March 31, 2013

layered, ominous, and spiritual


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photo by Donald Kinney

Fog seems to have the capacity to reveal distance in terms of many layers.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And we are all familiar with the ominous moody nature of of heavy clouds.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Spirit Rock in heavy fog, however, just might be more difficult to fathom.
Perhaps it takes four legs to balance the inners and outers of our beings.


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March 30, 2013

wildflowers are on their way


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photo by Donald Kinney

The Lupine on Mt. Tamalpais has arrived.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And the Poppies are popping.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And the Iris are struggling to poke their way clear of the grasses.

I am taking a bit of artistic license with the image above. Last year while taking a photography class I presented a similar photo for critique by the instructor and class. The prevailing opinion was I should have tried clearing all that "weedy stuff" out of the way so they could see the actual flower.
Oh, I did a bit of grumbling but spoke up and said that all that "stuff" blocking the view didn't really bother me.

But just so nobody feels cheated out of a clear view, and to show that my photos can be just as boring as anybody else's, here you go:



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March 29, 2013

morning once again at China Camp


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photo by Donald Kinney

Early Wednesday morning I stumbled across another photographer working, and exposing the beauty of our beloved China Camp.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Oh, I guess at such an early hour we aren't even supposed to be inside the village area. China Camp is a California State Park but is operated in conjunction with "Friends of China Camp", organized last year when the State Park System erroneously claimed it had no money and needed to shut down 70 parks, including China Camp.



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photo by Donald Kinney

THAT is government for you. Personally, you will continue to get NO respect from me, Mr. Government Official. The regulation of our lives is much too pervasive. Corruption and incompetence abounds. These officials get a taste of power and there is no turning back. May God have mercy on their souls.


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March 28, 2013

silence in the morning


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photo by Donald Kinney

The silence, oh-so-early in the morning, can be almost deafening.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Reds might be a bit loud, but early morning colors generally speak softly.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Meanwhile, over at Chevron they're making more go-go juice.
Ladies and gentlemen--start your engines.


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March 27, 2013

an exciting time of day for birds and ducks


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photo by Donald Kinney

If I've learned one thing while waiting for the sun to arrive, it would be that birds and ducks know the value of getting an early start on a new day.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Our feathered friends really DO get rather excited about a colorful sunrise.



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photo by Donald Kinney

For a few of us getting up early is just ducky, while legions of human sleepyheads might say that rising early is strictly for-the-birds.


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March 26, 2013

back out at Nicasio, once again


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photo by Donald Kinney

The backroads of Marin County are mixture of subtle tranquility and not-so-subtle race-car drivers who apparently are in one BIG hurry to get to work.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And I do remember... Yes, I have worked... And yes, I have indeed sped my way to work. If I had been able to float to the "salt-mines" perhaps I would.



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photo by Donald Kinney

But oh the joys of retirement. Mostly, I just float around in my pond all day and quack...


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March 25, 2013

the spirit of rocks, fog, and ducks


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photo by Donald Kinney

The directions, or escape route if you prefer, is a simple "over the hill" to what we call our beloved "west" Marin County.  This is Spirit Rock, with historical importance, but shrouded in a mist of forgotten Indian legends.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Something seemingly poetic, perhaps...  And a bit of fog for drama, also.



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photo by Donald Kinney

And while the photographer has temporarily escaped, the birds and ducks are already quite at home.  I am just a visitor, but hopefully as their guest.


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March 24, 2013

Ghost Tree at Back Ranch Meadow, China Camp


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photo by Donald Kinney

Being an "old fart" has sweet smelling advantages, and stinky drawbacks.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Time gives us a perspective. Perhaps we knew this tree when it had leaves. The hair that used to be on top of my head--now grows mostly out my ears.



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photo by Donald Kinney

So I'm afraid skydiving is off the list. So is my doctorate in brain surgery.
Still waiting for that first kist. All other reports would probably be perjury.


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March 23, 2013

Lagunitas Creek -- bubbly, rippled, and mossy


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photo by Donald Kinney

Bubbly...  Fast, furious, and fleeting. At best, temporary little works of art.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Rippled...  Drawn into lines from the impediment of a leaf, rock, or stick.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Mossy...  Flourishing in the range of moisture that will best serve its needs.


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March 22, 2013

the Camel / Human / All Beings connection


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photo by Donald Kinney

About 3 weeks ago I had an unusual and rare opportunity to visit with Camels up-close-and-personally at a The Mountain of Attention, primary Ruchira Sannyasin Sanctuary, located in Northern California.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Quoting Adi Da, referring to the Camels; "To Me, they are the same as human beings—in the ultimate sense, the same. I do not imagine them
being lowly or separate, or different in any sense whatsoever
".

On the right is my dear friend Sandra -- who I've known f-o-r-e-v-e-r,
and just happens to be a genuine and most wonderful "kick in the head".



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photo by Donald Kinney

Think of Camels and most people immediately think of a nasty attitude and disposition. But as it was explained to me by the caretaker of the Camels, Stuart, animals who receive their due amount of respect and kindness will respond reciprocally in a most gentle one-to-one manner with humans.



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photo by Donald Kinney

While I can't tell you the exact location of this Camel herd, what I can say is the sanctuary is a very different kind of place with very different reasons for being here. What is being experienced is the connection between not only Human and Camel, but Humans and Camels and indeed, All Beings.


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March 21, 2013

living things


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photo by Donald Kinney

Delicate and vulnerable, and just a little bit more than beautiful...



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photo by Donald Kinney

Little no-trespassing signs.

In the early 1900's Luther Burbank, the celebrated horticulturist, developed several varieties of Spineless Cactus intended for use as cattle feed in arid regions. The claim was they would take one-third the amount of water Alfalfa requires, and tonnage per acre would make them a viable crop, but neither notion turned out to be true.   More about Spineless Cactus.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a fungus (the mycobiont) and a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont or phycobiont) growing together in a symbiotic relationship.   (read more at the source: Wikipedia)
School is out. So Whoopie!
RING THE BELL
Make sure your sound isn't turned way up, then
mouse-over keys.   Click to repeat three times.
Drag keys to the right to form combinations.





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March 20, 2013

focusing on Mount Tamalpais


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photo by Donald Kinney

Our beloved Lady of the Mountain, Tamalpa, naked but for a veil of mist.



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photo by Donald Kinney

A day in a daze, or was it in a haze?



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photo by Donald Kinney

Redwoods on the left, Redwoods on the right.


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March 19, 2013

colors of Pacific Grove High School


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photo by Donald Kinney

Yeah, the Beakers--crimson and gold... P.G.H.S. rules, and all that jazz...



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photo by Donald Kinney

No, I never tried-out for any organized teams while in high-school.
I had a paper-route and gardening jobs, so the sports I played were with the neighborhood roughnecks. We did manage to even up the score a few times.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Pacific Grove is within "spitting distance" from Carmel. Our chant was "Beat Carmel"; theirs of course was "Beat P.G.".   Spray-painted signs proclaiming one point of view or the other were thick on the P.G.-to-Carmel-Cutoff.
It was a well advertised rivalry.


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March 18, 2013

Muir Beach -- where Redwood Creek meets the Pacific


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photo by Donald Kinney

A stream flowing year-around on the Pacific coast must have been a most pleasant place for Coast Miwok Indians. But gold was discovered not too far away and the White Man realized great opportunity in clear-cutting nearly every Coast Redwood here in Marin. By 1870 most of the vast Redwood stands were gone, except those inaccessible, like the giants in Redwood Canyon (Muir Woods), a mile or two east of this scene (above).
Here, Redwood Creek flows into the Pacific Ocean at Muir Beach.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Beginning in 1890, local conservationists began realizing how vulnerable Redwood Canyon was to advancing civilization. William Kent, a Marin County resident, philanthropist, politician and businessman was urged to purchase the land in order to protect it. Convinced of the forest’s value, Kent purchased 600 acres of Redwood Canyon In 1905 for $45,000.



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photo by Donald Kinney

In 1907, the North Coast Water Company, successor to the Tamalpais Land and Water Company, started legal proceedings for a reservoir in Redwood Canyon. So, at the urging of John Muir, a philosopher, scientist, author and clearly one of the first conservationists, Kent and his wife donated 295 acres to the Federal Government.



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photo by Donald Kinney

So you see--past history is fairly murky and dark, but score one for the conservationists. The place in Muir Woods where we now walk could be under 40 feet of water.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Not a new photo (I always note when not),
Redwoods at Muir Woods, taken January 12, 2011.


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March 17, 2013

the writing is on the wall


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photo by Donald Kinney

On Thursday I found the entrance to SF-MOMA draped with huge sweeping Korean calligraphy murals by Murkakami. On close inspection it is evident that human hair has been incorporated into the fiber of rice paper. Writing with hair, in essence. Beautiful from a distance, rather revolting up-close.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, evidently, those who complain about the high cost of living in San Francisco haven't spotted this sign. Fifty cents per night isn't bad at all.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Originally an alley but now a collection of upscale shops and eateries. The Crocker family named this flamboyant structure with the fabulous arched transparent roof, "Galleria".


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