Remembering Underwater Filmmaker Mike DeGruy
Underwater cinematographer and adventurist Mike DeGruy died February 3 in a helicopter crash off the coast of Australia while scouting locations for an upcoming project. DeGruy helped find the new …
Review: SBIFF Screenwriting Panel
Anne Thompson did a beautiful job of moderating the “It Starts with the Script” Screenwriter’s panel at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Saturday, January 28, 2012. She handled …
Ablitt House Journey: a Short Documentary
Neil Ablitt buys a 20’x 20’ lot, about the size of a two car garage, near his dry cleaning plant in a commercial district of Santa Barbara, then in 1987 wins a water hook up for it in a lottery. But it was not zoned for a residence, and it was too small to build on, or so he thought. The film opens with some of the tiny details making up the beauty of the house. But the focus of the documentary is on the people involved.
The other Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Island is an important breeding ground for Western Gulls and Brown Pelicans, and has several unique native plants. Looking around I saw clusters of stubby, stark trunks that looked dead, but these Giant Coreopsis are very much alive. In late winter and early spring they flaunt their bunches of yellow blooms. At the beginning of the trail I saw a nice specimen of the endemic Santa Barbara Island buckwheat.
Lotusland: gardens of treasure
Located near Cold Springs School, Lotusland is a unique 37-acre estate with 16 distinct gardens. The property has a long history dating back to 1882. But it was Madame Ganna Walska who dubbed her estate “Lotusland” in honor of the sacred Indian lotus growing in one of the ponds on the property.
Blue whales, big ships, and communication
blue whales could be seen from all sides of the boat. Besides the ten right in the vicinity, more geyser-like spouts could be seen in the distance. With a creature bigger than the 75 foot catamaran they are easy to spot from a ways off. Up close their breath gives them away as much as their mammoth size.