Annual Pepperdine University 9/11 Memorial Flag Display

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Once again this year, Pepperdine University will honor the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with nearly 3,000 flags. This stunning tribute will be located at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road from September 9th through September 19th.

Pepperdine has planned additional 9/11 10th Anniversary Remembrance events this year as follows:

Pepperdine University is presenting a special 9/11 remembrance on Pepperdine's Malibu campus on Sunday, September 11, 2011 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the attacks on America. Amid a breathtaking display of 2,977 flags on the University's expansive lawn – honoring the victims and emergency responders who died on 9/11 – Pepperdine will present a reading of the victims' names beginning at 11:00 a.m. A total of 20 readers from service, charitable, religious, and professional organizations will join 15 individuals from the Pepperdine community in reading the names.

View of the flags at 6 p.m. on 9/10/11, the eve of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11:

Some photos of the flag display at the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook page

At 4:00 p.m., Pepperdine will hold an hour-long memorial service commemorating the lives of our fallen heroes. The program will include remarks by Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton, California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, and Deena Burnett Bailey, whose husband, alumnus Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., was one of the heroes who perished on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

Also scheduled is a 1 p.m. viewing o

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Random Encounter with the 4th Annual West Valley Memorial Ride on Saturday, Aug 27th

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The 4th Annual West Valley Memorial Ride took place this past Saturday, August 27th. I had never heard of the ride nor knew what it was when I happened upon it but later discovered this event is organized by Officers of the West Valley Division of the Los Angeles Police Department who first organized the event in 2008 as a memorial to fellow officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

This event featured 400 riders and was orchestrated with the help of the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Motor Officers of the Valley Traffic Division of LAPD.

After torturing my body on a brutally hilly and quite hot trail run called the Bulldog 25K, I was ready to get home, shower up and relax. But...NOOoooo...after pulling onto Malibu Canyon/Las Virgenes northbound toward the 101, there are legions of police officers on cycles and cars. First I thought it might be a 9/11 memorial, but realized it was too early for that. Oddly, I noticed cars of all shapes and sizes, like vintage 1960s police cars. I thought maybe budget cuts were forcing LAPD to cut back ha ha.

But then traffic was completely stopped for me and others before reaching the 101 freeway. The police officers were followed by motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. Thinking on my feet, uh, well, on my rear end, I grabbed my little camera and start videotaping, figuring I'd capture a few seconds of footage. But the cycles kept coming...and coming...and coming. I looked over at the 101 westbound and there was a steady flow of cycles coming to the Malibu Canyon offramp. Not a single car in sight.

I was determined to keep filming until the last motorcycle. So as a result there are over 7 minutes of footage below. Had I known about this I'd have taken high def footage on my Droid for a clearer picture. But in any case, this chance encounter was certainly a pleasant and fun surprise.

Beautiful Views of Newbury Park, Conejo Valley and the Western Plateau

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Last Sunday I decided to hike up the hills that are adjacent to the Seventh Day Adventist Center and Home Depot/Target Plaza in Newbury Park. These hills overlook Newbury Park and provide a panoramic view of the Conejo Valley and portions of the Conejo Canyons Open Space in northwest Thousand Oaks. What an amazing view! Thousand Oaks is surrounded by a 15,000 acre ring of open space. To learn more about our open space, visit the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency website at www.conejo-openspace.org.

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Awesome Christmas Story - Two Brothers Surprise Father by Restoring His 1969 Norton Commando

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This 15 minute video is worth the watch. Priceless. This is what the holidays are all about. Two brothers "steal" their father's 1969 Norton Commando motorcycle from his basement in September 2009 and have it restored for him for Christmas.

The Sun is Back Out, at Least Temporarily! My Five Favorite Sunny Day Songs!

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It has been raining for over a week almost non-stop here in Ventura County, but today, Christmas Eve Eve, we have a reprieve (well maybe for a couple days). The sunshing brings to mind these five sunny day songs that are tops on my list. My kids' personal favorite is Johnny Nash's original 1972 hit "I Can See Clearly Now." The Beatles are awesome but John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulder" gets my personal nod.

 

Delicious Thai Corn Chowder Recipe and Video Featuring Local Plant-Based Dietitian

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NoTimeToCook.com presents Kirk Leins and local Conejo Valley based Plant-Based Dietitian Julieanna Hever, M.S, R.D. with a delicious vegan-friendly Thai Corn Chowder. Find more recipes like this at www.NoTimeToCook.com. More on Julieanna at www.ToYourHealthNutrition.com.


Thai Corn Chowder Ingredients:
2.5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup onion, chopped
bunch of celery, chopped

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