Goodbye Summer

The Harvest Moon is your gateway to fall. It is the full Moon nearest the start of fall or the autumnal equinox. If you missed it this year, Friday, September 16, 2016, the day of the Harvest Moon also brought a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse.

Wow! Can you believe summer is over, another year that has simply flown by. It’s early morning and I’m noticing sunrise creeps over the horizon later and later.

Siri tells me, “Sunrise will be at 6:41 a.m. today.”

The shorter days bring cooler weather. Soon we will don our jackets for a trip to the market. During the summer you could enjoy sunrise at 5:42 a.m. (for those who were up). For readers of this blog this summer marked a milestone. My 60th year.

Yes, Lori had planned a outstanding birthday surprise! Breakfast at Allen's Alley, then off to Los Angles to visit the Grammy Museum. We toured a special exhibit on The Beatles. Turns out August 16, 1966 the Beatles played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles - 50 years ago to the date. It was fun to see photo's; old Ed Sullivan show video, musical instruments, memorabilia, and clothes worn back in the 1960s. Tickets for their first American tour were $5.00!

Then we made our way via downtown LA to Sunset Blvd. to (little did I know) the first established Guitar Center. It was magical. Vintage and custom guitars, new, used, and of course I played a few. Admittedly the best part was walking out on to Sunset Blvd. as so many musicians before me had done with a new Fender Telecaster made in USA at the Corona Factory where we had visited just two years ago. What a fabulous birthday!

Oh - cant forget we finished off our LA tour with dinner at Versailles, the absolute best Cuban food around!

But it doesn’t end there. We made our annual trip to Dodger Stadium to see my Cubs play the Dodgers. And a chance to hear Vin Scully one last time on the transistor radio in the seats at Dodger Stadium. I’m sure going to miss turning on the radio during baseball season and hearing;

"Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good (afternoon/evening) to you, wherever you may be." His last game, after 67 years, at AT&T Park was Sunday, October 2, 2016. The San Francisco Giants honoring Vin with a dedication plaque in the visiting broadcast booth.

And of course we can’t forget this years High Sierra mountain adventure. An inspirational trip, for the record books.

Well, it’s after Labor Day and the beaches once again are relatively quiet with the local surfers feeling the chill of the Pacific. Autumn is a time to gather; to prepare for early darkness, a time to plan for the holidays, a time to re-examine your opportunities, and a time to give thanks.

Shopping areas are again free from congestion, the harbors quietly going about their business, and the freeways, well, southern California is not known for its light traffic. However, if you get out early, the morning traffic is not bad, really.

We are fortunate in California, our temperate climate allows us to continue to enjoy outdoor activities. Remember, on November 6th we “fall back” (clocks set back one hour).

So, take advantage of the cool, crisp fresh air, the morning glow, golden sunsets, and the splendid colors of the changing trees.

Goodbye to summer . . .

Comments

Finding Our Place

In this episode, Finding Our Place: Hope and Humanity in the Age of AI . . . Yesterday, I overheard a conversation that echoed a question many of us are quietly asking: In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, where do we , as humans, truly fit in? My younger colleagues, sharp and driven, were "joking" about AI taking their jobs. Their concerns felt valid, prompting me to reflect. Will machines really replace us? My answer, unequivocally, is No . And here’s why. What makes us uniquely human isn't merely our ability to perform tasks. It's our innate capacity for creativity and our deep-seated need to serve others. These aren't just abstract ideas; they are the very essence of what gives meaning to our lives and work. While AI excels at processing data and automating tasks with incredible speed, it cannot replicate the spark of human ingenuity. It lacks the empathy to truly understand unspoken needs or the intuitive synergy that fosters breakthrough solutio...

Chasing the Magic

In this episode, Chasing the Magic: How the Summer of ’98 Inspired the 'Ball Boys' . . . Do you remember that feeling? The late-summer air was thick with humidity, radios crackling on porches, the smell of fresh-cut grass and barbecue smoke in the backyard. Every evening carried a new kind of suspense—the country holding its collective breath after every pitch. “Did he hit one today?” became more than a question; it sparked a nationwide conversation. For me, and millions of others, the summer of 1998 wasn’t just another baseball season. It was theater, a movement, a time when the game recaptured something sacred. As sportswriter Mike Lupica said so perfectly, “No matter how old you are or how much you’ve seen, sports is still about memory and imagination. Never more than during the summer of ’98, when baseball made everyone feel like a kid again, when it felt important again.” Just four years earlier, the 1994 players’ strike had left the sport bruised...

The Curious Crew

In today's special episode, The Curious Crew . . . Oh, our young folks are ready, with AI so grand, A new era of wonders across every land! With curious minds, vast as Space, full of creative delight, And a zest for exploring, with all of their light! They welcome new tools, with a gleam in their eye, To learn and to grow, way up to the sky! Our thinking's a marvel, a clever design, We make new plans, so fantastically fine! With problem-space maps and memories, too, We build new ideas, quite fresh and quite new! With smiling faces, showing gratitude's grace, We find our own wonderful, human-filled place! Sharing a meal with generosity and love, A warm human spirit, a gift from above! We stand tall together, collaborate, and help with a grin, For with Agentic AI, together we win! Not machines all alone, but with us by their side, We'll create and serve, with nothing to hide! I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious and ask questions. See you next time.

Beyond June Gloom

Beyond June Gloom: The Milky Way Awaits! ✨🌌 Has the seemingly endless marine layer got your telescope feeling neglected? For us sky-watchers on the beautiful California coast, May Gray and June Gloom have played a persistent game of hide-and-seek with our celestial views. But there's good news tonight: as summer officially arrives, a stunning cosmic spectacle is about to reveal itself, and you absolutely won't want to miss it! We know the drill: that persistent marine layer turning our sunny days into cool, misty ones. It's a hallmark of our coastal climate, and while it's kept our telescopes under wraps, consider it nature’s way of building epic anticipation for the celestial show that’s about to unfold The Return of the Galactic Core! (Photo courtesy of Gemini) As the days grow longer and the summer air warms, those stubborn clouds will begin to dissipate, revealing a breathtaking sight: the core of our very own Milky Way galaxy! That's right, the vibrant heart...

On The Fly

Search This Blog