Widgets Around the Marina

Various objects d'interest.  Unlike people, these objects pose nicely for a shot.

I'm a bit worried, I may be standing on a helicopter landing pad.

Or a NASA landing pad.  Clearly this Mars lander has gone astray.

Infrastructure needs maintenance.  How do you know?  When your fire hydrants start bleeding, it's time to repair them.

Inside the microbus it was packed with similar sorts of toys.

Reflections off the water.

The last time we saw a Malibu Kayak, we were in Alcoutim in the far eastern side of Portugal on the river between Spain and Portugal.

I refused to walk under this sculpture.  I was afraid of bird poop.

Keep our beaches what?  Clean?  Hah.  Beautiful?  Definitely not.  Neat.  Well, maybe.  Such an attractive trash can.  Most of them don't have the lowfat cottage cheese container.

Purpose?  A spot of yellow at the beach?  Something to moor your bicycle to, although they tend to float away from these things anyway.  Perhaps they are there to keep you from driving your ATV over the water pipes hidden on the other side?

This used to be a full service bathroom.  If you go around to the other side, you'll find the toilet.

Signs of the Marina

With boats and water comes many many instructions.  Here are a few to keep us healthy, happy, hale and hearty.  Not to mention heady, hurtful and hinky.

Please read.  And after you're done reading, it'll be time to go home.  Aren't humans animals?

So wait, do I have to register if the owner thereof is home?  And such a highly visible sign.  Wasn't close to any walkway whatsoever.

We spend more time dealing with poop than any other species on the planet.

Trees of Marina del Rey: Sex and Dancing Edition

Local flora of Marina del Rey.

Spindly legged dancer in a tree costume.

Gracefully twist but don't shout.

Two trees making love.  Imagine the mess.  And it takes forever.

Marina del Rey Buildings

A few buildings visible from on top of the Marriott.

Latitude appears to be a restaurant, but the web site was down, at least for LA, and some indications were that it was closed.  But the advertising lives on.

Stripe mall.  Ok, strip then.

And the glorious LA view.  The blue shaded homes in the foreground cost about a million each.  Now you know what to get me for Valentine's day instead of chocolate.

Marina del Rey

Was permitted to visit Marina del Rey last week.  The surprising thing to me was the lack of interesting pictures to take.  I found a few, but generally the place was uninspiring.  I eventually found a pleasant walk around the Marina, but I had been expecting expectacular, so pleasant was unexpectedly blah.

This is the first set of photos.  These are the "it's a marina so there must be water in there somewhere" shots.

From on top of the Marriott.

From on top of the Marriott in another direction.

There was a tiny little beach.  After what I saw in the water, I can't recommend hopping in the water, but there was real sand and to all appearances, a read beach experience to be had.  Plus it wasn't crowded!

Them there boats in them there water.

And if you wait long enough, a crew team rows on by you (bayou).

Oops, watch the hat.

Sailboats in San Diego

It looked a bit like a regatta ending, so many sailboats.  A few favorite shots into the sun.

Out on the pond for sailing.

Sun reflecting off the sails.

Two almost the same.  Sun reflecting off the water.

I liked both of these shots, and couldn't choose between them.  Thus you're getting two.

Life Forms of San Diego

Some of the life forms inhabiting San Diego.

Bird of paradise.  Is neither a bird nor located in paradise, though San Diego comes close.

Saw two large Jellyfish in the marina.

Ghost trees near Joe's Crab Shack.

A Few Buildings of San Diego

To go along with our geometry of San Diego and Olio posts.

Gas lamp district wall and sidewalk

Awesome Omni hotel.

When not hosting statistics conventions, Boeing rents this room out for aircraft assembly.  NASA originally wanted it, but it was too far from Vandenberg air force base for launching.

Hertz rent-a-car.  At least, that's what google says.  :-)  It also says Starbucks, Fed-Ex and a couple of Marriots.

Olio Potpourri of Pictures

The decrepit, the odd, the unusual, the disconcerting.  Urban pictures from the gas lamp district and surrounds in San Diego.

Wall of brick.  Or a walkway?

Encouraging.  The building next door is torn down.  You feel much more secure awaiting that earthquake.

Remains of the day.  After demolition, this building was turned into a parking lot.  Thus the mighty are lowered.

Back door, graffiti, retrofit and modest skyline.

San Diego equipment sitting on the sidewalk.

Parking structures are attractive with a motorcycle.

Where are they going? Lemmings to the sea.

No matter how you try, you can not guard the sky.

Another unsuccessful actor.  Tried out for R2-D2, Robbie, Number 5, The Robot, Iron Giant and Wall-E.  Wasn't allowed in the door for Rachel, Optimus Prime and Data.  Profession: waiter.

Signs of San Diego

All cities require substantial information for the citizenry to navigate streets, sidewalks, parking lots, shops, stores, restaurants and buildings.  San Diego is no different.  Herewith a modest offering of signs to assist us in our daily activities.

Criminals are frequently left without proper direction.  Which explains why they are criminals.  That's why it was nice to see that San Diego looks out for criminals, offering them this instructional manual.  Another sign of beauty.

Sorry, but I do!  Oh those cute rascals.  This on the side of the local mega shopping mall.

Sign tries to blend in with the leaves.  Green dog, green letters.  I'll bet you didn't know they had Irish dogs in San Diego.  Probably an Irish setter.  Is the designated pet area next to the designated smoking area?

Bitch is the wine, not a female dog.  I've had some.  Decent stuff.  Not sure about the Wife.  The t-shirt looks pretty, but its cheap, so probably won't last long.

One on the other side of the offensiveness spectrum.  Like the guy waiting outside.

Uh-oh.  Trouble.