By The Ocean Blue And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #38

 

Half Moon Bay, California

October 25th 2022

 

"A soul that smiles in empathy is a soul that blew away the sadness as the wild wilds blew. A soul that parts it's lips is a soul that smiled away the sadness, as the autumn leaves flew ... ."

 

~Jayita Bhattacharjee

 

The pelicans won the day last week, they were everywhere. They were out here in the valley in bigger numbers than I have ever seen, a fairly large group were tucked around the corner in Tiburon, in Marin County, and there were impressive numbers along the coast of Half Moon Bay, Bodega Bay, and Santa Cruz. I have become fond of watching them play. They seem to be an easier bird to get along with, as opposed to, say, a gull or maybe Scrub Jay. Pelicans are so photogenic, that I planning on photographing particular. There was something about seeing that large group of White Pelican's flying over the condo, earlier in the month, that enchanted me. I enjoy all birds so much, I guess we will have to see! 

 

Santa Cruz, California

October 25th 2022
 

~Me

One In A Million And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #36

 

"You return, like autumn, and I fall every time."

 

~L.S.

 

We visited Santa Cruz yesterday, and as you might imagine, it was beautiful but it wasn't the only stop we made, we also stopped in Half Moon Bay as well, and in addition to it's beauty, it held quite a surprise! I was hoping to see some Black Oystercatchers, but I didn't see even one, however I did see about a million (not really a million) pelicans. I saw mostly Grey Pelicans, but I am sure there was a few white ones mixed it, however the big surprise was a single Blue Heron sitting right in the middle of one of the larger groups present. It was one in a million moment, or moment a where's waldo? If you look very close you can see him. The pelicans were making a wonderful sound, so were the gulls. I am still doing some research because one of them was making a laughing sound, and then I began to chuckle a bit, and laughter is the best medicine, right?

 

~Me

 

A Look Back At July 2014

"Taking a picture is like giving a piece of your soul away. You allow other people to see the world through your eyes."

~Katja Michael

It's time to say goodbye to another month! Goodbye July, 2014! You were kind to some and devastating to others. I have no complaints about my life, or my little corner of the world, but I am saying some prayers for others... prayers of peace...and keeping a good thought that maybe August will bring some kind of ... well... sanity to this world. I will never give up on hope. NEVER!

Looking In The Rear View Mirror...

And Forward We Go...

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Santa Cruz For The Weary Soul...

Walton Lighthouse
Santa Cruz, California
July 11th, 2014

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart."

~Confucius

When I was in Santa Cruz, a couple weeks ago, I was so thankful to be surrounded by all the beauty of the place. It is always fun to visit there, but my favorite part is to just sit on the beach and relax and enjoy the sun. I am thankful for where I live. California is beautiful! And Santa Cruz is definitely one of my favorite places!

From The Archives...

Santa Cruz
August 14th 2005





Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: Words & Pictures: I Try... And Santa Cruz... And Beauty In The World

"Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife."

~Khalil Gibran

RRC: Words And Pictures

Last Friday was a good day! NO! Last Friday was a perfect day! Alan and I took a midsummer week off to just shake off the stress of the last few months. There has been a lot of sadness, with our friend's suicide, and Alan has been working a lot of overtime. As for me, well, I dislocated my shoulder a few weeks back, right in the thick of things, and have been dealing with the pain ever since. But on Friday, Alan and I decided to ignore all of the stress, shake it all off, and go and enjoy the day in Santa Cruz! We did some Geocaching... more on that later... and then had a nice pizza on the Santa Cruz Wharf, and we parked so we could hear the first set of the Macy Gray concert as we ate. We we finished, we made our way down to the beach, blanket in hand, and found just the right spot to watch her second performance at 8:30 PM.

She was nothing short of amazing! Generous with audience attention and interaction, and uplifting in her words and music! She has been one of my favorite singers for years, and it was a little bit of heaven to be able to see her in concert on the beach in Santa Cruz! I did some photography, I did some dancing, I did some singing, and I had a lot of fun! It was just what the doctor ordered. However, in my urge to spend the day away from my problems, I forgot to post my original posting for the Round Robin Photo Challenge, like I promised Karen I would! MY BAD! It is the first time in about  decade that I didn't turn in a challenge post on time, so I hope Karen will forgive me! Karen, my absence was for a good cause, Alan needed the break from life as much as I did. 

Macy Gray... WE LOVE YOU! Thank you for coming to Santa Cruz, and providing a much needed break from all the pain! You are BEAUTY IN THE WORLD!

Santa Cruz, California
Friday, July 11th, 2014






And Now Macy Gray...

 

 

"Music... will help dissolve your perplexities and purify your character and sensibilities, and in time of care and sorrow, will keep a fountain of joy alive in you."

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Now that you have seen my words and pictures, why don't you pay a visit to Karen and the official Round Robin blog, and join in! There is still time this weekend! Just click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the where all the fun is!

 

Mood: Grateful

 

~Me :)

Out There Having Fun In The Warm California Sun...

"I had a dream about you. I was running barefoot on the beach, and you were chasing me because you were a cop and I was naked. I couldn't believe you tried to arrest me. What, is it a crime to run with no shoes?"

~Jarod Kintz, I Had A Dream About You 2

 

It's that time again. The time when Alan and I sit down with the calendar and try to figure out what weekend's we need for what. You see, Alan gets a weekend off, but his weekend is Tuesday and Wednesday, which means we usually miss a lot of activities like Farmer's Markets, Festivals, Outdoor Movies and Concerts. But with a little planning, plotting, and time requested off far enough ahead of the activity, we find a little time each summer for slacking off!



This year it looks like we have found the perfect week to fit in a movie on the beach and a concert in Santa Cruz. It's been years since we did that, in fact the last concert on the beach we made it to was Greg Kihn. Oh my goodness we loved his music when we were kids... still do! I love following him on Twitter! So perhaps we will be able to catch his concert in Santa Cruz this year, but then again, the week Macy Gray will be there is awesome also. On Wednesday the beach will have Raiders Of The Lost Ark as the free movie, and her concert on Friday! How much fun is that?

Of course, there is nothing like going to opening night for the free movies! The movie that always kicks things off is Lost Boys, which was filmed in Santa Cruz! The train trestle scene was filmed just up the beach, from the boardwalk. I still visit that part of Santa Cruz at least once a year, just because it has an amazing view of the boardwalk from a slightly uphill vantage point. It's gorgeous! I need to do some new night photos of beach, it's been far too long since I did that! 

There is so much to do during the summer in the Bay Area, it is hard to choose what direction to go in! San Francisco has free outdoor movies for families. So does Marin County. There is Shakespeare in the Park and like I mentioned previously all kinds of festivals. It's all just a matter of planning, like everything else. So, this week it's all about the calendar, and visiting many different websites, and then choosing. Oh my, the choosing of what to do! LOL. God help me... I love it!

But what I love most, is spending time with Alan. I love him!

Mood: Happy :)

~Me :)

Click the following link for the complete schedule of Free Movies On The Beach

Round Robin Challenge: Looking Forward

"Life is not about looking back and wishing that today is the same with the past. Life is about moving on, accepting changes and looking forward to what makes you stronger and more complete because it's never been too late to have a life and never too late to change one."

~Unknown

RRC: Looking Forward

For this round of the Round Robin Photo Challenges, Karen has asked us to represent, with our photos, the concept of "Looking Forward." In that we just crossed over into a new year, that could have been the focus, keeping my eyes looking toward the future, and I thought of going with a series of photos that made that the main message, but it seems since the first of the year I have been in a constant state of looking back, in order to Look Forward. Both in my personal life, and my photography. Anyway, here is a retrospective of some key photographs I have taken in the past, which really represents my efforts in Looking Forward to new sights, and experiences. I chose them, because with each one, I moved a little closer to who I am today, and who I will be tomorrow. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, here is my contribution...

The Golden Gate Bridge
Facing Forward Toward The City
From Marin County


The View From Just North Of The Bixby Creek Bridge
Monterey, California
Just Before Heading Across


The Bixby Creek Bridge
Monterey, California
A Little Later In The Day


Looking Forward To The End Of The Day
Near San Simeon, California
March, 2005


Looking Forward To Tomorrow
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Santa Cruz, California
October, 2009


Looking Forward On An Autumn Road
Plumas, California
October, 2010


The photo at the very top was taken in a cemetery in Pacific Grove, California. I love Pacific Grove for so many reasons. Not only is it known as Butterfly Town USA, because of the annual Monarch migration, which pretty much covers the town, but it is some of the most beautiful coastline of anywhere in California. It is stunning, and rich in history, so it is definitely one of the places I look forward to visiting each October, when I grab my camera, allow myself to float where the camera tells me to go.

Pacific Grove is usually the one place that I will not compromise on. Imagine watching, at a certain time, on a late October day, when as many as 20,000 Monarch butterflies turn toward the setting sun... all at once! It is nothing short of magical! It's truly spiritual! Unfortunately, this past October came and went without my being able to visit Pacific Grove, but it is on my list for this coming autumn, it is probably the main thing I am Looking Forward to next October!

Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary
Pacific Grove, California
October, 2011


Okay, that's my post for this topic of the Round Robin Challenges! Please drop by and see what all the participating photographers are up to! Simply click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog, where you will find the link to each participant, plus all the information you need to play along!

Mood: Encouraged

~Me :)

Note: Karen, sorry about once again pulling from the archives. Life has been crazy! I owe you an all new photographic essay next round! I promise! :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 120~ RRC...The Right Angle

"Colors answer feeling in man; shapes answer thought, and motion answers will."

~John Sterling

Round Robin Challenge: The Right Angle
Brought to you by Karen, author of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

It wasn't easy to find quotes to go with this week's RR subject, I finally had to settle for a generalized quote about shapes, but I think it suits the theme pretty well. Right Angles you say? Well, I did a looking through the archives for photographs that would accurately illustrate Right Angles, and I did a little snapping away while I was in San Francisco recently. So, here are my Right Angles...

The photo above was taken in Santa Cruz, in 2005. The pyramid you see is called Guardian I, and sits at Natural Bridges state beach. It is a kind of place marker of the small cove below the cliff that is the nudist side of the beach. It's an interesting art piece, and a lovely seaside area. The nude beach is well hidden, and out of the sight of the family friendly side. Hey, nothing like a little sunbathing... right?

Photo #2: Not Worth It (It's pretty self explanatory) 8/31/12


Photo #3: Rainbow Flag From The Castro, San Francisco, Ca 8/31/12


Photo #4: Enjoy CocaCola San Francisco, Ca 8/31/12


Photo #5: Another Brick In The Wall, San Francisco, Ca 8/31/12


Okay, that's my contribution for this round. If you would like to join in the fun, grab your camera and snap a Right Angle. You can find out all the details, and well as the links to other participants, at the official Round Robin blog. Just click the link at the top of this entry to be redirected!

:)

~Me

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 90~ A Day Late And A Lighthouse Short

"Anythin' for a quiet life, as the man said when he took the situation at the lighthouse."

-Charles Dickens

Yesterday, Tuesday, was National Lighthouse Day. I completely forgot in all the WoodyAllenNess, but just because it slipped my mind, doesn't mean I shouldn't pay it proper tribute. Right? And besides, several of the Bay Area lighthouses were named among the prettiest. And for good reason! Below is a nice gallery of some of my favorite shots, it's far from a complete gallery, I need to replace my lighthouse file with updated pictures, but that's just one more thing to keep me busy this next fall and winter. I am hoping to add a couple that are especially difficult to reach, when we take the plane trip in October. That would be a wonderful vantage point. I am looking forward to that!

First up... Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, California





Point Montara Lighthouse, Montara, California





Alcatraz Lighthouse



Point Reyes Lighthouse, Point Reyes Station, California



Half Moon Bay Harbor Light



Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California



Surfer Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California



Point Arena Lighthouse, Point Arena, California

From For Ellipsis

Lightship Relief, Jack London Square, Oakland, Ca





Point Pinos Lighthouse, Pacific Grove, Ca



Okay, that's all the lighthouses I have for tonight. On my big photo jaunt to San Francisco, and Marin County tomorrow, I have a couple brief stops planned to photograph a couple more. Well, anyway, that's the plan right now. Cross your fingers for me... it all depends on the level of sleep I reach tonight. It's amazing how much of my life centers around how well I sleep. 

It just is what it is.

~Me :)