Alex Robb

Train trip to Union Station and Chinatown

2011-05-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well after lots of talking about it we finally did it - a family trip to Union Station from Lancaster via the Metrolink. We walked into Chinatown kind of missing Olvera Street (will have to come back again). Walked through the old tourist area for Chinatown. They have a great bakery there with super egg pies.

Time to get with it and Update my blog

2011-05-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Kodak along with Tim Halberg has inspired me to post a photo a day!

Will be posting a photo shortly!

A Zoo to Remember

2010-04-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't stop thinking about our wonderful trip to Colorado last summer. We did a a big loop through the state and visited Colorado Springs. The Zoo and Focus on the Family were highlights!

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

2009-11-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon has got to be one of the best places to view one of the most incredible places on this earth. Lots of memories from this summer.

Silverton, Colorado

2009-08-29T14:10:00.001-07:00

We just had to take the drive up to Silverton to see one of my old favorite mining towns. The Durango/Silverton narrow gauge train travels the old canyon of the Animas River everyday.

Southfork, Colorado

2009-08-29T14:01:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful drive over to Southfork via Pagosa Springs. We spent the 4th of July here and played in the river.

What a vacation!

2009-08-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

We headed to southwestern Colorado in late June to enjoy the Dolores River. We stayed in a cabin, fished and played. A great time as a family!

We found this incredible park we called the castle. It was the idea of the local elementary students and their teacher. They drew up the concept with the help of some grown-ups and the community wrote a grant and with contribution built the park. What a concept!

Las Vegas 10 years later

2009-05-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's seems like years since we went to Las Vegas about 4 hours from our home. We got away for a few days during Spring Break and the weather was wonderful after leaving the snow and cold of the mountains. To get a bird's eye view of the city we went up in the Stratosphere Tower. They have rides on the top of the tower - crazy. We enjoyed the new attractions on the strip - New York, New York, the MGM, Paris, and the fountains at Bellagio.

Sunrise in March!

2009-03-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Can't resist photographing a beautiful sunrise.

Awesome weekend at the beach!

2009-02-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

Two weeke ago we finally got over to one of our favorite beaches in Ventura! The weather was incredible - in the low 80'sF.

Mountains of snow!

2009-01-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

Lots of snow in our area right before Christmas.
Schools were closed for five days before the holidays.

Sunrise

2008-12-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Woke up to a beautiful sunrise the other morning and just had to catch the morning sky.
Click on a photo and you can see the wind generators on the horizon.

Tribute to my father-in-law

2008-11-15T14:54:00.000-08:00

From what I know of Don Stretch, he loved his family and
he loved to fish in Yaquina Bay and he loved his garden.
A man of many talents and a simple faith.
I know he is even happier now!

It is raining!

2008-10-04T20:25:00.001-07:00

Woke up to wind and a little rain today. We had a one day of rain this summer and last time I remember rain or snow was back in March. Any moisture is welcomed. These were taken with the camera in my laptop.

Sunset at Avila Beach

2008-09-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

We traveled over to the coast this summer. I grabbed a few shots in Avila before sunset. My dad said he used to come out to this little village to study many years ago when he attended Cal Poly. We love it!

Last look at the old depot

2008-09-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

The old depot in Tehachapi was destroyed by fire during the summer while it was being restored. It has now been demolished with plans to rebuild a replica.

Our morning guests

2008-09-14T23:02:00.001-07:00

My wife gets so excited when she sees a deer or family of deer out our back door. This is literally right above our back porch.

A tribute to my mom

2008-06-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

We had an incredible poppy season this year and it seemed to last for some time.
I promised my mom some photos of poppies - so these are for you mom!
I miss you!

Longhorn Portrait

2008-06-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

My next door neighbor has these beautiful animals. I can't resist photographing them.

The poppies are everywhere!

2008-05-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Poppies are painting the summit with a valley of orange.

Feets on the Beach

2008-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well here's our try for our first feet photos.

Back to Balboa Island

2008-03-05T21:55:00.001-08:00

Seems like its been ages since we were at the coast - on the beach.
Thanks to George and Abe, we got away for a few days to
one of our favorite spots.

We are definitely in the jet stream

2008-02-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

I can't remember ever seeing this much snow on the mountains behind Sand Canyon on the way to Mojave. The snow has been awesome and a nice change from the long period of drought. We are getting ready for more rain and snow this weekend as three more storms hit the coast of California.

Winter Wonderland!

2008-01-30T07:54:00.001-08:00

Lots of weather has been coming our way lately. Two pretty big storms have brought snow, ice, and rain to our mountains closing schools and making for some interesting driving conditions. Winter has arrived.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

No, these are not fireworks, but photos of Guangzhou at night on the river.
Well I guess it's time to confess that one of my new year resolutions is to keep updated on my blog. We just returned from a wonderful Christmas in Oregon (even though it rained or snowed) most of the time. I did want to post the final night photos of China from our September trip.

More adventures in China - Waterfall Park!

2007-11-12T19:32:00.001-08:00

We took an day trip outside of Guilin to a Waterfall Park. There were about seven waterfalls where adventurous Chinese rented helmets, put on grass sandals and climbed the falls.
Guess the Chinese have more freedom than we do - no lawsuits are allowed. Fall at your own risk!

More from China Trip!

2007-10-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

My brother emailed me and mentioned that he really enjoyed the photos from China because it allowed him to travel along with my family. We returned to China (a very special place) in September after 3 years to once again bring home a little one from China! We are so blessed!

Morning view from our hotel, the Waterfall Hotel, in Guilin.

Same view at night with closeup of Elephant Rock - look closely on left.

Arriving in Yangshou after our boat ride down the Li River.

Walking up the steps at the entrance to Yangshou from the Li River.

My daughter running up the rock slide and Bing, our new friend and guide, watching.

Electric shuttle car in Yangshou.

Window view in a Chinese cultural park.

What a view of the mountains and the farmland!

We made it home from China!

2007-10-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

We are finally home after 17 days in China. My laptop power plug ended up having a short so we could not blog or enter any photos - bummer. We did return to Guilin, one of our favorite places in China and took the river trip again. Once again it was wonderful, especially because we had an incredible tour guide, Bing, who made us feel at home in China. I will be posting more of the trip in a few days.

Waiting at our gate for Guangzhou, China prior to departing.

View out of our hotel the first night in Guilin of a pagoda and lake.

View the next morning.

The beautiful mountains in Guilin and along the Li River.

Local commuters along the river headed to their villages.

Chinese tourists enjoying the river trip.

Caves along the river.

Water buffalo swimming in the river.

Pretty Chinese tour guide.

China here we come!

2007-09-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting to return to China for our second daughter for toooo long!
We are super excited and very blessed. We are headed to Guangzhou and Guilin.

The city of Guilin written in Chinese.

Elephant Rock - What a special park in Guilin.

It has been real hot!

2007-09-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

The San Joaquin Valley and our area has been sooooooo hot that we have been heading to the coast whenever possible. It was in the 90s to even 100's just 10 miles from the beaches yesterday - incredible! San Luis Obispo reached 104F. We cooled off in the late afternoon when it finally was 75F.

Castles made of sand!

2007-08-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

We just can't seem to stay away from the beach especially when we have to travel to LA for some reason or another. I really enjoy making sand castles (little ones) with my daughter. Watched some skim boarders going for it!

Enjoying Yaquina Bay in Newport, OR

2007-08-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well I feel like a DJ that's been off the air for a while - a month.
I promise to stay updated now that we are back home.

Yaquina Bay is the inlet for the harbor in Newport. The Bay Bridge is the center point of the bay and the most photographed. There are some great condos right on the harbor. Keep dreaming! We ate the Local Oceans Restaurant, a favorite for locals and tourists.

According to a former local and Alaskan fisherman this ship sailed around the world several times mapping the bottom of the ocean. It will soon be a museum. Newport is full of fishing and mariner history!

We are back from trip to Texas!

2007-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Talk about not blogging for a while. We have been in Texas for almost 2 weeks visiting family and dogging thunderstorms and major downpours. Marble falls near Austin received 18 inches in one day and Tejas has record rainfall pretty much everywhere. Right before leaving for Dallas, Gainesville just north of DFW, had their downtown flooded. Crazy weather and lots of humidity - but he had a great time!

Life is a beach!

2007-06-07T21:47:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like sailboats sleeping in the harbor in Ventura and a sunset on the beach near Oxnard, California. Heading there this weekend!

Mountain poppies!

2007-05-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

I guess one of my all time favorite flowers is the California Poppy. They blume in hundreds of acres south of us in Lancaster and Palmdale on the backroad to Gorman. There is even a preserve for Poppies east of Lancaster. These gorgeous orange petals are in my own yard. God is good!

Friends and lovers of photography!

2007-05-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ever since I posted photos from a friend who lives in China I have had other friends email me their photos. Well, I decided to post them. The first is from Randy, a colleague of mine, and the others are bluebonnets in the snow in Texas and and May snows in Colorado from Bobalouie. Enjoy!

Where the buffaloes roam

2007-05-10T20:58:00.001-07:00

Well I decided to return to my neighbors mini ranch and try my hand at photos of the buffaloes. They are a majestic creature.

We love Oregon

2007-04-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

As summer approaches Oregon is always on our mind. The beautiful ocean and wild beaches. Yes, you might have to bundle up, but its worth every minute.

My neighbor's mini ranch!

2007-04-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well I guess it's time to getting blogging again - falling behind. There's a fellow around these parts that's raising some interesting critters. No really we have longhorns and buffaloes grazing up here at the summit! Awesome. The brahma and llamas are missing for now. They like the morning light.

Ducks, fishing, and flying a kite!

2007-04-06T23:39:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like a day of feeding the ducks, making an imaginary fishing pole - fishing for hours - and then ending the day with flying a kite (Nemo). There is nothing like it - "Heaven on Earth!"

Tehachapi in the Green!

2007-04-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Tehachapi is beautiful and golf course green for a very short time in late March and April - so it's a great time to take photographs!

My photos of China

2007-03-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it's about time to update my blog with some of my own photos from China. I took a stroll through a village outside of Lijiang, a wonderful small city, in Yunnan Province in southwestern just west of Kunming. It was a wonderful walk and a great two hours photographing and visiting with the locals!

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Wonders of China!

2007-03-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to travel to China again. Most likely this summer. We are adopting our second daughter and we have been waiting......a long time - almost a year delay. A friend who travels to China regulary sent me these photos. Quite a place!

Color My World!

2007-03-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well I thought I would surprise my wife and post some of her photos of butterflies. We just finished watching a great dvd called "Butterfly", a foreign film with French subtitles - excellent! Those toes belong to my wife - couldn't resist.

It's all about the light!

2007-03-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I was heading down the driveway to make sure my neighbor wasn't already reading my newspaper - when I saw this wonderful scene from my hilltop home. It is all about the light!

Back to the Middle Kingdom!

2007-02-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

It seems like it's been forever since we have been over to San Simeon. We finally made it over on president's weekend. We do love Abe and George much more than we think.

What a place? One of our favorites is just north of Hearst Castle where the elephant seals are everywhere - just enjoying the beach and the sunshine.

Snow finally arrives!

2007-02-25T23:22:00.000-08:00

Snow blanketed at our home last Friday closing schools and Hwy. 58 for part of the day. It was time to build a snowman and get out the snow disk and head down the driveway. It was beautiful! We need the snow, rain, water and it seems winter has arrived.

What an Awesome Wedding Photo Workshop!

2007-02-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

I had the awesome opportunity to travel to Santa Barbara and hang out with Tim Halberg and his beautiful wife Cheryl this weekend. Tim taught a mini-workshop on wedding photography. Both Doug Miranda and I quizzed Tim for hours to learn more about setting up our wedding businesses. Tim and Cheryl are wonderful hosts and excellent photographers if I may say so myself and so is Doug!!! The top photo is of my daughter's art work on the SB beach from a previous visit - she calls it "feet." Bottom photo is of a boat Kipper style.