Yesterday Colleen and I visited Tom and we made dinner and had a Christmas celebration, singing songs and playing the guitar, ukulele, and jingle bells. A fun time was had by all and I was glad to be off work today since I was so sleepy all day, especially this morning.

Today is the winter solstice and it felt like it; it was cold. I took the day off and did some chores in the morning, then drove to the Santa Ana River just north of Olive.

The river was rushing just as it was the other day when I visited it at Lincoln Avenue. It was a majestic thing to see and hear the river, so alive; so powerful. I could feel its timeless presence and thought about the Yorbas who founded the area of Olive and why they chose to settle there. It really is a beautiful spot. And I contemplated the flood years of 1916 and 1938 and what havoc it wreaked in the region; the railroad bridge had been destroyed on both events. Thereafter, the Prado Dam was constructed, and since then there have been no floods in the area.

The resident falcon has been making its appearance in the eucalyptus tree on the next street again. So despite all the changes around us, some things remain constant.

Just this morning in The OC Register I read about an Orange County man named Robert who had a near death experience. He nearly drowned and was thought to be dead. During his period of unconsciousness he saw the white light and heard a voice call his name. He said it was the most beautiful feeling he ever experienced and he did not want to leave but then returned to consciousness.

Strange, but after he awakened he could not recall his life before the near death event. Prior to the event, he was said to have been a person who angered easily, but thereafter he has always been cheerful and loving. He is experiencing simple joys for the first time, such as seeing the rain fall, and this wondrous thing seems to be a miracle to him.

Posted by d'ota at 8:43 PM PST

Updated: Monday, 21 December 2009 9:14 PM PST

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Last Friday the engineering team at our office went to Dave & Busters at The Block for our holiday party. We had a steak and chicken fajita buffet and later played games and billiards. I had never played billiards before and enjoyed it.

Yesterday I decided to find the site of the old oil well that was located at the corner of Lincoln and Batavia. It was shown in a 1967 photo from the Olive collection of road works photos at the Orange County Archives. I photographed that site, which is now a housing tract area and has been since the 1970s, I believe. Across the street, however, the R.J. Noble and Company gravel and asphalt plant is still in operation, having been at this location along the Santa Ana River since the 1950s. 

I thought to photograph the R.J. Noble Company site up close, so crossed Lincoln Avenue and stood outside the gate. After photographing the area, I saw the Santa Ana River bed trail off to my left and decided to photograph the Lincoln Avenue bridge and the river from that location.

One photo led to another, and before long, I was walking alongside the river on the footpath, just opposite the bike trail. I had no idea there was a horse trail just above the bike path. A number of cyclists rode by and there were a handful of walkers on the footpath.

I was intrigued by the number of waterfowl in the river and the concrete markers here and there. I walked halfway up to the Glassell Street bridge then decided to turn around and go back, since I was just wearing my sandals and not my sneakers, and had not planned on going for this walk since I had planned on being at the gym by this time.

But what I liked the most about being there was hearing the river rush by and seeing it flowing south. I had never heard the Santa Ana River before; at the Katella Avenue bridge and the bridge near Riverdale there was little activity at the time I visited those sites.

Hearing and seeing the river reminded me of the time Colleen and I went to visit the James River on a Civil War tour in Virginia, and the majestic feeling the presence of the river gave me. I wrote a poem in 1997, contemplating that visit from the previous year:

RICHMOND / MAY 1996

In the Hollywood Cemetery, with no one else around, and
the sweltering heat rising like the last energy
of the dead,
we walked the sun-drenched path to the edge
of the grounds,
following the sound of the rushing James River.

And stood, far away, gazing upon it...swift, mighty,
fast-flowing and studded with trees, carrying debris
while sweeping past ruins of Civil War railroad pilings.

And alongside the James, a thin, stagnant, but once-
profound canal,
no longer traversed after railroad tracks
were laid parallel beside, winding, stretching for miles and miles.

But the James, surging forth,
unvanquishable as eternity!
while all else manmade has gone or one day will go
to waste --
together with the remains of those in these graves
whose great trials put them to the ultimate test:
many for a great cost that was paid;
many, for a hope, laid to rest.


dlo-March 17, 1997
(modifications on March 25, 1997)

Later that afternoon, we had hummingbird visitors in our persimmon tree in the backyard. They were a delight to see.

Posted by d'ota at 11:17 AM PST

Updated: Sunday, 20 December 2009 11:25 AM PST

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The other day I created a composite map image showing the Orange/Olive area in 1985 and the property lines in this area in 1868, resulting from the parceling of land that formerly comprised Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana.

What should appear in the 1868 map but two intersecting roads forming an "X" near the present day intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Orange-Olive Road. No wonder the marker for "Old Santa Ana" near that intersection says this marker was positioned near the heart of town, and the 1769 journey of Portola and his army through the area is mentioned on that marker. This leads me to believe these roads date back to at least the mid-1700s.

One road that forms the "X" was said to lead to San Juan Capistrano. I can't find an equivalent for that road today, but the other road on that map follows the line of Orange-Olive Road. The railroad tracks laid down in the 1880s also parallel Orange-Olive Road. So Orange-Olive Road has always been a significant road for travelers historically speaking.

On the 1868 map there is also another road near the south side of the Santa Ana River that aligns with Batavia Street, and another road that aligns with Santa Ana Canyon Road.

Also interesting to note the east side of the property line of Teodocio Yorba's heirs' land runs along present day Tustin Avenue in part, and the south side of the property line runs along present day Meats Avenue in part.

But contemplating the crossroads, it is no wonder I have always felt a haunting feeling about the Lincoln Avenue and Orange-Olive Road intersection. Those are old crossroads and the hub of activity for centuries. To me there was always something a bit eerie about the area, especially at night. Who knows what transpired in that area over the passage of all these years. There was always a feeling to me about something ancient in that spot, ever since I can recall.

Posted by d'ota at 9:53 PM PST

Updated: Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:05 PM PST

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Last Tuesday we were delivered news about the upcoming departure of our vice president of the engineering group. It was abrupt and surprising news, though these days perhaps not as surprising as it might have been had it occurred six months ago. There will be many changes in the engineering division come next year, including a different role in the company for my boss. When my boss and I spoke yesterday, he indicated I may or may not be reporting to him at some point next year. Well, it's all undecided at this point, based on who will be at the helm of our division.

I have resolved to just go with the flow; there's not much else I can do and thinking about any of this would not be productive. I must say none of this bothers me very much; it certainly would have in the past. But I have come to accept everything that has come my way and has come to pass.

Posted by d'ota at 9:13 PM PST

Updated: Wednesday, 16 December 2009 10:09 PM PST

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This evening I discarded the old music files I made and the original album jacket art files stored on the laptop. It seems less important of a thing these days to hold on to things of the past; even the recent past. Thus my personal musical recordings mean far less to me than they had a few months ago. Perhaps what is more important is the intangible stuff relationships are made of; what is personally done for another human being is of greater significance than what is personally done for the self.

Today en route to Costco and back I spotted a small orange grove outside the Kimberly Clark Mill in Fullerton. I was surprised to see that grove; it must be a remnant of what was there during the citrus growing years. I had passed that way before but had never noticed it. I guess I was more aware of that grove now since having just posted Barbara Oldewage's story to the Olive Web site in which she mentions the disappearance of the orange groves as being the greatest change for her in Orange County.

Yesterday afternoon we spotted two opossums in our backyard; a larger one that headed up the stepping stones toward the juniper shrubs, and a smaller one that climbed over the fence to go into the front yard. We hadn't seen the opossums in ages. And this morning one of them was spotted in the backyard eating a persimmon we left for it beneath the tree. Interesting that they appeared during our waking hours and not really late in the evening when we used to see them in the past.

Posted by d'ota at 9:38 PM PST

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It rained last night and pretty much all day today. And it was cold. I took the last Prednisone pill and now I am done with that. I thought I was going to return to the gym but instead stayed home and posted a new page to the Olive Web site.

I had a series of strange dreams before I woke up this morning, including one in which I was going to have my hair cut and styled. The beautician, who was a former fashion model, said she wanted to add some pink streaks to my hair but I wondered whether that would be a good idea. She ended up not doing that, and we had a conversation in which I was bearing witness for Christ. She was a single mother with a boy and had been very despondent. She began joking about religion and I told her that she would be happier if she would let Jesus into her life.

The dream concluded in that I felt she was going to give what I had said some thought.

Yesterday, after some ongoing miscommunications between me and a friend, I felt the veil had finally been lifted and that we were truly connecting. Much had been spoken, clarified, and revealed to me. I feel humbled.

Posted by d'ota at 8:15 PM PST

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Last Saturday when I watered the Phalaenopsis orchid I noticed the barren flower stalk is continuing to grow. That stalk has already produced blooms last summer and now is preparing to bloom again with tiny buds forming at the growing tip.

And near the base of a leaf is a small flower stalk shoot coming up....

Posted by d'ota at 9:30 PM PST

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I just called Pyramid Autism Center to inquire about the Assembly of God church. The woman who answered the phone said Pyramid moved to the location in 2004 and shared the facilities with Assemblies of God until 2007. Pyramid is now the sole entity operating at that property, though Southern California Assemblies of God still owns it.

So "mystery" resolved at last!

Posted by d'ota at 12:55 PM PST

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Last night about 10:00 I had difficulty swallowing and felt a constriction in my chest. I looked up the symptoms online, hoping it wasn't a heart attack but not ruling that condition out, and then figured it must have been heartburn and I could therefore sleep it off and be okay in the morning.

I went to sleep at 10:30 and awakened at 12:30 with a greater feeling of a large lump in my throat and chest, and feeling my lower lip very swollen. I looked in the bathroom mirror and found my lower lip to be about three times as large as its normal size. As I stood there, I felt a slight tingling sensation all over my body, and felt slightly dizzy.

I madly dragged out the medical books and searched for answers, but finding none, quickly tried to decide upon the best course of action. Should I try to drive myself to the ER and hope I am not put on some medication that would prevent me from driving myself home? Do I wake up someone and ask them to take me to the ER? Or should I sleep the whole thing off and wait until daylight?

I woke up Colleen and told her something was wrong with me and that I thought I should go to the ER. She was horrified by my appearance and said it looked like I had an allergic reaction to something.

We were on the road by 1:10 and it was very desolate out there, making our drive to the hospital fortunately smooth and uncomplicated. She dropped me off at the curbside outside the ER center and went to find a place to park.

The ER was surprisingly empty and I did not have to wait to be served. The nurse at the waiting station entered my symptoms in the computer and soon I was in the back room where another nurse asked me questions and sent me to a room to wait for the doctor.

In addition to having my blood pressure taken twice at different intervals of time, I was given an EKG, and then given an IV filled with Prednisone, Benadryl, and Pepcid. The doctor said he believed my condition was caused by an allergic reaction to something I ate in the past few hours before the onset of the symptoms.

I wracked my brain and it seems it may have been the moist red ginger I had after dinner. That is a new brand of ginger my aunt sent us from Hawaii, and it comes from Malaysia where they have a lot of tropical fruits. Could it be the ginger was sliced with a blade just used for cutting mango? Mango is the only food to which I have a known allergic reaction. I used to be able to eat it when I was a child, until one day it gave me the hives. Thereafter, each time I have eaten even a small trace of mango, my allergic reaction to it has worsened.

We didn't get home until 4:36 and were both pretty exhausted by then. Fortunately, Colleen was off work today. I called in sick to the office, since I was so sleepy from the medication and not having slept at all. I also needed to pick up some Prednisone ASAP, per the emergency doctor's orders. We went to Target about 9:40 and I had my prescription filled.

Right now the weather is bad outside; it is very rainy and cold. But I am feeling better now, since the swelling has been reduced considerably.

I will be on the Prednisone for the rest of this week, gradually stepping back my dosage each day. But I should be returning to the office tomorrow, and hopefully be back on track again.

Posted by d'ota at 3:22 PM PST

Updated: Monday, 7 December 2009 3:35 PM PST

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