I just completed this series of portraits honoring five Jack in the Box Antenna Balls that retired after riding on my vehicles in the 1990s. I got the idea from the recent Thousand Oaks Photo Group zoom meeting with Matt Kloskowski on texture backgrounds. Thanks TOPG and Matt for the excellent instruction.

July 4, 1986: The annual Westlake Yacht Club "Around the Island Race" has one major obstacle: the La Venta Road bridge. Entrants must lower sails or tip over their crafts while navigating under the bridge.

August 19, 2015: Room number 16 at Wigwam Village Motel no. 6 in Holbrook, Arizona. The motel featuring concrete replicas of American Indian teepees opened in 1950. Adding to the Route 66 atmosphere are several 1960s era vehicles scattered around the property.

Aug. 17, 2015: Sign I appreciated in the Route 66 community of Seligman, Arizona. The village of about 500 serves as a major tourist stop near the Grand Canyon. During an average summer day - not this year - busloads of Grand Canyon tourists stop for a quick Route 66 experience. The gift shop operators especially appreciate the European tourists; they stock up on Route 66 merchandise.

February 19, 1983:  Cartoonist Jack Bonestell as "Tumbleweed Jack" makes drawings for kids during the first-anniversary party of the Thousand Oaks Library. The 62,000 square foot library opened in 1982. A 2006 expansion added 22,000 square feet.

June 21, 2020: Memorial Fountain at Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in Keene, California. The bas-relief carving depicts the diverse people who marched for justice. The five streams of water honor five martyrs who died during the farm workers movement.

July 9, 1995: Lightning from a summer storm near Hay Springs, Nebraska. The storm lasted about an hour, with one bolt starting a haystack on fire. I set up my tripod on a dry second-story balcony and enjoyed nature's show.

On Monday night, the Thousand Oaks Photo Group's zoom meeting was on Micro Photography by Ray Patience. The talk inspired me to pull out an old 50mm Canon FD lens and use it with a reverse adapter. The foggy morning is a good time to play with flowers in the backyard. The old Canon FD lenses have a nice large lever for controlling the aperture. After focusing, I press the lever to stop down and take my images. I did these at f/4. I bought the Canon FD lens for $25 and the reverse adapter for about $10 on Amazon. ​

​Oct. 6, 2016: Entry in the Cambria Scarecrow Festival that runs the entire month of October.  The festival started in 2009 with just 30 entries and quickly gained in popularity. In 2019, hundreds of whimsical scarecrows appeared in Cambria, San Simeon, and Harmony. This year's plans are on hold, but the Cambria Scarecrow Festival says a final decision on going ahead this year will be made on Aug. 2, 2020.

May 4, 1986: Joe Cornish is sent flying by "Charmin" during the bull riding event during Conejo Valley Days Rodeo. In 2006, to save money, the CVD Rodeo and Parade were canceled.