Spider Webs, Duck - Point Reyes

Reeds, Spider Webs - Point Reyes  2020

Duck, Limantour Marsh - Point Reyes  2020

Photos taken with an Olympus E-M1II and a 14-150mm telephoto lens.

Fog, Grass - Point Reyes

Fog Burning Off - Point Reyes  2020

Grass - Point Reyes  2020

A February visit, early morning fog just starting to burn off.

Bovine Bakery

Bovine Bakery (Pt Reyes Station) - Point Reyes  2020

I made two visits to Point Reyes recently, one in February and one in March. So first, some pix from the February visit.

I don't always do this, but this time I did. Stop at Bovine Bakery, that is, for one of their Morning Buns. Yum!

Monday Horse Blogging

Tuffy, Hanna, Hali - Marin County  2015

Hanna enjoyed feeding Tuffy his specially-made (by Hali) horse cookies. You had to lay one on your palm for Tuffy to scarf up. It tickled your hand!

More Ferries

Ferries - Marin County  2020

Ferries - Marin County  2020

February pix, the latest in a series of shots taken from the pedestrian overcrossing.

January Rain

Parking Lot (San Rafael) - Marin County  2020

Tree, Parking Lot (San Rafael) - Marin County  2020

It rained a goodly amount in January, but nothing in February. So rainfall to date has been far below average.

Top photo was taken in the  Staples parking lot in San Rafael. I noticed the deep puddle, walked over and dabbled in the water to create the ripples. Both photos taken with an iPhone 7 Plus.

SMART Train

SMART Train (San Rafael) - Marin County  2020

SMART Train (Novato) - Marin County  2020

We've been meaning to take the train up to Petaluma, but so far haven't gotten around to it. Might be a while before that trip takes place.

Morning Fog

Trees, Creek - Marin County  2020

Oak, Pond, Fog - Marin County  2020

On my way home I noticed fog creeping over the White Hill grade west of Fairfax. So I kept on going over the hill to get some fog pix.

Fog, Telephone Wires - Marin County  2020

Target / Costco

Target Parking Lot, Mt. Tamalpais, Moon - Marin County  2020

Bus Stop Behind Costco - Marin County  2020

Sightems near the Target parking lot in San Rafael and the Costco parking lot in Novato in January.

Forest

Forest - Marin County  2020

January 1, 2020. Nice light coming in from the side. Taken with a Canon G5XII.

Monday Horse Blogging

Horse - Marin County  2020

Taken on our annual January 1 hike. Our trail led us through a stable . . . finally, some horse photos!

Stable Ladder - Marin County  2020

Vienna Night

Street, Moon (Vienna) - Austria  2019

"I found myself thinking of it with a regret so luxurious and so deep that it did not stir the emotions at all. Seen through the transforming lens of memory the past seemed so enchanted that even thought would be unworthy of it."

- Lawrence Durrell,  Prospero's Cell

**

Our last night in Vienna, the full moon's light reflected off the empty cobblestoned streets as we slowly made our way back to our hotel.

**

Postscript: For some unaccountable reason I never thought to have a photo taken of all three of us when we were in Europe. But here's a more recent one taken during a winter visit to a chilly Vietnamese restaurant in Corte Madera.

Mike, Margaret, Hali - Marin County  2020

Cafe Central

Cafe Central Kaiserschmarrn (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Cafe Central Kaiserschmarrn Sauce (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Cafe Central: Mike's (second) best European restaurant. High ceilings, so the noise level was quite manageable. Fun pastries (the famous Kaiserschmarrn!) What's not to like?

"The café was opened in 1876, and in the late 19th century it became a key meeting place of the Viennese intellectual scene."

There was a line. While Margaret held our place we did a quick loop through the Ferstel Passage. "Walking through the passage today, with its fantastic arches and glass roof, transports one back to the height of the Habsburg Empire and the social lives of its leisure classes."

Ferstel Passage (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Hundertwasserhaus

Hundertwasserhaus (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Hundertwasserhaus (Vienna) - Austria  2019

" . . . the house was built between 1983 and 1985 according to the ideas and concepts of Hundertwasser with architect Univ.-Prof. Joseph Krawina as a co-author and architect Peter Pelikan as a planner. It features undulating floors, a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. Hundertwasser took no payment for the design of the house, declaring that it was worth it, to prevent something ugly from going up in its place.

"Within the house there are 53 apartments, four offices, 16 private terraces and three communal terraces, and a total of 250 trees and bushes."

This was on Hali and Margaret's must-see list, so we walked over. For myself, the walk over through a non-touristy neighborhood was quite interesting in itself.

Margaret and Hali Walking (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Building Details

Building Details (Vienna) - Austria  2019

We were visiting the famous Naschmarkt in Vienna when Margaret noticed the ornate decorative details on these residences. Luckily my Canon G5XII was up to the task of documentation, and the print made on an Epson P600 printer turned out quite nicely. (Margaret's Christmas present.)

So, with that out of the way I made my way across the street to an apothecary (drugstore) to search for some exotic shaving cream. Fun to have and use as a souvenir (mit Aloe Vera!).

Shaving Cream - Marin County  2020

Cecconi

Margaret, Cecconi (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Cecconi Window (Vienna) -  Austria  2019

"For more than three decades our family business, located vis-à-vis of St. Stephan’s Cathedral right in the city centre of Vienna, has been focused on arts and crafts."

Hali and Margaret spent some time in the store, mainly looking at the pewter ornaments / figurines. Below, two Cecconi trees (and a Japanese rabbit) at our house for Easter.

Cecconi Trees, Rabbit - Marin County  2020

People Together

Statue (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Tour Group (Vienna) - Austria  2019

A vanished world.

Monday Dog Blogging

Lola (Vienna) - Austria  2019

At least, I remember her name as Lola. But maybe I'm mistaken. We were in an upscale fashion boutique, Margaret trying on various items. In the end, nothing was purchased, and we left.

UPDATE: So, something was purchased. See comments.

Cathedral

Cathedral (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Tree, Cathedral Window (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Some religious pix for Easter. If I'd paid more attention to our guide, I'd be able to say exactly what cathedrals these are.

(Top photo an iPhone panorama.)

Trzesniewski

Trzesniewski Plate (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Trzesniewski Counter (Vienna) - Austria  2019

"Open sandwiches (Belegte Brote) are a common Viennese snack, made popular by the iconic company Trzesniewski. Small slabs of rye bread with a wide variety of toppings, and often accompanied by a Pfiff (small quantity) of beer, they are perfect for a mid-morning snack."

Margaret managed to find a table, which was a feat unto itself. So that was nice. Also, I found out that when they say "Pfiff (small quantity) of beer" they really do mean small quantity. I took a photo of the hobbit-sized beer mug, but it doesn't really demonstrate how tiny it was.

I was informed that the toppings were excellent. They tasted fine to me!

Vienna Windows

Windows (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Church Windows (Vienna) - Austria  2019

More evening photos. In the lower photo, a happy accident: the setting sun shining through the stained glass windows.

Vienna Evening

Scooter (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Evening Street (Vienna) - Austria  2019

"The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna located in the center of the Austrian capital. The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna." So, we spent most of our time (not all) wandering about this area. Above, some photos from our first afternoon's stroll through the district.

Vienna Hotel

Little Girl (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Mirror, Self-Portrait (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Hotel de France in Vienna.

Arrival in Vienna

Hali and Margaret at Airport (Vienna) -  Austria  2019

Rainbow (Vienna) - Austria  2019

October 10, 2019. 

Vienna, our last European stop: Mike and Hali were driving in, Margaret, Hali's sister, was flying in. After we finally deciphered the extremely confusing airport signage, we pulled into the car rental area just as Margaret made her appearance. It was almost as if we had planned it! Although I guess that in fact we did plan it.

And then, during our taxi ride to our hotel, a rainbow! And then, later, discovering that Margaret's phone had somehow been left in the cab! But it was retrieved the following day!

Wow.

Monday Gull Blogging

Gulls (Vienna) - Austria  2019

Seen in a canal running into the Danube. Big commotion . . . not sure what it was all about.

So, I never ended up seeing the Danube! (Slaps head.) Next time.

Meadow

Meadow Grass, Trees (November) - Sierra Nevada  2019

Hali, Meadow (August) - Sierra Nevada  2019

There were abundant mosquitos in August, none in November.