We've all seen the shoe polish signs on SUVs on the freeway signifying support for some child's soccer or softball team. "Yay AYSO All-Stars - Britney, Brittany, Brittknee and Sallee". Today I followed one with similar printing on the rear window - "Honk to Free Tibet".
Do they really think that will help? Will the Tibetans, Chinese or the UN hear? Or will the slow moving SUVer just be confused when I honk at him because he's driving too slowly in the fast lane?
Just thinkin' like George Carlin.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Yosemite
A week ago Wednesday (June 4), Carolyn and I awoke quite early and left our home by 4:40 a.m. with a fully packed Altima on our way to Yosemite for Carolyn's art group and a little R and R for me. It's amazing how much stuff you end up taking for a mere five days!
We were at the tunnel view parking lot at 10:50, so we made great time and after breaking out my new Nikon for a series of photos we continued on to Upper Pines campground where we checked in and began the setup process. The new tent went up quickly and the battery powered air pump work very well on the queen sized air mattress. Food, cooking utensils and anything with a scent went into the metal bear box with a padlock for extra security.
The art group got together in the late afternoon over at Lyndelle's and Rod's campsite in North Pines where we all enjoyed a BBQ of buffalo burgers and numerous side dishes brought by everyone. The weather was nice and warm and the water was pouring from the waterfalls and down the Merced.
Thursday the artists set up in the meadow across from Yosemite falls and I walked all over the meadows taking photos. Then I headed over to Lower Yosemite Falls for more photos including my shots of a young buck which was foraging in the stream created by the falls. I "snuck" up on him like a Native American, but he was probably immune to fear of humans so it was no great feat. Rod was in the area later and caught a video of a Lynx with a squirrel in it's mouth! In the afternoon, I walked from our campsite up to Mirror Lake and back. That evening, since the Lakers were playing game one in Boston, Bob, Charlene, Fred, Carolyn and I went over to the Village lounge and enjoyed beer, wine and dinner while suffering through the Lakers loss.
Friday, Carolyn joined the others as they painted from the tunnel view of the valley while Bob and I drove up to Glacier Point for a few photos of Half Dome, Nevada and Vernal falls. When we got back to the artists, they weren't finished so Bob and I visited Bridalveil followed by lunch and a short film at the Visitor Center before connecting again with them near Swinging Bridge.
Saturday, I hit the trails by myself up to Happy Isle and on to the bridge view of Vernal Falls. Then it was up the Mist Trail with way too many stone steps. As I got nearer the spray produced by the falls, I pulled out a plastic garbage bag and covered my camera case and then threw in my Oakley sunglasses to protect them. With people going up and down the narrow steps, I'd often have to wait for traffic to clear before heading up. Within about 200 feet of the top, I stopped to reposition the bag covering the camera and I couldn't find my sunglasses! Hoping that they had dropped out within a few dozen yards, I headed back down. Down as far as when I had put the glasses under wraps. No luck!! I was really pissed at myself and discouraged at losing a costly pair of sunglasses so I mellowed out a bit on huge boulder with a good view of the falls and then headed back to camp. I made a lunch and had a beer before finding the painters over on the Merced river in North Pine campground.
Sunday we managed to pack up and cram everything back into the car after enjoying a BIG breakfast over at Curry Village with everyone else. Heading out of the valley around 11 am, we stopped at the historic area adjacent to the Wawona for beverages and ate our lunch under the trees. Then it was off towards Fresno and down the 99 sucking up gas at $4.59 per gallon. Ashley called on our way down and invited us for dinner! Bryce cooked both hamburgers and romaine lettuce on the BBQ (that was a new treat) with cookie dough baked into bowls and topped with vanilla ice cream for dessert! A great way station on our trip home.
We were at the tunnel view parking lot at 10:50, so we made great time and after breaking out my new Nikon for a series of photos we continued on to Upper Pines campground where we checked in and began the setup process. The new tent went up quickly and the battery powered air pump work very well on the queen sized air mattress. Food, cooking utensils and anything with a scent went into the metal bear box with a padlock for extra security.
The art group got together in the late afternoon over at Lyndelle's and Rod's campsite in North Pines where we all enjoyed a BBQ of buffalo burgers and numerous side dishes brought by everyone. The weather was nice and warm and the water was pouring from the waterfalls and down the Merced.
Thursday the artists set up in the meadow across from Yosemite falls and I walked all over the meadows taking photos. Then I headed over to Lower Yosemite Falls for more photos including my shots of a young buck which was foraging in the stream created by the falls. I "snuck" up on him like a Native American, but he was probably immune to fear of humans so it was no great feat. Rod was in the area later and caught a video of a Lynx with a squirrel in it's mouth! In the afternoon, I walked from our campsite up to Mirror Lake and back. That evening, since the Lakers were playing game one in Boston, Bob, Charlene, Fred, Carolyn and I went over to the Village lounge and enjoyed beer, wine and dinner while suffering through the Lakers loss.
Friday, Carolyn joined the others as they painted from the tunnel view of the valley while Bob and I drove up to Glacier Point for a few photos of Half Dome, Nevada and Vernal falls. When we got back to the artists, they weren't finished so Bob and I visited Bridalveil followed by lunch and a short film at the Visitor Center before connecting again with them near Swinging Bridge.
Saturday, I hit the trails by myself up to Happy Isle and on to the bridge view of Vernal Falls. Then it was up the Mist Trail with way too many stone steps. As I got nearer the spray produced by the falls, I pulled out a plastic garbage bag and covered my camera case and then threw in my Oakley sunglasses to protect them. With people going up and down the narrow steps, I'd often have to wait for traffic to clear before heading up. Within about 200 feet of the top, I stopped to reposition the bag covering the camera and I couldn't find my sunglasses! Hoping that they had dropped out within a few dozen yards, I headed back down. Down as far as when I had put the glasses under wraps. No luck!! I was really pissed at myself and discouraged at losing a costly pair of sunglasses so I mellowed out a bit on huge boulder with a good view of the falls and then headed back to camp. I made a lunch and had a beer before finding the painters over on the Merced river in North Pine campground.
Sunday we managed to pack up and cram everything back into the car after enjoying a BIG breakfast over at Curry Village with everyone else. Heading out of the valley around 11 am, we stopped at the historic area adjacent to the Wawona for beverages and ate our lunch under the trees. Then it was off towards Fresno and down the 99 sucking up gas at $4.59 per gallon. Ashley called on our way down and invited us for dinner! Bryce cooked both hamburgers and romaine lettuce on the BBQ (that was a new treat) with cookie dough baked into bowls and topped with vanilla ice cream for dessert! A great way station on our trip home.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Tandem flight
This was a shot I took using the sports mode. Great shutter release and focus for something moving relatively fast.
Blogger Awakened
Perhaps it's been just that time or more likely that I just passed my 60th birthday and the trauma of that event has been weighing heavily on my heart and the obvious fact that I have significantly fewer days left on planet earth than those I've already enjoyed. Morbid, huh?
But with a five day camping trip planned to Yosemite this coming week, and after conversations with Bryce, I splurged on myself and purchased a belated birthday present - a new Nikon D60 with an 18-55 mm lens and an included 55-200 mm telephoto. So yesterday, I viewed the video and scanned the manual and was out this morning taking a variety of shots. This one is of Carolyn's roses blooming beside our home.
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