A ride along with the San Diego Police.

Posted on by Thor

Debbie and Paul Andreen‘s son, Kevin has joined the San Diego Police Department. He was kind enough to suggest I join him for a ride along as he cruised the neighborhoods just North of Mission Beach. When I first got in the police cruiser, he said I should seek cover and immediately use the cruiser radio to call the dispatch if shot were fired. He also wanted me to exit the cruiser any time he did. Much of the morning went by without incident. He pointed out several homeless men that he knew by name. Several weeks ago, a homeless man had died from an injury. He would have lived if any of his buddy’s had thought to bring him to an ER.

After a long time of driving without incident, Kevin parked the cruiser near an intersection that had stop signs. He explained that the road, heading towards the beach had a stop sign at every intersection. By the time drivers got this far they started rolling through the stops.  The law is that you have to come to a complete stop behind the white line. Within minutes, a woman approached the intersection and rolled past the line. He quickly followed and pulled her over a block away. He approached her drivers side door to get her license and write up the ticket. I waited outside the cruiser. The ticketing process took longer than I expected, I probably could have done a small sketch. Kevin wrote down some notes after the traffic stop, because months from now he would have to appear in court. Without documentation it would be hard to recall the details of every traffic stop. He returned to the intersection to check that the stop sign wasn’t obstructed or the line worn away.

Twice the dispatch sent Kevin to homes to check on people. Relatives had tried to contact the people living in the homes and they were concerned that they couldn’t get in touch. While waiting outside the first home, I felt uneasy. A friend had recently committed suicide and this must have been what it was like when police first arrived on the scene and found the body. In both cases, the person was home and in fine condition. Kevin would diplomatically ask questions to make sure the person was safe. It was a bit odd to follow the police into peoples homes. At one point I kicked over a cat toy by mistake. The resident asked who I was since I wasn’t in uniform, and Kevin would explain that I was a ride along. She had a history of depression and Kevin needed to confirm that she was taking her medications.

One call was from an angry woman who was sure that construction workers who were jack hammering up a driveway, had dented her car. The construction workers denied damaging the car. Kevin just wanted to get their contact information.  We looked at the car and I didn’t notice any damage. When talking to the woman in her yard, Kevin explained that this wasn’t a police matter but an issue for insurance companies. He gave her the construction company’s information and told her to contact her insurance company. She seemed relieved just to be able to air her grievances. Before being a police officer, Kevin had been a teacher and that must have given him experience in being diplomatic. The beat puts him in contact with a wide variety of people, from beach bums to the ultra rich. Interacting with so many people certainly makes police work interesting.

Re-Constructing the San Salvador in San Diego.

Posted on by Thor

Not far from Mission Beach the Maritime Museum of San Diego, (1492 North Harbor Dr.

San Diego, CA) is building a full-sized, fully functional, and historically accurate replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s flagship, San Salvador. Plans didn’t actually exist so they used old sketches, paintings and written documents to find the dimensions and proportions of the sailing ship. Many of the ship builders are volunteers and they are relearning ship building techniques that haven’t been used for over a hundred years. The build site is open to visitors every day from 11am to 4pm. Paul Andreen and I arrived a bit early and Paul managed to talk our way in by explaining what I do.

 In 1542, Juan Cabrillo led the first European expedition to explore what
is now the west coast of the United States. The Gulf of California had
recently been explored by Francisco de Ulloa, Hernando de Alarcón and
Domingo del Castillo, proving that California was not an island. Cabrillo was commissioned by Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of
Guatemala, for a voyage up the California coast under the flag of
Spain. Cabrillo hoped to find the fabulously wealthy cities known as
Cibola, believed to be somewhere on the Pacific coast beyond New Spain,
and a route connecting the North Pacific to the North Atlantic — the
non-existent “Straits of Anian”.

The Cabrillo expedition sailed out of the port of Navidad, near
modern day Manzanillo, on June 24, 1542. Accompanying Cabrillo were a
crew of sailors, soldiers, Indian and probably black slaves, merchants,
a priest, livestock and provisions for two years. Three ships, the
flagship San Salvador built by Cabrillo himself, were under his command. Cabrillo reached “a very good enclosed port” which is now San Diego
bay, on September 28, 1542, naming it “San Miguel”. He probably
anchored his flagship, the San Salvador at Ballast Point on
Point Loma’s east shore. Six days later, he departed San Diego sailing
northward and exploring the uncharted coast line of California. His
voyage helped to dispel myths and allowed Spain to proceed with the
task of colonizing the expanded Spanish Empire. Cabrillo visited many
of the islands along the coast — Santa Cruz, Catalina and San
Clemente, and may have sailed as far north as Oregon.

On December 21st the Maritime Museum will Celebrate  its 44th annual Parade of Lights. Modern and historic ships are covered in Christmas lights and the floating parade can be seen from the Maritime Museum. Ticket sales help keep the historic reconstruction work going.

Belmont Park In San Diego is always bustling.

Posted on by Thor

On the evening that Terry, Debbie and Paul Andreen went to their high school reunion, I walked down the Mission Beach boardwalk to Belmont Park to sketch the Merry-go-round. Of course choosing to spin something that is always spinning like a top is a bit insane, but I sketched in the calm moments as children clamored on board and saddled up. I found a nice bench where parents often sat while waiting for their children. The roller coaster loomed in the background and screams periodically overcame the Merry-go-rounds pipe organ music.

The Little Dipper ice cream booth had a constant stream of patrons. There was a fence around the Merry-go-round but I felt it cluttered the view, so I left it out. As I sketched dusk turned to night, so I kept darkening the watercolor washed. Sketching at sunset makes sense since the whole process of applying washes to a sketch involves building in the colors from light to dark.

When this sketch was done, I probably had time to do another sketch in one of the arcades. Sketching in such a loud crowded setting is exhausting however so I walked back to the beach front apartment. There I relaxed on the patio and watched the stars. Fire pits ignited all along the beach every 100 yards or so. It was several hours before everyone got back to tell me about what I had missed. The reunion venue overlooked the pro baseball stadium. It sounded like a great sketch opportunity, but that is why I wasn’t invited, I can’t put the sketchbook down.

Mission Beach turns orange at sunset.

Posted on by Thor

Terry and I rented a beach front apartment for a week along with Terry’s high school friends Debbie and Paul Andreen in Mission Beach, San Diego. There was one bedroom that went unused which was a shame. We should have invited another couple. Anyway, every evening we would gather on the beach at a life guard station to watch the sun set. As usual, I was looking the opposite way back at the apartment. Our place is the one with the blue canopy set up in front.

Volleyball players keep playing until there isn’t enough light to see the ball. Debbie and Terry are on the right side of the sketch having an intimate conversation. Paul was exceptionally nice to me offering to take me someplace each day to sketch. This was such a pleasure because he was content to hang out and chat with people as I sketched. It was like having an intrepid reporter who knew what questions to ask to get at the heart of any story.

We head west for a San Diego reunion.

Posted on by Thor

In August, I joined Terry on a trip to San Diego for her snerfurtieth high school reunion. Debbie and Paul Andreen picked us up at the airport and drove us to Terry’s childhood home. Debbie and Paul were high school sweethearts who got married shortly after graduating, and have been married ever since. Terry’s mom, Marcia Lawson lost her husband Alfred several years ago. He was fit and always exercised, so his sudden death shocked everyone. As his health slipped, he began to write a memoir about his childhood memories. Marcia now has a male companion whom she met at a VFW dance. He came over the house and watched the news on a small TV by the breakfast table as I sketched.

Surprisingly the Lawson home has no WiFi connection, so I took a field trip to the bottom of the hill to get connected at Starbucks. In San Diego the hills are really hills not like the subtle grades in Florida. By the time I got back, I was winded. Terry’s plan was to rent a beach front condo at Mission Beach along with Debbie and Paul, but for the first night we slept in her mom’s house.