July 31, 2008

cat tails


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photo by Donald Kinney

Now, I could tell you all about that silly thing attached to the butt of my Kitty, but actually I know very little about cat tails that grow in marshy areas, so I had to do a bit of checking with Wikipedia:

[[[ quote ]]]
The most widespread species of cat tails is Typha latifolia, extending across the entire temperate Northern Hemisphere.   Typha plants grow along lake margins and in marshes, often in dense colonies, and are sometimes considered a weed in managed wetlands.   The plant's root systems help prevent erosion, and the plants themselves are often home to many insects, birds and amphibians.

Edible uses:   Cattail has a wide variety of parts that are edible to humans. The rhizomes are a pleasant, nutritious and energy-rich food source, generally harvested from late Fall to early Spring.   These are starchy, but also fibrous, so the starch must be scraped or sucked from the tough fibers.   In addition to the rhizomes, cattails have little-known, underground, lateral stems that are quite tasty.

In late spring, the bases of the leaves, while they are young and tender, can be eaten raw or cooked. As the flower spike is developing in early summer, it can be broken off and eaten, and in mid-summer, once the flowers are mature, the pollen can be collected and used as a flour supplement or thickener.

Typha seeds are very small, embedded in down parachutes, and very effectively wind-dispersed.

The disintegrating heads are used by some birds to line their nests.   The downy material was also used by Native Americans as tinder for starting fires.

Native American tribes also used cattail down to line moccasins and papoose boards. An Indian name for cattail meant, “fruit for papoose’s bed”.   Today some people still use cattail down to stuff clothing items and pillows.   The down has also been used to fill life vests in the same manner as kapok.   If using the cattail for pillow stuffing you may be wise to use thick batting material, as the fluff may cause a reaction similar to hives and will be very itchy.

[[[ end quote ]]]

So there you have it -- but personally I think I'll skip them as food, and I probably won't be lining my moccasins or papoose with them, or stuffing my pillow with them either...   I found these handsome cat tails on the banks of Phoenix Lake, behind the tiny town of Ross, in Marin County, California...   See you there...


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July 30, 2008

old phone number -- it's ABC Wednesday!


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photo by Donald Kinney

Happy ABC Wednesday, everybody!

Ah yes, I am as old as dust, so I can remember an earlier time when phone numbers were much shorter, and much easier to remember.   On the Monterey Peninsula where I grew up, ours was FR (for frontier) 5947.

Later they slipped in another digit and it became FR-5-5947, and later they swapped the FR for 37 and it became 375-5947, although some people still clung to the old FRontier prefix.

Those were still the days when you had to call the operator to place a long-distance call, but eventually they introduced area codes and direct-dialing -- so someone distant could avoid the operator and just dial 1-408-375-5947.   Ah yes, isn't modern life grand?


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July 29, 2008

painted door, Mission District


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photo by Donald Kinney


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photo by Donald Kinney

As far as murders and gang violence goes, San Francisco's Mission District is probably right up there with the worst, but believe it or not it is actually possible to wander around the streets early in the morning in relative safety.

Today the demographics of the Mission District are approximately 50% Hispanic, 33% White, and 11% Asian; but for eons the area was inhabited by peaceful Ohlone Indians who spent their days hunting and gathering in the warm and sunny micro-climate that is sometimes referred to as San Francisco's "banana belt".   Of course, all good things seem to come to an end, so it was here that a Spanish priest named Father Palou founded Mission San Francisco de Asis on June 29, 1776.   Modern man brought with him his diseases and the concept of slave labor, so in a matter of a few years the substantial indian population dwindled to less than 100.

Today, between the rough-edges is a vibrant hispanic community, proud of their history and culture -- as they should be.   Hundreds of wildly colorful and vibrant murals decorate the area, and while ugly graffiti in the area is rampant, the taggers seem to respect the murals and generally leave them untouched.

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July 28, 2008

Academy of Art University, S.F.


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photo by Donald Kinney

If you've been in San Francisco in the past several years you undoubtedly have noticed a proliferation of Academy of Art buildings, here, there, and everywhere around the Çity.   I just did some checking, and to my amazement their system includes 30 buildings forming a loosely interconnected campus with over 12,000 students!   That number sounds staggering to me, but I guess a lot of youngsters want to be some kind of artist these days...

This world can never have too many fine artists, but I'm not sure where such a large number of commercial artists expect to find jobs...

[[[ quote ]]]
The Academy of Art University offers both on-campus (traditional instructor-led) and distance education (online) degree and Certificate programs in its fine arts programs.   These programs include Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts for undergraduate degrees, Master of Fine Arts and Master of Architecture for graduate degrees, and certificate programs for personal enrichment.   The academy offers degree and certificate programs in 13 majors: Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture, Computer Arts & New Media, Digital Arts & Communications, Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Motion Pictures & Television and Photography.   Students can take classes in copywriting, fashion merchandising, interior design, new media, computer animation, sculpture, cinematography, industrial design, digital photography and car design.
[[[ end quote ]]]

If you would like to read more about San Francisco's Academy of Art University, including their rather ruthless plans to evict tenants from their new acquisition -- the San Francisco Flower Mart, check out the article on Wikipedia.

AAU's website is impressive and extensive...   Read all about what they offer at:
http://online.academyart.edu.


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July 27, 2008

cafe, Downtown China Camp


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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, yes, there is a cafe in beautiful downtown China Camp, but don't arrive hungry because the odds are 365 to 2 that the place isn't going to be open...   And yes, it WILL be open this year on August 30 and 31 for China Camp Days, but even then they won't be serving food or beer -- however you WILL be able to buy a genuine China Camp tee-shirt.

China Çamp, located on the western shore or San Pablo Bay (the upper thumb of San Francisco Bay) is a Chinese shrimping village that was quite active 100+ years ago.   In those days racial discrimination was part of established law, and shrimp fishing, along with laundering clothes, was one of the few businesses a Chinaman was allowed to engage in.

Today China Çamp has been taken over by the California Park System, but there is still one permanent resident, Mr. Frank Quan, who continues to operate his shrimp boat occasionally.   Unfortunately, these days Mr. Quan doesn't net as many bay-shrimp as he used to.   Shrimp populations in San Pablo Bay depend on fresh-water releases from the Sacramento Delta, and the sad fact that there just isn't enough water for both the farmers of the Central Valley and San Pablo Bay, so the salinity of the bay has increased over recent years to the point where it is barely worth Mr. Quan's time and effort to try catching any shrimp.   Sigh...


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July 26, 2008

Lagunitas Creek


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photo by Donald Kinney

The population of Coho Salmon has diminished substantially over the past several years due to commercial overfishing, pollution, and a variety of other factors, but this is the Lagunitas Creek in Marin Çounty, California, where those that are left spawn from November until April.

The Lagujnitas Creek is my favorite place to shoot water reflections, but you won't find a display like this in the middle of the day -- the sun needs to be out and illuminating the surrounding vegetation, but the water needs to be shaded.   This time of year that special window-of-opportunity is right around 9:15 to 9:45 a.m.   It's a special time of day when I have the whole place to myself...   Beautiful, isn't it?


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July 25, 2008

fog spilling in -- It's Sky Watch Friday !


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photo by Donald Kinney

Happy Sky Watch Friday everybody !

In the San Francisco Bay Area we get more than our share of fog, but usually nobody complains -- it serves as our natural conditioning during the hot summer months...   It can be quite beautiful too...   The fog you see here was spilling over a shoulder of our beloved Mt. Tamalpais last Tuesday.   As you can see, it was quite an impressive sight...


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July 24, 2008

grocery store, upper Grant St., S.F.


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photo by Donald Kinney

I found this window full of breakfast while on my early morning stroll on Saturday.   I wonder if the grocer realizes that his display comes pretty close to pop-art, a'la Andy Warhol...


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July 23, 2008

"A"rtwork -- it's ABC Wednesday


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photo by Donald Kinney

Most visitors to San Francisco explore Chinatown's Grant Street, but few probably discover the "other end" of Grant Street, across Broadway Street, leading north -- eventually ending up at a long steep set stairs below that other San Francisco attraction, Coit Tower.

On the way you will skirt North Beach, peer into little shops selling handcrafted eastern objects, tiny but upscale clothing botiques, a music store with notes painted on the exterior, another music store (just off Grant on Green Street) with it's windows plastered with stickers and a tuba hanging over the entrance, an art gallery with the mysterious name of Live Worms, a few residential hotels, a laundromat, bars and dives of all descriptions, bistros where the locals sit outside and enjoy their smokes and morning coffee, and even a little grocery store that probably hasn't modernized since 1940... --It's a great place for an early morning stroll with a camera...   See you there...


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photo by Donald Kinney


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July 22, 2008

entrance in Chinatown, S.F.


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photo by Donald Kinney

I guess most cosmopolitan cities have their own Chinatowns, but I am especially fond of our own right here in San Francisco...   It's sort of like being-there, I guess, without having to pay the costly air-fare and endure all the hassles of international travel...

Sometimes I get lots of photos in Chinatown, and other times I get few.   Sometimes I get stared at, and other times I get ignored.   But it's a fair bet that I'll get yelled at and run-off if I try shooting into someone's business, but on Saturday the butcher at the little meat market on the corner of Stockton [or is it Powell?] and Broadway noticed me trying to snap him through the window unpacking some chicken feet.   He started waving at me -- I thought I was in big doo-doo...   I gave him my best I'm sorry expression, but he kept waving at me -- this time with one hand giving me the thumbs-up sign, and the other hand motioning furiously for me to come in.   Reluctantly, I entered his shop and started giving him my best apology -- knowing full-well that he probably understood about as much English as I do Mandarin Chinese.   I exited the shop as quickly as I had entered -- but down the street a bit I realized that he may have been giving me permission to photograph inside his shop.   Or heck -- maybe he was just as much of a camera-bug as I am.   I should have turned around and gone back -- and I certainly would have tipped him and/or slipped him a bribe.   Maybe I will stop in again next time I'm over there and see if he is still in the mood to have his picture taken...


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July 21, 2008

morning on Chestnut Street, S.F.


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photo by Donald Kinney

This is the nice dog I met on Chestnut Street on my Saturday morning stroll...
I bent down, let it sniff the back of my hand, and told it what a good doggie it was...
After I moved on I realized that I had completely failed to acknowledge it's owners
-- but I am guessing they might have been completely ignoring me as well...
Oh well, they were just a couple of yuppies -- not puppies...


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July 20, 2008

poison oak


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photo by Donald Kinney

Pretty sometimes, but this has got to be one of the most evil plants on the face of the planet -- right up there with nettles...

When I was a little kid I got poison oak so badly that it spread to my face, swelling one eye shut for a few days.   Since then I've been extremely careful to avoid it, and maybe I've built up some sort of immunity because of that exposure, but I don't think I've had it since.   Poison oak always grows with three leaves per stem -- watch out!

Now, nettles are bad characters too -- our variety (growing to a height of six or eight feet) only grow in the immediate vicinity of riverbanks, but that's where I like to hang out.   Nettles sting like a wasp, and the sensation doesn't go away for hours -- truly an evil plant in my book.


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July 19, 2008

volunteer oats at sunset


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photo by Donald Kinney

I must thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post -- I realize I shouldn't be fishing for comments, but they sure are encouraging...   Sometimes when I'm out there clicking away in nature I wonder if anybody is actually going to see, or appreciate my stuff...   A few years ago I was complaining to an artist buddy of mine that I was having difficulty getting anyone to visit my blog, let alone getting them to leave a comment -- but he gave me some good advice; telling me that I needed to be motivated by my own internal inspiration, and not by the praise of others...   I've always tried to remember that advice...


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July 18, 2008

sunset, Mt. Tam -- it's Sky Watch Friday


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photo by Donald Kinney

Hope everyone is off to a great Sky Watch Friday !

Last Sunday I thought -- "what the heck, I wonder what the sunset might look like like up on Mt. Tamalpais this afternoon", so I thought the best thing to do was to find out.   I knew there would be a fog bank -- it had been drifting in and out of the Golden Gate all week, but the only question was -- would it be high fog, or would it be low fog.   Fortunately it turned out to be low fog...


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July 17, 2008

Held Over


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photo by Donald Kinney

I shot this same sign about a year and half ago with my old camera, but thought I would do a re-shoot with my new "baby", the Canon5D wth 70-200 I.S. f-4 "L" zoom.   I needed to do quite a bit of scaling and skewing in Photoshop to get the image straight and to fill out the entire frame.   I boosted the color saturation quite a bit also.

I like this photo because of the security bars -- yes, that sign is definitely not going to escape.

Of course the sign begs the question -- what is this all about?   Well, it's the sign for a trendy botique in the 1500 block of Haight Street -- and it looks like it caters mainly to the throngs of tourists who flock to San Francisco's famous corner of Haight and Ashbury.   If you need clothing or accessories to make you look really "hip" or "in", Held Over would be the place to shop.   Not exactly my type of "look", but if you would like to read a plethora of customer reviews on Held Over -- some of them hillarious -- you can find them here.

----------------------------------------------

Special Announcement:

By the way folks, I've just finished putting two new sets of photos up on what I call my "big" site.
You've seen some of my Chihuly glass photos recently here on AphotoAday, but more are here.
And of course, if you've stopped by my "DailyDuo" site in the past few days you've seen some other photos from Haight Street, but you can groove to more of them over here.


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July 16, 2008

Zion Train -- it's ABC Wednesday


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photo by Donald Kinney

Wishing everybody a great ABC Wednesday !   May your day be filled with Z's...

Now, I don't know about you, but I have never really gotten too deeply into reggae-music, so I had to do a bit of Googling to find out who in the heck Zion Train is, but as it turns out they are one of the top groups to follow in the Bob Marley style.

--And I think that's some pretty good advice Zion Train has to offer:
"Don't gain the world and lose your soul.   Wisdom is better than silver and gold"


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July 15, 2008

Cold Steel Tatoo Parlor, S.F.


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photo by Donald Kinney

Hope I don't get in too-much trouble for copying a Cold Steel review that appears in S.F. Citywatch, but this customer's testimonial sounded so painless that I couldn't help myself:

[ BEGIN QUOTE ]
I had been wanting to get a labret on the left side of my mouth for the longest time.   We had just gotten out of court and had nothing to do for the rest of the day.   Since everything came out fine in court he decided to treat me out for going with him.   I did not feel like going to the shop that I already knew since the previous time I was in the old shop here in Hayward I really didn't like the atmosphere.   SO we decided to take a drive out to Frisco.   [ EDITOR'S NOTE:   NEVER, NEVER CALL SAN FRANCISCO "FRISCO", PLEASE ]

Since it was still early we pictured by the time we got there the shop would be open.   He said this place was where he got his first piercing ever so he recommended it.   I was surprised the setting I saw.   This places is so clean and the atmosphere was just so relaxing and clean.   I told Mr.E my piercer what I wanted to get done.   He gave me a price which compared favorably to how much it would have costed [ SIC ] me in Hayward, so it was a good deal.   I looked at the jewelry and I wanted to get something smaller since I work in a corporate office and well -- you know how it is.   He pulled out what he had in-stock and after about 5 min of looking he found the smallest size he could use.

As I stepped into the room I sat and waited.   He was so clean he changed gloves about 3 times   1. When he took out his supplies and gave me the rinse to clean my mouth with.   2. After he threw my cup away.   and 3. When he was to do my piercing after he had marked it.   And when asking where did i want it he got it right on the first mark.   As i sat and waited he said I would feel a small pinch I closed my eyes took a deep breath and by the time I opened them I was done.   He was real good about giving me aftercare instructions.

This place is the bomb burrito, man...   I defiantly [ SIC ]  am looking forward to another piercing.   I don't know about the tattoos but as I was waiting I checked out a album or two.   They seem very cool too..
[ END QUOTE ]

So there you have it -- a glowing testimonail from another satisfied customer of Cold Steel...   Lip rings appear to be all the rage these days, but I doubt if I could ever get up enough courage to have one done, even if I really, really, really wanted one...   I am such an un-styleish old wimp...   How about you?


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July 14, 2008

old and young


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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, here is a pleasant grove of redwoods that very few people venture into.   Not that they don't pass close by...   Busy Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is up a steep slope on the other side of the canyon that contains my beloved Lagunitas creek, and running parallel to this strip of redwoods is a well-used bicycle and jogging trail that 100 years ago was the roadbed for a narrow-guage railroad that delivered people and goods to Samuel P. Taylor's resort and paper mill, and then beyond to Point Reyes Station.

Of course, the redwood trees were heavily harvested just prior to 1900, and Mr. Taylor put a pretty good dent in the fir trees for his papermill.   In the intervening 100 years the trees have made a fine comeback -- fir trees grow like weeds, and redwood trees have an amazing ability to regenerate themselves from roots around stumps.   Life, although quiet, goes on...


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July 13, 2008

water lilly


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photo by Donald Kinney

Of course, more treasures are inside the building, but outside the deYoung museum is a delightful circular pond.   Right now (until September 28) it contains a Chihuly glass tree sculpture -- this one made of twisted and rather tormented neon tubes.

It looks wired-up and fully operational, so I 'm going to have to find an excuse to be in San Francisco after the sun goes down so I can see (and photograph) what it looks like illuminated.   I imagine there might be some really wild reflections going on in the pond.   See you there.



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July 12, 2008

sunrise 2, China Camp


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photo by Donald Kinney

As I've previously mentioned, I'm usually an early-riser, so here it is at about "dark O-thirty", and I'm trying to get everything finished up so I can head out for the sunrise this morning.   Our Bay Area natural air-conditioning (the fog) has returned, so the Golden Gate Bridge area is probably thoroughly "socked in", so I think I'll head back out to China Çamp and see if I can find a somewhat clear view under the thick clouds...   Perhaps I'll get a shot, and maybe I won't, but I'm almost certain to discover groups of deer, a few egrets, herons, and maybe even some pelicans.   With all of the garbage going on in this world, it should be a great early morning escape...



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July 11, 2008

sunrise, China Camp -- it's Sky Watch Friday !


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photo by Donald Kinney

Hope everyone is enjoying a pleasant Sky Watch Friday...

I am usually an early riser, and one of my favorite things to do is to go out to China Çamp on San Pablo Bay (the upper thumb of San Francisco bay) and watch the sun come up.   Besides the actual sunrise, the best part of the experience is that no sane person gets up that early -- so I usually have China Camp all to myself.   The population of China Camp is 1 (one), a Mr. Frank Quan, and if I pass close by his rustic cabin I often can hear him sawing-logs (snoring).   At a more reasonable hour Mr. Quan will surface, and if he feels like it he will take his boat out a ways, set his nets, and see how many pounds of bay shrimp he is able to catch.   Later in the day you might see him repairing his equipment or jaw-boning with visitors.   Yep, that's life on San Pablo Bay.   See you there...


-------------------------------------------------

Now folks, fasten your seat belts -- here's more Chihuly glass:



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney




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July 10, 2008

Chihuly glass


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photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney


A while back I learned of Dale Chihuly and his amazing work on a series of PBS programs, but I never thought I would get to have-my-mind-blown by seeing it up-close and in person.   His creativity is exceeded only by his imagaination...   After reverently making my way through eleven rooms of his work I came to the simple conclusion that this man must have been posessed by the process -- and obviously it wasn't an easy accomplishment.

The Wikipedia articles are sparse, and I still know relatively little about this man.   I am curious, and need to see what else I can find out about this man and his driving-force.


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July 09, 2008

de"Y"oung Museum -- it's ABC Wednesday


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photo by Donald Kinney


The new deYoung Museum created quite a stir when the citizens of San Francisco saw what the architects had in mind.   Bold and unusual are understatements, but dramatic would be a fair word to describe the design.   The copper-alloy skin of the building is perforated with holes that remind me of the half-tone screen used in lithography.

Of course, the best part of the deYoung Museum is what's on the inside...   You won't find too much modern art in the permanent collections, but you will find work of the masters, including early California art.   The collections of African and Peruvian art are absolutely amazing and meaningful.   If you enjoy antique furniture -- it's the place to see it...

My reason for visiting this time was to see the fantastic glass sculpture by the master -- Chihuly.   Eleven rooms contain his jaw-dropping work...   It's wild, and almost an overwhelming experience!

----------------------- News Flash ---------------------------


AphotoAday has been awarded the prestigious Arte Y Pico award!!!
A week ago Muge Tekil let me know of my good fortune, and yesterday I received the same award from JoAnne.   I'm trying my best not to let this newly found recognition go-to-my-head, but I really appreciate the recognition...

I'm passing-on the Arte Y Pico award to:

http://dinosaurcasserole.blogspot.com   --   "Sparkle Plenty" has yummy food & strange toys.   This blog will immediately win your heart and make you laugh!

http://allredmop.blogspot.com   --   "Photowannabe" Sue has stuck by me through thick-and-thin.   We have many similar life experiences -- her blog is always interesting.

http://afocusinthewild.blogspot.com   --   "Stacey Houston" has the finest animal and birds photos I think I've ever seen.   No kidding!

http://transient-light.blogspot.com   --   "J. W. Moore" not only takes fabulous photographs, but he often explains how he makes them.   This man is a real pro.

http://www.fogbay.com   --   This anonymous gentleman keeps coming up with obscure, but extremely interesting information about our City-by-the-Bay.   If you love San Francisco, this blog should not be missed!   I love it!






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July 08, 2008

salmon boat


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photo by Donald Kinney

Boats remain in port -- the salmon fishing season on the west coast has been called off this year due to diminishing numbers of the fishy critters.   It's a devistating hardship on the fishermen, but hopefully it will give the salmon a chance to recover and build their population.


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July 07, 2008

ferns at creek edge


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photo by Donald Kinney

From this tranquil photo it's pretty hard to tell that during winter rainstorms the Lagunitas Creek swells into a raging torrent.


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July 06, 2008

more fireworks


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photo by Donald Kinney

The supply of fireworks this year was short.   Here's an article by William Foreman, Associated Press:
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Chen Tiezhong will likely spend the Fourth of July worrying about the future of his sprawling fireworks factory. China, where fireworks were invented, is running short of ports from which to ship the dangerous cargoes abroad.

China's fireworks industry provides 98 percent of America's overall needs, and 80 percent of the pyrotechnics needed for professional displays. But the U.S. fireworks business stands to lose $25 million to $30 million this year because of lost orders, says Julie Heckman, executive director for the American Pyrotechnics Association.

A Missouri firm says it backed out of some shows because of the shortage. Meanwhile, some Chinese factories are being pushed close to bankruptcy.

"Our factory will be forced to close, whether we want it or not," said Chen Tiezhong at his sprawling 500-employee operation in Liuyang in central Hunan province.

His factory is one of 900 around this small city that is known as China's fireworks capital. A traffic circle features a massive metal sculpture of rockets soaring and bursting into flower-like shapes. The Chinese word for fireworks is "yanhua" or "smoke flowers."

Most of the factories are far from town, tucked safely away among the farms in surrounding hills and valleys.

Chen rattles off a litany of woes: micro-thin profit margins, rising labor costs and soaring prices for raw materials.

Now, the closure of some Chinese ports to fireworks may be the final straw.

In February, a blast at a fireworks warehouse led to a ban on fireworks shipments at the southern port of Sanshui, Guangdong province, which previously handled 20 percent of China's pyrotechnic exports.

Then, in late March, officials stopped fireworks shipments at Nanshan, another Guangdong port, after inspectors found explosives that had been declared as something else.

Guangdong may not allow fireworks shipments to resume, because the province is trying to shift its economy to more sophisticated goods.

Adding to the industry's woes, China has ordered major ports such as Shanghai and Hong Kong to suspend shipments of explosives as part of tightened security ahead of August's Beijing Olympics.

"It's been extremely difficult," Chen said. "There is simply no way out even if we're willing to pay 10,000 yuan RMB (more than $1,400) extra for each container."

In China, 30 to 40 percent of fireworks for overseas customers have not shipped, forcing many of the country's 7,000 factories to curtail or even stop taking overseas orders, said Liu Donghui, the secretary-general of China-based International Fireworks Association.

On the U.S. end, 10 percent to 15 percent of orders didn't show up, said Heckman.

China ordinarily sends 9,000 shipping containers of fireworks a year to the U.S., she said, and the shortfall "is by far the most difficult challenge the U.S. firework industry has had to face.">

Matt Sutcliffe of Premier Pyrotechnics, Inc. in Richland, Mo., realized six weeks ago that he would run short and have to cancel some shows. He said he contacted every company he knew to pick up the slack, but "No company that I talked to said they could take additional shows."

Heckman said this year's shortage would probably go largely unnoticed by Independence Day spectators because retailers and pyrotechnicians will be sharing their stockpiles.

"As competitive as this industry is, we bleed red, white and blue, and we'll do anything to try to make certain each community gets their Fourth of July Independence Day show," she said.

Liuyang's factories alone produced $1 billion worth of fireworks last year, some $430 million of it to meet overseas orders, the association's Liu said.

Chen's Southern Fireworks Manufacture Co. includes a cluster of long single-story concrete buildings. Inside, women sitting at concrete tables paste together rocket tubes with labels in Russian. Some stick fuses into loaded fireworks and bind them together.

Most of the work is done by hand because machines can overheat or throw sparks, Chen said. Red strips of paper glued to each building door carry a Buddhist inscription for good luck.

"It's getting harder and harder to find people who will do this work," said Chen. "They think it's too dangerous. They can find work in other factories that don't deal with explosives."


The most dangerous job is loading the gunpowder. This work is done in 130 small concrete buildings, little bunkers scattered around the site or partially dug into hillsides.

"Only one person works in each structure," Chen said. "If there's an explosion, there will be little or no damage to the surrounding buildings and workers."

At Jinlian Fireworks Manufacturing and Export Co., also in Liuyang, U.S. sales once accounted for one-third of the business, but that's going to change. "We are not taking overseas orders," said Song Wei, a manager. "We dare not."

Only one shipping company, Denmark-based AP Moeller-Maersk, is willing to transport fireworks used in U.S. shows.

The shipping problems are likely to hit hardest at smaller makers, and this may be the government's intention. It's often the small companies that embarrass the country by employing children, polluting or producing shoddy goods.>

But Chen said he can't imagine the government allowing so many businesses to collapse in an industry with centuries-old roots in Chinese culture, and put so many people out of work.

"If we're not making fireworks," he said, "we'll have nothing to eat."


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July 05, 2008

fireworks


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photo by Donald Kinney


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July 04, 2008

moody clouds -- it's Sky Watch Friday !


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photo by Donald Kinney

Beneath this moody morning cloud is San Pablo Bay, which is the upper thumb of San Francisco Bay.   This is where you will find the tiny historic Chinese shrimping village of China Camp.   Today China Camp only has one resident, Frank Quan, who still operates a small shirmp fishing operation.   Shrimp have been on the decline in San Pablo Bay, mainly due to reduced freshwater releases from the Sacramento Delta.   Mr. Quan isn't too happy about that...

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July 03, 2008

madrone bark


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photo by Donald Kinney

Just like a snake, madrone trees need to shed their outer layer of paper-thin bark this time of year so they are able to expand their girdth.

From Wikipedia:
It is a beautiful broadleaf evergreen tree, with rich orange-red bark that peels away on the mature wood, leaving a greenish, silvery appearance that has a satin sheen and smoothness. The exposed wood sometimes feels cool to the touch. In spring, it bears sprays of small bell-like flowers, and in autumn, red berries.


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July 02, 2008

"X" Rated -- ABC Wednesday !


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Well, X is a toughie so I had to go back about 14 months to find anything even remotely resembling an X -- so this is going to have to do.   Hope everybody is having a great ABC Wednesday, and I can't wait to see what YOU came up with...


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July 01, 2008

Dykes on Bikes


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photo by Donald Kinney

You know, I could try to explain San Francisco's Pride Parade to you, but I would probably just be spinning my wheels.   You really need to experience it in person to appreciate what it's all about, but here are a few visual aids:

the beauty
and the beast
Dykes on Bikes
cute couple
Mayor Newsom + GF
Just Married
big boys
Cindy Lauper
disco dancers
three brides
leather contingent
in a groovy mood
painted lady
all God's children
Margaret Cho
Gloria Allred
behave or else
two wierdos
sad and not



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