Melody's Musings

Stuff that catches my fancy and random, sorted thoughts from the inner scrambles of my mind.

What you may expect to find here are what I consider good taste and some of the best in photography, philosophy, humor, art, architecture, food, music, poetry, literature and dance. I hope you like some of the things I enjoy.

I like anything to do with good design such as interior design, architecture, photography, and art. I enjoy philosophy and psychology. I love to figure out what makes individuals tick. Music of most all types but particularly classical, world, pop, acoustic guitar is a big part of my life and add some dance to the music and my day is great! I like to write and occasionally I will write poetry and I really love to read it out loud and I even record it sometimes.

I'm a Myers-Briggs type ENFJ which means I love people and have a great interest in them.

I guess you could say I'm a humanities kind of person. :)

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Fri Apr 26

My Brother’s Dodge Daytona “The Winged Warrior”

“World’s Fastest Street Driven Daytona”

My brother raced this car at Willow Springs, Mesa Meran and Riverside International Raceway. It was tagged and registered for the street making it the “World’s Fastest Street Driven Daytona.”

He went on to race it at El Mirage Dry Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats. The best time turned was 210.339 mph, less than seven miles an hour off the record. It was believed to be the last Charger Daytona to be raced in any type of sanctioned motorsports.

For this high-speed, streamlined “Winged Warrior” assault on the salt, my brother chose a variety of premium parts. With the stock factory cylinder heads carefully stored away, a set of Stage V Engineering Hemi heads with 2-3/8” titanium intake valves and 1.96” titanium exhaust valves took care of business with a Competition Cams 292 degree duration and .690” lift roller camshaft. The air/fuel mixture was ignited by two Holley 4500 carbs down a Keith Black modified Wieand intake manifold. Arias 13-to-1 pistons were connected to a vintage Kellog Pro Stock crankshaft with Childs & Alberts rods. Custom 2.25” headers expelled the spent gases. The Chrysler Hemi was punched out to 440 cid pumping out an estimated 750 horsepower.

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Tue Apr 23

California Red-Sided Garter Snake. Absolutely beautiful!

Do you have a sophisticated taste? Then I bet you’ll find something of interest here.

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Fri Mar 8

TRUE STORY: Department that regulates healthcare in California is run by a former lobbyist. Now, regulator refuses to enforce the law. More here: http://bit.ly/16eOPqb

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Fri Feb 8

Jayne Mansfield places her hands in Marilyn Monroe’s hand prints outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, California, 1955

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Sun Jan 27

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California

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Tue Nov 13

The Carson Mansion is a large Victorian house located in Old Town, Eureka, California. Regarded as one of the highest executions of American Queen Anne Style architecture, the home is

The Carson Mansion is one of the most written about and photographed Victorian houses in California, and perhaps, in the United States.

Carter House Inns is an enclave of four magnificent Victorians perched alongside Humboldt Bay in charming Old Town, Eureka, California.

Thomas F. Ricks House, 730 H Street, Eureka, California - Built 1885 - is on the National Register of Historic Places

The beautiful, historic Eagle House Victorian Inn has been sitting majestically on the corner of 2nd &

Victorian Mansions of Eureka, California

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Tue Oct 16

World’s Largest Biogas Fuel Cell Power Plant Launches at California Sewage Treatment Facility

Today FuelCell Energy, Inc. announced the dedication and operation of the world’s largest carbon neutral fuel cell power plant – a 2.8 megawatt DFC3000 stationary fuel cell power plant installation at a water treatment facility in California. The plant’s unique on-site fuel cell application converts biogas, a harmful greenhouse gas, into electricity and usable high-quality heat in a carbon-neutral fashion that emits virtually no pollutants.

The plant, previously owned by FuelCell Energy, Inc. was recently sold to Anaergia, Inc., a project developer and investor. Anaergia is selling the electricity and heat to Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) under a twenty year power purchase agreement.

As you’re probably aware, wastewater treatment is stinky business. In California, public utilities are prohibited from releasing the biogas generated by the wastewater treatment process directly into the atmosphere, as it is a harmful greenhouse gas. Instead of simply burning the gas and generating even more air pollutants, the fuel cell technology captures this energy and turns it into clean electrical power.

“This 2.8 megawatt fuel cell power plant is the world’s largest power plant operating on renewable on-site biogas. Our fuel cell technology is uniquely positioned to provide what other megawatt-class power generation products can’t, which is efficiently converting biogas into continuous power right where the biogas is generated and in a manner that is virtually absent of pollutants,” said Chip Bottone, President and Chief Executive Officer, FuelCell Energy, Inc. “This project is a win for everyone involved, particularly the citizens of California that benefit from privately financed carbon-neutral power generation.”

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Sat Sep 22

From connectedtraveler.com: Black and white still photography from the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert.

Photography by Russell Johnson

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Thu Jun 28

Home Architecture An Architect’s Long-Due Dream Beach House

An Architect’s Long-Due Dream Beach House

Designed for and by architect and owner Lewis W. Butler of Butler Armsden Architects, this project was completed by the conception of warm tones beautifying the interiors, work done by Scavullo Design. The heart-warming design showcased by this Californian beach villa was inspired by the beautiful weather and strives to create a strong connection to the surroundings. Spotted on Desire To Inspire, the Stinson Beach House displays a casual collection of building materials like red cedar shingles, bluestone paving the courtyard or Alaskan yellow cedar adorning the ocean side terrace.

This is the story behind the inviting set of private and public spaces: “In 1950 a family bought a lot on the ocean at Stinson Beach in Northern California, but it wasn’t until 1982 that they began to plan a house for three generations. Besides the natural challenges of the coastal environment, there was the additional requirement of having the house carry forward the spirit of a William Wurster designed house built for the same family in Santa Cruz in 1935. The William Wurster house was well known as his only real courtyard house, and also for the large outdoor living room that was very unusual for its time. The plan evolved into an H shape, with a living room at the center, and the wings creating outdoor spaces facing both the Pacific Ocean, and the coastal range, in either direction. Rather than having an outdoor living room, the traditional living room has large sets of sliding doors that open to a position that matches the adjoining windows exactly, creating a distinctly outdoor experience. Depending on the weather, the doors can be open to the ocean, mountains, or both which provides great flexibility for enjoying the outdoors, indoors.”

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Tue Mar 20

The striking features of Mono Lake

Located within a desert in California, Mono Lake won’t provide a weary traveler with much relief: its waters are saline.

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/the-striking-features-of-mono-lake

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Thu Mar 15

Shadow Creek, California

Melting snowpack sluices down Shadow Creek.

See more pictures from the October 2011 feature story “The Mountains That Made the Man.”

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Mon Feb 20

Stuff that makes me go WOW!!!

These cool clouds were filmed over Santa Clarita, California in February of 2012. They were forming along with a large lenticular-like cirrus wave structure, about an hour or so before sunset, and provided some very colorful displays.

Rainbow effects in the sky are normally caused by water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere, which separate and bend different light wavelengths (colors) and send them in different directions as sunlight passes through them.

The rainbow effect can easily be created with sunlight passing through the spray from a common garden hose, but things get a bit stranger when different sized water droplets or unusual-shaped ice crystals are involved - as can easily be the case at high altitudes.

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