Sixty-Fifth Birthday ~ November 14, 2010

Jim & Peg ~ Gone 'American Gothic' in Utah?

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2010 jim otterstrom

My 65th Birthday gift, a beautiful sturdy pitchfork, inspired this tongue-in-cheek parody of the severe tone of Grant Wood's 1930 painting, 'American Gothic', which depicts a 19th Century farmer with his daughter in front of their farmhouse.

Well, I'm not quite old enough to be Peggy's father, she's only seven years younger than I, but we had fun making this image anyway, and we are portraying a husband and wife team here.

Peggy has an authentic weary expression on her face because she was getting tired of holding up that heavy basket of apples as I experimented with camera settings and tripod adjustments while making several different exposures.

We think her strained expression suggests something of the difficulty in being a hard working farm wife married to the ornery old coot she's standing next to, and Peg says she's also amused by the way her glasses slid down her nose to give it that pinched look.

The apples, from my mother's orchard (directly behind where the camera was located), were later baked into my birthday pie and Peg also made a cheesecake for the occasion.

Our son, Jimmy, who shares the same birthday is here too, so he and I conjured up a bar-b-que under a canopy out of the rain which began falling shortly after the photo was made.

The home-cooked food was delicious; my birthday dinner consisted of a deliberately tiny, lean, and tender steak, asparagus stalks grilled with rosemary, thyme, & pepper (Jimmy's recipe), a small baked potato dressed in olive oil and cracked pepper, a small broccoli salad with red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, and other secret ingredients, and, of course, a sliver of Peggy's scrumptious wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, apple pie with allspice, nutmeg, and fresh ginger. Oh, and another little sliver of that irresistable cheesecake with the graham cracker crust.

And, I received gifts too, the pitchfork, a pair of Carhart workpants, thick winter socks, and some extremely warm & soft insulated elk hide gloves.

Jimmy's gifts included a new amp for his electric guitar and he spent much of the day entertaining us while I was also enjoying a couple of glasses of Moab Brewery's tasty Dead Horse Amber Ale (the last of my 'growler'), and later some nice Merlot.

I can assure you, a very enjoyable day was had by all (especially grandma I think), and I appreciate more every day what a rare and priviledged time we live in, very unlike the recent past, and the very near future.

~enjoy each precious moment~

Click on painting to enlarge - 'American Gothic'

circa 1930 by Grant Wood

PG&Es Smoking Gun?

Ground Zero of San Bruno

Gas Explosion (before the explosion)

Click on image to enlarge - © 2010 by Google

This image from Google Earth shows the intersection of Earl Avenue and Glenview Drive in San Bruno, California sometime before the PG&E gas explosion which occurred here at approximately 6:24 PM on September 9th.

You'll notice what appears to be an asphalt patch running diagonally across the upper part of the intersection, possibly indicating some recent excavation work there, but what is much more interesting is the white painted oval outlining the entire intersection.

That prophetic oval predicts the exact position of the crater which was later created by the blast.

Residents in the area had apparently been reporting the smell of gas for some weeks before the accident and some reported that PG&E employees came out and did a survey of the area.

What did PG&E employees discover? Why is the location of the future crater marked so perfectly? If PG&E did know or suspect there was a leak why didn't they respond more urgently?

Good questions for those who lost loved ones or homes, or who have been injured, burned, or maimed by this tragedy. Was it preventable?'

~~~~~

I discovered this image while trying to find out exactly how close the explosion was to our sons girlfriends mothers house, which, I discovered, is about a block and a half south of the crater.

We thought our son, Jimmy, was staying there and had called the house, coincidently, just moments after the explosion happened, and his girlfriend, Dyanne, answered saying she couldn't talk because there had just been a plane crash or something and they were being evacuated.

We spent the next 18 hours or so believing our son was there too, and couldn't make any contact with them. It turns out that our son had gone to North Carolina a few days earlier and probably wasn't aware of what was going on in San Bruno, because he has no phone right now.

Anyhow it was a very long day for us and we still haven't heard from Dyanne, but I'm assuming she is OK because, from the pictures available now, it looks like her mom's place wasn't affected except by the evacuation order. They probably can't go home until the utilities are restored.

~

~postscript~

We got a finally got phone call from Dyanne this morning. They are back at her mom's house now but still have no gas service, and no internet. She had to go to the library to send me an e-mail and her phone service just came back up.

She said the whole thing was such a frightening experience that she's still at a loss for words...

Avalon, Catalina - May 10th 2007

AVALON - FROM THE PIER ON THURSDAY

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 by Jeff Stanford/L.A. Times

Most of you know that our son Jimmy lives in Avalon, on Catalina Island, with his girlfriend Sandra. Jimmy was out fishing Thursday when he first saw the smoke and I believe Sandra was at a ranch or stable outside of Avalon working with some horses. We talked with Jimmy about dusk Thursday evening as he was waiting at the pier with Sandra's brother Gregor. They had her cat and bird there with them, in cages, but didn't know exactly where Sandra was at the time. Apparently she showed up at the pier somewhat later and they were all evacuated on a Catalina Express boat at 11 P.M. They're staying with Sandra's sister in Southgate, so, everybody's safe & well, thankfully, and the beautiful historic town of Avalon has now been spared too.

I was also happy to learn that the first Bald Eagle chicks to hatch naturally on Catalina (earlier this year) since DDT wiped out the native populations decades ago were not harmed in the fire. However, it is not yet known what effects the fire will have on the endangered Island Kit Fox population, which is hanging on by a thread.

Fire season is upon us very early this year and Southern California, including our San Benardino Mountains, is a tinder box. Big Bear is in a virtual tie for its driest winter on record with 5.63 inches of precipitation when our average is 20.68 inches.

I'm just hoping for a good Monsoon Summer that gets us so wet the lightning can't ignite anything.

I don't know how life is going for all you other folks but there never seems to be a dull moment in our lives anymore. I'm reminded again of the old Roman curse, "May you live in interesting times". And it looks to me like times are getting more interesting by the day!

Now, where have we been all these weeks???

More computer problems! Somehow a piece of malignant high-risk spyware (one which I could find no way to remove) got past Norton and infected my computer. When I bought this computer in January it came with a free upgrade to Windows Vista which I was leary of installing because of possible compatibilty problems with some of my older software. Well, the spyware spurred me on to wipe my drive and start clean with Vista, and, just as I suspected, several of my programs were not compatible. I'm still rebuilding files and re-installing updated versions of my software. I finally have Photoshop installed again so maybe I can catch up a bit now on what's been going on around here.

HAPPY 25TH JIMMY!

Click on photos to enlarge

Jimmy & Sandra-

It was great talking with both of you on the phone this morning.

Thanks for the call, and I hope you guys have a great day roaming around together on the back-trails of your island paradise.

We've invited Grant and Bill, from next door, and Cheri, from across the street, over for Mexican food tonight in celebration of our birthdays.

For those who don't know, our son Jimmy and I share the same birthday. Today he's 25 and I'm 61. Another coincidence in our birthdays is, that every year of our lives, if you take the numbers of each of our ages and add them together, they are always the same number. This year his 2 and 5 make 7, as do my 6 and 1.

Just one of life's interesting little oddities.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM!

I love you man...

...and Sandra, we love you too!

Sandra & Jimmy...

Click on photo to enlarge

Our son Jimmy came over from Catalina for a visit on Mother's Day weekend bringing his new girlfriend Sandra to meet us.

Sandra just glows, from the inside out, and Peggy and I were both very taken with her beauty and joyful spirit. We've known and loved her brother Gregor for years but we had never met Sandra before. Wow!

She and Jimmy went camping at Deep Creek Hot Springs Thursday night and Friday, spending Friday night and Saturday morning here with us.

Sandra, 25, is a tour-guide who captains inflatable boats for small-group excursions from Catalina Island, while sharing with the tourists her infectiously outgoing personality and love of nature, as they view Sea Lions, Otters, Dolphins and other wildlife of the area in its natural habitat.

Jimmy Update - April 2006 - Life Goes On

Click on photo to enlarge

Considering that our son Jimmy has been declared permanently legally blind at 24, he's doing pretty damned good.

On March 13th he moved to the City of Avalon*, on Catalina Island. He's the last one in line in the photo above (blonde hair, red jacket and sunglasses), waiting to board the catamaran for the 26 mile trip from Long Beach.

Jim phoned me after the trip, excited to tell me about the four-hundred plus dolphins that played alongside the boat all the way over. Apparently he can see well enough to make out their shapes and get an idea of their antics. Jimmy's been on several ocean-going trips, and dolphins are a familiar sight to him, so maybe some of it is from memory.

He's living with his long-time buddy Gregor, who grew up alternately between Catalina and Big Bear. Jimmy spent a lot of time over there prior to his car accident and really loves the place. Avalon is so tiny that it's not practical to have a car, which is good for Jim because he can't drive anymore, and he doesn't feel so conspicuous in a town where, essentially, nobody drives.

Jimmy's been doing a lot of ocean kayaking, hiking and playing his guitar. His room-mates all play guitar too so he has some like-minded companions. Another uplifting development is that Gregor has a sister who's taken a liking to Jim. She's a captain on tour boats there, so it seems that Jimmy has a new girlfriend who is including him in her adventures as well.

Jimmy can see shapes and colors, can differentiate between a $10, $20, or $100 bill by looking at it up close with his peripheral vision. He goes kayaking by himself and can make out the horizon, the shoreline, and the scenery to some extent, but says he has to be careful of approaching boats because he can't accurately perceive objects moving toward him at speed.

His plans for the immediate future are to take a massage therapy course this June in San Diego, and he says that a woman in Avalon has already promised him work once he completes the class. He's determined to find new ways to make a living and get off Social Security Disability.

But I think the most positive and encouraging thing right now is that he's finding ways to enjoy himself, and I really admire the bravery he's shown us through this past 7 1/2 months.

And for those of you who are curious, his previous girlfriend, Lindsay, has moved back to Colorado with her parents. Obviously, this was a very tough experience for a 21 year-old girl to come to terms with, but we will always be grateful for the courage and clear-thinking she demonstrated during the immediate aftermath of the accident. Her actions undeniably saved Jimmy's life (see post from Sept. 02, 2005).

postscript

Jimmy has asked me not to talk about his situation on the blog, but what he possibly doesn't understand is that he's not in this alone.

Thus, I've decided that I need to be able to talk about this now & then as part of my own grieving and healing.

This has been a major life-changing event for our family, a tragic occurrence that affected all of us very deeply. The unavoidable reality is that these have been difficult and stressful months for us, and for me to simply take pictures of birds and scenery, or discuss gardening, crafts, the environment, or current world events during this time, has often left me feeling frustratingly isolated, because there were much more immediate and personal things on my mind.

Another aspect is, that there are many of you out there who are also concerned, and I've felt I should have been able to let you know what's going on too!

So now you have an update, and I've been able to share a bit of what's going on with Jimmy, and I feel better for it.

With love,

Jim

* The 'Avalon Bay' photo at the above 'City Of Avalon' link is by Aaron Logan and was downloaded from Wikipedia.

A Winter Long Ago...

Click on photo to enlarge

While searching my files for the picture of our friend Mike (see second post below) I came across this one of Jimmy that was taken moments after he won a First Place trophy in his very first ski race at the age of 6.

By the way, Jimmy and I share the same birthday, November 14th, and many similar personality traits, including a strong-willed stubborn rebellious daredevil streak that has nearly killed each one of us.

He, in his 4X4 truck over the edge last August, and me, 27 years ago, in an 80 mph solo motorcycle crash in Malibu Canyon.

When Jimmy was about 4 years old I came outside one morning in the 5 AM darkness to collect our newspaper, and heard Jimmy calling to me confidently from the tip-top of a 75 foot tall Jeffrey Pine, and that was just the beginning.

The only time I can remember seeing my mother in public without make-up was the wee hours of the morning Jimmy was born, when she rushed to the hospital, looked me in the eyes, and said with great conviction, "Now you're going to get yours", words that have sent chills down my spine many times since.

In case I haven't said it before,

I'm sorry mom, really sorry...

I Love You!

Jim

Counting Our Blessings!

Click on photo to enlarge

Our brave handsome son Jimmy is alive and smiling at the dawn of 2006, and he says, "If the loss of my vision is permanent, it's not going to ruin my life, I'll find ways to do the things I want to do and enjoy life, you'll see dad."

Jimmy loves the guitar I gave him for Christmas, it was my beloved Gibson, but I prefer to play acoustic, and he likes electric, so it's the perfect gift at the right time I think.

I enjoy hearing him down in his room playing softly into the wee hours of the night, it soothes me to sleep at a time when I'm experiencing insomnia and have been very restless & worried.

Observing Jimmy's courage during these extremely difficult days has made it easier for Peggy and I to deal with too, but I realize it's still very early in a long long period of adjustment, and he is going to need plenty of support.

Jimmy's working on pumping back up that buff physique he sported a few months ago so we set up a weight bench on the deck to assist in his efforts.

I don't know if I've posted this before, but just 48 days after Jimmy's wreck, another local kid, Nathan Hoover, 22 years of age and also a carpenter, went off Forest Road 2N02 in exactly the same place as Jimmy & Lindsay did, but Nate was killed. It's a small town and we knew Nate, and his parents too, from our years at the Post Office, but the magnitude of their tragedy puts our suffering into perspective doesn't it?

We are here, we are healing, and we are thinking of you all as well...

I, for one, am hoping for a more fruitful and much less traumatic 2006!

Love,

Jim

Olde Tyme Photo

Click on photo to enlarge

#18
I hope you'll forgive me too Jamie for all the times I asked the family to dress or pose for pictures, or dragged you off every few years to Richard Millener's studio for another portrait.

I realize none of you were as enthusiastic about this as I was, but you usually humored me.

This olde time photo was meant to portray us as the opposite of ourselves, a rather strict orthodox pioneer family with very serious lives, in dramatic contrast with our free-spirited, fun-loving democratic lifestyle, and to greatly amuse our friends & family.

The irony is, that in hindsight, the portrait turns out to be a very realistic study of us.

While you're not likely to catch me toting a bible, there I am rule book in hand, projecting a moral obligation to enforce boundaries when neccesary, while your beautiful unwaveringly even-tempered mother towers tall behind the family embracing us in her determination to hold it all together by being there for everyone. Your brother already exhibiting his proud defiant independent streak stands, rifle in hand, ready to defend himself and his family from all-comers, while a lovely young Jamie with a huge heart and and a laughing spirit struggles once again to keep a straight face.

We may not have all the right answers but we've sure been giving it a damned good try and I treasure all the memories of my beautiful family and the life you've given me to cherish.

Thank you...

Snugbugs In The Toyota Camper

Click on photo to enlarge

#19

How much fun we all had on our camping adventures to the mountains, the deserts and the ocean.

I knew then that I would never be happier and I wished that we could remain as we were, always.

Love...

Click on photo to enlarge

#21

OK, now I realize there's no possible way to say what needs to be said in 21 pictures, or even 21,000.

What I thought would take a few hours has taken two solid days of teary-eyed reminiscing, all mixed in with the frustration of electronic technology.

But I hope you understand what I'm trying to say, what you mean to us, and how much you've enriched our lives.

This picture of you and your brother says so much more than my words can.

So again...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

...and many happy returns.

We Love You!

Jimmy, Lindsay & Dallas

Click on photo to enlarge

Lindsay just returned today from a visit home to Evergreen, Colorado where she visited her parents.

I'm sure they were quite relieved to verify that Lindsay's all in one piece after going over the cliff with Jimmy, but I can testify for certain that Jimmy is elated to have her back here again.

Survivors!!!

Click on photo to enlarge

It's hard to believe that just five short weeks ago these kids went over a 450 foot cliff in a Toyota 4X4.
I had to post two pictures of them today just because I could.
This is an extremely lucky young couple and we're so fortunate to still have them in our lives.
Now comes the job of caring, nurturing, promoting health & healing, and patiently waiting for improvement in Jimmy's vision.
Keep sending those positive thoughts and well wishes our way...

...and THANK YOU ALL!!!

Jimmy & Dallas - October First...

Click on photo to enlarge

Jimmy & Dallas on the Alpine Pedal Path this afternoon during our 6 mile walk.
Peggy & I have taken a break from our chores today for some sunshine and exercise with Jimmy.

We got a mix of good & bad news the other day on the condition of Jimmy's eyes.
There is blood in both eyes which is blocking his vision, but in the right eye the blood is actually in the retina itself, where in the left eye it is in front of the retina.

We were told nothing can be done about the blood in the retina but, considering his age, strength and good health, it could eventually disperse on its own.
The blood in the left eye supposedly can be removed, with a simple surgical procedure during an office visit which is good news, but it was also explained to us that the existing blood is preventing a thorough examination of the left eye for other damage that might be concealed by the blood.

Jimmy has an appointment with a retinal surgeon on Monday for further evaluation, and we are hoping that removing the blood from the left eye will give him further clarity and some encouraging hope while his eyes are healing.

Jimmy is noticing improvement in his peripheal vision every day and can see some definition in things off to either side. He can walk along the street, on a sidewalk, or smooth path without much difficulty, but he can't see details like a pothole, a bump, or a rock that he might trip over. Neither can he see approaching objects like cars or bicycles until they're just a few feet away so someone needs to be with him at all times for guidance.

If he looks at vey large print from the side, like the header on the Los Angeles Times, Jimmy can make out what it says, but looking straight on he can see only vague blurry shapes, what little vision he has is almost all peripheal at this point.

We all believe his vision will eventually improve and Jimmy is just working on getting exercise and eating as healthy as possible to enable his body to do its healing work.

Obviously this is a very difficult ordeal for a young & strong craftsman who makes his living at carpentry, but Jimmy is maintaining a positive attitude most of the time which can only aid his progress.

Jimmy At Home Today

Click on photo to enlarge

We brought Jimmy home from the hospital yesterday after 17 days there.

He's making good progress every hour now and looking very much like his old self in this picture taken just a few minutes ago.

The trachea tube has been removed from his throat and the swelling of his jaw is much less pronounced, especially on the left side as you can see, but the right side is still quite swollen and the surgeons think they may need to go back in and drain it some.

His right arm has a fracture and is in a splint for the time being, it may be put in a regular cast next week.

His appetite is great, but for the moment he can only have liquids or finely pureed foods, so Peggy made a delicious organic chicken soup today and Lindsay pureed a big batch of it for Jim.

He ate a large portion of it for dinner just now with two glasses of whole milk and organic blueberry applesauce for dessert.

We can't get the bandage over his tracheal wound wet so Lindsay gave him a bath in water up to his chest this afternoon and then I laid him on a table on the deck to shampoo his hair.

After that we sat out in the sunny garden while I wrapped his face in a steamy towel and shaved him, a relaxing experience for both of us.

Jimmy still can't see anything except blurred shapes & colors, but during his shave he said he thought he could make out some leaf detail in a nearby quaking aspen, and when I held up two fingers he couldn't make them out, but he could see the two fingers of my hand shadowed on the ground.

It seems to me that his vision has improved ever so slightly over the past week or so, but we'll just have to wait & see what happens over time.

Lindsay & Jimmy walked around the block together this morning and he's already asking to go on longer walks.

He's getting stronger by the moment and is very glad to be home where hopefully we can give him all the love and care he'll need for a full recovery.

We almost lost him...

Jimmy's Wrecked Truck...

Click on photo to enlarge
Photo by Lindsay Deneke

Sitting in a remote ravine after tumbling 450' down a steep mountainside are the remains of Jimmy's Toyota truck.

The destruction is complete and it's hard to believe that Lindsay walked away from this or that either one of them even survived it.

In the enlarged photo you can see the crumpled roof (behind and right of the steering wheel) which was cut away to extricate Jimmy.

For The 'Love' Of Our Cars!!!

Click on photo to enlarge

Photo taken on Thursday 8:18 P.M. September 1st at Loma Linda Hospital

Our 23 year old son Jimmy after driving his 4X4 truck off a 450 foot cliff last Sunday morning at 1 AM.

Since 1903 something approaching 4 million people have been killed in automobiles in America alone.

This doesn't take into account all the crippled & maimed victims, the ruined families, the incredible number of animals wiped out, the destruction of habitat for highways & roads, the immeasurable amount of poison we've dumped into our air & water, or the countless lives being lost everyday to our criminally-waged oil wars!

There is nothing on this earth I despise more than the automobile with it's all-consuming murderous infrastructure, and the pain I'm feeling right now, as I suffer with my family over our sons injuries, will only strengthen my resolve to live without a GOD-DAMNED car!!

Yes, our son is young & reckless, and very much at fault for this accident, but a great number of people who's lives are destroyed by this beast of an invention are completely innocent!

Jimmy is lucky this time, he's still alive, but his jaw is severely broken, he's breathing through a trachea tube so he can't speak, and for the moment he can't see anything either, and we still don't know if his vision will improve or not.

But his spine is OK, he can move his hands & feet, and he's communicating by writing.

Miraculously, Jimmy's girlfriend Lindsay suffered only minor injuries and was able to climb out of the canyon in the dark, walking 5 miles on a dirt road (with only one shoe) to summon the help which saved Jim's life, and we are so grateful for her clear thinking under such stress.

Lindsay even thought to tie her sweatshirt to a tree at the accident site, because the car was so far down the ravine that it couldn't be seen from the road (even with the emergency lights flashing), and she wasn't sure she could find her way back there.

By the time she got help and they were able to rescue him, after repelling all their equipment into the canyon, Jimmy had been trapped in that truck for 7 hours and his tongue had swollen to the point where it was cutting off his air supply.

They got there just in time!

Today Lindsay is our heroine, but they both could've easily died right there, and nobody would've even found them yet.

So please, go back up and enlarge the photo of Jimmy, take a long look, and before you put your babies or other loved ones in the car again, ask yourselves if that trip is really necessary.

Hospitals are overflowing with victims of the automobile, and those are the lucky ones.

I will soon have much more to say about the insanity of our auto-addicted culture, but right now I must go to the hospital...