Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Pismo Beach Pier at Sunset (sort of)

Next to last Central California coast post. We had been fogged in for a few days and were so happy that we finally had some sunshine. I had planned this shot weeks before we got there and even checked the Internet to find out the exact time for sunset as I wanted to photograph it from under the pier, looking through the pilings.  When I got there, this is what I saw...

There wasn't going to be any sunset! That tsunami looking thing is a HUGE bastard of a fog bank waiting to come onto shore. Why couldn't it have come in earlier? Why did it have to mock me like that?
 A closer look at the size of the fog bank.

Well, here is the final product. It's the best I could do on that day (please embiggen!)

On a positive note, we discovered this skateboard collection in a surf shop by the pier. This is only about a fifth of the collection. Does anybody out there still have scars on their knees, elbows, etc., from riding a skateboard with old metal roller skate wheels?  There is one on the wall in the middle of the bottom row. Those things were killers because a blade of grass on the sidewalk would stop it and send you flying. Today's coddled children ride skateboards that will roll smoothly in the street, even on light gravel!  Us early skateboard riders, were a tougher breed...

Oh yeah, I bought an awesome pair of sandals there, that have a  bottle opener built into each sole!


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Monday, November 28, 2011

Morro Bay Quick Visit

As this is our third trip through Morro Bay in the last year, this will be a short one with just a few photos.  I think one more post on that trip will just about cover it.  Before we're done with out current two week trip, I should have a few good photos from it as well.  It's not really much of a trip, because we only  drove a hundred miles to get here and we're pretty much hanging around the camp ground. Still lots to see though...







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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

This elephant seal rookery is another of the amazing places along the central California coast. Earlier in the year, there are so many elephant seals on the beach that you can barely see the sand. At this time of year, the seals are mostly young ones. These magnificent creatures migrate thousands of miles to get here twice a year.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the U.S.

Just another slice of the heaven that is the California Coastline.

Mom? Mom? Where are you?

Picture this beach FULL of elephant seals!

Did you hear the one about the two seals that walked into a bar?

Blubber on the beach...

They remind me of our cats.


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Monday, November 21, 2011

Snow Canyon - Slot Canyon

This is the start of the trail to Jenny's Canyon.  Not to be confused with Jenny's Overlook. Man, this Jenny (donkey or human) must have been something.

A little further up the trail.

Further still. Now it's gotten very narrow.

We're about half way in the slot canyon. The top is closer together than the bottom and is about 200 feet straight up.

Almost to the end.

The end.

My obligatory odd shot.

Coming back down the trail.
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I'm pretty sure this concludes the posts from our recent Arizona/Utah road trip. I have MANY more photos, but I don't want this to get boring.  I have a few posts left to do from our latest trip to the Central California coast.  Right now, we're in our RV up on our favorite mountain top. We're on a ridge line overlooking the Anza-Borrego desert.  The wind has been doing it's best to blow us off that ridge line. Right now it's storming big time and we're hoping to wake up covered in snow.  Fingers crossed...


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Friday, November 18, 2011

Weekend Reflections - Central California Coast - Just Birds

Birds + water = nice reflection

Gossip Girls checking me out

Wow! He's been working out!

Grumpy!

Lots of Guano on those rocks.

You talkin' to me?

All this guy needs is a monocle, top hat and cane.

Cormorant
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For reflections by other photographers go to Weekend Reflections by James.  There are about a hundred folks, most of them really good photographers who participate.


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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Snow Canyon Utah - Jenny's Overlook

I'm not really clear on exactly who Jenny was, but they named this overlook after her. While not a long trail, it was pretty steep and rough. There was apparently an easier path to the top, but of course we missed that one! Some of these pics are on the way up and some on the way down. The last photo is the "view" from the overlook. I'd enlarge that one, because it looks much better that way.






My favorite

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Monday, November 14, 2011

Central California Coast - Port San Luis

One of the great places along the central California coast is the town of Avila Beach/Port San Luis (pop. 1600).  There are so many world class destinations in the area, that most people just drive right past this turn off and never give it a second thought.  The day we were there on our last roadie, it was initially so foggy that you could barely see anything. We hung around for a while and the fog thinned enough to let a little light through.

One of many seals hanging around under the pier.

The pier was built in 1873. There are exactly zero tourist attractions on it.

A lot of different contrasts in this scene.

There are no slips or docking places for the small fishing fleet here, so when not at sea, they anchor off the shore.

Gossips...

No marina for the few pleasure craft in the area.  I was pleasantly surprised that this photo turned out okay, despite the fog. Or maybe it was because of the fog.


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Friday, November 11, 2011

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Rivers of Despair













Somewhere in the Kentucky hill country
Heartbreak flows through hidden valleys like a breeze
Sorrow falls from slate gray clouds in sheets
Rivers of despair cut soft stone deeply
Gentle crying lingers on the air like an echo

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An old post that had about 5 comments, two of which were mine.
The photo was from google and uncredited.

This was supposed to be a Weekend Reflections post, but I obviously did the wrong one!
Sorry about that!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I Remember the Night

A small break from photos. My written posts are starting to really back up and I need to start working them in.
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I Remember the Night

When Neil Armstrong quipped
"That's one small step for man"
"One giant leap for mankind"
I was crouched in a muddy ditch
In a steamy valley
In southeast asia
Trying not to get killed 
By small asian men
Who didn't give a crap
About the moon
Or Neil Armstrong

NASA photo


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Monday, November 7, 2011

Snow Canyon Utah

Back to Utah for a post.  Snow Canyon is truly an undiscovered jewel. It's close to a few national parks and because of this, people just pass right by. If you are ever in southern Utah, it's a must see.

The road into Snow Canyon. We were awestruck when we saw this scene for the first time (a few weeks ago).

No jeep roads here, so we had to dismount and explore on foot.  This trail took us to those low red rock formations. They are petrified (or solidified) sand dunes.

The dunes.

This is an odd shot. Not because of the scenery, but because I'm in it.

Just because...


The clouds really made these photos.


More sand dunes.

An amazing vista.

Very high desert, so it's not as hot as it looks. That's my wife heading towards that large, bright red formation.

I still have a couple more posts to do from this trip, so I'm going to continue alternating them with pics from our just completed roadie to the central California coast.


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