August 31, 2009

along Pipeline Trail + SPECIAL EDITION


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photo by Donald Kinney

I'll be showing you a map of the Lagunitas Creek tomorrow, but this was taken on what I call the Pipeline Trail along the Lagunitas Creek, not far from the intersection of Platform Bridge Road and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

This is primarily a bicycle trail, but I guess photographers get to walk it too.   Make sure to keep to one side of the lane -- those damn bicyclers can run you over...



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photo by Donald Kinney

Taking a photo in the middle of the day is usually ill-advised, and this image bears out that lesson.   But despite the blown-out whites I think it's kind of pretty shot.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Designs stick up...



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photo by Donald Kinney

And they hang down...



SPECIAL EDITION -- Cookies are in the mail !!!

[[[ first edition ]]]
Monday, 5:18AM
On Saturday I stopped by the postoffice to collect my mail and lo and behold, there was one of those yellow tags that said they had a package for me, but it was too large to fit into my postoffice-box.   Problem is our postoffice isn't open on Saturday so I couldn't go claim the package. --But they're cookies and they're coming -- I'll be right down there at the postoffice as soon as it opens.

[[[ second edition ]]]
Monday, 11:04AM
Oh man... I have just eaten two of the very best cookies I've ever eaten, and that includes my Mom's -- and that's saying a lot!

Well, a few weeks ago I inadvertently let the cat out of the bag when Louise from The Potted Frog did a wonderful story on the first batch of chocoloate chip cookies that her daughter had baked all by herself.   By the time I finished reading I was drooling, and I left a tongue-in-cheek comment that I absolutely loved chocolate chip cookies and that my birthday just happened to be coming up soon, and that my mailing address was such and such...   Oh, I just mean't it to be a joke -- never expected that Louise would follow up on it -- but I understand that she is one of those people who loves to do super-nice things for people, so here I am -- moaning and groaning over the wonderfulness of these cookies!

I got to the postoffice right at 9AM and asked the nice lady if she had my cookies -- maybe I should have stopped and shared, but I was in a hurry to get down to Best-Buy to buy myself a camcorder -- more on that later (((you guys are really in for it now))).

And now I'm home giving these cookies a test run.   I'd say two thumbs up on this recipe and batch for sure.   They have such a wonderful texture, even after sitting in the postoffice all weekend.   They have that melt-in-your mouth texture, but they have an equal balance of substance.   The sweetness is not rough but seems to explode, and there is an amazing finish to the sweetness -- after swallowing the sweetness remains -- it's definitely the appropriate time to make the appropriate noise of satisfaction -- ummmm...

They arrived in PERFECT shape -- not a single one was broken -- just like some postal employee had hand-carried the package because they knew something really good was inside.   And I was surprised at their rather light color -- my mother used to get her's a bit browner, but these are baked PERFECTLY -- damn, they're good!

Thank you Louise -- this has been the BEST birthday present ever!   I'll probably drop a few updates here on my progress -- I'm going to make them last -- wish me good luck on that...

Louise sent 17 cookies -- 15 remain.

[[[ third edition ]]]
Monday, 12:02PM
Thought I would just have a half of a cookie.   I ate half, and then ate the other half...

Louise sent 17 cookies -- 14 remain.

[[[ fourth edition ]]]
Tuesday, 8:18AM
I had another just before I left yesterday afternoon, and I just had another one, and I bet you I'll have another one in about two minutes, so lets just consider that one a gonner too...

Louise sent 17 cookies -- 11 remain.

[[[ fifth edition ]]]
Tuesday, 10:31AM
I thought it would be o.k. to have another one, so I did, and then I don't know what got into me but I went right back and had one more...   So, they're going fast, but I'm enjoying the heck out of them...   I'm going to try to stay away from them for the rest of the day -- wish me good luck with that...

Louise sent 17 cookies -- 9 remain.

[[[ sixth edition ]]]
Wednesday, 4:49AM
I don't know how this happened, but last night the total dwindled to only 5 and right now, at just abut 5AM I'm feeling like just one of those cookies would go a long way in satisfying my hunger right now.   So, so I don't have to feel guilty about it later, lets just call the remaining total 4 and wish everybody a good day and go on about my business...

Louise sent 17 cookies -- 4 remain.

[[[ seventh edition ]]]
Thursday, 5:19AM
Well, they're all gone.   Gone, gone, gone...   And they were really good.   Really, really good.   And it was a fabulous pig-out.   Eating them was 17 big events.   Trophies need to be carved.   Triumphs need to be sounded.   Where's the press?   Where's the press?   Where is Betty Crocker?

Thank you Louise -- it was the best birthday present ever!


Oh, by the way, I don't think that Louise would object to me reprinting her recipe, so here it is:

Louise's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2 lg eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 F.   Combine flour, soda and salt in medium bowl.
Mix well.   Set aside.

In large bowl, combine sugars with electric mixer at medium speed.   Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste.
Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until just blended.   Do not overmix.

Add flour mixture, chocolate chips and nuts.   Blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets.   Bake 18-22 minutes (20 minutes almost always works at my location) or until golden.   Transfer immediately to cool, flat surface.

Note: The recipe does not actually call for nuts, but believe it or not, I do not have a  huge sweet tooth.   (Ignore that Godiva bit above.)   Too much sugar gets to me, and I like nuts in cookies.   Besides the texture, it sort of balances the sweet.

---------------------
Note from Don:   I was looking at the recipe in search of the drug that makes them so addicting, but nope, nothing terribly suspicious listed on the recipe.

But looking at the recipe I think I like the cookies because they have so much brown sugar in them, together with a double-dose of vanilla.   I think they're sweeter than heck, but Louise was saying she doesn't like overly sweet cookies...   Hmmmm...

And I lucked out and got one of Louise's batches that didn't have nuts -- and that's the way I think I prefer them.   No nuts to get in the way of the delicate texture of the chocolate chips.




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August 30, 2009

Spooking Around. (see bonus at end)


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photo by Donald Kinney

On Thrsday it was hotter than hell around here, and believe me, it wasn't any cooler at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in San Rafael.



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photo by Donald Kinney

X marks the spot...



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photo by Donald Kinney

And if you've got to be dead, this isn't such a bad place to do it.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Now, where did I leave my head?


SPECIAL EDITION -- TangoBaby's reception at Tedda Hughes

One of my favorite bloggers, Julie Michelle of San Francisco, writes three rather exceptional blogs:

TangoBaby
I Live Here; S.F.
Femmefotographie

Saturday evening Michelle invited me, along with a boatload of her other friends and blogging buddies, to a reception that kicked-off an exhibit of her fine-art photography at Tedda Hughes, a very interesting boutique/art gallery at 1623 Polk Street.

Now, I'm no social-butterfly, and definitely no gad-about-town -- in fact I'm a bit of a hermit (crippling shyness, really) and only come out of my hole-on-the-hill when necessity calls, but I am SO glad I made it over to see Julie's photos -- but the biggest treat was meeting her in person!   She is a gorgeous creature and gives good hugs -- I got two of them...   She also seemed genuinely happy to see me.   She's also fun to talk to -- I started yacking my head off and managed to almost completely lose my voice for a while there.

Across the room I spotted an interesting looking bearded man with a camera model I used to own -- turned out that it was S.F. Mike of "SF Civic Center" who I actually had met before -- it was at a protest rally at the Civic Center about a year ago.   Mike mostly covers events unfolding in the Civic Center area of San Francisco, including the symphony and opera -- hey, the way I see it, better him than me (I am such a cultural slob), but I DO really enjoy reading about the events he covers and he has a "to the point" approach when it comes to his expert critical analysis.   Right now on his blog he has a really interesting piece on the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum.

Julie also introduced me to Greg Dewar who writes "N Judah Chronicles".   Greg is not only interesting to talk to (I think that's when my voice really started to go), but in checking his blog this morning I can see that he has one of the more intelligent blogs in Cyberspace.

One person who I really wanted to meet "in the flesh" was my most wonderful friend Tomate Farcie.   Every time someone walked in the door I had look and see if it might be her, but no...   Oh well, but we're definitely going to get together one of these days.   If anybody can bring me out of my shell, it would be her.   She's French -- sounds interesting doesn't it, Gomez?



But the highlight of the evening was meeting a wonderful young couple, madly in love, who I consider the very essence of San Francisco -- Plug1 and Plug2, who write "What I'm Seeing".

Plug1 works right in downtown San Francisco, so he has a pulse on all sorts of interesting goings-on, from Critical Mass reporting, to encounters with Frank Chu, to breathtaking views from tall vantage points -- but what he is most famous for is his city-wide search for meaningful urban art, sometimes referred to as graffiti.   Oh, I'm sure you have your own opinions abut graffiti, but you may temper your feelings after seeing his photographic trophies that document the work of the artist behind Girafa.

Had I stuck around a while longer I may have gotten to meet Brad Evans who writes CitySnaps.   Plug1 and Brad had been Twittering earlier so I learned that Brad was still over at the ballpark.   Brad is a very talented street photographer doing black-and-whites with rich blacks and delicate whites.   I'll have to catch up with him sometime and see if he can teach me something about shooting on the street -- lesson #1 is probably going to be how not to get knocked over the head and have my camera stolen in some of the seedier parts of town.

So there you have it -- what I did last night.   I had a great time.   Wish you too had been there.

And a big thank-you and virtual-hugs to Julie Michelle for making it all possible!


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August 29, 2009

at the beach, Marin Headlands


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photo by Donald Kinney

Sometimes it gets so blithering hot here in Marin County that the only option is to head down to Rodeo Beach, not far from the Golden Gate Bridge, and cool off.   Bring your dog, tennis balls, surfboard, and camera...



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photo by Donald Kinney

Even though I've spent most of my life living within a few miles of the ocean, I don't surf -- not that I wouldn't like to try someday, but I just don't think I have the coordination, endurance, or constitution to brave the frigid water -- wetsuit or not.   But one thing I can work on is the lingo...

A - FRAME
Large wave that forms with distinct shoulders on either side (left and right) of the peak.   Can result in two surfers surfin the same wave . . . one going frontside and the other going backside.

BOOGIE BOARD
A soft foam board ridden on the belly by those who can't or won't stand up, generally hated by all surfers as they usually get in the road, also known as bodyboard.

CLOSE-OUT
A wave that breaks along it's entire length simultaneously, often unreadable and no good for surfing.   Usually causes a WIPEOUT.

DODE
Similar to dude but its really a derogetory name for someone who is weak/a poser.   The person you say it to will think you are calling them your brother, but you really think they suck.

ESKIMO ROLL
Another method of getting through a breaking or broken wave.

FLOATER
1. A maneuver that involves launching the board off the lip of the wave onto a section of broken or breaking wave in front, unweighting, and free falling down the face with the breaking white water.   Where you are on your board waiting for a wave.
2. A person (normally a tourist!) who swims or body surfs in the water and gets in your way while surfing.

GETTING TUBED
When the waves comes over your head and covers you, inside the wave and surfing.

HATER
Someone who does not understand that to be a surfer you must be a surfer.   Surfing is a way of the spirit and life.   Surfers are those who are one with Kai and ther bourd.   Haters are the ones who are not but pretend to be and get angry when real surfers wont accept them.   Surfers aren't making fun of these posers cuase we hate them we make fun to force them to stop being posers learn how how to surf force themselves to become one with Kai and their Board and become REAL surfers, till then they are nothing but smog-breather posers.

ICED
To execute a wave perfectly.

JUICY
A good wave. Wave are said to be "juicy" if they have power, speed and clean faces.   "The waves are really juicy today."

KAHUNA
(ka-hoo-na) Hawaiian tern for a man that surfs usually with a degree of skill.

LAND LORD
Great White shark.

MAXED-OUT
A break is said to be 'maxed-out' when the swell is so big it will no longer break cleanly, but will close out or 'section'.



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photo by Donald Kinney

NOSE-RIDING
Technique used by longboarders who attempt to ride as close as possible to the nose of the board.

OVER THE FALLS
To fall down the face of the wave inside the falling lip.   Getting pitched head-first and slammed by the lip of a crashing wave.

PITCHPOLE
When your nose goes under, you go over the nose, the board flips behind you, the wave closes on you and you become a sandwich.   Can be a dangerous situation.

QUANTUM
Sweet, awesome

RE-ENTRY
Maneuver which involves surfing up into the lip of a breaking wave, then coming back down with it.

SHARKBAIT
1. A person that is your friend and that is crazy.
2. The person that is the furthest out from the shore.

TRODER
Someone who wipes out often.

U-BOATS
Longboards in the hands of those who can't control them.

VALID
When the wave is not a big wave.

WAX EATER
Someone who nose dives all the time and slides across the nose of their board!

X
[ Apparently there are no surfer terms beginning with X. ]

YAR
Yes

ZABOOB
1. Totally dumb and wacked out surfer.
2. Newbie surfer who never touches the water.

[ source:   http://rippinh2o.com/dropzone/surflingo.shtml ]


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August 28, 2009

designs at Point Richmond


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photo by Donald Kinney

On Wednesday I had nothing else better to do so I buzzed over to Point Richmond just on the other side of the bay.   When I saw this rusty set of cubby-holes I said to myself;   "oh yeah, rust"...



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photo by Donald Kinney

What I was after was a new shot of this old railhead where freight-cars used to be loaded barges for the final leg of their trip to San Francisco.

Unfortunately my photo attempt failed miserably, so what you see above is a shot from several months ago.   Oh, I'll keep trying -- I've seen some stunning images of this scene by other photographers -- usually hgh-contrast black and whites.

I think the design would look great with a glorious sunset in the background.   Are you listening, God?



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photo by Donald Kinney

I thought the roof-top of this old railroad building was kind of interesting and I even climbed a short fence so I could check out the interior.   No -- I didn't spot any giraffes or bandaged companions -- just a lot of empty beer bottles and graffiti...



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photo by Donald Kinney

I'm not sure what this section of fence was protecting, but this is where the tracks ended.   I suppose it was a fairly dicey operation transferring a rail-car from solid ground onto a barge that was bobbing up and down with the waves.   Oh, I'm sure they had a good system for lashing the barge down...

In the background you can probably see Sutro Tower and a layer of fog creeping it's way across San Francisco.


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August 27, 2009

S.F. -- here and there


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photo by Donald Kinney

Last week I was rubbing shoulders with the tourists up on Conzelman Road -- when I noticed one of those motorized cable-cars pulling into the lookout area.   Of course the tour guide was loudly chatting away, but as he was coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff he yells, in a kidding tone, of course;   "I can't stop -- I can't stop!".   A roar of laughter rose from the group on-board.   I looked at the driver and muttered to myself;   "Hey, I know that guy".



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photo by Donald Kinney

Yes folks, this is the character who was driving that motorized cable-car.   No, I don't know his name, but I spotted him about a year ago on the Embarcadero during the "Free Tibet" rally that just happened to coincide with the Olympic Torch run that never happened.

Yes, it was a "Free Tibet" rally, not a "Free To Bet" rally.

After I snapped his photo the fellow confided in me that earlier in the day a lady had loudly yelled at him, telling him that he was SO STUPID, and that the rally had absolutely nothing to do with gambling.   I guess some people just don't have a sense of humor...



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photo by Donald Kinney

If you're ever near Washington Square at about eight in the morning you'd better just get in line, because it looks like the food at Mama's must be pretty darned good.   I suppose that's why it's called Mama's.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I always marvel at how carefully the residents of Chinatown select their vegetables.   Oh, it's all top quality produce that the shop owners have previously inspected, but there is certainly no harm in giving it one last thorough inspection.   This is Chinese Eggplant.


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August 26, 2009

Nukes in Marin County


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photo by Donald Kinney

The Nike-Hercules defensive missile shield program was a product of the Cold War.   The program came to an end in 1977 when we developed even more deadly nuclear warheads and high-tech systems to deliver them.

Prior to 1977 we had eight of these launch sites scattered around the Bay Area -- with missiles packing a nuclear punch of radiation that, had the missiles ever been launched, would have most likely drifted back into the Bay Area to either sicken or kill us all.

Last Friday I visited the Nike-Hercules site near Point Bonita, which is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.   That's Todd, my tour guide -- he did a fine job explaining all the ins-and-outs of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).



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photo by Donald Kinney

The Nike-Hercules site at Point Bonita is the only restored and visitable site of it's kind in the world.   And yes, we had these deadly missiles in sites all over the world.

Our tour guide gave us a "fun" ride down on the missile elevator to where the missiles were stored before being elevated to the surface for firing.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The launch system seems terribly complicated to me.   The actual Launch Control and radar was located on top of Hill-88 several thousand yards away.   State-of-the-art computers calculated all the speeds and complex trajectories -- in those days a one-kilobite computer was as big as a truck and as slow as a snail.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The men who served at these sites were all too aware of the consequences of launching their missiles against incoming Soviet nuclear-bombers and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that followed at a later date.   Radiation suits and gas masks can only protect a fellow for so long.   Isn't modern science and technology wonderful?



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photo by Donald Kinney

While touring the Nike-Hercules site at Point Bonita I had a few memories of my own involvement with missiles and the United States Army.   Back in 1969 I was unlucky enough to be drafted, but lucky enough to avoid Vietnam and end up in the Chaparral missile program.

The Chaparral is the land-based version of the air-to-air Sidewinder missile -- it's non nuclear and doesn't use radar for guidance -- using a sort of "electric eye" in the nose of the missile to seek out and lock on to infared heat sources, such as the tailpipe of a jet plane.   Once locked on to a heat source it almost never misses, and the 22 pounds of high explosive is enough to definitely spoil the day of the enemy.

For practice they had me fire a Chaparral back in 1969 at a test range in White Sands, New Mexico -- it was a lot more scary than it was thrilling.   There was a defect with the first missile they had me attempt to fire -- the guidance system did ignite to generate the necessary electricity for controlling the logic system and directional fins, but the main rocket motor did not ignite.   It wasn't a comfortable situation -- there I was, cooped up in a small turret with a curved plexiglas window -- and outside that window, just about two feet from my head was the warhead that we had been taught would self-destruct after 25 seconds if it hadn't found it's target within that time frame.   Actually there was a fail-safe detent-pin mechanism that prevented the warhead from exploding until the missile had completely slid off the launch rail, but still there was a fair amount of concern on my part about the damn thing blowing up and taking me with it.

After everything cooled off they came out from behind their bunkers and gave me another missile to fire and I got it launched without any further problems, but someone commented that I was white as a ghost when I finally was able to get out of the mobile launcher.

Despite all that training, when I got to my duty assignment in Germany they immediately found out that I knew how to use a typewriter, and being short of typists they put me to work in an office where I spent the remainder of my "military career" typing up duty-rosters, Article 15's, and Court Martials on my buddies.


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August 25, 2009

up and over Telegraph Hill


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photo by Donald Kinney

Sometimes I'm not the best reporter -- yesterday I don't think I mentioned that the Filbert Street Stairs climb Telegraph Hill -- it's where Coit Tower is located.



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photo by Donald Kinney

This isn't such a hot photo, but it's a view looking west.   The street is Filbert, but the first block this side of the hill is so steep that the sidewalk is fashioned into stairs -- not nice ones with gardens as on the east side of Telegraph Hill, but convenient none the less.

Located just out of sight, behind those pine trees is Peter and Paul's Church



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photo by Donald Kinney

So, we went up and over Telegraph Hill.   Now we are in Northbeach.   The alleys sometimes remind me of canyons.



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photo by Donald Kinney

At about 8AM the doubler-decker tour busses start rolling.   And even though it's summer, you may want to bring a heavy coat.



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photo by Donald Kinney

This is typical of the housing you'll find in Northbeach.


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August 24, 2009

Filbert Street Stairs, San Francisco


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photo by Donald Kinney

While climbing, If you take your eyes off the gorgeous resident-maintained gardens that line the Filbert Street Stairs you will spot bits of art here and there.   I had to pause for a little chuckle when I discovered this "No Dogs, Teacup Poodles O.K." admonishment along the way.   Reminded me that in San Francisco there is usually -- almost always -- an exception to the rule...



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photo by Donald Kinney

I understand that there are approximately 300 sets of stairways in San Francisco -- most of them only known to the local neighborhood residents -- but I'm going to go out on limb here and say that the Filbert Street Stairs is the most beautiful of them all.

On each side of the eighty foot swath of gardens are homes that have stood over a century in the beauty of it all.   Views of the Bay are sweeping and fantastic.   Residents need to park up by Coit Tower and expend a substantial amount of energy getting to and from their homes.   Definitely worth it in my book...



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photo by Donald Kinney

While I was huffing and puffing my way up the stairs -- hoping to find photogenic spots where I could stop to catch my breath, this young woman passed by me six times as she casually and almost effortlessly jogged up and down the stairs on her Saturday morning workout.   Where these young kids get their energy I'll never know...



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photo by Donald Kinney

Skeptical about the beauty of the gardens along the way?   Well, here you go...   Case closed...   Amen...   Pass the potatoes...


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August 23, 2009

and more fog...


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photo by Donald Kinney

Thought I would run "fog" over two days just to give the impression how this subtance tends to hang around.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And even after the fog pulls back the moisture tends to stay.   The trees drip like rain -- the green moss stands tall and vivid.


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August 22, 2009

foggiest spot on Mt. Tamalpais


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photo by Donald Kinney

The type of fog we have around here likes to push it's way inland, but there is just one obstacle in the way -- Mount Tamalpais.   And fog is just like me -- it's lazy -- and will try to find the easiest way over "The Mountain", which is the low spot near where Ridgecrest Boulevard intersects with Fairfax-to-Bolinas Road.



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photo by Donald Kinney

We call fog our "natural air-conditioning", and it can definitely moderate what would otherwise be sweltering summer temperatures.   I love it...   It's kind of fun to actually see the air I'm breathing -- I try to chew each bite thoroughly, and sometimes it's so thick that I need to cut it with a knife.   No foolin'...


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August 21, 2009

Abbotts Lagoon, Point Reyes


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photo by Donald Kinney

Getting out to the actual beach at Abbotts Lagoon requires nearly a mile walk on a sandy trail, but there's all sorts of interesting things to see along the way, like this large log of driftwood.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I'm always amazed at people who can name every plant and every bird, but I'm afraid I haven't a clue what the name of this beautiful plant is, but it's all over the place out at Abbotts Lagoon and the bees really seem to love it.



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photo by Donald Kinney

But I do know that this is a Pelican -- a genuine prehistoric creature for sure.   Occasionally, when the work load exceeds their capacity, Storks enlist the aid of Pelicans to help them deliver babies.


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August 20, 2009

nature vs. man


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photo by Donald Kinney

Nature can serve up some splendid colors...



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photo by Donald Kinney

And man tries his best, but generally falls slightly short.


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August 19, 2009

Devil's Creek, Marin County


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photo by Donald Kinney

Yes indeed -- the Devil has his own creek.   It's a tributary of the mighty Lagunitas Creek and drains the northwestern slopes of Mount Barnabe.   I haven't got a clue how it got it's name.



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photo by Donald Kinney

It's full of devilish bubbles...



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photo by Donald Kinney

And full of devilish swirls...

I was looking for temptation, but didn't find any.


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August 18, 2009

morning in Northbeach


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photo by Donald Kinney

Coit Tower was built atop Telegraph Hill in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the City of San Francisco.   Lillie bequeathed one-third of her large estate to the City of San Francisco "to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved".

Contrary to popular opinion, the tower was not designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle.   This belief persists in part because of Lillie Hitchcock Coit's affinity with the San Francisco fire fighters of the day, in particular with Knickerbocker Engine Company Number 5.

Anyway, the imaginations of San Franciscans have been running wild over the years trying to figure out secret and hidden meanings in the design.   The secret is that there is no secret.

One thing for sure, inside is a wonderful collection of WPA sponsored frescoes by Arnautoff, Zakheim, Howard, Boynton, Stackpole, Moya del Pino, Oldfield, Berlandina, Hesthal, and others.   But don't expect to find any of Diego Rivera's work inside Coit Tower (Armatoff was a student of Rivera) -- to see some great Riveras I'd suggest stopping by the San Francisco Art Institute on Chestnut Street -- and if you aren't going to make it to San Francisco any time soon, click here for some examples.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Get to Northbeach early and you'll find larger than life shadows.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Looking for an authentic Italian coffeehouse?   That would be Caffe Trieste, 'fer sure.   I'm not going to tell you the somewhat secret location of Caffe Trieste in Northbeach -- I don't want to spoil the fun of you finding it on your own.


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August 17, 2009

an abstract Lagunitas Creek


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photo by Donald Kinney

I probably spend way too much time looking at the surface of the Lagunitas Creek -- but someone has to do it -- I wouldn't want all this natural beauty to go unappreciated.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I see pretty reflections like this as the broad paintbrush of nature.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And just like a fingerprint, I suppose no two set of ripples are the same.


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CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.
 
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