Shark Seen in the Skies of Oxnard

As if we didn’t have enough going on already this year…pandemic, heat wave, mass unemployment, murderous hornets, Kobe, looting…now we have our own Sharknado. Seen in the skies yesterday in Ventura County.

What’s next? Locust or earthquake?

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Reminds me of the bunny cloud formation seen here from the Conejo Valley a couple years ago.

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And more recently this bunny cloud seen in the Conejo Valley.

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Self-Sealing Water Balloons are Saving Me Hours of Time This Summer!

As a parent of two boys and trusty husband, willing to be at the beck and call of serving the needs of my family, one of the most dreaded requests I receive is, "please fill up the water balloons." 

Yes, even here in drought-stricken Southern California, we're entitled to some fun with water balloons every now and then. They actually don't take a lot of water to fill them. But filling them and tying them rank fairly high on my list of dreaded tasks. It just takes awhile to do, some of them pop in my face, tying them is a pain in the next, etc.

So when I came across these "self-sealing" water balloons, I was intrigued. Do they really work? Are they worth it? (They are a bit more expensive than buying a standard package of water balloons.) 

So with little ado, I purchased several packages of these Zuru "Bunch O Balloons" and hid them away in the garage. Then finally I decided to surprise the kids with them.

Odd little buggers. Basically each package (which costs roughly $11 to $14) comes with 3 bunches of balloons attached to a hose connector. Each balloon has a tiny rubber band pre-attached to it. You screw the connector to the hose, turn the hose on, and the balloons start filling up. Within seconds, they start popping off the connector, each balloon nicely tied up and ready to become a projectile missile!

It was beautiful. Except when the kids started chasing me around the backyard, nailing me repeatedly with them. I was soaked, but thrilled that I didn't have to spend an hour filling the balloons up in back-breaking fashion.

I was amazed at how easy this was and how well it worked. Out of the initial two packages of balloons (200 in total), a single balloon has a leak.

Was it worth it!? Absolutely. For roughly 12 cents per balloon, it saved me hours of backbreaking time filling these up. I'm definitely buying more! Check it out and have fun!

City of Agoura Hills Freeway Sign With Typo on Eastbound 101 Source For Comic Relief

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According to the County of Los Angeles Public Library website: The name Agoura Hills originated in 1928 when the last name of well known local French shepherd Pierre Agoure, was selected as the name of the city in order to establish a permanent post office in the community. However, the "e" became an "a" for unknown reasons, either due to an error or perhaps for ease of spelling. We may never know.

History repeats itself. A few weeks ago, Bonnie Q posted a photo of the above sign on the CVG Facebook page and earlier this week I had to see it for myself earlier this week. While it is not exactly something that a spellchecker would catch, how Caltrans let this typo make it to the 101 freeway is a bit puzzling. This sign can be seen on the 101 eastbound between Lindero Canyon and Reyes Adobe Road.

UPDATE: The sign has been replaced and is now correct!

Thousand Oaks Deputies Recognizing Good Citizenship by Youngsters with 7-Eleven "Operation Chill" Slurpee Coupons

Thousand Oaks Deputies Recognizing Good Citizenship by Youngsters with 7-Eleven "Operation Chill" Slurpee Coupons

School’s out for summer and kids in Thousand Oaks may actually look forward to their next encounter with the “heat” this summer, thanks to 7-Eleven® stores’ popular Operation Chill program that rewards positive behavior with a very cool treat.

Through Operation Chill®, Thousand Oaks Station patrol officers can “ticket” youngsters caught in the act of doing good with Slurpee® beverage coupons. Appropriate “offenses” might include helping another person, deterring crime or participating in a positive activity in the community. Each coupon can be redeemed for a small Slurpee drink at participating 7-Eleven stores. The Thousand Oaks Police Bike Team began handing out the coupons in June this year to reward kids for wearing helmets while riding bicycles or skateboarding. The program is expanding to all Thousand Oaks Station patrol officers and is focusing on the summer and back to school months to promote good citizenship. The coupons are great for officers who are on patrol in the community. It’s an icebreaker, a way to encourage dialogue in a non-threatening, non-law enforcement situation.

Since its inception in 1995, Operation Chill has grown to include several hundred law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada each year, and more than twelve million coupons have been distributed to officers on the beat in cities and towns where 7-Eleven does business.

Operation Chill was developed by 7-Eleven, Inc. to positively reward and encourage good behavior by kids during the hot summer months, when communities may experience increases in loitering, shoplifting and graffiti, and to support law enforcement agencies’ community relations projects. The Thousand Oaks Police Department uses the Operation Chill program to reward youth for their good deeds as well as to enhance their relations with the young people of their city.

Source: Ventura County Sheriff's Office www.vcsd.org

Simply Healthy, Donuts or Better Yet, Simply Healthy Donuts in Newbury Park!

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In the space previously occupied by the Newbury Park Golden Spoon, a new sign came up yesterday called Simply Healthy.  In a rush, I snapped a shot of this new business to share. Though I have a guess as to what the business is, I will keep that to myself until it is confirmed.

But in taking another look at the photo, the irony became apparent. Simply Healthy...Donuts. Yes, people were amused when it was posted to the CVG Facebook Page: "Finally! I've been waiting for a simply healthy donut!" "I'll take a dozen" "Dream come true!" "I'm off to get my healthy donuts!"

If anyone is reading this and knows how to make healthy donuts, consider a location in the Conejo Valley. There appears to be high demand for them!

Find a Conejo Rec & Park District 50th Anniversary Geocache Commemorative Coin!

Conejo Recreation and Park District Celebrates its 50th anniversary by hiding commemorative coins around the Conejo Valley!

The Conejo Recreation and Park District is celebrating 50 years of proudly serving the Conejo Valley. One of the many ways the Park District is celebrating this momentous occasion is by hiding commemorative coins in Geocaches around the Conejo Valley. Geocaches are hidden boxes that are found using hand held GPS units or your Smartphone.

To find out where these coins are hidden, to find out more about Geocaching or to take a class on Geocaching visit the Conejo Recreation and Park District’s Geocaching page on its website at www.crpd.org/geocaching. Partaking in the sport of geocaching and finding the coins is absolutely free!

Another Cool Animated Residential Holiday Light Display in Newbury Park

There is yet another great animated holiday light display in Newbury Park at 538 Brisbaine Avenue! Viewing time is every night until January 2nd from 5pm to 10pm (11pm on weekends). Show duration is 20 minutes, including 7 songs. Simulcast on 100.5 FM. Nice!

Other great holiday light displays at this link!