April Weather (Nevada)

Evening Clouds - Nevada  2017

No Outlet - Nevada  2017

We arrived at Boomtown on Wednesday. The forecast for Thursday called for extensive snow in the mountains to the west. Returning from our dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant we could see clouds moving in.

Top photo taken with an iPhone 6s Plus. Bottom one with a Canon G5X.

Boomtown!

Boomtown - Nevada  2017

Boomtown Hotel Lobby - Nevada  2017

Dry Hills - Nevada  2017

In Nevada! 2nd exit on Hwy 80 east of the California/Nevada border.

Hali and I stayed here for two nights last month. I've been interested in using this Best Western hotel as a base for Tahoe-area explorations, as well as a stopover point for more extended trips. We had one of the "mountain view" rooms (photo of the hills taken from our window). Yes, yes. I used a telephoto lens to crop out various roads and buildings.

Hali says that she doesn't need to go back.

Monday Geese Blogging

Geese in Flight - Sonoma County  2017

Goose & Goslings - Sonoma County  2017

I used an Olympus E-M10 with a 75-300mm zoom lens.

More Maui

Lava, Ocean (Maui) - Hawaii  2016

Sand Ripples (Maui) - Hawaii 2016

. . . from last November. Both taken with a Canon G5X.

San Quentin

San Quentin, Fog - Marin County  2017

Exercise Yard, San Quentin - Marin County  2017

Taken from the Larkspur ferry. I used a Canon G5X for the top photo, and an Olympus EM-10 with a 75-300mm zoom lens for the bottom one.

Oakland Sightems - 2

FuseBox Mail - Oakland  2017

Mannequin - Oakland  2017

So, although FuseBox has closed, a ramen place is set to open in the same location! Whoa.

Oakland Sightems - 1

Chainlink Fence - Oakland  2017

Butte - Oakland  2017

A late afternoon trip to Oakland to eat at FuseBox, a Korean restaurant in an industrial part of town. FuseBox, alas, has since closed operations.

Terrapin Sightems - 2

Keep It Weird - San Rafael  2017

Phil Lesh Reading - San Rafael  2017

Wow. Both Phil Lesh and Terrapin Crossroads have lengthy Wikipedia articles. You know you've arrived when you're the subject of a lengthy Wikipedia article.

Terrapin Sightems - 1

Ain't No Time - Marin County  2017

Cadillac, Foot - Marin County  2017

Terrapin Crossroads, that is.

Monday Turkey Vulture Blogging

Turkey Vulture - Point Reyes  2017

. . . perched on a parking lot post at the Abbots Lagoon trailhead. After allowing me to take several shots with my Olympus 75-300mm zoom it finally lumbered off.

Flowers

Flowers in Bathroom - Marin County  2017

Nasturtiums - Marin County  2017

. . . seen at the recent Open Studios art show in San Rafael. iPhone photos.

Golden Gate Bridge - 3

Clouds, Golden Gate Bridge - Marin County  2017

Hali, Golden Gate Bridge - Marin County  2017

You can hike from Fort Baker up to the viewpoint on the Marin side. We didn't go all the way, just far enough to check out the impressive girders underneath the bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge - 2

Hills, Golden Gate Bridge - Marin County  2017

Worker, Golden Gate Bridge - Marin County  2017

Top photo taken in the rain.

Golden Gate Bridge - 1

Container Ship, Golden Gate Bridge - Marin County  2017

Buildings, Golden Gate Bridge - Marin County  2017

Photos taken during a hike up into the hills behind Fort Baker. I used an Olympus E-PL7 with a 25mm lens.

Fort Baker Rain

Mailbox in Rain (Fort Baker) - Marin County  2017

Chairs in Rain (Fort Baker) - Marin County  2017

Our stay coincided with one of those heavy rain periods that we had during the past season. So we walked around in the rain!

Later, dinner at Murray Circle restaurant, quite nice. It took Mike a while to move the glass of sparkling rosé around so as to get both the wine and the bridge in there.

Sparkling Rose (Fort Baker) - Marin County  2017

Room with a View

Golden Gate Bridge, Night - Marin County  2017

Golden Gate Bridge, Morning - Marin County  2017

For a treat, Hali and I stayed for two nights at the Cavallo Point Lodge last March. Our room had a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

View from Room - Marin County  2017

Monday Horse Blogging

Hali & Tuffy, Barrel Racing - Marin County 

Hali & Tuffy, Jumping - Marin County

Scans of two undated prints. Undated, but probably in the 1990's. (?)

Hali claims that her form is not correct in the jumping photo. But how would we know.

Farewell to the East

Akihabara Morning (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Party House - Japan  2016

Last day's entry from my journal: 

Hali and Mike take the train to Akihabara for breakfast at Vie de France. Not as many pastry choices as in the past (looks like they're getting into more savory lunch items) but what we had was good.

We check out, store luggage at the hotel, then walk over to visit the Koishikawa garden with Dan. Nice. Afterwards a stroll among the streets surrounding Suidobashi station. Lots of restaurants! Alas, we won't be able to try any of them. We need a longer stay!

Taxi to Tokyo Station. Lunch at a beef tongue restaurant (very good!), catch the Narita Express (last taken-from-train photos of the trip), then the seemingly unending escalators and lines at the airport. Some shopping. Flight home. Leave Japan 5:00 PM Saturday, arrive SFO 10:00 AM Saturday. 

Japan Culinary Adventure (34): Beef Tongue Restaurant

Beef Tongue Restaurant (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Menu (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Much searching in the basement-level floors of Tokyo Station for our final lunch. At last, we found it! Good!

Actually, Hali and I had eaten this cuisine before, so we were old hands.

Chuo Line

Chuo Line Departing (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Exotic Dining (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

The Chuo Line cuts through the middle of Tokyo, so it turned out that our hotel (Hotel Niwa), which Hali had picked almost at random, was quite convenient being just a few blocks away from Suidobashi Station.

Speaking of Suidobashi Station, we really didn't have time to do enough exploring in the vicinity. Otherwise we might have had an Exotic Dining experience. ("World's Best Kebab.") Next time.

Tokyo Sightems

Musical Instrument (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Baseball Team (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

I'm thinking that that's a cello on top.

We saw the baseball team while walking around near our hotel.

Japan Culinary Adventure (33): Lunch at Mansei

Corn Soup (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Mansei Restaurant Floors (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

We had arranged to meet the Sasakis at Mansei Restaurant in the Akihabara District for lunch. Multiple floors! We dithered a bit trying to decide, but we finally ended up on floor number . . . , floor number . . . Huh. To be honest, I don't recall which floor. Food was good, but of all the items, I liked the corn soup the best.

Afterwards we posed for a photo by Dan of the four of us by Manseibashi (Mansei Bridge).

Mundys, Sasakis (Tokyo) - Japan  2016 (Photo by D Sugars)

Monday Heron Blogging

Heron (Tokyo) - Japan  2016

Last day of our 2016 Japan trip. Bird seen at the Koishikawa Garden near our hotel, "one of the oldest and best preserved parks in Tokyo." (Wikipedia.)

Nagoya Train Station / Tokyo Rain

Waiting in Line (Nagoya) - Japan  2016

Umbrella, Rain (Tokyo) - Japan  2008

One from last year's trip (top) and one I recently discovered from 2008. Not half bad!