More Elk

Here's another Point Reyes Tule Elk picture. This time boys only. They are quite a sight to behold!

 

Poor Mousie!

Great Egret just caught her/his lunch at the Ponds. The Law of the Jungle in action.

 

She's a Real Talent

As soon as Lynne Delmonte in Florida received yesterday's Daily E-mail she went to work and greatly improved the image. Kudos to Lynn!

 

Usage note
In the 19th century, 'kudos' entered English as a singular noun, a transliteration of a Greek singular noun kŷdos meaning "praise or renown."

 

Irresistible

A friend sent me a version of this picture and I couldn't resist fiddeling with it a little and using it for today's Daily E-mail. Sometimes ya jes' gotta bear with me!

 

Finally!

People are always telling me that they saw a coyote at the Ponds. Despite years of weekly visits, I never have. Until today. She/he didn't come close enough for a first-class portrait shot, but close enough for a fairly decent picture. What a relief!

 

Help! I'm losing it!

I see a stern, bald-headed man, with a prominent nose and beard, facing toward the right. He's wearing an open-collar white shirt.

 

Actually a rattan chair and pillow. What will I see next? It's a little scary!

 

Meeting of the Elders

I took this picture a few years ago at Point Reyes. Probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see several older bucks, standing together, as in a meeting. I don't know if they belonged to different species, or were merely of different colors within the same specie.

 

From my Archives

Tule Elk crossing the road near Pierce Point Ranch in Point Reyes.

 

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron at the Ponds. Isn't he/she magnificent?

 

Meanwhile

Meanwhile back at the kitchen window a bug had landed to spy on me. You are seeing the underside of the 3 mm creature. I don't know the species, but I feel you will forgive me. And I don't know whether it's missing a leg, or the leg is covered by the other leg. But I do want to point out all the intricate detail on such a tiny guy/gal.

 

Cuba November 2003

This is what the enemy of the United States looks like! I was in Havana with Global Exchange to learn Spanish at the Universidad de la Habana.

 

Wow!

Where has he been all these years? First time appearance of this majestic buck with the beautiful rack. Please forgive my iPhone photo, but it was either that or nada! My kitchen window is a veritable treasure trove.

 

The Dancing Girls

Diane, Katie and Maria, three of the Monday and Wednesday morning "Dancing Girls", at the Ponds, with Mount Tamalpais in the background. I coined the name "Dancing Girls" and it has stuck to everyone's delight! Diane is the coach and the ladies are forever in training for one race or another. Meeting them is always something to look forward to.

 

Unfortunately the runners are a little out of focus. Proof positive that even I am not always perfect.

 

Chinglish

Here's one from my last trip to Shanghai. Pretty funny until you think about how fluent you are in Mandarin.

 

LOVE/HATE

Some of you will love this picture, others will hate it.

 

It depicts wires over the street, plus a lot of Photoshop. For better or worse, I was probably inspired by my visit, yesterday, to the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival!

 

Relic

Do you realize that the younger generation doesn't know what this is?!

 

Do you remember when you had to make a really urgent call, and whoever was on the phone, just wouldn't get off?

 

Do you remember when the public phone swallowed your coins and wouldn't give them back?

 

Do you remember when you needed more coins but didn't have them?

 

Or when you needed to make a call and didn't have any coins? And you'd ask passers-by if they could make change?

 

Musta been the good ole days!

 

More Sausalito

Sometimes a composition is just a composition. I hope you like it.

 

Paging Sherlock Holmes

The other day I presented footprints that were unmistakably human. But yesterday there were unidentified footprints in the low-tide creek-bed at the Ponds. A four-legged mammal, perhaps a River-otter? Where is Sherlock Holmes, now that we need him?

 

On our walk along the Sausalito waterfront last Sunday, Bob H and I discovered a painting of the Golden Gate Bridge, with San Francisco in the background. I immediately recognized it as having been painted by local artist Van Bo. Rather than bore you with a long story about Bo, I direct you to a Vimeo about him. Go to http://vimeo.com/14703307

 

And by the way, I am the proud owner of an original Van Bo (shown by appointment only).

 

Van Bo

On our walk along the Sausalito waterfront last Sunday, Bob H and I discovered a painting of the Golden Gate Bridge, with San Francisco in the background. I immediately recognized it as having been painted by local artist Van Bo. Rather than bore you with a long story about Bo, I direct you to a Vimeo about him. Go to http://vimeo.com/14703307

 

And by the way, I am the proud owner of an original Van Bo (shown by appointment only).

 

The Herebird

On Sunday Bob H and I discovered the Herebird in Sausalito. A distant relative of the Penguin, it is on the endangered species list. So endangered, in fact, that even picture-taking is allowed only one day a week (you guessed it ~ Sunday).

 

Never a Dull Moment at the Ponds

This morning we met Niki and her two huskies, Tashi and Kochak. Niki told us that the dogs need the exercise, while she wants a leisurely ride. Result ~ everybody is happy!

 

The scene reminded me of a Roman Caesar in his chariot.

 

Sunday in Sausalito

Sunny Sunday in Sausalito.

 

Art at the Dump

Today I ushered at the Palace of Fine Arts. The program, sponsored by TEDxPresidio, featured over twenty fascinating speakers. But that's not what my picture is about.

 

In the lobby was a sculpture which really interested me. Motor scooter, mosquito, handles with wheels ~ I don't know what it was meant to be, or whether it was supposed to be anything.

 

The sculpture was presented by the Artist in Residence Program (AIR), specializing in "Art at the Dump", a recycling program. If you want to learn more about all this, click on www.recology.com/AIR . Meanwhile enjoy the photograph!

 

Footprints

I think you will agree that this was a picture I couldn't pass up!

 

Turkey Vulture and Great Egret

I would like to name this picture "Strange Bedfellows", but that would hardly be appropriate. The meeting took place at the Ponds this morning. And, once again, I was amazed at how birds of different species can totally ignore each other, no matter how close they come. By the way, Turkey Vultures don't usually go near the water.

 

Pigeon

Pigeon on statue finger in Vienna

 

Bench

Bench on the Earthquake Trail in Point Reyes. Early this morning.

 

One More from the Sausalito Art Festival

I liked this mobile with the wire-figures dangling from above and moving around. There are not many mobile-makers that I like. Alexander Calder and Ruth Azawa (though her's are not really mobiles) are the exception.

 

Sausalito Art Festival

Today I went to the Sausalito Art Festival to take pictures for the paper. One of the "works of art" that caught my eye was the sculpture of a bull and a tiny boy facing each other. No, I didn't like it, but there was something about it that fascinated me. Perhaps the difference in size between the two figures. Or the look of curiosity on the two visages. Could you imagine living with this sculpture?