Daly City

Apartments (Daly  City) - San Mateo County  2023

Residences (Daly City) - San Mateo County  2023

The song "Little Boxes" was written by Malvina Reynolds after she saw the tract housing going up in Daly City.

The only other photo of Daly City on the blog is an aerial one taken on the way to Osaka.

Oakland Sightems - 1

Chainlink Fence - Oakland  2017

Butte - Oakland  2017

A late afternoon trip to Oakland to eat at FuseBox, a Korean restaurant in an industrial part of town. FuseBox, alas, has since closed operations.

Empty Streets

Third Street - Los Angeles  1974

Division Street - San Francisco  2015

Top photo taken with a Nikon F, 50mm lens. Probably Panatomic-X film.

Bottom photo taken with an Olympus E-PL5, Panasonic 20mm lens. (Digital.)

Dead End

Dead End - Los Angeles  2015

In West Hollywood.

Much speculation on our part as to the meaning of this sign. How it was supposed to be interpreted. Maybe it was a piece of conceptual art. And on and on.

Yellow Streetcar

Yellow Streetcar - San Francisco  2015

I left the Ferry Building and decided to cut through the Financial District over to Chinatown. I was meeting Marilyn for lunch near Powell and Market and I had enough time for a nice little hike.

Canal District

Hands - San Rafael  2014

One Ninety Five - San Rafael  2014

Photos taken in the Canal district of San Rafael . . . dense population (mainly Hispanic), cul-de-sacs and auto body shops.

Weather Photos

Bus, Freeway Ramp - San Rafael  2014

Rain Clouds, Rainbow - San Rafael  2014

Taken in November and December of last year. A great deal of rain, all at once. Nothing much since then.

When I took the bottom photo I didn't realize that there was a rainbow in the scene.

San Francisco Traffic

Buildings - San Francisco  2014

Traffic on Battery - San Francisco  2014

Stuck in traffic on Battery St. (with an iPhone): commute time, everyone trying to access the Bay Bridge.

Really quite the worst conditions I've experienced recently, with intersections being blocked.

Nippori (Yanaka District)

Railroad Tracks (Nippori) - Japan  2014

Hotel Seeds (Nippori) - Japan  2014

Supposedly you can find scenes from "old Japan" in this district, although I didn't really see any. Lots of railroad tracks and love hotels, though!

Tokyo Night

Night View (Tokyo) - Japan  2014

. . . views from our window at the Shinjuku Hilton. Wow.

Bottom photo taken using the 14-150mm Olympus "superzoom" at 150mm (300 equiv.)

Looking Out (Tokyo) - Japan  2014

Tokyo Azaleas

Azaleas (Shinjuku, Tokyo) - Japan  2014

Azaleas (Shinjuku Residential, Tokyo) - Japan  2014

We spent a short time in Tokyo just prior to our return. I noticed these still-blooming azaleas brightening up the urban landscape.

Tokyo Sunday A.M.

Tokyo Building, A.M. - Japan  2014

Supernal Liberty - Japan  2014

At that hour, nobody was around. Later in the day, of course, it grew quite hectic.

Oh yes: Supernal Liberty is an album by Nana Mizuki.

Cocoon Tower

Cocoon Tower I - Japan  2014

Cocoon Tower II - Japan  2014

It is called the "Cocoon Tower." It was fairly close to our hotel so we could use it as a landmark.

Cocoon Tower III - Japan  2014

Tokyo

Tokyo - Japan  2014

Commuters - Tokyo  2014

Population density.

Our last trip avoided it, for the most part (except for a few days towards the end, in Tokyo.) I don't know why that was . . . not on purpose anyway.

Very evident this time. Hali and I went to the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for the top photo, bottom photo taken in Shinjuku Station.

Welcome to Japan

Welcome to Japan, Narita Airport - Japan 2014

Sign at Narita Airport, as seen by Mike as he walked by in a haze brought on by sleeplessness and numerous decongestants. He had just gotten off a 10-hour flight from San Francisco to Tokyo and was still in the midst of fighting a bad cold.

Hali, Mike and Dan along with Maz, Shawna and Hanna took a van to the Shinjuku Hilton; Hali and Mike crossed the street to the Hyatt and registered. Afterwards, Mike ate some snacks and collapsed into bed. The others were able to have a yakitori meal at a restaurant underneath the Hilton.

For reference: our 2008 Tokyo arrival.

Hali, Hyatt (Tokyo) - Japan  2014

Oakland Sightems - 1

Paramount - Oakland  2014

Mailboxes - Oakland  2014

Walking around in the evening.

Tall Buildings

Buildings - San Francisco  2014

Skyline - San Francisco  2013

Very tall buildings in San Francisco, two exterior views above.

Below, view from near the top of one of them.

Highway 80 - San Francisco  2013

San Rafael Sightems - 2

Hat Racing - San Rafael  2014

Medway Plaza - San Rafael  2014

Waiting for my car to have a stability control sensor installed.

The dealer wanted $1200 for a new one, but Kenso at Japan Auto found a used one. $500 total, part and installation.

San Rafael Sightems - 1

Taxes - San Rafael  2014

Open - San Rafael  2014

In the "Canal" district.

San Francisco Concert

Concert, Justin Herman Plaza - San Francisco  2014

I was returning to the Ferry Building during my most recent visit to San Francisco when  I came across this concert in progress at Justin Herman Plaza. Yikes, it was a free Janelle Monae concert!

A 'course, I had no idea who Ms. Monae was, so there was that. And to be honest, the sound system had a very . . . muffled (but loud) sound. But the setup, plus the audience, made a nice visual scene. I got this shot with the camera held way over my head using an Olympus E-M1 with the tilting LCD viewer.