Focus on fitness

One thing I appreciate about the City of Downey is its focus on fitness. From the walks with the mayor started a few years ago by past mayor Mario Guerra, to the plans for bike path improvements throughout Downey, the focus is on getting people out of the house and into the open.

The latest focus on fitness is at Furman Park. The new and improved walking path was completed in November. The final stage of the park improvements is this outdoor stationary fitness equipment.

All the more reason to take a walk at Furman Park.

Just a little flash

Assignment: Use your flash to take a picture of someone against a bright sky. Adjust your camera and flash settings so that the sky isn't washed out and the person's face isn't in shadow.

So, how did I do? (Hint: I still need to tone down that flash a little more, so that it looks more natural.)

This is the first week of  Intermediate Photography, a four-week class taught by photographer Joan Day (above, center) at the Downey Adult School. We're learning to use flash effectively. I rarely use my flash, and therefore, I've never really learned to use it well. So I'm learning a lot and having fun in the process.

This week's class covered theory and some hands-on practice at the school, where we take turns being photographer and model. The rest of the weeks will be field trips, where we can practice in fun locations.

Need a tow?

I'm back down in San Diego this weekend and was out adventuring looking for a fun local park to take a walk when I came across the Cesar Chavez Park at the Port of San Diego.

More interesting than the park itself was the fact that the small park was set on the edge of a working port. Tow boats were tied up along the pier just across from a walking pier set out from the park.

At the end of the cement walking pier was a great view of Coronado Bridge crossing over San Diego Bay.

It's a small world

And no, I'm not talking about the Small World ride at Disneyland.

I had the opportunity to attend an LA Kings hockey game again this week. But considering that this isn't a Downey event (and that we posted about the previous game here), I wasn't planning on turning this outing into a Downey Daily post—until I looked up and saw Don Lamkin doing pushups on the big screen during a break in the game.

Don is a local Downey resident and the artist responsible for the Downey Doodle-icious mural in downtown Downey. According to Don, the promotion folks grabbed him and his buddy and talked them into a push-up contest for a Golds Gym sponsored in-house "commercial." They both won gift boxes filled with healthy snacks. (By the way, Don won the competition with 36 pushups to his friend's 34.)

Night construction

Three streets of our neighbors here in Downey were without electricity tonight because the telephone poles holding their electrical wires were being replaced. It will take the Herman Weissker Inc. workmen all night to replace all six poles.

The poles were first installed in the 1920s and need to be replaced before an accident happens. Each pole must have its wires disconnected and then reconnected to the new pole. Some of this work happens in the air.

And some happens on the ground.

How does your garden grow?

I took this picture on Naples Island, which is part of Long Beach just twenty miles south of Downey. It was during Christmas and we went there to see the homes lit up for the season. This tree intrigued me with its growing sideways. I should go back during the spring or summer to see it with leaves on.

Magical snow

Yesterday Pam talked about the sky exploding and the thunder, lightning, and pounding rain we experienced. Well, it's dry now and almost feels like spring.

But, looking up Paramount Blvd. you can see that when the sky explodes, it doesn't just mean rain. The mountains were absolutely covered in snow, as if by magic! Even from Smallwood, the snowy mountain tops loomed above the trees.

Looking up at all that snow had me wishing I could drop everything and go enjoy it...make snow angels and just have fun.

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event."
~ JB Priestly

The sky explodes

I stopped at Downey Gateway yesterday while looking for pictures. I thought, with the rain, that I wouldn't have any difficulty finding a parking place. But I was wrong—the parking lot was full.

But that's not what I really want to talk about today. What I really want to talk about is last night's rain. It started out gently enough. But within a few short minutes, it was raining cats and dogs out there! With my window slightly open, the sound of the falling rain soon drowned out the sitcom I was watching. I thought, too bad I can't take a picture of the sounds. And I settled back to enjoy the rain.

Then, boom! the thunder came, the perfect finale.

"I love thunderstorms. Because sometimes nature can't handle the pressure. Because sometimes the sky explodes."
~ Unknown