Monday Egret Blogging

Egret, American River - Sacramento Valley  2025

It was raining as we approached the American River to find this egret looking annoyed. 

Oak Branches / Madrone Berries

Oak Branches - Marin County  2025

Madrone Berries - Marin County  2025

Top photo taken with a Sony RX100, bottom one with an Olympus E-M1II.

Sacramento Sightems - 2

Hotel View - Sacramento  2025

State Capitol Building - Sacramento  2025

The capitol complex was a short walk from our hotel. We were a little too early to see the capitol Christmas tree lit up. They were setting it up though.

Setting Up Xmas Tree - Sacramento  2025

Sacramento Sightems - 1

Casa Lola - Sacramento  2025

Streetcar - Sacramento  2025

Casa Lola photo taken while walking back to our hotel after a restaurant meal.

Sacramento Alleys

Alley, Dumpster - Sacramento  2025

Alley, Dumpsters, Reflections - Sacramento  2025

Sacramento alley sightems. Latest in a long list of alley photos.

Sacramento Morning Rain

Love, Reflections - Sacramento  2025

Pressure Spraying, Rain - Sacramento  2025

Quick rainy early morning walk around our hotel

American River - 2

Autumn Foliage - Sacramento Valley  2025

Oak Branches - Sacramento Valley  2025

"Effie Yeaw Nature Center is a nature center inside Ancil Hoffman Park in the city of Carmichael, California. The Effie Yeaw Nature Center is part of the American River Parkway." - Wikipedia

Our hike started from the nature center and went down to the river, then looping back through the rain.

Monday Heron Blogging

Heron,  American River - Sacramento Valley  2025

Rain-obscured impressionistic photo taken on the banks of the American River.

American River - 1

Maple Leaves, American River - Sacramento Valley  2025

Rocks, Reflections, American River - Sacramento Valley  2025

Raining . . . footing was a little bit tricky. Hali kept seeing salmon jumping across the river, too far away for a photo.

Top photo taken with a Sony RX100 . . . makes a nice print! Bottom one taken with an iPhone 13 Pro Max using the wide angle option.

Sacramento Murals

Mural, Peruvian Restaurant - Sacramento  2025

Street Mural - Sacramento  2025

We experienced a botched Uber ride to the restaurant, but it turned out to be close enough that we could walk back to our hotel.

Railroad Museum - 3 (Cab Forward Articulated)

Cab Forward Rods and Drivers - Sacramento  2025

Cab Forward Articulated - Sacramento  2025

"Southern Pacific 4294 is a AC-12 class 4-8-8-2 cab-forward–type steam locomotive that was owned and operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) in March 1944 and was used hauling Southern Pacific Railroad's (SP) trains over the Sierra Nevada, often working on Donner Pass in California. Today it is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) in Sacramento, California." --Wikipedia

The locomotive is so large that I had to use the iPhone's wide-angle option to get a (stretched) photo of the whole engine. A Sony RX100 was used for the top photo.

In 1958 my father and I were visiting Southern Pacific's Taylor Yard in Los Angeles when I came across some cab-forwards decaying on the tracks. So I have a 67-year old photo of the soon to be scrapped number 4149.

Southern Pacific Number 4149 Locomotive - Los Angeles  1958

Railroad Museum - 2

Baldwin Locomotive No 13 - Sacramento  2025

Silver State - Sacramento  2025

Many of the exhibits present the various pieces of railroad equipment as works of art. 

There was a nice historical perspective exhibit concerning the role of Chinese emigrants in the building of the railroad through the Sierra Nevada.

Railroad Museum - 1

Museum Exterior - Sacramento  2025

Pioneer Square - Sacramento  2025

A visit to the Sacramento Railroad Museum! Wow . . . high on our priority list. The GPS got us there without any problem . . . and, a parking spot was easy enough to find. Wow!

Davis Sightems

Building Art - Davis  2025

California Republic - Davis  2025

We just meandered around the central section of Davis, admiring the interesting and diverse food scene.

Monday Phoebe Blogging

Phoebe, American River - Sacramento Valley  2025

In the rain! Technically, a Black Phoebe . . . but I've always just used "phoebe."

Flowers (Davis)

Flowers - Davis  2025

Reminds me a little of my 2004 Berkeley flower photo.

Davis Murals

Mural, Dumpster - Davis  2025

Flyers Mural - Davis  2025

So, as far as dumpsters go, I saw some artistic dumpsters in Canada in 2024. 

Varsity (Davis)

Varsity - Davis  2025

We were taking a few days off to visit Sacramento, stopping in Davis for lunch and walking around. 

Compare this November photo to an earlier February, 2022 one.

Happy New Year

Zabriskie Point - Death Valley  2020

For New Year's Day 2025 I posted a foreboding image of Death Valley. Here's another one, taken with a Nikon D90.

Oak Branches / Madrone Berries (November 2025)

Oak Branches - Marin County  2025

Madrone Berries - Marin County  2025

Taken in Marin, but I'm not sure exactly where. Top: Sony RX100, bottom: Olympus E-M1II.

Oak, Rain / Stick, Rock (November 2025)

Oak, Rain (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Stick, Rock - Marin County  2025

November photos taken with a Sony RX100.

Monday River Otter Blogging

River Otters - Lake Lagunitas  2025

I had hiked up to the top of the stairs at the beginning of the trail around Lake Lagunitas - looking down I could see a group of river otters swimming around in the lake. I stopped and pointed the camera straight down and started taking photos, pushing the zoom lens out to its maximum length.

They must have noticed the photographer high above them . . . first one, then another one climbed up onto a fallen tree trunk and started staring up at me. I stared down. They stared up.

Eventually there were five otters on the log. I knew that they had better things to do so after taking some more photos I took my leave and resumed my walk.

I used an Olympus EM1II with a 14-150mm zoom lens.

November Leaves and Branches (Fairfax)

Leaves and Branches (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Leaves and Branches (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

November photos, taken up the street. They might make interesting jigsaw puzzles.

Top photo: Sony RX100. Bottom: Olympus E-M1II.

Hali's Birthday! (Melrose Avenue #99)

Hali, Wings (Melrose Ave.) - Los Angeles  2024

Wow!

Fairfax Sightems

Fence, Maple Tree (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Mushrooms (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

I went outside to check an unstable section of our outside fence when I spotted this photogenic mushroom. Good thing I took the photo, because within a few days that part of the fence had collapsed onto the mushroom.

Santa!

Santa - San Francisco  2025

Seen on Geary Blvd last month.

Lunch at Beautiful Lake Don Pedro

Tree, Lake Don Pedro - Tuolumne County  2025

Lunch at Lake Don Pedro Overlook - Tuolumne County  2025

Sometimes I stop at the McDonalds in Oakdale for lunch. Not this time! Fritos 'n Coke Zero and cheese sticks. Yum! Then the drive home in Friday afternoon traffic.

Half Dome

Half Dome - Yosemite  2025

Taken from Olmstead Point. Finally, a few scattered clouds!

Monday Goat Blogging

Goats, Fennel (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Goat with Stick (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

From last July. Our recent wet weather should provide them with plenty of tasty plant material next year!