robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Early afternoon on 12-21-2018. What So Cal looks like on the first day of Winter. To those of you up to your #$@& in snow, do not call Bekins. We have enough people already thank you.
I am posting this to cheer you up as you chip ice and shovel snow to get to the street. Besides you are posting such lovely macros of frost on windows, snow flakes and white landscapes.

Last Sat I was cutting through on a short cut to somewhere else and turned one street too soon. I saw this street. All the trees along the street are identical (planted by the developer) and they were all in perfect fall colors, with hardly a leaf on the ground. Of course I didn't have a camera ready, it was in a zippered bag in the back seat, and I was running late to meet my wife and younger son a few blocks away. Well being in the running for the Gold Medals for both Lazy and Procrastination I didn't go back until Friday. I mean in Western Kentucky where I come from the colors last for almost a month. But here it is only six days and it went from each tree looking like a painting of fall with hardly a single leaf on the ground to most of the leaves on the ground. Of course there are also the palms and even a few flowers along with nice green lawns and the delivery guy in short sleeves.

Note the signs of the season - Amazon Prime and UPS at the same time. I think the FedEx guy was still at lunch with the USPS package driver. Two weeks ago UPS was even using golf carts on some of their routes, other guys who made deliveries were driving their own vans and pickups because the rental agencies ran out of small delivery trucks. This week I have seen a bunch of small panel trucks with out of state plates and slap on UPS, Amazon and FedEx signs, I assume the rental companies brought some in from elsewhere.

Not too many blocks away there are three streets that for two blocks they are solid lights and displays at night. The city lets them change the street signs to "Candy Cane Lane" and the like - the PD lets them put up traffic cones to funnel traffic and will send officers to direct traffic on night the traffic gets really heavy.
5DIV, 24-105L f/4 @ 24, 1/400 @ f/8.0, ISO 500 hand held sunny afternoon, hazy with high clouds

(Download)

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

We are unseasonably warm here in SW Michigan. It is only down to 34 this morning, probably have either rain or a dusting of snow on Christmas. We're waiting for the other shoe to drop. News said Grand Rapids has had either the least or second least snow on record so far in December.

CLF Loc: Raleigh, NC

Robert, excellent photo and I enjoyed your comments about what is currently going on in Sunny California.

I have always called you Jerry in my responses but also knew Robert was part of your signature. Out of curiosity which do you prefer. Have a very Merry CHRISTmas.

Greg

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

34 huh! I don't think my fridge is that cold - the freezer is though. Another house I owned for 20 years was right at the foot of the San Gabriel Mtns and one year my swimming pool got 1/4 to about 1/2 inch of ice that last 2 days. A couple of birds that were used to dipping down for a drink or to snatch a drowning bug landed on it and walked around trying to find the water. I took pity and broke a drinking hole for them. I also put a little ceramic heater in the dog's partioned off "bedroom" in the corner of the garage with a doggy door to the yard and moved her water dish in to keep it water.

I was born in Detroit and I have some friends that live not too far from there.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Thank you.

Long story, but I haven't told it in a while.
My mother and father met working for Packard Motors in Detroit during the war. (building Merlin engines) Mom was from Central Pennsylvania and Dad from Western Kentucky. In 1947 when I was 18 months old they moved to Dad's home town in Kentucky. My full name is Robert Jerl Perkins Jr - Dad was Sr. I don't even remember what they called me until then and don't remember anyone telling me. But when my mother found out about the grand old southern custom of a father and son with the same name becoming "Big Bob" and "Little Bob" or the like her reaction was "NO WAY!" Well with various people he knew Dad was already: Robert, Robert Jerl, Jerl, Bob, Bobby and RJ. From the then popular "Tom and Jerry" cartoon series my Mom grabbed onto Jerry as a derivative of my middle name (Norse name - in English it is Earl) and I have been Jerry ever since with most people. As a kid I kind of resented being named for a cartoon mouse but I got over it. In first grade (We then lived in Illinois across the Mississippi River east of St Louis in "Waterloo", which was started by French "refugees".) the Nun who was the teacher sent home a note the first week wanting to know if I even knew my own correct name and how to spell my middle name - she had never seen it before.

CLF Loc: Raleigh, NC

Jerry, I now understand. I believe I can about call you anything except, now wait for it, late for dinner. Since I went to Catholic schools my whole life I can also understand the note the Nun sent home. I love the story of your name and also understand the sir names of Senior, Jr and III. My grandad is SR, My Dad a JR, and I have a brother who is a III. He never used III and my Dad use to always get his unpaid bills. That's my big brother for you.

One more time, have a fantastic CHRISTmas.

Greg

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

No wildfires, smog or earthquakes here...

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Don't bet the farm on them never happening.
Esp the earthquake part: http://geosurvey.ohiodnr.gov/earthquakes-ohioseis/seismic-risk-in-ohio Mid-continent/mid-plate quakes are generally not as common as plate edge quakes like we get in California but tend to bigger on average. The largest series of heavy quakes in recorded history in the 48 states area was from the New Madrid Fault in 1811-1812. Ohio was in the light damage zone and church bells rang in Boston.
And wildfires/forest fires are not a major factor in Ohio only because the forests were largely cleared for farmland.

jkoar Loc: The Gunks, NY

Beautifully composed and hands down the best UPS photo I've ever seen. Maybe it brought you some new camera gear. Merry Christmas!

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Nice photo Bob; well executed.

Same here in New Hampshire as Michigan...it hit 60 the other day and I'm looking outside at bare ground...no snow... although it's back to a more normal 35 today. I'll tell ya what else we don't have in New Hampshire...massive fires turning whole towns to ash, smog, earthquakes, tornadoes, mudslides and property prices requiring a 6-digit salary to afford a 1-bedroom apartment. At the right time, California is as beautiful as the hype describes but I'll take New England's springs, summers and falls over pretty much anywhere else in the country.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good capture Robert, I lived in the Pomona/ Ontario area for 10 years while working in Fontana, so I fully know what you are talking about, endless summer. I do miss it.

rabbitslayer Loc: NW Iowa

I’ll keep my rural Iowa 4 seasons snow and all, I enjoy our visits to our son in San Diago but don’t like big cities. Two years ago we were there in feb., the last week we were there the weather news was all about the winterstorm coming in form the ocean. It was going to be in the 50s and rainy and windy, it was quite humorous to us. I also could not live with west coast politics,I’ll stay in a flyover state. Merry Christmas.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Thanks
Wrong street but UPS, FedEx, USPS and some others have been coming to our house regularly this past month. Train (HO) stuff, fashion stuff, computer things, camera gear and hard to find cooking things (coarse grind corn meal to make the Marie Callender's corn bread mix have the "right" texture for a Southerner. Why do they grind it until it is almost flour?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Thank you
Sunny and about 70 here now.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Thanks
Yes, many years it is T-shirts, cut offs and sandals for the Rose Parade.