Bonolith Bombay Beach
Sunset at Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea just yesterday. “Bonolith” a new art installation.
77 Years Later Fueling A C-47
June 6, 1944 D-Day, the Allied Invasion of Europe. The aircraft most remembered in the invasion was the C-47, dropping paratroopers and supplies. We did not fly today at the Palm Springs Air Museum but I did fuel the Museum C-47. It is painted in the D-Day invasion stripes of the time. Just interesting to think what I was doing these 77 years later.
Home Along The Freeway
Photographed along the I-10 Freeway in the Inland Empire of Southern California en route on a photo excursion last week. Huge box like tract homes stacked tightly under smog like condition skies. High power electrical transmission lines stretching across all of it and solar panels on one roof. This photograph is very thought provoking to me.
C-47 Flight Today
Today’s flight in the Palm Springs Air Museum World War II C-47. From and back to Palm Springs doing approaches at March Air Reserve Base. The March tower asked “How old is that airplane?” This one was built in 1944. That makes it 77 years old.
Over March Air Reserve Base
This was our last pass today through March Air Reserve Base. The prior pass was right down the runway at 50 feet before we pulled up, but I was too busy to get some video. We were flying in the grand-daddy of those C-17’s down there; the Palm Springs Air Museum World War II C-47.
Marshalling 101
I do a lot of aircraft marshaling every week from warbirds to general aviation of all kinds. Luckily I have not had this kind of frustration very often. But I sure understand it lol
Flyover For WWII Nurse 101 Years Old
June 1942, Doris Howard arrived in Palm Springs as an Army nurse at the newly converted hospital, previously the famous El Mirador Hotel. Serving throughout the war, taking her to other countries, she even survived a Kamikaze attack.
Returning to Palm Springs and what is now Desert Regional Medical Center all these years later, we were honored to do a flyover for her in the Palm Springs Air Museum WWII era C-47 on Friday May 14, 2021. The full story and more photos from the ground in the Desert Sun newspaper at http://bit.ly/DorisHoward
1960’s Pink Elephant Neon
A Mid-Century Modern neon sign, iconic to the Palm Springs area. Since the 1960’s a favorite for visitors and locals alike. The Rancho Super Car Wash is certainly better known as the Elephant Car Wash. Nostalgic, but I personally find it somewhat boring until now having photographed it at night. I especially like the video with the sound of the cars and trucks going by in the background.
My Friday Morning
Doing the start up and watching the run up on the P-51 Mustang “Man O’ War” at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Rob shot the photo, good call!
In The Gym With Randalene
Looking forward to going back to doing photo shoots in the gym. Randalene Sergent in a photo shoot we did for Bodybuilding.com and Iron Man Magazine.
Scenery Around The Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is 15 miles wide and 35 miles long. With so much shoreline and interesting places, there is always something wonderful to photograph. By example I happened to find this random model on a pole at an abandoned gas station and store.
Well maybe not so random. Nora from NYC came out and shot with me for the day all around the Salton Sea. Makeup and Hair Styling and Styling by the Estee Lauder featured artist Blanche LeBeau.
Photographed on a Hasselblad digital camera system.
Last Gas
Thinking there is no Tesla charger here. On a wall in Amargosa on a photo excursion in Death Valley.
INDIANLAND
The 45 ft letters of “Never Forget” references the famed “HOLLYWOOD” sign which originally was “HOLLYWOODLAND”. Hollywoodland was established in 1923 destined to be a segregated whites only community. A large scale exhibit by Nicholas Galanin for Desert X 2021.
Street Scraping
I thought this was interesting. The first steps in street repair and re-surfacing in front of our house.
More Please
Looking forward to going back to doing photo shoots like this one with my very creative friend Gabriella Muttone.
Desert X “The Wishing Well”
One of two cubes in this large-scale installation “The Wishing Well” by Serge Attukwei Clottery for Desert X 2021 in Palm Springs California. For some reason it reminds me of the mysterious Monolith in “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
Interior Jack Rabbit Homestead
The interior of a Jack Rabbit Homestead exhibit by Kim Stringfellow for Desert X 2021. I have photographed many actual Jack Rabbit Homesteads throughout the desert above Palm Springs for a number of years. I first found out about and motivated to photograph them by Kim’s book “Jack Rabbit Homestead”.
How many of us would know what to do being isolated from the world, no internet or television. A bed and a typewriter in a small room.
My Watch Flew The Reno Air Races
It is getting a little tired looking now but it flew the finals at the Reno Air Races in 2017. A story that is fun for me so just thought I would share it. I bought it about a week prior because I wanted a watch that I could actually see the hands quickly.
I went to the National Championship Air Races Reno with the team for the Palm Springs Air Museum. I flew up in the P-51 Mustang “Bunny” with pilot Tom Nightingale. I was the second person there for the Museum only because Tom had to get out of the airplane first before I could get out. The next day the rest of the team started arriving.
A week later Tom would be flying “Bunny” in the finals. He said to me “I need a watch where I can see the seconds better”. I said how about mine and the answer was yes. Tom put it on his wrist and flew the finals.
I have been wearing it daly ever since for flying in all kinds of airplanes, photo excursions and other adventures. Runs great but does not clean up anymore. Time to retire it and get another. But I am going to keep it and remember it’s “history”.
USAF Thunderbirds
Photographed by me during the Thunderbirds flight demonstrations at the Reno Air Races 2019.
Mailbox Danger
Best to not pick up the mail in the dark. Art installation at Bombay Beach at the Salton Sea.
Free Can Soda
At first I was just intrigued by the sign. Then the simple old look, run-down, of the restaurant drive-in itself in such a nondescript location. How many places like this exist without ever being seen as we drive by.
I “Googled” the place when I got home. Not to my surprise I found that it has rave reviews about it’s food. Actually I found no shortage of little places like this on the maps of where we were out on a Photo Excursion in the Jurupa Valley area in Southern California. El Colima Mexican Grill.
Flabob Express
On Photo Excursion last week was near the Flabob Airport in Riverside California. So stopped and happened to see a friend, the Flabob Express DC-3. I have been lucky enough to have flown in the Express a few times.
