April 14, 2009

San Pablo Bay


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

San Francisco Bay covers a large area, so people generally think of it in three parts -- the South Bay, the "Central Bay" (surrounded by the three bridges), and San Pablo Bay in the north.

Top photo is from China Camp, just over the hill from San Rafael.
Civilization is close, but it usually seems a million miles away...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

This is a shot from Vallejo looking west across San Pablo Bay towards Mt. Tamalpais.   In addition to the Sacramento Delta water from the east, San Pablo Bay also receives a bit of water from the Petaluma Creek, and the Sonoma River which drains the Napa Valley.

San Pablo Bay isn't very deep -- in fact it's more like a pond than a bay.   I'd be very careful about parasites in fish that came out of San Pablo Bay, and I might even want to keep my eye on mercury and cyanide levels too.   Bon appetit...

Salt water intrusion into San Pablo Bay has increased over the past several decades to the point where the harvest of Bay Shrimp at China Camp has been reduced substantially.   More and more of the fresh water releases from the Sacramento Delta have been diverted for agricultural use in the Central Valley, slowing down the "flushing out" of San Pablo Bay.





CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 13, 2009

open sesame


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Hope you don't feel short-changed from the lack of text on yesterday's edition, but I got that far and something came up -- and I think I'll just leave it that way -- after all, I'm sure my words would fall short of the beauty of the flowers...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

But yes, open sesame...   Be it a flower, or be it a landscape...   Ask that bird how it feels about wide open spaces...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The clouds unfold...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And from high places the scenery opens up.   That's Bolinas Lagoon from up on Mount Tamalpais.


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 12, 2009

Happy Easter


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 11, 2009

Lagunitas Creek


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The Lagunitas Creek has been a raging torrent, but is now beginning to take on ripply shapes while projecting moody reflections...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Water floats on smooth rock...   Water is very good at floating...   It can all get quite scientific, I suppose...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And water gets busy when it needs to...   I think it has to do with gravity or something...   This shot was taken several weeks ago.
((( It's on my BIG site at www.photoarrow.com/big/98/9802.html)))



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

This shot was also taken several weeks ago.
((( It's on my BIG site at www.photoarrow.com/big/98/9804.html)))


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 10, 2009

the views from Marin


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

We're just across the bay to the north of San Francisco, where the poppies and lupine grow...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

While the tourists fuss about the Golden Gate Bridge, it is our pathway into and out of the City -- sort of a gateway to a DisneyLand with hills, and/or Sodom and Gamorrah -- take your pick...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Yep, but it's six expensive dollars ($6.00) away.   The price of crossing the Golden Gate Bridge has climbed so high that I often pause at this spot and think about hawking my watch.


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 09, 2009

flowers, on the wild side


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Oh, I suppose there are scientific explanations, but I think it's perhaps all some sort of wild beauty contest...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

American Idol...   Occasionally there will be a lone individual...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The chorus...   And sometimes there is strength in numbers...


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


SPECIAL EDITION -- CAN YOU HELP ME CHOOSE 5 PHOTOS?
I'm going to be entering an art festival later in the year and need to pick five photos for submission.

If you have time and the patience to go through these 99 and pick out five that you thought you liked best, your input would be greatly appreciated.   (Filenames of images starts with "r" in lower left)



click image or link for
99 of Donald Kinney's Best Photos 4/2007 -- 4/2009


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


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 08, 2009

tide + foam


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The curtain rises and the curtain falls...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The surf can put on many acts...   Each performance is different...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And for amusement the tide delights in soaking the shoes and socks of tidal-zone explorers...


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 07, 2009

industrial San Francisco


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Next door to you or me might not be the best place for a facility that renders down the contents of restaurant grease-traps, so that's why Darling International ((( gotta love that name ))) makes it's home way out on Amador Avenue, in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

After the economy turns really sour, I'm heading for this little yellow plywood shack -- I think it might be quite nice if I just push all of the garbage and junk out the front door...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

I get the feeling that the business of off-loading sand and gravel from boats and barges has slowed in recent years.   Apparently there must have been good money to be made in sand and gravel, but probably not so much today...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 06, 2009

entrance to S.F. Bay


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Yeah, without a doubt, that's San Francisco, over yonder...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Still some wide open spaces around the Golden Gate...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

I shot this a couple months ago from the isolated and windy perch up by the radar antenna.   You can't see it in this shot, but off to the left is a sweeping view of the Golden Gate Bridge.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And I also shot this a few months ago... This is usually what it looks like in the afternoon on what they call the scenic route to Point Bonita Lighthouse...


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 05, 2009

Ferry Building, S.F.


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

When you enter the Ferry Building you can walk around looking at the interesting ceiling...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

...but a better idea is to stop by one of the many the cheese shops and start tasting like a starved gormet...   With a bit of practice you can master a technique where they keep feeding you samples if you give them the impression that you just can't make up your mind which cheese you prefer, but don't really intend to buy...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Do you like olives?   Sourdough?   How about a little Panchetta?   A bit of Provalone?   How about a splash of Cabernet?



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Eating fruits and vegetables makes everything healthy -- so better pick up an armload...   Stuff those pockets with apples and oranges...   A couple raddishes for my ears...   Two carrots for my nose...


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 04, 2009

S.F. Embarcadero


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Believe it or not, this twisted piece of sculpture arrived in the middle of the night from outer space...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And I've never had a clue as to what the beautiful thing on the right is, or is supposed to be -- maybe you know?



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Must be some sort of new-fangled lamp...   I'll have to come back when it's dark...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The pointy thing is Transamerica Tower.   Unique it is...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And some days, and at some angles, the Alcoa Building wears the Transamerica Building as a hat...


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 03, 2009

S.F. Botanical Garden


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

It's possible to travel the evolutionary trail of plants at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.   Just go through the entrance, hang a left, and find the wooden pathway...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The poppies are officially part of the Califoirnia garden, but this year they are spreading far and wide.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

You can look but you better not touch...

This Springsteen video goes out to Deboarh Godin at:   http://papadorunrun.blogspot.com




CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 02, 2009

ice plant


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

It must be a very BIG world for this little bug...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

This is ice-plant -- very common out here on the west-coast.   It'll grow where other plants won't, and is used extensively as a soil-retainer on steep slopes.   It requires very little water and even less maintenance.   Many of our roads and freeways are lined with it.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

This is the large variety, but there is a miniature variety also.   The waterfront of my old hometown, Pacific Grove, is lined with the miniature variety.   I don't have a photo, so you're going to have to take my word for it that it puts on quite a display of color with it's densely packed blossoms.


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.

April 01, 2009

stripes on Union Street


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

stripes...



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

and stars and stripes...


CLICK to visit my Daily-Duo. 
CLICK to visit KittyBLOG -- the daily doings of my cat.
CLICK for what I call my BIG site.


Your comments are invited and welcome.
 
under construction