“Memorial Day is a day of opportunity to give thanks for all that we are blessed with. It should also be a day that we rededicate ourselves to our country and to America’s living veterans and their families in memory of the sacrifices they and others have made. Veterans will gather to honor fallen comrades…
Archives for May 2010
A BART Ride Through Feathered Canyons
Taking in the anomalous May clouds . . . drifting through spring as Joni Mitchell lyrics. Bows and flows of angel hair . . . And ice cream castles in the air . . . And feathered canyons everywhere . . . I’ve looked at clouds that way . . . The esteemed Joni Mitchell…
Dragonfly or Damselfly? A Few Clues
Re-posted from last year — in tribute to burgeoning life on the springtime pond. In this melee of global strife and catastrophe, there’s at least one thing you can know for sure: dragonfly or damselfly. I blame the awesome macro of my telephoto lens for this post. I went to UC Berkeley Botanical Garden for…
The Ravens of Ocean Beach
With onshore winds, Ocean Beach is my favorite place to photograph ravens. Along the Great Highway, these feathered balls of onyx launch into the wind like superheroes, hovering over the beach below with tails trailing like capes. I had some time to kill after an appointment in the Sunset. I grabbed my camera and headed…
Ari the Falcon Fledges
The San Francisco falcons growing up on a ledge at the PG&E building in San Francisco are fledging. Palladin took off a few days ago and at last report, was perched atop a nearby structure. This is recently uploaded video of another baby, Ari, taking that first leap off the ledge. You can fast forward…
Coming to Terms With the Gulf Oil Disaster
The truth is, I can’t. I cannot reconcile what’s happening in the Gulf right now when I read the reports . . . when I consider the gusher of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico and moving into the loop current . . . and when I understand personally what clean up and wildlife…
The Saucy Sailor Boy
I have a weakness for bad lyrics, and 18th century sea chanties like The Saucy Sailor Boy probably take the prize. If you live here in San Francisco, you can take the kids (or just your own self) to Hyde Pier for monthly (and free) Sea Chanty Sing-a-Longs. You’ll get hot cider if you bring…
The Lady Fairer
Have you seen her all in gold Like a queen in days of old? She shoots colors all around, Like a sunset going down, Have you seen the lady fairer? I know Mick didn’t have Starlings in mind when he sang that. For those who don’t have a frame of reference for the song, the…
The Swallows [400 Miles North] of Capistrano
Quick note: With all of these photos, I kept my distance with an effective 600mm zoom. I’m careful not to disturb birds during nesting season. And, it’s also against the law to disturb wild bird nests or eggs. These are the famous Swallows of San Juan Capistrano. Well, not these birds in particular. This species,…
A Short Visit With Lines Written in Early Spring
I have Frank of EcoSnake to thank for today’s post. He included Wordsworth’s poem in the comment section below one of his photos on Flickr. I can relate to the melancholy of this poem, having many times “sat reclined” in my own grove, contemplating what “man has done to man.” People like Frank are a…