James Dean / Blackwells Corner

James Dean (Blackwells Corner - Kern County  2024

Blackwells Corner Sign - Kern County  2024

Blackwells Corner is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located 50 miles (80 km) west-northwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 650 feet (198 m). Blackwells Corner is at the intersection of California State Route 46 and California State Route 33, and was the last place James Dean was seen alive prior to his death in a car wreck. (Wikipedia)

It was overcast and wet when I stopped for these photos.

Highway 46 West

Highway 46 West - Kern County  2024

I was following Google's directions to get to Monterey: take highway 5 north, then take highway 46 west to highway 101 in Paso Robles.

I stopped for gas in Lost Hills, then drove on into some quite forbidding clouds. Eventually it started to rain, quite hard at times.

Grapevine Sightems

Grapevine Hills - Kern County  2024

Rose Station & Mountain Base (Grapevine) - Kern County  2024

I regularly stop here for the views. 

Check out the Google Street View shot of the same scene:

Google Mt Base Road 2019

Monday Gull and Cormorant Blogging

Gull, Cormorants - Monterey County  2024

Early morning down by Monterey Bay.

Tree & Crow (Grapevine - Kern County)

Tree, Crow - Kern County  2024

After dropping Hali off at the Burbank airport I headed north on highway 5 towards Monterey. I stopped at the small community of Grapevine for some photos, getting out the largish Nikon Z7II for the first time in the trip.

Willoughby and Fairfax

Willoughby and Fairfax - Los Angeles  2024

An iPhone wide-angle shot. We were standing in front of Oki-Dog waiting for the light to change.

The Chosen / Kali Uchis:Melrose Avenue #92

The Chosen - Los Angeles  2024

Kali Uchis - Los Angeles  2024

The Chosen.

Kali Uchis.

Sad Boy Graffiti: Melrose Avenue #91

Sad Boy - Los Angeles  2024

Not only is last year's yucca gone, the "boy" of "sad boy" has been covered up with graffiti. 

Sad.

Korean Restaurant

Soju - Burbank  2024

Han Korean BBQ House in Burbank. We had just left the REI in Burbank when Google's directions somehow pushed me onto a freeway going in a completely unknown direction. Luckily Hali was able to come up with a new route that placed us right in front of this restaurant!

Food was good! I didn't have any soju, however.

Terra Beer (Korean) - Burbank  2024

i'm not here: Melrose Avenue #90

i'm not here - Los Angeles  2024

. . . this isn't happening

Monday Cat Blogging

Sadie - Los Angeles  2024

Sadie checking out the guest bedroom while casting a dramatic shadow.

Rain Chain

Rain Chain - Los Angeles  2024

Finally, a chance to see Joe's rain chain in action! The rain was really coming down!

Took a photo of it last year, but it was dry then.

Porsche in Rain: Melrose Avenue #89

Porsche, Rain - Los Angeles  2024

Taken with a Canon G5XII.

Utility Box / Globalize Love (Rain): Melrose Avenue #88

Utility Box, Rain - Los Angeles  2024

Globalize Love, Rain - Los Angeles  2024

An early morning Los Angeles walk down Melrose Avenue, taken in the rain. We had brought our hiking parkas, so we were good to go.

Los Angeles Agaves

Agaves, Hedge - Los Angeles  2024

Agaves, Porch - Los Angeles  2024

Back in Los Angeles - overcast weather, nice light.

Harris Ranch

Palm Trees (Harris Ranch) - Fresno County  2024

Side Entrance (Harris Ranch) - Fresno County  2024

Our usual rest stop at Harris Ranch. Alas, when we arrive it's too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. But we wander around, stretching our legs.

Couldn't help noticing that the palm trees had been given quite a trimming.

Chevrolet, McDonalds

Chevrolet, McDonald's - Alameda County  2024

On our way down to Los Angeles for a quick January visit to my sister's. This is the McDonald's just off Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton. Nice looking Chevrolet!

I must say, though, that the hash brown thingie wasn't hot. 

Monday Possum Blogging

Possum (Fairfax) - Marin County  2023

Hali noticed our visitor first and called for me.  Wasn't impressed with my iPhone to be sure . . . it sat there on top of our fence for some time before ambling away.

Earlier visitors to the fence: turkeys.

Marin Trees

Buckeye, Maple - Marin County  2023

Trees, Lagunitas Creek - Marin County  2023

Top photo taken with a largish Nikon Z7II / 24-200mm lens combo. Bottom one taken with a small Canon G5XII. 

Both photos look pretty good to me! But I could make a humongous print from the Nikon photo, if I wanted to.

It looks like the Canon G5XII has been discontinued . . . 

December Leaves

Leaves on Stairs (Fairfax) - Marin County  2023

Leaves on Miata (Fairfax) - Marin County  2023

Stairway in back of our house, Miata seen on one of our morning walks.

Chinatown Alley Sign / Building for Sale

Alley Sign (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Building for Sale, Art (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

The Canon G5XII is great for taking photos in the rain. Nice and small, can be easily tucked under one's parka.

Chinatown Doors

Doorway, Bird Art (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Person in Doorway (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Both photos taken with a small Canon G5XII.

Chinatown Posters

Poster #1 (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Poster #2 (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Very intriguing. I tried to do a little internet research on "Girls Night" but got nothing, alas.

Chinatown Bakeries

icafe Bakery (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

New Hollywood Bakery (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Since we had just eaten our fill of dim sum delicacies we weren't tempted by the bakeries.

Monday Pigeon Blogging

Pigeons (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

Pigeons, People (Chinatown) - San Francisco  2023

We went for a family outing to a favorite dim sum restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown. Alas, they've done away with the dim sum carts due to the pandemic. Ordering from a menu is not the same experience, obviously, and makes it unlikely that one will discover something new.

Anyway! It was raining, which was nice . . . nice for photos for sure.

Redwoods, Oak / Lake & Mist

Redwoods, Oak (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Lake, Mist (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Two more November photos . . . different weather conditions.

Ferraris

Ferrari Vertical - Marin County  2024

Ferrari Horizontal - Marin County  2024

My grandson Nolan is quite taken with Ferraris (me too!) So Hali, Nolan, Hanna and myself dropped by the other day to take a look at the local dealership. (Hanna stayed in our car reading a steamy romance fantasy.)

Wow! Quite a fun viewing experience (no touching of the merchandise through.) Helpful to know about that 7 years maintenance for free benefit, for sure.

7 Years Maintenance for Free - Marin County  2024

Trees, Reflections / Reeds

Trees, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Reeds, Ripples (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

November photos. Top one taken with an Olympus E-M1II, the bottom one with a Nikon Z7II.

Trees, Lake / Rain

Trees, Lake, Mist (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Rain (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

December photos. I had a parka on, but I wasn't really expecting it to rain. But it did.

It started raining halfway through my hike . . . luckily I was able to shelter the Nikon underneath my parka for the remaining amount of time.