There's been an unusual amount of commotion along the Cambria to San Simeon shoreline this year.
Photo by Mike Griffin
The warmer ocean has brought an extraordinary number of humpback whales closer to shore.
It is a great enjoyment to hear the oohs and ahhs and wonderment of tourists who maybe seeing their first whale up close.
The Central Coast has been a beautiful western stage this summer.
BEARS
I am an unabashed fan and enthusiast of Yosemite National Park, wishing that everyone could visit and feel the experience.
The park prepares excellent video reports and this piece on bears, featuring some almost unbelievable historic footage is too good not to share with readers of this blog.
Enjoy.
A SLO TREASURE
We recently discovered the Leaning Pine Arboretum on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo. What a jewel it is!
Have you heard the story of the beautiful garden visited by two men?
The garden was alive with colorful blooms and pathways lined by a rainbow of color. The first man, thrilled by the beauty, halted his walk occasionally to quickly clip a festive flower. After a brief time he had gathered a resplendent bouquet that he intended to share. Upon departing the garden he became distracted by obligations and activity and the bouquet wilted and was left as trash.
The second man too was thrilled by what his eyes beheld. He strolled slowly taking in the magnificence, pausing frequently to bend for a closer look and to inhale the fragrances of the many flowers. In this way he proceeded through the garden thinking how wonderful it was and he wished to share its beauty. So he departed, reflecting on the garden's magnificence and telling others about its wonderful sites and smells. Each time he recounted his visit it was as though he was there again.
JUST GET OUT THERE AND DO IT
Early spring is when those of you hammered by a long winter get a chance to get back outside. Here's a thrilling motivational piece for you sent along by old pal Moto. Don't try this at home, unless.....
Tools, advances and new research are coming rapidly now in the area of brain science. Discoveries in the last couple of years are astounding but because they are technical and complex they have not been widely reported nor understood by the public.
PBS presenter and host Charlie Rose with Nobel Winning neuroscientist Dr. Erik Kandel have presented 14 programs over the last two years that can provide a breathtaking and mind charging survey of this extraordinary new science of understanding.
Here are a couple of ways to learn more or gain access to the series.
(the final program in the series-looking at the new federal Brain Initiative)
This is fascinating and informative television with special relevance to an aging boomer population.
A JULY SEA SIDE WALK PACIFIC LULLABY
Napping seals without memory foam.
SOME KIND OF NEAR MISS
Posting a video here that was shot just down the coast. It captures a moment where a couple of snorkelers come precariously close to being whale food. They are swimming with a school of small fish when something happens they'll never forget.
Frequent readers may recall my cautionary concerns about the surrender of information autonomy to convenience, communication and the aggregating power of algorithms.
As an aside in this battle, I'd prefer to write the word, rather than have the spell check, auto write function fill in or begin to assume the word I wish to say. But this is the age of information warfare and collateral damage comes in many forms, so we all soldier on. Hopefully, wisely.
Well, this is The Weekender and we try to keep the mood light and entertaining, so it is in that vein we bring you this video beware. It's a pitch, but the message makes sense.
A PARTING BITE
A leftover of sorts-an image in this case-from a
Friday Lunch Flash Mob treat.
A Hearst Ranch all beef foot-long hotdog, Sebastian style.
This was the scene this week on our most recent drive through Big Sur. It was that magic stretch of Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, which took hold of our hearts on our first journey in 1969. As our pal Jim, who introduced us to Big Sur, said, "It never disappoints."
There is something new along America's iconic coast highway.
The extraordinary construction between Lime Kiln and the
Bixby bridge continues.
The shot below shows the massive bridge like cover that is being built in an area prone to slides and washouts. The stone edifice is being connected to the mountain wall.
It was just north of there where we caught up with the past. Our Weekender Video shows you something you likely have never seen. Enjoy.
In the television news business, the anchors, correspondents and reporters are referred to as "Talent." Some are, as in talented.
The gold standard used to be experience in the field, as a reporter. The influence of consultants-they used to be called news doctors-and the advent of cable news led to a sea of talent who were essentially good at looking good. In some cases, little else accompanied the package.
There are still good, intelligent and skilled journalistic talent working. As a news executive I looked for life experience and journalistic experience ahead of the cosmetic factors. I was able to hire many good talent. And then there was the extraordinary guy.
He was a young guy still, not too long out of school and was working in one of our broadcast divsion's smaller markets. I had known his father, when we were street reporters, back in our youth. Since then Phil had gone on to a solid and illustrious broadcast career in the tough Chicago market. Phil had another son Dan who also had followed him into broadcasting. So I knew Anthony had great news "genes," on top of his own intelligent and capable work. It was an easy hire.
When he arrived I learned that he was also a concert pianist and a vocalist. A talent with real talent.
In what I think must be a book waiting to be written, Phil, Dan and Anthony practice their skill in Chicago. At this years Newzapalooza charitable fundraiser, brothers Dan and Anthony displayed a talent, deeper than that required on a news desk. Ironically they perform their tune THE ANCHORMAN.
Enjoy the Ponce brothers, and have a great weekend.
Dan, Phil and Anthony Ponce in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Yvette Marie Postani for The Chicago Tribune See you down the trail.
Early evening and the sun is cutting slanted shadows on the east side of the ridge while the valley basks in full light.
This is the arena. Male turkey's proving who is the baddest in what is a late summer or autumn show. The battle has Hemingway and Luke riveted in their front row seats.
Hemingway continued to "stalk" the moving rumble.
No Marquis of Queensbury rules for these brutes. They brawl up and down an open space and even fight into the heavy growth in the back of the frame below-a thicket of echium. A video captures "the fight in the bush."
As I watched they paired, though occasionally the third hand, one is seen above, also gets drawn into the fray. The video of such a fracas is available below. I don't understand the protocol. There were two packs-3 turkeys in each, rumbling an hour or so before sunset. Two would duel in an attempt to lock the other's head in its mouth. They would twirl, trot and stagger as they fought. The third hand would appear as a referee, tagging in and out until he joined into the fight too.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
OF
THE BATTLE IN THE BUSH
These guys are a bit different that what lands on Thanksgiving tables huh? See you down the trail.
