Presidio Pet Cemetery

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photo by Donald Kinney

A major problem highway designers faced in planning the new southern approaches to the Golden Gate Bridge was figuring out how to protect the fragile and historic Presidio Pet Cemetery during construction -- right there in the middle of it.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Cal-Trans was more than delighted to receive their chunk of "free" Stimulus money for the highway project -- replacement of the crumbling "Deadly Doyle Drive" has been way overdue.



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photo by Donald Kinney

During construction the 100 foot square pet cemetery is being protected by a massive overhead structure. The memories of the pets of the military personnel who served at the Presidio will live on, unscathed.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And yes, our pets... Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you all about Kitty.



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Lagunitas Creek, chugging away

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photo by Donald Kinney

Tripods, oh tripods. A necessary evil of photography, I guess, although I'll usually do everything within my power not to use mine, or pack it along. But for this image and the others (except the last) I DID use my tripod -- good old Stickie-Number-One. My accomplished buddy in Ohio, Jan Bell, will be proud -- he's a real-stickler when it comes to technique.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Most often I can find something to brace my 5 pound camera and lens. The side of a tree or the top of a fencepost or any other solid object works great. Squatting down helps slow our movements down -- humans are wiggly little creatures.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The tripod is a pain to pack-along, but of course is rather necessary when I want to use a long exposure to capture movement. Extra depth-of-field is also possible with a smaller f-stop. For this I used 1/3 second, f-16, -2/3stop Exposure Compensation, ISO-100.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And after about an hour of struggling with good old Stickie-Number-One I took the camera off the tripod. With the aid of image-stabilization I made this texture shot hand-held at about 1/30 of a second, wide open at f-2.8. Tripods are great but a hand-held camera is more my style. Much more flexibility and no fights with good old Stickie-Number-One.



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a less colorful morning

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photo by Donald Kinney

Colorful sunrise or not -- work scheduled or not -- this old pile-driver in the town of Sausalito stands ready to greet the new day.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And as artfully as possible, these wires at Travis Marina near the Golden Gate Bridge also stand by to greet the new day.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The Canada Geese are on some sort of schedule...



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photo by Donald Kinney

...while Seagulls are probably more interested in breakfast.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Meanwile, Mount Tamalpais wears a morning veil of fog after a long night soaking in dark mystery.



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waiting for the sunrise

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photo by Donald Kinney

Just as sure as death and taxes there will be another sunrise this morning. And for the twelve-thousandth time I'll be out along the shores of San Pablo Bay waiting for that exact moment when the sun finally arrives.



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photo by Donald Kinney

But what fun I have while waiting. I just might listen to Katy Perry or maybe even some Michael Jackson -- no apologies. I will work on my paper-cup of coffee but wonder why I paid $1.59.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I will struggle with my tripod, and then wait a bit longer. And a dozen or so minutes after six the hot ball-of-fire will finally arrive.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Soon the reds and oranges turn yellow. Twelve-thousand and one.



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versatile water

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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, water pretty-much kicked everybody's butt again this past Winter and Spring in this otherwise beautiful United States of America of ours. Here is water in more bucolic times, playing a goofy trick by standing on it's head.



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photo by Donald Kinney

A few miles downstream the water has a chance to do a bit of introspection.



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photo by Donald Kinney

To experiment with color...



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photo by Donald Kinney

...and to explore shapes.



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on the banks of Lagunitas Creek

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photo by Donald Kinney

Two dams upstream on the mighty Lagunitas regulate it's flow. The native Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout now find the creek in which they spawn shortened by the "progress" of man.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Actually, the Lagunitas Creek has to be one of the most scientifically studied creeks on the Pacific Coast. State, County, and Federal NOAA scientists are out at the creek studying it's conditions and variables almost as much as that Donald Kinney guy with his camera.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The spawning populations of Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout have dropped from a run of thousands in the late 1800's to just a few hundred today. Oh, the creek is a fairly safe haven, even within limits of the dams, but the fishies don't all make it back to this place of their birth to spawn and begin the process again. It seems to be a matter of pollution and overfishing at sea. Damming the creek doesn't help either. We are SO bad.



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early morning, down by the bridge

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photo by Donald Kinney

As if you couldn't guess, those are reflections of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Our first stop is Covello Point near the Coast Guard Station at Fort Baker, just inside the north side of "The Gate".



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photo by Donald Kinney

This narrow tunnel, a WW2 relic near the Golden Gate Bridge, takes traffic under Highway "One-Oh-One" from the Sausalito/Fort Baker area to the Fort Cronkhite/Rodeo Beach area. It's 5 minutes in one direction and another 5 minutes in the other direction, so there is little time to dawdle snapping photos.



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photo by Donald Kinney

San Francisco in morning light. Believe me folks, and with all respects to my San Francisco friends, sometimes S.F. is best viewed at a fair distance.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Fog and sun and the start of a new day.



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photo by Donald Kinney

A bit earlier with just fog and not a hint of sun.



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photo by Donald Kinney

A buck out for a morning stroll and graze. Life goes on.



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morning fog, out near Nicasio

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photo by Donald Kinney

Fog from the coast often lends a helping hand, but when conditions are just right -- and they often are -- the lake at Nicasio is able to generate copious amounts of it's own fog.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Thistles from last year have spewed their seed and now stand as oddly shaped skeletons.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And the lake, sun, fog, and reeds have a little morning compositional get-together. Snap, snap, snap.

ANNOUNCEMENT
With the help of neighbors I was able to recover "part" of my beloved Kitty yesterday. I will give her a proper burial today, but this will help bring some resolution to her disappearance. Thanks to everyone for your understanding -- it's been a rough three weeks but I should now be able to move on. A finer cat would be hard to find, so I'll try my best to return to a "bachelor existence" for at least the immediate future. Thanks for your caring and kindness.



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beauty is not for sale

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photo by Donald Kinney

There was not another soul around for miles, so my loud scream of anger and disgust at the State of California Park System probably went unheard at 5:55AM Thursday morning out at China Camp Village. A new parking-fee sign has been posted.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Oh yeah, plans for shutting down China Camp State Park and 68 other California State Parks is still in the works -- but until then I think it is sort of a cheap-shot to charge visitors $5 to park in the dirt spaces along the county road, just as they now do if they park inside China Camp Village gates.



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photo by Donald Kinney

This is the list of closures, scheduled for September:

Anderson Marsh SHP
Annadel SP
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
Austin Creek SRA
Bale Grist Mill SHP
Benbow Lake SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
Bidwell Mansion SHP
Bothe-Napa Valley SP
Brannan Island SRA
California Mining & Mineral Museum
Candlestick Point SRA
Castle Crags SP
Castle Rock SP
China Camp SP
Colusa-Sacramento River SRA
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Fort Humboldt SHP
Fort Tejon SHP
Garrapata SP
George J. Hatfield SRA
Governor's Mansion SHP
Gray Whale Cove SB
Greenwood SB
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Hendy Woods SP
Henry W. Coe SP
Jack London SHP
Jug Handle SNR
Leland Stanford Mansion SHP
Limekiln SP
Los Encinos SHP
Malakoff Diggins SHP
Manchester SP
McConnell SRA
McGrath SB
Mono Lake Tufa SNR
Morro Strand SB
Moss Landing SB
Olompali SHP
Palomar Mountain SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Picacho SRA
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Point Cabrillo Light Station
Portola Redwoods SP
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Russian Gulch SP
Saddleback Butte SP
Salton Sea SRA
Samuel P. Taylor SP
San Pasqual Battlefield SHP
Santa Cruz Mission SHP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
Shasta SHP
South Yuba River SP
Standish-Hickey SRA
Sugarloaf Ridge SP
Tomales Bay SP
Tule Elk SNR
Turlock Lake SRA
Twin Lakes SB
Weaverville Joss House SHP
Westport-Union Landing SB
William B. Ide Adobe SHP
Woodson Bridge SRA
Zmudowski SB

People didn't want to pay an extra $18 on their vehicle registration. This is the result.



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looking, up close

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photo by Donald Kinney

When I started making this photo I wasn't even aware of the mosquito -- the little bugger was something that was kind of a neat discovery. So, I've been feeling kindly about mosquitos since Wednesday morning -- abruptly ending Thursday afternoon when one of them put a serious welt and itch on my right forearm.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I think it's a pretty good assumption that these berries are not suitable for eating.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And oh, do you know Horsetails? They remind me of Bamboo, but aren't.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Some people call them Scouring Rushes -- gather a fistful, cut off a flat end, and the silica in the stems will provide a nice scrubbing action if you ever need to scrub your cooking pots out in the wilderness, along a bucolic stream where these things grow.



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Talking movies - what'll they think of next?

video by Diane Harrigan, PostcardsFromSF.com

A big announcement this morning, folks!
Diane Harrigan of PostcardsFromSF has assembled a professionally produced video of Yours-Truly, doing "my thing" out at my "beloved" Lagunitas Creek here in west Marin County.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Diane did a GREAT job on the video -- she accompanied me on one of my frequent trips to the Lagunitas Creek recently to record the sights and sounds. I led her along some sketchy trails and we navigated some slippery rocks -- I'd say we had a great time exploring the creek that I call my own.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The video is intended to compliment my new book "Lagunitas Creek" (see sidebar), and my hat is off to Michael Strickland for getting Diane Harrigan and myself together for the video project.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I shot these last three photos yesterday (Wednesday) -- just for you.
Oh, no problem -- it's my pleasure.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Now, go check out the video -- hope you like it.   Thanks again, Diane!



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Tape-Science in Northbeach

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photo by Donald Kinney

For a while the Tape-Science Lady had volumes of poetry stuck down to the sidewalk directly across the street from City Lights Books, but the winter rains have taken their toll on that display -- the new spot is catty-corner from Cafe Trieste.



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photo by Donald Kinney

If all we have for a canvas is a cold hard sidewalk, then it all seems to make perfect sense. Yes, an art-garden -- why not...



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photo by Donald Kinney

A few words, perhaps, about inspiration! Or maybe the good-old-days.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And a bit of wisdom here, I suppose.
But of course, SOMEONE has to worry about where fashion is headed.



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Oh, tape-science -- where a poetic river named The Bongo runs into the rusty sunset nothingness. Right there on a cold and hard San Francisco sidewalk.



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poetry in the dark

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photo by Donald Kinney

A few big hearts remain in San Francisco -- four big hearts remain at Union Square, and this big heart still has a firm anchor on Chestnut Street.

According to Wikipedia:   Hearts in San Francisco is an annual public art installation started in 2004 by the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation for the purpose of fundraising. The choice of hearts is inspired by the Tony Bennett song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco".

Each year, uniform heart sculptures are [very creatively] painted by different artists and installed at various locations throughout San Francisco, including Union Square and Yerba Buena Gardens. The [Most] heart sculptures are [were] auctioned off at the end of each year's installation.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Not exactly original or believable, but it's the best Dog-damn excuse ever invented.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And when all other excuses fail...



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photo by Donald Kinney

...eat something sweet and yummy. You have my permission.



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