The Things They Carried

How could I missed reading "The Things They Carried," one thin volume of the several books assigned as summer reading for 10th graders in english class of the Long Beach unified school district, for three times. Three of my kids have read it. And my last tenth grader has just replaced it on the shelves.
Now, it's my turn.
Written by Tim O'Brien, the book has earned a lot of acclaims, good and positive reviews from newspapers and magazines of general circulation.
"Consummate artistry.... A strongly unified book, a series of glimpses, through different facets, a single mysterious, deadly stone .... O'Brien blends diverse incidents, voices, and genres, indelibly rendering the nightmarish impact of the Vietnam experience," said Andy Solomon of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
So now will I seek a quiet nook to read.

The Lighthouse

This is the lighthouse, a conical steel tower constructed with much of the funds from the downtown Long Beach Lions club in 2000. It is a short hike up the lighthouse point which gives a good view of the scenic shoreline park, village and the rainbow harbor below the hill.

See more B&W photos on this link: Monochrome Weekly

The Pyramid

The dark-blue topped postmodern building towering over the campus of the California State University of Long Beach is the Pyramid. The eighteen-storey structure has an architectural height of 57.91 meters or 190 feet. The base of the edifice is square with each side measuring at 345 feet to be a mathematically true pyramid. It was designed as a stadium using concrete as structural material with an aluminum façade.


The Pyramid was officially opened on November 30, 1994 and renamed Mike and Arlene Walter Pyramid on March 5, 2005, in honor of the benefactors.


The stadium accomodates three full basketball courts, five volleyball courts and a seating capacity of 5,000 and is also the home of the university’s 49ers teams- basketball and volleyball. Also sharing with the facility are the Pointe Conference Center and the Frog’s Fitness club.

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The Pyramid 2

View of the entrance to the building. Some error on the first name of one of the benefactors?

And a close-up view of the structure partially supporting the aluminum facade.

Concrete Balls

Were these concrete ball structures in there as safety net for passing shoppers from wayward vehicles or merely to enhance the facade of the store?

Check out more B&W photos on this link: Monochrome Weekly

Morning Sky & Flowers

Early morning sky by the frontyard.

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See more beautiful flowers around the world here:  Today's Flowers

Spanish Moss

The Spanish moss adds value point of interest on its host live tree. As an ornamental air plant it needs less care or attention. Just a gentle spray of water on some days is just enough.

The Rainbow Harbor

Almost synonymous with the Rainbow Marina, the Rainbow Harbor of Long Beach offers eighty seven day slips for commercial and recreational vessels for day mooring. A total of nine docks are available for specific craft assignments and purpose/usage ranging from fishing, whale watching, scuba dive and private charters, harbor tours, harbor cruises, burials at sea, weddings, corporate and romance charters, dining, boat and bed vessel lodging & breakfast, educational trips to nearby Catalina and Channel islands, the Aqua link, Aqua bus and Water taxi (will post on these later). Name it, they have it.