Coastal Excursion 4

The most northerly of California's redwood parks is Jedediah Smith. It contains nearly 9,000 acres of old growth forest, and it was the most beautiful. These were the photographs I had been looking for since the start. These forests were awe-inspiring. I was surrounded by beauty and serenity, and it felt just wonderful to be there.

Old growth forests have many fallen trees due to wind, old age and lightening strikes. The downed trees allow new growth to take hold and supply a fertile base of nutrients.

My sojourn is almost over.
I drove down to the Smith River before heading to Grants Pass
and my family reunion.
That's my car.

Highway 199 is a beautiful drive that
winds west along the Smith River.
This is what I saw along the way.
(I stopped to take this photo.)

My trip was a great success.
I saw beautiful scenery,
walked among some ancient life forms,
met friendly people,
and took plenty of photos.

Wedding in Minneapolis

Wow! It's been 4 weeks since I added anything to this blog. Time just seemd to slip by. Two weeks after Ashley's graduation in Virginia, my niece, Adriana, got married in Minneapolis. I was barely home from one event before it was time to leave for the next one. But the travel was worth it. I don't usually get to see my nieces and brother this often in the same year.

Adriana, as you can see, was a most beautiful bride. She planned the wedding and reception herself, and it was a stylish and elegant affair. Her new husband, Drew, is in the Marines, and Adriana is a 1st lieutenant in the army. They don't have much time together before she has to report for duty in Oklahoma. My two other nieces are at the top left and bottom right of this photo.

My brother is oh so proud of Adriana and she adores him.
The reception was at The Depot, now a hotel, but once a
main train stop on the "Milwaukee Road"
This shot is of its reflection in a building across the street

Since our flight didn't leave until 5pm, my sister and I took a taxi to a sculpture garden that I had read about before leaving. This is the most well known of the sculptures, "Cherry on a Spoon"

Ashley's Graduation

Ashley is my niece. She lives in Virginia and just graduated from Radford University with a double major: Criminal Justice and Spanish. She wants to go into law enforcement, possibly as a narcotics agent in Colombia. Her mother was born in Colombia.

I like these first two photos because
Ashley is shown in the context of the event.

And she is practically glowing.
Just before the ceremony ended I moved into the aisle among the grads to get this shot of the mortarboards being tossed in the air.
I got a good shot of Ashley looking up,
but only a few grads tossed their mortarboards, so the air was empty.
I added the flying mortarboards in Elements.
This is what the shot should have looked like.

My brother, Michael.

More Iris

This photo (above) is of an iris from my garden.
What a beautiful destiny an iris has (or any flower for that matter).
It pulls nutrients from the earth, constructs a bud,
and matures into a wondrous thing of beauty.
I am in awe of the process and the result.

Do you see the little bug on the petal?

Roses & More Shoot-Out

The Morgan Hill Photography Club holds periodic "shoot-outs". The latest one was on the grounds of the historical society's Villa Mira Monte, former home of Hiram Morgan Hill. The area includes hundreds of rose bushes and an aisle of irises.

Flowers are my favorite photographic subject.

I find their beautiful colors and form breathtaking.
The petals unfurl to reveal an intricate jungle,
An exotic network of elegant design.

When I look at flowers, my spirit is uplifted.

The Roses

There are so many roses from which to choose.
And most of the bushes are not even in
full bloom yet.

Once the rain cleared, the light was
ideal for photography.
The overcast provided a perfect,
evenly diffused light.

I mostly like to get inside a flower with a macro lens.
The folds of the petals turn into an
abstract of form and light

They are just so beautiful.

Pacific Grove Again

I went back to Pacific Grove on Monday to take more photos. It could not have been a more beautiful day: blue sky, blue water, warm sun, and a cool breeze. I took a lot of photos and deleted most of them. The above photo is pretty, and looks OK on line and at this size, but in fact, the focus is soft. I include it here only because it is a step in my journey. I may have to go back to PG a third time to practice, practice, practice. By the time I get back there again, the ice plant will be well past its full bloom. Next year.

The sea weed swayed out and back, making lovely patterns in the water.

The day was just so beautiful that, even when I was done shooting, I didn't want to leave. I sat in my car for awhile exchanging texts with my niece and soaking in the colors, and then got out to take a photo with my cell phone to send to her. That was so much fun, I grabbed my camera and started taking hand-held, fun photos, trying to capture some of the wildflowers with the ocean in the background. I had to wallow around on the ground to get the views I wanted. That was fun.