Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today is Friday and Alan I were out shopping quite early this morning, when we caught a glimpse of a site that reminded me of Hitchcock’s movie ‘The Birds’. Have you ever experienced that, My Dear Readers, happen across a set of circumstances or a visual moment where it flashes on you 'my goodness that’s what the filmmaker _________ simply must have seen (or experienced) when he thought of doing __________ movie!'.
Out here, in California, this happens more often than probably any other state but New York. I remember the very first time I heard someone mention the name of the city, that's out here,
Rancho Cucamonga and I immediately flashed on Bugs Bunny saying those words. Moreover, it’s not limited to film or music. For all of my readers that are gamers, the company
Blizzard used to be located in Northern California right outside Oakland in the city of Walnut Grove. Sitting in an office building, and the eastern part of Oakland, or pretty much anywhere and southern Walnut Grove one could look out your window and see a very large hill (wannabe of the mountain) by the name of
… Diablo.
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We creative types just love lifting names, characters, titles and host settings straight out of the environment we live or work. The first image I will share with you, below, is one I titled
‘George and Gracie’. As a tribute to George Burns and Gracie Allen.
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[caption id="attachment_1816" align="aligncenter" width="630"]
George & Gracie[/caption]
(George & Gracie)
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When I was manager of Plazawoods Apartments, in the city of Stanton, I had two ducks that came every year to the heated pool in my building. Every year they would come and stay for a couple of months, I imagine when it was time for them to breed. Later I was informed, by the health department, that allowing these ducks to hang out for several weeks in the pool was
‘unhealthy’ and that it could
‘spread disease’ to residents in the building that chose to swim. It was never my intention to expose any residents to any kind of disease. Luckily, for me, no resident ever came to the office to complain to me and no resident ever became sick because of exposure to these docs in the pool.
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The next image I did not see, at first. I had first taken the picture of
George and Gracie. Then I looked up to see if there were any other birds around. Yes, there were. The image below is what I saw when I looked up from
George and Gracie.
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'The Birds' @ Howard's in Huntington Beach[/caption]
('The Birds' @ Howard's in Huntington Beach)
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I am not sure if you can see clearly just how many birds there were on the top of that building, from this photograph. But they were two rows thick along that ridge over the Howard's store. As I looked around, in the parking lot, I saw that many of the businesses had seagulls lining the eves in the archways over the entrances. Now this is nothing unusual, here in Southern California. Whenever the beach areas get really overcast or rainy the seagulls, not liking the lack of sunlight and the cold air and wet, they head inland to warm up and find food that’s not soaking wet. Anyone that has lived from 5 to 10 miles from the ocean are even the Gulf of Mexico was seen this site, on more than one occasion.
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I just wanted to show you
, My Dear Readers, the visual that made me flash on one of my most favorite Hitchcock movies. I really am enjoying the new area that I’ve moved into here in Orange County. As well, I have not forgotten that I would not be here in Westminster if it hadn’t been for; the generosity, kindness and support of everyone that donated in my last Indiegogo campaign. If it wasn’t for the kindness of all those people from; here in Southern California, Southeast Texas, and England I would most likely be living on the streets. I certainly wouldn’t be in a wonderful apartment twice the size of my last residence. I wouldn’t be only three or four blocks from the Westminster mall. Nor would I be within a mile to 2 miles from two different Targets I have a dozen fast food restaurants and several clothing stores and pet stores.
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Allen found the location, and helped me move, but it was
you,
My Dear Readers, that gave me… Shared with me… And empowered me to move to what has to be the nicest place I’ve lived in a decade. In closing, I would just like to take a moment to say a very deep and heartfelt thank you to all of you. I will never forget everything you’ve done to support and help me. And no matter where my writing or my novels or anything I may do in the future takes me I will never forget what all of you have done for me.
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Just a shot of a VERY thankful Danny in His Power Chair[/caption]
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As always, I am honored that you come here and read my work.Thank you!
Danny Hanning of The Other Shoe - May 6th, 2014[/caption]
