Down on the Farm

Saturday was our trip to the Forrest Farm in San Ramon. It was their annual sheep shearing day with lots of kids and a beautiful day. Only about forty-five minutes from our house in Brentwood, and being from SoCal - that was no time at all to be spending in the car. If this was not a 'Historical' site, I am sure it would be developed as the houses are closing in.

You remember your first haircut?? I was probably about as tense as this sleep, and I know I felt just as 'light' afterwords.

The old homestead. See the housing creep??!

Got to drag the old IR camera out on days like this.

This is what a six year old looks like down on the farm. She hates me taking shots and I was lucky with this one.

She's back to school tomorrow and I'm trying to help out around here.

Hope all enjoyed your weekend!!

Exploring the Delta

Got to go out and check out the neighborhood, right?? Went to see some of the close areas on the Sacramento Delta, like Bethel Island, Jersey Island, then Sherman Island off the CA160 heading North. Rich farmland that is being turned into sub-developments at a fast clip. One day, we will have no land to grow food for those that are living on this land. Sorry, I forgot -- all this land will be underwater in a hundred years or less from Global Warming, so no worries!! This area deserves further discoveries and I look forward to that.
I got out my Tamron 150-600mm to try to get some shots of the birds of the area. Well, I tried, but my hat off to all those who are so good at this. I'll keep trying, though.

I didn't know that up the channel there are two deep water harbors. Sacramento I knew of, but Stockton,CA?? It's right in the heart of the agricultural area and is the fourth largest port in in California. Future trip! As to the fishing, I understand that many of the fish have high levels of Mercury, but that least would be more fun than just drinking the water, eh??

Went as far as Rio Vista, a small quiet town along the Sacramento river.

Future sightseeing with take me to the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield and some more slow explorations of the Delta.

More

Things are come together

This has been an Aries cycle worth remembering.
I have moved out of the townhouse in Oxnard and put it on the rental market, with the hopes of it being snapped up by May 1st. The purpose of this is to allow me to be in the motor home and travel the US for awhile. This has kept me busy for the last few months and now that I have changed my 'base of operations' to the NorCal area of Brentwood, I'll have a whole new landscape to photograph.
Soon new offerings.

Finally got Out!!

My jailers have finally relented and allowed me a bit of freedom - well, after all, it was my birthday and they are not terrible people.
My youngest daughter asked me to come down to LA and spend the day going around a bit. Downtown LA that is, and after parking near the new Broad Museum and seeing a line that wrapped around the block - Saturday!!

 Detail of the front facade of the Broad

 - what was the first thing to interrupt our journeys? You got it - a film crew shooting a explosion of cars near the Library. Happy to say I didn't even pause to look, but went right in to the LA Library. I have lived in and around LA for too many years and I reluctantly admit that I have never been inside this classic landmark.  

The upper rotunda of the LA Library

Went to have a bite of lunch and we heard that the old Clifton's was reopened and stopped by. Hoping for a redo of the classic diner/cafeteria, I was taken aback to find it was made out to look like a jungle and moved on..

Where else to go when downtown LA? Why the old Central Market on Broadway. Now it has amazing new food court booths and just a few of the produce sellers of old. 

You want a meal, a beer, a snack, how about eggs anyway for anytime of day? Got you covered.

Across the street is the fabulous Bradbury Building built in the late 1800's and still standing. Many films have shot here, as attested to by the Greyline/TMC movie tour that was passing through during our visit.

Never have paid any attention to signs.

Since the Broad was out we traveled down the Wilshire and went to see an exhibit of Robert Mapplethorpe at the MOMA. Well worth the visit.

Dug out the Nikon D80 IR converted camera and here are a couple of 'false color' shots from here.

 Great day had by all.
I'll get back into the flow very soon now, I hope. Still more thinks to sort out for the family.
Later

New Year for Travel and Summer Exploration

As you know, 2014 was an exploration of Europe. 2015 was the trip along the Alaskan Highway through Canada to Homer, Alaska and back. This year, 2016, will be an exploration of the lower 48 States.  This year I will be trying my best to see as many National Parks and Monuments (Centennial year, ya know!) that I can visit. I was blessed to have parents who took us on vacation trips every summer and by the time I was in high school, we had traveled to every state in the continental US. There are many places I remember and many more I think I remember, but after 50+ years I am sure some things have changed. This also being an election year (absentee ballot already taken care of) I think there may be an energy in this country that will be interesting to try and see, if the early states are any indiction. Get out and VOTE.

There are a few family matters to take care of first (don't you just hate how 'life' keeps interfering with your travel plans?) so I am not sure when I'll be able to start, but once I do I will make a journey of it. This time I will hopefully be able to slow down and stay a few days in those beautiful spots and just witness the sun traveling across the sky and watch how it shows off the huge country we live in.

The initial thought is to head North and follow the Canadian Border along Highway 2 until I wind up in New England. That's the general idea.

If you have any suggestions along this route or know of any 'not to miss' sights, please let me know. If you live along the 'border' and want to go for a photo walk, also let me know.

More to come and hopefully you are planning you adventure for 2016.

Another Milepost - Schools are in Session

Hup! Kids are back to school. Grand daughter is in the first grade and has lost her first two teeth (another milepost!)
Took the MoHo in for service - Slide out has defective hydraulic - so It will be ready for some more 'excursions'.
Since 2016 is the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, I am looking at a tour of the National Parks. Like many, I have been to many of them, but I would like to truly visit them and get some photos over a length of time. There are many, some 400 of them, and I am in my early research. Time to get some good reference books.
Eclipse of the Moon this weekend, so get out there. Astro-photos are high on my list of subjects and there are four NPs that are 'dark sky' preserves.
Here's my last experiment with night skies:

Straight up and some glow on the clouds from Ventura lights.

Getting there??

Summer's Over

I imagine that everyone had a happy, safe and relaxing Labor Day Holiday. Saw all the parades to celebrate the history of the working men and women in our country - What you didn't!! Perhaps it was because there were NO parades!! Curious to know if there were any in your area. There was one in a small town just North of here, but by the time I discovered it (searched all the online events calendars) it was starting. I remember when I was a kid there were three major parade Holidays. Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Now it seems that the later has been generally co-oped by the businesses that Labor Day was started for - in the form of Sales.
It has been all family and catching up on chores around here and not much time for photos and Arcanum. I did get a chance to 'play' with a couple of shots of my grand daughter when we walked the streets of Ventura on Monday. What do you Think??

Just making adjustments in most of the sliders in Lightroom and watching the images change.

Stay healthy