January 31, 2009

art at our feet


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photo by Donald Kinney

You can go ahead and quote me on this -- art is at our feet...


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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 30, 2009

City Hall in Davies Hall window


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photo by Donald Kinney

Sometimes a guy can find the most beautiful things just by walking down the street...


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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 29, 2009

name your poison


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photo by Donald Kinney

I think it's kind of interesting all the things   l i g h t   does to things...


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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 28, 2009

Chinatown sights and smells


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photo by Donald Kinney

You never quite know what you're going to see around the next corner in Chinatown, but usually you can smell it coming...


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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 27, 2009

Chinatown Bank


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photo by Donald Kinney

As a little boy I can remember my parents explaining that Chinese buildings had the ends of their eaves turned-up in spiraly curves to ward off evil spirits -- to give the evil spirits a more difficult path to follow...


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photo by Donald Kinney

What always strikes me when I walk through Chinatown is the tremendous amount of vegetables the Chinese consume.   And they usually buy their produce fresh each day.

If they stop-by the fish market they can take home something that came out of the waters just off the coast and is still flopping around in the last moments of death...   Sorry, I don't have a fish photo this time because the lady told me "no pictures, o.k.?"...   Well I've been warned before.   They really don't want you taking photos of their fish market.   One day the shortest Chinamen that I've ever encountered told me in the most booming voice, NO PICTURES in Mandarin.   Now, I don't speak Mandarin, but I understood exactly what he was saying...


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photo by Donald Kinney

Often I feel like I'm the only "white" person when I explore the sidewalks of Chinatown...   It must be similar to what a person of color or a different national-origin must feel when he is immersed in a pool of people not of his own ethnicity...   It kind of a strange feeling...   I really can't explain it very well...


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January 26, 2009

Lilly Pad, Lilly Lake, Mt. Tam.


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photo by Donald Kinney

I was going to save these for Valentine's Day, but here you go...

If you ever were to do some exploring on the Bolinas-to-Fairfax Road on the northern flank of Mount Tamalpais here in Marin County, you would find -- amongst redwoods, fir, laurel, and madrone -- a little land-locked lake with no outlet, except for the porosity of the soil.   And you won't find any sign, and I've never seen it on any map.   One time I asked a friend what the name of that little lake with all the lilly pads in it and horsetails on it's banks was, and they said:  "Well, Don, I think they must call it Lilly Lake".   --And so it will be...   --Amen...


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photo by Donald Kinney

You won't find many frogs this time of year in Lilly Lake, but in other seasons this is their paradise.   If you are very stealthy you can approach them fairly close, but as soon as the detect the presence of an intruder one gives a "danger-chirp" and they all hop back in the water and wait for you to go away...


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photo by Donald Kinney

The Fairfax-to-Bolinas Road will remain closed from Alpine Dam to Ridgecrest Boulevard for yet another month while they are building retaining walls in various locations to keep the road from slipping off the side of the mountain.


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January 25, 2009

mossy tree, Mt. Tamalpais


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photo by Donald Kinney

With the little bit of rain and drizzle we've been getting here in Marin County the past several days, the vegetation that enjoys this type of weather, such as ferns and moss, has perked up and is standing tall.

Even seldom seen newts are out and about...   They're slow movers, about six inches in length, with caucasion-flesh colored skin.   My knowledge is limited, but I believe this particular variety is an endangered species.

If I had been just a bit faster in setting up my camera I would have been able to snap a newt ambulating   v e r y   s l o w l y   between these two trees.   Oh, I guess I could have retrieved the creature and placed him back inside the area of the photo, but I really don't think the mysterious little guy needed some uncouth human messing with his or her enjoyment of a perfect day in the soggy forest.





SPECIAL EDITION
First, make sure your sound isn't turned way up, then
mouse-over keys for animal sounds --
or click on key to repeat 3 times...
Keys are draggable to the right side to create key combinations.

I made this with Flash6 two or three years ago.




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January 24, 2009

raining, pouring, snoring


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photo by Donald Kinney

((( Now, this splash isn't exactly rain, but I think I hear Peter, Paul and Mary in there somewhere )))

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring
Bumped his head and he went to bed
and he couldn't get up in the morning
Rain rain, go away, come again some other day.

(Spoken)
"Hey! I got an idea ... we could all play hide and go seek inside,
now everybody hide and I'll be it!"

Star light, star bright,
first star I see tonight,
wish I may, wish I might,
have the wish I wish tonight.

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring
Bumped his head and he went to bed
and he couldn't get up in the morning
Rain rain, go away, come again some other day.

Five, Ten, Fifteen, Twenty.
Twenty-five, Thirty, Thirty-Five, Forty.

Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home.
Your house is on fire, and your children,
they will burn, They will burn.

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring
Bumped his head and he went to bed
and he couldn't get up in the morning
Rain rain, go away, come again some other day.

Forty-Five, Fifty, Fifty-five, Sixty.
Sixty-five Seventy, Seventy-five eighty.

I won't be my father's Jack,
no, I won't be my mother's Jill,
I'll be a fiddler's wife and fiddle when I will.

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring
Bumped his head and he went to bed
and he couldn't get up in the morning
Rain rain, go away, come again some other day.

Eighty-Five, Ninety, Ninety-five, a Hundred.

(Spoken) Anyone 'round my base is it! Ready or not, here I come!

(Spoken) Olie Olie In Free!

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January 23, 2009

splish, splash, I was taking a bath


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photo by Donald Kinney

((( Now, if you're as old as dirt, like me, you may remember this oldie-but-goodie written by Bobby Darin )))

Splish splash, I was taking a bath
Long about a Saturday night
A rub dub, just relaxing in the tub
Thinking everything was alright

Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor
I wrapped the towel around me
And I opened the door, and then
Splish, splash! I jumped back in the bath
Well how was I to know there was a party going on

They was a-splishing and a-splashing, reelin' with the feelin'
Moving and a-grooving, rocking and a-rolling, yeah

Bing bang, I saw the whole gang
Dancing on my living room rug, yeah
Flip flop, they was doing the bop
All the teens had the dancing bug

There was Lollipop with-a Peggy Sue
Good golly, Miss Molly was-a even there, too
A-well-a, splish splash, I forgot about the bath
I went and put my dancing shoes on, yeah

I was a rolling and a-strolling, reeling with the feeling
Moving and a-groovin', splishing and a-splashing, yeah

Yes, I was a-splishing and a-splashing, I was a-rolling and a-strolling
Yeah, I was a-moving and a-grooving, we was a-reeling with the feeling
We was a-rolling and a-strolling, moving with the grooving
Splish splash, yeah

Yes, I was a-splishing and a-splashing
I was a-splishing and a-splashing
I was a-moving and a-grooving...

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Need more?   Check out this cute video on YouTube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBkpVfU_2dk


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January 22, 2009

incoming storm


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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, so far I wouldn't call it much of a storm...
The drops we got yesterday were barely enough to baptize a believer, but today we just might get enough rain to start a flow towards our nearly empty reservoirs.   And, oh man, do we ever need rain...   If we don't get a whole lot of it very soon we're going to be on water-rationing for sure.   So come on, heavens, open up and be generous.   Send great volumes of the wet stuff our way.


UPDATE:   I posted another, I think a better version, of the open-air opera singer, two posts down.   A photographer buddy of mine told me the original photo looked odd with his arms cut off -- this new one looks like he's conducting the orchestra, I think...


Special Edition     BOOK REVIEW

50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in San Francisco

by Matthew Bamberg





Three days ago I threw-caution-to-the-wind and ordered 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in San Francisco, sight unseen, for the reasonably sounding price of $18.99 at Amazon.com.   I'm glad I did!

Oh, I'm usually a sucker for "anything San Francisco", but what we have here is not only a beautiful book with truly outstanding photographs, but also an excellent primer on digital photography.

As soon as the book arrived I opened it to the pages you see above.   I had absolutely no idea that I could walk across the street from the Cable Car Turnaround to the Westfield Center, go up four floors, find a cozy chair, and look up at the old Emporium department store dome.   I'll be doing that soon -- just as soon as I can find a pair of pants with no holes in the knees...   Heck, I'll even change my socks and shave closely if that's what it's going to take to get past security...

The book is wonderful...   Matthew Bamberb is a skilled photographer, and shows in the book how to take the ordinary to a much higher level.   He explains in a straightforward manner about the elements of a pleasing composition, and if you need a refresher course on things like depth-of-field, shooting modes, bokeh, exposure compensation, focal length, ISO speeds, lens choice, lighting, metering, post-processing, and RAW format, then this book is for you.

Matt's goal throughout the book seems to be how to get you shooting like a professional.   The line starts here, right behind me...   All this for $18.99?   Sounds like a bargain to me.

Once again, Matthew Bamberg's photographs are splendid.   This book is inspirational.   I love it, and expect to get a lot of use out of it and I hope you do too.   Be sure not to miss Chapter 5 -- "Secret Places" -- sounds intriguing, doesn't it?


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January 21, 2009

Lets Eat !


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photo by Donald Kinney

Bright and early on Monday I had nothing better to do so I swung by San Francisco's Chinatown.   I've been having such bad luck recently getting good shots in Chinatown, but I think these are o.k.   Why do I love Chinatown? -- well it's probably just like vacationing in China, without the long plane ride and hefty air-fare...   Chinese people are great!

See you there -- I'll be the goofy American drooling at the sight of all that tasty food in the windows!



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photo by Donald Kinney



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photo by Donald Kinney



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photo by Donald Kinney

While snapping away on Stockton Street I encountered an older Chinese man.   He didn't speak a word of English, and I speak even less Chinese, but he communicated the message that I should take a picture of a pile of cardboard laying in the street, so I obliged and shot the scene -- where upon we had great delight looking at eachother's digital display screens.   Then I made the mistake of asking him (as best I could) if I could take HIS picture, to which he shook his head no, turned around and scurried away...


Extra, Extra, Extra
Now, I am certainly NOT recommending the Photo Forum over at Craigslist.org (the forum is filled with trolls and the most unbelievable obscenities), but someone was asking how the pros get such professional looking shots, and if it had to do with their lenses.   Maybe you would be interested in what I wrote, so if you might, I have a three part response to the question at:   http://sfbay.craigslist.org/forums/?ID=113797306   My "handle" over there is "donalduck".


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January 20, 2009

open-air opera in San Francisco


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photo by Donald Kinney

Well folks, if I had been a better reporter, like Plug1 from www.whatimseeing.com, or Ramsey from www.fogbay.com, I would have gotten the name and some information on this fellow, but a photo of him doing-his-thing is about all I have...

But this open-air opera singer isn't hard to find -- you can hear him from blocks away in San Francisco's Financial District -- the surrounding buildings give his voice an amazing resonance.


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January 19, 2009

up on Mt. Davidson


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photo by Donald Kinney

Oh, I can't think of a more romantic spot in San Francisco than the top of Mount Davidson -- oh, you know, that tall hill with the huge cross on top.   Well lets see, Kitty, where is your leash?   Lets go make-out...

I've always wanted to go up there -- even as a small child I can remember seeing the cross from way down on Sloat Avenue and wondering just how big it was.   It's big, alright!



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photo by Donald Kinney

The Mt. Davidson Cross was designed and built by George Kelman and inagurated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934.   In 1997, after a long and bitter controversy regarding the separation of church and state, the Citizens of San Francisco voted to approve the sale of the monument to the Council of Armenian-American Organizations of Northern California, to preserve it as a historic landmark.

This revered site is cared for in memory of the 1,500,000 victims of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Turkish government from 1915 to 1923.   Over half the Armenain population on its ancient homeland was killed, and no Armenian community remained in historical western Armenia.

"By honoring those lost, we honor all victims of injustice and cruelty.   In their name we dedicate ourselves to the protection of human rights and the dignity of all peoples".

If evil of this magnitude can be ignored,
if our own children forget,
then we deserve oblivion
and earn the world's scorn.
--Avedis Aharonian (writer and educator, 1866 - 1948)




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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 18, 2009

USS Hornet


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photo by Donald Kinney

If anyone needs to be reminded of the seriousness of war, all they have to do is go aboard the aircraft-carrier USS Hornet, now docked in Alameda, California.

THIS IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HORNET'S HISTORY:

--- It only took 16 months to build the Hornet.

--- Hornet participated in WW2, Vietnam, and the first moon missions.

--- Hornet didn't tie up to a pier for 15 months and was continually in the front areas of the Pacific War during WW2.

--- Attacked 59 times, she was never hit by an exploding bomb, torpedo or Kamikaze aircraft.

--- Hornet pilots shot down a record 62 enemy aircraft in one day during the famous "Great Mariannas Turkey Shoot" and 255 in one month.

--- Ten pilots became "Ace in a Day" with five or more "kills" in one day.

--- Hornet launched the first carrier aircraft strikes in support of the liberation of the Philippines and the first against Tokyo since the famed Doolittle Raid.

--- Over 250 Hornet pilots and crewmen were lost during WW2.

--- In 1969 Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule and the first man to walk on the moon.   A few months later, she also rcovered the Apollo 12 capsule and its all-Navy crew.

--- In 1991 Hornet was designated a National Historic Landmark.

--- In 1998 she was donated to the Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation (ACHF) and became a public museum.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Announcement:
I shot enough photos aboard the Hornet on Friday to put together a new set on what I call my "Big" site, over at:   www.photoarrow.com/big/19/19usshornet.html



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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 17, 2009

our beloved tourists


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photo by Donald Kinney



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photo by Donald Kinney

One of my favorite things to do is to is to dress up like a tourist in my green short-sleeved polyester shirt that I bought at RiteAid for $9.95.   The dazed and confused expression typical of a tourist is generally not difficult for me to conjure up -- but a little extra method-acting makes the picture even more believable...

But the capper is driving and parking -- hey, I am here to sightsee, not keep my eyes on the road -- and when it comes to parking I just pretend I don't understand what the international symbol for no-parking means.

Strolling around anywhere in tourist-land, you probably aren't going to overhear anyone speaking English.   They utter the most curious sounding verbage, and say it with enthusiasm!

God bless our tourists.   They are the life-blood of San Francisco.   Natives can barely afford to live here, but the value of the dollar has diminished so much over the past several years that vacationing in San Francisco has got to be one of the best travel deals going...


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January 16, 2009

gas flames in the creek


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photo by Donald Kinney

Sometimes I form emotional bonds with my subjects which tends to bias my opinion as to what is good and what is not, but in the case of this photo I'm pretty sure I have a winner here...

Oh shucks -- it was an easy photo to take -- all I had to do was to be there and snap the shutter.   Nevertheless, I think I'll give myself ten-points and a gold-star.   Hope you like it too...

Oh, there is one little secret for this type of photo -- the stream must be in shade so it can act as a mirror for the surrounding illuminated vegetation.   At my favorite spot on the Lagunitas Creek (100 yards upstream of the terminus of Devil's Creek) the best time to find the illumination just right is usually between nine and ten o'clock on a bright and sunny day.   See you there...


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January 15, 2009

deYoung Museum's skin


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photo by Donald Kinney

With temperatres approaching 70 degrees, I could think of no better use of my free time on Tuesday than to take a little walk around Golden Gate Park...

I began with a pleasant walk around doughnut shaped Stow Lake (there is an actual mountain inside the perimiter of the lake).   Folks were snacking, strolling, watching the ducks and seagulls float, and some were even practicing their rowboating skills.


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photo by Donald Kinney

There's not a whole lot of blooming going on at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens this time of year, but I had a fine time hunting down a few shapes and colors.   I posted two of the shots on yesterday's edition of DailyDuo if you'd like to take a look...

From there I walked over to the new deYoung Museum, and although I decided to reserve my third visit inside that incredible place for another day, I did get a few snaps of the unusual exterior.

It was a pleasant afternoon, and although card-carrying hermits like myself usually like to explore singularly, I wish you had all been there with me to enjoy the day as much as I did.


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January 14, 2009

mossy rocks on Lagunitas Creek


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photo by Donald Kinney

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to thank everybody for being so understanding about yesterday's post -- I really had to get that off my chest...   And I don't want to give you the wrong impression that I do not love this country -- it's been very good to me and I am deeply appreciative -- but I am almost overwhelmed by the direction this country has taken since that scoundrel in the White House took office eight long and costly years ago...

I truly hope I am wrong about 9-11...   And for the sake of mental health, I try not to dwell on it too much...   And I should probably try to stay off my soapbox, because the LAST thing I want to do is shatter someone else's dreams...

Soooooooooooo, folks, thanks for hanging-in with me -- I REALLY appreciate you stopping by to see my photos -- and in the coming weeks I will try to supply us with more than enough beauty to get us through this...

Best regards, Don and Kitty

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Not to toot my own horn, but I really like today's photo -- It's probably because I seem to have a personal attachment to that spot on the Lagunitas Creek...

What the Lagunitas Creek needs right now is a huge rainstorm -- that's the signal for the Coho Salmon to make their way upstream to spawn...   The Coho Salmon is now a federally protected species, but their numbers have declined dramatically over the past few decades due to over-fishing, polution, and God knows what else...   And no, don't even THINK of fishing in the Lagunitas Creek...


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January 13, 2009

burn baby, burn


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photo by Donald Kinney

I tend to lose part of my viewership whenever I post anything political -- oh well, I will not be silent.

My political views are probably a whole lot different than yours...   I'm the guy (along with a growing number of others) who thinks that 911 was a hoax and a product of the New World Order -- and that it was an "inside job" -- meaning that the Twin Towers and Building Six were brought down by controlled demolition, and not by fire.

So, what sort of a government would kill 3,000 of it's own citizens to achieve it's goals? -- the same government who would willingly sacrifice the lives of over 4,000 of our young men and women in the name of fighting terrorism.   Funny thing though -- we are the terrorists!

If you are curious about the true story of 911, stop by  www.911truth.org  and read "The Top 40 Reasons to Doubt the Official Story of September 11th, 2001".



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photo by Donald Kinney

At the Rally For Palestine I briefly spoke to a fellow blogger, S.F. Mike, who has his own photos of the event on his blog over at: http://sfciviccenter.blogspot.com.
The text accompanying his photos is eloquent -- highly recommended reading!



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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 12, 2009

men, women, and children


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photo by Donald Kinney

Not that I hold Palestine completely blameless, but the United States and Israel are responsible for 900 deaths of Palestinian men, women, and children in the past few weeks...



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photo by Donald Kinney


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January 11, 2009

the elusive Giraffa


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photo by Donald Kinney

Well folks, this is the elusive Giraffa -- which (to the delight of some and horror of others) has been popping up for the past few years in some of the most unexpected places...

And while I've probably only spotted a half dozen Giraffas so far, Plug1 from www.whatimseeing.com is the ultimate hunter of Giraffas -- having over 60 of them on his Flickr gallery, including this one in the Marin Headlands.

"A Giraffa in the Marin Headlands?"
Now, I thought I knew the Marin Headlands area pretty well, and I've walked down the dirt road to Kirby Cove (near the Golden Gate Bridge) a few times in the past, but I had never explored the old artillery battery down the hillside along the way.   There it was -- Eureka, I had finally found it!

Since Plug1's shot, some damn redneck with a paintball gun decided to use Giaffra as a target, accounting for the green splatter on Giraffa's left eye and elsewhere.


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January 10, 2009

more streaming sunlight


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photo by Donald Kinney

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, fog is usually never more than a whisp and a breeze away...   But some places are foggier than others -- this particular spot on Mount Tamalpais, near the intersection of Ridgecrest Boulevard and Fairfax-to-Bolinas Road, always wins the coveted "Fog-Prize", hands down...


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January 09, 2009

streaming sunlight


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photo by Donald Kinney

So how do you like your sunlight -- direct, strong, and hot?

Yep, I usually like it that way too, but I also admire it when it mixes with fog...


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January 08, 2009

sea-foam on beach


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photo by Donald Kinney


I understand that this type of sea-foam results from certain proteins in the sea being whipped into a froth -- sort of like a sea-smoothie...


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January 07, 2009

Chinese checkers


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photo by Donald Kinney


I'm sure this game has a more precise name than Chinese Checkers, but at the moment that's about all I have.

I found it interesting how they place the pieces on the intersections of the squares, not inside them -- I wonder why...

San Francisco's Portsmouth Square is the place to be if you're feeling lucky on a Sunday afternoon.


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January 06, 2009

Postcard from San Francisco


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photo by Donald Kinney

It was inevitable that seagulls would adapt to our greedy monetary system -- this one charged me a buck to take his photo...


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January 05, 2009

message in Chinatown


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photo by Donald Kinney

God bless free speech -- whether it makes any sense or not...

This man definitely has a few messages he wants to put forth -- but rather than shout and bother people, he just stands there on his little stepladder and says "Happy, Happy" to everybody who passes by...   Yesterday he was adding "Your Mommie" to "Happy, Happy"...   He sort of made it into a sweet little mantra -- "Happy, Happy, Your Mommie, Your Mommie Too"...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The two photos (above) were taken on Saturday, but the photo below was shot about a year and a half ago when the front of his sign had a slightly different message.   He's still wearing same shirt and hat, though (my type of guy)...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney


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