John Wiley
Remembering Delightful Ellen Downing
Our dear friend and local luminary Ellen Downing passed in her sleep Monday 6/9/25. She enriched countless lives in the Santa Barbara region with her work at SBCC, most notably in creating and managing SBCC's "Mind & Supermind: Expanding the…
Patience, and Clear Sky in Sunset Reservoir
Monday was our most unusual ever, flying a small plane out of SBA. Going on a planned early afternoon flight to Lompoc, we joined over a dozen other aircraft waiting for takeoff. Normally, aircraft inbound to SBA are shuffled like…
Up & Down: Sierra Madres to Santa Barbara
The repeating "water cycle" can be interesting. Say you start with this snow we saw lingering atop the Sierra Madre a few minutes' flight from SBA a week ago. I think of "solid state" water like that, as cold and…
Cuyama Colors
After searching Figueroa for wildflowers, John Wiley flew along Hwy. 166 toward Cuyama and found plenty. The journey was scenic, with water in Twitchell and then a glimpse of these "Gorilla Rocks" (anyone know the name?) at about 35.112,-120.122 on…
Water World: Aerial Views of Santa Barbara County Reservoirs
With a zoom lens, clear day, and small plane, John Wiley checked on some SB County reservoirs and sent Ed these pix. Jameson was overflowing down the steep stairsteps of the dam. I wonder if one of those sensors atop…
Figueroa Mountain Wildflowers
Here's a pic of the only dense bloom of wildflowers we spotted as our Tuesday flight passed over the ridge from about Happy Canyon to Grass Mountain and Zaca Lake. Tonight I'll send Ed pix of the much larger multi-colored…
Lipstick Wildlife?
Looking at snapshots from a recent flight, John Wiley wondered about the name of the next canyon East below the Arroyo Burro Trail (next canyon West from San Roque Creek). Unless someone can provide a definitive name, he's calling it…
Springs, Falls & Serenity
Flying SB is always different. For example, these rites of Spring on the new SBHS stadium. Memories of magnificent Fall colors around town from prior flights vanished as we cruised the IV cliffs near SBA. Don't some of these dwellings…