(no subject)
I'm still getting over coming home on Sunday... mehness... but I did have some opportunity to really go through my photos and select out a few, (yup, actually just a few--I have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to a camera...) to share. We left off my narrative on Thursday night from the previous post, How I spent my birthday, or Damn Woolsey and the City Cloak, where I went to Fisherman's Wharf and San Jose. Well, friday, I had the opportunity to sleep in. Did I? of course not!! I was up at the crack of dawn. The friend I was staying with though was only working a half day, so I laid low rather than start something I might have to backtrack for later. So I relaxed, wrote up a post, and most of all, went grocery shopping. It was strange to see the exact same supermarket chain I go to set up so differently, let alone the different types of produce we just don't have out here on the east coast. It was interesting to have to guess what my housemate might like, as I didn't get a shopping list from her to begin with--I only knew what she already had in her place.
Anyways, by the time it was all set and done, we didn't even get out of the house till about three thirty. So, we nixed plans to shop around and went straight to the beach. I only had three goals in San Francsico:
1. Drive the Golden Gate Bridge Completed Thursday!!
2. See the sunset over the Pacific Ocean Check.
3. See ancient giant Sequoias (or Redwoods).
So we took a nice long windy road through the hilly peninsula to Half Moon Bay. We spent just shy of two hours out on the beach while it got progressively colder (and I of course forgot to bring a sweater or anything!) watching the sunset.
above is the view from a small bridge connecting two parts of the golf course that literally edges its way above the cliffsides on the beach. We found a small waterway and pond cutting into the cliffside, and yet the pond didn't really ever make it to the ocean (at least not during lowtides.)
I'm terrified of heights, and I'm not the type of person that literally runs off the paved pathways, but I decided to be bold and I made it out to the very edge of the cliff right below and then took video!! I still laugh at myself for the silliness that was produced despite being very close to my death.
these succulents covered the top edges of most of the cliffs. its a great way to keep everything green and beautiful year round. These succulents also flowered in canary yellow and hot pink/fuchsia, but none of those pictures came out well.
um, how can i not take a photo of my footprints?? I also got video, which I was too busy paying attention to when I got rushed by a wave of really cold pacific water. How do I know its that cold, because I was knee deep in it!!
right above the wave crest is a jutted out hunk of rock which looks like its part of the cliff going out into the sea. Its completely disconnected and made of a darker, near black material. It was on the top point where I sat and watched the sunset. *happehsigh*
(and don't think I let mother nature take over my natural fannishness... *geekysigh*
So, a little bit of a story for ya'alls (with a bit of artistic licensing, i'm sure):
we came upon three or so yellow roses just lying on the beach. One was beaten up and its petals sprawled all over the place. The other two were definitnely missing a few layers of petals, but were in really good shape otherwise.
So, I'm thinking some poor schmuck came with yellow roses to ask for forgiveness for cheating on her or doing something else incredibly stupid. Being the smart independent woman that she is, she smacked him around with the bouquet of roses and then left his pathetic behind on the beach. These flowers were just the victim of stupidity, but they will forever be memorialized in my photos...
Onto the actual sunset...
1/2 hour before sunset:
In the middle of this photo is a small black rock which became my mini-obsession... loads of pictures of the waves crashing on it and a bit of video as well... but I did get one excellent shot I will share:
Countdown: 10 Minutes:
Countdown: 7 minutes:
Countdown: 2 mins:
And... sundown!!
By the way, sitting up on that black rock wasn't the most comfortable (but worth it for the view!!!) because it was filled with more nooks and crannies than a Thomas's English Muffin (and filled with seawater from hightides...)
And a final picture to leave you with for this entry: a last shot at the shoreline after sunset, though it certainly wasn't that dark (but getting there!)
(oh, hey, the story isn't done yet!! I forgot!! So, it got dark, we nearly killed ourselves on windy hilly roads (though not nearly to the extent we did on Saturday) and made our way to Hwy 101, which is according to Phantom Planet and its song "California" (Think the O.C. Main theme people) its one of the biggest highways on the coastline (and we sooo totally listened to that song on single repeat the entire time) and made our way to downtown San Francisco. We did Chinatown by night and dined at the oldest Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, the Four Seas. Then we stopped in one of the cheesiest discount Chinese store in the area and had a blast looking around. It was very difficult for me not to walk home with Han Solo, Greedo, and Princess Leia bobbleheads (not to mention they did have Boba Fett!!) If they had Luke, Obi Wan, or Wedge Antilles, I wouldn't have been able to resist. I ended up with a cute over the shoulder teal purse thingie (half messenger bag, half purse) and a whole bunch of coin purses that fit respectively my iPhone, my camera, credit cards and a thick wad of cash (which thankfully, for all those of you who might think of coming and mugging me, is safely back in the bank, even if it was only singles...) We came back to the apartment and crashed within minutes, getting ready for our trip to Yosemite on Saturday (those pictures will be in another post in a couple of days!)
Anyways, by the time it was all set and done, we didn't even get out of the house till about three thirty. So, we nixed plans to shop around and went straight to the beach. I only had three goals in San Francsico:
1. Drive the Golden Gate Bridge Completed Thursday!!
2. See the sunset over the Pacific Ocean Check.
3. See ancient giant Sequoias (or Redwoods).
So we took a nice long windy road through the hilly peninsula to Half Moon Bay. We spent just shy of two hours out on the beach while it got progressively colder (and I of course forgot to bring a sweater or anything!) watching the sunset.
above is the view from a small bridge connecting two parts of the golf course that literally edges its way above the cliffsides on the beach. We found a small waterway and pond cutting into the cliffside, and yet the pond didn't really ever make it to the ocean (at least not during lowtides.)
I'm terrified of heights, and I'm not the type of person that literally runs off the paved pathways, but I decided to be bold and I made it out to the very edge of the cliff right below and then took video!! I still laugh at myself for the silliness that was produced despite being very close to my death.
these succulents covered the top edges of most of the cliffs. its a great way to keep everything green and beautiful year round. These succulents also flowered in canary yellow and hot pink/fuchsia, but none of those pictures came out well.
um, how can i not take a photo of my footprints?? I also got video, which I was too busy paying attention to when I got rushed by a wave of really cold pacific water. How do I know its that cold, because I was knee deep in it!!
right above the wave crest is a jutted out hunk of rock which looks like its part of the cliff going out into the sea. Its completely disconnected and made of a darker, near black material. It was on the top point where I sat and watched the sunset. *happehsigh*
(and don't think I let mother nature take over my natural fannishness... *geekysigh*
So, a little bit of a story for ya'alls (with a bit of artistic licensing, i'm sure):
we came upon three or so yellow roses just lying on the beach. One was beaten up and its petals sprawled all over the place. The other two were definitnely missing a few layers of petals, but were in really good shape otherwise.
So, I'm thinking some poor schmuck came with yellow roses to ask for forgiveness for cheating on her or doing something else incredibly stupid. Being the smart independent woman that she is, she smacked him around with the bouquet of roses and then left his pathetic behind on the beach. These flowers were just the victim of stupidity, but they will forever be memorialized in my photos...
Onto the actual sunset...
1/2 hour before sunset:
In the middle of this photo is a small black rock which became my mini-obsession... loads of pictures of the waves crashing on it and a bit of video as well... but I did get one excellent shot I will share:
Countdown: 10 Minutes:
Countdown: 7 minutes:
Countdown: 2 mins:
And... sundown!!
By the way, sitting up on that black rock wasn't the most comfortable (but worth it for the view!!!) because it was filled with more nooks and crannies than a Thomas's English Muffin (and filled with seawater from hightides...)
And a final picture to leave you with for this entry: a last shot at the shoreline after sunset, though it certainly wasn't that dark (but getting there!)
(oh, hey, the story isn't done yet!! I forgot!! So, it got dark, we nearly killed ourselves on windy hilly roads (though not nearly to the extent we did on Saturday) and made our way to Hwy 101, which is according to Phantom Planet and its song "California" (Think the O.C. Main theme people) its one of the biggest highways on the coastline (and we sooo totally listened to that song on single repeat the entire time) and made our way to downtown San Francisco. We did Chinatown by night and dined at the oldest Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, the Four Seas. Then we stopped in one of the cheesiest discount Chinese store in the area and had a blast looking around. It was very difficult for me not to walk home with Han Solo, Greedo, and Princess Leia bobbleheads (not to mention they did have Boba Fett!!) If they had Luke, Obi Wan, or Wedge Antilles, I wouldn't have been able to resist. I ended up with a cute over the shoulder teal purse thingie (half messenger bag, half purse) and a whole bunch of coin purses that fit respectively my iPhone, my camera, credit cards and a thick wad of cash (which thankfully, for all those of you who might think of coming and mugging me, is safely back in the bank, even if it was only singles...) We came back to the apartment and crashed within minutes, getting ready for our trip to Yosemite on Saturday (those pictures will be in another post in a couple of days!)