Life and all in Redding California
About an hour drive north on I-5 from Redding is the Mt Shasta Ski Park. Went up on Sunday 1/22/2023 and captured this photo of my grandson, 9, with the glorious mountain in the background, sporting a lenticular cloud crown.
Such an amazing facility to have so nearby! Winter sports, it’s Really Redding.
Here’s my pal Craig Padilla offering the gift of music for everyone. Recorded for Christmas in a living room in Cottonwood CA (near Redding CA) in 2022.
Craig Padilla is an American electronic musician and composer known for his ambient and experimental electronic music. He has released numerous solo albums and has collaborated with other artists in the electronic and ambient music genres. Padilla’s music often incorporates elements of space and cosmic themes, and he is known for his use of synthesizers and other electronic instruments to create expansive, immersive soundscapes.
Padilla began his career in the 1980s, releasing his first album, “Beyond the Horizon,” in 1986. Since then, he has released a number of albums and collaborative projects, including “From Within” (1991), “Paradise Found” (2003), and “The Great Shift” (2017). In addition to his solo work, Padilla has collaborated with other artists such as Steve Roach and Michael Stearns, along with local northern California artists Marvin Allen and Skip Murphy (me). He has also and has composed music for film and television.
Padilla’s music has been described as “ethereal” and “otherworldly,” and he is known for his ability to create immersive, atmospheric soundscapes that transport the listener to far-off places and realms of the imagination. His work has been praised by critics and fans alike, and he has developed a devoted following among fans of ambient and experimental electronic music. More about Craig at https://craigpadilla.bandcamp.com/
Only a few more days left to enjoy an evening stroll through the McConnell Arboretum festooned with zillions of dancing lights. Seen here from above via my drone video:
I’ve written about this unique attraction before, and it just gets better every year. Great fun to invite some friends to dinner, and then walk the show grounds.
The Garden of Lights is an annual holiday light display event held at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, California. The event typically takes place from late November to early January, and features a variety of holiday-themed light displays throughout the park’s gardens and trails.
Visitors to the Garden of Lights can enjoy a leisurely walk through the park’s gardens and trails while marveling at the colorful and festive light displays. The event also features live music, hot cocoa, and other festive activities.
One of the highlights of the Garden of Lights is the Park’s Christmas Tree, which is adorned with thousands of twinkling lights. Other popular displays include the “Tunnel of Lights,” which features a long tunnel adorned with colorful lights and holiday-themed decorations, and the “Festival of Trees,” which features a collection of beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Really well done synchronized music and lights to popular Christmas songs.
Overall, the Garden of Lights is a must-see holiday event for those visiting or living in Redding, California. It’s a fun and festive way to get into the holiday spirit and enjoy the beauty of the holiday season with friends and family. Now through January 8 2023. Tickets at the link:
https://www.reddinggardenoflights.org/
A gorgeous 60 minute drive north from Redding will deliver you to the Mt Shasta Ski Park. It has always had a great family atmosphere, with parents dropping kids off for the day, and where you often met your neighbors and acquaintances.
This year, they added a new quad chair lift to the 8,000 ft Gray Butte, opening miles of new terrain. And in the process, this will make it much more of a destination ski resort. The ski park has had some rough years recently, fraught with drought and pandemic woes. So delicious to see it on an epic Saturday, with hundreds of people reveling under blue skies with perfect snow conditions! Let’s hope this terrific weather continues.
Drone practice flight over the Sacramento River from the Bluffs to the Sundial Bridge with fresh snow on the mountains in the background. Click on the image below to enlarge, hit play on the video to watch the flight.
I’m still learning about shooting video with this new drone. For years, I have mostly only shot still images. Mostly for my real estate marketing. I’ve been working on video technique recently, but this still looks a bit jerky in terms of camera moves. Anyway, it was beautiful clear and cold morning in lovely Redding CA. Hope you like it.
So, evidently I live in a science fiction novel. They print houses in my town. And I took a photo of the work getting underway using a supercomputer/digital camera I carry around in my pocket. It’s easy to get bogged down with all that seems to be going wrong in this world. But given my perspective from across nearly seven decades of progress on this planet, so many things have improved greatly. Astonishing, really. #thisisredding
If you have managed to stumble on this blog, you might also be interested in Redding Weather. Redding weather is inextricably entwined with the weather all around us. And water issues as well. Of course, you can get current weather info in all sorts of media. But Weather West is where you can find more in-depth and detailed weather information for Northern California and beyond. Weather West is run by a climate scientist named Daniel Swain. I first began following him on twitter @weather_west. He has also recently begun a You Tube channel, to which I immediately subscribed. Click on the image below to be taken to his Weather West Blog. Highly recommended and relevant to Redding, and to everyone in California.
So much new construction underway in Redding! I took the drone out for a look, otherwise you can only see it from ground level. Apologies in advance for the jerky camera movements. Over the years I have been flying I usually shoot still images, so this is much needed practice. Fun to see all the activity and structures!
World famous Burney Falls is about an hour drive East from Redding. We went up for their Heritage Day festivities, and it was great fun. Here is Burney Falls:
Here’s an image of the event:
There were lot’s of demonstrations and participation for kids in various “Pioneer” crafts like wood cutting, branding irons, and (my grandson’s favorite) candle making. There was a BBQ food fund raiser by the local Rotary, and some Indian Tacos. Speaking of Indians, there was some Indigenous Dance demonstrations by (I assume) the local Pit River people. I read on the flyer where this is the first time they have participated in this annual event, so that’s both progress and sort of a sad commentary on what has passed for “Heritage” around here up until now.
I give it 5 stars, would go again next year. Best of all, admission was FREE.
