Branches, Sunlight, Lake

Branches, Sunlight, Lake (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Standing on the trail, camera (Nikon Z7II) pointed down towards the lake. Sunlight streaming in from the right.

Might make an interesting print.

Sebastopol Sightems

Wash Plus (Sebastopol) - Sonoma County  2024

Brick Wall, Drainpipe (Sebastopol) - Sonoma County  2024

Our diners group in January met in Sebastopol for a nice meal at a Japanese/fusion-type restaurant. 

Oak, Bon Tempe Lake

Oak, Bon Tempe Lake - Marin County  2024

I regularly drive by this spot on the way to my hike around Lake Lagunitas. Recently I've been stopping to take some photos. (Nikon Z7II, 24-200mm lens.)

Lake, Trees, Fog

Lake, Trees, Fog (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

A fairly recent photo, taken during March on one of my early Sunday morning hikes around the lake.

Redwoods

Ferns, Redwoods (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Young Redwood (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Earlier ferns and redwoods photo here. This time I scrambled downhill a bit for this angle.

Reeds, Lake, Fog

Reeds, Lake, Fog (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Another December photo. (Click to enlarge.)

Monday Wood Duck Blogging

Wood Ducks (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

"The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins."

I couldn't ID the birds from the trail where I was standing, but I could see the photogenic ripples they were making as they paddled across the lake. I didn't realize until I enlarged the photo in the computer that I had gotten a photo of two wood ducks! My first!

Wood Ducks (cropped) (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Lake Lagunitas, December

Branches, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Reeds, Lake (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2023

Photos taken last December with a Nikon Z7II.

San Francisco Sightems - 2

Jasmine Fine Art Academy - San Francisco  2024

Kent Cleaners - San Francisco  2024

Sightems seen as I was walking to a lunch with Marilyn (my former co-worker) at a Korean restaurant on Geary.

After we left I took a shot of us reflected in the large window across the street with my Canon G5XII.

Mike, Marilyn (Brothers Restaurant) - San Francisco  2024

San Francisco Sightems - 1

Tropical Fish - San Francisco  2024

Storefront - San Francisco  2024

Storefronts, not in the best shape, seen on Balboa Street.

Pacheco St

Pacheco St - San Francisco  2024

This time instead of coming back from Monterey using the East Bay freeway (880) I took the peninsula route (280). The traffic on 19th Avenue wasn't that bad! I took this iPhone photo through the window while stopped at Pacheco Street.

Boats, Clouds

Boats, Clouds - Monterey County  2024

Photo taken with an iPhone 12 Max Pro. 

Earlier Monterey Bay boat photos can be seen here.

After this shot I stopped at my favorite downtown coffee shop for a muffin, drove back to have with some exquisite motel coffee, then onto highway 1 for the drive home.

Monterey Bay Sunrise

Rocks, Bay - Monterey County  2024

Sunrise, Bay - Monterey County  2024

Following my usual routine in Monterey. Quick drive over for photos of Monterey Bay at sunrise.

Monday Seal Blogging

Seals - Monterey County  2024

Those were rocks, right? Um, no. Pretty big seals.

Seal - Monterey County  2024

San Carlos Cathedral

San Carlos Cathedral - Monterey County  2024

Statue (Cathedral) - Monterey County  2024

Following up on last year's post with shots of the exterior and one of the religious statues.

Wharf / Kitchen

Fisherman's Wharf - Monterey County  2024

Mama Garcia's Kitchen - Monterey County  2024

Top: Wandering around the plaza, eventually coming to a view of the bay and wharf.

Bottom: Tableau featured in one of the historic buildings on the site.

Monterey Plaza Black and White

Door - Monterey County  2024

Door, Window - Monterey County  2024

 Many scenes in the Monterey Plaza area lend themselves to black and white.

Actually, I've taken photos of the top door before, but this time I had a Nikon Z7II with me so I had to do a revisit.

Pepper Tree

Pepper Tree - Monterey County  2024

Black and white needed here. By the way, there's a 2018 photo of a nearby pepper tree that I like, also black and white.

Flowers, Window

Flowers, Window - Monterey County  2024

My afternoon was spent walking around the plaza area. 

So, I don't know what these flowers are. 

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - 4

Leaf (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Ferns, Leaves (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Some detail photos taken as I was walking out.

Monday Coyote Blogging

Coyotes (Fairfax) - Marin County  2023

I could hear them as I walked up the street towards the school. Quite loud! No mistaking who was creating such a ruckus. Our neighbor who lives in a house opposite this field told me that they had been going at it all night.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - 3

Rocks, River (Big Sur  SP) - Monterey County  2024

Rocks, River (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Photos taken with a Nikon Z7II / 24-200mm lens combo.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - 2

Boulders, Trees (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Trees, River (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

I wandered up past the warning sign to take these photos, the sound of the river exceedingly loud.

River Gorge Sign (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - 1

Redwood Branches, Big Sur River (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Leaves (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

I got to Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park (Big Sur SP in photo titles) around 9:00 AM. Parked and started walking around. No crowds for sure. 

RAV4 (Big Sur SP) - Monterey County  2024

Highway 1 South of Monterey

Bixby Bridge - Monterey County  2024

Having been denied entrance of Point Lobos I decided to head south on highway 1 to Big Sur.

Of course I had to stop for a photo of the Bixby Bridge. I took some photos closer to the bridge 10 years ago.

Note the house high above the bridge. I've tried to find more information about it, but nothing yet. There are articles about properties near the bridge, but nothing about this house.

House Above Bixby Bridge - Monterey County  2024

Coffee

Coffee, Morning Bun, Canon G5XII - Monterey County  2024

The plan was to get coffee and a morning bun (from my regular spot in "The Crossroads" shopping center just off highway 1 near Carmel) then pay an early morning visit to Point Lobos.

Alas, when I arrived at the entrance to Point Lobos there was a problem: a large truck had stalled blocking the road into the park. No definitive time for reopening.

I managed to turn the Toyota around while I contemplated my options.

Motel Walk

Building, Plants - Monterey County  2024

Trees in Park - Monterey County  2024

After I checked into the motel and finished unpacking I got out the Nikon and went for my usual loop around the area walk. Not much to see this time.

Monday Gull Blogging

Gull - Monterey County  2024

Another early morning  photo taken down by the bay. But there were also other bird photographers in evidence.

Woman, Gull - Monterey County  2024

Branches, Leaves (Fort Ord NM)

Leaves, Branches - Monterey County  2024

Leaves, Branches - Monterey County  2024

Top photo taken using the wide-angle lens on an iPhone 12. Bottom one used a Nikon Z7II with a 24-200mm zoom lens.