Winter Birds

Pier, Gull - Marin County  2017

Fence Post, Duck - Marin County  2017

Well, photos of birds that were taken in winter, anyway. I guess that gulls and ducks are here year-round.

Surf

Waves - Point Reyes  2017

Waves, Cliffs - Point Reyes  2017

Once past the lagoon, the trail vanishes into sand dunes and eventually one comes to the ocean. The waves were particularly ferocious that day, coming in three at a time.

Abbotts Lagoon

Lagoon, Ranch Buildings - Point Reyes  2017

Walkway - Point Reyes  2017

The walkway was coated with frost and somewhat slippery.

Pond

Pond, Fences - Point Reyes  2017

Pond - Point Reyes  2017

Two views of a small pond taken during my Abbotts Lagoon hike.

Below, photo of a deer jumping over the fence near the pond.

Deer Jumping - Point Reyes  2017

Monday Bunny Blogging

Rabbit - Point Reyes  2017

Rabbit - Point Reyes  2017

I saw this creature last January during my hike in Point Reyes to Abbotts Lagoon.

Point Reyes - January

Dirt Road, Sunrise - Marin County  2017

Tomales Bay, Mist - Marin County  2017

Top photo taken as I was driving to Point Reyes Station to pick up some coffee and a morning bun.

Then, a quick stop for photos overlooking Tomales Bay.

Bottom photo was taken through the windshield as I approached the Abbotts Lagoon trailhead.

Road, Fenceposts - Point Reyes  2017

Japan Culinary Adventure (31): Meals at Yoshimatsu

Citrus Gel with Berries (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Kumiko Setting Out Breakfast Dishes (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Breakfast photos shown above. One of our dinner dishes below. As expected, I filled up pretty quickly. Hali and I tried out some chairs designed to be used with the low table, but for me dining in that position was still uncomfortably awkward.

It seems that it's more painful for me to sit cross-legged now than it was in 1966. Don't know why.

Soup, Mushrooms (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Yoshimatsu Ryokan (Video)

Yoshimatsu Ryokan, October, 2016 from Mike Mundy on Vimeo.

Think I used a Canon G5X and an iPhone.

There's a view of our private hot tub towards the end.

Ryokan Features

View from Room (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Scroll, Flower Arrangement (Hakone) - Japan  2016

The rainy weather provided some nice cloud cover, making for nice even lighting.

Not only did our room lend itself to exquisitely artistic compositions, but there was also an outside onsen (hot tub)! Whoa, nice! (We called it an onsen, but probably it didn't meet the strict technical definition of one.)

Outdoor Patio, Onsen (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Japan Culinary Adventure (30): Chestnuts

Hali Buying Chestnuts (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Chestnut Vendor - Japan  2016

Just as hobbits love mushrooms, Hali loves chestnuts, so that she was in luck during our Fall trip to Japan: chestnut season!

Top photo: Hali buying chestnuts from a street vendor (doing his own roasting) in Hakone.

Bottom photo: chestnut vendor in the Odawara train station. Don't think that that's a religious symbol at the upper right.

Mount Fuji

Lake Ashinoko (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Painters (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Walking around Hakone (pronounced hah koh nay): alas, Mount Fuji remained hidden when we visited the Mount Fuji viewpoint (see top photo).

But that didn't stop the artists painting the scene from putting Mount Fuji right in where it belongs (see bottom photo).

I was able to get a photo during our 2014 trip, though.

Monday Dachshund Blogging

Dachsund (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Dachsund Being Photographed (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Little dog seen at a Lake Ashinoko overlook. Dogs like attention!

Hakone Ryokan

Yoshimatsu Pond (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Stone Lantern (Hakone) - Japan  2016

Yoshimatsu. We arrived here by taxi in the rain, which meant everything was especially vibrant and pleasing.

Maui Sightems

Kihei Sunset (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Man Sitting, Chickens (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Both photos were taken with a Canon G5X, the top one from the back seat of our rental minivan. 1/800th second, ISO 4000.

Maui Upscale

Mai Tai, Four Seasons (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Salesperson, Lionesse (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Mike's mai tai at the Four Seasons on top. Lionesse salesperson seen at "The Shops at Wailea" at the bottom.

The mai tai was OK, but Mike preferred his Kona Ale at the Mauna Lani.

Sugar Mill

Sugar Mill, Bicyclist (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Sugar Mill, Red Trucks (Maui) - Hawaii 2016

Now closed, alas.

Photos taken with a Canon G5X from the minivan's back seat, Masa driving.

Maui Beach

Canoe (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Yoga Class (Maui) - Hawaii 2016

We tried to get there in the morning: less crowds and less direct sun.

Haleakala Sightems

Silversword (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Picnic Tables (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

We were driving our rented minivan, which did better than the Versa on Mauna Kea. It was a long drive!

Leleiwei Outlook (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Monday Chukar Blogging

Chukar (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Odd little bird . . . an introduced species. There were quite a few of them scuttling around the lava rocks near the Haleakala parking lot.

"According to Pakistani legend, the chukar is deeply in love with the moon, and stares at it longingly."

Haleakala Views

Haleakala View #1 - Maui  2016

Haleakala View #2 - Maui  2016

Dramatic views.

So, these photos taken while we were on a family vacation last November in Maui. Hali and I drove up to the viewing area, not at sunrise, but still pretty early in the morning. No problem with parking, but I guess that now there's going to be reservations required if you truly want the sunrise experience.

Sonoma County Sightems

Pumpkins - Sonoma County  2017

Mailboxes - Sonoma County  2017

Taken while we were on a Diners' Club excursion for a Sonoma County bruch. Can't quite remember the name of the place, though.

Although the sign says "Pumpkins" those weren't pumpkins. Dan was able to look them up on his phone. Can't quite remember what he found out, though.

Nakatsugawa - Morning Rain

Umbrella, Train Station (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

Train Station Sign (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

When we got up in the morning it was raining pretty hard, although Mike did manage to make it over to Family Mart for morning coffee. Then, breakfast and the taxi over to the train station to begin another long, somewhat tiring journey to our next destination, Hakone.

Photos taken using an Olympus 25mm lens, which I've fitted with a collapsible rubber lens hood. Although fairly cheap it does a nice job of keeping rain drops off the glass.

Family Mart, Rain (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

Nakatsugawa - Evening Clouds

Cemetery (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

Evening Building (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

That evening Hali and I took a stroll around our hotel. As I said, it was located on the outskirts of town, so there were cultivated fields and a cemetery within walking distance. As it got dark, clouds began to roll in and bats began to flit about, appropriately enough, given the increasingly gloomy aspect.

We ended up at the local Family Mart, buying little snacky things for dinner.

Japan Culinary Adventure (29): Curry Lunch in Nakatsugawa

Hali, Royal Nan House Restaurant (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

Ekimae Dori, Mountains (Nakatsugawa) - Japan  2016

From my journal: "Back to Nakatsugawa for an Indian curry lunch. We sit in a private room at one end of a table meant for a multi-person banquet. Ohhh-kay. But wait, it turns out that the lunch is quite tasty!"

At the other, far end of the table, a middle-aged Japanese lady sat quietly finishing her lunch.

The interesting thing is that I didn't write down the name of the place. But judicious use of Google Street View shows it to be the Royal Nan House restaurant.