Hyde Beneath the Clouds

We were supposed to have snow in San Francisco this past weekend, possibly down to sea level. Late Friday night we got a dusting on Twin Peaks and a couple other places pretty high up, but nothing that lasted. Here's what Saturday morning looked like in my neighborhood. This is Hyde Street looking south from Sutter.

Dome du Pantheon

Back home after a terrible trip. Delayed baggage, food poisoning, delayed return flight, very few good photos. Oh well, can't win 'em all. Bring on the Spring.

See Your West: Niles

Niles is a cute little historic town over in the East Bay, sort of near Fremont and Hayward and Pleasanton. Niles Canyon is a great place for a Sunday afternoon drive.

My Morning Buddha

The statue in the foreground is called "Three Heads, Six Arms," by Chinese sculptor Zhang Huan.

This was one of my favorite pieces of public art, and now it's gone. It was dismantled and shipped back to Shanghai this week. What's also gone is the hard drive in my home computer. It crashed this week, and is being replaced. So I'm not spending nearly as much time online right now as I normally do. At least the computer is still under warranty. Still... that's a lot of abandoned couch shots most likely lost.

Sunday in the Park

Sun, warmth: the recent past is a distant memory.

Conservatory

Who Says There's No Winter in the Bay Area?

Mount Tamalpais from just before the Muir Woods junction, early Sunday morning.

You Are Being Shadowed

Who's watching you on this Shadow Shot Sunday? Surely it can't be any of these fine people -- can it?

Embarcadero Emergency

Another one from last Friday night. This one is taken from Pier 14, when we spotted a couple emergency vehicles pulling up to a spot along the Embarcadero. Apparently it was a false alarm, as they took off soon after (without fishing any bodies out of the water or doing anything exciting like that).

On the Waterfront

From Illinois at the Islais Creek bridge.

Holiday Bowl

Seen on a drive in the East Bay with Mrs. G on Sunday. The actual bowling alley is closed down and for sale, but the sign lives on. For now, anyway.

Trainspotting

At the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers Garden Railway exhibit.

Happy Valentine's Day!

White Light, White Heat

Taken Friday night from the 8th floor terrace of the Hotel Vitale near the Embarcadero, after a wonderful birthday dinner with some friends across the street at Boulevard (my favorite restaurant).

Shadow Shot Sunday

Fetid Adder's Tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii), an outlandish-looking flower with an appropriately outlandish name, along the Hazelnut trail in San Pedro Valley County Park.

Try Shadow Shot Sunday--these fine people did!

The Man Behind the Camera

Happy mumblemumbleth Birthday to our good friend and esteemed colleague, Generik!

David Byrne on David Byrne

This is not the greatest picture (although I admit, I like it a lot), but it is another illustration of what a great Saturday I had last week. The 25th anniversary showing of True Stories at the Castro Theater was punctuated with an interview and Q&A afterward with David Byrne, and included some deleted scenes that had never before been screened. That man is a fucking genius, and I will fight anyone who disagrees.

And getting to see that movie again, and the genius behind it, was the cherry on top of a sweet, sweet day.

Metro

At Palais Royal

Michela

Another one from Friday's Ale & Quail Club photowalk. You might recognize Michela from a couple of Generik's photos.

In My Neighborhood: Liquors Wi

Flag Waver

With apologies to those followers of this site who are living with heavy winter conditions right now... I had one hell of a beautiful, busy weekend. Here's just one of a number of shots that I captured on Saturday that I am rather proud of.

Man, I love living here.

Cactus Wren

I found this guy hiding out in Tucson, Arizona.

Shadow Shot Sunday

This one is from last night's Ale & Quail Club photowalk: Illinois Street bridge over Islais Creek.

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday--join the celebration!

Embarcadero Moon

Pretty Boy

Male Northern Cardinal. That red is straight out of the camera. Large here.

Yellow Means Caution

This past Sunday morning, just a few blocks south of my place, in the neighborhood known as Little Saigon, there was a street fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This year's Tet Festival celebrates the Vietnamese Year of the Metal Cat, and the ceremonies got off to a bang with these strings of firecrackers bursting.

Early Morning Storage