Flower Box

In San Anselmo: flowers, receptionist and self-portrait.

Photo: Flower Box—Marin County, 2010

Camellias

Camellia
I turned to look back at . . .
Red.

"Doesn’t everyone know that camellias are red? Of course, but it is the haiku poet's peculiar gift to be startled by the familiar - to be jolted by it into a state of poetry. The distinction is not between knowing and not knowing, but between knowing and experiencing. If a poem can impart the experience, as opposed to mere information, it is a success, and its brevity and simplicity do it no discredit.

"Here Japanese has a distinct advantage over English. English is hard pressed to convey the poetic ambiguity, so natural in Japanese, as to, for example, what the subject of a sentence might be. The camellia poem, eight words long in English, has four words in Japanese, and 'I' is not one of them. That could be you looking back at the camellia, or it could be some third party; it could be all of us together. For that matter, there is no certainty it is the camellia that is being looked back at. Grammatically speaking, it could be the red camellia looking back - at you, perhaps. All this bears on the distinction beteween knowing, which is precise and logical but abstract, and experiencing, which is concrete but inconclusive."

Michael Hoffman, Walking Zen

Photo: Camellias & Forget-Me-Nots—Marin County, 2010

Having Fun

Having Fun from Mike Mundy on Vimeo.

. . . from the archives #60: Storm Clouds—Yosemite, 1995

As I recall, the sun was just starting to burn through the clouds. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I had to make liberal use of Photoshop's clone tool in the central sky area.

Photo: Storm Clouds—Yosemite, 1995

Ginkaku-ji

A serene Sunday morning image . . . not overtly religious, still, it was taken at the Zen Buddhist temple of Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto . . . (for some reason, as far as religious images go, I've taken almost exclusively Buddhist and Catholic pix. Very little Baptist or Presbyterian stuff. Actually, you could say, non-existent.)

Photo: Ginkaku-ji Entrance—Kyoto, 2008

Chevrolet

Seen on a Hali/Tuffy/Mike walk. It had stopped raining by then.

Photo: Chevrolet—Marin County, 2010

Oakland Palm

Standing around inside my booth shivering. Finally the sun started to come out and created this shadow on the roof of the canopy.

Photos: Palm Shadow—Oakland, 2010; Palm Tree—Oakland, 2010

Booth

Latest iteration.

Photo: Mike's Booth—Oakland, 2010

All The Vendors Have Eggs

All The Vendors Have Eggs from Mike Mundy on Vimeo.

At the Oakland Farmers Market . . . Saturday before Easter. I was situated opposite Cowgirl Creamery! Great location!

Mt. Tamalpais

. . . with the San Francisco Theological Seminary in the foreground (taken while getting gas at "The Hub.") . . . and with a non-descript rainbow to the side (taken from Greenbrae.)

Earlier views: #1 & #2.

Photos: San Francisco Theological Seminary, Mt. Tamalpais—Marin County, 2010; Rainbow, Mt. Tamalpais—Marin County, 2010

Monday Rooster Blogging

I was jogging towards a Mt. Tamalpais/rainbow view just off of Highway 101 (much as Galen Rowell jogged to get his Potala Palace rainbow shot) when these roosters scattered at my approach. Alas, this was not to be an Ansel Adams moment—the roosters turned out to be more picturesque than the rather feeble rainbow that I ended up with.

Photo: Roosters—Marin County, 2010

Limantour Morning #3

Early morning mist over Limantour Estero; wet dune grass.

(Last year's pix here and here.)

Photos: Limantour Estero (Morning)—Point Reyes, 2010; Grass—Point Reyes, 2010

San Rafael Buildings

After dropping the car off early in the AM, walking back to the gym.

Photos: Buildings (Sunrise)—Marin County, 2010; Orange Self-Portrait—Marin County, 2010

$1.50 Per Week

Scene in SF's Chinatown.

Photo: Rooms—San Francisco, 2010

Dim Sum

Let me recommend City View Restaurant on Commercial (just off Kearney) for their dim sum. (This was the most recent Diners' Club selection.)

Commercial is a small alley-like street running from the Financial District to Grant Avenue in Chinatown.

Photos: City View Restaurant—San Francisco, 2010; End Commercial—San Francisco, 2008

Limantour Morning #2: Parking Lot

I imagine during a summer weekend the place is jammed. Will probably never find out.

Photo: Limantour Parking Lot—Point Reyes, 2010

Limantour Morning #1

Limantour from Mike Mundy on Vimeo.

Monday Phoebe Blogging

Well, the phoebes are back. They moved their nest location over to the neighbor's house for some reason but they are still in our backyard, catching bugs in midflight. Very noisy for being so small. The photo on top (also doing duty as a banner pix) was taken through our living room blinds

(Related: Phoebes were here last year. Phoebe pix taken using a high-end Canon with an 800mm lens.)

Photos: Phoebe—Marin County, 2010; Phoebe—Marin County, 2010

San Rafael Church

This church is built near the site of the San Rafael Mission. St. Raphael, you'll recall, was an "archangel, " alongside Gabriel and Michael.

Photos: San Rafael Church—Marin County, 2010; Church & Pigeons—Marin County, 2007

Dry Creek Road #3: Zin

. . . and one last fog photo: future Dry Creek zinfandel, one presumes. One hopes.

Photo: Zin—Sonoma County, 2010

Dry Creek Road #2

More early-morning fog pix.

Photos: Tree, Vines & Fog—Sonoma County, 2010; Balloons—Sonoma County, 2010

Signs

Taken at an intersection on Dry Creek Road. Internationally-known wineries.

And . . . "Fritz Underground?" Don't know exactly what that refers to (probably the "caves".) We visited Fritz a few years back . . . nice place.

Photos: Signs (Dry Creek Road)—Sonoma County, 2010; Fritz—Sonoma County, 2006

Dry Creek Road #1

Mike drove down Dry Creek Road early in the morning: very foggy, the vines not yet leafing out. Every now and then a truck towing a boat zoomed by heading up to Lake Sonoma.

Photo: Dry Creek Road—Sonoma County, 2010

Cyrus

In Healdsburg. We were seated at 6:00 PM . . . we tottered out a little after 9:00. Great experience!

(Cyrus review.)

Photo: Cyrus—Sonoma County, 2010; Menu (Cyrus)—Sonoma County, 2010

Monday Squirrel Blogging

He (or she) spent quite a bit of time in the maple tree. Don't know what it was eating.

Photo: Squirrel—Marin County, 2010

Easter (Irises)

Wild irises off the Limantour Road.

Photos: Iris—Point Reyes, 2010; Irises—Point Reyes, 2010

Your Human Exhaust

"When we pass in the night / I inhale your human exhaust."

'Nuff said.

Also, here.

Photo: Human Exhaust—San Francisco, 2006

Look Better

Look better, feel better.

Found in Healdsburg.

Photo: Look Better, Feel Better—Sonoma County, 2010

Piston Rods

Taken, as I recall, at the Sacramento train museum. Don't recall the exact configuration of the locomotive. Inspired by Charles Sheeler.

Photo: Piston Rods—Sacramento, 2006