Five More

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Lets see . . .

I'm feeling much better
(actually it turned into a one day event,
possibly allergies rather than a cold?).
Yesterday we went shooting
down at Elkhorn Slough.
Today we ran errands and gave blood.

Boring.

So here's a few more shots from the Slough

Not as clear as I'd like.

Here's a full figure shot
of the fellow from yesterday.

I love the way these guys hang around
balancing on one leg.

And this one,
I just liked.

That's it for today.

the Paddling Surfer

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I'm so used to seeing people out in the ocean, lying down on their surfboards, either paddling out to catch a wave, or trying to stand up on their way in towards the beach.

But the other day,
we saw a gent using a new approach.

Like always,
I took way too many pictures.

He started way far out.
But I have to tell you
this guy just kept paddling.

These were taken
over the period
of at least sixty minutes,
if not longer.

I think this is his familiar,
keeping watch
(see the paddler in the background).

He never wavered,
he never rested,
he just kept going.

Somehow,
I missed a shot of him actually
landing on the beach!

We should try to take a clue from him.

Today, we started back at the auction, taking a load in. Then, we looked at all the artwork and decided it was time to load it in the car. Geez, I bet there are sixty pieces, at least. And this isn't any of the Disney, just other pieces we've collected over the years. That will be tomorrows run.

And now,
there's a small hole
in the gigantic mess
that we call "the house".

Hopefully this will inspire us to keep going.

Another Day at the Wharf, and a Pelican!

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I don't know if I've mentioned it, but a good friend has asked me to show her a bit about photography. This means that instead of going out and shooting with Terry, I'll be going with her a couple of times a week.

I know I've already posted pictures of the wharf at Santa Cruz, but the day was rainy and overcast, so I figured this was the safest bet for a beginning photographer. Of course, I had to take a few shots also, so here we go.

This guy was having a fit,
squawking and screaming at everyone.
Great, cheap entertainment.

I'm still working on closeups
of birds' faces.
They really do fascinate me.

I like mirror images.

The sea lions were out today,
but much quieter than usual.
Maybe it's the weather.

This is cropped from a larger shot.
Then I played with it a bit,
softening it here,
lightening up a little there.
I like the final effect.

A moment later, we spied a large pelican.

This isn't quite in focus,
but I liked the pose
and the background.

Next, he took off,
then roosted for a bit on a rooftop.

Then he was off again.
These next threes shots
were taken in sequence.

The way he flies
reminds me of the herons
at Bosque del Apache.

My favorite shot of the day,
(feel free to click to enlarge).
To me, this looks like
some kind of painful ballet pose.

And like ballet,
almost unbelievable,
but quite beautiful.

The afternoon was getting on,
so we decided to have
some of the best clam chowder
known to man.

Then we came out to this.
Nice clouds, but no color to the sunset.

Tomorrow,
the Thanksgiving mini vacation
is over
and it's back to
rooting through the house.

The Aliens Have Landed

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We had a lovely day today, and hope that all of you did also.

The weather has broken (at least for a day or two) so we ended up down at West Cliff Drive, one of our favorite walks.


While the weather was beautiful, the clouds were noticeably absent, so this wasn't the best day for scenic shots. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'll take warm sunny days over gray and gloomy any old day.

Since the seas and skies weren't really cooperating photography-wise, this left the plant life. West Cliff has always had an abundance of beautiful flowers, it's one of the things that makes it such a pleasant place to stroll. While I've always appreciated the plant life, I must admit, I've never looked at them as closely as I did today.

Taking lots of pictures will do that to you, it really does make you see things differently.

I spent a few hours snapping away. It was only when I got home and looked at the photos in the computer that I began to realize how alien these plants appear.

There's a place called
the Garden of the Shrine.
I love the gate.

Look at these,
are these colors ethereal of what?

I'm playing with HDR again here.

The sky is a bit too blue,
but the fan of the fronds
pleases my eye.

I'm not sure of the name of this plant,
I think it may be a Chinese Lantern,
but the shape is so beautiful.

You need to click this one to enlarge it,
I know it's just a succulent,
but the mathematical
precision of the leaves
always strikes me speechless.
I've seen thousands of these,
but their beauty so appeals to me.

As the day drew to a close,
I couldn't resist
just one shot,
straight into the sun.

I would surely rather be on the road,
but I'm thankful for the beauty
around me.

1938 and 1947

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First off, just a couple of pictures I took at Carpo's, one of our favorite restaurants here in Santa Cruz. They have the best burgers, a more than adequate salad bar (something we sorely missed in New Mexico) and truly lovely surroundings.

The patio is a perfect place
to spend an afternoon.
I don't know who keeps their plants up,
but they do a superb job.

It's a well established location,
so many of the plants are mature,
which adds to the ambiance.

Okay, back to work.

We have thousands of books and boxes of paper. The books come from a lifetime of collecting as well as a small bookselling business we ran for a number of years. Most of the paper is Disney related (I wrote for a number of years about Disney for magazines and collectors).

In starting this project, I've decided to start with the books, as the amount of the Disney is so daunting. Even though the books don't have the emotional appeal of the Disney, it's still a long drawn out process. I love old books and paper of all kinds, and going through these boxes is like a trip through time.

Today, I found a stack of old Life Magazines, and there went a couple of hours. My favorite was from 1947. While others were entertaining enough, this one was just chock full of great graphics.

The pictures aren't great, I just took them on my lap, not bothering to set up a proper photography station, but you'll get the idea.

Take a look at this!
This woman has gone shopping for a mattress.
To do this, she has dolled herself up
in a proper little dress,
hat, gloves, and no doubt high heels.

We went to Hawaii in 1961
and this is how I dressed for the airplane!

Times have certainly changed.

I like the idea of Groucho Marx
shilling razor blades.
I guess the idea of celebrities
endorsing products is as prevalent today
as it was back in the forties.

There was a short article on Gypsy Rose Lee.
I've always loved her.
Apparently she joined
a traveling sideshow for a while.
Must have been some sideshow.

This photo accompanied an article
on radio hats.
What more can I say?

Is this a great teaser for a film?
One of my favorites, to be sure.
And this poster is pure noir.
They really don't make them like this,
movies or ads,
any more.

And geez,
who do you think Ford was courting
with this ad campaign?

This certainly caught my eye.
Wish we could live on $150 a month.

I wonder whatever happened
to Elsie the Cow?
And is Elmer still alive?
Great graphics!

I saved this for last
in case it might upset your stomach.
Were they really trying to sell this
as edible food?
The graphic, the color, YUCK!
Not to mention the recipe!
Maybe you might want this
to grace your Thanksgiving table?
I think not . . .

Next I came across a box of
scrap books containing
Christmas cards from 1938.

For years I've picked up
this kind of stuff at estate sales.
I love the graphics.

You can click any of these
and see them in a larger size.

They really are happy, joyous
and filled with the spirit of the season.
I miss what Christmas used to be,
back when it didn't even start
till after Thanksgiving.

It just isn't the same any more.

That's it for today.
The memories are wonderful
and