorcycle and shooting buddy Jim yesterday.   When Jim saw my new Subie, his first question was…

“They don’t make it in any other color?”  

Hey, I like the color!

One last tidbit…I saw some cool Vespa photos on Facebook earlier as I was enjoying my morning cup of coffee.   This first one is either a custom or a military model…I’m not sure which, but either way, I like it…

A military scooter, or a custom?

And here’s one more…I just like the way the photog staged this one…

A great photo...and one I want to duplicate with a California Scooter

When I see photos like that one above, the gears in my mind start spinning.   I know Vespas aren’t amphibious, but it made me wonder….could I get a similar shot with a CSC motorcycle?  It’s something I’ll keep in mind.  I either have to find a shallow puddle with the sun setting in the background, or I need to hose down the street at sundown, or … ?

Anyway, that photo is a good source of ideas, and I’ll keep it in mind for a future shot of your favorite motorcycle and mine.

Ride safe, my friends.