Author Archives: Jack Elliott

Indonesian Hells Angels

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Jack Elliott

We passed these guys on the way to the beach on Java. I’m not sure what type of bikes they were riding or when they were made, but somebody made a wise crack about it looking as though they’d been … Continue reading →

Posted in Indonesia | Tagged Tales | 1 Comment

Cathedral Peak Cave

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Jack Elliott

I hiked down to Cathedral Peak from La Cumbre Peak yesterday afternoon. I only had a liter bottle full of water, which I didn’t think was enough because I was already thirsty, so I stopped by a creek up on … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Cathedral Peak, Caves, La Cumbre Peak, Rocks, Santa Barbara, Tales | 6 Comments

The Castor Bean Plant: Common, Valuable and Deadly

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Jack Elliott

Cold War Biological Warfare Georgi Ivanov Markov climbed the stairs on the south side of the Waterloo Bridge in London for the last time on September 7, 1978. He worked across the River Thames at the BBC and routinely parked … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged Castor, Castor Bean, Castor Oil, Communism, Georgi Ivanov Markov, KGB, Ricin, Ricinus communis, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura | 4 Comments

Figueroa Mountain Picnic and Wildflower Update

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Jack Elliott

The Swiss Family Griswold ventured up to Figueroa Mountain for a Sunday picnic. It’s my first time up the mountain this spring wildflower season. I didn’t expect that there would be much color showing this early, but there was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Tales | Leave a comment

Mountaintop Vernal Pool

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Jack Elliott

Little Ms. E. and I went for a walk up to a vernal pool atop the Santa Ynez Mountains. I wanted to see how it looked after the area received over 45 inches of rain this season. Not surprisingly, it … Continue reading →