At Long Last... The Parrots Of San Francisco

"God took the beauty of the Bay of Naples, the Valley of the Nile, the Swiss Alps, the Hudson River Valley, rolled them into one and made San Francisco Bay."

~Fiorello La Guardia



Something of a miracle... well... a miracle for me anyway, took place yesterday. You see, I have been searching for the famous feral parrots of Telegraph Hill for, I don't know, forever! Well, actually, I heard about the mysterious parrots in the late summer of 2004, and since them I have searched, and searched, and for whatever reason, I could never find them. I researched the most likely places to see them, and even did some following on Twitter of folks who would post up to the minute updates, and it always seemed that by the time I got to the locations, they were gone. I thought I had hit pay dirt late last summer when Woody Allen was in town filming his summer 2012 project. I had been following Woody sightings around town, when one Tweeter commented that they had missed Woody at Gaspare's in the Richmond district, but did happen to come upon a large number of the famous parrots feasting on some wild red berries a few blocks away. Well, by the time I saw the tweet, and got to the city, there wasn't a parrot to be found, and the tree they had reportedly been feasting on, was... well... picked clean. Not a single red berry was left on the tree.

I was so disappointed to not only have missed Woody Allen, but the parrots as well! A double bummer! LOL. I thought about my poor luck all those years. I had visited Telegraph Hill many times, and never saw a single parrot. I hung out at Justin Herman Plaza... no luck. I read about a nice population that was hanging out in Golden Gate Park... but apparently not on the days I visited. It was more than a little disappointing to read about tourists going home with all kinds of magnificent photos of the birds, sometimes with them resting on the bird watchers outstretched hands. Sigh. It was getting to me. I considered, on that hot August day last summer, the distinct possibility that I would need to give up. For whatever reason, I would not be seeing the parrots. Perhaps there was some cosmic reason. Who Knows? All I knew was, ... it wasn't going to happen!

But yesterday, that all changed. Alan and I decided to shake off the stress of the day, and head over to the city for some fun. We planned to grab a toasted cheese sandwich, and a hot beverage, and go to the Embarcadero Center to watch the ice skaters frolic about. When we turned off the bridge, we turned onto the Howard street, then headed toward the embarcadero. The lighting was wonderful, everything looked slightly blue, due to the layer of mist and fog. It's one of my favorite conditions to photograph the city in. That misty fog gives the city a cool romantic look, and it never ceases to make me smile. When I was done with shooting new subjects along the waterfront, we made our way back to the plaza, and as we turned the corner onto Washington, we heard a joyful noise... it was the sound of 40 or so of the famous parrots playing/perching/singing happily among the trees of Sue Bierman park...









Eventually we did get over to the ice rink, and I did a lot of photography there as well. Not as much as I had planned to do, but I am happy with what I got done. More than happy... ecstatic! Alan and I are going back over to the city sometime next week, and I will do more in and around Embarcadero Center. There is a lot to see and photograph. Lots of public art, and the last of the autumn in the trees, the ice skaters of course, and hopefully those magnificent parrots!



Wish me luck!

Happiness!

~Me :)

"Two days in this city is worth two months in New York."

~Robert Menzies

To learn more about the parrots, visit the link below...
Parrot Pages

Scenes From Christmastime In The City

From For Ellipsis

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale

Alan and I went over to San Francisco Saturday night. It is so beautiful this time of year, everything is decorated for the holidays and it's just so festive you can't help but be in a good mood! It's wonderful...

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

It's so much fun in San Francisco. We got a hot chocolate, and watched all the shoppers just come and go! Then we went by Justin Herman Plaza and watched folks skating, and sometimes dancing, on the ice. Beautiful!

-Carly

Who Needs Rockefeller Center?

"Too bad Lassie didn't know how to ice skate, because then if she was in Holland, on vacation, in winter, and someone said, "Lassie, go skate for help," she could do it."

-Jack Handy

I have been watching movies and TV shows for years that feature skating at Rockefeller Center, in New York City, and I would daydream about how beautiful it must be to see it in person. New York City is at the top of my wish list of places to see one day, I would especially like to spend the holiday season there sometime. I would like to see the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and then the rest of the holiday celebrations throughout the season, finally bringing it all together by seeing the New Year come in while partying in Times Square. Romantic isn't it? Well, I am beginning to think that daydream won't be happening for me, but I am not too upset, because I think I have the next best thing right here. Holiday Ice Skating at Justin Herman Plaza on the Embarcadero, in San Francisco.

I don't know how to ice skate mind you, but I love watching the folks who do. The families, the couples on dates. Grandparents with the little ones. It is a nice vibe. You can't feel bad inside while watching them have fun. Happiness is contagious. I know of what I speak. For years and years I let ghost of Christmas past bring me down, which can be absolutely miserable for yourself and those around you. Finally, I pulled the chip off my shoulder, and removed the stick from my bum, and got on with the business of living happy. A few years ago, someone I loved, left my life at Christmas. I miss them so much sometimes, but life has gone on. I think of them at the holidays, and wish them love and happiness, and I spend a couple minutes in that reflection, then I move on. What else is there to do? Yes Mr November, sometimes I still miss you, but you were right... life will move you forward...

...And into the light if you are lucky enough to have the will to embrace it. "But how can I appreciate Christmas when it has been so commercialized?" Christmas hasn't been commercialized, that is a silly thing people say when they want to feel superior. Christmas is what you decide it is. Hanukkah is a celebration that everyone can participate in, Jewish or not. It's about miracles after all. New Year's Eve really doesn't have to come with pressure filled declarations of resolutions, it can simply be about the the chance to start over, with a better attitude. I think about these things while I watch the ice skaters at the Embarcadero. After all, I got up this morning, not everyone will be that lucky today. Life, and the holidays, are what you make of it, you can't expect others to fill the void you have, you have to make your own happiness. There I said it. ;)

Now... on with the skating...







The Gorgeous Tulip sculpture at Embarcadero Center. This is one of my favorite pieces of public art in the Bay Area. :)

If you need a bit of uplifting reading, I came across a different take on the old holiday classic, It's A Wonderful Life. The new approach concerns what it would be like if George Baily had Type 1 Diabetes. Go give it a read.

"If George Baily Had Type 1 Diabetes."
By Carey Potash ) dLife

-Carly
"Skating In The City"
Justin Herman Plaza
San Francisco, California
Saturday, December 20th, 2008
Late Afternoon/Early Evening

The Last Autumn Sunset Of 2008

"I didn't ask for it to be over, but then again, I never asked for it to begin. For that's the way it is with life, as some of the most beautiful days come completely by chance. But even the most beautiful days eventually have their sunsets."

-Unknown

Last September, just a few days before the seasons changed from summer to autumn, I was on the San Francisco peninsula, doing some photos along the coast. We had the most beautiful sunset that night, so, in that I knew I was going to be busy the rest of the week, I decided to stop in at the Point Montara Lighthouse photograph one of the last summer sunsets for the year. It was absolutely spectacular!

As most sunsets do, that one inspired me. I thought about maybe doing a last photograph of each seasons sunsets, if the weather permitted. It was looking like I was not going to be able to capture the last sunset of autumn, do to all the storms we have had recently, but yesterday was completely clear, absolutely gorgeous. Warm, sunny, and lovely start to finish. The weatherman said it would be the day to get all the last minute holiday deeds done, because it was going to last only one day, the last full day of autumn!

We have everything done, so we used the opportunity to go across the bay into the city, to watch the ice skaters at Justin Herman Plaza at the Embarcadero Center. December has been such a blink for us, that we hadn't had the chance to get over there until yesterday! Actually, the ice skating rink has been there since mid November, but as I said, time has just been a blink! I will share those photos after Christmas, this entry is all about the sunset, and how it looked from Treasure Island, facing back toward the Embarcadero. I love it during this time of year, with the buildings downtown outlined like packages! I love San Francisco. :)

The Last Summer Sunset Of 2008!

-Carly
"Last Sunset Of Autumn 2008"
Treasure Island
Oakland/San Francisco California
December 20th, 2008
Sunset

Round Robin Challenge: Night Shots

Click on the above photo to see it in a larger version!

"Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man resembles his fragmentary self, and grows with the calm of a tree."

-Antonine de Saint Exupery

LOL. Apparently, I control the weather. See, I chose my friend, and RRC teammate Steven's topic, Night Shots, because it's summer, and I thought it would be the most comfortable time of year to tackle the subject, but just after I posted it in the announcement entry, a cold snap hit the Bay Area! LOL. If it hasn't been cold and rainy, then the fog has been a factor! LOL. One night this past week, it actually registered 52 degrees at 9:00 pm! In August!?

So forgive me, but with my bum knee, which I have some news about, and will sharing with you next week, I had to do some looking around in my photo files, for some photos I hadn't posted before. I was delighted to find some that I had previously thought unworthy. It's funny how you can take a picture, just hate it, and go back months, or sometimes years, later and see it in a whole new light. Anyway, here is my contribution for this round. By the way, please click on the black and white photo above, to see it larger. I am rather proud that I could get both the pumpkin and the moon in clear detail.

Night Shots...

A Storm Rolling In

Happy Christmas Bear

Winter at Justin Herman Plaza

A Rainy Night In Berkeley

Coit Tower At Night

The August Moon Over San Francisco

San Francisco Skyline At Christmas

Orange Trees

Be sure to pay a visit to Steven at his blog, (sometimes photoblog) to see what he has for us, and then click on the links below to visit all the participating Robins for this challenge. If you want to join us, there is still plenty of time, just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Challenge blog to get all the details.

Linking List

Steven... (sometimes photoblog) (P)

Carly... Ellipsis (P)

Vicki... Maraca

Gattina... Keyhole Pictures (P)

Karen... Outpost Mavarin (P)

Celeste... C's Life (P)

Jennifer Robin... Robin's Woods (P)

Molly... Return Of The White Robin (P)

-rRose... Wait-Not Yet

Jama Hameed... Sweet Memories (P)

Robinella... Robinella's

T.J. ... TJ's Photo Expressions (P)

Jill... Letting Crazy Take A Spin

Marie... Photographs and Memories

Or... Photographs And Memories Too

Sandra... Strong Chemistry (P)

Annie... Pictures Of Craziness

Gina... Gina's Space (P)

Momma... Sandcastle Momma (P)

Sahvvy... The Instantaneous Exsistence Of Me (P)

-OndineMonet
"Howling At The Moon"
October 31st, 2006
Berkeley, California
Early Evening

A Night Out With Alan

"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day."

-Vincent Van Gogh

Alan and I had a date the other night. We date often, and I think it's one thing that has kept us young at heart. It's not really important where we go, or what we do, but it is important that we leave work, and the day to day details of life behind. No ranting about how completely stupid George Bush really is, and no ranting about how completely stupid Alan thinks George Bush really is either! LOL. Honestly, if you think I am bad, you should hear him rant sometime. LOL. He makes me laugh when he makes fun of Bush and Cheney, and when I laugh, down goes the blood sugar. Alan is good for me. :)

Anyway, back to the night out. We love going into San Francisco and exploring, but this time of year we actually haunt a couple of neighborhoods religiously. One of our favorite spots is Justin Herman Plaza. From early November through the end of December, there is the added attraction of the Holiday Ice Rink. Its fun to watch the skaters, mostly families sharing time together, having fun. :) It's life affirming. We usually watch from rink level, but this year we decided to also watch from the third level of the Embarcadero Center. It was cold, but it couldn't have been more fun.

Afterwards we walked around the plaza and did some window shopping, and a little dreaming I suppose. We talked about this Christmas, and how it is his year to make me breakfast in bed. I have earned it. I usually stay up all night, wrapping packages, and chatting with my best friend H. P. so it's kind of fun to make something delicious, and then climb into bed with Alan and have breakfast before he leaves for work. This year, however, Alan has the day off, so, I will probably still chat with H. P., but I will probably go to bed a little earlier then I usually do, and wake up a little later in the morning to a nice warm breakfast. :) I'm looking forward to that. :)

After we got the details for Christmas worked out, we made another date to comeback here in a couple weeks. We will probably do some shopping here, and then hop over to Union Square to do some night photography. All the decorations are up throughout of the city, so there are lots of opportunities to get in some time with the camera. I need a lot more practice with my night photography. It's really nice when he brings his camera along, honestly, he takes the most wonderful photographs. I wish he would start blogging again, but with his current schedule it would be difficult. Still, he may have to make a guest appearance here on Ellipsis. We'll see.

And now, into the night...

The San Francisco skyline, as seen from Treasure Island. All the buildings in the Embarcadero area is outlined to look like packages for the holidays. :) This photo really doesn't do the scene justice. :)

The view of the city looking south, toward Mission street.

The View from the third floor of the Embarcadero Center.

Beautiful, fun, and the it has the gorgeous Ferry Building in the background. :)

"The Tulip" is designed by artist, John C. Portman Jr. It is outlined in lights, and spans three stories. An amazing piece of art. One of my favorite pieces along the Embarcadero.

All decorated for the holidays, this over crossing is a lovely place to grab a sandwich and a hot beverage, and watch the world go by.

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-OndineMonet
"Skating In The City"
Embarcadero Center
Justin Herman Plaza
San Francisco, California
December 3, 2007
Early Evening