The San Juaquin Valley

The Central Valley of California does not get a lot of attention from photographers, but it is a natural wonder. It is perhaps the most fertile place on earth. I shot the first image from a hilltop overlooking I-5 just south of Tracy. The California Aquaduct, which brings this place to life, can be seen just to the left of the highway.

The second image is shot at the mouth of the Pachecho Pass where I enter the valley after crossing over the coastal hills from Monterey on the way to Sacramento. The shape and texture of the hills are quite nice. Later in the summer these hills are likely to be black from grassfires.

In the High Sierra

What a great weekend. I enjoy getting up into the mountains. That's one thing about California, if you are bored with the scenery where you are, drive for an hour and it will be different. This is up by Donner Pass at Emigrant Gap on the Washington Trail at 6000 ft or so on the way to Nevada City and Gold Country.

I spent this weekend in Roseville in Placer County just to the east of Sacramento with my son and other family. A good time was had by all. Most importantly I got to visit with my granddaughter in addition to exploring a bit.

In the Santa Cruz Mountains

The variety of topography around Monterey Bay is truly amazing. On the north side of the bay lies the city of Santa Cruz, formerly known as Surf City USA. The courts recently ruled that some town in Orange County down in SoCal owns the rights to that name. Behind the city, which is home to some strange folks and even stranger politics, which make San Francisco look positively conservative by comparison, are the Santa Cruz Mountains. The slopes are covered with redwoods and are an amazing sight to see. The mountains are also the scene of some of California's best mudslides in the monsoon season and the occasional devastating earthquake.

This road is the "main drag" between the summit and the city.

Local Critter

Sea otters abound here in the Monterey Bay area. Most folks love them. Not so those that harvest shellfish. But they sure are cute.

You Really Don't Want to Know!

My three loyal readers have probably noticed I've been AWOL for a bit here. Let's just say it involved dentists, opticians followed by opthomologist and lazering of some gooey thing in my eye, dermatologist and multiple skin biopsies, family emergency of boss that has disrupted work, and an Alzheimer's patient (no, not me)... other than that, everything is peachy.

So, we'll just post a pretty picture and be thankful for the day The Lord has given me.

Pacific Grove Sunset Video is Up

It's only three minutes long, so buffering is quite short.

Here's the link.

Pacific Grove - Your Basic Killer Sunset

Video - California Glory: A Journey of the Heart Pt I

OK then, put up the first part of my opus magnus :)

I'd like to know what folks think about how it is going. It does require a high speed connection, so dial up types might not want to try it, the buffering would take quite some time. Google compresses things quite a lot, so it loses video quality to a certain degree, but the sound is quite good.

Click the link here.

Look forward to hearing from you.

MontereyJohn

If the link didn't work, here is the URL
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2120381961566109601

Haven't Had So Much Fun Since the Hogs Ate My Little Brother

Just back from first round of dental surgery... need I say more?

Do believe I'll go lay down.

Back in My Bird Mode

Soaring

Getting a Snort of Sanity

Stepped out to take in a little of God's glory, and Anita's handiwork. Getting a "snort of sanity," as I like to call it, during the trying times. In years gone by, it would have been a snort of something entirely different.

Here are some digitals of how I spent a little time today.

Hauled out the Canon A-1 and the howitzer Tokina 100-300mm and the macro. Shooting up some film stuff. As Micki knows, film is still my thing. But, who knows when I'll get around to having this processed.

We finally are getting some warm and sunny weather. Everything in the garden is popping. It smells like a French bordelo in the back yard, not that I would know what a French bordelo smells like :)

Have Not Been Posting Much of Late...

Guess I'll post a small rant.

Seems like everything happens at once. Dental problems, work problems, family problems,
IRS problems, and just to leaven to loaf, a small skin cancer on my forehead. It just has been a trifle overwhelming the last couple of weeks.

Important safety tip from a lawyer, do NOT ignore the IRS. Duh! I kept meaning to get with them and work something out.... ouch. Well, at least that is resolved.

Teeth, well, it could have been worse, but not much Got some very serious stuff that has to be done and I'm in for thousands of dollars. Please, send lots of sympathy, or in lieu thereof, CASH.

Christine, the poor old dear, is clearly losing her mind to Alzheimers. It is so distressing. Anita, her daughter, is bearing up, but the burden is definitely telling on her.

Then there are my kids... in God's time I tell myself. There is much healing to do there. But that is beyond my power other than to do what I can and leave the rest to Him.

Then there is this little thingie on my forehead. Irishmen do not belong in California. Too much sun and not enough melanin (sp?). But I do love it here.

So there you are dear friends, the grim ugly struggle continues :)

PS - that is the bottom of a rainbow.

Sunset in Salinas

Really don't need to add much in the way of words to this.

In Sausalito

Been busy for the last week, so I've been AWOL from the bloggy world. Working on a video in what free time I do have. Three track sound and all that. That stuff is challenging.

I also went to see United 93 this weekend. That put a damper on my hobby. It left me in a very thoughtful mood. Somehow these pix seemed irrelevant for the moment. I'm just starting to come out of that fugue now.

This Photoshopped pic is of an interesting boat in Sausalito. I typically avoid the filters in Photoshop. But his one came out kind of interesting.