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| Dogwood Blossoms, Merced River - Yosemite 1996 |
I wanted to find a spot where I could have the river in the foreground with some dogwood blossoms in the dark forest beyond. Took some driving and parking at various pullouts before I found this scene.
I used a largeish Toyo Field 4x5 camera with a Nikon lens. This image is from a recent scan . . . a vertical crop from a 4x5 horizontal negative.
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| Iris - Lake Lagunitas 2026 |
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| Lupin - Lake Lagunitas 2026 |
Spring photos. Both taken with an Olympus E-M1II.
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| Broadleaf Stonecrop - Lake Lagunitas 2026 |
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| Madrone (New Growth) - Lake Lagunitas 2026 |
Photos taken last May.
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| California Hedgenettle - Point Reyes 2026 |
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| Cobweb Thistle - Point Reyes 2026 |
"This native annual species is not really a nettle at all, but a member of the Mint Family."
"Cobweb thistle - Cirsium occidentale is a native plant found in California and parts of Oregon, Nevada and Baja California. . . . The whiteness of the stems and base of the flower heads are your first indication that this is not one of those invasive thistles. This is the real deal - a native thistle."
A couple more photos taken on the Abbotts Lagoon trail. Nice to see some native plants!
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| Everlasting Pea - Point Reyes 2026 |
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| Velvet Grass - Point Reyes 2026 |
So, "Everlasting Pea?" Mike has always identified this plant as vetch. But it's not vetch.
"Unlike the related annual sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus, with which it may be confused, it has no scent. While grown as a garden plant it may be pervasive and difficult to remove. Because of this, this species is often considered to be a weed despite its attractive appearance."
Velvet Grass is an invasive species, no question.
"In North America, Holcus lanatus is an invasive species in native grasslands and other ecosystems. In Yosemite National Park it is one of nine priority noxious weeds to control for habitat restoration and regenerating native plant balances. It forms dense stands that can exclude other plants."
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| Lupin, Lagoon - Point Reyes 2026 |
Photo taken using the wide-angle option on an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Yes, Mike's spelling of "lupin" (vs "lupine") is idiosyncratic. Although to be honest, Wikipedia shows "lupin" as one of the options:
"Lupinus, commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet, is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae."
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| Lupin, Fence - Point Reyes 2026 |
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| Trail - Point Reyes 2026 |
Top: view from the trailhead parking lot.
Next: Abbotts Lagoon trail. Overgrown in some spots . . . my pants got soaked walking through wet grass.
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| Vetch (Loma Alta) - Marin County 2026 |
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| Milk Thistle (Loma Alta) - Marin County 2026 |
"This fairly typical thistle has red to purple flowers and shiny pale green leaves with white veins. Once native from Southern Europe through Asia, it has spread throughout the world."
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| Irises - Lake Lagunitas 2026 |
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| Pacific Hounds Tongue - Lake Lagunitas 2026 |
Top photo taken with a Nikon Z7II, bottom one with an Olympus E-M1II.
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| Hydrangeas - San Francisco 2026 |
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| Hydrangeas, Ferns - San Francisco 2026 |
Nice hydrangeas seen on my walk/hike up to Twin Peaks.
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| General Store (Coulterville) - Mariposa County 2026 |
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| Roses (Coulterville) - Mariposa County 2026 |
After I walked around and took some photos I got back in the car to navigate the highway 49 switchbacks going south.
Then the side road to Hornitos.
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| Azaleas (Fairfax) - Marin County 2026 |
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| Freesias (Fairfax) - Marin County 2026 |
Top: an up-the-street neighbor's azaleas, with some ferns.
Bottom: Hali's freesias in our side yard.
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| Bracken - Point Reyes 2025 |
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| Vetch - Point Reyes 2025 |
I posted a video of this hike back in 2017 (which involved me setting up the camera on a tripod and running back and forth for the various shots.)
I'm a little surprised that the video can still be viewed!
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| Sea Lavender - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Shack, Cormorants, Gull - Monterey County 2025 |
I left the beach area to take a walk around the Coast Guard walkway and the Cannery Row area, with the commotion from the sea lions as background noise.
Then, a blueberry muffin and coffee and the drive home.
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| Hydrangeas - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Photos, Door - Monterey County 2025 |
Top photo taken with an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Bottom one with a Nikon Z7II.
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| African Lilies - Monterey County 2025 |
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Top photo taken with the iPhone, which also provided the ID. Bottom one with the Nikon.
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| Carmel Mission - Monterey County 2025 |
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| Bougainvillea (Carmel Mission) - Monterey County 2025 |
In the past I've always driven by here before the mission grounds were open. So, a lot of photos taken around the outside perimeter . . . some not half bad!
This time viewing the mission interior was one of my goals . . . my main one, actually. Got in for the $12.00 senior price. Then had to assure the clerk that I wasn't planning on selling any of the photos that I was going to take with the Sony RX100.
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| Vetch - Point Reyes 2025 |
Hanna and I hiked over to Coast Camp late last July, deciding to take the "loop" route, first hiking over the hill to the ocean, then hiking back via the coastal trail.
Lots of erosion on the trail!
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| Hanna, Erosion - Point Reyes 2025 |
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| Fencepost - Marin County 2025 |
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| Fencepost, Lupin - Marin County 2025 |
Some photos taken during a recent hike we took doing the Roy's Redwoods loop trail. Took longer than we thought!
I used this opportunity to take photos using a Nikon Z7II together with a 40mm prime (non-zoom) lens. As they say, using a prime lens means zooming with your feet sometimes.
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