John Wise – Page 418 – Dreams, Moments, Travels

On the Road to California – Day 1

November 23, 2005 JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Caroline Wise and John Wise on the road to California to spend Thanksgiving weekend in Monterey, California

Late, as usual, we are finally underway on another road trip. This Thanksgiving, we are driving to Monterey, California, for some whale watching, visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and spending time along the coast. Not a lot of traffic leaving Arizona, but a lot coming in from California.

Mix Bowl Cafe in Pomona, California

We left about 3:00 p.m. and stopped for dinner at our favorite fast Thai food joint here at Mix Bowl in Pomona, California. In total, we drove 575 miles and arrived at the Rose Garden Inn in Santa Maria by 11:15 p.m. – great price on the room, only $51.

Cotton

November 22, 2005 JWise Photo of the Day

Cotton growing in Phoenix, Arizona

Every year in late fall, across the valley that is home to Phoenix, Arizona, Fields that appeared empty just days before turn white as cotton ripens and becomes ready to pick. For some, this is not the plant to have in urban areas, as heavy pesticide use follows where cotton grows. This particular field is in the shadow of a new stadium being built in Glendale; in just a few years, identical track homes and generic strip malls will replace agriculture as Phoenix and its surrounding communities continue their crawl to the edges of Maricopa County.

Show Me the Glove

November 21, 2005 JWise Photo of the Day

Glove on the streets of Phoenix, Arizona

Black, large, and made of rubber – The Glove.

Keola Beamer & R. Carlos Nakai

November 20, 2005 JWise Photo of the Day

Keola Beamer, Moananlani Beamer and R. Carlos Nakai take a bow at the end of their performance in the Ikeda Theatre at the Mesa Arts Center in Arizona

This evening, we went to the Mesa Arts Center and the Ikeda Theatre, where we had third-row tickets to watch a performance of R. Carlos Nakai with Keola Beamer. Bridging indigenous cultures using the dream world of the ocean, the two artists crafted a delicate and beautiful landscape of heartfelt music. Keola’s wife, Moananlani, rounded out the ensemble, bringing humor, song, and sound to the ethereal flute of Carlos and Keola’s masterful delivery of Hawaiian spirit through song and slack-key guitar. Some of the evening’s songs are from the new CD titled Our Beloved Land from Canyon Records. Great show.

Phoenician Water

November 19, 2005 JWise Photo of the Day

The Phoenix, Arizona water supply comes in on open canals such as this one seen at sunset

The water supply for Phoenix, Arizona, comes into the valley via a series of canals that crisscross the metropolitan area. On rare occasions, a car finds its way into the drink, but more often, it seems to be a popular parking lot for shopping carts. Strangely, you never see anyone swimming in the canals.

Ruined Breakfast

November 18, 2005 JWise Photo of the Day

Two women leaving a convenience store in Phoenix, Arizona

Stopped for gas and got indigestion. These two “ladies” did their grocery shopping this morning at the local convenience store. Do my eyes deceive me, or are those holes cut into her jeans, exposing nekkid skin? And are those chains acting as a continuation of the seam? The knee-high black boots, along with the white-trash facelift (ponytail pulled tight), finish off the look of “I’m ready to kick ass.” The other woman is still wearing her pink slippers. Armed with fresh coffee and cigarettes, the girls are going back to the phones for those special conversations that begin with dialing 1-800-Skankybabe.