Flat Stanley

Saying "adiós" to California

Those wonderful dogs, Otto, Zoey and Von Karman, came in to say goodbye.

Bella also said goodbye. She was sleeping on some books.

Well, it was great fun! Time to head back to Connecticut!

~ Flat Stanley

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Today we visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. It was magnificent! Here is a picture of President Reagan with one of his beloved horses.

President Reagan with First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Not many libraries have a large jet inside the building. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has the jet that served as Air Force One while Ronald Reagan was president.

The library also has a Marine One helicopter.

The view from the library is also spectacular!

President Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Flat Stanley.

President Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev and Flat Stanley.

This map shows all of the places that President Reagan flew.

Another view of Air Force One.

A representation of the West German side of Checkpoint Charlie.

A representation of the East German side of Checkpoint Charlie.

President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signing a treaty to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons for the first time in the history of the world.

This photo shows why President Reagan's accomplishment was so important!

Boarding Air Force One through the forward door.

Standing outside the aft door of Air Force One after a tour of the aircraft.

The landing gear.

The tail rotor of the Marine One helicopter.

The Ronald Reagan Pub was actually brought to the library from Ireland!

It's a beautiful pub.

President Reagan loved the snow!

Always with a smile, just like Flat Stanley.

This miniature replica of the White House was on display at the Reagan Library.

The detail on this replica is amazing.

Even the interior is accurately decorated.

Outside the library, an actual piece of the Berlin Wall, which President Reagan implored the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down for the cause of freedom and prosperity.

A reminder of how precious our freedom is.

One last look before heading home.

I had a great time!

Cherries!

Check out these cherries from Brian and Ivett's cherry tree. Fruit does grow in the desert! The bush with the red flowers is another type of fruit, but I can remember the name at the moment.

We took a drive to Westwood to visit the University of California, Los Angeles campus. UCLA is huge! It has nearly 40,000 students on a 419 acre campus. It's so big, you can buy a bicycle in the campus bookstore! The university was founded in 1919, and the buildings have a stunning brick architecture.

The library entrance was so nice, that was had to see the inside.

This alcove seemed like a great place to take a picture.

Brick arches. Splendiferous!

The reading room makes me want to ... read.

Even the stairs leading up to the reading room inspire your imagination.

As I said, the campus is big, and it's also very green!

UCLA sports teams are known as the Bruins, and bruin is another name for brown bear, which you probably already guessed by looking at the picture of this bronze statue. The flowers and photos are part of a memorial for John Wooden, who coached the UCLA Bruins basketball team to 10 national championships. John Wooden was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

Snake!

The other day a snake showed up in the back yard. Brian found it when the dogs started barking at it.

We didn't know if it was a rattlesnake or not, so the situation was a bit tense.

The snake was coiled up and making a lot of noise.

Fortunately, as you can see, this guy (or gal) is definitely not a rattlesnake. Clue #1: the head doesn't have a wide triangular shape (to hold all of that venom). Clue #2: the tail doesn't have a rattle.

The snake's motion is very graceful, but the dogs don't seem to appreciate it.

Even if it's not a rattlesnake, it should be given plenty of space!

Poppies!

We went on a road trip to see the California Poppies, which bloom every year and turn the hills a beautiful shade of orange. The poppies close their petals when it's cold or windy, as you can see in this photo. The wind was so strong that it held me against Brian's hand. I felt like I was flying!

We followed some dirt roads out in the desert. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve gets overwhelmed with Poppy Peepers (the multitudes of people who drive out to see the poppies), so we found a poppy field of our own. It was nice and peaceful.

I wanted to drive, but I don't have a license.

Poppy fields also make great grazing grounds for sheep.

Taking a closer look at the poppies.

Taking a very close look at a poppy. Beautiful!

Just hanging out with the poppies.

Taking in the entire scene.

Blue sky, green field and orange poppies.

Poppies are everywhere!

Poppies aren't the only fantastic flora to see in the Mojave Desert. The Joshua tree, or if you prefer its scientific name, the Yucca brevifolia, is a member of the Agave family, but it looks like something from a Dr. Seuss book. These magnificent tress are also protected, and the Joshua Tree National Park is nearby.