curl grubs

Curl grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles or June beetles. Some species have one-year lifecycles, while others will stay underground for two or three years. They are damaging to plants in both the larval and adult stages. They are also edible in both the larval and adult stages, but it is advisable to cook them first.

horus

Horus was the ancient Egyptian god of the sky; sometimes also the god of light and the sun. Son of Isis and Osiris.

Bike Bridge at Moffett

Latest word is that it's slated to open in June.

Borregas Bike Bridge

At Highway 237. Just opened last week.

Mondrian lamp posts

Lamp posts at the Mondrian housing development on Evelyn in Mountain View.

Blueberry

I remember Dream Fluff Donuts on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley had great blueberry donuts.

In the early 1990s there were a series of bank robberies in the East Bay. The robber was using taxicabs as getaway vehicles, telling the unwitting driver to wait outside. There's a Wells Fargo on the corner of Ashby and College in the busy Elmwood business district. The robber went in to rob the bank. When he came back out, the driver was not in the cab. A few minutes later, the driver came back out of Dream Fluff donuts to find his passenger quite agitated. "Don't worry," the driver assured him, "I turned off the meter."

Cleopatra

If you ever visit the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, I highly
recommend downloading the audio tour from their website ahead of time.
I've been there a number of times, and it's always fun.

Bike bridge progress

The bridge is now schedule to open in May. Perhaps in time for Bike to Work Day.

Las Casuelas Terraza

Las Casuelas Terraza in Palm Springs had the blandest carnitas tacos I'd ever eaten.

Best Western Las Brisas

Walking distance from downtown Palm Springs. Las Brisas means "the breezes."

Blue Desert Flower

Joshua Tree became a national monument in 1936, and a national park in 1994.

Egret

The Salton Sea is more briny than the ocean. With the disappearance of wetlands due to the growth of urban areas in Southern California, it has become an important stop for migratory birds. One third of the species of birds in North America can be spotted here sometime during the year.

Cafe

Fifty years ago, the Salton Sea was being marketed as the next great boom in California real estate. Real estate prices were on the rise; the area was going to be like the next Palm Springs, but on the shores of a vast recreational lake. Fishing was abundant, and water skiing was popular. Hotels and resorts sprung up along the shores. The desert was blooming.

Because the Salton Sea has no natural outlet, and unregulated sources (mostly agricultural runoff), the water level is susceptible to fluctuations. Flooding in the 1970s wiped out most of those communities, and they never rebounded.

Salton Sea

Over 100 years ago, the desert was flooded due to a man-made accident. It is now the largest body of water in California.

Three second timer

I accidentally had the self timer set for 3 seconds instead of 10 seconds.

Salsbury Steak

"What's that other thing you like that's like this?"

"Chicken-fried steak?"

"Yeah -- what's that?"

"It's like this, but breaded and fried."

"There's no chicken in it?"

"No. No steak, either."

"What is it, then?"

"Hamburger."

Why?

To get to the other side?

Lasagna

http://allrecipes.com/Cook/Photo.aspx?photoID=205675

Big wheel

Never had a Big Wheel when I was a kid. Not sure I would've wanted a pink one, though.

Museum Row

Street sign on Fairfax outside the Petersen automotive museum.

May Co

The famous art-deco building at the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire, formerly the May Company department store, currently part of the L.A. County Museum of Art.

Red and green lights

The parking spaces at the mall in Century City have red and green lights above them to indicate whether the space is occupied. You can tell at a glance whether a particular aisle has any vacant spaces.

Bus crowd on Broadway

Strange crowd at the bus stop on Broadway near Third.

Cinnamon Cake

This was an outstanding donut -- really fresh. Almost crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. From Bob's Donuts, in the world-famous Farmers Market in Los Angeles.

Grand Central Market

Grand Central Market in the Broadway theater district of Los Angeles, near Broadway and Third. I'm told my grandmother used to take the bus here from Chinatown to shop.