May, Lake Lagunitas - 2

 

Hiking Path (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Bridge (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Scenes from my almost-weekly hike around the lake.

May, Lake Lagunitas - 1

Iris (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Lupin (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Photos taken with a Nikon Z5 / 24-200mm lens combo.

April, Lake Lagunitas

 

Trees, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Lake, Clouds (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

All of these lake shots were taken around 7-8AM.

Iris, Reflections - Lake Lagunitas

Iris (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Grass, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

The abundant rainfall in the winter meant that there was a bumper crop of irises surrounding Lake Lagunitas.

Monday Heron Blogging

Heron, Playing Field (Fairfax) - Marin County  2023

Keeping an eye on me and on the dog romping in the background. I used the extremely lightweight Canon G5XII.

Rain

 

Rain, Oaks (Fairfax) - Marin County  2023

Standing under the porch during an April downpour. I used a Canon G5XII.

Recycle Center

 

Recycle Center - Marin County  2023

Subject of many earlier photos . . . for example, a 2008 photo taken with my new Canon G9.

Nowadays, we no longer have a truck, alas. So I load up my Toyota RAV with cardboard and drive to the (free) cardboard dropoff point to unload. This photo taken with an iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Monterey Bay Black and White

 

Flowers, Bay - Monterey County  2023

Fog Bank, Bay - Monterey County  2023

Photos taken in the morning prior to driving back home.

Monterey Historic Area - 2

Plant, Door - Monterey County  2023

Monterey Civic Club - Monterey County  2023

A few last photos of the day as the shadows gradually lengthened.

Monterey Historic Area - 1

Flowers, Building - Monterey County  2023

Flowers, Wall - Monterey County  2023

A quick afternoon visit to the downtown historic district.

Fence, Fog, Building / Seaweed (Monterey County)

Fence, Fog, Building - Monterey County  2023

Seaweed, Rocks - Monterey County  2023

That fence scene is right across the street from the cemetery. I know I've taken photos there before, but can't seem to find them on the blog.

I drove along the Monterey Bay coast for a while, getting out of the car a few times. Ocean views were not too inspiring. Nice seaweed however. Then winding my way back to the motel for a rest.

Monday Phoebe Blogging

Phoebe - Monterey County  2023

It's been a while since there's been a phoebe post. This one seen flying around an under the hotel parking lot near the Monterey Bay overlook.

Back to the Cemetery

Cemetery (Pacific Grove) - Monterey County  2023

Finished with mission photos, I drove back to Highway 1, turned left and drove a short way north to the Pacific Grove exit. I followed the road down to Asilomar and managed to make my way to the cemetery, this time without GPS assistance.

"El Carmelo Cemetery has been part of Pacific Grove's history since the 1800s. For nearly two centuries the City has maintained and cherished this final resting place. The oldest section of the cemetery has wooden markers and upright monuments located amidst stately pines and cypresses. The more recent sections are park-like settings with engraved markers placed flush with the grass."

I was in luck, as the morning's fog was still in evidence. Kind of like when I first took photos here in 1987. 

Residences (Monterey)

Residence 1 - Monterey County  2023

Residence 2 - Monterey County  2023

Just walking around my motel with the Nikon. I think the top photo building has been on the blog before.

Carmel Mission - 3

Statue (Mission) - Monterey County  2023

Statue (Mission) - Monterey County  2009

Images from my regular routine of pacing around the mission's outer wall, peeking in.

Top photo taken in April of this year with a Nikon Z5 / 24-200mm lens.

Bottom one taken in March, 2009 with an Olympus E-510 DSLR / 12-60mm lens.

Carmel Mission - 2

Olive Branch (Mission) - Monterey County  2023

Rhododendron (Mission) - Monterey County  2023

Sun filtered through a light overcast . . . Nikon Z5 photos.

Carmel Mission - 1

Flowers, Mission - Monterey County  2023

First visited in 2009. In 2010 I got a nice front shot of the mission through the fog. I'm usually there before the mission is open; so far all I have are photos taken from outside. Some day I'll have to arrive a little later so I can visit the inside courtyard.

Agave / Morning Coffee

Agave - Monterey County  2023

After early morning fog photos I drove over to my favorite AM coffee spot (Carmel Valley Coffee). Coffee, morning bun, then a walk around the premises where I spotted a nice-looking agave.

Carmel Valley Coffee Interior - Monterey County  2023

Monday Crow Blogging

Crow - Monterey County  2023

I often observe crows going about their business, flying to and fro in their inscrutable manner.

So the question I have is, Do Crows Have Free Will? I asked ChatGPT for its response (edited for length):

The concept of free will is a complex philosophical and scientific topic that has been debated for centuries. It pertains to the ability of individuals to make choices and decisions independent of external influences or deterministic processes. While humans have long been associated with possessing free will, it is challenging to determine the extent to which non-human animals, such as crows, may exhibit this capacity.

Additionally, free will is a concept deeply rooted in human consciousness, self-awareness, and moral responsibility. While animals can make choices based on their immediate needs and desires, the philosophical implications of free will are often considered unique to humans. It is challenging to ascertain whether crows possess a fully conscious and self-determined free will as humans understand it.

In summary, while crows demonstrate certain cognitive abilities and decision-making skills, the extent to which they possess free will, as defined in the human context, is still a subject of philosophical and scientific debate.

So there you have it. Crow in photo seen down by Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, Nikon Z5.

San Carlos Cathedral - 2

Plant, Window (Cathedral) - Monterey County  2023

Cathedral Interior - Monterey County  2023

Cathedral: A Christian church building in which a bishop has his official seat (cathedra is Latin for “chair”). A cathedral is usually large and imposing, and many cathedrals are important in the history of architecture. (See Chartres, Notre Dame de Paris, and Saint Paul's Cathedral.)

This cathedral isn't that imposing, but very pretty. I didn't realize that the cathedral doors were open until a lady went in. Next time I'll have to try to get a photo of the altar area.

Portolá / Masonic Lodge

Portolá Statue - Monterey  2023

Masonic Lodge - Monterey  2023

Had to cut and paste "Portolá" in order to get the correct accent mark. I've spoken about the Portola pronunciation issue before.

"Monterey Lodge is a product of the desire for Masons to have the opportunity to get together as friends and develop fraternal ties-well regulated by the spirit and tenets of Freemasonry. Monterey, in 1871, was a small community centered on its excellent natural harbor-but otherwise somewhat isolated. Compared to the environment in which we live today, most small communities were relatively isolated, since distances we ignore today were much more important in the world of the 1870's, where the horse was the common mode of transportation."

San Carlos Cathedral - 1

Door (Cathedral) - Monterey  2023

Flower Pots (Cathedral) - Monterey  2023

San Carlos Cathedral: The cathedral is the oldest continuously operating parish and the oldest stone building in California. It was built in 1791-94 making it the oldest (and smallest) serving cathedral in the United States . . . Wikipedia

I remembered visiting here in 2010. I've wanted to return, so I finally did, thirteen years later.

Fog in Dahvee Park

Fog, Trees (Dahvee Park) - Monterey  2023

Oaks, Lichen (Dahvee Park) - Monterey  2023

After some exquisite motel coffee I peeked outside to discover some heavy early morning fog. I set out with the Nikon to check it out.

Interesting. There's a 2017 post with remarkably similar photos! 

But maybe not remarkable at all.

Cass Street Sightems (Monterey)

Hummingbird Tile (Cass St) - Monterey  2023

Flowers, Rock Wall (Cass St) - Monterey  2023

Cass Street is the street directly behind my motel. Once I put stuff away I usually go for a short walk on Cass to stretch my legs.

Oak, Lupin (Fort Ord National Monument)

Lupin, Oak (Fort Ord Natl Monument) - Monterey County  2023

"Lupinus, commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae." Wikipedia

As we have seen earlier, Mike has a crotchety dislike of "silent e's." 

A quick stop on the way into Monterey for photos of pretty flowers and gnarled oak trees.

Monday Gull Blogging

Gull, Bay - Monterey County  2023

On an overcast day, gull perched on a railing overlooking Monterey Bay. Nikon Z5, 24-200mm lens.

Lost Hills

Ranch Gate (Lost Hills) - Kern County  2023

Lavender Fields (Lost Hills) - Kern County  2023

Once again, driving to Monterey I followed Google's directions and drove over the Grapevine to Lost Hills where I cut over to Paso Robles. Of course I stopped at my usual Starbucks for breakfast.

Grapevine Starbucks - Kern County  2023

Leaving Los Angeles

Ripley's - Los Angeles  2023

For me, leaving Los Angeles involves driving east on Santa Monica Boulevard, turning left on Highland Avenue towards the Hollywood Freeway, at that point Highway 101 north.

Here I've been stopped by the traffic light at Highland and Hollywood Boulevard, which allowed me to grab the iPhone for this shot.

Reflections (Los Angeles)

Chairs, Self Portrait - Los Angeles  2023

The Place, Self Portrait - Los Angeles  2023

Top photo on Melrose Avenue. Bottom one on Santa Monica Boulevard.

iPhone 12.

Tinder / Dr. Dabber: Melrose Avenue #80

Tinder (Melrose Avenue) - Los Angeles  2023

Dr. Dabber (Melrose Avenue) - Los Angeles  2023

Regular parts of my L.A. routine are morning walks up and down Melrose Avenue.