Hummingbird don't fly away

I'm a sucker for the old Seals & Crofts standard.

I also think that hummingbirds are one of the most amazing living creatures out there. Their flight is like nothing else in nature (or out of nature for that matter). They can hover to absolute stationkeeping. They can fly backwards -- in fact, they can achieve any spacial angle with almost infinite ease.

Their lives are short, but they live in a timespace that is different -- to them, we move like we are walking through molasses.

This one was sitting on a branch, next to the bay. I tried to readjust the zoom and get a closer shot, but in the 2 or so seconds that took, he was very gone.

Simplicity

Sometimes the most beautiful and compelling pictures are also the most simple. I REALLY like this shot. When I look at it, I'm instantly taken back to the moment I snapped it -- a quiet, relaxing minute on a beautiful, warm, January day.

2 Years later

Sasha got me started 2 years ago today. 730 posts posts later, I'm still going strong.

Believe me, I'm actually more surprised than anyone else that I've kept it up. This is the most consistent that I've ever been at anything (that doesn't involve, you know, dying if I stopped).

In this two years, I've had some real gems (see the 2 January 1st posts!) and some real stinkers. I've traveled to (and posted pictures from) 12 states and 4 countries. We've added 2 dogs, had one kid move to Texas, and are about to graduate another one from UC Davis.

We've experienced the thrill of Obama's win and the disappointment of Prop 8.

I'm two years older and have a new scar.

I don't have any plans to stop anytime soon -- so maybe we'll be visiting about the 3 year anniversary next January 29th.

Reflections on the water at Oyster Point Marina

Angled Tree

Taken on the Bay Trail in South San Francisco

Please

I'm really not sure why this piece of driftwood had the word "Please". I actually saw the wood being washed up on shore. It was a very plain piece of wood, coming up with a bunch of other flotsam during high tide yesterday, and I almost just walked by without a further glance, but I caught a slight glimpse of the word, and had to take the picture.

Fishing on Crissy Field

The tide was WAY up today on our Sunday beach stroll, and we saw this guy fishing off of the sea wall.

Andy's new dog

Andy sent this today. It is his new dog Sam -- a 3-year old golden he picked up at the Waco shelter.
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Sent using BlackBerry

Short Canon

Sorry about the late post. This is Friday's picture...

Marinated Tofu on the Grill

Not as scared

Remember back last February, when Arnie was so scared he couldn't even bear to come out of his cage on his own?

Well, it's almost a year later, and he's much less scared.

So Help Me God

I had to work today, so I didn't get to attend the ceremonies today. We tried to watch it at work, but we did so along with pretty much every other internet connection on the planet, thus it was choppy and not too good.

Luckily, this is 2009, and there are HD copies of the moment on several websites.

So, capturing the moment being replayed is my picture of the day.

165 lbs

Selling Thomas' weight bench and weights on Craigslist.

Long story.

Inside the Apple

Fuji, to be exact...

Apartment Complex Waterfall

An apartment complex in Daly City (just up the street from us) has this great water feature as you enter their parking lot. This is the top of the waterfall.

Dusky Palm Trees

Another in the "on my way home from work in January in low light" shots.

White hat, blue light

With short days and lots of work, I find myself with very little opportunities to take pictures on a weekday. As a result, you'll likely notice that this time of year brings lots of interior and low-light shots.

This evening, while stopped at a stop light, I noticed that Caryn's hat (from St. Maarten) was in the floorboard of the car, bathed in a deep blue light.

Just to explain, we have a Scion XB, and our car has the interior neon light package (in blue). The light is focused on the front seat floorboards and drink holders. The hat had gotten tossed into the floorboard at some point during the day, and driving home in the dark, it caught my eye.

Daffodil in the water

Oh, just give me the damn treat!!

Panorama -- Crissy Field

I took a group of pictures yesterday on our dog walk (you can see Caryn and the dogs at the right hand side of the picture), then stitched them together using (sorry Mac folks) Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Now, this is a *BIG* picture, and to fully appreciate it, you need to see it in all it's glory, so here is my suggestion:

1) click on the image to go to the Flickr page where it is hosted
2) On that page, click on the "All Sizes" button
3) Click on "Original"
4) Grab your "up/down" scroll bar and scroll about half way down, then move left to right using your "left/right" scroll bar.

Oh, and before you mention it -- yes, my lens was a bit dirty and needed some cleaning (you'll see a series of dark spots spread out across the image).

The face on the Cannon

In front of the oldest building left standing on the Presidio (the Old Hospital, built in the mid 1850s), there is a cannon. This cannon (pictured below) was forged in the mid 1700's and was captured in Cuba during the Spanish-American war. It was donated to the City of San Francisco by Major General William R. Shafter.

The face (pictured above) is part of the relief on the top of the barrel. Such a gorgeous image to be associated with such an incredible instrument of destruction. A 24 pounder, this thing would have been a pretty devastating weapon.

Torque Closeup

They recently put up a new sculpture between our Starbucks and Trader Joes (I love living here -- we have a Starbucks AND a Trader Joes within easy walking distance). This is a picture looking up from the ground towards the top of the sculpture.

The piece it self can be seen below.

Anchor

On display at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal

Cruisin' down the Coastal Road

I really liked the differential focus in this. The sign and guardrail are so out of focus, yet the water is crystal clear.

Purple Pansy by the side of the road

The city of Colma (aka, the City of the Dead) has planted these pretty purple pansies along the side of this road that I travel each and every weekday on my way to work.

Erosion

I used to see this type of erosion in Oklahoma all the time, though this one is in South San Francisco (at the foot of San Bruno Mountain).

I'm not entirely sure of all of the mechanism, but it certainly appears to be water borne. You can almost imagine rivulets of water washing away the spaces between these ribbons of soil. The patterns have always seemed to me to be visually fascinating.

Geary to the Ocean

Geary is a large thoroughfare that runs from the financial district to the Great Highway. As you travel west, at one point, you top over a small hill and your eyes are filled with the Pacific Ocean. It is quite a feeling -- the largest single continuous object on the planet lies just ahead.

Pickle Fork from Lincoln Park

It has been a while since I posted a pickle fork picture. As I've said in the past -- it really doesn't matter where you are in the city -- the Sutro Tower (which I refer to as the Pickle Fork) is usually visible. That's kinda the point, since the purpose of the tower is to provide "line-of-sight" radio and TV signals for the entire city.

I think of it as a "locals-only" landmark. One that you'll never see on a postcard, but one that any SF resident will recognize quickly.

Larkspur Ferry Terminal

The Del Norte in dock at the Larkspur terminal, just north of San Francisco.

Mural on Great Highway

Lots of artistic things are painted on houses on Great Highway (the road that is parallel to Ocean Beach in the Sunset district of San Francisco).

January Theme Day -- The Best Photo of 2008

Ok, it's New Years Day, and you know what that means (if you followed my blog since the last New Years Day, anyway).

A retrospective of the years work, beginning with my choice for (as the theme puts it) BEST PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2008


Hang Glider above the beach (July 23)

The other candidates I had for this honor can be found below (the date in the parens is the date it posted, not necessarily the date it was taken).

• 
  Sasha Diving (December 3rd)
  
  
• 
  Sunset Halloween (November 14th)
  
  
• 
  Bubble (September 28th)
  
  
• 
  Kooky Mirror Shot (September 20)
  
  
• 
  Austin and the Jelly Fish (June 15)
  
  
• 
  Muzzle Flash (June 2)
  
  
• 
  Pickle Fork at Sunset from the Bay Bridge (February 10)
  
  

There are 151 blogs participating in this month's theme at City Daily Photo.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Seriously, check it out -- there are some REALLY REALLY good shots in there.