Rockets' Red Glare

Happy July Fourth weekend! See a previous installation of this theme here.

See Your West: Multnomah Falls

Highest and best-known of the many waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge.

Heading up to the mountains at the cracko tomorrow (oddly, I'll be fairly close to where Generik is), so before I go let me wish all of you a fabulous, relaxing, and patriotic July 4 weekend.

Red-tailed Hawk

Large here.

The Picnic Table at the End of the Universe

Picnic site and tule fog, Mount Diablo State Park.

Downtown Militia

Spanish-American war monument, downtown Portland.

Passamagamet

Let's Go Camping in the Woods

On Monday, Mrs. G and will leave the safety and security of our quaint little SF neighborhood for a week-plus adventure in the scary, spooky wilds of the Eastern Sierra. We expect to encounter deer, squirrels, bears and Republicans, and will do our best to come face to face with some good-sized trout. Wish us luck.

See Your West: Crater Lake

We got to Crater Lake it was socked in, zero visibility. Had been all day. Hung around the Great Room at the Lodge, drank a couple martinis, hoping for maybe a break in the weather. Nothing. In the middle of dinner Jody said "hey, look, there's a little bit of blue!" Ten minutes later mostly clear, the whole dining room applauding, everybody running outside to shoot pictures.

Meatbullet

Mobster Meatballs food truck in Portland.

A Patch of Blue

Seen at the North Beach Fair last Sunday.

Required Reading

Mural on the Portland State University campus.

Gray Catbird

Gray Catbird and I like to keep an eye on one another in summertime. Here he is singing his jazz in the Prairiefire crabapple while monitoring my front porch activities. Large here.

One More from Haight Street

Much as I love black and white, there are some pictures that just scream to be shot in color. Like this one, for instance, and the one just below it.

Hippies for Life

Went to the Haight Street fair for a few hours last Sunday. Some things never change in that neighborhood.

Choo-Choo

This is one of five photos I submitted this morning to a project called 200 Yards. The proprietors of a site known as Lightbox SF have set this up, picking a spot for a show and then drawing a circle with a 200 yard radius around the spot. Photographers are then asked to take pictures within that radius and submit them for possible inclusion in the show. I'd read about the one they did in the Lower Haight a few months back, but this is the first one I've submitted work to (it's the fifth such show over all). Submissions close June 30th, and the show will be some time in August. Wish me luck!

Stepping on Ahab's Toes

"Grab your camera and come out to the fire escape, quick!" Mrs. G said. Good thing she did, or I might have missed this red-tailed hawk on the building directly across Polk Street from us. Apparently he had grown tired of his usual diet of gophers and field mice and was looking for a change of pace: a little pigeon, perhaps, or maybe seagull. In any event, I was very happy to be able to catch him spreading his wings and getting ready to take flight.

Apologies to my talented bird-capturing blogmate!

Rue Pavée

More...

Pop Ups and Splash Hits

I'm a sucker for fireworks, always have been. I even missed this month's Ale & Quail Club outing for baseball and fireworks last night.

Filling in the Blanks

A hip shot that turned out okay.

Flatiron District

I was saving this one until E-6 came around. This is his kind of subject.

Still fighting my new computer. I've lost my most recently-added 5,000 songs on iTunes, at least for the time being. What a nightmare. Photo software setup is up next...

Colors

Wrestling SpongeBob

The intent look on this little girl's face as she struggles to carry a balloon version of SpongeBob SquarePants that is as big as she is at the Carnaval street fair just captivated me.

Now Appearing on a Dead Tree Near You

Backpacker Magazine, June 2011 issue, page 55. Teeny tiny thumbnail, but hey--published is published.

Common Mergansers

These beauties are the largest and maybe the toughest catch of the three varieties of mergansers we get on our lake. This shot is from a couple of months ago, just before they flew the coop. More mergansers here.

Don't Look Back

As promised, here's one from the Carnaval parade that's more in keeping with the spirit of the event.

Three Red Chairs, Two Red Steps

I shot this Sunday while moving among the Carnaval parade participants. It doesn't really convey the sense of color and celebration that surrounded me (I'll post a picture or two of that later in the week), but it is a shot that I like quite a bit.

Phainopepla

In Southern Arizona last winter. Red-eyed, he's kind of a reverse-colored Northern Cardinal.

In Memoriam

The Best Hunter and Trapper

Bull Creek Pioneer Cemetery, Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

City Hall Dream

Wood Duck Posse

That fourth bird is the lone female in a flotilla of eight to ten courting Wood Ducks.

Today's the day my reconfigured new computer comes home. And then tomorrow I have to go away for a long weekend... But I should be back to full force posting soon.

A Little Later, On That Same Stage

They loaded up a bunch of kids from the audience who volunteered to be shocked, SHOCKED! at the show that was being presented.

Maker Fashion

Fashion Show at the Recent Maker Faire in San Mateo.

Stonecrop

Juggler

I shot this guy from across the street, luckily catching the two tennis balls he was juggling one-handed in mid-air (it took about four shots to get this one -- and it's kind of hard to tell, but he was carrying a broom in the other hand). Troy and I followed him for about six blocks deep into the Tenderloin, hoping to get him to pose for us. When we finally caught up with him, he was not at all interested in having us take his picture.

Oops. Too late.

Don't Call Me Flipper

One of my favorites from the recent Bay to Breakers race.

Rocco

Still waiting for my new machine and crashing multiple times a day on my old Dell.

It Is a Lonely Life They Lead There

(Apparently) abandoned house on the site of the Finch Ranch, upper Carmel Valley.

We spent an hour in Mr. Finch’s house that evening. Two brothers, Americans, have a ranch, and are raising horses. Mrs. Finch seemed a meek, sad woman, with more culture and sensibility than her husband, and evidently pining for other lands and other scenes here in this lonely place, away from the world, almost away from the “rest of mankind.” The house was of sticks plastered with mud, the floor, the earth. Two pretty little girls were playing upon a grizzly skin before the fire. It is a lonely life they lead there.
--William H. Brewer, June 4, 1861

Long Time No Martini Monday

These drinks may or may not be martinis -- in fact, at least one of them might even be water, I really don't know -- but I sure liked how the late afternoon sun shone on them and through them. Isn't it just about happy hour where you are? Cheers!

John, aka Mr. Nobody At All

I spent about five hours Saturday morning walking around the Tenderloin with my friend and fellow photographer Troy Holden. Here's just one of the shots I got that I liked a lot.

Hello, My Friends, I Send You My Love

A self-portrait from one of my favorite art and science emporiums in SF.

In My Neighborhood: The Boys from Station 3

Caught this scene from the fire escape of my building late Saturday night. I'm sure glad those guys are right across the street from us.

Osprey, Hurtling

This is from a couple of years ago, but I don't think I've ever posted it. Osprey dive like this from 100 to sometimes 500 feet or more, right into the water. As they approach the water they slow a bit, aim, and go in feet first. They're amazingly successful fishers -- Bald Eagles on my lake find it more efficient to chase down an Osprey and take away its fish than to catch one themselves. I've got shots of some of those chases I'll post sometime.

Self-Portrait with Security Guard

Shot while waiting for the DeYoung to open yesterday morning...

Screened Out

Here's another one that I liked from New Idria.

Paging Dexter Morgan

Another shot from the New Idria trip. In case you're wondering, it's probably not blood. Probably.

Old Scratch

The day after the New Idria trip, I visited the How Weird Street Faire, where I ran into this chap playing his whistle and offering me a great deal for my eternal soul. Little did he know I don't have one.

Wash Room

Here's one of mine from the New Idria trip. I just posted a ton of pictures from there this morning; if you're interested in seeing the set, go here.

Mine tailings and basketball net in New Idria, where a bunch of us went on a photoshoot yesterday.