Everything's Better wtih Chocolate

A fountain of melted chocolate, a pile of marshmallows, fresh strawberries and Bananas - this is my idea of heaven!

Ideas come from all kinds of places and I'd really like to know what the catalyst for this idea was. Did someone stand in front of a real fountain and think "that would be so good if it was chocolate"? Was this inventor a Willy Wonka fan, a chocoholic?

By the way, (this is the story I heard) the original title of that movie was going to be Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, just like the book, only Nestle decided to come out with a Wonka bar and wanted the tie-in for marketing so the name of the movie was changed to Willie Wonka. Unfortunately, the formula used to make the chocolate bars was not shelf stable and they melted on the grocers shelves. The movie and the candy bars were unsuccessful, although the original Willy Wonka movie has become a cult hit over the years and you can still find Wonka bars in some stores (reformulated, of course).

Once reserved only for posh parties, anybody can buy these chocolate fountains now. I think you can even do melted cheese in them if you want to do a fondue type food rather than dessert.  What's next - a gravy fountain?

Where there's rain...

...there's a rainbow! I can't help myself. If it's raining and the sun comes out, even the slightest bit, I'm out looking for rainbows.

If it has to be raining I would much rather be: 1) walking out in it (as long as I have really good rain boots) or 2) at home in front of the fire with a good book and a hot drink. The last place I want to be is working when it's raining. At least it rained hard enough to wash the dirt off my car instead of just making mud.

The rain was very distracting today and thus I did not get much work done. I spent a lot of time looking out the window watching the rain. It was so windy today at times the rain was horizontal! Have you ever noticed how the rain sounds just like frying bacon? True. And have you ever noticed how clean everything looks the next sunny day after a hard rain? The trees are all shiny (well, at least the one's that aren't lying broken in the street - I saw several of those on my way home tonight).

Soon enough all the hillsides will be lush and green again. And so goes the wheel of the year turning along.

Fruit Sculpture

This is what happens to people who don't listen when their parents tell them "don't play with your food". They're making lots of money creating food sculptures for events.

Moonstone Beach

I love living in California! Where else can I take tree pictures in a mountain forest in the morning then beautiful coastal shots in the afternoon.  My two loves - trees and the CA coastline. I have more pictures of those two subjects than any thing else (well, Disneyland may be close).

As beautiful as some things are that humans have built over the centuries, nothing can compete with the sheer beauty, power and awesomeness of mother nature! I am drawn to the ocean as much as I am drawn to trees, although I don't get down to the ocean as much as I would like to.

Past Lives of Orbitron

I was going through photos at work and came across this photo of paint chips. Chips were about all that was left of the paint job on this car - it reminds me of carved candles you see at carnivals and craft fairs.  I'm sure each layer of paint tells a story all it's own.

This is the famous (or infamous) Orbibron, originally built by Big Daddy Roth in 1964. It got lost, then it got found again years later (in a REALLY SORRY state). It was lovingly restored at Galpin Auto Sports and is again the showpiece it once was (see below for a link to it's history, including original photos, the exciting and sorded life it led and it's rebirth).


I didn't take this photo. Not sure who did exactly. By the time they called me over to take photos of the paint chips they were in a pile on the floor around the car. There were several of us taking LOADS of photos during this vehicle's transformation. This might be the most photographed car in history.

http://www.theorbitron.com  and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TS-o2TLpMA

Cameras

While looking for something else the other day I discovered I have 14 cameras. How did that happen? I have no idea. I purchased 4 or 5 of them, the others I aquired by friends giving them to me I think. Some of them work, some don't. The "Brownie" in this photo is broken, but I know I have a working one somewhere (probably packed away in someone's garage). I do have one of the ill-fated Kodak instant cameras (I think I bought that one at a yard sale). They lost a lawsuit with Polaroid and had to stop making instant cameras.

I have a Lubitel camera that says "made in the U.S.S.R. (which doesn't even exist any more). I'm very sad that this one is broken. One of the "petals" on the iris is stuck and I don't know where I could get this fixed. I only used it a few times before it broke. It only cost me $25 to buy the thing originally so I can't complain too much.

I don't know where the twin lens Yashika Mat came from or even if it works. I'll have to buy some film and try it out. It's a VERY heavy camera.

Polaroid announced that they were discontinuing the instant film last year. Apparently there was such an outcry from loyal users that they are coming out with new cameras again. Gotta give the public what they want.

If I could just trade in all these cameras for a really good digital SLR I'd be happy.

Happy Mazdas

 

I was walking around the dealership the other day delivering fliers and as I walked across the Mazda lot, I noticed that they looked like they were smiling. Do you think they design them that way deliberately? Do you think their designers sit around and ask, what anime character should make this one look like? The one on the left here really reminds me of someone, but I don't remember who.