Common Mallards

Sticking with winter bird shots here. It's snowing out, the lake remains frozen over and we're getting 6-10" more snow tomorrow. %#^&! On the bright side, two Common Loons stopped by yesterday and a pair of Wood Ducks came by this morning. They know something the weatherman does not.

Steamy

Steamy, a photo by Generik11 on Flickr.

Something a little different. This was taken in Hong Kong in 2004 with my old point & shoot. I've always liked this shot, but only had the b&w version posted to my Flickr site. Yesterday I decided to put this one up there as well.

Tracks

Twilight Geese

Gangway Gent

Saw this fellow sitting outside the entrance to a gay dive bar in my neighborhood, a place called The Gangway. I've seen him before and wanted to get a picture of him, but I was afraid he wouldn't consent. This time I asked him if it was all right, and he said sure, no problem.

Cedar Waxwing Hijacks a Fruit

The battle for the Prairiefire crabapple tree has been joined. Robins, beware.

Hotel Verona

Rooster

I don't mean to tread on Ahab's turf, but I couldn't resist shooting this guy when I saw him in downtown Arroyo Grande.

In My Neighborhood: Sergio

I took advantage of a break in the rain yesterday to take a walk around my neighborhood and take a few pictures. I ran into this fellow, who owns a shoe store a couple blocks away from me, and we started talking about some of the tree branches that had come down the night before and that were still lying on the sidewalk. A few minutes later, I was taking a picture of the sign in his window, and we talked a little more about his shop. I asked him if I could take his picture, and he said sure. I was pretty happy with how this one came out. I'm thinking I should print up a copy for him and take it to him.

Menagerie

Three Hooded Mergansers and a Ring-necked Duck. Large here.

Sundown Alley

It's a narrow, one-way street, but it leads to Shadow Shot Sunday. Come on down, all these fine folks have!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Elk antlers outside the administrative hacienda at Wind Wolves Preserve.

I've been very remiss lately with the Shadow Shot Sundays (as in, not doing any for several weeks), and the reason is I have a new-ish project that consumes most of my free-ish time: a sort of history/photo blog called Up and Down California. We're reliving the travels of the California Geological Survey 150 years ago via excerpts from the field leader's letters (posted in real time +150) with present-day photos of the places he describes. (The photo above was taken on a whirlwind road trip last weekend to visit locations the Survey party stayed or passed through.)

I love Shadow Shot Sunday, and I'll continue to do it when I can (it may be sporadically, but I'm not going away altogether); in the meantime, though, check out what they were doing 150 years ago today (or, if you want to catch up on their travels up to this point, start at the beginning).


Shadow Shot Sunday: learn how, and join in the fun.

Miss American Robin 2011

Nude Sunbathing Competition

El Camino Viejo

Mouth of San Emigdio Canyon from the campground at Wind Wolves.

If Wishes Were Ponies

My favorite shot from last Saturday's St. Patrick's Day parade here in SF.

No Climbing Hills

Sign at Nojoqui Falls County Park, one stop on the Brewer project-related roadtrip I did over the long (for me) weekend.

King of Crabapples

All birds all the time out here these days.

VaillaincourttruocnialliaV

Seen at Justin Herman Plaza Saturday while I was waiting for a bunch of naked bicycle riders to gather and do their thing.

Non-Martini Monday

Scotch & soda at the Buddha Lounge the other night.

Red Apple Falls

Update: Insensitive of me to post this on a morning when there is such terrible suffering in the Pacific. Our thoughts here on PaaE are, of course, with the afflicted.