Hans Roenau

Snowy Egret

2012-02-10T14:45:00.001-08:00

Snowy Egret taking off. This morning at the LGVSD Ponds.

This beautiful bird species had a very close brush with extermination early in the 20th century. Beginning in the late 19th century, the plumes were in great demand by makers of women's hats. Thousands of egrets were shot, usually in the nesting colony, and stripped of their delicate feathers with the bodies discarded where they fell. Because the birds were slaughtered during the breeding season, the impact was exaggerated, resulting in the loss of breeding adults and the dependent young that died from starvation.

Intensive educational efforts by a man by the name of Pearson and the National Association of Audubon Societies brought the devastation to the attention of the American public.

An enlightened public and aggressive protection of the breeding colonies that remained allowed the snowy egret to rebound throughout its range following the feather trade.

Yes, I copied the above in part from the web!

Curious Sparrow

2012-02-09T11:41:00.001-08:00

On our Chimney Rock trip, Bob H and I visited the old Coast Guard Station. While inside, I noticed a Sparrow watching our every move. He/she seemed really curious. I would really like to know what birds think. As a child, in Vienna, I thought a sparrow was a sparrow, period. I had no idea they were not all the same (though perhaps there was only one species in Vienna?) As far as the one at Chimney Rock is concerned, my best guess is that it was a Song Sparrow.

Question ~ Can a Sparrow be pigeon-toed?

Back to the Elephant Seals

2012-02-08T16:06:00.001-08:00

I don't know what their beef (beef?) was, but these two bulls got into a major battle. Cherchez la femme? Note the tusk. Not a great picture but the seals didn't realize they were on stage. The fight lasted only a couple of minutes, then they separated and went on their separate ways.

Tule Elk

2012-02-07T10:00:00.001-08:00

Here's another one from my vast collection.

Jeep stopped to allow Tule Elk to cross the road near Tomales Point in Point Reyes.

Elk were native to the area but, by 1860, had almost disappeared due to hunting. In 1978 two bulls and eight cows were re-introduced to the area. Today, the population numbers about 500.

The mating and rutting season lasts from the end of July to mid-October. It must have been during this time that I took the picture, because you see both bulls and cows. At other time the sexes don't mix. This is not gospel, but merely my own observation.

Hans Goes Bananas

2012-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Stacked chairs, yesterday at the Osher Marin JCC, plus a teeeeny bit of Photoshop.

That's a Lotta Bull

2012-02-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Back to the Elephant Seal rookery.

Bulls grow to 13-18 feet, and weigh 3-4,000 lbs. During the mating season, while on land, they lose 30% of their weight. They have been known to dive to 5,000 ft, and stay under for up to two hours. Hm!

Sickening Conceit

2012-02-04T18:47:00.001-08:00

After receiving deafening (well, at least audible) applause for my Nostalgia picture, I am drunk with success, and cannot resist the temptation of posting another picture, taken on that same moonlit night, in Sausalito. This one is of the good boat "Tiffany". Tomorrow I'll return to the present. (Can one do that?)

Nostalgia

2012-02-04T10:23:00.001-08:00

Once in a while I wax nostalgic. For the past few days I have been attacking my voluminous files of 4" x 6" prints, and getting rid of 90% of them. Plus all my negatives (I can scan my prints).

So, while I prefer to show daily (as the name implies) photographs, once in a while, I like to delve into the past. So here is a picture of a Hornblower yacht, taken from Sausalito, in 1988. I found that, four years later, Hornblower Yachts changed its name to Hornblower Cruises. I have no idea whether the boat in my picture is still around, and whether Hornblower is still sailing around the San Francisco Bay.

Latest reports have it, that the moon is still around though.

Elephant Seals

2012-02-03T21:12:00.001-08:00

This morning Bob H and I headed out to Chimney Rock in Point Reyes, roughly fifty miles from Greenbrae. There to see the breeding colony of Elephant Seals from the Elephant Seal Overlook. December through March is the time to go. We could hear them from the parking lot, 1/4 mile away. A sound similar to a class of kindergartners let loose, interspersed with the loud trumpeting and gurgling sounds (like a flushing toilet) of the bulls. Two docents with spotting-scopes explained what was going on. 175 pups and their moms, plus a few dads populated the beach, while gulls stood around, hoping for placenta from the birthings. I could go on, but I'll let you do some Googling or, better yet, go and see for yourself. One last word - Elephant Seal milk contains 25% fat!

Double-date

2012-02-02T12:58:00.001-08:00

Northern Shovelers, on a double-date, trolling for lunch. A few days ago, at the LGVSD Ponds.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2012-02-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

恭禧发财

Wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year!

This E-mail is in honor of Chinese New Year. 2012 is the year of the dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac. I lived in Shanghai from 1938 (I was ten) to 1949. During some of this time my parents and I were Chinese citizens. The attached picture shows me, when I was fifteen, with two friends, on a visit to the city of Wuxi. Isn't it amazing that I haven't changed a bit!

American Wigeon

2012-01-31T16:50:00.001-08:00

American Wigeon. Yesterday at the Ponds.

Teeter-Totter Revisited

2012-01-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

And then there were none.

Lotsa Fun!

2012-01-29T15:08:00.001-08:00

Teeter-totter, this morning, at the beach in Fort Cronkhite.

Magic Flute

2012-01-28T17:43:00.001-08:00

No, I'm not up to my old tricks. It's all the egg-carton's fault. Who would have expected Papageno to appear when I removed the eggs from the carton? And such an obvious likeness.

Snow

2012-01-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, there's snow in them thar mountains. I took this picture from I-5, near Maxwell, while heading to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge a couple of days ago.

Impossible!

2012-01-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

A group of geese on the ground is called a "gaggle". In flight they are called a "skein". In flight but in a "V" formation, they are called a "wedge". Yesterday at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge they were flying in an "X" formation. "Not possible", you say. "Yes possible" I say! Just look at the picture. A new moniker needs to be be coined.

Bald Eagle

2012-01-25T21:48:00.001-08:00

What may be old hat to some, was very exciting for me. My first picture of a Bald Eagle, the national bird and symbol of the United States. Of course it is not bald, the word derives from the older meaning of "white headed".

I took the picture this afternoon on an excursion to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. My companions were Sandy T (our chauffeuse extraordinaire) and Bob T.

Black-necked Stilt

2012-01-24T16:38:00.001-08:00

The sun shone brightly this morning at Ellis Creek in Petaluma. It was beautiful. There were Stilts, Coots and, of course, the ubiquitous Canada Geese!

Ponds Report

2012-01-23T13:39:00.001-08:00

The Swallows are back, the Swallows are back.

Lotsa Canada Geese flying in formation and honking like mad.

Red-winged Blackbirds.

Mallards.

Mergansers.

Cormorants.

Sparrows.

But the highlight of this morning's solo visit to the Ponds -

A Snowy Egret and a Great Egret.

Bobcat

2012-01-22T11:35:00.001-08:00

Not one of my best pictures, but proof positive that there are bobcats in Tennessee Valley. Or at least one! The bobcat was far away from me, and what you see is a major enlargement. Therefore lacking in detail!

By the way, gophers are a favorite Tennessee Valley bobcat menu item.

Tennessee Valley

2012-01-21T17:20:00.001-08:00

Tennessee Valley

Rainy Day

2012-01-20T10:40:00.001-08:00

Rainy day encourages indoor activities. Such as the Avocado and the Golf Ball adventure.

What to name the picture?

"What will they come up with next?"

"Steve Jobs made the Apple famous"

"Picture created by a Goofball"

"Imagine my Surprise!"

Avocados are fruits. The one in the picture contains about 275 calories. I don't know about the golf ball.

Andricus Kollari

2012-01-19T10:46:00.001-08:00

Another picture from yesterday's walk with Bob H. at Bell Marin Keyes. Below is a description (much better than I could concoct) of what we saw. Neither Bob, nor I, have ever seen so many Galls on one twig.

The Oak Marble Gall (also known as 'Oak Nut') is caused by a tiny gall wasp, Andricus kollari. Clusters of Oak Marble Galls can be found on oak twigs. They turn brown as they mature and emergence holes, from which the asexual adults have escaped, can be seen from autumn onwards. The empty gall is left on the twig. The emerging females then lay eggs in the buds of Turkey Oaks which develop overwinter and emerge in spring as a sexual generation of males and females, ready to make the familiar summer gall.

Please remember that, though I am interested in content, I am perhaps even more interested in artistry.

Transmission-Line Tower

2012-01-18T18:56:00.001-08:00

My friend, and Chief Consultant on Technical Affairs, told me that what I was photographing is called a Transmission-Line Tower. So be it, though to me it looked like a beautiful work of art.

This morning on a Bel Marin Keyes excursion.

Accentuate the Negative

2012-01-17T13:38:00.000-08:00

Any of you out there old enough to remember the song "Accentuate the Negative, eliminate the Positive" (sung by Bing Crosby and Bette Midler)?

Anyhow, I saw a solo duck this morning (see attachment) and it was not a Mallard, not a Northern Shoveler, and not an American Wigeon. In this time of hybrids, that's what it probably was.

Chris

2012-01-16T15:07:00.001-08:00

Bob T. and I have a new friend. His name is Chris and he is a Canada Goose. A member of the species that people love to hate. He lives at the LGVSD Ponds, completely separate from hundreds of his brethren and sistren (yes, sistren). Today was the third time that I have seen Chris. He was hungrily feeding on grass, but stopped long enough to approach us and pass the time of day. We named him Chris, short for Christopher, because Bob thought he should be named after an explorer. The question is "what gives here"? Could Chris be a reincarnate? Look at his portrait ~ doesn't he look intelligent? Doesn't he look as if he had much to say?

Crows

2012-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Crows in the Novato COSTCO parking lot today.

Self-Portrait

2012-01-14T13:59:00.001-08:00

Self-portrait

Staging by Your's Troo-Lee. Boots by Hi-Tec. Trousers by Banana Republic. Makeup by Fifi of Paris. Lighting by Ava La Belle.

Humdrum

2012-01-13T15:29:00.001-08:00

I beg for your indulgence. In and of itself, this is a humdrum picture of Mount Tamalpais. So let me explain.

I've lived in my apartment for about seven years. This year, for the first time, a combination of rented goats, devouring every leaf within reach in the summer, and winter weather shedding what was left, resulted in a clearing that revealed the fire-lookout from my favorite perch in the kitchen.

I am so thrilled that I will take up permanent residence in the kitchen.

Humdrum

2012-01-13T15:27:00.001-08:00

I beg for your indulgence. In and of itself, this is a humdrum picture of Mount Tamalpais. So let me explain.

I've lived in my apartment for about seven years. This year, for the first time, a combination of rented goats, devouring every leaf within reach in the summer, and winter weather shedding what was left, resulted in a clearing that revealed the fire-lookout from my favorite perch in the kitchen.

I am so thrilled that I will take up permanent residence in the kitchen.

Spanish Moss

2012-01-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

There is a slight possibility that this picture will not win any awards, but have you ever tried to photograph Spanish Moss? For some unexplainable reason, it is not easy. Here's my best effort, taken at Point Reyes a couple of days ago.

Spanish Moss is neither Spanish, nor is it moss. It goes by many different names ~ Grandfather's Gray Beard being one of the more popular ones.

Native Americans had many uses for it. It does not harm the trees it grows from, except for the very minor effect of its shade.

If I have aroused your curiosity, you may now go to Google.

L O V E

2012-01-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

I just can't wait for Valentine's Day, still 34 days away! And that must explain why, yesterday, the display at Toby's Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station immediately caught my eye. I am ready!

Toby's Feed Barn

2012-01-10T17:01:00.001-08:00

Oranges for sale at Toby's Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station. I liked the way the oranges commanded the eye's attention.

Hmmm?

2012-01-09T15:54:00.001-08:00

Hmmm?

Waiting for Breakfast to Appear

2012-01-08T12:01:00.001-08:00

Hawk, probably a Red-Tail, waiting for breakfast to appear. Note that the hawk is sitting on a bird box! This morning at Shollenberger Park in Petaluma. What a treat!

More Graffiti

2012-01-06T13:57:00.001-08:00

Here's another example of graffiti on one of the water-tanks on the Glenn Fire Road.

Stairs

2012-01-05T09:48:00.001-08:00

With a weakness for stairs, and a weakness for shadows, my heart skipped a beat when I spied the steps leading up to the top of one of the water towers on the Glenn Fire Road. And here 'tis.

Graffiti

2012-01-04T16:04:00.001-08:00

This morning Bob H and I walked up the Glenn Fire Road in Fairfax. There we admired two huge water-tanks, adorned with graffiti. One of the pieces showed a trumpet-player. I had seen him before I believe, in "Exit Through the Gift Shop", the 2010 film by, and about, England-based graffiti-artist Banksy. To be correct, this work is not really graffiti, but rather a stencil.

Afraid that the musician would lose his balance while I took my picture, I asked Bob to support him.

Convoluted story, huh?

# end

This Morning

2012-01-03T13:26:00.001-08:00

One of those beautiful moments when I come upon a perfect setting. I become one with my camera and there is nothing else. I wish I was able to compose a Haiku.

This morning at about 8:15 in Point Reyes.

A Happening

2012-01-02T16:58:00.001-08:00

American Avocets coming in for a mass landing. The performance took place this morning at Radio Road in Redwood City.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:17:00.001-08:00

Danika

2011-12-31T16:10:00.001-08:00

I end the year with another portrait of Danika, my twelve-year-old granddaughter, residing again in Lancaster, PA, after a few months in Marin. Isn't she beautiful?

Au clair de la Lune

2011-12-30T18:41:00.001-08:00

Au clair de la Lune.

Hard to believe that man has actually been there.

Northern Shoveler

2011-12-29T10:55:00.001-08:00

Northern Shoveler, yesterday, at the Ponds.

Chance Meeting

2011-12-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

I think that's a Willet in front, passing a Black-necked Stilt, neither paying the other any heed. Why am I reminded of my neighbors?

Foggy Morning

2011-12-27T15:57:00.001-08:00

Yesterday saw a foggy morning at the Ponds as a skein of Canada Geese took flight. Ten minutes ago I would have called them a "gaggle", but something in my brain (haha!) made me consult Wikipedia. And sure enough, when geese are not in flight they are called "gaggle" (if there are at least five of them), but once they are in flight, they are called a "skein". We live and learn.

And, of course, you knew all this already.

Reflection

2011-12-26T12:35:00.001-08:00

Reflection of pole in LGVSD pond this morning. I thought it was "like wow"!

I don't have a Dog.

2011-12-25T00:39:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning I started out on a walk on the main trail at the Indian Valley College, when I was stopped short by a sign (see attached photograph). Apparently I was required to have a dog if I wanted to continue on the trail. Courageously I ignored the sign and went on, all the while alert to the possibility of being arrested on a charge of "doglessness".

It takes some audacity for Americans to laugh about Chinglish when, even on official signs, we are unable to use our own language correctly.

Snow

2011-12-24T13:10:00.001-08:00

This is a picture I took up in Yosemite many years ago. I have used it as a Holiday card and am still fond of it. So I wish everyone a Merry and a Happy!

Beauty

2011-12-23T16:29:00.001-08:00

It's a well-known fact that Swans rank high when it comes to grace and beauty. So here, for your viewing pleasure, is one of these magnificent creatures, posing for us a few days ago, at Ellis Creek.

Symmetry

2011-12-23T08:31:00.001-08:00

It took over an hour for the cormorants to kapish what I meant by symmetry, but finally they got it. Here's the result.

Is the Grass Really Always Greener on the Other Side?

2011-12-21T18:26:00.001-08:00

I've been coming to the ponds at McInnis Park in San Rafael almost every Monday for about three years. Twice, during that time, I spotted a buck with a large rack, on the island located in the middle of one of the ponds.

This morning, Dick C, and I saw a deer swimming toward the island. Excited, I took several pictures. Later, walking on the other side of the island, we again saw the deer, this time with two friends, foraging on dry land.

Once again I am puzzled by animal behavior. What makes the deer want to cross over the water? Did one of them decide to do it and the others followed?

I have heard of deer swimming from the Tiburon Peninsula, across Raccoon Strait, to Angel Island, but I never witnessed it. In fact, today was the first time I ever saw deer swimming.

Tree at Ellis Creek

2011-12-20T19:49:00.001-08:00

This tree catches my eye every time I go to Ellis Creek in Petaluma.

The Old Barn

2011-12-19T16:15:00.001-08:00

Driving on Platform Bridge Road, on the way to Point Reyes, we always pass by this old barn. For a long time I have wanted to photograph it. Finally, last Saturday, I did exactly that.

Reflection

2011-12-18T15:35:00.001-08:00

Then quite suddenly, without any warning, you discover that you've turned into an old man, and have a granddaughter, soon to turn twenty-two. How did it all happen?

Deer

2011-12-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

I never tire of photographing deer. And as the holiday-season approaches, these gals/guys are depicted everywhere. Though, as everyone knows, it's Reindeer, not Black-tailed Deer, that pull Santa's sled through the snow from the North Pole.

Whatever the case may be, I took the picture of the Black-tailed Deer this morning out at Point Reyes. As usual, I talked to the animal and she/he posed quite willingly.

Sparrow

2011-12-16T19:31:00.001-08:00

I think it's a Sparrow, but maybe it's a Finch. I love to take pix of birds but I don't claim to be an expert. What drew me to take this picture was the composition. So there you have it!

Woodpeckers

2011-12-15T10:19:00.001-08:00

Woodpeckers don't fool around. They really mean business. What really amazes me though, is a) that they don't suffer major brain damage from all that pecking, and b) that they remember where they hid all those acorns!

My picture shows a dead branch on the Woodpecker Trail.

View from the Woodpecker Trail

2011-12-15T00:16:00.001-08:00

This is a view from the Woodpecker Trail in Point Reyes. Though really beautiful, it must be one of the least used trails in the Seashore. On my three trips there, I haven't seen a single human being.

Mergansers

2011-12-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

Mergansers discussing the latest in head-feather grooming. This morning at the LGVSD Ponds. (My choice is the one on the right).

Pt. Reyes Revisited

2011-12-12T11:52:00.001-08:00

Jennifer (Jennie) J. is a long-time (never say "old") friend of mine. Every once in a while she has her way with one of my Daily E-mails. Such was the case when she fiddled with last Saturday's "Point Reyes" picture. I think the result is amazing. Jennie uses Picnic.com. I believe today's picture involved some infra-red manipulation. Interesting.

Hmmm?

2011-12-11T20:45:00.001-08:00

I never know what my fertile imagination will conjure up next. This image appeared yesterday on the Woodpecker Trail in Point Reyes. If I hadn't had my trusty camera along, I wouldn't believe it.

Pt Reyes

2011-12-10T22:02:00.001-08:00

This morning on the Woodpecker Trail in Point Reyes. Not a soul around, just me and the deer. I stood in awe of the beauty and serenity. A big "thank you" to Mother Nature!

Purtie Colors

2011-12-09T21:25:00.001-08:00

Swans Again

2011-12-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

Back to Shollenberg Park, back to Mute Swans. I could not have posed them any better, and, of course, I could not resist taking their picture. But I do wish that they would swim in cleaner water!

Mount Tam Once Again

2011-12-07T17:01:00.001-08:00

Just can't get enough of Mount Tam. The only spot you can get the view as shown on today's picture is from Highway 101, heading south, near the Northgate Shopping Center turnoff. Dick C was driving, and I waited for just the right moment to click the shutter.

Not Our National Emblem

2011-12-06T17:26:00.001-08:00

This bird is not our National Emblem (the Bald Eagle).

Instead, my picture is of a Turkey Vulture, a bird with a 6ft wingspan, that has been around since prehistoric time. It very important as nature's recycler and scavenger. TVs (as the Sierra Clubbers like to call them) do not kill their food, they eat animals that are already dead. To find their meals, they use their keen sense of smell.

The attached picture shows a Turkey Vulture sunning itself. The sun provides Vitamin D and increases the body temperature before flight.

I shot my picture this morning, at Shollenberger Park in Petaluma.

Anise in the Fog

2011-12-05T21:48:00.001-08:00

Early Morning Magic

2011-12-04T10:04:00.001-08:00

Early morning magic on the Bear Valley Trail in Point Reyes.

Lots and Lots of Snow Geese

2011-12-03T18:49:00.001-08:00

Well*, I don't expect to win any awards with this picture, it merely serves to give you an idea of what a lot of Snow Geese, all in one spot, look like.

* Now to well. 73.68% of all sentences uttered in the US begin with this word. If you've never noticed, just listen to people speak. And think how much time (TIME = MONEY) could be saved if the word was retired. I don't think there's an equivalent to well in any other language.

Back to the Snow Geese

2011-12-02T13:39:00.001-08:00

Ten Snow Geese + one Coot.

Respite from Snow Geese

2011-12-01T10:58:00.001-08:00

Waldo Tunnel is the unofficial name of the tunnel on 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito. It is named after Waldo Point along Richardson Bay., which in turn is named after William Waldo, who ran unsuccessfully as a Whig candidate for governor of California in 1853.

The first bore of the tunnel was completed in 1937 and the second in 1954. The archways at the ends of the bores were painted in rainbows by a Caltrans employee, Robert Halligan, and for this reason the tunnel is usually referred to as the Rainbow Tunnel.

I took the picture a couple of days ago, returning from San Francisco. No, I was not at the wheel!

More from the Wildlife Refuge

2011-11-30T11:30:00.001-08:00

It's really hard to decide which pictures to post. This picture shows the Snow Geese in flight. If you look very close, you will see that the entire background is filled with birds.

I did a little calculation. Supposedly there are 128,000 Snow Geese (plus 490,000 Ducks) at the Refuge. The geese weigh about 6 lbs each. So we have 768,000 lbs of geese in flight. The town of Fairfax (CA) has a population of 7,300. I figure the average weight (men, women and children) to be about 140 lbs. That's about 1,000,000 lbs. Thus the geese weigh roughly 3/4 as much as the population of Fairfax. But the Fairfaxians can't fly. Thought you'd like to know.

Fly Me To The Moon

2011-11-29T12:53:00.001-08:00

Snow Geese At the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

After you're done ah-ing and oh-ing click on Frank Sinatra.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhujM7T1_fQ&feature=related

Magic

2011-11-28T22:34:00.001-08:00

Just returned from a memorable, magical, trip to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. There I saw thousands of birds, mainly Snow Geese, in the beautiful wetlands. As the sun began to set, the geese took off, a spectacle hard to describe. I took almost 200 pictures and will bore you with some of them in the days to come.

Blackbirds

2011-11-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

I love to watch the blackbirds on the wires at the LGVSD Ponds. This morning I stood there for half an hour, observing their behavior. Their orderly spacing is what fascinates me most, and I have often wondered as to how they do it. Today I found the answer. When a new bird settles on the wire, the birds on either side do a sort of shuffle away from the new arrival, and this shuffle is repeated by the birds next to them. The further away from the new bird, the shorter the shuffle. It's an amazing and very peaceful procedure, with the result being a rather orderly distribution along the wire. Something today's "me, me, me" generation of humans would do well to imitate!

Van Bo

2011-11-26T20:57:00.001-08:00

File under 'Portraits by Hans'.

This one is of Sausalito street artist Van Bo, whose picture I may have post before. You'll find him next to his van, parked next to Dunphy Park. Watch him paint, buy a picture from him, chat with him. His paintings are popular with the house-boat crowd. And with me, proud owner of one of the masterpieces (it took three weeks for the paint to dry)! Did he pick 'Van' as his name because he lives in a van? Or should his name be reminiscent of Van Gogh? You decide!

Kelso and Danika

2011-11-25T14:23:00.001-08:00

Once in a while I ask for your indulgence and forgiveness. Such a moment has arrived, as I present a picture of my two granddaughters, Kelso (21) and Danika (12), taken shortly before Thanksgiving dinner. Obviously, I firmly believe that they are not only beautiful, but also highly intelligent and gifted. My modesty knoweth no bounds!

No, it's not a Turkey!

2011-11-24T10:23:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have noticed that I'm something of a birder. And an animal lover in general. Consequently I'm also a vegetarian (for the last fifty years).

All of which brings me directly to today's picture. I saw the pigeon at Sausalito's Dunphy Park a few days ago, and thought that it was especially beautiful. So there you are!

And by the way ~ doves were another of Picasso's favorite subjects.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Shades of Picasso?

2011-11-23T11:32:00.001-08:00

Here's another one from the Bolinas seawall. I am reminded of Picasso's bulls, one of his very favorite subjects.

Seawall

2011-11-22T18:51:00.000-08:00

I'm very fond of the seawall, with all its murals, in Bolinas (Bobo). My favorite section may well be the leaping rabbits. This is probably due to my penchant for repeating patterns.

Next visit planned for July 4, 2012!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

2011-11-21T18:17:00.001-08:00

A visit, this morning, to the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (aka Palomarin Field Station), yielded some nice pictures. Here's a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. After being measured, weighed and banded, it was released, none the worse for the procedure.

Hummer

2011-11-20T15:06:00.001-08:00

After a two-year hiatus, I have again hung a hummingbird feeder on my deck. After one week the first bird appeared. How they find the feeders is a mystery. And yesterday not just one, but two hummingbirds appeared. Long story short, here's a picture I took yesterday. I think it's an Anna's Hummingbird but I'm waiting for my team of ornithologists to confirm my finding. Regardless of what they determine, I think he/she is beautiful.

San Francisco's Finest

2011-11-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

Occupy San Francisco was happening at Justin Herman Plaza. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, tight-lipped San Francisco's Finest had gathered around the corner. Just in case a drama unfolded.

One More!

2011-11-18T15:33:00.001-08:00

Jes' cain't git enuff of that wunnerful Occupy SF stuff. The City has produced its own Occupy flavor. No hesitation, it was as though the script was written in the Sixties, and encapsulated, to be opened in 2011!

More Occupy SF

2011-11-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

Here is one of two artists who were painting the scene at Justin Herman Plaza yesterday. He was part of the movement.

Occupy SF

2011-11-16T20:42:00.001-08:00

Rena (spel?) in her tent at the Justin Herman Plaza "Occupy San Francisco" encampment early this afternoon. I took a ton of pictures, including some of about fifty motorcycle cops sitting on a side-street, and unwilling to disclose their mission to me. There are many porta-pots at the camp, and I saw several people sweeping and picking up what little garbage there was. I wonder what all this will lead up to.

Should I move to Justin Herman Plaza?

Not a Happy Sight

2011-11-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

My computer crashed a few days ago. I bought a new one, took a day to install it, and SHAZAM, here we are again!

I shot the attached picture at Point Reyes this morning. I noticed some Turkey Vultures fluttering around, about 50 feet from the Earthquake Trail. They were partly hidden in the tall grass, but I figured they must be working on a dead animal. I carefully approached, trying to not fall on my face! A few vultures flew off. Finally I spotted the dead deer and two vultures that insisted on holding their ground. As you can see, they allowed me to get quite close.

Not all pictures can be of happy scenes.

Mount Tamalpais

2011-11-09T17:44:00.001-08:00

If you look closely, you will see a tiny dot on top of the mountain. This is the Gardner Fire Lookout on East Peak. It was built in 1936. Many paintings of the mountain were created well before the advent of photography. Once it was invented it was years before color entered the picture. And today we are in the age of digital photography. All I can say is "wow"!

GRASS

2011-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

GRASS

Helix Aspersa

2011-11-07T14:28:00.001-08:00

The first Garden Snail I have seen at the Ponds. To some a food, to others a garden pest, to me a beautiful creature!

Perhaps A Little Cheesy!

2011-11-06T19:22:00.001-08:00

This afternoon at the Ponds.

Much maligned Canada Geese, with much admired Mount Tamalpais and clouds in the background. And yes, the geese were honking! All this for my more conservative friends!

Handsome Dude

2011-11-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's. your rare opportunity to see your favorite, intrepid, photographer in the flesh. The occasion was a photo-shoot of a rehearsal for the upcoming dance-performance "Les Muses" by Stage Dor in Sausalito. The more astute among you will have figured out that I was shooting into a mirror. And, unfortunately, the young lady next to me, was not looking at, nor even noticing, moi.

Great Blue Heron

2011-11-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

Great Blue Herons are real hams and have an uncanny talent for finding a flattering perch on which to stand and pose. As you can see, this was the case once again, a couple of days ago, at Lake Lagunitas.

Sculpture

2011-11-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

Others have called me a Renaissance Man, but for me to do so might be a tad presumptive. Be that as it may, I submit that I am not just a photographer (albeit of little fame), but also something of a burgeoning sculptor. The attached is a picture of my latest creation, "Worried Woman", measuring just under seven feet. Sorry, but the piece is on view, but not for sale.

Beauty

2011-11-02T00:09:00.001-07:00

Few things are more beautiful than a spiderweb, weighed down by the morning dew. To prove my point, I present Exhibit #1, photographed yesterday morning at Point Reyes National Seashore.

There's Nothing To It!

2011-11-01T16:00:00.001-07:00

It's easy when you know how! This morning in Point Reyes.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:38:00.001-07:00

And a Happy Halloween to all!

Guatemalan Maskmaker

2011-10-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

On a visit to Guatemala, about ten years ago, I saw this miniature diorama of a maskmaker, surrounded by his creations. I was fortunate in being able to purchase the masterpiece and bring it back to the United States, where I installed it in the Halloween Section of the Roenau Museum of Ethnic Art.

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