“I am Lazarus, come from the dead, Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”*
*With that, a small "shout out" to T.S. Eliot (who is probably turning in his grave at the thought of a shout out...)
It's been many, many weeks since I last posted. I've also accumulated many, many photos--including some cool ones of the heron, but even cooler some of sights afar. In May, I went to the back woods of Pennsylvania in my first camping trip with
flirtaciousj. I saw gnarled roots wrapped around rocks in a stream; schools of fish; tiny purple flowers; evergreens galore; a small stone buddha near a camper's site; and a grand variety of homo sapiens. We were actually quite close to the water, and could hear the stream as it hummed nimbly by, caressing stones and banks and laughing on its way. Nights were cold, so cold, and we snuggled just to stay alive... ok, a bit of an exaggeration :-), but it was--refreshingly (in retrospect)--cold. The skies were so clear, the stars were like a chandelier overhead. Mornings were interesting, with toilets and showers way away through the woods. I toughed it all out like a good urban nature girl--easy, with such a wonderful companion.:-)
In June, my first trip to San Francisco (and first trans-continental trip with
flirtaciousj--well, almost, for we were on separate flights and thus ended up with unique flight-from-hell tales to regale each other with later lol). I can't say I'd want to live there, but I had an amazing time. Cable carring up and down the hills there is like taking a rollercoaster ride in slow motion--you know how sick you'd be if they went more than a few miles per hour, and yet you get (slowly) the thrill of it all. It was fun to see the guys working the cars--they seemed to have their own culture from the shared experience of running, braking, turning these wonderful cars. One morning, very early, I filmed almost an entire ride on my camera just so I'd be able to share some small part of the thrill with family, and recall it better myself in the future (can't trust my neurons these days..).
But that was just one part.
flirtaciousj had told me about the sea lions on the waterfront, at Fisherman's wharf, and I couldn't wait to see them -- my heart had been set on that for months. We saw them the first day of our stay, lolling about on Pier 39, "arf-arfing" loudly--both seals and sea lions, and a few gulls here and there. Pictures galore, still working on them, but see my next entry. We even saw a struggle for "land" (the floating planks) between two seals, which ended with the aggressor shoving the defender in a most ungainly way off the disputed territory and into the water. Our other big nature trip was land-based--the Muir Woods, a redwood forest preserve in Marin County. There is no way to adequately capture the feeling of walking by trees taller than many buildings, crowns hundreds of feet in the air. Bright shafts of light sifted through the canopy, limning lady beetles that clouded the air in some spots. Many trees were grouped in "families," and there were the signs of past fires in broken and charred trees. It was simply amazing--and in three hours, we saw just a fraction of all that was there.
For many reasons, I haven't been as active the past few weeks, but I've done one crucial thing--moved to RAW. That will slow me down even more for a little bit, but once I've ramped up speed I know it will be worth it. I've captured black-eyed-susans in morning light, with purplish rings apparent in the midst of black, and I'm really looking forward to working on those. I want to get outside more, but I have to be so careful of the sun and I've not been getting up and out early enough. Must work harder.
It's been many, many weeks since I last posted. I've also accumulated many, many photos--including some cool ones of the heron, but even cooler some of sights afar. In May, I went to the back woods of Pennsylvania in my first camping trip with
flirtaciousj. I saw gnarled roots wrapped around rocks in a stream; schools of fish; tiny purple flowers; evergreens galore; a small stone buddha near a camper's site; and a grand variety of homo sapiens. We were actually quite close to the water, and could hear the stream as it hummed nimbly by, caressing stones and banks and laughing on its way. Nights were cold, so cold, and we snuggled just to stay alive... ok, a bit of an exaggeration :-), but it was--refreshingly (in retrospect)--cold. The skies were so clear, the stars were like a chandelier overhead. Mornings were interesting, with toilets and showers way away through the woods. I toughed it all out like a good urban nature girl--easy, with such a wonderful companion.:-)
In June, my first trip to San Francisco (and first trans-continental trip with
flirtaciousj--well, almost, for we were on separate flights and thus ended up with unique flight-from-hell tales to regale each other with later lol). I can't say I'd want to live there, but I had an amazing time. Cable carring up and down the hills there is like taking a rollercoaster ride in slow motion--you know how sick you'd be if they went more than a few miles per hour, and yet you get (slowly) the thrill of it all. It was fun to see the guys working the cars--they seemed to have their own culture from the shared experience of running, braking, turning these wonderful cars. One morning, very early, I filmed almost an entire ride on my camera just so I'd be able to share some small part of the thrill with family, and recall it better myself in the future (can't trust my neurons these days..).
But that was just one part.
flirtaciousj had told me about the sea lions on the waterfront, at Fisherman's wharf, and I couldn't wait to see them -- my heart had been set on that for months. We saw them the first day of our stay, lolling about on Pier 39, "arf-arfing" loudly--both seals and sea lions, and a few gulls here and there. Pictures galore, still working on them, but see my next entry. We even saw a struggle for "land" (the floating planks) between two seals, which ended with the aggressor shoving the defender in a most ungainly way off the disputed territory and into the water. Our other big nature trip was land-based--the Muir Woods, a redwood forest preserve in Marin County. There is no way to adequately capture the feeling of walking by trees taller than many buildings, crowns hundreds of feet in the air. Bright shafts of light sifted through the canopy, limning lady beetles that clouded the air in some spots. Many trees were grouped in "families," and there were the signs of past fires in broken and charred trees. It was simply amazing--and in three hours, we saw just a fraction of all that was there.
For many reasons, I haven't been as active the past few weeks, but I've done one crucial thing--moved to RAW. That will slow me down even more for a little bit, but once I've ramped up speed I know it will be worth it. I've captured black-eyed-susans in morning light, with purplish rings apparent in the midst of black, and I'm really looking forward to working on those. I want to get outside more, but I have to be so careful of the sun and I've not been getting up and out early enough. Must work harder.