Reeds, Reflections (April)

 

Reeds, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

I just discovered this one while going through last April's photos. (Working on my quarterly backup.)

Reflections (April)

Trees, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

Grass, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

Photos taken with a Nikon Z5.

Irises, Ferns (April)

Irises (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

Ferns (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

From last April, when we had some nice weather.

Monday Turkey Blogging

 

Turkey (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

Pretty early in the morning.

"Wild turkeys have very powerful legs and can run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour," and other fine facts at the link.

Mt. Diablo

 

Mt. Diablo (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2022

Taken as I was driving up towards Lake Lagunitas for one of my regular hikes around the lake last April. I used a Nikon Z5 for this sunrise photo.

How True

 

You Are Great - Sacramento  2022

Here, It's Beautiful (Fairfax) - Marin County  2022

Recent truisms found in Sacramento and Fairfax.

Last Tahoe Views

 

Hazards Exist (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

Aspens (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

We found a parking lot near the lake and walked over to the shore. But only for a moment - the wind chill was pretty fierce. I took a last photo of some aspens before diving back into the warmth of the car.

Lake Tahoe Wind Chill

 

Tree, Lake (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

We wanted to take a short hike in the morning before we returned home, but yikes - the wind chill factor was tremendous. Temperature was in the low 30s . . . that, combined with a stiff wind coming off the lake soon chased us off.

Incline Village Chicken Wings

 

Korean Chicken Sign (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

Korean Chicken (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

We just stayed one night in Incline Village . . . for dinner we got Korean chicken wings takeout. Good, but one of the sauces was quite spicy.

Incline Village

Snow Pile (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

Wheel of Fortune (Lake Tahoe) - Nevada  2022

We wanted to visit Incline Village - where I had been last January - but without any treacherous snow. There was an old snow pile in the Hyatt parking lot, but otherwise OK.

Monday Pelican Blogging

 

Pelicans, Richmond Bridge - Marin County  2022

I happened to be over at the Target-By-The-Bay in San Rafael when I noticed some pelicans in the water over on the other side of the parking lot. I took this photo with a Canon G5XII.

Nevada Park

 

Playground - Nevada  2022

Mowing Playing Field - Nevada  2022

Very windy. After filling up with some cheap Nevada gas, we followed a road sign to this park outside Minden and had our lunch. Then up highway 395 to highway 50 and over to Lake Tahoe.

Tree Trunks

 

Tree Trunk - Sierra Nevada  2022

Tree Trunk - Sierra Nevada  2007

Very hard to resist a photogenic tree trunk. Top photo taken this year with a Nikon Z5 full frame camera. Bottom one taken in 2007 with an Olympus "four-thirds" DSLR.

Fritos & Beer / Pine Tree, Snow

 

Fritos & Beer - Sierra Nevada  2022

Pine Tree, Snow - Sierra Nevada  2022

We had a two-night stay in Bishop, and therefore one day to do as we wished. Hali visited with her friend Suzanne, who's relocated from Point Reyes to Bishop (!) I took a short hike on the Bishop Pass trail: the road to the trailhead was clear, but the trail itself got pretty clogged with snow a short way in. I wasn't really ready to push on up through the snow, so I got some photos and then turned back. (I last made it to the top of the pass in 2007.)

I took some photos with a Nikon Z5 and a 24-200mm zoom lens, not exactly a lightweight combination. If I returned I'd probably use some of my Olympus m43 gear.

I found a day use area in one of the campgrounds (they were all open for the season), and proceeded to have a lunch of leftover chicken (from Los Angeles), Fritos, and, yes, beer (Anchor Steam). Wow!

Mt. Whitney

 

Clouds, Mt. Whitney - Lone Pine  2022

Truck, Desert Hills - Inyo County  2022

Photo taken on the summit of Mt. Whitney has been posted before. Mike had to pull off to the side of the road in Lone Pine for a photo of the highest point in the lower 48 states. (Click to enlarge.)

Cinder Cone

 

Red Hill Cinder Cone - Inyo County  2022

Toyota - Inyo County  2022

Mike had to pull over for a photo of the Red Hill cinder cone, a noted landmark just off highway 395. Hali elected to stay inside the car - it was 90 degrees outside.

Lamont Odett Vista Point

 

Aqueduct - Antelope Valley  2022

I always stop here. (There's an earlier more dramatic photo from 2010 on the blog.)

Monday Steller's Jay Blogging

 

Steller's Jay - Sierra Nevada  2022

Northwest Native Americans have made many totem poles with the Steller’s Jay as a little look out bird perched right on top. There are stories specifically about the Steller’s Jay in mythology. “He is the message of hope in despair and the will to live. The jay is willing to teach you fearlessness, adaptability and survival but you must be willing to follow its lead.”

I wasn't willing to follow this individual's lead, because he wanted some of my Fritos - alas, he didn't get any. Nor any of my beer.

Desert Hills

 

Desert Hills - Los Angeles  2022

Probably not taken in Los Angeles the city, but most likely in Los Angeles County. A passing motorist had signaled us that our car's gas cap hadn't been put back on. So I pulled off at the next off ramp, put the gas cap back on, and then, what the heck, got out the Nikon and took this photo.

Highway 14, joining with highway 395, was the regular route out of Los Angeles we used to take when we went backpacking in the east side of the Sierra Nevada. I hadn't driven it in years. Desert scenery.

L.A. Landscaping

 

Front Yard Landscaping - Los Angeles  2022

Wall, Plants - Los Angeles  2022

Random landscaping sightems seen on some of our L.A. walks.

Los Angeles Sightems

 

Auto Body (Third St) - Los Angeles  2022

Glossier (Beverly Blvd) - Los Angeles  2022

Photos taken with a Canon G5XII, which is pleasingly small yet produces excellent files. Nice telephoto range as well.

Melrose Avenue #65

What Is Zootiez - Los Angeles  2022

Mike took a quick stroll down to Melrose Avenue in order to add some images to his Melrose Avenue portfolio.

Plants

 

Pods - Los Angeles  2022

Air Plants - Los Angeles  2022

Plants seen at Pat and Joe's. Top seed pod thingie found in their back yard, where Joe has set out a number of native Southern California flora. Bottom photogenic air plant display is being tended to by Pat.

Art

 

Corner Arrangement - Los Angeles  2022

Window Arrangement - Los Angeles  2022

Pat and Joe's place is like a mini-museum, full of contemporary art pieces, many by Joe, and a large collection of folk art displayed throughout the house.

I wonder if there's a detailed inventory somewhere . . .

Monday Cat Blogging

 

Sadie - Los Angeles  2022

Sadie was last seen in 2019. Still very photogenic!

Beverly Blvd View

 

Beverly Blvd View West - Los Angeles  2022

Taken from one of the stairways in our motel. I used a Canon G5XII.

Riveting

 

Riveting, Mike & Hali - Los Angeles  2022

Riveting Entertainment, you know, on Third Street. 

Mike likes these reflected window photos.

Motel Sightems

 

Thunderbird - Los Angeles  2022

Motel - Los Angeles  2022

Thunderbird was parked in the alley in back of the motel.

We've stayed here before. Maybe won't again.

Rest Stop (Highway 5)

 

Trucks, Highway 5 Rest Stop - Fresno County  2022

Truck, Highway 5 Rest Stop - Fresno County  2022

We had a picnic lunch at one of the rest stops along Highway 5. Triscuits 'n cheese 'n Coke Zero! Yum!

No photos after that until we reached L.A.

Harris Ranch (Highway 5)

 

Harris Ranch Fountain - Fresno County 2022

Harris Ranch Horse Art - Fresno County  2022

We always stop here to use the bathrooms. Located in Fresno County, which spans quite a large West/East corridor in California, ranging from here in the  Central Valley to Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevada.