Snow Flurries (2010 Picks)

Very neat experience. First seen as part of The Way of the Geezer series. Video here.

Photo: Snow Flurries—Inyo County, 2010

Oki Dog (2010 Picks)

Taken with the Nikon D90 from across Fairfax Avenue. Many people at the booth think that this was taken in Hawai'i.

Photo: Oki Dog—Los Angeles, 2010

Cypresses & Ocean—Point Lobos (2010 Picks)

Some have called this pix "Turner-esque." Others have called it "Kinkade-esque."

You be the judge. A two-photo merge as in the False Hellebore, Lake Ediza image seen below.

Photo: Cypresses & Ocean—Point Lobos, 2010

False Hellebore, Lake Ediza (2010 Picks)

Actually, I was about to delete the photo of the Minarets reflected in Lake Ediza as an unneeded duplicate, when I realized that it was the upper part of an intended two-photo merge.

The combined image has a strong blue cast, even after I've adjusted in Photoshop. Of course, that's probably correct: the sky was intensely blue. I might go back and fiddle around, though.

Photo: False Hellebore, Lake Ediza—Sierra Nevada, 2010

Monday Cow Blogging

Landscape with cows taken with the Canon G12 set at ISO 80.

Photo: Cows—Marin County, 2010

Taco Truck & Keys (2010 Picks)

Street scenes from Hollywood, taken with the Canon G9.

Taco Truck in color, sure. But Keys . . . hmmm, maybe black and white?

Also, Urban Landscape sales at the booth are exceedingly rare.

Photos: Korean Taco Truck—Los Angeles, 2010; Keys—Los Angeles, 2010

Christmas Day

Happy holiday!

Photo: Nandina Leaves—Marin County, 2010

Oak (Glen Drive) (2010 Picks)

Just off the fire road at the end of the street. I used the Nikon D90 on a tripod in order to line up this three-shot panorama.

Photo: Oak (Glen Drive)—Marin County, 2010

Sandstorm and Clouds (2010 Picks)

"The wind would deceptively die down, then return with a fury. The sand and visibility issues were worst down on the valley floor; up above in the hills it was clearer, but Mike had all he could do to keep upright at times."

Photo: Sandstorm—Death Valley, 2010

Sunrise, Mt. Ritter & Banner Peak (2010 Picks)

"So he talked himself into getting up before dawn, donning his Patagonia Micro Puff jacket and tottering on down to the granite bluff overlooking the meadow. Sunrise seemed forever in coming, but it finally did."

A three-photo panorama/merge—I've printed and framed it . . . we'll see what the reaction is.

Photo: Sunrise, Mt. Ritter & Banner Peak—Sierra Nevada, 2010

Baldie 'n Blondie's (2010 Picks)

Taken with the Canon G12 at the Apple Festival in Ellijay, Georgia. I have posted a video of the event.

The proprietors, seen within, have a kind of "American Gothic" look.

Photo: Baldie 'n Blondie's—Georgia, 2010

Monday Lionfish Blogging

Tableau at the Georgia Aquarium.

A native of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea, the lionfish has no known predators. It is believed to have been released by aquarists sometime in the 1990s and has since spread up the East Coast to North Carolina and through the Caribbean.

Scientists say the fish can produce 30,000 eggs in a single spawning event, and can spawn as frequently as every four days. “That means we’re looking at annual output of two million eggs per female,” says Lad Akins, a research diver and the director of operations with the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, or Reef.

Scientists and policy makers are at a loss as to how to eradicate the fish, a goal that a 2003 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says is “nearly impossible.” The only hope, say officials, is some form of local control.

One potential solution is to promote the fish as food for another voracious predator: man. Lionfish are considered excellent eating. Indeed, after the lionfish derby here, participants feasted on fried lionfish nuggets.

—NY Times, Nov 23, 2010

Photo: Lionfish—Atlanta, 2010

Boats—Monterey County (2010 Picks)

Wow: this is exciting! Mike is going to be reposting a few photos from 2010: his picks!

This photo was taken in Monterey using the (new) Nikon D90. Of course, now it's . . . not new. Very nice camera, although a little heavier than I would like.

Photo: Boats—Monterey, 2010

Lottafrutta

We ate outside. Very friendly service. Good food.

Recommended. (Yelp reviews here.)

Photo: Lottafrutta—Atlanta, 2010

Smith Creek

Seen on the Ana Ruby Falls Trail. Taken with the Nikon D90 at ISO 1400 in afternoon shade.

So, a clear enough image, but I'll have to experiment to see what kind of print can be made. One wonders. One speculates. Even though the Nikons have a reputation for high ISO quality, using a low ISO is almost always going to be better for landscape photos. But to use a low ISO I would have needed a—yikes!—tripod.

(The falls themselves were in partial sun, so too much contrast for successful pix.)

Photo: Smith Creek—Georgia, 2010

Gate—Atlanta

Jose led Hali & I on a fast-paced early walk through his suburban Atlanta neighborhood. After each photo I had to jog to catch up.

Photo: Gate—Atlanta, 2010

Boiled P-Nuts

We never did quite see the attraction of boiled peanuts.

Photo: Boiled P-Nuts—Georgia, 2010

Maverick Grits

Dan found the recipe using his iPhone . . . whoa. Check out the list of wonderful ingredients.

Most of the stuff was purchased at "Your Dekalb Farmers Market" which would be worthy of a post all by itself, except that "Your Dekalb Farmers Market" has a no-photography policy. (Which policy is also shared by Whole Foods, by the way.) Their website is here.

The dish was quite good: highly recommended. We won't go into the likely calorie count.

Photos: Maverick Grits—Atlanta, 2010; Shrimp, Scallops etc—Atlanta, 2010; Assembling Meal—Atlanta, 2010

Monday Dog Blogging

Jim and Jose's two dogs, Flora and Sonny, helping out as Maverick Grits are being prepared.

More tomorrow.

Photo: Flora & Sonny—Atlanta, 2010

Point Lobos Black and White

An overcast and foggy morning at Point Lobos; these two shots seemed to work better in black and white. The cypresses at Point Lobos were one of Edward Weston's favorite subjects.

By the way, Mike's pix are selling for much less than Edward Weston's pix. But of course, Edward Weston is dead.

Photos: Cypress & Rocks—Point Lobos, 2010; Cypress Trunk—Point Lobos, 2010

Frost

Early frost this year, adding a sparkly veneer to roadside fences.

Photo: Frost, Fence—Marin County, 2010

Self-Portraits: Fishnets / Horse Trailer

Top: Melrose Avenue, west of Fairfax. Canon G9.

Bottom: Devil's Gulch, Marin County. Canon G12.

Photos: Fishnets (Self-Portrait)—Los Angeles, 2010; Horse Trailer (Self-Portrait)—Marin County, 2010

Driving Down Beverly Blvd.

. . . the 4100 block. I was driving back from a trip to the Disney Concert Hall/MOCA.

Photo: Beverly Blvd—Los Angeles, 2010

Fried Pickles

A big culinary surprise!

Pickle slices dipped into a tempera-style batter and fried.

OK, I'll try one.

Hmmm . . . interesting. Better try another one . . . and another one. Yikes! They're good!

Photo: Fried Pickles—Georgia, 2010

Chandler's

The food was being served cafeteria-style in aluminum warming trays. The floor was slippery, a recent mopping having done little but spread the grease around. The counterperson couldn't answer simple questions concerning the menu.

So now's the time when we're supposed to chant: "But in spite of all that, the food at Chandler's was great!"

Alas, to our sorrow, the food was definitely not great. Actually, pretty bad.

They were out of fried chicken thighs, so Dan ordered a chicken breast. Inedibly dry.

They were out of a number of sides, so Hali and Mike shared a "rib dinner" with collard greens, mashed potatoes and a blackberry "pie." The ribs were OK: somewhat fatty, they didn't seem to have been in a BBQ as there wasn't any detectable smokiness. The collard greens were the best thing we had all night. (Although Mike did enjoy his Hi-C beverage.)

The blackberry pie was another inedible item, with an unpleasant canned metallic taste.

So, it's interesting that Chandler's has garnered so many positive reviews. Mike was especially impressed with the autographed encomium by Lamar Alexander framed on the wall.

And, it could be that they had been thrown off their pace by the Third Saturday in October hoopla.

Photos: Chandler's Food—Knoxville, 2010; Chandler's Menu—Knoxville, 2010

Monday Horse Blogging

Pastoral scene in Cade's Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Dan considerately pulled over at the last minute so I could get out with the Canon G12 and take some snaps.

OK, so I made some changes in the final image. Like, I took out another horse that was there. Oh, and I moved the current horse over to the right. That's about it, I think.

Photo: Horse—Tennessee, 2010

Blog Stats . . .

. . . for last week. I've left out California 'cause I haven't been able to exclude myself from the stats, so results are skewed. For those interested, "The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France," per Wikipedia.

Country / Visits / Pages per visit / Average time on site

United Kingdom / 3 / 1.33 / 00:00:14

Philippines / 2 / 4.50 / 00:02:42

Canada / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Germany / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Jersey / 1 / 4.00 / 00:01:20

France / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Poland / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

India / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

State / Visits / Pages per visit / Average time on site

Oregon / 10 / 1.90 / 00:00:34

Georgia / 3 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Florida / 3 / 5.67 / 00:02:09

Connecticut / 3 / 1.67 / 00:00:11

Washington / 2 / 1.50 / 00:00:21

Wisconsin / 2 / 4.50 / 00:01:16

North Carolina / 2 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Missouri / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Pennsylvania / 1 / 2.00 / 00:03:47

Maryland / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Missouri / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

Colorado / 1 / 1.00 / 00:00:00

New York 1 2.00 00:00:07

Photo: Landscape Form From Plane—Utah, 2010

Geometric Shots

. . . somewhat related to "detail" shots. 75 years ago, very innovative.

Interesting to compose and take, certainly, but maybe, like the detail shots, just a little boring nowadays.

Photos: High Museum Staircase—Atlanta, 2010; Shadows, AM—San Rafael, 2010

Zell Miller

What an exquisite surprise! A nice little tribute to Zell Miller, right there at the highway rest stop in Georgia!

As I'm sure you'll recall, Mr. Miller was the senator who in 2004:

cosponsored the Federal Marriage Amendment to the United States Constitution. If it had been ratified, it would have declared that marriage in the United States only consists of the union of a man and a woman, and would have prohibited state and the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and same-sex domestic partnerships. On March 11 of that year, he introduced the Broadcast Decency Responsibility and Enforcement Act, that would have created a Council of Decency to advise the Federal Communications Commission on standards of decency in broadcasting. The Council would have consisted of three individuals from the ministry, three broadcast industry representatives, and three school teachers. The money from penalties from obscene, indecent, and profane broadcasts would have been given to faith-based organizations.

—Wikipedia

How pleasant for Mr. Miller, to be recognized in one's own time.

Photo: Zell Miller—Georgia, 2010

Olives

This year we had a much better crop of olives. The recently-planted tree—a manzanillo, I believe—never produced much fruit in the past few years, but starting in the summer a number of small olives began to be visible. We started to spot more and more as they ripened and slowly changed color.

I harvested as many olives as I could reach last month (November) and started brining them in a saltwater solution.

We'll see.

Photos: Olives on Tree—Marin County, 2010; Harvested Olives—Marin County, 2010

Robert E Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson & Super Pretzels

"The largest bas relief sculpture in the world, the Confederate Memorial Carving depicts three Confederate leaders of the Civil War, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson (and their favorite horses, 'Blackjack', 'Traveller', and 'Little Sorrel', respectively). The entire carved surface measures 3 acres, about the size of three football fields. "

—Wikipedia

Photo: Robert E Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson & Super Pretzels—Georgia, 2010

Ellijay Apple Festival

Ellijay Apple Festival from Mike Mundy on Vimeo.

. . . Northern Georgia.

Video: Ellijay Apple Festival—Georgia, 2010

Monday Tiger Shark Blogging

Is that a tiger shark? Huh . . . can't quite remember.

Taken at the impressive Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

Photo: Aquarium Viewing—Atlanta, 2010

Jimmy Carter

President Jimmy Carter's Moral Equivalent of War Speech was a speech in which United States President Jimmy Carter addressed the United States on April 17, 1977.

This speech was notable because he wore a sweater, instead of a suit, and called it a fireside chat . . .

Carter called for a 10 point plan. He asked people to cut oil imports to half by 1985, but oil imports doubled in the next 20 years instead. He said people who insist on driving large cars should be forced to pay more. He said people should turn down their thermostat to 65 degrees, except at night when it should be 55 degrees.

The phrase "moral equivalent of war" may have come from the classic essay "The Moral Equivalent of War" derived from the last speech given by American psychologist and philosopher William James, delivered at Stanford University in 1906, in which "James considered one of the classic problems of politics: how to sustain political unity and civic virtue in the absence of war or a credible threat..." and "...sounds a rallying cry for service in the interests of the individual and the nation," ideas mirrored in much of Carter's philosophy.

—Wikipedia

Cutting oil imports! Paying more for large cars!!

How naïve.

Photo: Bag & Postcard Purchased at the Jimmy Carter Museum—Atlanta, 2010

Moonrise—Atlanta

As I was about to enter Abbatoir Restaurant in Atlanta I suddenly noticed this extraordinary sight before me: the moon rising over the downtown highrises.

In a panic I scrambled to locate my camera, then realized that it was hanging around my neck.

Utilizing my detailed knowledge of my camera’s completely automated technology I exposed this one photo—and this one only.

Over the succeeding days I’ve had time to contemplate just what makes this image stand out, while others, alas, so clearly fail. Some might call it fortune or luck, but for me it was simply a matter of being there, and being prepared.

Photo: Moonrise—Atlanta, 2010

Self-Portrait X 3

At the Sausalito Yacht Harbor: Mike times three. Also: a muted reflection of Mt. Tam.

Photo: Self-Portrait—Sausalito, 2010

Thursday Turkey Blogging

Turkey on our backyard fence.

Photo: Turkey—Marin County, 2008

The Fainting Couch

"This antique store on Ponce is a very odd place. I felt like an intruder inside someone's crowded attic, sifting through old photos and dusty furniture. The shop is cluttered with hand mirrors, old-fashioned phones, pictures of Marilyn Monroe, feathered hats - a variety of bizzarre merchandise. This is by far the most eccentric furniture store I have ever step foot inside of. My roommate and I stopped in here during our quest to furnish our apartment. I wound up with an interesting painting for only $25 (believe me, it looks like it's worth more). The old man who owns the shop is friendly and willing to bargain. Keep in mind the store is small and easy to pass by. I recommend it to those with a taste for unusual, old things. The Fainting Couch is certainly unlike anything at IKEA."

—Yelp

Photo: The Fainting Couch—Atlanta, 2010

Flower Pots

Taken with the Canon G9. Mike was walking around Monterey trying to navigate around a non-functioning red light when he happened upon the very old San Carlos Cathedral, the flower pots sitting in front.

Photo: Flower Pots—Monterey, 2010

Monday Cow Blogging

. . . and, a self-portrait. Taken in the mens' room at Abattoir Restaurant in Atlanta.

Ladies' room also had a similar cow, from what I heard.

Photo: Cow, Self-Portrait—Atlanta, 2010

Really Right Stuff

Really Right Stuff is a company specializing in tripod accessories. Mike stopped by their minimalist showroom in San Luis Obispo on his way from Los Angeles to Monterey. Very high-end quality stuff. Mike probably doesn't need, or want, an expensive ballhead, but still: nice.

Photos: Ballhead on Tripod, Really Right Stuff—San Luis Obispo, 2010; Sign, Really Right Stuff—San Luis Obispo, 2010

Mt. Tamalpais

. . . from the air, on our flight to Atlanta. The Oakland/Alameda area just below, I think.

Photo: Mt. Tamalpais—Marin County, 2010