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Bob showing a detail to grandkids Thor and Logan Bob recently built this staircase to get up to old Sierra Club trail to amphitheatre, as the old trail was washed out at this point Interesting detail by eastern gate of garage roof paio Bob showing family his recently built and highest stairway, from which the Hollywood sign can be seen Logan & Thor checking out rocks by Bob's waterfall Bob and Leny drove Julie, Doug, Jef, Thor & Logan up to check out the Griffith Planetarium on the Ides of March this year Seeing off the kids at the bottom of the Landa St. driveway	Bob started on terracing the upper part of the lot he procured a few years back, by building staircases to get to the high area of this lot, which goes about 40' higher than his original lot.
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Julie and her family, as well as Jef visited for a couple days in April Bob & Jef about half a mile from Landa Street house - Jef showing Bob where, about 40 years ago, he had to go full speed into this intersection because he had no brakes on his bike (chain driven brakes didn't work after chain came off) and fortuneatly no cars were coming and he was able to make the curve and turn uphill on next curve to stop bike	Bob & Julie returning from a mile hike around the neighborhood - Bob's house is in the trees ahead Bob & Julie on driveway into Cunningham's place by the water tank above Bob's house
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Bob and Ken, South Palm Wash Bob and Jef at "Hollywood & Vine", Carrizo Wash	Bob and Leny came out to visit son, Jef, in Borrego. He brought his friend and former co-worker, Ken Kvammen & wife Suzie, and they all received a grand tour of the area by Jef, hitting South Palm Wash slot canyon and the Arroyo Tapiado mud caves, among other places. This year, Bob's former colleages in the county survey department erected a plaque and placed it adjacent to a tanled pile of wood that marked the first survey mark in the western U.S., designated as Southern California "Point Zero" that was erected by Colonel Washington circa 1847. Bob estimated this survey marker was the reference for property containing about 25,000,000 people. This is high up in the San Bernardino Mountains at about 9500' elevation. Bob was in no condition to visit it himself, so he got Jef to go up and see it for him. Monument erected by Bob's former colleagues the week before Jef came here and photographed it.
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Niece JoAnn & husband Rich. Bob, Leny and Jef visited them just before Xmas this year and got a grand tour of the area around Mesquite NV. Bob at Rich & JoAnn's place a couple days before Xmas At the hotel On road trip to view sights around Mesquite - here with Rich, Leny, & JoAnn in Pine Valley
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Julie, Jef, Dough, Thor & Logan visited Bob & Leny this March: Bob showing the tiny tree with spikes on the trunk that he grabbed in order to save himself from a recent fall Exploring the lot just NE of Bob's Landa St. house with Julie Dog talking to Bob as Julie, Thor, Logan descend from lot to NE Landslide adjacent to highest stairs on Bob's property from recent heavy rains Thor, Bob & Julie in front of new terracing - above this is the old Sierra Club amphitheatre Bob, Leny, Julie & Doug walking at Cal Tech campus Doug and Julie in OB next to door painted to honor another Bob Johnson In April, Jef and Ruth dropped by and Bob & Leny went with them to Jef's Uncle Van's funeral: Bob & Leny joined Jef, Ruth & Elsa to attend the funeral of Ruth's only brother, Gerard(aka Van), early this year Bob & Leny drove Hein & Leny's niece, Marleen, to visit Jef in Borrego this spring: Bob examining ocotillo flower Bob, Leny, Hein, Marleen at Split Mtn. area with desert willow, ocotillo & smoke tree behind them Hein & Marleen Jef brought his new girlfriend, Kathy, to visit Bob & Leny this September: Bob & Leny Kathy & Bob ascending the high staircase this summer Kathy, Jef & Holley visited Bob & Leny for Thanksgiving this year: Here is Kathy & Bob by his border terracing (connected original with new lot) Holley, Kathy, Bob Bob reluctant to eat "Mexican strawberry" proferred by Jef Bob relaxing in living room with Kathy - apparently, for a brief time, he was watching library DVD movies on this computer Holley & Kathy checking out new terracing on adjacent lot Bob digging up plants to give to Kathy	Bob & Leny got to see all of Bob's kids this year. Jef visted 4 times this year: March 2005, with Julie, Doug, Thor & Logan. Bob took his guests to visit the Griffith Observatory. He tried to show them the Huntington Library & Art Gallery, but this was closed, so instead visited the nearby campus of Cal Tech April 2005, with Ruth & Elsa - to arrange flowers, dress up, and attend Ruth's brother, Gerard's, funeral over at Claremont. September 2005 with Kathy - for Jef to introduce his new girfriend November 2005 with Kathy & Holley, for a Thanksgiving feast
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At Jef's wedding with Kathy in Coyote Canyon, June 3 Bob and Leny finished their 70' long bench this year Layout pattern for next terrace wall Bob and Leny
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At Ruth's celebration of life ceremony, Glorietta Canyon, Jan 12, about 8 days after she passed away
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Joanne's back yard Leny at Rich's services (Rich was Bob's niece's husband) Nieces Janet & Joanne Rich's image	Jef and Kathy met Bob and Leny at the wake for Rich, husband of Bob's niece Joanne in Mesquite NV. Jef never quite got the tour of the Getty Museum while visiting Bob, but others have: Foto provided by John Houben
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Elsa and Bob in March Bob in hospital after 2nd round of surgery, this time to install a stent Apartment Bob lived in for 6 months out of this year in Houston area Late in the year, Bob didn't want to waste money on apartment rent, and so purchased a house instead. This turned out to be yet ANOTHER PROJECT to work on, as it, too, was a fixer-upper.	Bob's wife, Leny, had her cancer return at the start of this year, and wound up staying at hospital when she went with him for his open-heart surgery in January. She passed away within 3 months while in hospice at home. In May of this year, after selling his house on Landa Street, Bob drove to TX to live with daughter Elsa in the Houston area. He went to work fixing up her house. Here are a few journal entries: 7/24/09 Elsas house is 10 feet above storm tide on 12 pilings. The ground floor has been used as a garage, with curtain walls and double rolling doors and a cement slab exactly at ground level, subject to minor flooding on about annual occasions. My project is to convert the ground floor to living space by building a wood deck on top of the slab. I start this by rushing out to rent a transit, and I discover its almost as cheap to buy a used one, so I bought a Dietzgen half vertical circle type complete with rod and tripod, a fascinating toy which I hoped would help make this floor level, with Elsa holding the rod. The slab has settled differentiallly more than an inch in spots, and I set up the instrument in the dark garage, and discover that my eyesight is absolutely incapable of focusing on the crosshairs. Elsa says she can see the crosshairs, but I can't . Meanwhile, Elsa's stuff, treasures which she has placed in many plastic boxes neatly fill much of the space, some stuff too big for boxes included a tumblers set of spring pads, one of which serves nicely for siestas, another laying on its side got involved with a pile on 2x4s. Moving this stuff around to make a sighting on the level rod a 2x4 accidently pried the tumblerspad over so it fell on the tripod, crashing the transit to the cement slab. My new equipment is now safely stowed in a plastic box, and our project is proceeding, largely with the aid of a carpenter's level. 7/28/09 The last time I went shooting was with Tim Gorline. Tim was a machinist who made his own Long Rifle. Flossie, his wife, made him a leather suit, complete with moccasins and a raccoon skin cap. He also brought a cows horn to pour powder down the barrel which was involved with a pan, flint and ramrod We went to the end of a road up a desert canyon and shot lead balls, which he had made with his do-it-yourself kit, at rocks and also picked up lead to take home to make more balls. I wonder what happened to all that stuff? 7/29/09 This week we fixed the fence gate,which had , due to last years hurricane,come out of alignment so the latch did not latch. To correct this, we put an ugly 2 x 4 across the posts to hold the posts together,and decided to camouflage the arch after looking at it. Numerous conferences later we agreed upon a design by Elsa using the logo of the City of Dickinson(three pines sticking out of a field of grass) where we put the brass house number across the pines cut all out of a scrap of plywood with the Dewalt jigsaw we paid $110 for, painted green(picture Elsa coming home from a hard day at the office and finding her dads hands all green and him fuming because he refused to buy a gallon of paint thinner when he bought the green paint,and she being inspired to celebrate by immediatly going to a French Restaurant!!!!!! (ps...This was in our "not sent" for 2 weeks, dropped because we have been busy,not busy at this moment because of the arrival of bug time, and Elsa insists that I send it). Today I set 8 cement piers on Elsas existing ground floor slab. each pier has an top indentation to receive 2 x 4 joists that will support a 3/4 inch thick plywood floor, I now must install 156 more piers which will be on 24 inch centers. All this stuff is waiting out in the threatening weather with tarps protecting . We are playing a game similar to musical chairs with all of Elsas stuff stored on the slab being proposed moved onto the new floor as we progress.. 7/30/09 Elsa has her highly prized job as a supervising engineer with Verizon Telephone and enjoys working about 60 hours a week. We live in a gated luxury apartment, ground floor with her Dalmatian who is 16 years old. Elsa has, 5 miles away in the village of Dickinson, a most unique fixer upper. An acre of tall old trees, a lawn mowing job, poorly drained flat land, but with all the improvements, paved street, sewers, water, telephone and power, etc. A block away from the Bayou. The house, bought cheap, had termites and rot. It consists of 2nd story living quarters with ground floor slab at flooded ground level used as storage and garage. I am occupied with a project to raise the ground floor level so it can be used as additional living space.This week I installed 132 cement piers,to be topped with joists and plywood deck, temperature in the 90s, threatening thunderstorms, and if sweating is good for you, I am fast on the road to recovery from my zipper operation. 7/31/09 Elsa has her 60 hour per week job, and I while-away my retirement commuting to her "fixer-upper" unique house in Dickinson and planning, shopping and sweating-out the details of making the place more habitable. The downstairs 900 square feet garage & storeroom has a concrete slab floor level with the outside flood-plain. Priority is to raise the floor. This week I am installing 167 concrete piers on the slab and criss-cross floor joists tied into the outer walls. Next week I hope to install the plywood floor. When Elsa comes by at 6 PM she pounds some nails. The days are hot & humid & I use "Deet" & have a cot with an electric fan and a refrigerator to help cope. The store room is quite crowded with the accumulated treasures of our long lives and we are playing a game similar to "musical chairs" moving this stuff around...next week onto the new floor. 8/3/09 WE are busy having installed 3 Plywood sheets on the raised floor and are moving the stuff out of the way of progress off the concrete slab and up onto the new raised floor, similar to the game called "musical chairs". We must install the substructure and 25 more sheets of plywood in order to continue with the next stages of this improvement. August 5......Hiroshima Bomb Day...It appears that it will take 3 more weeks to finish raising the floor.
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