Now that is Just a Great Way to Spend Lunch Hour

A restored WWII B-17G was here for the last few days. I had an chance to go out to the airport and crawl around and through it. My inner kid, aka "Bart" (as in the Simpsons), is crazy about old war birds like this one.

I walked away from the experience with a better idea of the courage it took for our fathers to take to the air in these things. A few millimeters of aluminum or plexiglass was all that stood between them and the swarming fighters of the Luftwaffe. Talk about guts.

Steinbeck Country - The Salinas Valley

I like this picture mainly because the exposure was good. The sky did not wash out while picking up the details on the ground.

This place brings to mind East of Eden. When you travel up valley, it is easy to understand Steinbeck's passion for this place. It is stunningly beautiful.

Wave Action - Malpaso - Big Sur

The power of the sea fascinates me. I enjoy early morning at the shore in particular. The angle of the sun provides the best color and contrast. It is a challenge to time things right.

The shore is also a spititual place to be at daybreak. I often feel closer to God at that place at that time. Whatever the reason, the soul is refreshed.

Pastoral Scene

Again on the lower reaches of San Juan Grade. The hills are dotted with farms like this. The spring rains have turned the area as green as Ireland.

A Pasture with a View - Above the Salinas Valley

Took lunch hour today and went to the other side of the Salinas Valley to the foothills of the Gabilan Mountains on San Juan Grade.

Packing my trusty Fuji digital, hit a full zoom at 300mm and watched these cows with their faces down in the grass chewing away. So, I hollered "Moo!" at them. Sure enough they looked over at the weird looking two legged cow and I shot the pic.

Here they are before zooming.

Spring Marches On

The almond blossoms have matured and the delicious nuts lie within their velvety husks. Soon we will be competing with the birds for our share of the harvest.

Above the Salinas Valley

High atop Laureles Grade looking down into the Salinas Valley with the Gabilan Mountains in the far distance on the other side of the fertile plain.

Here you see my new house... just kidding.

A Rose by Any Other Name...

I am cheating a bit here, this is from last year. It has been so soggy, the roses have not even thought about opening up. But the buds are there, ready to go given a few days of sun and warmth. I think we will finally get that next week.

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed!.

Another Macro

Contours

The rolling hills present many faces as the light changes. These are across the street on BLM land that was once part of the now closed Ft. Ord.

Good Neighbors

No wild parties. Mind their own business. Always willing to loan a cup of milk for the cats on a cold night.

Ah Yes, the Macro

This was also shot with the A1 using a Vivitar f2.8 24mm macro using a tripod in natural light. I think I could get used to this :)

Playing with the New Lenses

Shot this with the Canon A1 with the Tokina f4 100-300mm and Kodak HD 400 film on a tripod with natural light. Really kind of neat. A serious piece of glass indeed.

Spring Lupine

Here is what a lupine looks like close up.

IlluminasJon Added to Blogroll

An offbeat and really neat site. Pay her a visit.

Small Wonders of Springtime - The Lupines Are Coming Up

This is one of the highlights of the season, the blooming of the wildflowers. Perhaps the prettiest of them all is the Lupine. They are dazzingly purple-blue flowers. They grow with several blooms to each tall stem. When they are in full bloom, fields and pastures become a sea of blue.

The View on Our Block During a Rain Shower

Shot this at 6:45 PDT. As tired as I am of the rain, this was quite lovely.

A Brief Reprieve from the Storms

Grass that will be golden in two short months is as green as Ireland during the rainy season. The spring lupines and poppies are coming up now. Flander's field comes to mind.

And the Clouds Parted For a Few Hours

And I remembered why I love it here. The monsoon will be back tomorrow, but for the moment, I'll enjoy the glory of it all.

Yosemite in Two Seasons - A Video

Video time again, and it is up at Google.

My brother and I went up there in July 2005 and February 2006. What a wonderland.

Ruined Victorian Farm Home in the Salinas Valley

I was sorting through some shots tonight and saw this one and wanted to share it. The Salinas Valley is the setting for several Steinbeck novels, including East of Eden. This ruined house hails from that era. It sits by itself out on the broad expanse of the valley. It's a bit spooky.

Or maybe this caught my eye as I needed to be convinced that it is not always raining here.

A Mountain Road in the Sierra

This is the highway up to Yosemite from Stockton. It is a wonderfully fun drive, unless you are making it at night which I did last fall. The climb is pretty quick, and before you know it you are at 5,000 feet heading for 7,000 feet above the Yosemite Valley.

Self-Portrait on a Gloomy Day

Tall, dark, and grusome out on a picture hunt on a dismal day. That hat is for MY team, the St. Louis Cardinals. In the far background is Pt. Sur.

The "Old Fool" on Location

Took this shot of my brother Mike, The Old Fool, on the cliffs above the beach at Malpaso. Sometimes it really anoys me when my snaps with the digital are that good. I go to all the trouble of setting up the TRex, on that day the Minolta, and the little digital I haul along for "just in case" comes up with something like this.