Monday Horse Blogging

As Mike was negotiating the curves of the Carmel Valley Road he spotted a group of horses grazing in the meadow far below . . . very picturesque. No pullover, however. So, he got his car to the right as far as possible and dashed over to the side of the road for a few quick shots.

As might be expected, in his hurry Mike was unable to adequately compensate for the correct exposure. Two of the horses were bright white and were solidly overexposed, so the clone tool was used to remove them. In addition, the overall feel of the landscape was rather dull, so Mike did a black and white conversion.

Alas, it's still a little boring.

Photo: Horse─Monterey County, 2011

Monterey Bay

Early morning down at Monterey Bay. Very quiet, except for the far off barking of seals and the almost-silent lapping of the waves.

Photo: Monterey Bay—Monterey County, 2011

Reading War and Peace On An iPhone

It can be done! What I used: the Amazon Kindle application for the iPhone, and a free download (also from Amazon) of Tolstoy's War and Peace. It helped─somewhat─that I'd read the book previously. (There are parts that you can basically skip.) Yes, there were some problems with the translation. Quite a lot of phrases are in French, with no translation offered, requiring one to guess at the meaning from the context. And somehow Andrei and Maria have become Andrew and Mary.  (Doesn't seem right.)

Needless to say, you only get around one or two paragraphs per screen. Tapping the right side of the screen brings you to the next "page."

But the basic story is easy enough to follow. (Spoiler alert: Napolean's army is destroyed by the Russian winter in 1812.)

Photo: iPhone (War and Peace)─Marin County, 2011

Motel

For the first time, Mike was assigned a second-story room in his Munras Avenue motel. A view of Monterey Bay!

Unexpected.

Reveries of Fort Ord.

Photo: Motel Roof, Monterey Bay—Monterey County, 2011

Garland Ranch

Garland Ranch is about 15 miles east of Highway 1 on the Carmel Valley Road. The twists and turns of the road meant that Mike didn't arrive at the park until mid-afternoon. He parked and took this photo (a two-photo merge, actually) during a short hike. Cottonwood and sycamore trees, he speculates.

Photo: Grass & Trees—Monterey County, 2011

Poppies

Seen at the entrance to a ranch just off the Carmel Valley Road.

Photos: Poppies—Monterey County, 2011

Carmel Valley Road

Starting in the foothills, gradually climbing upwards to very nice views of a quintessential chaparral and oak California landscape.

Photos: Hills & Clouds─Monterey County, 2011; Farm Building─Monterey County, 2011

Monday Cowboy Blogging

Wrangler, seen on his horse, as I pulled over to see if I could get some pix of the green hillsides from my car. New, improved larger size pix as per blog post below.

Photo: Cowboy─San Luis Obispo County, 2011

Blog Redesign

Mike has switched to a wonderful new Blogger template. It has taken him quite a while to find colors and elements that match both the old blog design and his web site.

Reason for the switch: bigger pix can be posted! Wow!

(For example.)

Salinas Valley

Mike drove up highway 101 through the Salinas Valley, searching for the route near Greenfield that would lead to the Carmel Valley Road. Needless to say, he missed the correct offramp and had to turn around and go back. However, during the turnaround procedure had was able to get this photograph.

Photo: Farmland, Salinas Valley─Monterey County, 2011

Judgment Day

. . . 'nuff said.

(Weather report here.) (Special event here.)

Photo: Judgment Day─San Francisco, 2011

Melrose Avenue #35: Facebook

. . . social cigarettes . . .

Poster done by this guy?

Photo: Facebook─Los Angeles, 2011

Photographers

All of us intent on capturing the essence of Los Angeles.

Photos: Photographer (Griffith Park)─Los Angeles, 2011; Photographer (Broad Museum)─Los Angeles, 2011

Museum Guard

Please note how the silhouette of the guard is echoed throughout the rest of this elegant composition. Can't remember who the artist was.

Photo: Museum Guard─Los Angeles, 2011

Palm Trees

. . . planted outside the Broad Museum in a very designery fashion.

Photos: Palm─Los Angeles, 2011; Palms─Los Angeles, 2011

Monday Balloon Dog Blogging

Big sculpture by Jeff Koons, the famous poseur. Also seen: some tourists utilizing a Koons piece as a amusing backdrop.

There is a local Marin County Koons angle due to the successful lawsuit won by Point Reyes photographer Art Rogers against Koons.

Also, check out this interesting video game (turn down volume before clicking on link.)

Photos: Koons Dog (Broad Museum)─Los Angeles, 2011; Tourists & Koons Sculpture)─Los Angeles, 2011

Melrose Avenue #34: How Could You

Street art in L.A.

Good Roy Lichtenstein imitation.

Photo: How Could You─Los Angeles, 2011

Melrose Avenue #33: Everybody Fitflop

An iPhone pix taken at Melrose & Fairfax.

Free advertising for fitflop! Wow! (Check out all the Melrose Avenue pix by clicking on the "Melrose Avenue" label in the right hand column.)

Photo: Everybody Fitflop─Los Angeles, 2011

Melrose Avenue #32: Parking Meters

Don't follow leaders, as I've said.

Photos: Parking Meter #1─Los Angeles, 2011; Parking Meter #2─Los Angeles, 2011

Melrose Avenue #31: This Means You

I didn't want to dunk anyway.

Photo: No Dunking─Los Angeles, 2011

Hollywood Sign

They had struggled through the darkness, and now it stood there looming over them, gleaming in the moonlight:

HOLLYWOOD

They quickly went to work rearranging the letters using acetylene torches and portacranes. First they made it say

HOWL DOOLY

Then they made it say

O DO WHOLLY

Then they made it say

WHOO DOLLY

Then they made it say

WOOLY HOLD

Then they made it say

DOLL HOW OY

Then they made it say

LODY WOHOL

Then they made it say

LODLY OH WO

Then they made it say

LOW HOODLY

Satisfied, they stood back and admired their handiwork. Their leader then pushed the chartreuse button and in the pinkly-purple light the twinkling construction that was Hollywood buckled and shivered like the plaster and chickenwire creation that it was and slowly slid into the sea.

Photos: Child, Hollywood Sign─Los Angeles, 2011; No Access─Los Angeles, 2011

Monday Crow Blogging

All that night Santa Ana winds had been whistling through the fence slats and rattling the palm fronds. Next morning the crows were still somewhat agitated.

Photo: Palms, Crow─Los Angeles, 2011

Hollywood

Residential sights, seen walking to the Whole Foods market at Fairfax and Santa Monica. Not exactly the upper-scale section of Hollywood.

More iphoneography.

Photos: Agaves─Los Angeles, 2011; For Lease─Los Angeles, 2011

Science Stuff

Inside the Griffith Observatory: a mesmerizing pendulum somehow demonstrating the earth's rotation, and a cool electrical discharge Tesla-thingie.

OK, OK. Here: Foucault Pendulum. Tesla Coil.

Photos: Pendulum─Los Angeles, 2011; Tesla Exhibit─Los Angeles, 2011

Griffith Observatory

The famous Griffith Observatory. I get to use the word "iconic!"

Geometric visuals.

Photos: Griffith Observatory #1─Los Angeles, 2011; Griffith Observatory #2─Los Angeles, 2011

Griffith Park Hike

Very warm day. Joe and I hiked/walked from Fern Dell amidst the sycamores (just off of Los Feliz Blvd) up to the observatory.

Photos: Sycamores─Los Angeles, 2011; L.A. View─Los Angeles, 2011

Statues (Los Angeles)

In the Hollywood hills, in front of the Griffith Observatory on a bright, warm spring day.

Photo: Statues─Los Angeles, 2011

Statues (San Francisco)

Rodin sculptures seen at the Legion of Honor. Earlier post here.

Photo: Statues (Legion of Honor)─San Francisco, 2011

Monday Cat Blogging

. . . seen in a second-story loft on Langton Street in San Francisco.

Photo: Cat─San Francisco, 2011

Eucalyptus Trunks

Seen as we were hiking around Angel Island off Tiburon.

Photo: Eucalyptus Trunks (Angel Island)─Marin County, 2004