Back home in Norong on the farm by myself. Seems a little surreal looking through my photos of LA. 2 completely different experiences. Life is interesting to say the least.

This bike was purpose built with travelling in mind. It has 2 S&S Couplers built into the frame. 1 in the top tube and the other in the down tube.The concept is for the bike taken apart and the whole thing packs neatly into an S&S travel case, The case is designed to be checked in as normal luggage and is within the specifications of most airlines so you are not dealing with an oversize baggage issue.

This was my first attempt at packing the bike into the travel case and I was hoping it was going to fit. It took a couple of hours but I managed to get everything in and packed nicely. It will become easier with practice and next time all the frame protecters will have already been cut and labled so I am hoping to do the whole procedure in about an hour. Because my bike is so big ( I am 6' 4" ) I had to remove the forks and the crankset. With smaller frames this wouldn't be nec

We arrived safely back from L.A. this morning and the bike case was a dream to deal with. Checking the bike in with the normal sized baggage, and the convenience of the case being heaps smaller than a bike box, meant for less hassle moving around busy airport terminals. The total weight for the case with the bike packed including my cycling shoes and all the bikes accessories was 20.5 kg. You are allowed 23kg on flights to and from America so well under that. This means I can fit my cycling clothes in as well.

There are a couple of dudes in the photos below with one being pretty obvious. The other, for you movie buffs out there is Johnie's Cafe. In the movie The Big Leblowski the scene with the Dude and Walter discussing Bunny's toe is filmed here. Below is some information about Johnie's from wikipedia.

Johnie's Coffee Shop is a former coffeeshop and well known example of Googie architecture located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard andFairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, California.[1] Architects Louis Armet and Eldon Davis of Armet and Davis designed the building, contributing to their reputation as the premier designers of Space Age or Googie coffee shops including the landmark Pann's coffee shop in Ladera Heights,Norms Restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard, and several Bob's Big Boy restaurants.[1] Johnie's opened in 1955 as Romeo's Times Square. Romeo's was in business a few years, becoming Ram's in the early '60s, and Johnie's not long after

The restaurant is perhaps best known as the setting for the opening of the 1988 cult film Miracle Mile, in which a patron learns that a nuclear war is about to begin. The restaurant has also appeared in a 1999 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers music video, "Swingin'", and a 2003 Reba McEntire music video, "Somebody"[2], and is seen in several movies, including Volcano, starring Tommy Lee Jones,The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges and John Goodman,[1] and American History X, starring Edward Norton.

Here are a few more photos from our visit in Los Angeles. Click on the images for and explanation of the shot 

Over here in Los Angeles I've been trying to tell Barry, aka Silver Streak, the reason he is being dropped on the hills is due to the fact he is a vegetarian and does not get enough protein. But he does eat fish so I'm not sure if you can be a vegetarian and eat fish. Does this make you  a fishetarian or is there another word for this dietary conundrum? Anyway below is his response!!!!   

After cycling in the Canyons in the morning we had lunch at a local Haiwiian style cafe then drove over to Century city shopping centre and then had a look along Melrose Avenue. 

I went for a walk around our local neighbourhood Friday afternoon. These photographs are an example of what I got from my 3 hour expedition. I got some interesting stuff today as well but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for those. 

I really have Margaret and Barry to thank for my latest photography here in LA. Most of my photography has been landscapes, sports and many other various things. Margaret has a special interest in street photography and this has rubbed off on Barry. Through his not so gentle persuasion it now seems like the obvious style to experiment with whilst here in LA. This being the second post of the day due to the drizzle outside which now appears to be clearing I'm adding some of the more interesting signs I have seen here.

I've continued the B&W street photography theme for today's post. For me it's a new experience and certainly outside my comfort zone. The upside is there is heaps of material and you could go out and shoot hundreds of photos every day. It's drizzling rain outside this morning so it's a good chance to edit some photos.

Today's theme is a little different. After some inspiration from a video of a street photographer  that Margaret,Barry's wife, sent us I realised how much I like B&W photography.Also photographs that include people.
Below are a small sample with hope fully more to come. Click on the images for a bigger size and caption.