I Saw The Light In Your Eyes

"I am intrigued by the smile upon your face, and the sadness within your eyes."

~Jeremy Aldana

I came across this pair of broken glasses, while walking through Golden Gate Park last week. They intrigued me. It was a sad thought that someone had lost their glasses and their ability to see. No seeing the beauty in the park that day, or the amazing waves that are just off the park at Ocean Beach. No seeing the sunsets the Bay Area has been graced with.  I would hate to lose my ability to see, especially if I missed the light in someone else's eyes. I once knew someone who had so much light in their eyes that they nearly blinded me. All I wanted to do was look at that incredible light, even if it did scare the life out of me. Funny how things are sometimes. 

As sad as I feel sometimes, because I haven't seen that light for many years, I am so much better off for having got to see it in my lifetime. I think that is why when I meet someone new, it's always their eyes I notice first. The eyes tell a lot about a person, they share everything sometimes. Sometimes they share too much, but either way, the eyes are indeed the windows to the soul. I believe it completely. 

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

~Albert Einstein

Mood: Quiet

~Me :) 

By the way, it seems that scientists have indeed proven that the eyes really are the windows to the soul.

Daily Mail Online

Scientists Discover That Eyes Really Are 'The Window To The Soul'

This Side Of The Ridge

"Mere colour, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways."

~Oscar Wilde

I love this time of day. I love that right here everything was a soft gorgeous blue, but just right over that ridge was a wild full sky of pinks and reds as the sun set. I love my camera, I see things I would miss otherwise. The camera, my cameras, help me slow down, and see what's in front of me. There was a time when the pain in my life was all I saw, then little by little, as I really put effort into my picture taking, I realized how lucky my life was, and how much pain everyone was in. Suddenly, it was less about me, and more about how at the end of the day, the sun sets on all of us, just maybe from different perspectives. 

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

Memories As The Sun Sets

"Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are. There cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering, to always be together, and yet apart."

~Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

While in Pacifica the other day, photographing the big waves, I spotted these two watching the sun down down together. They didn't leave each others side. It made me smile, and reminded me of two California song birds that had built their nest on my balcony, back in the 1990's, when I had my first apartment. The male bird took such loving care of the lady bird, bringing her food, and watching over the nest. I loved watching such love and devotion as that. It's a happy thing to carry as a memory. One of my very favorites when I am blue. 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Great Southern White Butterfly (Ascia monuste) Part II

"I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days... three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain."

~John Keats, Bright Star: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne

Sigh. Of all the places, people, and things I have photographed, I think butterflies are my favorite. This little butterfly, the Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) was a newly emerged butterfly, as evident by it's slightly curled wings. What a wonderful day it must have been for that butterfly. The world was brand new, and each time it landed on a new flower, it was a new experience. It must be amazing to see this world, through new eyes.

Smile.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: The White Stuff

"Some people like living in a black and white worlds. Let them stay there. Appreciate all the colors you see in your world though."

~Ashly Lorenzana

RRC: The White Stuff

For this round, Karen wants to see WHITE. I was able to get out with the camera a couple times, in between RRCs, so I have a couple brand new photos, and just for fun, I threw in some oldies but goodies from the archives. Some with a little bit of white that stands out in a colorful photo, and some that are mostly black white naturally. Okay, lets let the pictures speak for themselves. Shall we?

The White Stuff












"Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony."

~Coco Chanel, Chanel

Okay, that's my post. Now go see what the other participating Robins have posted for this challenge round! We have some awesome photographers in the community, so I know you won't be disappointed! Just click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Challenge blog. That's where you will find both the list of participants and all the information you need to join in. 

Thank you Karen for another great challenge!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Half Moon Bay, The Real Housewives Of New Jersey And The Mavericks

"Sometimes in the morning, when it's a good surf, I go out there and I don't feel like it's a bad world."

~Kary Mullis

A couple days ago, while out with the camera along the coast, I heard a familiar little bell on my phone, and when I checked, there it was, a Breaking News text from my favorite network news affiliate in the Bay Area, KGO, and what a news headline it was... "Mavericks Surf Competition Will Be Held This Friday." That's a big deal in the Bay Area, especially in Half Moon Bay, but it's an even bigger deal to surfers worldwide who come each year, when the waves are cooperating, to compete for the top prize.

Some recent changes in how spectators can view the contest make it almost impossible to be able to see it from the shoreline, but there is a viewing area where a large screen TV will show all the action. For me, that takes the fun out of it. I like being able to sit on, or near, the shore, with my camera, and see it for my own eyes, so I probably won't brave the traffic. The good news though, for the first time the Mavericks competition will be available to stream online at the official website!  And also for the first time, it will be televised on the Universal Sports Network. (See the link to the official Maverick's website, located at the bottom of this page, for all the event and viewing details).

I will watch it that way. Still, I wish I could be there in person. The news is predicting waves of record height. As high as 50ft. That is an awesome thought! So far the highest I have seen personally is about 30 ft! I think that would make for the photo of a lifetime! Someday. Maybe. We'll see. As the years go by, perhaps things will go toward better viewing conditions along the shoreline. You never know. Until then, there is always the Internet. Right?

Here are my photos from Half Moon Bay two days ago...









I have written about Half Moon Bay on this blog many times. In the context of our annual visits to the amazingly beautiful pumpkin patches, and my love for the Pacific coast shoreline. I did also mention Half Moon Bay in regards to my astonishment at the fact that the cast of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, during season 4, stayed in Half Moon Bay, while on vacation in California, and couldn't seem to find any beauty to the town or the coast! Which still leaves me completely perplexed, because truly, I am so in love with the place that I tend to visit the area as much as possible. I can't imagine NOT loving the area. There fresh produce. The air. The sunsets. The friendly small town atmosphere. Jeepers, the place is even mentioned in a beautiful song by the group Train! What's not to love? But then, that's just my opinion.

Maverick's Invitational 

:)

So tell me, will you be tuning into the Maverick's competition? Yes/No? Tell me everything!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Great Southern White (Ascia monuste)

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."

~Oscar Wilde

I am tired, and weary. My Fibromyalgia is roaring through my body. It's okay, I had a fabulous day with the camera yesterday. Butterflies. Large, beautiful, Maverick sized waves. The sky. The flowers. Art was everywhere, and my eyes happily took it all in, and my camera saved it forever. Life is good.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (A Movie Review)

"The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all by yourself from the clues."

~Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures



Yesterday, Alan and I went to see, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. What a great movie! We both thoroughly enjoyed it! It wasn't at all like the original Danny Kaye version of the Thurber short story, this definitely took the story in a more modern direction, but frankly, I liked it better than the original musical. And I don't mean to be presumptuous here, but I bet Thurber would have liked it better also! I actually heard a while back, I think on AMC, that Thurber hated the Danny Kaye version, especially because of the music. It didn't really fit. Music wasn't a part of the story he was trying to tell. And I get that, although don't you sometimes miss those wonderful old musicals? Just maybe that story shouldn't have been made into a musical. The author knows best... right? Just ask Stephen King. He hated what Hollywood did with The Shining, but years later he got to be more hands on with the TV version, and was very happy with the outcome. He got to see his vision come to life the way he meant it to be.

Anyway, I liked this version of the Thurber story very much. It was well done, and it was truly visually stunning. As an amateur photographer, it made me jealous that I couldn't have stepped into the movie with my cameras, and snapped away at all the beauty I was seeing. The story was sentimental, and yeah predictable, but it was like another movie that I loved, Big Year. Both were quiet, lovely storytelling, and I guess by today's goer standard... unsophisticated. No loud car chases. No CGI. No obnoxiously loud music used to make the movie's point. Instead actual dialog did the storytelling. Well done, dialog, acting, and gorgeous cinematography. Sigh. I guess I am hopelessly un-hip... wait... is that still a thing? To be un-hip? LOL. Being an old fogy will never go out of style will it?

I am giving my age away here aren't I? Well, I will just say... GO SEE THE MOVIE!

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty


I give it 4 out of 5 kernels of popcorn.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Getting To Know You

"The way to get on with a cat is to treat it as an equal... or even better... as the superior it knows itself to be."

~Elizabeth Peters, The Snake, The Crocodile And The Dog

It's been about 2 months since our new baby, Joey, came to live with us. I will never forget the day we found him, he was scared, and injured from some crows that had bit at his tiny body, and he was tired. He was just this wee ball of fluff, about as lost as anyone could be. I think it was pretty much love at first sight. Love for all of us... well... almost all of us. It took a good bit of convincing where Dylan was concerned. Hendrix only took a couple days to warm up to him, and now they are wrestling buddies! Dylan has never been a very social cat, I think because his eyesight is so bad, so he still continues to hiss, but it's a defensive stance, not aggressive. A simple FUCK OFF if you will. 

Joey takes it well, and he is giving Dylan the proper amount of respect. He doesn't try to engage Dylan, and lets him be. It's working out much better than I imagined it would. We now have 3 beautiful little boys, each one different, but all three wonderful. For the most part, Joey is picking up some of Hendrix's traits. Love comes first. Listen when Mom says the word NO or STOP! LOL. But Joey has his own personality, and it shines through quite charmingly.

Joey likes pizza. Any kind of pizza. Whenever we make a frozen pizza or purchase one from out in the world, Joey knows it, and wants some. I actually caught him happily gnawing on a slice of Domino's Wisconsin cheese pizza the other day, much to my surprise! My other two boys aren't really foodies. Dylan pays no attention when we cook and serve dinner. Hendrix always wants to be a part of things, but never eats anything. Joey doesn't really much care about out meals... unless it's pizza. Sometimes, as I get to know him better, I wonder if Joey might have been a human once upon a time, who lived in Flatbush in Brooklyn, and really liked pizza!

It could be. One never really knows about these things. :)

But look at that snugglepuss, don't you just love him?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Things I See...

"An artist's concern is to capture beauty wherever he finds it."

~Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist Of The Floating World

 

Am I an artist? Well, that's quite debatable. I know I love art, and I get really excited when I know I have taken a good photo. But that doesn't really make me an "artist" does it? Will I ever make a living at taking pictures? Not unless I sell them for stock photos, which don't get me wrong, it's perfectly legitimate thing to do, but when I take a really good photo, one that reaches into me, and brings to the top some long buried feeling, impression or emotion, I know I have done something worthwhile. I don't need all the attention, I much prefer sharing the photos that have made my life richer, right here on this obscure blog no one has heard of. I sometimes count on that obscurity to help me express what I feel day to day. Still, when someone tells me that one of my photos affected them in some way, good or bad, I feel like I did good. I got to touch someone's life by sharing a little bit of my life. That's big for a girl who works hard at holding people at arms length.

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

Go 49ers!

"Today I will do want others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't."

~Jerry Rice

 

Okay, so a little later today I will be doing a small amount of yelling at my TV machine. Mostly phrases like GO NINERS, SEAHAWKS SUCK and Alan's personal favorite... TOUCHDOWN! But in all fairness, I won't be the only one in Berkeley yelling in the middle of the afternoon, in fact, I dare say, the entire hillside will probably join me! 

Didn't you just love this time of year as a child? On Saturdays and Sundays you could hear all the dads in the neighborhood yelling their hearts outs at their TV's cheering on... whoever... college or pro team that they supported. Here in the Bay Area, the East Bay specifically, it was Cal Berkeley Bears on Saturday, and either the 49ers or Raiders on Sundays. 

LOL

So tell me, will you be watching football today? If so, who are you rooting for?

San Francisco 49ers or Seattle Seahawks? 

My Pick: 49ers! (Of Course)

How about the other game?

New England Patriots or Denver Broncos?

My Pick: New England

Mood: Happy
~Me :)

Do You See What I See?

"It's easier to dismiss ghosts in the daylight."

~Patricia Briggs, Dragon Bones

The other day, while out in the deep woods of my favorite park, I took out my camera to document the last of the autumn leaves, and thought I saw, just up ahead of me, a ghost. I snapped it's photo, then felt a chill. Now a chill in January isn't unusual, it is January after all! But the temperature for this January has been unseasonably warm in the Bay Area, in fact according to my phone, the temperature outside at that particular moment was 80 degrees! So the chill I got was quite unexpected! Anyway, as I photographed the apparition, I began to feel uncomfortable, so I left the park early that day. Shrug. Who knows? Did I photograph a ghost that day? Or was it something I didn't even see that crept up on my subconscious? I am not sure.

Tell me... do you see the ghost?

Mood: Curious

~Me :)

It Was A Warm January Day

"Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away."

~Sarah Kay

I had an amazing time with the Camera Wednesday. I spent some time in San Francisco, but spent most of my time snuggled up next to the coastline. Pacifica, Moss Beach, Point Montara... my goodness, I never get tired of the beauty. The temperature was nearly 80, but the air was soft and cool. It felt good to touch sand again. Bliss. 

See For Yourself...





As a photographer... well amateur photographer... my first love is autumn, but the coastline of California is a close second. Although, my lovely Golden Gate is in the running as well. So much beauty and soul. I am a happy girl when I have my camera in my hand.

Mood: Happy

~ Me :)

The January Full Wolf Moon

Oh, Man In The Moon
By Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

Oh, man in the moon, send an evening star to wink at my dreary eyes, 
and I shall make a wish for a peaceful world that spins with no more lies.

Oh, man in the moon, send the night's cool breeze to lull my leery heart, and I shall
cast my fears to the wind with ease, and watch them all depart.

Oh, man in the moon, send the sandman's dust to rest my weary soul, and I shall 
slumber in happy dreams until the morning bells do toll.

Isn't that lovely? Almost as lovely January's full Wolf Moon! It was absolutely breathtaking as the slightly orange orb climbed in the twilight sky last night. I was on my way home, by way of Half Moon Bay, and San Mateo, so I had a front row view of the eastern sky, and it was perfectly clear outside, so there was nothing standing in my way! I was in complete photographer's bliss! Actually, It was a pretty awesome day with the camera in general! San Francisco was gorgeous!

The temperatures in the Bay Area continue to be more late spring-like, than winter. So, with the clear sky, and the warm temperatures, I did some photos on Mt. Sutro at Twin Peaks, and after that at different points along the San Mateo Coast. Ordinarily I wouldn't be able to take the cold and fog of the coast, during a normal winter, but with the weather this amazing, I couldn't resist! I will be posting the new photos over the next few days. You'll see them.

Stay Tuned!

Mood: Relaxed

~Me :)

Not Quite Perfect, But 99%

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."

~Marc Riboud

It's not the full moon, it's a 99% Waxing Gibbous. But it was so beautiful I couldn't help but photograph it. So it's not quite perfect... who is?

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Going Up

"If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the up button."

~Sam Levenson

Blech. I am not fond of elevators in general, but this one... I HATE! It's at my doctor's office, which makes it even more yucky! GERMS. Mine, the guy next to me! ICK! Especially since my local news insists on mentioning nightly each new death in the Bay Area from the H1N1 flu. It also doesn't help knowing that each death occurred in folks under 62, with underlying health concerns. Hello diabetes? Hello Fibromyalgia? YIKES. But other than the possibility of getting the flu, this elevator has the harshest ride of any that I know of, anywhere. It only goes up three floors, and the ride is smooth, but coming down, just before the last floor... BOOM. It's harsh. But it keeps passing all the tests that are done for safety, so, I just try to go with the ride, but I have been thinking of taking the stairs, it's better for my health! Right?

Right?

Mood: Silly

~Me :)

On A 60's Winter Day

"Music brings a warm glow to my vision, thawing mind and muscle from their endless wintering."

~Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The World

While the leaves have mostly withered and died, there is a strange beauty in it somehow. I know, I know, I hold onto autumn for dear life, even in it's passing, but what can I say, when most of the trees in my favorite park have turned to stick figures, it excites me to see even the deep earth tones.

If it's going to be in the 60's outside, in winter, how about some appropriate music?

California Dreaming...



I Saw Her Again Last Night...



Mood: Happy

~Me :)

87 Percent Full

"I love the silent hour of night, for blissful dreams may then arise, revealing to my charmed sight what may not bless my waking eyes."

~Anne Bronte, Best Poems of the Bronte Sisters

I went out into the cold winter day yesterday, there was just enough rain to tickle my soul, like the rain was touching just my soul! I find true happiness with the air cool and misty, and the day just dark enough to allow my imagination out to play without reservation. I saw ghosts. The last leaves of autumn refusing to die, and those which had accepted their fate, and were ready to move on. I also saw the moon, shining in all it's 87% Waxing Gibbous-ness glory, with just enough daylight left to make it seem... disrespectful... pushy even. LOL. It's hard to explain really, you would have to have been there. 

You'll have to trust me. 

The next full moon is on January 15th at 11:15 pm ET. 

Wish the clouds away for me... okay? :)


Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

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! :)

California Poppy In Sepia... Just Because

Instructions For Living A Life.

Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

~Mary Oliver

Good advice. I think I have transitioned from black and white to sepia. It's natural I think. Not ever day can be black and white... right? Come what may, some days will be sepia, with or without consent. That's neither good or bad, just... sigh... sepia. Do my words go into a void? Sometimes I hope so, because it feels good to just be honest, without regret. Does that make sense?

I like strange, absurd moments.
I like the surreal. 
I love the ordinary. 
I identify with the common. 
I don't sing in the shower, because it scares the cats.
If you passed me on the street, you wouldn't notice me.

                           That's A Good Thing.

I like that I am a "nothing special woman with a camera in my hand."

                            Also A Good Thing.

Sometimes I find my car keys under my cat.
I think Albert Einstein is super sexy.
Someday, I would like to see a ghost. As long as it's not my own. 
          
          Although if I did, that would mean I lived my life.

I like to make people laugh.
I love to point out how special someone's smile is. 

Just because.


Mood: Reflective

~Me :)